'Reading must not expand'

Adam Hewitt • Published 28 Jan 2010 21:00 7 Comments

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PEOPLE in Woodley and Earley must "man the barricades" to prevent their marauding, land-hungry neighbour from gobbling them up.

Wokingham borough councillors fear that Reading's latest bid for city status and the cross-border Transport Innovation Fund (Tif) project could be used as a "Trojan horse" for the town to fulfil its expansionist aims.

At the full meeting of Wokingham Borough Council tonight (Thursday), Earley Cllr Chris Edmunds said: "We have in Wokingham borough a large number of our residents living in Reading urban area. The last time they looked at swallowing up bits of Wokingham borough, we defended that quite robustly and I'm sure we would be able to do that again."

Transport chief Cllr Keith Baker said: "I'm sure we will be the first to man the barricades to keep Reading borough out of our areas."

Lib Dem group leader Cllr Prue Bray said her backing for the Tif bid was conditional on Wokingham borough arming itself against any attempt by Reading to use the cross-border initiative to expand.

She said: "Reading will be eyeing up Woodley and Earley. The Tif process means a good deal of collobaration between Reading and Wokingham and cross-border schemes, but what I don't want to see is an attempt by any block in Reading to try to use the Tif as a Trojan Horse for some sort of take-over of Woodley and Earley."

Reading Lib Dem councillor Warren Swaine admitted during the earlier vote on Tuesday to press ahead with the city status bid, which he rejected, that the town would not be a city unless it made a "land grab" for Calcot, Woodley and Earley so that its administrative borders matched its urban area.

Reading expanded in 1886, 1911 and slightly in 1977, but since then its borders have been fixed. In 2002 it worked up detailed plans to annex parts of Woodley, Earley, Shinfield and Sonning, as well as small parts of South Oxfordshire and West Berkshire, but its neighbours reacted with hostility and the idea came to nothing.

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Wozza
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Jan 29, 13:34
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Well as an Earley resident I would welcome a move to Reading. For too long Wokingham has treated Earley and Woodley as money cows. Wokingham should be joined with Bracknell.

Even when you look at the map is is obvious what Readings boundaries should be.

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samuel chatterton
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Jan 29, 13:56
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Reading should definitely include Earley, Woodley, Tilehurst and Calcot. Most people I know from Earley especially think it's crazy they're governed from Wokingham - Earley is bigger than Wokingham!

The previous comment is right, Bracknell and Wokingham fit together better I'd say.

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Matt
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Jan 29, 20:51
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I live in Woodley and i think woodley and early and calcot should become part of Reading we are part of the urban area and wozza i agree with you they do trat us like rubbish, so im all for Reading to take over!

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Tahir
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Feb 1, 12:31
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I live in Earley and personally would not want to be part of Reading - I agree that Earley is not well treated by Wokingham but there is no reason to suppose that Reading will treat us any better (better the devil you know). Besides I am not sure what Reading will get from being a City that practically it does not have now. There is no as they say a business case for it.

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Moon lighting
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Feb 1, 14:22
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It's simple to compare Reading and Wokingham - Have your bins been emptied? Did the gritters come out and did they have grit? What proportion of the authority are high earners and what proportion are in poverty? What is the level of serious crime - murders, armed robbery? How many social disorder offences are committed? What level of homelessness is seen on the streets? What is the cost of bus fares? What is the proportion of children who go to schools of their first choice etc, etc? I assume it is a case of the grass being greener on the other side!

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Asdal
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Feb 8, 10:25
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Who do Wokingham think they are to tell residents of Earley and Woodley to remain with them whilst the council mistreats the residents? What have they given Earley? Well, a couple of wind turbines are coming in the near future, AWAY from the 'picture perfect' town of Wokingham.

Wokingham are afraid that Reading will become too powerful to catch up. I welcome a move to Reading.

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Asdal
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Feb 8, 10:38
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Who do Wokingham think they are to tell residents of Earley and Woodley to remain with them whilst the council mistreats the residents? What have they given Earley? Well, a couple of wind turbines are coming in the near future, AWAY from the 'picture perfect' town of Wokingham.

Wokingham are afraid that Reading will become too powerful to catch up. I welcome a move to Reading.

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