Jo Lovelock looks back on her time as leader of Reading Borough Council

It was something I had been discussing with my family, friends and colleagues for some time and while it is never easy stepping down when there is so much more to do, it was the right time for me personally and the right time to give somebody else the opportunity. I’m confident the council is in safe hands with Jason Brock as its new leader.

It has been an honour to represent the council in the town where I was born and grew up and where I have lived in all my life. For the past 23 years, I have formed part of the leadership of the council, either as leader or deputy leader. Reading has changed massively in that time. I know many residents - including myself - speak fondly of how Reading used to be, but I also firmly believe lots of things have changed for the better.

I may have been leader, but it is always a team effort and I have worked with many amazing colleagues, council staff, and partners in the other public services, the voluntary sector, businesses and above all Reading’s residents who all contribute to making Reading the great place it is.

I’m really proud of the council efforts over the years to build decent, affordable homes for residents who need them, despite Government rules which made it difficult. The regeneration of Dee Park is something which I had the pleasure to see through from the early planning stages to the first families moving from damp concrete flats into decent modern homes and which, as ward councillor, I will continue to work on to ensure the next phases complete the project.

As Conwy Close nears completion I am proud of these new council homes in Tilehurst. The council has plans to build even more new council homes where the opportunity presents itself. The council remains Reading’s best landlord.

With new homes comes the need for new school places of course. The council’s £61 million school expansion programme has created more than 2,500 extra primary school places across the borough, with the council also facilitating a new 900 place secondary school soon to be built on land near to Rivermead Leisure Centre.

The council was instrumental in providing the land on which the hugely successful Oracle Shopping Centre was built, opening up the views of the River Kennet which had been hidden for years. We also provided the land for Reading Football Club’s move from Elm Park to the Madejski Stadium. Both locations are now real landmarks and synonymous with Reading. Reading’s economy remains one of the most successful outside of London.

As a local authority, we campaigned for many years for the transformation of Reading Station and the benefits it would bring to the town. Another new station is to be built to serve Green Park.

The council’s wholly owned bus company, Reading Buses, goes from strength to strength and has won many national awards for its success. Cow Lane finally went two way, something I am still getting used to, but which will allow the council to make improvements to the Oxford Road corridor.

I can’t leave out the fantastic parks and open spaces we have here in Reading. For a tight-knit urban area we really do punch above our weight in this area. The same applies to Reading’s culture and heritage. The council reopening of Reading’s Royal Abbey last year was the culmination of years of hard work and planning.

It really is the jewel in our crown. Let’s hope the Ministry of Justice will enable the council working in partnership with others to work up plans to incorporate the listed buildings of the original prison into the Abbey Quarter.

Many of these projects have involved the council and its partners bidding for money from a range of sources. People often ask how we have afforded such schemes during the time that funding for all councils has been slashed. The money for such projects can only be spent on specific schemes and would not have come to Reading if we had not made those bids.

We have been battling against the Government’s austerity agenda. This year, Reading’s grant from this Conservative Government will be cut to zero.

We used to receive £58 million, but with Brexit still dominating everything the Government does, there is no certainty about how councils will be funded from next year. Making difficult decisions about which services to cut is not what any of us came into politics for, but we have a legal duty to produce a balanced budget annually and cannot have a deficit, unlike the government.

I am proud however, that in the face of the Government’s cuts we have helped protect so many services that so many people rely on. Unlike many other areas, all seven libraries in Reading remain open, albeit with reduced hours.

We made that decision in the knowledge that once a library is closed down, it would be very difficult to reopen in the future, and it is my hope that when we have a Government which values public services we can expand the use of our libraries.

All of that just scratches the surface on what has been a hugely fulfilling 23 years for me. I am now looking forward to carrying on representing residents in Norcot. It has been a real privilege and I wish Jason Brock every success. I know he will do a good job.