Reading Borough Council (RBC) has outlined £1.5 million plans introduce a series of new initiatives to improve the town, including pedestrian crossings, repairing a cycle path, and play area works.

The plans include repairs to the Thames cycle path in Kings Meadow, three new pedestrian crossings, improvements at seven play areas, and clean-ups to war memorials and public art.

When developments take place in Reading, as part of approving planning permission, the council asks developers to pay towards local infrastructure such as improving play areas and pedestrian crossings.

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This is part of national planning law applied by all local planning authorities.

The law specifies that 15 per cent of this Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) money must be spent within the local area where development occurs.

Here is how the council plans to spend the money.

New pedestrian crossings and other road works

The council plans to spend 50,000 each on pedestrian crossings on Church End Lane, Addington Road, and Norcot Road.

Funding is also proposed for altering the lining on The Meadway at the roundabout with St Michael’s Road, to encourage correct use of the roundabout and reduce the number of vehicles cutting across it.

And parking bays are planned on Morpeth Road in Redlands to assist in easing some of the areas parking issues.

The council is planning £100,000 of works to repair the Thames cycle path in Kings Meadow, while Improvements to the wooden bridge area at Brook Street West would also get £100,000 of funding to make it more desirable for local people to visit and less desirable for drug users.

This could include a cycle path link to Berkeley Avenue and a nature trail.

Play area improvements

Playground improvements are planned at five play areas and recreation grounds.

The council plans to spend between £30,000 and £100,000 each on works at Arthur Newbery Park, Palmer Park, Waterloo Meadows, Oxford Road Recreation Ground, Dover Street, Moriston Close and Shinfield Road play areas.

A £15,000 investment into landscaping improvements at South Whitley Park is also proposed to improve the area next to the ballcourt and swings.

Cleaning up the town

Works to clean up the town have been proposed, including £150,000 to be spent on monuments, war memorials, statues and public art and £75,000 on graffiti removal.

Laptops

There are plans to spend £2,000 to replace eight old laptops with fully functioning ones for Coley Park Community Centre.

High Street Heritage Action Zone

The council is putting forward £275,000 of the CIL money towards the High Street Heritage Action Zone project.

This is an ongoing programme to make the high street within three town centre conservation areas a more attractive place.

There are plans to improve building frontages, as well as cultural activities.

READ MORE: Reading high streets to be transformed including Oxford Road

RBC has already allocated £150,000 in previous rounds of CIL funding.

The council has been awarded £806,500 of funding from Historic England to transform the high streets in three conservation areas in the town centre and agreed to add its own funds to the project.