Blogs

John Redwood MP
advertisement

John Redwood MP: Blue bin bags, buildings and Wokingham elections

By Victoria Smith
May 09, 2012

It’s time to say thank you to all those people, from all parties, who stood as candidates, who went out in the rain to deliver leaflets and canvass views, to give voters a choice last week.

I met many people on doorsteps over recent weeks as we campaigned for the Wokingham Borough Council elections.

I was out and about in Wokingham and Winnersh, in Earley and Shinfield, where nine councillor jobs were up for election.

It is the hard work and commitment of all in local politics which keeps the wheels of our democracy turning.

I also congratulate the eight Conservatives and one Liberal Democrat who were elected.

I look forward to working with them, where local and national issues overlap and where our shared voters expect a good combined service.

The elections brought up two important local matters.

The first was a debate about the new refuse system.

I hope by now that many of you have found what I have found.

The new blue bags do hold a lot, and it’s better having weekly rather than fortnightly collection of recycling items.

I do hope Lib Dems and Greens locally will see that this new policy was chosen to cut down the amount the council has to send to the dump.

It should be better to recycle more, and it will certainly keep the council’s bill down, now landfill disposal is so expensive.

If they have improvements which will help us cut costs further, and recycle more, I am sure the council will be interested.

The second was a debate about planning and new building in several places, especially in Shinfield.

People living near to planned new developments want to know that the council will take their views into account.

There are ways of avoiding a bad impact on an existing local community.

It entails choosing the right sites, putting in the right screening and making sure there are proper new facilities to allow congestion-free access, good schooling and proper social and medical care.

The council leadership assures me this is why they want to concentrate development in a few locations.

That way they reckon they can plan it properly, and secure enough development gain money to put in the facilities for the new development, to avoid strain on the existing communities.

Residents should use their local councillors to get their point of view across, and to act as their voice in the important planning decisions our local councillors take for us.

It was interesting in Shinfield South, where the Green candidate increased the Green vote substantially and rushed into second place, the main issues I picked up were about development.

The mood on the doorstep about the national government confirmed what I have been hearing for many months through emails, conversations and in response to www.johnredwood.com.

Many of you feel family budgets have been squeezed too much by rising prices and higher taxes.

Like me, you want the government to promote faster recovery. We need some more optimism and confidence. People need more of their own money to spend on what matters to them and their loved ones.

I have been writing, speaking and discussing with ministers about what more can and should be done.

My opposed agenda includes tax breaks, better functioning and more competitive domestic banks, and more private financed investment in broadband, new energy supplies and transport.

Close to home we look to the new council to press on with the replacement train station and the first phase of the town centre redevelopment.

More jobs brings better incomes and more tax revenues.

We are no longer accepting comments on this article.

Most recent user comments 5 of 5

Blue bags are useless. I agree wheelie bins are the way forward but they are not good enough for Wokingham it would seem (unless it is for Green waste - then all is ok assuming as we have to pay for these ourselves?) Weekly recycling madness . We are a family of 4 and have always been avid recyclers, all that is happenening now is that we are putting half our bins weekly instead of all every fortnight! Family budgets are squeezed and increasingly hard to manage, jobs threatened etc. Think I may give up and find out what I can scrounge on benefits. Doesn't seem that my years of working, never claiming anything etc has got my anywhere. Instead you are repeatedly kicked on your way down. No point reforms being this fast if the majority of people can't keep up, inevitable we'd be back in recession.. Oh we are!

Jessica Langdon
10/05/2012 at 15:52

Out of touch on the rubbish and hoping it will all blow over..... though most likely to continue blowing over my front lawn. Lawn cuttings double bagged and inside the blue bag. Why pay extra?

Bag Lady
10/05/2012 at 10:34

Another con-merchant. 'I think it okay so what are ALL YOU compaining about'. 'The new scheme cuts the amount sent to landfill so it must be good and all you lot who were putting out more rubbish before than the Council thinks you ought to must find some other way to deal with it'. 'We no longher offer a refuse collection service, it is now a very limited amount of refuse collection service since the sacks are in fact way below the standard refuse bin size'. Expected better of you John. Can EP now ask Rob Wilson and see if he has more understanding of the common man.

Bingley, Woodley
09/05/2012 at 19:36

The arrogance over the blue bag issue is shocking and consistent with the council. I am still to be convinced why weekly recycling is required or a good idea. It may well be saving Wokingham money on the amount being sent to landfill, but the same amount is going to landfill - people are just taking it themselves! I am with Christian99 in saying that wheelie bins are the best solution, but am realistic that this will never happen in Wokingham.

Why can't they just admit that the residents are getting a worse service so they can save money? They are kidding themselves on any environmental benefits, especially as the majority of people are double bagging, therefore sending twice the amount of plastic bags to landfill.

Smiffy, Reading
09/05/2012 at 14:10

Give me fortnightly wheelie bins over the bags/trays any day. I much preferred the Reading BC system. No need to worry about running out of bags before the end of the year. No foxes tearing them apart. Somewhere to stick the smelly rubbish outside. On top of that, it would save the council money. They even have lorries with the right attachments now.