Whilst the second option looks superficially attractive, it would not only leave the Council worse off this year by nearly £0.7m, but it would make a much bigger hole of nearly £5m in next year's Council finances (2).

At the same time, central government is slashing its funding to the council year on year, already forcing major cuts in services and jobs (3). Accepting the one-off bribe would only make things worse.

In response, Reading Greens are proposing an average increase on council tax of 87p per week (4) to protect vulnerable children and adults and to safeguard vital services. At 3.5%, this increase would be a lot less than current inflation. They propose one more small increase in 2013/14.

Green councillor Rob White said: "we need a fair budget for tough times. The Council is facing unprecedented cuts to its funding and is proposing to reduce services or cut staff in areas such as special needs transport, learning disability support and respite care.

"The budget cuts will reduce the Council's capacity and flexibility to deliver public services and cuts to the back office will put more pressure on frontline staff reducing the time spent with service users.

"We think that this is unfair, unacceptable and as we said in our manifesto last year we think public services are important and we will defend them. For 87p per week - not per head, but per household - it is possible to limit this damage in the coming budget and to avoid finding ourselves in a massive hole next year.

"It is clear that council tax is an imperfect system, but it is one of the few options councils have to raise income. Council tax is fairer than some other options because the poorest don't pay anything and the people with the largest homes pay most. We understand these are difficult economic times and so we feel that an increase in council tax has to be modest and below inflation. This applies not just this year, but next year too, whereas a freeze this year would need a massive hike next year to make up lost income.

"Through a combination of reducing costs, and increasing some charges and council tax, we think it is possible to protect the most vulnerable from the savage central government cuts. This will also allow us to defend jobs and support the local economy. 27 councils around the country, including 11 which are Conservative controlled, as well as the Greens in Brighton (6 & 7) are also raising council tax instead of taking the one-off freeze money. We want Reading councillors to consider this option."

ENDS

Notes for the Editor

For more information please contact Rob White on 07985 923938 or 0118 9667183.

1. Last year in 2011/12 the Council had to cover a shortfall of £18 million. This year, 2012/13, Reading Borough Council will need to save in the region of £8.7 million due cuts from the Tory led government. In 2013/14 the Council will need to save an additional £6.9 million. This is from a total budget of around £118 million.

2. This is compared to freezing council tax this year - and accepting the one year only government money - and a freeze next year with no money.

3. This year 95 jobs and posts will be cut. Last year approximately 300 went.

4. This figure is for a band D property.

5. Directorate of Education and Children's Services staff consultation.

6. Last year the Local Government Chronicle reported that a fifth of councils they surveyed were considering rejecting the government money for freezing council tax, including authorities run by Conservative groups.

7. The 27 councils rejecting the council tax freeze money: http://www.lgcplus.com/finance/council-tax-rebels/5040503.blog#Proposal

Green Party candidate for Park Ward Jamie Whitham praises Council officers for their good work on Reading's renewables ambitions.

Reading Green Party has been pushing for a massive solar panel scheme in Reading for a number of years now. It was identified as a priority in their negotiations with Labour after the local elections. As well as providing renewable energy the scheme will make money for the Council.

When the Tory led government announced changes to incentives for installing solar panels, which threatened to derail Reading's solar panel plans, the Green Party joined the opposition to this.

Green Party candidate Jamie Whitham said: "Cutting incentives for installing solar panels was a kick in the teeth for both efforts to tackle climate change and jobs in the green economy.

"Credit is due to Reading Council officers though for keeping their heads through the different twists and turns in this saga. This will hopefully result in approximately 2/3 of the original £5 million, 1.7 MW scheme being implemented.

"In Park Ward I was pleased to see solar panels being installed on St Stephen's Court recently and the planning application go in for panels on the Hamilton Road children's centre. Keep up the good work."

Green Party councillors have ensured a fair wage ratio is maintained between the lowest paid Council worker and the highest paid officer.

The Green Party’s commitment to a fairer wage ratio between Britain’s chief executives and its lowest paid workers has made significant progress within Reading Council. Green Party Councillor Rob White has successfully campaigned for the Council to stick within the 10:1 wage ratio currently in place between the highest paid and the lowest paid workers employed by the Council. This was agreed at Cabinet recently.

This means that if the people at the top want a pay rise, to maintain the ratio, the people at the bottom would also get a pay rise.

This progress follows on from the Green Party’s Living Wage and Maximum Wage motion which went to council last year proposed by Councillor Rob White and seconded by Councillor Melanie Eastwood.

Councillor Rob White said: "Income inequality underlies and fuels many of the social problems we face today.

"The Council making a maximum wage commitment is an important move towards achieving our vision of a fairer Britain starting in Reading. The next step, which Green MP Caroline Lucas is taking forwards nationally, is encouraging private companies to begin publishing the data on their pay ratios and adopting a fair maximum wage policy.

"Because of the lack of transparency it is impossible to say for sure what the situation in the private sector is but one survey (1) put the average ratio for FTSE 100 companies at 262:1 which is outrageous.

"Our goal is for the government to pursue legislation that ensures a fair wage ratio across both the private and public sector in Britain."

ENDS

For further information please contact Green Councillor Rob White on: 07985 923938

Notes for the editor

1. http://www.onesociety.org.uk/research/pay-ratios/

Merry Christmas and a happy New Year

With massive cuts to public services, rioting and a general strike over pensions, this year has been a tough year for many. And depending on which economists you have faith in we could be going backwards further still to either the 1970s, 1930s or fifth century (fall of the Roman Empire)!

It hasn't all been bad, locally we have been continuing to work with the community to improve the area and have had some success on school places, the perennial issue of parking and with our living wage campaign. And things could always be worse - being a LibDem for example ; )

Christmas is nearly here though. I don't do Christmas cards, presents etc. For me Christmas is about people. Over the last few weeks I have been making an effort to catch up with friends and tomorrow I will be heading off to see my parents in Congleton, Cheshire.

With all of the pressure to have a good time at Christmas, on top of other problems unfortunately it can be a rubbish time of year for many. We can't work miracles, but as always are happy to try and help.

Merry Christmas and a happy New Year.

Due to government cuts the Council is considering shutting the East Reading after-school club if the number of children attending cannot be raised. Following pressure from Green Councillor Rob White a parents' consultation meeting was held on Monday evening.

The club is based at Newtown school.

The average daily attendance at the club over the last year is approximately 9 children. The council says that for the club to break even it needs over 32 children.

The total cost of the whole club is £49,300. Fee income for the whole year is £12,920. The overall predicted cost to the Council or the coming year is £36,380.

Because of the cuts imposed by the Conservative led government the Council has to make millions of pounds worth of savings again this year and closing the club has been identified as a way to save money.

The Council have tried a number of new initiatives to raise numbers including street dance and drama.

Following a constituent alerting Councillor Rob White to the fact that the club was in danger he asked for a meeting so that parents could ask questions and the basis for saving the club could be established.

Speaking after the meeting Councillor Rob White said: "the meeting was well attended and parents spoke passionately about what the club means to them and their children and why it is so important to keep it running.

"At the meeting parents were frustrated that the Council hadn't marketed the club more effectively. Going forwards, the Council and parents will be looking at what can be done to promote the club to increase numbers to a more sustainable level. This will undoubtedly be a challenge, but the fact that parents used up a precious evening to come to the meeting gives me hope that together we can win this one.

"If there are any parents in the East Reading area that need an after-school club I would recommend giving East Reading after-school club a call on 0118 9015686 to find out more."

For more information please contact Rob White on 07985 923938 or 0118 9667183.

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Keith Taylor, the Green MEP for Berkshire and the South East, recently visited a number of Reading's pollution hotspots around the town centre to raise awareness of the high levels of air pollution. One of the locations visited was Cemetery junction, this is one of the most polluted junctions in Reading, which has levels of nitrogen dioxide above the safe legal limit. He was joined by Councillor Rob White, Park candidate Jamie Whitham, Abbey candidate Hazel Murphy and Redlands candidate Rob Booth.

Keith urged Reading Borough Council to take more action to address this invisible public health crisis. Keith visited Reading in July to highlight his concerns over the high levels of air pollution in the town and met with Ross Jarvis, Lead Air Quality Officer at Reading Borough Council. He also met Councillor Melanie Eastwood, parents and pupils from Alfred Sutton Primary School on Wokingham Road to discuss their concerns about the high levels of pollution. The centre of Reading is covered by an 'Air Quality Management Area' because the government approved level for the harmful pollutant, Nitrogen dioxide (NO2), is being exceeded.

Keith said: "It is very worrying that the levels of pollutants in the air around Cemetery Junction and other locations on the edges of the town centre continue to exceed the safe limits set down by the EU. The high level of air pollution in Reading is badly affecting people's health and it is worrying that little appears to have been done since I visited Reading in July to highlight this issue. The council is looking at introducing a Lower Emission Zone to reduce air pollution, but this process needs to be quicker so that it's introduced in 2012."

Green candidate for Park Ward Jamie Whitham added: "Recently the Environmental Audit Committee, the government's environmental watchdog, highlighted the failure to tackle air pollution as a 'national scandal'. The lives of tens of thousands of people are being cut short each year because of air pollution and health costs already total £20bn a year. It's vital that people have access to information about the levels of air pollution in Reading. Many other councils display real-time information on their websites so local people can see each day how bad the air is in different parts of their town. Reading should follow suit so that people can see what they're breathing and take action to protect themselves from the potential damage to their health."

http://www.greenparty.org.uk/localsites/reading/news1/green-euro-mp-brings-invisible-killer-air-pollution-campaign-to-reading.html

For more information please contact Rob White on 07985 923938 or 0118 9667183.

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Reading Green Party is backing strike action by public sector workers on November 30. Green councillor Rob White will visit picket lines as well as attending a rally at Reading Irish Centre and a march through the town centre.

Green councillor Rob White said, "Sadly, the coalition's treatment of public sector workers has left them with little option but to take strike action. The Conservative led coalition seems to want ordinary people, who did the least to cause the economic crisis, to make the biggest sacrifices. The Green Party thinks this is unfair.  Although we regret the inconvenience that striking can cause, sometimes targeted and considered action is necessary.

"This government is taking us backwards. We shouldn't be racing to the bottom, but protecting the pensions of ordinary people and making sure that everyone across all sectors gets a decent pension when they retire. Fair pensions are worth fighting for!"

http://www.facebook.com/groups/readinglivingwage/

For more information please contact Rob White on 07985 923938 or 0118 9667183.

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This year the Arthur Hill Memorial Baths celebrates its 100^th birthday!  The Green Party is calling on the Council to join in the celebrations and give the building a makeover.   

This iconic building was opened to the public on 29^th November 1911.  It was donated to the people of Reading by members of the Hill family in memory of Arthur Hill JP who was Mayor of Reading four times during the period 1883 - 1887.

The exterior of the building is in a state of disrepair and could do with relatively small improvements to give it a fresh look. For example, the tops of the brickwork pillars of the boundary wall to the building are missing, and seem to gather rubbish placed in there by passers-by.  The hanging sign of the building has greyed with age and could use a good clean. Also, the paint on the windows to the front and side of the building is peeling and needs a fresh lick of paint, as could the front doors.

Green candidate for Park Ward, Jamie Whitham said "Arthur Hill Baths are 100 years old.  Wouldn't it be wonderful to mark this centenary milestone by giving the building a much needed make-over. A little effort spent now restoring the windows will prolong their life and save the Council money!"

http://www.facebook.com/groups/readinglivingwage/

For more information please contact Rob White on 07985 923938 or 0118 9667183.

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At the October full Council meeting the Green Party's living wage motion received cross-party support and was voted through after a lively debate.

The motion, which was moved by Councillor Rob White and seconded by Councillor Melanie Eastwood, commits the Council to continuing to pay a living wage to its employees and starting to pay one for contracted out services upon renewal or earlier if possible. It also commits the Council to lobbying the private sector in Reading on this issue.

The living wage outside London is generally accepted as £7.20 per hour.

Green Councillor Rob White said: "this is a real success for the people of Reading which will help create a fairer town.

"With the Labour administration looking at getting other organisations in to manage what are currently Council run buildings like the Museum, the Hexagon and South Street - like they have done with some of the leisure centres - the commitment that all new contracts will include a living wage clause comes at just the right time.

 "Apparently there was some debate in the Labour group about whether to support the motion because of the fears around what another Green success would mean for vulnerable Labour councillors, but I am glad that they saw sense and supported us.

 "The new policy also forces the Council to lobby local businesses to implement a similar policy and I would be interested in hearing from any local business which currently has a living wage pledge or is considering one.

 "There is still a long way to go on this, but we are off to a good start. If you want to support our campaign for all Reading workers to get a living wage please get in contact or join our Facebook group."

http://www.facebook.com/groups/readinglivingwage/

For more information please contact Rob White on 07985 923938 or 0118 9667183.

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Hazel Murphy has been selected as the Green Party candidate for Abbey Ward in 2012. Hazel hopes to build on Councillor Melanie Eastwood's election success in May when she became Reading's second Green councilor alongside Green Party colleague Councillor Rob White.

Hazel has called Reading home for nearly 30 years and currently lives in Newtown. She originally trained as a nurse at the Royal Berkshire Hospital, but now works supporting scientists tackling climate change.
Hazel is already active in the local community through the Newtown Neighbourhood Action Group and Reading Vineyard Church. Outside of her community activities, Hazel loves to get out walking in the countryside and is a keen photographer. 

 Hazel said: "I am excited about the impact the Green Party is making both locally and nationally. Rob has proved that one lone Green councillor can make a difference and with Melanie elected the group is now holding the balance of power.  "The coalition cuts disproportionately impact the vulnerable and poorest members of our society. We have limited the damage from cuts to social care eligibility, reversed cuts to some bus fare concessions and are gaining credibility as a party with fairness at its heart. With more and more councillors I see the Green Party continuing to make significant progress for residents."

For more information please contact Rob White on 07985 923938 or 0118 9667183.

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The Crescent Road free school has been given the go-ahead by the Secretary of State. However, it is only for young people aged 14-19. A school for 11-19-year-olds was originally applied for but the Secretary of State hasn't recognised this need.

The Green Party is against free schools in principle due to their unproven effectiveness, poor accountability and the negative funding implications for other schools in the area. However, as this is the only way to get more secondary school places in the east of Reading in the near future local Green councillors have been critically supporting the project.

Green Councillor Rob White said:

"With Wokingham Council playing politics with school catchment areas, and a growing population in the area, there is a need for a local school in the east of Reading to serve the local community. However, it is disappointing that the government has said yes to 14 upwards rather than 11 upwards.  There is however still some hope. Reading Council officers have assured me that we now have a foot in the door and that over the next few months they will be setting out the case for a school serving children from 11 upwards. Councillor Melanie Eastwood, local campaigner Jamie Whitham and I will be doing what we can to support this work."

For more information please contact Rob White on 07985 923938 or 0118 9667183.

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Elsewhere councils have match-funded the Energy Saving Trust's scheme. These include Kirklees in Yorkshire, where every house was offered the option of free loft and cavity wall insulation. This initiative was led by Green Councillor, Andrew Cooper, which has put the town at the top of the league table nationally. This work has given Kirklees a homes treated measure of 24.8% showing what is possible.

Green candidate for Park Ward Jamie Whitham said: "Proper insulation can save households around £100 per year, combat fuel poverty, and reduce our carbon emissions. We have already suggested that the Council could use the profits from the solar panel scheme to fund more energy-saving measures. It is time that the Labour administration in Reading started prioritising this area."

For more information please contact Green Party Press Officer Rob White on 07985 923938 or 0118 9667183.

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 Councillor Melanie Eastwood, has been calling for the Lead Councillor for Planning at Reading Borough Council to do more to tighten controls in the areas most affected by the conversion of family homes into HMOs, stating: "The Green Party is in favour of the social, environmental and economic benefits of people living together, however, it is evident that in some areas there is a need to manage and where possible restrict the conversion of houses from family homes to HMOs.

"Better regulation of these areas would have benefits, not just for the families, couples and individuals living there but also for the HMO tenants themselves. In my ward the places with a high density of HMOs are also the roads with lots of students. Many of these residents also say that they would prefer to live in diverse communities and many students are just as affected by problems such as the anti social late night behaviour of others.

"The University Community Relations Manager, has done some excellent work at trying to move this forward, but the reality is she cannot do this all on her own. More control of the housing, particularly in roads that have yet to swing towards a majority of HMO's, would be an appropriate course of action to show residents that the Council is committed to addressing these issues."

The Council is holding community exhibitions for residents to come along and talk about what can be done to address these problems and the Green Party Councillors are urging all residents who have such concerns to attend.

The event in Park Ward will be held at the United Reform Church, Palmer Park Avenue on Monday 10th October from 4pm - 7.15pm

 For more information please call Melanie Eastwood on 07917547833.

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Councillor Melanie Eastwood said: "A number of residents in Newtown have reported to me that they have witnessed serious incidents on the street such as dogs attacking other dogs or dogs killing pet cats. These incidents have been particularly upsetting for the owners of pets who have been severely injured or even killed, all because certain dog owners do not choose to keep their dog under control. I myself own a Staffordshire bull terrier, but this is not an attack on certain breeds of dogs. We must start to tackle the issue of uneducated or irresponsible dog owners who think it is ok to walk around the neighbourhood with a dog that is not under control.

"The Green Party believes that we need dog licenses to ensure that owners take responsibility for their dogs and that pet cruelty is tackled head on. However, this would require action from the government. I have therefore raised it with Green MP Caroline Lucas.

"In the meantime we are working with local residents, the neighbourhood police team and community representatives on tackling this problem in Newtown. We are looking into a dogs on leads control order which would give the Council the power to fine irresponsible owners who did not keep their dogs under control. We also need the community to support such a campaign and report owners who are acting irresponsibly so we can take action."

For more information please call Melanie Eastwood on 07917547833

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Green Party councillors Rob White and Melanie Eastwood are calling for a fair living wage for all Reading workers.

They will be moving a motion at the full council meeting in October to get officers to start doing the ground work to establish a living wage and maximum wage policy for all council employees and people working for contracted out services. A living wage would ensure that the lowest paid workers earned enough to provide for themselves and their families. The maximum wage part of the policy would introduce a ratio between the lowest paid and the highest paid.

Green Councillor Rob White said: "introducing the minimum wage, £6.08 per hour as of October 1, 2011, has been a step forwards. But the reality is that many on a minimum wage, even with tax credits, have barely enough money to get by. In Reading the Green Party would like to see a living wage set at around £8.00 per hour and the highest paid officer of the council earning no more than 10 times the lowest paid worker.

Councillor Melanie Eastwood said: "our research so far has revealed that the majority, but not all, people working directly for the council are earning roughly the equivalent of a living wage. However, it is unclear as to what people working for contracted out services are paid and there is definitely scope for improvement in the private sector.

"In London there has been cross party support for a living wage. We are working towards such consensus in Reading, first in the Council and then in the private sector to tackle poverty and improve the town for everyone."

Please join our Facebook group or get in contact to show your support for the campaign:

http://www.facebook.com/groups/readinglivingwage

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Greens are campaigning for a reduction in speed limits in Shinfield South ward. They say that it cannot be right for the likes of Nine Mile Ride and Rushey Way to have 30 mph speed limits, while the residents of Shinfield South still have to put up with road traffic passing through the centres of Shinfield village, Spencers Wood and Three Mile Cross at 40 mph, causing noise and danger to residents.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents has highlighted the need to reduce speed limits: “The risk of a pedestrian who is hit by a car being killed increases slowly until impact speeds of around 30 mph. Above this speed, the risk increases rapidly, so that a pedestrian who is hit by a car travelling at between 30 mph and 40 mph is between 3.5 and 5.5 times more likely to be killed than if hit by a car travelling at below 30 mph.”

Marjory Bisset, Green Party candidate for Shinfield South, said “We believe that many residents want lower speed limits, and therefore we are starting a petition for a speed limit of 30 mph imposed generally throughout Shinfield, Spencers Wood and Three Mile Cross, with a 20 mph speed limit at School Green, to offer additional protection to children going to and from school.”

Residents of the ward can sign the petition online at http://tinyurl.com/3gmzby4. Wokingham Greens are also knocking on doors to gather signatures.

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Reading and Wokingham Green Party have launched a matched giving fundraising appeal.

The current financial context for Reading and Wokingham Green Party is as follows:

• Getting Melanie Eastwood elected as our second Green councillor cost us £900 and our special fund-raising effort succeeded in raising £420 – which is good, but obviously not good enough, leaving us with a shortfall of £480.

• At our recent annual strategy review we decided that next year we would target not one but three wards – Park (our third councillor), a second Reading ward, and our first Wokingham ward, Shinfield South, where we will be building on this year’s excellent result.

Clearly the party will need to raise a great deal more money in order to enable us to win further electoral success in these wards.

The campaign runs from now until 30^th November 2011. The way it works is as follows:

1. You decide how much you want to give – any amount between £5.00 and £100.00 - then let Marjory Bisset, the treasurer, know (marjory@wokinghamgreenparty.org.uk).
2. She matches your donation with a pledged donation from one of our existing donors, and lets you know that she has found a match.
3. You make your donation.
4. When the money has arrived in the party's bank account, she informs the existing donor, and he or she donates the same amount.

In this way, your donation gets doubled. Donate £20.00 and the party receives £40.00. Existing donors have pledged £375.00. This means that the party could raise £750.00. A sum of this size would make a real difference

You can donate in any of the following ways

• Donate on this page by clicking Donate to elect more Reading Greens
• Donate by telephone or internet banking to account number 20048696, sort code 16-58-10
• Send a cheque payable to Reading Green Party to Marjory at 19 Hyde End Road, Shinfield, RG2 9EP

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Some of the Green councillor's successes during their first 100 days holding the balance of power include:

• limiting some of the damage caused by the recent cuts to care that impact on elderly and vulnerable people
• getting specialist legal advice for families impacted by the unfair changes brought by Wokingham Council to the Maiden Erlegh catchment area
• movement towards introducing residents' parking in the east of Newtown with a formal consultation timetabled for October
• reversal of cuts to bus fare concessions for people with disabilities and their carers
• stopping council plans to charge for the green waste collection
• progress on a £5 million scheme to fund solar panels on council buildings saving the Council money on bills, cutting carbon and creating profit for the Council via the feed-in tariff
• reconsideration of Reading's strategic approach to community cohesion, government cuts in the area and the role of Reading Council for Racial Equality
• abandoning of council plans to charge £300 for discretionary parking permits

Green Deputy Leader Councillor Melanie Eastwood commented: "Since the elections we have been working hard both in council meetings and in the ward with our 2012 candidate Jamie Whitham to secure the best deal for residents.

"I am convinced that not going into coalition with anyone and voting on a case-by-case basis was the right decision to make.

"Even in the first hundred days we have had some good successes though on some of our priorities on both ward and Borough wide issues. These successes would not have been possible if we had allowed the coalition to remain in control of the council.

"Don't worry though we aren't getting complacent. There is still a long way to go and Reading people can be sure that we will keep working hard with them tackling priorities one step at a time."

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There is much to welcome in Reading's application to the Local Sustainable Transport Fund for pedestrians, cyclists and bus passengers alike. However, there are also some things to be concerned about. The 500 space park and ride to the east of Reading for example.

During the balance of power negotiations shortly after the elections we received assurances from Labour councillors that the green space between the Thames and the business park would not be built on with such a scheme.

I was therefore surprised when being briefed by officers on this project to hear that concreting over "broken brow" -- part of the green space between the River Thames and the Thames Valley Business Park -- was being considered as an option.

Please can the Lead Member for Transport reaffirm the Council's commitment to protecting green space in this area both to the general public and officers.

Yours sincerely

Rob White

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For two thirds of its life the NHS was a service provided by government that focussed on health care delivering good care with very little money. It was cost effective and clinically effective even if it suffered with chronic underfunding.

That changed 20 years ago with the introduction of the market; providers (hospitals, mental health teams, ambulance services, etc.) were split away from organisations that purchased care. This allowed successive governments to introduce private companies into the market.
These private providers have increasingly taken over from state providers while raking in profits and being accountable to no-one except their shareholders.

The new health bill, despite some minor changes brought in after the listening exercise, takes the market to new heights. It will bring competition and privatisation and turn the National Health Service into a National Health Insurance scheme.

The health bill also removes the duty of the Secretary of State to provide medical services and it gives GPs the duty to hold the budgets for care of their patients. GPs are concerned that this will damage their relationship with patients who will be worried about an obvious conflict of interest.

The Green Party has opposed the bill since its introduction, calling for an end to the market, an end to privatisation and for the NHS to be truly accountable to its users.

Yours sincerely

Councillor Rob White