Reading borough council change boundary plans

Reading borough council has revised its plans to change its boundary in the event that West Berkshire’s decision to join plans to create a new ‘Ridgeway’ is agreed by Government, Reading Council has confirmed today that it will submit a proposal to keep all of Tilehurst in Berkshire.

The recommendation - which will be moved by Leader Councillor Liz Terry at a Council meeting later this month - is that Tilehurst Birch Copse, Tilehurst & Purley, and Tilehurst South & Holybrook wards move to Reading in a change to the existing boundary which more accurately reflects the town’s geography and its economic footprint.

The council say it follows an extensive period of work over the past few weeks, including public consultation and data analysis, with face-to face drop-in events attended by Cllr Terry in person, as well as an independent survey, both of which demonstrate significant support for the proposal from residents in the urban areas of Tilehurst and Calcot, who already have a strong connection to the town and who are regular users of Reading’s facilities and services.

While data and modelling carried out by the Council demonstrates there is a good case for including Pangbourne and Theale in the proposed modification, Reading Council has listened to the views of residents as part of a wide-ranging consultation and Pangbourne and Theale will not be included.

Councillor Terry, Reading Borough Council Leader, said:

“My number one priority is securing the best services and outcomes for Reading residents. Many of the people I have spoken to did not want to see Tilehurst and Calcot moving into Oxfordshire and having to go as far as Abingdon to access services.

“This whole process was kicked off by West Berkshire’s decision to join Oxfordshire’s Local Government Reorganisation proposals. No councils in Berkshire were invited by the Government to do this. Once West Berkshire made that decision, it was important for the future of Reading, and in the interests of people living in parts of West Berkshire, to consider making a case.

“West Berkshire currently receives £16 million of Exceptional Financial Support from Government as it does not raise sufficient funding to pay for the services it provides. Only recently it stated that it may run out of money this year. I can see that the opportunity to join forces with Vale of White Horse and South Oxfordshire district councils must seem like an offer too good to refuse, given these financial challenges.

“It is disappointing that - despite the Government requiring councils to work with neighbouring authorities who may be impacted by any reorganisation proposals - minimal information was shared by West Berkshire with Reading officers working on the Council’s proposal. I was dismayed to learn that officers had to resort to Freedom of Information requests to try and collect the data required to build Reading’s submission, after responses from West Berkshire provided only limited information.

“Having reviewed the work of officers, and reflecting on the conversations with residents, my view is that the Council should move ahead with a submission for Tilehurst Birch Copse, Tilehurst & Purley, and Tilehurst South & Holybrook to move across into Reading. These are urban areas of Tilehurst and Calcot who have an existing and very strong connection to the town and whose residents clearly look to Reading for work, transport, education, shopping or to use its many facilities.

“They very clearly fall into the town’s economic catchment area, have done so for many years, and it was encouraging to hear significant support for Reading’s proposal from residents of these wards, which is backed up with the results of an independent survey.”

With the November 28 deadline approaching for Local Government Reorganisation submissions, two out of the three proposals from Oxfordshire councils favour the creation of a new ‘Ridgeway’ council.

The council added that while no Berkshire council has been asked to submit reorganisation plans at this time, West Berkshire’s decision to form part of Oxfordshire’s reorganisation plans has prompted Reading Council to act, as proposals for a new ‘Ridgeway’ council would have a material impact should Reading be required to submit reorganisation proposals in the future.

Councillor Jeff Brooks, who is the leader of West Berkshire Council and is leading the proposed merger into Ridgeway council, said:

“This will come as a great relief for the people of Theale and Pangbourne but then they should never have been part of the conversation in the first place. It is a shame the people of Tilehurst, Calcot, Purley and Holybrook haven’t been listened to in the same way. In having to backtrack on a part of their already presumptive proposals it’s clear their plans – already shortsighted – are now in disarray.

“From their latest announcement it is also clear that they have fundamentally misunderstood what is being proposed. No consideration is being given to county boundaries changing so claims that any part of West Berkshire would be a part of Oxfordshire are wildly inaccurate. We have also never suggested that residents would have to go to Abingdon for services. In fact, our proposal is clear about how we would support services and ensure strong neighbourhood links by engaging and working with parish councils."

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