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This is an interesting decision that poses some governance issues that need resolving. How does the authority in charge of planning separate these decisions from it's commercial projects and protect itself from accusations of land price manipulation as well when running such a building development scheme ? Anyone with a good answer ?

https://www.newburytoday.co.uk/news/news/29018/council-could-set-up-own-housing-company.html

Yet more traffic disruption is being unleashed on Newbury and Thatcham residents - this time with a scheme of questionable value. Having created bottlenecks further along the A4 with the introduction of barely used cycle lanes (that as a cyclist myself I avoid because the introduce risk at various stages) this scheme will only funnel more traffic into congested areas and do nothing to improve traffic ?

Newbury is slowly grinding to a halt under the guise of road improvements that just don't deliver.

https://www.newburytoday.co.uk/news/news/28926/roadworks-disruption-in-newbury-from-january-until-summer-2020.html

For the avoidance of doubt on the scale of the issue and the abilities of WBC to affect the outcome by it's declared climate emergency are put into sharp perspective here. Every little helps may work for supermarket advertising but solving the climate conundrum is big World Government stuff. Would you trust our politicians to get it right ?


https://academic.oup.com/bioscience/advance-article/doi/10.1093/biosci/biz088/5610806

Now I don't want to get involved in politics (I trust none of them) but this does sound like the bones of a real energy policy that will make a positive contribution towards protecting our environment in a sensible way. Certainly better that all of the money wasted on QE.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2019-50277461

This is one of the best proactive initiatives I have heard of in ages. My only hope is that the same conditions of entry are used daily in the Houses of Parliament to ensure our politicians and their aids are fit for purpose as well.

https://www.newburytoday.co.uk/news/news/28584/gotcha-cocaine-users-caught-in-town-centre-police-op.html

Interesting article. If such ramifications are to be kept secret are we to assume the council take full responsibility for any ensuing foul ups and consequential disasters that occur because of their lack of foresight created by the lack of public scrutiny ? Alternatively openness and public debate and engagement would surely shift the onus of responsibility to all - they are after all the voters behind the larger political and economic consequential events of Brexit ? Just a thought.

https://www.newburytoday.co.uk/news/news/28539/council-leader-condemns-brexit-leak.html

Now why is this not a surprise ? Join the dots anyone ?

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/cars/news/uk-road-pricing-inquiry-planned-as-electric-cars-threaten-a-£40bn-tax-black-hole/ar-AAIxCUM?li=AAnZ9Ug

Interesting to see the kind of language being used in both the report and the NWN article. Previously it had been clear that things at Birchwood had slid to a very low and unacceptable level under the previous provider. Now under WBC control the two key areas of effectiveness and care are rated as good - these being the things that affect the service users most directly and also those things that take the greatest amount of effort to improve. That this has been achieved in a relatively short timescale is to be applauded. It would certainly be more effective and morale boosting for inspection reporting to recognise this and congratulate the team, encouraging future progress, than to be so critical of other areas still needing work? Progress is a series of steps in the right direction not one big leap. Just a thought.

https://www.newburytoday.co.uk/news/news/28345/council-run-care-home-still-requires-improvement.html

That's all right then. Do as I say not as I do. Would we expect anything else from our fine upstanding council ?https://www.newburytoday.co.uk/news/news/28252/council-falls-at-first-hurdle-since-declaring-climate-emergency.html

I do hope those attending the conference take note of this development which may expand to include the UK (or what's left) if our current national trajectory continues ?


https://www.newburytoday.co.uk/news/news/28218/tickets-for-west-berkshire-s-first-climate-conference-on-sale-tomorrow.html




https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-49694516?intlink_from_url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science_and_environment&link_location=live-reporting-story

I am starting to scratch my head in disbelief at both the length of time and the amount of chaos that the A339 road works has been allowed to cause in Newbury. Stretched over many months the amount of work actually undertaken seems miniscule in proportion. Large sections of coned off areas seemed to go untouched for many weeks but now the darker and more problematic autumn nights are drawing in we are to be subjected to more closures. Is anyone in authority in real control of this process or are the contractors being allowed to do what they want ?

https://www.newburytoday.co.uk/news/news/28203/nearly-two-weeks-of-a339-overnight-closures-inbound.html

Yet another truncated article on a topic of major local and national importance. I suspect that if the local Conservative Association fail to re-select Richard Benyon then they will certainly hand the seat to the Lib Dems at the next election. I would suggest that they think on.

https://www.newburytoday.co.uk/news/news/28121/west-berkshire-conservative-chair-at-the-end-of-the-day-this-is-up-to-the-members-to-decide.html

There seems to be a double standard of treatment going on that seems at best ill thought out and at worst intentionally biased and malicious as illustrated by the following links.

https://www.newburytoday.co.uk/news/news/28116/i-still-want-to-stand-as-the-conservative-candidate-for-newbury-if-thats-not-possible-so-be-it.html


https://www.newburytoday.co.uk/news/news/28123/brexit-party-announces-newbury-candidate.html

I guess we can now measure the person by action rather than words. Well done Richard for sticking to the opinion of the (local) electorate despite what must have been enormous pressure to do otherwise. Protecting the views and wishes of the local electorate is the foundation stone of a MP's democratic function.

https://www.newburytoday.co.uk/poll/poll/28114/poll-do-you-agree-with-richard-benyon-voting-for-mps-to-take-control-of-commons.html

A prime example of what I was alluding to here. I am sure Richard Benyon had something important to say that he wanted us to hear. Sadly we will never know.


https://www.newburytoday.co.uk/news/news/28107/newbury-mp-richard-benyon-i-m-trying-to-make-a-decision-on-what-i-think-is-right.html