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One thing about this forum - which others don't do - is it gives us great photographs of days gone by.

Could the Council get hold of a few willing wheelchair users, after all they are quite willing to use fifteen and a half year old girls to trap harassed shop assistants into selling them fags!

Wouldn't that be going into Rotherham territory?

[Newbury - Parkway affordable homes still empty 2 years after completion]

Newbury - Parkway affordable homes still empty 2 years after completion

The disgraceful situation has arisen where affordable homes have been built and they are still empty 2 years after completion. The 37 units which were subsidised by West Berkshire Council to the tune of £900,000 are part of the Parkway complex. Standard Life Investments (SLI) have failed to appoint a housing association to manage them.

Cheap to who? Certainly not the poor. And secondly, anybody with up market thinking wouldn't want something lowbrow. People who can get the money are going to question what sort of area it is.

I think you'll find that the fast food cafe/shop on Bridge Street put out planters, tables and chairs without approval from WBC.  The council officers went round to get them to remove them (which they did with the tables and chairs) but because the planters were so big and heavy the shop workers struggled to get them shifted.

As for blocking the pavement, the Disability Discrimination Act should ensure the police would take action against offenders where wheelchair users can't get past but in truth it's very hit and miss whether police officers will enforce (it's more 'miss' than 'hit').  But it's only the police that can do something about it as it stands.  Bringing in a blanket ban will cause as many problems as it resolves.  Reading BC do have a blanket ban on a number of their roads, which prevents damage to grass verges and prevents footpaths getting blocked, but the roads where this restriction is in place are wide enough to allow on-street parking to take place instead. I don't think they have gone down the route of introducing this ban in their narrower residential streets.

Was this another daft scheme dreamt up and supported by that idiot Pickles?

They are only breaching the Disability act if a disabled person can't get through, not because they are parked on the path.

As for "damaging"; only if the path is damaged, then they would have to prove which car damaged it.

I have been to many towns with brilliant Christmas decorations. Even Hungerford's decorations are good, but ours are total crap. Why? You would think that with all the money Newbury council are screwing out of the motorist (for parking) they could put up some half decent decorations. I presume they are not doing this as they need the money to give themselves a higher pay rise.

Newbury Town Council get no income from parking, nor are they responsible for the Christmas lights any more (though I believe they put up some of the cash).

The lights are now supplied by the local traders through the Newbury BID.

Then how do you explain better Christmas lights in other areas, such as Hungerford? And who are you saying gets the income from Newbury Town Council? West Berkshire?

To be honest I can't see them reopening Northbrook Street to traffic. I don't think the majority of the public will accept this. Besides, people are used to it now.

As for helping the traders; what will help the traders is less or no parking fees. Driving through Newbury all day isn't going to help that.

I'm sure most people aren't too upset about others parking on the pavement but as usual it's the idiots that make things difficult.  For instance, fairly near me, someone parks on the pavement in front of his home, but because his bramble hedge overhangs, no one can easily walk past.  What do Newbury's finest do? 'Oooh we can't do nothing it's not illegal!' Mind, there is do much wheeled traffic on the pavement these days, what with bikes, oversized baby buggies, OAP buggies and the like that it's safer to walk on the road anyway.   Again, the idiot factor cuts in.  Perhaps instead of prohibiting pavement parking, we need to,prohibit idiots.

Actually it is illegal if it is obstructing the pavement and people can't get through. That is what a police officer told me.

On the other side of that; it can be very annoying for pedestrians or if you live in an area where people park on the pavement and you don't want them to.

Happy new year to all.

Have to say, wholly disagree!  I suppose it is 'in the eye of the beholder', but to my mind what has been put up is far more attractive than what went before.  It does pull the two historic buildings together - without intruding itself.  At last, we have something worthy of the Town!

I agree, however, they made it more modern, destroying its history, however, and I thought that defeated the object.

It does appear that approximately one in twenty (5%) of vehicles being driven in and around Newbury have faulty lights. There is no excuse for this with modern cars, there is a visual display to indicate problems like this.

I agree. The amount of cars I see, not just in Newbury, but across the country is quite unbelievable. It happened to me once and I had to drive home on full beam, I then got them fixed as soon as possible.

True, but they are simply a commercial organisation so chasing the money is what it's all about.  Nonetheless, some successful local papers actually rely on readers letters to pull in the readers, as does a bit of punchy reporting. However, that might mean upsetting the status quo and Newbury is quite subservient.

Quite. But I doubt that NWN care about giving us a service, just selling their paper.

For a small community, Hungerford does seem to get its act together pretty well.  Do they have a more proactive town council would you know?

I would say yes. As they say, the proof of the pudding is in the eating. However, ours are proactive in taking as much money from their citizens (or even non citizens) so that they can give themselves huge wages. We, as citizens, get as little as possible so that things can tick over nicely. In other words, enough not to anger us so we won't ask awkward questions.

Does it make a difference?

It would make a nice change to have a local actually represent us.

Most people who stand are flown in to represent such and such a seat.

So? Does the status quo justify itself by its own existence?

That is if there is anybody good enough.

She lives in Chelsea, has she ever lived in Newbury?

Admin Note:
Apparently our information was incorrect, she actually lives in Burghfield according to the official UKIP website

Does it make a difference? Most people who stand are flown in to represent such and such a seat. I have no doubt that if she wins she will live here, if she doesn't already.