Cllr Pauline Jorgensen

Conservative Party Parliamentary Candidate for Earley and Woodley

“Iam not surprised by these results.

My own survey on crime and local healthcare indicates that these are both key priorities for residents of Earley and Woodley. Last month, the Government increased the services pharmacies can provide, meaning they can now treat some common health conditions without the need for you to visit the GP. This will give GPs time and space to see patients with more complex conditions.

“I have been talking to businesses and residents about shoplifting and regularly meet with our Police and Crime Commissioner, so he is aware of residents’ concerns. The council has some powers to act, particularly through the public spaces protection or ders steered through by the previous Conservative administration, but it also needs to work with the police.

Local Plan. The National Planning Policy Framework requires local authorities to outline a five-year supply of specific sites to meet housing needs. Wokingham Borough no longer has a five-year land supply, making the whole Borough increasingly vulnerable to developers. Now the Lib Dems say they have a plan, but they won’t show residents until after the election.

“Highways and transport are a perennial issue. The Liberal Democrat administration, with support from Labour councillors, have frozen road maintenance for the second year in a row, despite Government grants of over £5.1m this year, an increase of 30%. The Liberal Democrats also cut the Conservatives’ congestion programme when they took over the council.

“Housing and planning are a concern of many residents. The Liberal Democrats have not delivered on their promises and stalled work on the new

John Redwood

Wokingham MP

“Ijudge local opinion by the many emails, by comments made to my website and by the many conversations when I am out and about locally. I find the single biggest concern is roads and transport. There is enormous frustration at the dreadful state of the roads with potholes, blocked drains and dirty gutters, and with the spate of road closures and the forest of temporary traffic lights. There is now also the excessive use of residential road cutthroughs to dodge the closures.

“There are many objectors to the way the council is deliberately spending large sums to close roads, narrow roads, remove lanes and worsen junctions. There is unhappiness about the failure to fill potholes when they are still small, and the damage to tyres and suspension as they get bigger.

“These concerns spill over into annoyance that the council has delayed a new local plan to restrict the fast pace of development. More homes are built with less road space for the cars, delivery vans and buses. There is also concern at cuts to street cleaning and to hedge care and weed control, as people want a clean and tidy Wokingham. There are too many flooded roads brought on by poor maintenance.

“I would expect more NHS cases than I get given polling. Most people do seem content with their own GP. There have been a couple of issues about surgery booking arrangements in the past. Crime is a worry and there has been substantial correspondence about recent Gaza and green protests.

“I know from talking to people that the cost of living has been a big issue, but

I now get fewer emails about that as inflation is falling and employment and jobs availability are good. The self-employed do need a better deal on tax, and small business needs more tax relief to keep costs under better control. I am campaigning on these issues ahead of the budget.

“People needed more SEN school provision, and I am pleased I have helped secure two new schools. Generally, they are happy with local schools.

“There is more worry over refuse services than your poll implies. There is dissatisfaction with the costs of the garden waste system and opposition to losing weekly collections for all rubbish. People are also cross about the extension and hiking of car park charges which will damage town centres.

“Residents have placed the cost of living and the local economy next to each other and I think they understand something the Liberal Democrats fail to do, and that is that they go together. Local businesses represent jobs and livelihoods. The Liberal Democrats could have chosen to support local business, but instead they have more than doubled the cost of parking in our town centres. Businesses tell me this has affected them.

“Last summer the Liberal Democrats cut the number of litter bins and started emptying others less. Residents will remember the terrible mess and smell this caused right across the Borough. Ultimately, the administration had to backtrack following pressure from the Conservatives. I want our streets and green spaces kept clean and tidy.

“It is interesting that household bin collections are a lower priority now. Let’s wait and see if that stays the same after the summer when fortnightly waste collection is implemented!”

James Sunderland MP

Bracknell, Crowthorne, Finchampstead, Sandhurst & Wokingham Without

“As a no-nonsense local MP, I am keen that politicians say less and do more so you will forgive me for a quick response. This is an interesting survey and I have no reason to disagree with it or dispute the findings. What matters to local people is what should matter to politicians, and I will ensure that all of these issues remain in my plan. My clear role is to serve those I represent so I am grateful.

“As to whether I am surprised by the results, the answer is no. We do have work to do in restoring health services after the pandemic, loss of NHS staff and repeated strike action and this is top of the priority list. We are relatively well-served locally with three major hospitals on our doorstep, but the NHS has record funding and must also be held to account for what it delivers.

“Thankfully crime rates are falling, helped by the 750 additional police in Thames Valley since 2019, but all crime must be tackled head on. And in terms of transportation and traffic, my suspicion here is that local people are sick of the local roadworks in Wokingham and Bracknell, which are a joke.

Suffice to say that I am putting pressure on both councils to ensure that they are better synchronised.

“Whilst I am of the view that the local offer in both boroughs is generally good in terms of employment, schools, roads, investment, open spaces, leisure facilities and quality of life, we can always do more to improve local services.”