4 | NEWS/BUDGET SPECIAL
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THEWOKINGHAMPAPER Friday, February 12, 2016
SETTLEMENT
COURT
Burglary gang jailed after raids across Wokingham
MPs praise Minister’s ‘open mind’ over transitional grant THREE of the borough’s Conservative MPs have helped Wokingham win a £2.1 million grant from the Government. The transitional grant will be paid to the Borough Council for the next two years and covers the £2 million shortfall announced by the Chancellor just before Christmas. It is part of a £150 million settlement for councils across the country – neighbouring
Reading Borough Council is receiving £400,000. John Redwood, MP for Wokingham, said: “I lobbied the Minister on behalf of our local Councils, and supported submissions they then made to the government for fairer treatment,” he wrote. “Wokingham will receive an extra £2.1m next year and West Berkshire an extra £1.4m as a result.”
LABOUR REACTION
Dr Phillip Lee, MP for Bracknell which includes Finchampstead, said: “I am grateful to my ministerial colleague for coming to this situation with an open mind and accepting that Wokingham [was] being asked to accept an unsustainable burden.” Rob Wilson, MP for Reading East – which covers Woodley and Earley – broke the news of the settlement on Tuesday.
LIBERAL DEMOCRATS REACTION
Tories ‘hung out to dry’ Anger at timing of talks
Clockwise from left: Gary Smith, Brendon Wooff, Stephen Banham and Jack Cann.
FOUR men have been sentenced to a total of more than six years in prison for taking part in two burglaries in Wokingham last year. Gary Smith, 33, of Goddard Court, Winnersh, Brendon Wooff, 32, of Mill Lane, Earley, Stephen Banham, 41, of Manor lane, Hermitage, near Thatcham and Jack Cann, 20, of no fixed abode all pleaded guilty to two counts of burglary, with Wooff pleading guilty to a further charge of intimidating a witness by posting messages on Facebook. The men were sentenced on Friday at Reading Crown Court. Smith was sentenced to 19 months’ imprisonment for each burglary, to run concurrently; Wooff was given 22 months for each burglary, to run concurrently, and three months’ for the witness intimidation charge, to be served consecutively; Banham was handed 22 months for both burglaries, to run concurrently and Cann received 17 months for each count of burglary, to be served concurrently. The sentences relate to two burglaries in May involving break-ins
at shops at around 2am when large plastic bins and recycling boxes were filled with alcohol and cigarettes. The first burglary occurred on May 9 at the Co-Op in Finchampstead Road, Finchampstead. The second took place on May 11 at Santram Newsagents in Rances Lane, Wokingham. Then, police were alerted to the burglary soon after it happened and at 2.20am and followed the offenders’ car down a dirt track. Banham was arrested a short distance from the vehicle, and the other three were identified soon after. Wooff was charged with witness intimidation after posting photos of a witness’s statement on Facebook with the message “Looky looky the Winnersh grasses” which the judge described in court as a “horrid thing to do”. Detective Inspector Emily Evans, the Senior Investigating officer, said: “This is a good result for us, the witness and the Wokingham community. I hope it gives these men time to reflect on what they have done and change their ways on their release from prison.”
ACCIDENT
One in hospital after A329M smash
A MAN was taken to hospital with head injuries after a smash on the A329M yesterday afternoon (Thursday). Emergency crews were called to the accident involving one car near Winnersh Triangle shortly before 2.15pm. The other three occupants of the car escaped unhurt. Picture: Paul King
THE COUNCIL has found itself hung out to dry by the Government and is paying the price for years of short-term delusional bragging, according to Wokingham’s Labour party. The comments come after the borough council announced it will rise council tax by 3.94%. Andy Croy, spokesperson for the party, told The Wokingham Paper: “A council tax rise of 3.94% will come as a shock to anyone who thinks the Tories know what they are doing but it was inevitable. “For many years the Tories have bragged of not raising council tax and while this is attractive in the short term, and especially before an election, it is frankly delusional in the medium- and long-term. We cannot have essential services for free, they have to be paid for. “Each time the council refused to raise council tax in the past it has contributed to the current funding gap.” Mr Croy added that the £2.1m transitional grant awarded this week is just a stop-gap for the cuts that are to come. He said: “The historic
Andy Croy.
zero council tax raises have partially been compensated by central government ‘good boy’ grants. Now the ‘good boy’ grants have been axed along with other grants and the local Tories find themselves hung out to dry by George Osborne and David Cameron with John Redwood merely slowing down the rate at which the financial noose is tightened.” The Labour party also feels that the councillors pay rise last year should be reversed. Mr Croy added: “In the meantime, the Tory and Liberal councillors who voted themselves a pay rise in September, should show they are on the side of residents by reverting their allowances back to the previous level.”
THE Conservatives are spinning the budget line, according to Wokingham’s Liberal Democrat leader. Councillor Prue Bray, who represents Winnersh on the borough council, has hit out at the timing of the release of the new budget, saying that the party only got to see it at the same time as the public and only became aware of it after reading about it in The Wokingham Paper. She added that given that the papers are being released so close to next week’s council meeting it gives opposition councillors little time to explore the issues raised by the hefty document. Cllr Bray said: “We received notification of the budget papers at the same time as the public, and have not had any information from the council about any additional transitional funding, although we have become aware of it through reading about it in the media. “In organising their press briefing so soon after the publication of the budget papers, the Conservative administration are clearly
PROPERTY
TECHNOLOGY
Council tenants will see reduction in rents
Superfast broadband will go ahead as planned
COUNCIL house tenants will see a rent reduction if budget plans are passed by council next week. However, there will be rises for people who live in shared equity homes and for those who rent garages from the borough council. From April 1 this year, council house rents AVERAGE will decrease by COUNCIL TAX 1%, in line with BAND A - £1,053.00 the Welfare BAND B - £1,228.50 Reform BAND C - £1,404.00 and Work BAND D - £1,579.50 Bill 2015. BAND E - £1,930.50 However, the BAND F - £2,281.49 council says BAND G - £2,632.50 BAND H - £3,159.01 it will continue to increase rents when tenancies change. For households with an annual income of more than £30,000, the Pay to Stay system will be introduced, forcing families to pay market based rent to stay in their homes. A 2011 review of shared equity rents brought rents in line with terms of the leases. Now this has happened, rents will rise each year, starting from April 1 in line with RPI. It is estimated that this will be 1% for the next financial year. And garage rents will rise by 1.1%, again from April 1.
PLANS to roll out superfast broadband across the borough will continue over the next financial year. The council is setting aside £122,000 for the project, which is being run in partnership with the other Berkshire unitary councils. When finished next year, the aim is that every part of Berkshire will have access of broadband speeds of up to 25Mb.
TRANSPORT
Cllr Prue Bray.
eager to feed the press their line on the budget and wary of allowing the opposition time to scrutinise the detail.” And the Liberal Democrats have also expressed concern at the rise in council tax rates. “This high increase is what we would have predicted, given the very large cuts to local government funding announced by the national Conservative government,” Cllr Bray said. “The Liberal Democrats have every sympathy for Wokingham Borough taxpayers, who are being asked to pay more for the same, or fewer, services.” The party is promising to explore the budget fully ahead of the Thursday’s meeting.
permission to take on parking enforcement responsibilities, which could lead to traffic wardens on the borough’s streets.
EDUCATION
Safe route to Arborfield School gets budget boost
JUST under £2m will be allocated to a safe route to Arborfield School. The new route will be built over the next financial year and the £1.95m that the council has allocated will include design, construction and all feasibility work.
LEISURE
Cash earmarked for Road resurfacing projects Woodley swimming pool allocated £2.4m a year A NEW set of leisure facilities will be
THE COUNCIL has allocated £2.4m each year over the next three years for road resurfacing projects. It will also provide £100,000 a year for footpaths and up to £400,000 a year for integrated transport solutions.
PARKING
New car park barrier technology to be probed
THE council has budgeted £3.2m for a new car park barrier project The money would be spent on investigating the feasibility of the project and, if it is agreed, implementing the technology in the borough’s car parks. The council has already applied for
built in Woodley if the council’s budget is approved. Plans for a £10.7m swimming pool and leisure centre in the Bulmershe area are on the cards from 2017/18. The existing leisure centre can also look forward to renovations, with £2m earmarked for the plans which include an additional health and fitness gym.
TRANSPORT
Nine Mile Ride could soon be getting longer
AN EXTENSION to Nine Mile Ride is being considered by councillors. The budget includes £3.75m over the next two financial years for the project.