Reading makes land grab for parts of West Berkshire as plans for local government reorganisation continue
Reading is making a land grab for parts of West Berkshire as plans for local government reorganisation continue, writes Local Democracy Reporter James Aldridge.
Leaders want to create a ‘Greater Reading’ which would pull the eastern villages of Calcot and Tilehurst, in with the town.
The Labour government is seeking to reorganise local councils to get rid of districts and have councils organised into populations of half a million people or more.
This has prompted negotiations throughout the country on larger council proposals for submission to the government by November 28.
Recently, West Berkshire Council, South Oxfordshire and the Vale of White Horse councils have agreed to move forward with a proposed new authority called Ridgeway Council.
The council would take its name from the Ridgeway path, which runs through the area, and unite former Berkshire towns such as Didcot, Wantage and Wallingford that were ‘lost’ to Oxfordshire in 1974.
It would also include the West Reading villages of Calcot, Tilehurst, Theale and Pangbourne, which all fall within West Berkshire Council’s jurisdiction.
But reacting to the news, Liz Terry, the leader of Reading Borough Council and Olivia Bailey, the Labour MP for Reading West and Mid Berkshire, have written to Jim McMahon, the minister in charge of English devolution, expressing their concerns.
Ms Terry (Labour, Coley) said: “West Berkshire also includes areas that are part of Greater Reading.
“It is important to recognise that the Reading geography does not end with the local authority boundary, which was set over 50 years ago and does not reflect the Reading identity held by many residents or communities in parts of West Berkshire.”
It is implied that the western suburbs of Tilehurst and Calcot could be brought under a Greater Reading Authority area.
Ms Bailey wrote: “Residents in Tilehurst and other communities within the Greater Reading conurbation look towards Reading for services, shopping and leisure – and often raise with me that they feel forgotten by West Berkshire Council.
“If West Berkshire’s proposals to join with parts of Oxfordshire are taken forward, I support Reading Borough Council’s proposals to ensure residents who live in Greater Reading are part of Reading Borough Council.”
It comes as West Berkshire, South Oxfordshire and the Vale of White Horse councils had meetings last week where they agreed to move forward with a proposed Ridgeway Council.
Concerns have been raised in West Berkshire that Reading could dominate if the Berkshire councils are unified.
West Berkshire councillor Heather Codling (Liberal Democrats, Chieveley and Cold Ash) said at an extraordinary meeting on Wednesday, March 19: “As much as Reading would say they wouldn’t dominate, they’re the big partner if we’re going with Wokingham and Reading, and would we feel like the poor relation, and I don’t think we want that for us.”
