Blog Posts - Oranjepan Says

For the first time in its history Reading Borough Council has pledged to provide an annual budget to pay for the relacement of dead and dying trees in residential roads in the borough.Councillors are set to approve up to £200,000 over the initial tw...

Ruling Conservatives in the Royal Borough are reeling as a series of disclosures have highlighted the internal conflicts in their party.Council-funded political advisor Andre Walker resigned after he was recorded discussing deputy leader Cllr Alison...

Controversy has struck the Conservative party after leader David Cameron stumbled in an interview when challenged on equality issues.In particular the question of whether Conservative Lords would be allowed a free vote on allowing civil partnerships...

Anna Roberts reports on the latest batch of crime statistics released by Thames Valley Police.The headline figure shows crime in general to have fallen by 7%, while robbery and vehicle theft has fallen considerably. 18,934 crimes were reported in the...

In a double header business intelligence expert Caroline Eveleigh picks up on the use and abuse of performance metrics inside the NHS.She was disturbed by reports that internal NHS statistics had been manipulated for the benefit of public relations,...

#rdgpol - After spending last month on the defensive Conservatives in Reading have gone on the attack in what some commentators are calling a pre-emptive strike to take over control of the Cabinet.Local tories have called for Reading's lead councillo...

#rdgpol - Regular readers will know Reading List has been closely following the debate surrounding Reading's bid for city status.And it appears developments to promote the move have now reached the highest levels when Prime Minister Gordon Brown comm...

Reading Chronicle wades into the political arena by publishing a leader article commenting on the budget debate.They say the different political attitudes are getting in the way of helping the region out of the recession, describing politicians who&q...

Reading Borough Council passed the vote on the annual budget and Band D residents will see an average 2.2% rise in Council Tax this year (compare to other councils in Berkshire).But the evening almost descended into chaos as the vote proceeded withou...

The visit of Pope Benedict XVI to the UK later this year was bound to cause controversy given recent arguments over the role of faith in society that have sprung up as a consequence of the 'war on terror', and this has been reflected in the local blo...

The launch of the new Formula 1 season is upon us.After a turbulent 2009 the race to the checkered flag looks to have got going as smoothly as the aerodynamic designs of the cars themselves.With 4 world champions on the grid and three new teams compe...

The renewal of Reading's Empty Homes Strategy is starting to have some practical effect. Two local charities have started to work together with the council and landlords to ensure potential homes don't go to waste and have a negative impact on local...

Campaigning comedian Mark Thomas came to Reading this weekend when he made a stop on his 'Manifesto' tour and several local bloggers were there to give a review.Green Party campaigners Adrian Windisch and Rob White turned out in public to show solida...

A review into the council response to the dramatic winter weather experience in recent weeks has been published.LibDem Cllr Daisy Benson makes a statement of the seriousness with which it is being treated, saying how she has been impressed by the man...

Opposition groups are celebrating victory over Reading's dominant Labour group after a decision to impose big increases on car park charges was overturned without a fight.The move came under heavy criticism from Conservative and LibDem groups who fel...

The Local Government Information Unit has nominated Reading councillor Daisy Benson for an award as one of 5 representatives across the whole country for their efforts at the forefront of the sphere of online activism.The award is designed to highlig...

John McGarvey is impressed with the displays of creativity being shown in the snow locally as people find new ways to occupy themselves in the unusually wintery conditions.But with a third wave of winter weather hitting the region concerns are growin...

It was to have been a significant event for #rdg and nationally when the leader of the opposition David Cameron MP came face-to-face with local residents of all stripes to answer wide-ranging questions and offer reassurance about the future of the NH...

The dramatic December treat of a White Christmas proved to prime and prepare the local community for more recent flurries, and local bloggers have responded voluminously!While the chaotic scenes back then caused a massive variety of angry, confused a...

An unseemly spat has broken out between rival Park ward candidates and their supporters over the future of the much-loved Alfred Sutton Playing fields.Green Party candidate Rob White recently launched a campaign to 'say NO' to developing the open-spa...

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