On Saturday 28th December a blue Volkswagen Golf was broken into in the car-park of Douai Abbey in Aldermaston ward.
Police said an iPhone, purse and bracelet were stolen, and have made a public appeal for witnesses who may have been in the area of Cod's Hill, Upper Woolhampton from 1-3pm that day.
If you were there and saw anything suspicious please contact PC Goodfield at Newbury Police Station via the Thames Valley Police Enquiry Centre on 101. Or if you'd prefer to remain anonymous you can contact Crimestoppers by freephoning 0800 555 111 or online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org.
Although our villages are generally a very safe area a number of residents have expressed shock that an opportunist would stoop to commit a crime on church grounds let alone during daylight hours of the festive period. Let's makes sure it doesn't happen again.
Showing posts with label local news. Show all posts
Showing posts with label local news. Show all posts
Saturday, 4 January 2014
Wednesday, 2 October 2013
Midgham Station Update
Improvement work at Midgham Station was slow to get started, but has been gradually getting moving - thanks to your local LibDem Focus team!
Here's a review of what's been happening:
At the end of June the old shelter was demolished.
During July the new ramp was removed and fencing was replaced.
Towards the end of September work began on a new information board.
Now the Newbury platform has two electronically updated boards, but still no shelter!
Here's a review of what's been happening:
Saturday, 20 July 2013
Aldermaston Ward LibDems: Statement on the Future of Nuclear Defence
This week the coalition government published the long-awaited 'Trident Alternatives Review'.
It is a publication of huge significance to voters and campaigners alike. The issue of nucelar weapons has long caused divisions in Berkshire, while large numbers of local residents in this area live and work in the shadow of the major AWE installations nearby.
Liberal Democrats have now taken the first step to heal those long-standing and deep divisions.
The ground-breaking paper provides the most thorough review of nuclear systems and postures the UK has ever made public and examines a full range of alternatives available - a move only made possible through the insistence of LibDems in government.
The Trident Alternatives Review makes clear that Britain's national security will not be compromised by gradual reduction of the UK's Nuclear capacity as part of the reshaping of our Armed Forces to take account of the current security environment.
Britain no longer needs a 24 hours a
day, 365 days a year continuous-at-sea patrolling service designed to meet a
threat in the Soviet Union that no longer exists. Instead we should support our international allies and contribute
meaningfully to the new multilateral drive to marry arms reduction to threat reduction. This will also save billions of pounds to concentrate on more pressing domestic demands.
Announcing the review, LibDem Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander MP, said,
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| CND march in 1958 |
Liberal Democrats have now taken the first step to heal those long-standing and deep divisions.
The ground-breaking paper provides the most thorough review of nuclear systems and postures the UK has ever made public and examines a full range of alternatives available - a move only made possible through the insistence of LibDems in government.
The Trident Alternatives Review makes clear that Britain's national security will not be compromised by gradual reduction of the UK's Nuclear capacity as part of the reshaping of our Armed Forces to take account of the current security environment.
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| AWE's Orion laser |
Announcing the review, LibDem Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander MP, said,
"It is the right and sensible thing to do. And it could allow long-term savings to be made against current plans for like-for-like replacement.We can, at last, have an open and much more informed debate about what our nuclear weapons are for and how they should be deployed."Liberal Democrats are leading this debate.
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| AWE Aldermaston Falcon Gate |
- Read Danny Alexander's complete speech to the Royal United Services Institute.
- Read the LibDems Trident factsheet.
- Visit the Action AWE campaigning website.
- More on AWE Aldermaston.
Wednesday, 3 July 2013
Local News: Re-dedicating Ourselves To Their Memory
Local LibDems joined with residents to attend the rededication service for the Woolhampton War memorial on Saturday 29th June.
The 17ft memorial bears the names of 15 men who died
from 1914-18, and 5 more who died in the 1939-45 war.
It bears the inscription "They passed out of the sight of men by the path of duty and self-sacrifice."
The octagonal cross in Doulting stone had come into disrepair and required cleaning to ensure the names weren't lost, as the parish gears up for the centenary of the outbreak of war.
The service fittingly recreated the original dedication made on 16th March 1921, when Brigadier-General Phipps Hornby gave an address.
In it he exhorted attendees to remember the names made 'immortal', but not forget the heroism of survivors who must fulfil the obligation to maintain the hard-won happiness brought by peace.
Local resident Mansell Oakes gave a similarly well-recieved speech before Rev. Becky Bevan reiterated the Blessing and the ceremony was appropriately brought to a close by Beenham bugler Simon Whitcombe with the sounding of The Reveille.
Aldermaston ward campaigner James Spackman commented,
It bears the inscription "They passed out of the sight of men by the path of duty and self-sacrifice."
The octagonal cross in Doulting stone had come into disrepair and required cleaning to ensure the names weren't lost, as the parish gears up for the centenary of the outbreak of war.
The service fittingly recreated the original dedication made on 16th March 1921, when Brigadier-General Phipps Hornby gave an address.
In it he exhorted attendees to remember the names made 'immortal', but not forget the heroism of survivors who must fulfil the obligation to maintain the hard-won happiness brought by peace.
Local resident Mansell Oakes gave a similarly well-recieved speech before Rev. Becky Bevan reiterated the Blessing and the ceremony was appropriately brought to a close by Beenham bugler Simon Whitcombe with the sounding of The Reveille.
Aldermaston ward campaigner James Spackman commented,
"It's only through the memory of those who served and made sacrifices that we can understand the reasons and causes of such terrible and traumatic events. We must honour them to ensure that the promise 'Never Again' is upheld."
Saturday, 22 June 2013
Local News: Controversial Gravel Extraction Application Passed
A controversial proposal to extract 200,000 tonnes of gravel per year for the next 12 years from the Kennet Valley bed between Woolhampton and Aldermaston has been given the green light despite strong local opposition.
173 acres of land will be dug up by aggregates giant Lafarge before being re-landscaped. Ground level will be reduced by several metres, eventually allowing for new angling lakes to be created.
The mineral itself will supply a local factory, supporting 75 jobs which would otherwise be lost when the Midgham quarryworks are exhausted.
Complaints centred around increases in lorry traffic on road access to the site described as 'inadequate', potentially harming road surfaces, damaging listed buildings located next to rural routes, as well as increasing danger for pedestrians from speeding lorries and adding to noise levels.
Meanwhile additional concerns about the potential for flooding caused by the impact on underground water flows were dismissed on the grounds that this would be mitigated by increases in surface water storage capacity.
The application has been a long time coming - it originated following consultation on the Preferred Options for the Joint Minerals and Waste Local Development Framework in September 2007 and submission of a new Core Strategy on 27th February 2009, and lapsed last year - which raises the question whether WBC is abiding by its own Statement of Community Involvement.
Local LibDem campaigner, James Spackman, commented,
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| Gravel, the pits! |
The mineral itself will supply a local factory, supporting 75 jobs which would otherwise be lost when the Midgham quarryworks are exhausted.
Complaints centred around increases in lorry traffic on road access to the site described as 'inadequate', potentially harming road surfaces, damaging listed buildings located next to rural routes, as well as increasing danger for pedestrians from speeding lorries and adding to noise levels.
Meanwhile additional concerns about the potential for flooding caused by the impact on underground water flows were dismissed on the grounds that this would be mitigated by increases in surface water storage capacity.
The application has been a long time coming - it originated following consultation on the Preferred Options for the Joint Minerals and Waste Local Development Framework in September 2007 and submission of a new Core Strategy on 27th February 2009, and lapsed last year - which raises the question whether WBC is abiding by its own Statement of Community Involvement.
Local LibDem campaigner, James Spackman, commented,
"The determination of West Berkshire Council to push ahead with unpopular plans without making any concessions gives the clearest possible indication that Tories are not listening."James added,
"The failure of West Berkshire Conservatives to agree a new minerals and waste plan means exclusion sites have lapsed and they are powerless to save protected areas. No wonder residents are angry!"
- Find out more about gravel deposits in West Berkshire
- Find out more about West Berkshire Development Plans
Sunday, 19 May 2013
Local News: Douai Park Pavilion Gets Go-Ahead
Outline planning permission has been granted to demolish and rebuild the sports pavilion at Douai Park recreation field.
The dilapidated 1920's structure lacks adequate facilities and is in serious need of renewal, however some concerns continue that the two-storey design may be over-ambitious - especially considering the need to raise £1/2m in voluntary donations and other funding.
The most contentious suggestion, however, is for a 49-space car park to be build with a permanent access road across the field.
The business plan presented by Douai Park Recreation Association for the new building intends to maximise its' usage and raise fees from bookings for a range of community events beyond the current sporting purposes, and this requires improved access.
As the photo shows, however, drivers commonly park adjacent to the pavilion anyway and any change would merely formalise a current reality. Additionally a car park in that location could resolve the long-standing problem of finding a drop-off point for children being taken to Woolhampton Village Primary School.
Local LibDems have offered tentative support for the scheme, based upon the visual impact of the building and financial projections.
The dilapidated 1920's structure lacks adequate facilities and is in serious need of renewal, however some concerns continue that the two-storey design may be over-ambitious - especially considering the need to raise £1/2m in voluntary donations and other funding.
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| The Far Pavilion |
The business plan presented by Douai Park Recreation Association for the new building intends to maximise its' usage and raise fees from bookings for a range of community events beyond the current sporting purposes, and this requires improved access.
As the photo shows, however, drivers commonly park adjacent to the pavilion anyway and any change would merely formalise a current reality. Additionally a car park in that location could resolve the long-standing problem of finding a drop-off point for children being taken to Woolhampton Village Primary School.
Local LibDems have offered tentative support for the scheme, based upon the visual impact of the building and financial projections.
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