News

• New budget proposals deliver on major investments in better facilities and protect the frontline despite £8.7 million of inflationary pressures this year
• An additional £4.4 million built in to care for vulnerable and elderly residents
• Proposed Council Tax increase for 2023-24 is 2.99%, with an additional 2% Adult Social Care precept.

• Enforcement of the first two yellow box junctions in Reading begins on Monday February 20
• Warnings, rather than PCN's, will be issued for the first offence at each junction
• Illegal blocking of yellow box junctions causes delays and contributes to poor air quality for local residents

• Nine students are on work experience with the Council from King's Academy Prospect and John Madejski Academy (JMA)
• The students will get a varied taster of the world of local government work.

• Free and low-cost events and creative activities across Reading during the February half-term

THE Council’s website now hosts a dedicated webpage dedicated to information on services for disabled residents, created following feedback from Reading’s disabled community.

• Detection dog YoYo helped sniff out over 20,000 illegal and counterfeit cigarettes
• Inspection took place along the Oxford Road last week

• Mayor of Reading, Cllr Rachel Eden, will lead a short service and lay a wreath to pay tribute the people who lost their lives, on Friday 10 February
• Berkshire Record Office has digitised original records from the day, Reading Libraries are hosting an exhibition of documents and photographs on the aftermath of the bombing raid 

• Proposed improvements to cycling and walking links on Bath Road between Berkeley Avenue and Castle Hill, running over the IDR to Castle Street.
• Public consultation on the scheme’s traffic restriction proposals launching on 2 February to 23 February.

• Consultation on removing the cycling ban along the subway under Reading Station begins today
• Council to begin refurbishment works on the underpass in the spring

ONE year on from the invasion of Ukraine, Reading will come together later this month to host a benefit concert at Reading Town Hall, with all proceeds going to communities affected.

• Next stage of cultural projects celebrating Oxford Road announced
• The Council has awarded three £4k grants, to the Alliance for Cohesion and Racial Equality (ACRE), Change Grow Live, and Real Time Video

• Changes introduced this year mean residents voting at a polling station in the May local elections will need to show photo ID, or apply for a Voter Authority Certificate 
• Alternative is to apply to the Council for a postal or proxy vote