Reading Green Party has made Newtown a far more accessible place for wheeled users with the introduction of some new drop curbs to allow people to get along Cumberland Road with greater ease.

Folloing on from a request from a local mum who was struggling to get her buggy up the curb to travel along Cumberland Road, local Green Rob White contacted the council on this issue and did a site visit with a council officer. A few months later the drop curb was installed.

Green Party candidate for Park Ward Rob White said: "It‘s simple things like this that can make the difference between a journey being simple and it being a real pain. People living in an area know what needs to be done to make it better but unfortunately they find it hard to get the council to act on their ideas."

"This is why we support the idea of Local Area Forums as they have in Oxford - where Greens hold the balance of power on the council. These are local meetings, covering small communities that residents, councillors and other agencies attend. They have real powers to act and improve the area and so are a great way for people to get involved with local decision making."

"To find out about local issues like missing drop curbs, we also door knock year round. This year we‘ve knocked on every door in the Park Ward area and asked about peoples‘ concerns outside their houses, in their streets and in their communities. Following on from this we‘ve helped over 200 people find out information, get repairs to local services and campaign for change on local issues. This is what every councillor and candidate should be doing, but unfortunately as so often happens you only see your them just before the election and then they disappear just after it for four years."

ENDS

Notes for the Editor

1. For more information please contact Rob White on 07985 923938 or 0118 950 4062.