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Reading Enews – April 2008 Reading UK CIC Reading's economic development company has appointed a new BID Manager, who starts in post on Monday 7 April; his contact details are shown below: Executive Director, Tim Smith BID Manager, Guy Douglas Economic Development Manager, Richard Byard Destination Manager, Sue Brackley The Company is located at Davidson House, Forbury Square and acts as a Delivery Partner for the 2020 (Local Strategic) Partnership, to: promote and sustain the economic development of Reading to achieve sustainable prosperity for those that live, work, play, visit, do business and invest in the area. Reading UK CIC is a Community Interest Company, limited by guarantee and registered in England & Wales: No. 5671172. Work on Junction 11 of the M4 – Reading's main traffic gateway – begins in April Reading Borough Council has confirmed that the Government has released £62.05 million of funding for this project, which will ease congestion and improve access to the junction – for motorists, pedestrians and cyclists. Laing O'Rourke Infrastructure is the chosen contractor for the project and is due to begin work this month to construct a four-lane motorway junction with two new strategic road bridges around the current motorway junction. The existing junction will be used for public transport as well as dedicated pedestrian and cycle facilities. Two new junctions south of the M4 at Mereoak (Three Mile Cross) will also be constructed as part of the project to ease congestion in the Shinfield area – eventually bringing a range of traffic improvements to residents living nearby as well as commuters. A comprehensive landscaping scheme has also been agreed and will be created to complement the scheme. The existing motorway junction will remain open throughout the first phase of the works in order to minimise disruption. Town Hall Square Environmental Improvements 2008 Plans have been drawn up to refurbish Town Hall Square with new paving, seats, cycle racks, bins and trees. Exhibitions showing how the revamped area will look are now on show at the Town Hall – until 4 April – and at the Civic Centre from 7 to 11 April. Connect Reading Forum In 2006/07 30 million working days were lost (1.3 days per worker) due to work-related ill health, including 13.5 million due to stress, depression or anxiety (Source: HSE Statistics, Key figures 2006/07) and on average the cost of absence is £659 per employee per year. The next Connect Reading Forum: ‘Your People, Your Profits’ – sponsored by Oracle Corporation – will be looking at absenteeism management and employee productivity. It will include a case study of a local initiative and a report (on progress so far) from a local company’s perspective; as well as some thoughts on the benefits of green commuting and travel plans. The Forum will be held on Wednesday 21 May from 8am to 11am at ‘Waterside’, Oracle Corporation, Thames Valley Park. To book your free place email Clare.Wright@connectreading.co.uk or call 0118 959 1236. Reading Credit Union Reading Credit Union will be out and about this spring and summer at family events taking place around Reading. With fun games for all ages and a special incentive for all new members joining on the day, the Reading Credit Union Roadshow is an ideal chance to find out what’s on offer to everyone who lives or works in Reading. Visitors to the Reading Credit Union tent can take part in our free egg and spoon race, or have a go at the big ‘noughts and crosses’ game, as well as accessing information and advice about the benefits of Credit Union membership. What’s more, everyone who joins the Credit Union at one of these events and saves regularly for six months will receive an extra £5 in their savings account! Look out for the Reading Credit Union tent at these events – Monday
5 May – Waterloo
Meadows Fun Day, 2-4pm Saturday 10 May – Meadow Madness at Christchurch Meadows Sunday 18 May – East Reading Festival, Palmer Park, 12-4pm Saturday 14 June – Tilehurst Fun Day, Victoria Rec, 12-4pm (find us in the Safer Communities area) Saturday 28 June – Oxford Road Fun Day, Kensington Park 12-4pm Saturday 12 July – Rabsons Rec Fun Day, 12-4pm (find us in the Safer Communities area) Reading Credit Union is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority: 4 The Chambers, East Street, Reading RG1 4JF; 0118 958 5803; info@readingcreditunion.co.uk; www.readingcreditunion.co.uk Join the Sue Ryder Care – Nettlebed Hospice – Big Wigs Challenge! Big Wigs is a new and exciting corporate challenge: team are sought from the business world to take a crisp £50.00 note and, over a four month period, prove just how good entrepreneurs they are by thinking of ingenious ways to make it grow and return it to the charity with substantial interest. Big Wigs runs from April to July 2008. Each team or individual that takes part will be supported and encouraged by the local fundraising team and will be invited to the launch event, with a guest presenter, on 10 April 2008 Sponsored by Invesco Perpetual, Big Wigs is a great opportunity to encourage team building and raise money in aid of a local charity. Big Wigs combines teambuilding, project based skills and most importantly, having fun! For further details call 01491 641070. Planning Applications have been permitted to change the use of offices at 24-26 Queen's Road (opposite the entrance/exit of the multi-storey car park) to residential, creating five flats, a cycle storage area, a doorway and entrance off the main lobby and the replacement of wooden sash windows. The applications lodged on behalf of Starbucks Coffee Co (UK) Ltd for signage and a change of use from public highway to a temporary outdoor seating area at 1 Butter Market and 6 King Street (ex Essentuals Hair) have been permitted. An application has been submitted for a change of use - from A2 to A3 (Restaurant) – at Soane Point, 6 - 8 Market Place, on behalf of the Business Environment Group.An application has been submitted for a replacement shop front at The Fez, 5 Gun Street. An application has been submitted by Penta Hotels to upgrade the existing signage to reflect the name change and new corporate identity of the (ex-Renaissance) hotel on Oxford Road. Reading Borough Council has now submitted the Reading Central Area Action Plan (RCAAP) to the Secretary of State. A copy of the document is available to view on the Council’s website: http://www.reading.gov.uk/environmentandplanning/planning/localplanningpolicy/General.asp?id=SX9452-A782E4B3 The RCAAP provides the planning strategy for the central area of Reading up to 2026. Its contents have been produced having regard to responses received during the consultation on the Preferred Options, which took place between January and March 2007. The Council has produced a Statement of Consultation. In order to ensure that the Plan takes account of environmental, social and economic considerations (and in accordance with the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act (2004) and the European Regulations), a Sustainability Appraisal of the document has also been undertaken. Both reports can be viewed on the Council’s website (see above link). The Consultation Process: consultation on the Submission Draft RCAAP and Sustainability Appraisal has started and Reading Borough Council welcomes comments. Full copies of the documents can be viewed online, at all Reading Borough libraries, or at the Planning Reception counter of the Civic Centre (Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm). Hard copies can also be purchased from the Council’s LDF Planning Team (contact details are provided below). Responses should be made via Public Access for Planning through the Reading Borough Council website available at http://planning.reading.gov.uk Alternatively, responses can be made using the response form available on the Council's website, or by requesting a copy of the form from the LDF Team (contact details below). Written responses (using the form) should be forwarded to: LDF Planning
Team, Planning Department To ensure that comments are taken into account as part of the final report, your comments should be received by 18 April 2008. Any responses that you make will go forward to the examination of the RCAAP document, to be held later in 2008, at which an independent inspector will assess if the plan is ‘sound’. Retail Warranties Direct have taken a 10 year full repairing lease of Quadrant House, 203 Broad Street. Betster has exchanged on 27 Oxford Road. The Oracle Body Shop has taken possession of the old Montserrat unit opposite Boots and is due to open on 10 April. Brother2Brother (branded mixed young fashion) has now opened next to Hotel Chocolat. The Oracle is having a GREEN event from 1 to 4 May, to promote green issues and engage the public in educating to change. This will include information and education on environmental issues as well as a free Oracle ‘bag for life’. In the footsteps of Henry Taunt – to 26 April Henry
Taunt was one of Victorian
England’s most prolific photographers.
His maps and guides, illustrated by beautiful photographs of the
Thames, played a major role in developing the Victorians’ love
of the river. Digital photographers Jeff Robins and Graham Diprose
were inspired by Taunt’s first photographic guides to the river,
and set out to recapture many of his finest views of the Thames.
This exhibition combines Taunt’s images with their modern equivalents
to make fascinating ‘then and now’ views
over the last 125 years. Ancient Egypt: Reading’s Egyptology collection – to 10 April Amazing
treasures from the
museum’s
Egyptology collection
are on display for
the first time in many
years in our Ancient
Egypt exhibition. The
exhibition illustrates
aspects of life and
death in Ancient Egypt
and includes complementary
objects loaned by the
British Museum and,
from Birmingham Museum,
the mummy of Namenkhet-Amun. Tim Smith This newsletter
is for general information only. Whilst it is
believed to be |
Archive April 08
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