Newsletter – Spring 2024
You are invited to the
AGM & SOCIAL EVENING – Earley Home Guard Social Club All Residents Welcome
Wednesday, 20th March, 2024. Doors Open 7.45pm. Start time 8pm.
Meet your Neighbours Meet the Committee.
Meet your Councillors Express your Concerns Get Your Questions Answered.
Relax in an informal setting with complementary tea, coffee and snacks… Bar open.
During the evening there will be a short formal meeting to which you are welcome to contribute and comment – Details and Agenda overleaf.
REMINDER: ACER news and articles will be incorporated in the new 30 page COLOUR MAGAZINE for the rest of 2024. There are three issues per year and are FREE to paid-up members, i.e. included in membership donation of £2.
Speeding and Parking
Speeding and Parking continue to be of high concern to many residents. You may have noticed councillors being more visible in our streets due to the forthcoming local and national elections. ACER has taken the opportunity of talking to councillors from all the local parties when they came round. Often they have been surprised at the speed of cars passing close behind them. They were informed that Speeding and Parking, as per the 2022 Residents Survey were still the main concern of most residents. ACER made the councillors aware of their submissions to WBC and copies of the following were e-mailed to the representatives:
1) the results of the 2022 RESIDENTS SURVEY on issues of concern were passed on to new councillors who were unfamiliar with this area.
2) Responses to PROPOSED TRO 2023 (Additions and changes to proposed Yellow Lines Traffic Regulation Order) including short stay parking provision for the corner shop at Palmerstone Road/Culver Lane. Needed as an alternative to cars parking on double yellow lines at the corner and thereby blocking visibility.
3) Response to Wokingham Borough Council’s “HILLTOP ROAD AREA PARKING SURVEY” (which was limited to Whitegates). ACER submitted a response which included all the parking issues reported by residents, plus the root causes which needed to be addressed to halt and reverse the amount of on-street parking,
4) Suggested revised PARKING STANDARDS to replace the current WBC Parking Standards which have proven to be unrealistic, especially for rented properties due to their high car ownership.
All the above referenced documents can be seen on the acerwhitegates.org.uk website.
Traffic jams at the junction of London Road and The Drive, which caused bus diversions, continue to be monitored. ACER has suggested a box junction to deter cars from blocking the road and thereby causing tail-backs.
SpeedWatch: Local volunteers are needed in order to deter speeding. Speedwatch has a proven track record.
HELP: ACER is supporting the HUGE EARLEY LITTER PICK (HELP) on Sunday 24th March. Meet 10 am on London Road (South) service road by junction with The Drive, or 2pm for afternoon session. Bring Gloves. High viz and litter pickers are available. Bags will be provided. ACER continues to work with local councilors and Earley Adopt a Street Initiative to organize litter picks and vegetation clearance throughout the year.
Bulmershe Open Space: ACER has been supporting Friends of Bulmershe Open Space (FoBOS). Over the last few months FoBOS has:-
· Secured the planting of replacement trees for Bulmershe Field new woodland.
· Secured funding from Ealey Town Council to repair the path between Bulmershe Park and Bulmershe Field.
· Proposed the inclusion of Bulmershe as a green corridor as part of the Local Nature Recovery Strategy.
· Proposed the designation of Bulmershe Park as a Town Green to protect it from further enclosure.
ACER: The Whitegates Residents’ Association
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING AGENDA
Wednesday, 20th March 2024. 7.45 for 8pm at Earley Home Guard Social Club, 22 Pitts Lane RG6 1BT
| Welcome / Apologies for absence Chair’s Report Treasurer’s Report Election of Officers (Chair, Vice Chair, Treasurer) Election of Other Committee Members Appointment of Scrutineer Proposal: To Continue with the Colour Magazine plus One Annual Newsletter to be distributed to all 1600 Whitegates residents prior to the AGM. | Agreement of membership fees 2024/24 New Election Boundaries and how these affect Whitegates and your Councillors. Any Other Business Including Topics from the Floor and Questions to Councillors Informal socialising and discussions to take place following close of formal business. |
Please come along. All Whitegates residents welcome to attend
Refreshments will be served before the meeting
ACER actions on behalf of Residents during the last year:
- Vegetation cleared and litter pick working parties including Town Lane and Bulmershe Park.
- Continue to follow up concerns raised by residents in the 2022 Residents survey
- Regular liaison with Wokingham Borough Council, Earley Town Council, Maiden Erlegh Residents Association, EASI (Earley Adopt a Street Initiative) and the police via Earley NAG (Neighbourhood Action Group)
- Reviewed 32 Planning Applications affecting Whitegates and commented on 19 of them which appeared to deviate from WBC policies and guidelines, and/or adversely affect parking for neighbours.
- ACER Newsletter distributed to all 1600 households in Whitegates. Spring, Summer and Autumn issues.
- The first issue of the new Colour Magazine, distributed to paid up members.
REMEMBER – Burglars are more likely to target houses in streets which are heavily littered, so if you can work with EASI to keep your street litter free you will not only help protect the environment but also help protect your house from burglary.
The current Committee has struggled to keep up with all the above activities due to vacancies for Secretary and Communications Officer in particular, but any assistance to the committee would be welcome.
PLEASE GIVE WHATEVER HELP YOU CAN!
ACER members currently comprise a wide age group plus members of all political and religious beliefs.
ARE YOU A MEMBER?. As well as the new colour magazine three times a year, members opt to receive updates and messages via the Acerwhitegates Google Group. Members can request appropriate advice when dealing with Council and the Police for issues affecting our community. ACER has good working relationships with our Councillors which often help bring issues to prominence and speed up resolution of issues.
ONLY £2 Annual Donation per household: There are a number of ways you can pay – cash via your street rep, contacting ACER and asking for someone to visit to collect, putting the money in an envelope with your NAME AND ADDRESS and dropping it at 21 Milton Road, or by PayPal –www.paypal.com/paypal.me/ACERWhitegates. Please ensure your ADDRESS is in the PayPal additional info box! Please note online payments are £2.50 minimum to cover PayPal charges. A PayPal account is not needed.
ACER CONTACTS – email: chair@acerwhitegates.org.uk Committee: Tim Marsh (Chair), George Blackmore (Vice Chair). Siôn Williams (Treasurer), Naomi Cambridge, Graham May, Neville Sibley.
Local WOKINGHAM BOROUGH COUNCILLORS: Andy Croy andy.croy@wokingham.gov.uk, Tony Skuse anthony.skuse@wokingham.gov.uk; Shahid Younis shahid.younis@wokingham.gov.uk;
Local EARLEY TOWN COUNCILLORS: Sheila Jordan sheilajordan@earley-tc.gov.uk; Sheena Matthews sheenamatthews@earley-tc.gov.uk 07766 424098, Hari Sarasanharisarasan@earley-tc.gov.uk;
If you have a local street representative, they are: _______________________________________ at _________________________________
