Wokingham Liberal Democrats

Liberal Democrat councillors are very disappointed but not in the least surprised that the Conservative Executive at Wokingham Borough Council voted unanimously on 15^th May to close Fosters residential care home.

The consultation responses from residents of Fosters and their families stated overwhelmingly that they did not want Fosters to close. But as usual the Conservatives have not listened. Lib Dem Cllr Lesley Hayward (Bulmershe & Whitegates ward) explains "The Conservatives seemed to think what was most important was the lack of en-suite bathroom facilities. But for the residents and their families it is not simply about the building. What matters to them is quality of life and that's about care and relationships. The Executive just didn't seem to understand that. Now Foster's residents face disruptive and upsetting moves that however well-managed will affect the care and well-being of these vulnerable people."

An overwhelming majority of Wokingham's residents are unhappy with the new waste and recycling scheme, according to a survey carried out by the Liberal Democrat opposition on the Borough Council.

The Lib Dems have been carrying out the survey across a number of areas of the Borough. They have received nearly a thousand replies already - and they are still flooding in.

Wokingham Liberal Democrats are disappointed that the Conservatives seem to have abandoned plans to further improve and extend recycling in the borough.

When the Conservative executive changed the waste collection scheme, they included a Recycling Improvement Plan, and money was set aside to be spent on recycling initiatives. The Liberal Democrat councillors have discovered that this money is no longer in the budget (see 'Evidence' below). The Lib Dems say that, with an underpinning principle in the council's new Vision to improve recycling, it doesn't make sense to scrap plans to achieve this.

There are Lib-Dem candidates in each of the following Wokingham Borough Wards:

Bulmershe & Whitegates, Charvil, Emmbrook, Evendons, Finchampstead North, Finchampstead South, Hawkedon, Hillside, Hurst, Loddon, Maiden Erlegh, Norreys, Remenham Wargrave & Ruscombe, Shinfield South, Twyford, Wescott, Winnersh and Wokingham Without. Several of the candidates have experience as former Councillors on Wokingham Borough Council or its predecessor Wokingham District Council, as described below. To ask any of the candidates a question, please contact the web-site.

Liberal Democrats in Wokingham Borough are calling for changes to the new recycling arrangements. They believe that the problems with recycling run much deeper than simply a temporary lack of black boxes or confusion about what can and can't be recycled following the introduction of the new waste collection scheme.

Following the continuing disastrous implementation of the controversial new waste collection scheme, the Liberal Democrats are calling for Gary Cowan, to resign as Executive member for the Environment at Wokingham Borough Council.

Cllr Prue Bray leader of the Lib Dems said "Gary Cowan is responsible for the council's waste service and has presided over a catastrophic failure. The new waste scheme is not well thought out and on top of that its introduction has been one disaster after another. It descended into farce when Gary Cowan asked in a radio interview about the variety of wrong size bags that have been supplied, didn't even have the most basic information- the correct size of the bags.

Wokingham's Liberal Democrat councillors call for the Conservative council to listen and engage with its residents. As part of the scrutiny process to review the councils work, Liberal Democrats want the council to listen and learn from public debate on local issues before taking action.

Cllr Prue Bray leader of the Liberal Democrat group said "If the Tories had engaged with residents about the new waste scheme and the review of the library service we would not be facing the problems they have created. The Tories track record shows they think they know best but what's needed is a new approach: a willingness to listen to residents and accept that in doing so the council might do things better." Cllr Prue Bray added "Let's get it right in the future, for example with parking enforcement. Residents want this issue tackled to resolve the problems caused by illegally parked cars. The council needs to ask communities how they are being affected by illegal parking and the lack of enforcement and then take action based on local views."

Over 20 million working people will be better off next year after Liberal Democrats in the Coalition Government delivered the biggest ever increase in the income tax personal allowance in the Budget.

The massive £3.5bn tax cut for working people delivers:

• The biggest ever single uplift in the tax threshold
• A personal allowance of £9,205 in April 2013
• 21 million working people getting an extra £220 tax cut
• Brings the total tax cut for basic rate tax payers to £550
• Brings the total number of people lifted out of tax to 2 million.

Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg used his speech to the Party's Spring conference in NewcastleGateshead to call for the forthcoming budget to be a "budget for fairness" and pledged that it would help working familes.

The Deputy Prime Minister pledged that by 2015 Britain would have seen an end to control orders, the first gay marriages and the first elections to the House of Lords.

Fairer taxes, promoting green jobs, protecting your civil liberties - these are just some of the achievements of the Liberal Democrats in government.

We're building a freer, greener and more liberal country - and stopping some of the worst excesses of the Conservatives. Find out more in this infographic.