Hillside Ward
This ward has changed slightly with the boundary changes, and some residents previously in the wards of Maiden Erlegh and of Shinfield North are now in Hillside.
This year, all three candidates are up for election, and following that it will return to elections 3 years our of 4 electing one Councillor at a time.
You can vote for up to 3 candidates in this election.
Caroline Smith
Many reasons for moving into Earley over 40 years ago still keep me here today; the residents, the green spaces, the schools, and good road and rail links. We moved here with our young son shortly before the birth of our twin girls and have been embedded in the local community ever since. I was a school governor for many years at my children’s local primary school.
Whilst my children were at a local secondary school I did an access course at Reading Technology College. Having left with my degree I went to work at a national charity in Wokingham. My children are now grown up and my seven grandchildren are a reminder of how wonderful our youth is today.
I am now retired and use my time to give back to the wonderful community in which we raised our family.
I enjoyed being the Mayor of Wokingham in 2022-23 and learning how many residents of Wokingham volunteer to help those in need and how so many organisations rely on these volunteers.
Your Liberal Democrat Candidates for Hillside
Use your 3 votes for your 3 Liberal Democrat Candidates for Hillside:
- Ryan Browne
- Al Neal
- Caroline Smith
Pictured left to right.
Click here for more information and to see their biographies
Liberal Democrats working for you in Hillside
Keeping the area tidy
The Thames Water land containing the underground reservoir just off Elm Lane is a lovely recreational facility for walking with wonderful views across the Loddon Valley. Hillside Councillors Al Neal and Caroline Smith, along with campaigner Ryan Browne recently did a quick litter pick. Caroline said "This is just one of the many lovely green spaces we have across Earley. It is nice to see it is well looked after".
Subsidence in Ryhill Way
For some years there have been some considerable subsidence in Ryhill Way near Chippenham Close. This has made driving down the road a bit like a ride on the big dipper. Councillor Caroline Smith says "The Highways department has been busy looking at this problem and several trial excavations fortunately have not revealed any major issues". The road has now been repaired and resurfaced making the ride much better.
Improvements to footpaths
Work to improve the old footpaths at the end of Beconfield Way running down towards Somerton Gardens has been completed. Lib Dem campaigner Ryan Browne says "These improvements will make walking in the area much more pleasant, especially in wet weather".
Listening to you and taking action
Here are some of the many things that your Lib Dem councillors in Earley have taken action on because we listened to you:
• Councillor Caroline Smith raised your concerns about the illegal use of e-scooters, and the Local Police Area Commander has since announced a crackdown on them.
• We listened to your concerns about the need for roads to be maintained. You may have seen some of our new preventative maintenance measures and the very efficient “jetpatcher” at work, plus recent repairs at the ASDA roundabout.
• Besides our actions already taken to improve road safety outside schools, your Earley Lib Dem councillors are working with residents on further measures.
School safety
Your local Lib Dem councillors have sucessfully improved road safety in the area around Hillside School, and some enhanced parking restrictions are now in place.
Councillor Caroline Smith says "In these busy roads, particularly Hilmanton, it is really important that we do all we can to keep children safe from traffic".
Defibrillator
Many iconic but now redundant old red telephone boxes are now being put to new use.
Earley Town Council has bought one in Wychwood Road from BT and has installed a defibrillator, ready for community use. This is straightforward to use, and a free course for the public has just been run to make people away of how to use them in an emergency.
New ward boundaries
When Hillside next votes for a Borough Councillor, there will be a few changes. Boundary changes mean the whole of Laurel Park is now in Hillside, with adjoining roads, which will make planning easier. In addition, the whole of Ryhill is how in Hillside, giving the whole ward a clear identity.
Sibley Wood update
Many years ago, the University had a Hall of Residence just off Redhatch Drive. This was sold off for development to Persimmon who went on to build 80 flats and homes.
Part of the deal was that when the site was finished, the ownership of the common grounds of the estate and the woods would pass to Earley Town Council to look after with funds to do so. After a very arduous journey dealing with a major developer, Earley Town Council has now taken over the care and maintenance of Sibley Woods and surroundings. The first task is to do a Tree Survey to ensure we have a lasting record of the species and conditions, and then begin the task of tidying up the overgrown vegetation. This needs a lot of work, but will be a fantastic addition to the green spaces of Earley.
Road safety around our schools
Whilst talking to local residents, an issue that is often discussed is road safety around our schools. The safety of our school children is of utmost importance, but we also need to balance the needs of parking by parents with the needs of residents who live near schools. During the summer, there has been a consultation on what changes the council could make to improve the situation around Hillside School to improve the road safety and parking. We will keep you informed of the results and let you know what action the council decides to take.
I can help deliver leaflets!
Our volunteer deliverers are the backbone of our campaign. Thank you if you can help!
