Dear Sir,

It‘s great news that the plans to build 7,500 new homes in Kennet Valley Park, on one of Reading‘s vital flood plains, have been publicly criticized. This scheme was always a disaster, the

Environment Agency is to be congratulated for consistently opposing it. It‘s odd that the Labour party is claiming this as a victory, as at the same time they are pushing for other flood plain developments(1). They must be hoping people have forgotten that Martin Salter MP used to support this scheme. Thanks to Labour we live under the threat of a South East Plan that will add thousands of new houses to the region each year, it recently went up from 29,000 to more than 33,000.

Another Labour plan is to build a new Civic Centre on the site of the popular Hosier Street market. The reason given is the great age of the building, but it‘s younger than much of Reading. Most buildings of around 30 years need refurbishment not replacing. In London a similar building has been converted to make it more sustainable; improving insulation and shading windows to reduce heating and cooling (2).

Reading would be better off if we used the resources we had more effectively, not straining the town to the limit. There are empty office blocks and homes around the town, lets get these used before we build anything new. Is this about a sustainable future or building a monument to some rather large egos.

Regards Adrian Windisch
Green Party Parliamentary Candidate for Reading West

1. www.environment-agency.gov.uk/regions/thames/1290330/1290442/1299118/1300801/1301045/?lang=_e
2. See www.integerproject.co.uk/westminster.html
--
adrian@windisch.co.uk,
18 Kent Road Reading RG30 2EJ,
tel 0118 9567190 mob 07802 671606

ONE WORLD. ONE CHANCE. GO GREEN.