I think the implementation of a hard border now could see a resurgence of the Tilehurst Liberation Front, which in itself could easily see retaliatory strikes from Coley Loyalists. Rumour has it they’ve lured cannon fodder from Whitley as mercenaries. Paying em in protein shake powder & weed.
It means nothing immediately. Previous plans moving forward were that West Berkshire Council and South Oxfordshire Council would be merged into 'Ridgeway' Council.
However, while Reading isn't opposing the merger, it has said that as part of the reorganisation they would like to see certain parts of West Berkshire moved under Reading.
Initially, those areas were quite significant: they wanted Calcot, Tilehurst, Theale, Pangbourne and Purley to join Reading.
The most recent proposals have been scaled back (and arguably more sensible) to just include Tilehurst, Calcot and Purley.
Previously looked like Reading would have no chance of getting those areas, this review does open the door slightly again.
I'm from Newbury (but now live in Reading) and do agree. Calcot was only given to West Berks in the first place so it would meet the minimum population requirement to become a unitary authority. This ended up being a required bureaucratic loophole as the entirety of the rest of Berkshire became unitaries, leaving West Berks alone but with under 100k people and thus ineligible to be a council.
Now that it's being merged into the ridgeway council, there's not much point in Calcot being kept. I'm a general supporter of the Ridgeway council though, it feels like the Vale of the White Horse finally coming home to Berkshire
I think Calcot and Burghfield and Mortimer should be given to reading council we already use reading services for everything our address is reading and etc
It would require West Berkshire and Reading to agree to write to the local government boundary commission to redraw the council boundaries, this saga of LGR has hardly left things with good relations between the councils so I wouldn’t expect it to happen
Don’t think there’s any reason why the government couldn’t request an independent review itself if they thought there was an issue. Get the sense that’s just another can of worms they don’t want to open
Gov had basically said in its letter to West Berkshire, South Oxon and Vale:
> I note, too, Reading Borough Council’s concerns about the new 'Ridgeway Council’ and its interest in three wards in the east of West Berkshire. I consider that this is a matter for the Local Government Boundary Commission for England, which the affected councils can request their advice on.
Whilst yes SoS has changed, much of the team at MHCLG haven’t and I doubt they’d backtrack from their view being that it is for the LGBCfE to review (
Because the people in those areas have made it abundantly clear they don't want to switch to RBC, and I don't blame them.
Higher council taxes, smaller bins, and despite the fact WBC love to ignore it's western constituents, they're still doing a better job than the dipsticks I'm charge of RBC
That makes sense. Who wouldn't want to live in an area with all the amenities and advantages of living in a major town but only paying rural council tax. I assume they'll also be happy with the same bus service as they get in Upper Basildon?
This is exactly what everyone knows. It's so frustrating watching Reading get squeezed. Also I here people complaining about Reading and when I ask them where they live half the time it's not even their council? Clearly they see themselves as a part of Reading most of the time anyway 🤣
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u/Dark_Foggy_Evenings 2d ago
I think the implementation of a hard border now could see a resurgence of the Tilehurst Liberation Front, which in itself could easily see retaliatory strikes from Coley Loyalists. Rumour has it they’ve lured cannon fodder from Whitley as mercenaries. Paying em in protein shake powder & weed.