Latest news with #JohnEnnis
BBC News
4 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Reading's carbon emissions have fallen by 57%, data shows
Carbon emissions in Reading have fallen by more than half over an 18-year period, new government figures Berkshire town has seen the 12th biggest reduction in emissions out of the UK's 384 local authorities between 2005 and 2023, according to the Borough Council said it was currently working on "major projects" to reduce its own carbon footprint and "create a net zero borough".John Ennis, the authority's climate lead, said the government figures showed "Reading's commitment to taking positive climate action". "It is only through organisations, businesses, communities and residents working together that Reading has achieved a 57% drop in emissions and maintained its position as 12th in the country for carbon reduction," he Ennis said the council was "leading by example", including the work to upgrade the Hexagon major construction project, which started this week, includes plans to install ground and air source heat pumps across the building, replacing gas council said it has cut its own emissions by almost 75% since 2009, adding that it only accounts for roughly 2% of the town's overall Reading Climate Change Partnership, of which the council is a key member, is also currently asking people for their thoughts on how the town can achieve net zero."We all need to keep up the momentum in the face of rising temperatures, wetter winters and extreme weather conditions occurring more frequently," Mr Ennis said. You can follow BBC Berkshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
BBC News
12-06-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
The drive to net zero picks up speed in Reading
The more pollution your car pumps out, the more we will make you pay to park - that is the message from Reading Borough using cars with the highest carbon dioxide emissions could see their parking charges more than double under the plans. The sliding scale of tariffs would apply to parking permits and on-street meters, but not yet to car parks.A smaller Ford Focus might cost £1.20 to park for an hour, while a BMW X7 diesel could be charged £3.40, according to the tariff now, it is just a plan, but Reading council is preparing to take the next step towards making this a reality for thousands of drivers by seeing what people think of it. It is by no means the first English town or city to want to go down this introduced its own emissions-based car parking scheme back in 2022, with higher polluting vehicles charged slightly more to encourage a shift to cleaner, more sustainable travel. 'Radical move' Reading councillors already know it would be deeply unpopular with some - 70% of residents who took part in a small-scale informal survey in March said they either disagreed or strongly disagreed they should pay more for a parking permit if their cars were more acknowledging the issue, John Ennis, the councillor in charge of the borough's transport network, said 30% of people who live in Reading did not have a car anyway, adding: "It's a radical move from a radical council who are serious about protecting the environment and getting to net zero by 2030, while also cleaning our air."He also said it was important to get the scale of any permit price rises into perspective, saying the owner of a Mini Cooper would have to pay 22p more per week while the owner of a two-litre Land Rover Discovery would see a 55p rise."You can get a Mars bar with that somewhere in Reading," he added. While it has been some time since you could buy a Mars bar for 55p, Mr Ennis said the financial hit some will take under this plan was unavoidable if the council is to meet its pledge to be net zero by 2030. A public consultation on the idea will run from 26 June to 15 the scheme goes ahead, motorists could see the new charges from late autumn.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Town gets 96 new parking machines
New parking payment machines are being installed in Reading after the old ones were taken out of service in April. The borough council has begun the process of replacing the old pay and display machines - which allowed drivers to pay over the phone or using the RingGo app - with 96 new ones. They will allow contactless payments by bank cards, mobile payments via apps, and about 20 of them will take cash payments. Lead councillor for transport John Ennis said the new machines would offer "a much more convenient service" for motorists. He said he recognised cash payment remained popular in some places, which the council said included the area around the Royal Berkshire Hospital. "Machines will still accept cash in these locations," he said. The old machines were bagged up in April. Of the 96 machines, 82 will be used for on-street parking, with the remainder being installed in off-street car parks. The council's review of its on-street parking service found that 55% of transactions were made using the RingGo app. RingGo's call service allows people to pay for parking without needing a smartphone. The installation of the machines clears the way for emissions-based parking charges to be introduced, which were discussed by the council's traffic management sub-committee on Wednesday. You can follow BBC Berkshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram. Parking machines covered amid move to cashless Reading Borough Council
BBC News
12-06-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
Reading: New parking machines being installed at 96 locations
New parking payment machines are being installed in Reading after the old ones were taken out of service in April. The borough council has begun the process of replacing the old pay and display machines - which allowed drivers to pay over the phone or using the RingGo app - with 96 new will allow contactless payments by bank cards, mobile payments via apps, and about 20 of them will take cash councillor for transport John Ennis said the new machines would offer "a much more convenient service" for motorists. He said he recognised cash payment remained popular in some places, which the council said included the area around the Royal Berkshire Hospital."Machines will still accept cash in these locations," he said. The old machines were bagged up in the 96 machines, 82 will be used for on-street parking, with the remainder being installed in off-street car council's review of its on-street parking service found that 55% of transactions were made using the RingGo call service allows people to pay for parking without needing a installation of the machines clears the way for emissions-based parking charges to be introduced, which were discussed by the council's traffic management sub-committee on Wednesday. You can follow BBC Berkshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
BBC News
30-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Reading bus prices to rise after government funding ends
Bus tickets prices in Reading are set to rise as government funding comes to an borough council said five million All-Bus tickets had been sold since the scheme was introduced in March 2023 as part of its £26m Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP). John Ennis, lead councillor for climate strategy and transport, said the council's scheme had brought bus usage close to pre-Covid levels, and that the authority remained "committed" to making public transport more he said the government funding "was never going to last forever" and the council could not subsidise bus travel. The All-Bus tickets allow passengers all-day travel on services run by several different operators in the Reading Monday, the ticket will cost £4.90 on an app and £5.40 if purchased on the bus. Currently, it costs £3.40 on the app and £3.50 on the Young Persons All-Bus ticket - currently £2.60 if bought on the app - will cost £4.20, and the Group All-Bus ticket will cost £10.80 during the peak period and £8.80 off-peak. Service improvements The council has introduced a number of improvements to its bus services, including the introduction of tap-on-tap-off payment and adding new services, such as those to and from Reading Green Park railway station."The council's BSIP has so far been successful in helping to bring passenger numbers close to the level they were before the Covid pandemic," said Mr Ennis."Reading already had an excellent bus service and the BSIP funding has allowed us to introduce a wide range of improvements to make bus journeys even more reliable, convenient, easier, faster and cheaper."Encouraging more people to travel by bus takes cars off roads, reduces congestion, improves air quality and benefits the health of Reading residents." You can follow BBC Berkshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
