Latest news with #KarenRowland
BBC News
24-05-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
Reading's major roads resurfacing programme restarts
Fifteen sections of a Berkshire town's major roads will be resurfaced over the next six weeks, as part of an £8m local authority work will begin in Northumberland Avenue on Tuesday and conclude in Berkeley Avenue on 5 July, with 13 other road sections resurfaced in between, said Reading Borough authority said it would take the number of major road sections improved so far this year to 30, after 15 other stretches were resurfaced in a previous phase of the programme in March and road improvement scheme also covers smaller residential roads, 100 of which were surfaced between February and April. Road closures and a temporary "no waiting at any time traffic order" will be in place to prevent parking on the roads while the work is carried out, said the council. Residents and businesses directly affected will get advance notice, alerting them to the work, along with on-street closure notices and letters to residents, it said, adding that bus diversions will also be put in Borough Council said its commitment to improving highways had already produced results, including a 39% reduction in the number of pothole reports from the public and improvements to over 800 roads since Rowland, the council's lead for environmental services and community safety, said she hoped residents "are as pleased as we are to see the momentum continuing with our road improvements in Reading".She said: "We recognise that, at times, there are frustrations with road closures but we ask everyone to bear with us as we do our best to get these improvements made as quickly and efficiently as possible."The full schedule of the upcoming works can be found on the council's website. You can follow BBC Berkshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
BBC News
12-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Reading Borough Council promises crackdown on fly-tipping
Tougher enforcement on fly-tipping and littering is due to begin in a Berkshire town this month as part of a push to crack down on the Borough Council said it was seeking to boost penalties for fly-tipping and littering by using an external director of environmental and commercial services Chris Wheeler said fly-tipping was a key concern for residents, and the new strategy would result in "more actions against those found to be littering and fly-tipping".The new enforcement arrangement began this month but is subject to an acquisition process. If a full tendering process is required, the service would be implemented in the autumn, according to a report by Mr Wheeler. The new arrangement comes at no extra charge through the council."It's intended to address the key concerns of residents around litter and fly-tipping and other related environmental crime," said Mr Wheeler."This type of approach is new to Reading, and we wanted to be transparent about the benefits of the approach, the risks and the planned controls to manage some of those risks."In taking this approach, it will result in increased activity and more actions against those found to be littering and fly-tipping."Karen Rowland, lead councillor for environmental services said the arrangement was set on tackling the issue in a cost effective added the arrangement would allow the authority's recycling and environmental enforcement officers to focus on the government's planned Simpler Recycling plans were welcomed by councillors, including independent Sarah Hacker and Green's Sarah Magon. You can follow BBC Berkshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Diseased trees to be felled over safety concerns
Trees affected by ash dieback disease are set to be felled over concerns they could fall on to public footpaths. Reading Borough Council said more than 100 trees at Clayfield Copse nature reserve near Caversham were likely to be affected. It said the trees could "fall with very little warning" and said walkers should use the area with care and keep dogs on leads. The fungal disease can significantly weaken ash trees - branches become brittle and it will eventually kill the tree. Senior arboriculture officer at the council, Dan Johnson, said the trees would be inspected for bat roosts. "Where it's safe to do so, we will leave those trees standing as a dead stem," he said. He said native species such as oaks, hazel, birch and beech trees would be planted in place of the ash trees. The 20-acre Clayfield Copse was designated Reading's first Local Nature Reserve in 1991. Karen Rowland, lead councillor for environmental services, said the local authority would only remove trees and branches where people "could be at risk". She said all the removed trees would be replaced. "It is very sad to announce this unavoidable work. We will be working hard to ensure the vista of Clayfield Copse is as unchanged as possible," she added. Ash dieback is a fungus that originated in Asia and can affect ash trees of all ages. Between July and October it produces small white fruiting bodies which release spores that travel tens of miles in the wind, landing on leaves. The fungus penetrates the leaf, and then grows inside the tree, eventually blocking the tree's water supply, causing it to die. While it does not cause much damage on its native hosts of the Manchurian ash and the Chinese ash, its introduction to Europe about 30 years ago has had severe consequences. European ash species did not evolve with the fungus and therefore have no natural defence against it. Source: The Woodland Trust You can follow BBC Berkshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram. Ash dieback 'past its peak' in the South West County 'fighting losing battle' against ash dieback Reading Borough Council
