Reading Green Party Resident Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

There are some standard issues residents contact Green councillors on. Below are some standard responses.

 

If you notice any problems, questions and answers to add, or links that don’t work let me (Rob) know.

 

If you can’t find the answer you are looking for below on some issues it will make sense for you to talk to neighbours, advice organisations and the council about a problem next – individual missed bin collection for example – and then if you are struggling to get anywhere then raise it with us. This means we can work for residents most effectively and concentrate on helping people who are unable to help themselves. Also, quite often you will get a quicker response by going directly to the council.

 

Last updated: 15/08/2022

Contents

General 3

Q. Practically what does a councillor do?. 3

Q. How do I contact the council, my Green Party councillors and report issues?. 3

Q. How do I contact the police?. 4

Q. Where can I get independent advice or free/affordable legal advice in Reading?. 4

Q. Where do I find details of council meetings?. 4

Q. How do I ask a question at a council meeting?. 4

Q. How do I conduct a petition?. 5

Q. How do I find out about council consultations?. 5

Q. There are items blocking the river who should I contact?. 5

Q. How can I contact Thames Water by email?. 5

Q. How do I get something stamped by Reading Council?. 6

Housing and Planning. 6

Q. Where can I find out more about a planning application in my area?. 6

Q. Does the House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) on my road need planning permission or a licence?  6

Q. I am concerned about a planning application and want to object, what advice would you give me?  7

Q. I live in a conservation area what does this mean?. 7

Q. Does a planning site notice have to be displayed?. 8

Q. I am concerned about dangerous or antisocial activity on a building site what should I do?  8

Q. How do I get a council house?. 9

Neighbourhood. 9

Q. I am concerned about a vulnerable person. What can I do?. 9

Q. I have noisy neighbours: what can I do?. 9

Q. What can I do about weeds and hedges blocking the pavement?. 9

Q. The streetlight outside my house is broken; what can I do?. 10

Q. What can I do about graffiti?. 10

Q. What can I do about a very bright streetlight outside my house?. 10

Q. I have noticed an increase in the drug dealing in the area what can I do?. 10

Q. Why does the council severely pollard some street trees?. 11

Q. The travelling community has set up camp in my local park what is the council doing?. 11

Q. How do I organise a street party for my road?. 12

Q. What is the Green Party doing to get more trees planted?. 12

Q. What can be done to tackle rats problems in the area?. 12

Q. What have Greens done to stop fairgrounds giving away goldfish as prizes?. 13

Transport 13

Q. Are electric scooters legal in Reading?. 13

Q. How do I get an electric charging point for an electric vehicle?. 13

Q. What can I do about speeding in my road?. 14

Q. What can I do about problem parking?. 14

Q. There are so many cars in our road that we are struggling to park; what can we do?. 15

Q. What can be done about someone parking blocking the dropped kerb in front of my drive and blocking me in?. 15

Q. Why isn't the council fixing the potholes in my road?. 16

Q. What can I do if a car looks like it has been abandoned outside my house?. 16

Q. Why don't we just create more car parking spaces?. 16

Q. How does Residents Parking work in Reading?. 17

Q. We are a 3 car household living in a free parking zone & are about to have permit parking introduced. Are there any transitionary measures?. 18

Q. How can I get the council to drop my kerb?. 19

Q. What can I do about cars idling their engines?. 19

Q. Where can I park with a blue badge?. 19

Q. Is there a map of road works and other traffic disruptions in the area?. 19

Waste. 20

Q. When is my bin collected?. 20

Q. I'm generating more waste than will fit in my bin; what can I do?. 20

Q. I'm fed up with litter and fly tipping in my area; what can I do?. 20

Q. What can I do about nuisance bonfires?. 20

 

General

Q. Practically what does a councillor do?

Have you ever had a problem on your road or in your community? Green Party councillors work with residents and other organisations to improve the local area; building community, getting the council to take action to fix potholes causing trip hazards, or helping someone with a cowboy landlord to sort out a housing issue - these are all things we can help with.

 

Green councillors stand up for residents at Council meetings. We successfully lobbied the council to get it to pay a living wage to tackle poverty. We also campaigned for and got solar panels on council buildings to cut our carbon emissions. We got 20 mph speed limits in East Reading to improve road safety and promote walking and cycling.

 

Upcoming committee meetings can be found here. Agendas are published 5 clear working days ahead of the meeting.

 

Get in contact if you have a question or concern.

 

You can also sign up for emails relevant to your road here – parking change consultations, large planning applications, serious crime: http://www.bit.ly/streetemails

 

We also produce a monthly email newsletter with Reading-wide news and you can sign up here: https://bit.ly/rdgenews

 

We are always happy to work with people to make the area fairer, healthier and more affordable.

Q. How do I contact the council, my Green Party councillors and report issues?

You can contact the council with a complaint or comment using this page. We always recommend contacting the council first yourself https://www.reading.gov.uk/contact-us/

 

For out of hours emergencies call and hold: 0118 9373737

 

You can also report general environmental issues like fly tipping, potholes and graffiti using the Love Clean Streets smart phone app https://lovecleanstreets.info

 

You can report noise using The Noise App https://www.thenoiseapp.com

 

You can report antisocial behaviour using Reportable https://www.reportableapp.com

 

If you don't get anywhere contacting the council directly or you want to raise something with a Green Party councillor you can find contact information here.

Q. How do I contact the police?

If it is an emergency dial 999. If it is not an emergency you can call the police on 101.

 

You can find details of your local police team here https://www.reading.gov.uk/crime-and-safety/community-safety/

 

You can contact the police about a breach of Covid measures here  https://www.thamesvalley.police.uk/tua/tell-us-about/c19/v7/tell-us-about-a-possible-breach-of-coronavirus-covid-19-measures/

 

You can report issues online here https://www.thamesvalley.police.uk/ro/report/

Q. Where can I get independent advice or free/affordable legal advice in Reading?

Reading Advice Network is an umbrella organisation for advice organisations in Reading: http://www.readingadvicenetwork.org.uk/advice/

 

Citizens Advice have a page on getting free/affordable legal advice: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/law-and-courts/legal-system/finding-free-or-affordable-legal-help/

 

In east Reading, there is Communicare: https://rva.org.uk/organisation/communicare/

 

In the town centre, there is the Citizens Advice Bureau: https://rcab.org.uk/

 

In south Reading, there is the Welfare Rights Unit: https://readingspecialist.co.uk/

 

The national housing charity Shelter provides excellent housing advice https://england.shelter.org.uk/

Q. Where do I find details of council meetings?

This link will take you to a calendar of upcoming council meetings https://democracy.reading.gov.uk/mgCalendarMonthView.aspx?GL=1&bcr=1

Q. How do I ask a question at a council meeting?

Any member of the public can hold the council to account by asking a question at a council meeting. Most council meetings have the facility for someone to do this. You need to submit your question in writing four full working days in advance of the meeting. Questions are asked on a first-come first-served basis and at some meetings there is only limited time so getting your question in as early as possible makes it more likely that you will get to ask it. If time runs out you will still get a written answer.

 

You may be able to ask an emergency question if something happens after the question deadline. You can ask an emergency question before 12 noon on the day before the meeting.

 

Details of upcoming council meetings here. Each meeting has a link to contact committee services to ask a question.

 

After submitting your question you should be contacted by committee services giving you details about attending the meeting and asking the question. If you turn up 10 minutes early and introduce yourself you will be given a copy of your question (for you to read out) and the written answer from the relevant councillor (which they will read out). You get to ask a follow-up question to clarify anything in the answer.

 

Agendas for meetings are available 5 clear working days ahead of the meeting.

 

Contact us if you want advice or support with your question.

Q. How do I conduct a petition?

Anyone can do a petition to try and influence the council. It is best to hand a petition in a few weeks ahead of the meeting, to give the council an opportunity to prepare a response (the deadline is always 6 PM four clear working days before the meeting). You can always hand one sheet in a few weeks ahead of the meeting and the rest of the sheets at the meeting.

 

This link will take you to a list of upcoming council meetings. Each meeting has a link to contact committee services to arrange handing in a petition.

 

You get 5 minutes to speak on the petition at the meeting.

 

Contact us if you want advice support with your petition.

Q. How do I find out about council consultations?

Details of council consultations can be found here: https://consult.reading.gov.uk/

Q. There are items blocking the river who should I contact?

The council is not responsible for this. A good place to start is the Kennet and Avon Canal’s Trust if it is a stretch of the Kennet that narrowboats use: admin@katrust.org.uk

 

Otherwise the Canal and River Trust may be able to help: https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/contact-us/ways-to-contact-us

 

Or sometimes the Environment Agency can also be responsible for a section of river https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/environment-agency#org-contacts

 

Let us know if you are struggling to get something cleared.

Q. How can I contact Thames Water by email?

You can contact Thames Water by email using this email address: CUSTOMER.FEEDBACK@THAMESWATER.CO.UK

Q. How do I get something stamped by Reading Council?

The council has a stamp. Contact a Green councillor to work out the best way to get something stamped and returned. In the past we have got the resident to drop it off at the security desk and let councillor services know so they can pick it up from there and stamp it – takes a few days. Then the resident can liaise with councillor services about picking it up.

Housing and Planning

Q. Where can I find out more about a planning application in my area?

You can look up details of planning applications on Reading Borough Council planning portal http://planning.reading.gov.uk/fastweb_PL/welcome.asp

 

If you have a query you can contact the duty planning officer on 0118 937 4026.

Q. Does the House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) on my road need planning permission or a licence?

Yes if there are more than 6 (unrelated) people living in the house it will need planning permission.

 

You can sometimes find out the number of bedrooms via sites like RightMove.

 

Smaller HMOs (3 to 6 people) only need planning permission in an 'Article 4' area - which we have in parts of Park, Redlands and Katesgrove. This applies to new HMOs after this policy came in on 16th May 2013. You can see the area covered here: https://images.reading.gov.uk/2019/12/HMO_Article_4_map_for_residents.pdf

 

The key planning rule which in our experience gets planners to refuse an HMO in the Article 4 area is the number of other HMOs in the area. Planners look at all of the houses within 50m of the front door of the house which is applying to become an HMO, and if granting planning permission would take the number of HMOs (including the one applying) in that area over 25% then the application would be refused. Residential conversions supplementary planning document (which has the detail of the policy) can be found here: https://images.reading.gov.uk/2019/12/Residential-Conversions-Supplementary-Planning-DocumentNov13.pdf

 

If an HMO has existed for a number of years it may be exempt from enforcement action.

 

You can look up a property to see if it already has planning permission here.

 

If there are more than 5 unrelated people living in a property it will need a license. More information on the council's HMO web page including the register of licensed HMOs: http://www.reading.gov.uk/hmo

Q. I am concerned about a planning application and want to object, what advice would you give me?

If you are concerned about a planning application we would suggest that neighbours each write a separate letter of objection. Primarily consider planning specific concerns when you can (these are called material considerations) https://www.planningportal.co.uk/faqs/faq/4/what_are_material_considerations

 

But don’t worry too much about this. It is the officer’s role to translate a resident’s concerns into planning language where appropriate. As well as objecting to the council, send your objection to any councillors you think might be interested. Reading Council planning policies can be found here https://www.reading.gov.uk/planning/planning-policy/

 

You can always call the Case Officer direct and just talk the application through. This might help you be clear on where the officer is and on your own objections. You can view the plans online (where you can also object) and contact details for the Case Officer can be found here.

 

If the planning application is in a conservation area the Conservation Area Advisory Committee (CAAC) may be of help http://www.readingcivicsociety.org.uk/wordpress/?page_id=186

 

Where a planning application would ordinarily be dealt with by an officer – if it is a significant application – you can ask a councillor to ask for it to go to the Planning Applications Committee. This means it will receive more scrutiny from councillors. If a planning application is going to the Planning Applications Committee:

 

– ask which committee it is most likely to go to and see who is free and who wants to speak. It will be 5 minutes shared by all objectors. Spoken representations work best when they are a combination of emotion, and appeal to actual planning policy and law.

– once the officer’s report and recommendations have been published ahead of the meeting email your objection again but this time to each councillor on the Planning Applications Committee. You could follow this up with some phone calls ahead of the meeting.

 

Finally, Planning Aid offers free resources and advice which might be of help https://planningaid.zendesk.com/hc/en-us

Q. I live in a conservation area what does this mean?

Advice from historic England here https://historicengland.org.uk/advice/your-home/owning-historic-property/conservation-area/

 

Unfortunately successive governments have rolled back protections for conservation areas. Anything which is permitted development normally is also permitted development in a conservation area unless it says otherwise in the General Permitted Development Order (GPDO). Dormer loft conversions are an example of an exception. Technical information here https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2015/596/contents/made

 

Anything which is not permitted development needs planning permission and conservation area status is a material consideration in the determination of any planning application.

 

This government common projects page contains more information on the specific projects and more https://www.planningportal.co.uk/info/200130/common_projects

 

Common projects rules of thumb:

 

– If railings (or walls or fences) are over 1 m (adjacent to a vehicle highway) then you would need planning permission to put them in. You would not normally need planning permission to remove them but you do in a conservation area.

– You do not need planning permission to reroof your house.

– You do need planning permission to concrete over your front garden but you don’t if you use a material which drains.

Q. Does a planning site notice have to be displayed?

We have raised this before. The short answer is no. More information here: https://democracy.reading.gov.uk/Data/Planning%20Applications%20Committee/20180627/Agenda/180627question.pdf

Q. I am concerned about dangerous or antisocial activity on a building site what should I do?

1) On the Health and Safety Executive website it says:

 

Reporting a health and safety issue

 

If you see something in a workplace [which includes building sites] that you think is breaking health and safety law and is likely to cause serious harm, you can report it. The quickest way to report a problem is to use our online form[1] and when you submit it you will get an acknowledgement . If you can't use the form, you can phone us on 0300 003 1647 and we will fill in the form with you. Our lines are open Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 5pm (on Wednesdays we are open from 10am to 5pm).

 

 2) Also you could call RBC’s Building Control out of hours number below with respect to dangerous structures:

 

Dangerous structures - You should contact us on 0118 937 2449 (out of hours number 0118 937 3737) immediately and we will inspect the structure.

 

3) If you're worried about the impact of a building site on your road or neighbourhood (noise, site traffic, bonfires) you can:

 

- Check if they are signed up to the Considerate Constructor scheme https://www.ccscheme.org.uk/affected-by-work/affected-by-works - which can help you deal with complaints at the site.

 

- Check the Planning Permission granted by the Council as there will usually be a Construction (or demolition) Method Statement that sets out how work can be carried out - where large vehicles can drive and park, how plant and machinery are delivered etc.

 

- Approved planning applications will also usually have a standard set of hours in which the building site can do noisy work - check these and you are able to report work outside of these hours to the Council  https://www.reading.gov.uk/planning/planning-enforcement

Q. How do I get a council house?

You need to fill out an application form. Unfortunately demand for council houses far outstrips the supply https://www.reading.gov.uk/housing/find-a-home/homechoice/

 

Greens have been working to get more council houses.

 

If there are problems with your current house such as damp and mould the council’s environmental health team may be able to get your landlord to take action. Contact the council for more information on this.

Neighbourhood

Q. I am concerned about a vulnerable person. What can I do?

You can raise this with the Reading Borough Council safeguarding team: https://servicesguide.reading.gov.uk/kb5/reading/directory/advice.page?id=F33jzNqKpek

Q. I have noisy neighbours: what can I do?

You could try raising it with them sensitively. Next contact the Environmental Health Team at the council. There is some information from them here https://www.reading.gov.uk/crime-and-safety/antisocial-behaviour/or you can use the "Noise App" for measuring the volume of noise using a smartphone.

 

If you believe the noise is coming from students contact the University community team by phone or email https://www.reading.ac.uk/about/working-with-the-community

 

If the issue is out of hours the University security phone number can be found here. The security team are able to contact the street wardens if the problem is off campus https://www.reading.ac.uk/fmd/campus-services/fmd-cs-security-services.aspx

 

If gatherings are in breach of the law (with the COVID-19 restrictions) you could report it to Thames Valley Police here.

 

Download the Reportable app for reporting anti-social behaviour to the council here

Q. What can I do about weeds and hedges blocking the pavement?

The council is responsible for the public highway, so the council is responsible for weeds and hedges blocking it. The council tackles weeds twice a year and will contact householders whose hedges are encroaching on the pavement to get them to cut them back. We would suggest raising this with your neighbour informally first if possible and then contacting the council directly on this with specifics such as house numbers.

Q. The streetlight outside my house is broken; what can I do?

Every streetlight has a number on it. Contact the council with this number and telling them what the problem with the streetlight is:

 

– no light.

– blinking.

– on in the daytime.

 

It usually takes the council contractor about a month to fix them.

Q. What can I do about graffiti?

The council will clean it off or paint over it for free if it is on a house visible from the road and less than one metre square. Sometimes extra funding is available for larger or historic graffiti.

 

Racist or offensive graffiti will be removed free of charge by the council.

 

Graffiti on utility company property is passed on to the utility companies to deal with.

 

Contact the council to report graffiti. If you have any problems getting graffiti cleaned let us know.

Q. What can I do about a very bright streetlight outside my house?

Contact the council. They can turn the brightness down and they can also fit a shield to reduce light in a particular direction. If you have any problems that the council cannot resolve let us know.

Q. I have noticed an increase in the drug dealing in the area what can I do?

Tackling drug use and dealing is complex. What we really need is progressive reform of the law in this area and other social policy areas nationally.

 

Locally, unfortunately the Labour-run council has cut the drug and alcohol treatment service in Reading in recent years. The Drug and Alcohol Service website is here https://www.changegrowlive.org/drug-alcohol-service-reading/info

 

Details on reporting issues to the police here.

 

You could set up or join a neighbourhood watch for your area https://www.ourwatch.org.uk/

 

As well as arguing for more money for treatment services we have also been making the area less attractive for drug use and dealing through getting BT to remove doors and shelves from phone boxes. Let us know about any changes you think would help.

Q. Why does the council severely pollard some street trees?

The council arborists pollard council trees. This is standard maintenance, and is a very common way of managing older street trees. Pollarding is a pruning system that involves the removal of the upper branches of a tree to promote the growth of a dense head of foliage and branches. This tends to make trees live longer by maintaining them in a partially juvenile state and by reducing the weight and windage of the top part of the tree. Once a tree has been pollarded, it has to be managed that way in perpetuity, because the head has many more branches than a maiden (unpruned) tree, and the multiple unions are too weak to carry the branches as they get thicker and heavier. For this reason, modern plantings use varieties of tree more suitable to the location, so that pollarding need not be initiated. We don’t pollard any of our new plantings, but we have to maintain the old Victorian street trees in this way because of historic management.

 

Not all trees can be pollarded in the growing seasons, so we normally do this in the winter. However, limes respond well to being pruned now, and the arborists have taken the opportunity to do this essential and inevitable maintenance while the streets are so much less busy, particularly around the hospital, where the traffic management that we normally need to put in place can create problems. We regret the noise that chippers and chainsaws make, but we do not do this outside of normal working hours, and we move on as quickly as possible.

Q. The travelling community has set up camp in my local park what is the council doing?

Once the council knows that the travelling community have set up camp on council land and are staying indefinitely they will take legal action to move the travellers on. This is not a quick process and if there is a backlog at the courts this can take a couple of months or more.

 

The police have a different power to move travellers on if there are serious problems.

 

Private landowners can use a different process to the council which is why the council is slower than other private landowners to move the travelling community on.

 

The council can get port-a-loos for the park if needed. The council will also try to provide bins or bin bags.

 

In the past we have got the council to secure parks, but this can be expensive and nothing is fully secure.

 

The thing that would really help the travelling community and residents is the council setting up a transit site and permanent site for travellers with proper facilities. A transit site allows the council to use more effective powers when travellers don’t use it. We will keep lobbying on this.

 

The council’s traveller team can be contacted at gypsyandtravellerteam@reading.gov.uk

 

Your Green councillors try to be respectful of everyone and we try not to generalise about any community.

Q. How do I organise a street party for my road?

Information on how to organise a street party for your road on the council website here https://www.reading.gov.uk/leisure/things-to-do/organising-an-event/street-parties/

 

 If you didn't manage to get an application in for a street party this year you can always do a simple party on the pavement.

 

* advertise a time that you and a friend can do

* say to people to bring a chair, mug of tea and a cake to share (if they want) to keep it simple and easy to organise

* advertise it as a 30 minutes or one hour event.

 

Worst case scenario it is you and a friend catching up for 30 minutes. If more people turn up you could talk about doing something else in future – maybe a street party with a road closure or a street tidy up – as well as catching up.

 

If you need a hand with any of this send me an email rob@readinggreenparty.org.uk

 

Q. What is the Green Party doing to get more trees planted?

The council has its tree strategy which we lobbied on and got the targets improved – they were aiming for 25% canopy cover by 2050 and we successfully lobbied for it to be improved to 25% by 2030.

 

We have been suggesting council land for tree planting across the town and have got a good number of trees planted. Let us know if you have any ideas for tree planting on council land in your area.

 

Friends of the Earth have got a campaigning guide here: https://campaigning.friendsoftheearth.uk/trees/campaign-guide-how-double-tree-cover-your-area

 

There is also the Reading tree wardens group: http://www.readingtreewardens.org.uk/

 

We have been using the planning system to both protect trees – Labour-run Reading Council were looking to cut down approximately 700 trees as part of East Reading Mass rapid transit. And also to secure more tree planting as part of developments.

 

Q. What can be done to tackle rats problems in the area?

The council has a webpage about tackling problems here: https://bit.ly/rdgrats

Q. What have Greens done to stop fairgrounds giving away goldfish as prizes?

We have previously raised the issue with the Council and the information we have is that Licensing do not license fair grounds or circuses specifically but they would still fall under their remit for alcohol and late night refreshments. They would only look to put a condition on a license if an application was received and they have a pool of conditions to refer to when considering placing additional conditions on licenses. In that respect Licensing will add a further condition to prevent the sale and prizes of live animals and fish at these type of events.

 

The council do already have measures in place to stop this practice on council land. Conditions are in place as part of the contract for use of an RBC site which do not allow for the use of fish/animals to be used as prizes at fun fairs; “No attraction which will involve the presence of an animal will be permitted at the fair and no animals (including fish) will be used as prizes.” There is also the following condition regarding circuses; “No animals shall be included in any of the performances or on the circus site with the exception of domestic animals.” These conditions apply to the fun fairs that visit Reading annually.

 

If adhered to, these measures will prevent the practice taking place in Reading.

 

Transport

Q. Are electric scooters legal in Reading?

No. We asked the council about this recently and they confirmed that electric scooters are illegal on our roads and pavements apart from in specific trial areas – not Reading.

 

Where they have been a particular hazard, such as on busy pavements, we have raised this with the local police.

 

We think electric scooters could be a good part of our transport system, but they need to be used safely and appropriately.

Q. How do I get an electric charging point for an electric vehicle?

A. The council says to fill out the form linked to below and suggest an electric vehicle charging point close to your home to put this location on their radar and show demand. They have also been following up people on this list who currently have an electric car to pilot charging from a house across the pavement – with an anti-trip device for the cable (a licence will be needed for this for which the council wants payment though) or digging a small trench for the cable.

 

https://www.reading.gov.uk/vehicles-roads-and-transport/electric-car-charging/

 

Alternatively you can email the council directly and ask to take part in the trial of charging an electric car over the pavement highways@reading.gov.uk

 

The Zap Map app gives you a list of electric chargers is the area: https://www.zap-map.com

Q. What can I do about speeding in my road?

You should report this to the police.

 

Also let us know. The council have some speed monitoring equipment as well as electronic signs activated by people who are speeding.

 

Have a look at Crash Map. This website shows accidents where someone was injured. If there are a number of accidents in your area this will help build the case for action https://www.crashmap.co.uk/

Q. What can I do about problem parking?

 

If someone is blocking the pavement

 

We think that it is important to keep pavements clear so that people can walk down them safely and are not forced out into the road. However sometimes this can be a balance and sometimes two wheels on the pavement does not cause any problems.

 

In most of Reading it is the police who are responsible for enforcing against parking on the pavement. In our experience the rule of thumb they use is: the pavement is obstructed if a double buggy cannot get through. Details for contacting the police here.

 

In Tilehurst there is a trial going on where the council has taken the power to take action on the issue of parking on the pavement. This means traffic wardens can issue tickets for this offence in Tilehurst.

 

You can get hold of a leaflet on the issue to use as you see fit here https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6pooTstnZWxc1djUUpSZ1J0WDQ/view?resourcekey=0-5oPIb1YHDwFJuC15-nSOtg

 

Alternatively sometimes restrictions such as double yellow lines can be used on one side of a road, for example, to tackle this problem. Contact us to request parking restrictions for your road.

 

If someone is blocking the road (parking on double yellow lines ) or not following permit parking rules

 

You can report this to the council here https://self.reading.gov.uk/service/Report_an_illegally_parked_vehicle

 

There is a leaflet that the bin crews use on cars which block a bin collection vehicle. Let us know if there is a vehicle that you would like us to draw to the bin crews’ attention.

 

Q. There are so many cars in our road that we are struggling to park; what can we do?

There are more cars in the area than it was ever designed for. The Green Party has been promoting alternatives to the car, but without action from the government, to create more cycling infrastructure or to subsidise public transport for example, progress is slow.

 

Residents' parking/permit parking is one thing that might make a difference because it limits the number of cars per household to two. Although residents' parking isn't without its problems such as overzealous traffic wardens. More details on residents' parking on the council's website here https://www.reading.gov.uk/transport/parking/permits/

 

Residents' parking has been spreading out from the town centre. There are always problems around the edges of a residents' parking zone which unfortunately ends up becoming the overflow parking. This creates a constant pressure to expand zones. Transport planners now like to propose large areawide schemes rather than a piecemeal approach. They say that it is easier and cheaper to do it this way.

 

Residents' parking makes a small surplus following the introduction of the £30 charge for first permits which is invested in improving the scheme. Greens oppose this charge as we thought measures to protect people on low incomes were necessary.

 

The council usually wants to see support from over 50% of the residents in a road. If you support residents' parking for your road you could collect signatures to demonstrate this. Get in contact and we can provide more advice.

Q. What can be done about someone parking blocking the dropped kerb in front of my drive and blocking me in?

The police are responsible for taking action when someone has blocked a dropped kerb in front of your drive if you are blocked in. If you are blocked out, then they will not take any action.

 

You can get the council to paint an advisory white line (access protection marking) on the road by your dropped kerb. It should be noted that these are only advisory and so people parking on these cannot be ticketed. There is also a charge depending on how long the line is (about £7 per metre in 2021). More information here https://www.reading.gov.uk/vehicles-roads-and-transport/roads-and-streets/

 

Q. What can I do if I have incorrectly or unfairly been given a parking ticket?

If you feel this is the case I would suggest challenging the ticket - you cannot do this once you have paid it. It should be noted though that you may have to go through a number of stages of the appeal before you succeed. Also, sometimes tickets are in the end wrongly upheld. You should also be aware that after the informal appeal with the council you lose the opportunity to get a discount by paying early. More information here https://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/cars/parking-tickets

Q. Why isn't the council fixing the potholes in my road?

Does the council know about the pothole? If it has white markings around it then they do and it is on the list to be filled. If it doesn’t have white markings around it try reporting it using Love Clean Streets.

 

However, unfortunately the council won't fix potholes till they get to a certain depth. Details below:

 

Carriageway – depth 50mm and over area approximately 300mm by 300mm

 

Carriageway edge – depth 50mm and over area approximately 300mm into carriageway by 500 mm long

 

Footway – depth 20mm vertical face and over area approximately 300mm by 300mm

 

These measurements are of the hole at its deepest point.

 

It is still worth reporting potholes though so that the council can keep an eye on them and fill them when they get deep enough.

 

Ideally roads would be resurfaced rather than the council constantly patching them up. We will keep pushing for this to happen.

Q. What can I do if a car looks like it has been abandoned outside my house?

The council has a webpage on this which has a link to the abandoned vehicles form to register one if it is in your road https://www.reading.gov.uk/vehicles-roads-and-transport/roads-and-streets/report-a-road-or-street-problem/

 

There are some questions on how you might know if a vehicle is taxed or not to look up if a vehicle is taxed & has an MOT use this website: https://www.vehicleenquiry.service.gov.uk/ - if a car is reported as being in situ without moving for at least 2 weeks, RBC can send an officer to determine whether it is abandoned from one or more of the following criteria:

 

Damaged.

Untaxed.

Has rubbish in it.

Burnt out.

Lacking one or more of its number plates.

Doesn’t have a current keeper on the DVLA database.

 

In the case of foreign plated vehicles, they have to register with the DVLA within six months.

Q. Why don't we just create more car parking spaces?

The more facilities that are provided for cars, the more cars will use them, worsening existing congestion problems at bottlenecks. At the moment, the car is necessary for many journeys but the more people that we get walking, cycling and using public transport the better. Click here to see the Better Transport website for more information on why it is not a good idea to provide limitless facilities for more cars https://bettertransport.org.uk/roads-nowhere/induced-traffic

Q. How does Residents Parking work in Reading?

1. What does it cost?

The council now charges for first and second permits. A third is rarely issued. More information here https://www.reading.gov.uk/vehicles-roads-and-transport/parking-permits/

 

2. Are visitor parking permits included?

Yes, each household gets two free books (40 visitor permits in total) and can also buy five more books per year. There is also sometimes public parking on the road (called shared use) – normally limited to two hours per vehicle – between certain hours. (Often 8am to 8pm.).

 

3. What is a resident’s parking permit? Is it specific to a particular vehicle? A specific driver?

The permit is displayed on the windscreen and is specific to a registered vehicle that must itself be registered at the resident’s property. (Not to a specific driver.)

 

4. In a Residents Parking Scheme, is there a designated space for each vehicle in the road, or do we park wherever we can?

You park wherever you can. Schemes also cover nearby roads, so you can use your permit anywhere in that ‘zone’, as can all other permit holders.

 

5. Is two hour public parking actually policed or enforceable?

Yes. Enforcement officers cover roads in their daily schedule, which differs in time slot every day, so no one knows when they will visit an area.

 

6. Will this stop people blocking my drive?

It can help, but you can apply for advisory white lines to be painted across a driveway. RBC charges for these.

 

7. Do HMOs get parking permits?

HMOs (houses in multiple occupation) receive the same permits as any other household. (Flats may have planning conditions which prevent the issue of permits.)

 

8. Who can apply for a Permit?

Every household which is listed as being in a zone.

 

9. Will each Resident’s Permit have to be renewed, or will it last for years?

Each permit will have to be renewed every year, but this is done on-line with an allocated PIN number.

 

10. I am concerned that I won't be eligible for a permit. What other types of permit are available?

There are a number of other types of permit (a carer's permit for example). The council does also have the power to issue discretionary permits for people with a need but that don't meet the rules. Follow the link at question 1 above for more information on the permits available.

 

11. We live in a road which will get permit parking and we have 3 cars. Will we get a third permit?

Yes, if a scheme is imposed on you, you would normally get a third permit. But it would only be for that person while they lived at that house. We can support you with this if needed.

 

12. Why do the council paint a permit parking bay across a driveway?

This is standard practice across Reading. Permit parking normally lowers parking congestion and so means people aren't as likely to block driveways. You can get a white access protection marking painted on the road to emphasise that there is a driveway.

 

13. How can I change the permit parking in my road?

Contact your councillors about this. The process could be:

 

1.  Hold meeting on this so we can get a feel for what will work for the majority of residents and so people can ask questions

2.  Come up with a proposal- do a petition asking the council to consider the proposal

3.  Council adds it to programme- council does both informal (letter to every house) and formal (legal notices on lampposts) consultations

4.  Council considers objections

5.  Council implements proposal or not

 

This might take around one year, but could be longer.

 

14. I have care visits. How will my carers get parked?

Firstly it may be the case that your road or one that is nearby has shared use meaning that a visitor can park there for free for up to 2 hours between the shared use hours e.g. 8 AM and 8 PM.

 

Secondly, some care agencies provides permits for their staff.

 

Thirdly, if you have regular carers (the same people) you can apply for a carer permit which has a number of registrations written on it. If however the carers change quite a lot this won't be suitable. The next best option is you could apply for some discretionary visitors' permits, say that they are for care visits and ask for the charge to be waived.

Q. We are a 3 car household living in a free parking zone & are about to have permit parking introduced. Are there any transitionary measures?

When permit parking is introduced there is a transitional phase, existing "Households joining a new permit scheme will be allowed a discretionary 3rd permit for 1 year. The third permit charge of £240 would apply." This doesn't apply to people moving into the zone after it goes live.

 

That would make the cost of three permits at a house £30+£120+£240 = £390. The residents could decide to share this cost and pay £130 each.

 

There is no guarantee that the third permit would be allowed again after the first year, even if it's the same people at the same address. This would be looked at on a case by case basis.

 

*Please see here for the latest permit costs.

 

Q. How can I get the council to drop my kerb?

The council will drop the kerb in front of your house for a fee to create access to a driveway. You need to complete a vehicle crossing application form to get the council to investigate and provide a quote. It is linked to from this page:

 

https://www.reading.gov.uk/vehicles-roads-and-transport/roads-and-streets/dropped-kerbs-apms-and-disabled-boxes/

 

The policy is also linked to from the above page. It is important you read the policy and check that you tick the boxes before applying as the application fee is non-refundable.

 

Once you have paid the initial fee the council will come out check that you meet the policy and then provide a quote for dropping your kerb. This is usually expensive.

 

If you tick all the boxes apart from your garden not being long enough for another fee the council does a short front garden agreement for gardens of 4.1-4.79 m and above. The agreement is that you will not block the pavement. There is a cost for this (£500 in 2021).

 

If you are turning your front garden into a driveway, we ask that you do it in a sustainable way with natural drainage and that you think about creating habitat for wildlife. More information here https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=878

Q. What can I do about cars idling their engines?

We have raised this with the council numerous times. In theory the council can issue fines but in practice they are not doing this.

 

We have created this anti-engine idling poster and this anti-engine idling postcard.

 

We will keep up the pressure.

Q. Where can I park with a blue badge?

As well as disabled parking spaces you can park in pay and display bays. More information here: https://www.reading.gov.uk/vehicles-roads-and-transport/parking/blue-badges/blue-badge-parking-spaces/

Q. Is there a map of road works and other traffic disruptions in the area?

Yes see here https://one.network/

Waste

Q. When is my bin collected?

You can look up your bin collection days on this website: https://www.reading.gov.uk/bin-calendar/

Q. I'm generating more waste than will fit in my bin; what can I do?

The council will issue extra recycling and food waste bins as needed. If you need more general waste capacity they will need to do an assessment and it is only likely that you will get extra capacity if you have extra need – for example being a very large household. More information below. If you don't get anywhere with them please contact us https://www.reading.gov.uk/environment/waste-and-recycling/order-a-bin-or-bag/

Q. I'm fed up with litter and fly tipping in my area; what can I do?

Let us know if you have any information about who is fly tipping or dropping litter. You can download an app for your smart phone to report litter and fly tipping more easily.

 

Or email recyclingandenforcement@reading.gov.uk

 

Freegle is a great way to pass on useful items that you no longer need.

 

You might also be interested in organising a clean-up in your area as part of Reading RESCUE. If so get in contact.

 

The council runs the Reading Adopt Your Street (RAYS) scheme and will give you litter pickers, gloves and bags so you can help keep your road tidy. More information here https://www.reading.gov.uk/about-reading/improving-your-community/reading-adopt-your-street-rays/

 

If an extra litter bin would help let us know.

Q. What can I do about nuisance bonfires?

 

Smoke control areas only apply to household burning via a chimney. The purpose of this legislation was to control the smogs of the 1950s and 1960s which were caused by the widespread burning of coal for domestic heating and by industry. These smogs were blamed for the premature deaths of hundreds of people in the UK. The Acts gave local authorities powers to control emissions of dark smoke, grit, dust and fumes from industrial premises and furnaces and to declare "Smoke Control Areas" in which emissions of smoke from domestic properties are banned. Since then, smoke control areas have been introduced in many of our large towns and cities in the UK. There is a common misconception that this legislation or local bylaws restrict when someone can have a bonfire and that they can only be lit at certain times, this is not the case.

 

Garden or domestic bonfires are not illegal, but smoke from them can be very irritating and cause great stress to those who are exposed to it, especially if done regularly. The smoke could potentially contain gases and particles which can be prejudicial to health. It can also affect the environment, for example, by soiling washing hung out to dry. In order to control persistent problems with burning such as this the council can use powers under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to issue an abatement notice if it is found to be a statutory nuisance. Alternatively the council can use the Anti-social Behaviour Crime & Policing Act 2014 to issue a Community Protection Notice. Both of these actions can result in fines and/or prosecution.

 

In order to take action both of these options require the council to gather evidence before taking enforcement action. I would recommend that the resident contacts the Environmental Protection & Nuisance Team using the following email address: environmental.protection@reading.gov.uk with their contact details and information about the complaint so that we can open an investigation.

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