Author: Caversham GLOBE

New location for battery recycling

UPDATE: You should now take your batteries to the RE3 recycling centre (Smallmead Household Waste Recycling Centre, Island Road, Reading, RG2 0RP)

Caversham GLOBE has now added a fifth location – AW Cycles in Henley Road – where used batteries can be taken for recycling.  The Battery Collection scheme is having great success, with more than 40
kilos of household batteries deposited by local residents in the first two months since it was set up. We are grateful to both residents and the retailers for supporting the scheme.

The full list of outlets is now:

* AW Cycles, 110 Henley Rd, Caversham
* Caversham Cobbler and Key Smith, 12 Bridge Street (Caversham Bridge).
* V & I Hardware, Emmer Green (Cavendish Rd – top of Milestone Way)
* True Food Co-op, Grove Road, Emmer Green
* Caversham Library, Church Street, Caversham

 

Caversham GLOBE

Caversham GLOBE launches battery recycling scheme

Caversham GLOBE has arranged with three local retailers to operate a used battery collection scheme. This will encourage residents to recycle household batteries, classified as hazardous waste, as well as reduce risks to landfill sites. Caversham GLOBE has provided containers and posters for the three sites at:

* Caversham Cobbler and Key Smith, 12 Bridge Street (Caversham Bridge).
* V & I Hardware, Emmer Green (Cavendish Rd – top of Milestone Way)
* Woodcote Way Post Office & Stores, Caversham Heights.

A volunteer from GLOBE will periodically empty the containers and take the batteries to Council recycling facilities. Residents are urged to use these new facilities. New sites are being sought.

Caversham GLOBE

Public meeting 6th August – Guest speaker: Ben Stanesby, Head of Parks (RBC)

Caversham GLOBE has arranged a public meeting at Church House, 59 Church street, Caversham. on Thursday 6 August 2009 at 7.15pm when Ben Stanesby, Head of Parks, Reading Borough Council (RBC), will give information on developments in our local parks & open spaces and also talk about the Council’s trees policy. There will be an opportunity to ask questions and discuss local concerns.  This will be followed by the regular monthly GLOBE meeting.

Reading hedgehog survey

Melanie Orros, a student at the University of Reading is researching why hedgehogs are declining in the UK.

As part of this survey, people living in and around Reading are asked to report sightings of any hedgehogs that they see dead on the roads.

Please visit the website at www.reading.ac.uk/hedgehogs for more details of the scheme and for a map of the area from which reports are needed.

Caversham GLOBE

Caversham Globe AGM

At our AGM on 2nd July, a new Constitution was approved – this has now been added to the Downloads page.

Our latest Annual Report has now been been published and can be found on the Downloads page.

Elected Key Members for 2009 are: Dave Kenny (Treasurer), Jennifer Millest, Isobel Ballsdon, Judith Barratt,  Peter Trout, Jean Newbery, Richard Denney.

Development threats to rural areas around Caversham in 2009

Last year Caversham Globe sent a detailed response to Reading Borough Council’s Site Allocations – commenting on the many sites in and around Caversham within Reading borough which were put forward either for development or protection. A similar exercise is being carried out in South Oxfordshire: In the countryside immediately adjacent to Caversham, developers have put forward six sites for major building schemes – all Greenfield sites. In effect, large swathes of the rural area which surrounds Caversham to our north, east and west are under threat from major development proposals. One site is of particular concern being ancient woodland; the others are farmland, a paddock, part of Mapledurham Golf course and fields in the Lower Caversham flood plain. Details of all the proposed sites were available at our May meeting for commenting on. All of the proposals are speculative but It is essential that we make our views known at an early stage.

There are additional pressures on the rural areas to the north and east of Caversham from the Transport Innovation Fund (TIF) application being heavily promoted by Reading Borough Council. Apart from the controversy over a third Thames bridge and its impact on traffic in Caversham, the TIF proposals appear to include plans to build Park & Ride facilities adjacent to the A4074 Woodcote Road and the A4155 Henley Rd. This could mean large swathes of countryside being lost to massive carparks (with their attendant light pollution and urbanisation). No specific details have been revealed yet as it is all subject to negotiation with  the neighbouring authorities, but it is something we need to keep a very close watch on.

Caversham GLOBE

Caversham Globe 2008 Annual Report published

Trees planted last winter (Feb 2008) in Peppard Rd (2 oaks); Buckingham Drive (2 flowering cherries); Grove Rd /opposite St Barnabas Church (cherry & rowan); Kiln Rd/Caversham Park Rd triangle (hornbeam). Regularly watered these during the summer and carried out checks on earlier plantings to adjust/remove ties and trim back basal shoots where necessary.

Participated in the March 2008 RESCUE event – cleaned out the Vastern Ditch in Richfield Ave (a joint effort with the Bell Tower Community Association).

Wrote item to promote battery recycling (published in May 2008 Caversham Bridge).

Wrote items to promote tetrapak (drinks carton) recycling – with June & September mailings.

Kings Meadow flood works (in connection with Amersham Rd Children’s Centre).  Responded to this planning application, spoke at Planning Applications Committee and attended site meetings with RBC staff. Also subsequent meeting to discuss and agree remedial tree planting work.

Site Allocations Development Plan Responded to RBC consultation in conjunction with Caversham & Emmer Green Residents Associations.

Caversham Lock Island/King’s Meadow Baths Development Proposals Consulted with Steve Ward (Head of Parks, Sports & Recreation, Reading Borough Council) and submitted paper with comments to Cabinet and Culture & Sport Scrutiny Panel.

Parks & Open Spaces Held regular meetings with Ben Stanesby (Parks Manager) and other Parks Department staff to discuss various environmental issues affecting Albert Road Rec, Balmore Walk, Caversham Court, Christchurch Meadows, Henley Road Allotments, Hill’s Meadow, King’s Meadow, Thames Promenade, and Westfield Road Recreation Ground.

Deans Farm Lakes (Caversham Lakes) Discussed issues concerning the two Deans Farm Lakes and mineral extraction with Oxfordshire County Council staff.

Planning Applications Commented on Planning Applications in Bridge Street, Southview Avenue, Queen’s Road, Caversham Road, Paddock Road.

Liaised with other local community organisations including Caversham & District Residents Association (CADRA), Emmer Green Residents’ Association (EGRA), Reading Urban Wildlife Group (RUWG) and Bell Tower Community Association (Richfield Ave ditch clearance).

Volunteered to care for new beech tree at The Cloisters (planted autumn 2008)

Continue to attend and participate in meetings of the Reading Globe Alliance (TREGA) and the Green City & Open Spaces Forum.

Globe members continued to tackle graffiti around the Caversham area on an ad hoc basis and to send regular reports on graffiti to local police/council staff. We have also repainted many of the badly faded or graffiti covered green telcom boxes with paint supplied by NTL/Virgin Media.

Globe members continued to keep an eye on environmental issues throughout our area and to raise relevant issues with council staff as necessary.