Councillors have agreed to move forward with a plan to make Reading a city.
The charter for city statue requires royal assent and submissions are being made to coincide with the Queen's Diamond Jubilee year in 2012, which will mark the 60th anniversary of her coronation.
Reading looks to be favorite among the competitors, which includes Medway in Kent, Croydon, Milton Keynes and Perth.
Leader of Reading Borough Council Cllr Jo Lovelock commented, "We want to put Reading on the map and becoming Berkshire's only city will certainly do that."
A range of events will be scheduled throughout the year if assent is granted and officials are hoping it will be 'third time lucky' after the town failed in two recent bids in 2000 and 2002.
Some controversy surrounded the decision which came at the full council meeting earlier this week, as opposition representative Cllr Dave Luckett tweeted, "Very bizarre and baffling that [the motion] wasn't unanimous."
Perhaps he should read the range of opinions expressed on Reading Forum.
But his colleague Cllr Richard Willis goes further and turns attack dog against the LibDems.
He makes a range of vicious comments calling the group 'unprincipled' for voting 'en bloc' against the motion, accuses them of not being grown up and perversely saying they resorted to sniping and cat-calling!
In addition he makes it clear that Conservatives support a 'land-grab' to redefine the boundaries of the borough to include in 'Greater Reading' the areas of Tilehurst, Woodley and Earley which are currently in West Berkshire and Wokingham boroughs.
Cllr Warren Swaine responds for the LibDems by publishing his speech in full. He says a change in title to "the City of Reading will make absolutely no difference to people in their ordinary life."
And Reading West PPC Cllr Daisy Benson copies out her speech too. She asks "Is bigger, necessarily better?"
The motion approved the creation of a steering committee to include representatives from political parties, business and community groups and members of the town's voluntary sector.
-
More on Reading's Civic Status
Wednesday, 27 January 2010
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
-
▼
2010
(94)
-
▼
January
(28)
- Newbury Takes Pole Position
- Caretaker In Royals Succession
- Salter Eats Some Vinegary Words
- Recommended Reading List #47
- Opening Doors To New And Empty Homes
- Reading's City Bid Approved
- Recommended Reading List #46
- Legacy Of Hope
- A Comedy Manifesto
- Local TV Celebrity To 'Conquer' US
- Recommended Reading List #45
- The Snow Summit
- Is Reading A City?
- Labour Crumbles In Face Of 'Call In'
- Countdown To The Budget
- Beneath The Surface
- Splash To Backlash
- Local LibDems Recognised For Online Activism
- Car Park Spats
- Recommended Reading List #44
- Pegasus Rising
- Winter Warmer?
- Making Minds Up In Reading West
- Cameron Indirectly
- Puncturing Myths Of Speed Camera Debate
- More Weather On The Agenda
- Recommended Reading List #43
- SADs, Dams And 'Lies' In Green-field Dispute
-
▼
January
(28)
- On The Eclectica Trail
- On The Election Trail
- Who Is Your Hardest Working Local Politician?
- The Expenses Scandal
- Berkshire Council Taxes
- Reading Budget 2010/11
- Reading Budget 2009/10
- Reading Civic Status
- Reading Festival
- Reading University in Transition
- Reading Buses
- Transport Matters
- Local Crime Issues
- Sport & Leisure Stories
- Children's Services in Reading
- Housing in Reading
- Local Media & Communications
- Weather Issues
- King's Meadow Campaign
- Bath Rd Reservoir
- Pincent's Hill & White Hart Meadow Campaigns
- Save Our Pubs!
- Heathrow Expansion
- AWE Aldermaston
- Berkshire Jobs
- BBC Berkshire
- ITV Local - Meridian
- Teletext Thames Valley
- BBC Radio Berkshire
- Heart Berkshire Radio
- Reading4u 87.9fm
- Reading 107fm
- Radio Bracknell Forest
- Asian Star 101.6fm
- Local Berkshire
- City Local - Reading
- Berkshire Life
- Reading Post
- Newbury.net
- NDS - South East
- Google News - Reading, Berkshire
- Topix News - Reading
- About My Area - Reading News
- Spark
- Reading Forum
Berkshire Campaign Links
- Action For Market Towns
- Amnesty Reading
- Berkshire Nature Conservation Forum
- Bring It Back
- Campaign Against Living Miserably
- Campaign Alliance For Lifelong Learning
- Campaign For The Reform Of Council Tax
- Econet Berkshire
- Greenham & Cookham Commons Commission
- Gurkha Justice
- Jubilee Debt Campaign
- Keep Trade Local
- Kennet Valley Ark
- Living With Fibromyalgia
- Loddon Valley Action Group
- National Playing Fields Association
- NO2ID
- RACE
- Re-Open The Jolly Anglers
- Reading Area Charities Together
- Reading CAMRA
- Reading Civic Society
- Reading Cycle Campaign
- Reading Friends of the Earth
- Reading Pride
- Reading Refugee Support Group
- Reading Single Homeless Project
- Reading Trade Justice Group
- Reading Voluntary Action Directory
- RISC
- Rising Tide
- Save Calcot Fields
- Save King's Meadow Baths
- Save Pincent's Hill
- Save Slough Town Hall
- Save The Bath Road Reservoir
- Save Windsor Fire Station
- SkyScreamers
- SOS Reading
- Stop Heathrow Expansion
- UK Missing Kids
- White Hart Meadow - Have Your Say
- Whiteknights Studio Trail
Reading List Politics
Political Information
- - Public Resources - -
- AboutMyVote - register to vote
- votewise.co.uk - compare the candidates
- TheyWorkForYou
- The Public Whip - MP voting records
- HearFromYourMP
- WriteToThem
- r8yourpolitician
- WhatDoTheyKnow - Freedom of Information requests
- iPetitions
- E-Petitions - No10 Downing St
- parliament.uk
- The Electoral Commission
- The Stationary Office
- The Hansard Society
- Political Studies Association
- Do Politics
- Get Elected
- The Straight Choice
- Democracy Club
- Be A Councillor
- I'm A Councillor
- Contact your councillor
- RBC Complaints Department
- Planning Portal
- Planning Alerts
- Report A Crime - Thames Valley Police
- Report Empty Homes
- FixMyStreet
- FillThatHole
- ClearThatTrail
- Scenic Or Not?
- The Best Of... Reading
- Touch Local - Reading
- info4local
- OnePlace - South East England
- UpMyStreet
- AboutYourArea
- GroupsNearYou
- ONS - Reading Statistics
- DirectGov
- NHS Direct
- NHS Choices
- Consumer Direct
- Connexions Direct
- jobcentre plus
- Tax Credits Helpline
- RecyclingNearYou
Help, Advice & Support
- Age Concern Berkshire
- Alcohol Help
- Berkshire Disability Information Network
- Berkshire Family Mediation
- Berkshire Lowland Search & Rescue
- Berkshire MS Therapy
- Berkshire NHS Drug & Alcohol Specialist Services
- Berkshire SAR Dogs
- Berkshire Women's Aid
- beYou
- Child Support Agency
- Childline
- Children's Information Centre
- Communicare
- Connexions Berkshire
- Daisy's Dream
- Divorce Aid
- Fatherhood Institute
- FRANK
- Gingerbread - single parents
- Heartbeats
- Help the Aged
- learndirect
- Life Story Theapeutic Centre - Psychological and Therapeutic Care
- links
- Living Reading
- National Debtline
- No5 - Youth Counselling & Info
- Parent Partnership Reading
- Princess Trust Carers Service (Berkshire)
- Readibus
- Reading & District Hospital Charity
- Reading Citizen's Advice Bureau
- Reading Community Welfare Rights Unit
- Reading Credit Union
- Reading Refugee Support Group
- Reading Samaritans
- Thames Valley Crimestoppers
- The Edge
- The Pension Service
- There4U - Berkshire
- Tilehurst Poor's
- Victim Support
- West Berkshire Buddies
"Reading List... is fantastic, it could help revolutinise politics in Reading"
Matt Blackall
"Prolific"
Matt Brady
"Irrelevant"
Adrian Windisch
"Bizarre"
Reading Geek Night
"A bloggers digest of the Berkshire blogosphere"
DMOZ
"An easily accessible collection of Berkshire's excellent blogs"
The Cookham Blogger
"An excellent digest of the thoughts of local bloggers"
Reading Guide
Matt Blackall
"Prolific"
Matt Brady
"Irrelevant"
Adrian Windisch
"Bizarre"
Reading Geek Night
"A bloggers digest of the Berkshire blogosphere"
DMOZ
"An easily accessible collection of Berkshire's excellent blogs"
The Cookham Blogger
"An excellent digest of the thoughts of local bloggers"
Reading Guide
thanks for this interesting post. I hope when Reading becomes a city, they will do something about the smoking at Reading station. What's the point of having the station non-smoking when everyone stands right next to the doors and puffs away so you have to go through a little group of them to get to the ticket barrier?
ReplyDelete