Thursday 13 January 2011

Maiden Erlegh Campaign - The Campaign Continues

Dear Neighbour

Happy New Year.

This year sees the Maiden Erlegh campaign enter a critical phase, with the final decision on the school’s catchment being made in April. Wokingham seems determined to push its proposals through despite strong opposition from residents in Reading and increasingly from residents in Wokingham.

There are many rumours as to whether the plans will be carried out or dropped and many neighbours have expressed their concerns about what the final result will be. All I can say is that having played a lot of team sports I was always taught that you need to play to the final whistle and keep playing until the end of the game. The situation is the same here, we need as a community to carry on campaigning until April when we will know whether we have won or lost.


Next Public Meeting

Wokingham are holding a new public meeting to hear the views of those effected by the new proposals.

This will be at Maiden Erlegh school on the 17th Jan. 5.30pm to 7.00pm. It will be held in the main hall and I hope will be better run than the last one. Please come if you can and let Wokingham hear your views.

Wokingham has put a new guide to the new proposals on their website for residents to read. These can be accessed here
. Please respond to Wokingham as soon as possible. The last day to respond is the 14th Feb.

Community Walk to Maiden Erlegh School on 17th January

Please show your support for keeping Maiden Erlegh a school for our children. Join our community walk to the public consultation at Maiden Erlegh. Find out more about Wokingham Borough Council's proposals and ask questions at the meeting which starts at 5:30pm

Details:
Meet at Earley fire station at 5:00pm on Wokingham Road to leave at 5:10pm. Please bring your children if possible. Invite your friends and neighbours.
Reading residents can join the walk at the Earley Fire Station and can meet up with those from the other side of the Three Tuns crossroads at Maiden Erlegh Drive at 5:15pm.


New Petition

We now have the opportunity to express their concerns about Wokingham's plans in a new petition. While the most important element is to write directly to Wokingham it would be useful if you could show your support in this way. The petition can be reached here.

Despite Reading Borough Council having welcomed Wokingham's proposals and decided not to take legal action in support of residents it is important that we continue to campaign until the end of the process. I will keep you up to date with developments as they happen and look forward to speaking to you as the issue develops


Best regards