Business

Fears Woodley Town Centre Management Initiative could be 'divided and politicised' if outsiders are allowed

By Jon Nurse
January 28, 2013

Fears have been raised that the town centre management team could become divided and politicised if it is opened to those from outside Woodley.

Members of Woodley Town Centre Management Initiative (TCMI) will be confronted with their first vote after town Councillor Coling Lawley submitted a motion to change the group’s constitution.

The former town mayor wants the initiative to be open to all ‘local’ residents and traders, rather than just those from Woodley, a change of phrasing town and borough Councillor Keith Baker warns could spoil its successes.

Cllr Baker said: “What benefit to the operation of the TCMI can be gained by allowing residents of Earley, Hurst, Charvil, Sonning, Twyford, even Reading, to participate in our meetings? We have to be consistent and if we allow one person from outside Woodley on the basis of them being local you have to allow anyone to come and have their say.

“If we go along this route we will encourage non-Woodley residents to potentially turn the TCMI meetings into vehicles for other gripes and will almost certainly bring politics back into the proceedings, something I and others have spent five years striving to remove.”

The initiative was launched in 1995 to promote the town centre, in a partnership between Woodley Town Council, Wokingham Borough Council and the Woodley traders.

The change to the constitution was suggested by Cllr Lawley last year but was discarded by the initiative’s executive by three votes to one in October. Now he has lodged a formal motion to be raised at the group’s meeting next Wednesday. Cllr Lawley said: “In order to continue to provide residents and traders with a thriving shopping centre, recent events have highlighted we need to amend the current constitution.

“As a past trader in the centre, I realise that to be successful as a shopping centre it is essential we attract not only Woodley residents but also those living nearby.

“My amendment seeks to do this by increasing the involvement of all who have the wellbeing of the centre at heart. If they have a contribution to make to our success we would be foolish to turn them away.”

TCMI member John Baker, of Chapter One bookshop, said: “If someone lives outside Woodley but has the interests of the town at heart then we should consider allowing them to come to meetings.”

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Most recent user comments 17 of 17

Town Councilor Phi Challis neds to read the consitition of the Town Centre Management Initiative! The Management Committee does NOT make any decisions.

Decisions are made by 10 individuals with voting rights. Out of those 10 only 4 are politicians and 6 are traders or voluntary organisations. So the non politicians can always outvote the politicians.

So it is qute staggering ha thye Deputy Leader of Woodley Town Council can get it so dramatically wrong.

By the way the motion was defeated by 7 votes to 1.

Cllr Keith Baker
02/02/2013 at 15:48

~me here woodley

I agree with you and apologise that it has become such. However i would ask you to read this forum from the begining so you are clear as to how this came about and who is responsible.

On parking fees i agree absoloutely but that is the manner of the beast nowadays.

parlovero, Earley
29/01/2013 at 17:53

Ah Winstanley. An interesting little diatribe taking each thing i said and putting your own interpretation on it. An old, if cheap ploy.

GR is not a forum for conversations between friends it is an open forum for everyone to join in and put forward their own opinions.

You commenced this exchange of comments with a tirade of personal abus and when i replied in like manner you didn't like it.

If you consider this forum to be fun then you are indeed a sad case. I don't go to the moderators except in reply to that action by others. You start, I'll finish.

"It takes even less to be a moron with an amoeba like intelect." Well you should know.

Like i said earlier. If you can't stand the heat. Keep out of the kitchen.

parlovero, Earley
29/01/2013 at 17:50

It was interested to see that Cllr Lawley has suggested "recent events have highlighted the need to change the constitution" yet has never actually told anyone about it. He even did not give it to the journalist! I look forward to the meeting when he tells us all what this is.

To Cllr Challis, I actually do not have a problem about "interested parties" but the change does not say that. Nor is there any mechanism to make sure they are truly interested parties. In fact if Cllr Lawly had proposed an addition that interested parties could register their interest and the group could consider it then I could probably support it with suitable wording. This is a sledgehammer to crack a nut.

Cllr Keith Baker
29/01/2013 at 14:38

"...you don't have the guts to stand up and be counted" - meaning? Like hiding behind a pseudonym? If you so full of integrity let's have your real name.

"If it was abuse then it was in reply to an attack from you" - no, you chose to stick your nose into a conversation between myself and a friend on GB and make unfounded assumptions and accusations about the kind of person I was, without the faintest of information about me. If you hadn't, I would never have heard of you.

The trouble is, it's very easy to hide behind a moniker on the internet, it also makes it easy to bully, belittle, besmirch, and insult.

"...generally incapable of following a debate through and reaching an amicable outcome" - unfortunately, in my experience with you 'I Speak True', you fail to accept anyone else's point of view or opinion if it is does not adhere to your own narrow set of assumptions about the world. I have yet to find you accepting an alternative view on anything - and anyone that 'debates' with you gets abuse.

Which is why I thought I'd have my fun with you - see how easily you'd bite and how quickly you'd resort to insults and go crying to the moderators.

I can take it fella and I've dealt with nastier people than you. You just need to accept that if you're allowed to carry on however you see fit, then so are others.

It doesn't take much to be polite, considerate, and mature. It takes even less to be a moron with an amoeba-like intellect.

Winstanley, Bracknell
29/01/2013 at 14:21

I thought this was for comments not for bickering amongst children.

Woodley needs the car park charges reduced and perhaps even the first hour free - like it is in Caversham and Twyford. That would help the traders and the local residents.

We could also do with some other shops rather than charity shops and card shops!!

Me-Here, Woodley
29/01/2013 at 14:18

#reading east voter

Do you think the traders of Woodley Centre would agree with you.

parlovero, Earley
29/01/2013 at 13:31

@parlovero - ha ha ha!

You make some astonishing assumptions old boy.

I neither like football, nor am I a yobbo. I'm not even from Woodley.

But I am someone who has been victim to your own narrow minded abuse.

Which is a shame because judging by your other posts you're quite the gardening enthusiast, as am I. My Rhubarb is suffering this year so I'm unable to force it. Broad beans have come on nicely though, through the winter. Will it be another was out for spuds though? Every year I swear I'm done with them but can't resist the catalogues this time of year. Same with Tomatoes.

Bye for now old chum!

Chalfont Park Gigolos
29/01/2013 at 13:13

Woodley center only for local people

Reading eastVoter
29/01/2013 at 11:09

I disagree with Cllr Baker - how can listening to more people be more political.

I believe that the idea is only to let interested parties that use the town to attend the general meetings and provide their input to help Woodley continue to attract customers from all the local areas.

As now, all the decisions would be made by the Management Committee that would retain its current make up of Woodley residents and traders.

It is good to get the maximum level of input from others, but leave Woodley to take decisions that are right for Woodley.

Phil Challis, woodley
29/01/2013 at 10:20

@parlovero (or I Speak True as you would pretensiously have it):

You dish it out but can't take it. "Miss, he called me names"

You a man or a mouse? So lame.

Redhatch Mafia, Woodley
29/01/2013 at 10:09

Pity someone who likes to sound as if he is clever and can spell has such a mealy mouth. Still I suppose, even somewhere as nice as Woodley is has to have it's share of low lifes.

parlovero, Earley
28/01/2013 at 19:54

....And that'll be three 'L's' in intellectual.

So you are Squealer.

Redhatch Mafia, Woodley
28/01/2013 at 18:10

@parlovero - I'd be quite happy without your money as well. We want to raise the image of the town not drag it into the sewer.

Redhatch Mafia, Woodley
28/01/2013 at 13:17

Are you local?

Spiddly, Reading
28/01/2013 at 12:36

I am all for hearing other peoples ideas of what would keep them coming to the area but feel it is vital to keep the final decision with the people the secion s affect most; residents and traders of Woodley. Is there a compromise? Could non-Woodley people make written suggestions to be considered but not actually speak in meetings unless invited to do so after consideration of a written suggestion?

K Huffmum
28/01/2013 at 12:07

I live in Earley and regularly use the Woodley centre as there is an exceptional selection of shops available compared to Asda Or Sainsburys. Do you not want me to use your centre or are you happy with my money but not my presence.