A Positive Future for Reading
Reading is frequently judged to be one of the top ten places in the UK where people want to live, work, raise a family and grow old, as well as being one of the country’s greenest urban areas.
Your Labour council is proud of these independent accolades – but is neither complacent about these achievements, nor unrealistic about the challenges which lie ahead.
We believe we are stronger as a united Reading, and we reject those who seek to divide us.
Your Labour council has been getting things done with new play parks, new homes, cleaner air and improved transport. We believe our town is stronger when we work together – unlike some who try to talk our town down or drive people apart.
Together, working with all our communities, Labour has protected Reading from Conservative austerity, made Reading a climate leader and balanced council budgets while protecting the services you rely on. Reading Labour has shown the country what can be done – with your support, we can do more.
Don’t risk the services you rely on like buses and 2 weekly bin collections, or the bright future our town has through investment in more homes and town centre regeneration.
Only a Labour council can deliver for the working people of Reading because we have a record of delivering for you including:
- Over 400 council homes since 2014 with over 400 more by 2028/29
- £40m in leisure facilities – the best Reading has ever had.
- An extra £8m into road resurfacing on top of £9m already committed
- £19m for a new central library, studio theatre and improved Hexagon accessibility
- Enabling the Minster Quarter regeneration including providing land and a £2m investment in our town centre
Working with the police and communities, Labour is tackling the scourge of illegal e-bikes, scooters and fly-tipping by investing in enforcement
- Illegal bikes and scooters are a menace that support anti-social behaviour (ASB) including drug dealing. That is why Labour has given more powers to the police to fine any illegal bike involved in ASB and frustrate the drug dealers.
- While Labour has invested in cleaning up our town, we know that littering and fly- tipping is unsightly and unsafe. That is, we brought in fines for littering and a new unit to tackle fly-tipping hotspots (899 fixed notice penalties issued as of January 2026).
- Years of Conservative austerity stripped our youth services to the bone leaving young people at risk of ASB. In contrast, Labour is investing in our young people ensuring that there is both targeted youth support and through our Family Hubs.
- More roads in our town have been resurfaced than ever and Labour will continue to improve road safety, including new 20mph zones, new pedestrian crossings, and speed-calming measures.
Labour has ensured Reading is a fun place to live and work with more leisure facilities for families than ever before
- Parks and play areas are crucial to the life of our town, that’s why we will continue to invest in our parks and play equipment, including enhancing accessibility for children with disabilities.
- Arts, culture and our heritage should be available for every resident, not just those who can afford it. That is why Labour has invested in the new Central Library and Hexagon Studio Theatre and why we will continue to promote the history and heritage of our town, including protecting Reading Gaol as a heritage site.
- We host some fantastic festivals, including Reading Festival, the Water festival and Reading Climate Festival. These not only bring enjoyment to our residents but boost local businesses as well. That’s why Labour will protect and grow these events and work with local businesses to encourage more visitors to come to our town.
- Our town centre has much to be proud of, including the new Station Hill development, bringing new homes, leisure activities and office space. But Labour has more ambitions for our town centre, including the redevelopment of the Oracle, bringing it up to date as an excellent shopping and leisure destination.
- Reading has a bus company and network to be proud of thanks to consistent investment by Labour to keep fares low, invest in new green buses and new bus lanes to speed up journeys across the town.
We want everyone to thrive in Reading, with homes people can afford and the right care and support at every stage of life, celebrating the town’s diversity and standing up against discrimination
- Under Labour we have built more council homes, provided more key-worker housing and ensured older residents have the dignity and security of affordable sheltered housing. But we want to go further by increasing the number of homes being built so families can stay living in Reading.
- Giving our children the best start in life creates a fairer more prosperous Reading. By investing in early years, better dental health and healthy food and activity for our youngsters, breakfast clubs in more of our schools and targeted support through the Reading Play team for children and young people who require alternative education, we can give young people the best opportunities to move on to the next stage of their education, apprenticeship or training.
- Older residents deserve security in their retirement and services that can meet their needs, which is why Labour has been leading on home first care, alongside delivering modern adult care services on three new sites in the town – Battle Street, Hexham Road, and Amethyst Lane.
- Everyone in Reading deserves the opportunity to live a healthy, happy life. We will work to ensure that the health of our residents is considered in every part of the council’s work, including through developing our Compass Recovery College and other support for mental health, and the ability to continue to develop through our continued commitment to our adult education college New Directions.
- Labour believes Reading’s diversity is its strength and we will always stand against the forces of division and hate that seek to pit residents against each other. We will continue to back grassroots community groups, work with diverse groups to ensure all residents are represented in council decisions and promote black history (including the naming of the Windrush Roundabout). We are proud to champion a diverse Reading, improving global majority educational and health outcomes, becoming a truly anti-racist place and ensuring every resident feels welcome in our town.
Reading doesn’t just have a past to be proud of, we have a bright future. Under Labour we can continue to be a climate leader, develop our transport network and secure council finances in difficult times.
- Unlike neighboring Lib Dem and Conservative councils, Reading continues to protect tax-payers money by investing in services you rely on while balancing budgets in difficult financial times.
- Reading Labour has taken action on potholes, while helping drivers and cyclists by resurfacing over 250 miles (404 km) of roads with more planned next year.
- Reading has a bus company and network to be proud of through consistent investment by Labour to keep fares low, invest in new green electric buses and new bus lanes to speed up journeys across the town.
- Labour has made Reading a climate leader not through warm words but action and investment to clean up our air, improving vehicle charging network and encouraging more people to cycle with better infrastructure.
