In this week's letter, Matt Rodda, the Labour MP for Reading Central, gives updates on Reading Gaol, the search for a new driving test centre for the town, and announces the beginning of an annual business competition. Mr Rodda writes:

It has been a busy few weeks in both Westminster and the constituency and I would like to update residents on some of my recent work.

Update on Reading Gaol

As many residents may be aware, I have been campaigning alongside arts and heritage groups for a number of years for the gaol to be saved and used as an arts and heritage hub. . 

After ten long years of this important building lying empty, the Ministry of Justice sold the site to their preferred bidder, the Ziran Education Foundation, in January 2024 and last week I met with the new owner of Reading Gaol and had a tour of the grade II listed Victorian prison.  

This was my second meeting with the new owner, Channing Bi, and although discussions about the future of the gaol are still at an early stage, I used this opportunity to ask the new owner a number of questions about his plans.  

He told me that he does not want to build flats on the site, which is an important step forward.  However, he does want to carry out some development to provide an income, and he has said that this could come from a hotel. I understand the need to generate some funds, however, I would like to see the historic parts of the gaol used for the Arts and the community. 

During our meeting I stressed the importance of the gaol and I have urged Mr Bi to work with Reading Borough Council and Historic England to provide arts and heritage use of the site.  

Mr Bi did confirm that he wants to support some arts provision at the gaol, which I welcome. 

Driving Test Shortages

For some years learners and driving instructors have been telling me how difficult it is to secure a practical driving test in Reading, and this is an issue that I have raised with both the previous and the new Government. I was pleased to be able to speak about this issue, and to ask when the replacement site for the Reading Driving Test centre will be secured, in a recent debate on Driving Test Availability.

I am pleased to say that the Government has confirmed that the DVSA is currently looking for a new site for a driving test centre in Reading and I am hoping to hear more about this soon, once commercial negotiations to secure a new site have been concluded.

To gain a better understanding of the scale of this issue, and to help me as I continue to raise this issue with the Government, I am asking constituents to share their experiences in a local consultation. If you or a family member are still struggling to secure a practical driving test, please contribute your views the following link: https://mattroddamp.com/drivingtests

Reading Central Small Business Saturday competition

Finally, I am pleased to announce that last week I launched my fourth annual small business competition, which allows residents to vote for their favourite small businesses within the Reading Central constituency.  

Small businesses form the backbone of the UK economy, creating jobs, enriching our communities, and providing vital services to local people. I am asking Reading Central residents to help me highlight the many wonderful small businesses that we have by voting for your favourite on the following link: https://mattroddamp.com/sbs2024 

Voting will run until Monday 2nd December and I will announce the winners on Small Business Saturday, which is on December 7th this year.