Member of Parliament for Wokingham John Redwood talks this week about heavy traffic, budgets, and flood defences. He writes:

Congestion is on my agenda. I have been to the borough council to suggest ways in which their road junctions could be made safer and easier for traffic to flow, and have been pressing the government to include in the budget plans for larger schemes to boost capacity on our railways and roads.

With all the new housing in Wokingham, Arborfield and Shinfield there are too many pressures on our local transport networks. The council is busy adding new bypasses to the network to deal with the worst pinch points.

The government is enthusiastic about backing new schemes to improve our ability to get to work, to take children to school and to enjoy our leisure hours. This attitude needs transforming by plans and budgets that make a difference.

I have also been working on the run up to the UK budget, scheduled for March 11. It is important that the Wokingham constituency receives a fair share of the extra money earmarked for the NHS, for schools and the police in announcements already made prior to the budget.

I also wish to see tax cuts. The Conservative Manifesto promised a reduction in the tax on work, National Insurance, to help all employees. We also need more reductions in Stamp Duty rates to help promote more home ownership and to allow people to trade up to a larger home or to buy a smaller property later in life without incurring large penalties from the taxman.

Wokingham Town Centre continues to improve with more tenants occupying shops and more people travelling in to see for themselves the improved offerings from retailers, restaurants and bars now available.

So far we have avoided major flooding during a very wet winter. I met with the Environment Agency to review the need for better flood defences and improved water management. I joined in the councillor led action to highlight potholes and ask the council contractors to fill more of them in.

It has been a punishing winter with heavy traffic and plenty of rain eroding surfaces.