July Highlights

July has been another busy month both in Parliament and across our constituency, with important progress on local priorities and continued pressure on national issues that matter to our community.

Standing Up for SEND Support

Many families have contacted me about the challenges of securing the right help for children with special educational needs and disabilities. I’ve been meeting with parents, schools, West Berkshire Council, and local support networks to discuss how we can improve services, reduce long waits, and ease the stress so many are facing. Every child deserves timely support, and I’ll keep pushing for both local improvements and national policy changes to make that happen.

Protecting Our Chalk Streams and Environment

This month I hosted a virtual roundtable with Thames Water, the Environment Agency, and Action for the River Kennet (ARK) to tackle sewage pollution and protect our precious chalk streams. We’ll reconvene in October to ensure commitments turn into real action. There has also been some positive national news with Ofwat losing certain powers, but this is just a first step in the fight to clean up our waterways.

Fighting for A34 Safety

The A34 remains a major concern for residents. I’ve continued to work with cross-party MPs and National Highways to demand safety improvements. This is a long-running campaign, but I’m determined to see progress that could save lives.

Community Engagement

Recess means more time out and about in our constituency. In recent weeks, I have had the pleasure of going on many visits and events, these include:

• Visited Oaklands School to see their brilliant SEND work

• Met with Newbury’s Muslim community, the Rotary Club, and the Bridge Church

• Joined police patrols to see community safety work first-hand

• Celebrated the Castle School’s World of Work week

• Marked the 10-year anniversary of the Eastbury Flood Alleviation Scheme

• Visited Crookham Park

• Was shown around the new garden at Benedict Court

• Met with West Berkshire Council and Newbury BID to discuss events and town centre priorities

• Joined Newbury Waitrose for a casework surgery and to hear about the work they are doing

• Spoken with local farmers, including George Brown, about the pressures facing the sector, ahead of an autumn farm retail drop-in event

  
  

Health and the NHS

I’ve been in discussions with Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust about the future of the hospital rebuild and attended sessions on the NHS 10-year plan. I also visited Newbury Cancer Care, whose work shows the impact of properly supported local health services.

Speaking Up on National Issues

Many constituents have written to me about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. I share your concerns and continue to call for an end to arms sales to Israel, sanctions on its cabinet, and the release of hostages by Hamas. I’ve also been active in Parliament on issues including greyhound welfare, marine protections, pavement parking, the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, and more.

Here to Help

Alongside my parliamentary work, I’ve been supporting residents with casework on housing, the Ukrainian visa scheme, driving test delays, the broken eVisa system, and concerns about bin collections and pedestrianisation. These are the everyday issues that make a real difference in people’s lives, and I’ll keep working to resolve them.

While summer recess takes me away from Westminster, it gives me even more time to focus on the people, places, and priorities of Newbury and West Berkshire. If there’s anything I can help with, please get in touch at lee.dillon.mp@parliament.uk and I look forward to seeing many of you over the summer.