James Aldridge
James Aldridge is a local democracy reporter at the Reading Chronicle who follows how council decisions on transport, parking and town centre development shape daily life for drivers and residents. His work sits at the junction of motoring, planning and civic policy, bringing detail from council papers and meetings into clear stories about roads, car parks, fuel stations and public transport.
Parking fines, charges and road controls
Aldridge consistently reports on how parking enforcement and traffic controls impact motorists, using council data to show the scale of fines and proposed changes.
He has broken down the top 10 streets and car parks where drivers receive the most penalties in a given year, turning technical reports into accessible lists that highlight hotspots for enforcement. In related coverage, he has reported that nearly 60,000 parking fines were issued by the local council over a twelve‑month period, setting that figure in the context of driver behaviour and council priorities.
He also tracks the growth of camera‑based enforcement, reporting that yellow box junction fines have more than tripled in a year as new cameras catch more drivers.
Beyond enforcement numbers, he covers proposals to change how and where people can park, including stories on rising parking charges and longer minimum stays in council‑run car parks. His coverage of a road closure at Bennet Road, linked to delayed plans for tighter roadworks controls, shows a similar focus on how traffic management and council-led works affect those who use key routes. He has also reported on planned changes to a Marks and Spencer fuel station, explaining how the site could be redesigned and what that would mean for motorists using the forecourt.
His reporting on pedestrian safety, such as a long‑awaited new crossing after a collision involving a child, connects road layout decisions to the safety of families on the school run.
Licensing disputes and late‑night venues
Aldridge regularly covers licensing cases where council committees decide how businesses can operate, particularly when those decisions affect late‑night trade and street activity. He has followed a noodle bar’s bid to keep serving food until 4am, detailing the application and the implications for the town centre’s night‑time economy. In another case, he reported on a Caribbean restaurant and bar that stayed open following a licensing dispute over employing a worker without the right to work, setting out the council’s concerns and the outcome for the venue.
His coverage extends to convenience stores and cinemas caught up in enforcement action. One story details a shop owner being fined £28,000 after allowing an asylum seeker to run the store during an emergency, with Aldridge explaining how the council and other authorities responded. He has reported on an independent cinema that faced a decision on whether it could stay open after operating unlawfully for weeks, capturing both the regulatory breaches and the committee’s final ruling.
He also follows applications from cafés, bakeries and virtual reality experience venues seeking permission to sell alcohol, documenting how licensing panels balance business ambitions with neighbourhood concerns.
Housing schemes and town centre developments
Housing and regeneration projects form a significant strand of Aldridge’s reporting, especially where new developments intersect with parking and transport provision. He has covered plans for a major town centre scheme that would create around 600 new flats with almost no car parking, spelling out how the proposal fits into wider debates about car use, density and planning policy. In another piece, he reported on plans to transform offices into 229 apartments in the town centre, outlining what would change on the site and how the scheme would progress through the planning process.
His work also follows larger regeneration phases that promise hundreds of new homes, documenting milestone events and the stakeholders involved.
At a topping‑out ceremony for a 600‑home phase in the heart of the town, Aldridge was present alongside council leaders, developers and investment bodies, underscoring his role in tracking long‑term urban development. When civic buildings change use or new public spaces open, his reporting links those projects back to council decisions, budgets and their impact on residents’ access to services.
Public transport, accessibility and infrastructure
Aldridge reports closely on public transport and accessibility, often through the lens of council working groups and transport providers. He has covered what Reading Buses is doing to support disabled people, including the attendance of the bus company’s chief executive at an Access and Disabilities Working Group meeting, showing how policy discussions translate into service changes.
His stories on infrastructure closures, such as a footbridge between Earley and Woodley being shut for refurbishment until 2027, explain the diversions and disruption that rail customers and pedestrians can expect.
Across these pieces, he uses specific locations - stations, car parks, road junctions - to show how decisions made in committee rooms affect everyday journeys for drivers, passengers and pedestrians.
He also writes about measures to provide beds for rough sleepers in town centre sites, reflecting an interest in how the built environment and council facilities serve the most vulnerable residents. In his print work highlighted by the Reading Chronicle, he reports on local campaigns for safer crossings and other small but significant infrastructure changes, emphasising the practical outcomes of democratic engagement. Alongside his work for the Reading Chronicle, he covers neighbouring areas for sister titles, maintaining a focus on local democracy, transport and the way council powers touch streets, shops and vehicles across Reading, Bracknell and Wokingham.
4 more automobile journalists.
Adrian Leung
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Alan Dowds
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Alan Feldberg
Alan Feldberg is a fact-led automotive trade reporter who tracks how manufacturers, fleets, mobility providers and repair networks are reshaping the modern motor industry, with a particular focus on the UK car market and its supply chain. He writes concise, data-driven news for Bodyshop Magazine, having been part of its editorial team for years, including a period as Middle East editor. He covers the rise of Chinese vehicle makers, named models and market share, dealer and fleet technology, online retail platforms, leasing, remarketing and mobility networks. He also reports on repair groups, parts distributors, OEM approvals, fuel prices, employment and wider industry pressures. His pieces turn corporate announcements and market reports into clear signals for garages, bodyshops, fleets, dealers and mobility providers.
Alastair Crooks
Alastair Crooks is a senior news reporter at Auto Express who covers both new cars and the infrastructure that will support them, tying factory-scale developments to driveway-level reviews. He focuses on electric cars, mainstream launches and UK pricing, reporting on new and electrified models entering the market, their spec, positioning and what they change for buyers. His road tests of SUVs and saloons assess ride, range, interior space, value and running costs, with clear, sometimes blunt verdicts backed by specifics rather than general impressions. He writes news, reviews, features and occasional opinion columns on driving behaviour and in-car tech, drawing on his background as a car salesman, his degree in journalism and his enthusiast experience at car shows and track days. Some of his work also appears in magazine-style formats.