Statements by the Leader of the Council, Executive Members and Deputy Executive Members
To receive any statements by the Leader of the Council, Executive Members and Deputy Executive Members.
In accordance with Procedure Rule 4.2.23 the total time allocated to this item shall not exceed 20 minutes, and no Member shall speak for more than 5 minutes
Minutes:
John Halsall – Leader of the Council
The senseless stabbings in the Forbury Gardens, Reading underline the fragility of life. One of the victims was a very popular Holt schoolteacher, James Furlong. It is difficult to find words to console in such dreadful circumstances. It is impossible to understand the motive for such actions. Thanks God for our emergency services.
James was a wonderfully talented and inspirational Head of History, Government and Politics at the Holt School in Wokingham. He was a very kind and gentle man. He had a real sense of duty and cared for every one of his students. He truly inspired everyone he taught with his passion for the subject and his dedication. He was determined that our students would develop awareness of global issues and, in doing so, would become active citizens and have a voice.
It is also very sad that James Box died suddenly last Monday evening. He represented Westcott Ward on Wokingham Town Council. My heart goes out to his wife and children.
I thank God that we have been spared the worst of the virus and it now seems to be at bay. Thanks also to you for helping your neighbours and heeding Government advice. Thanks to the Officers and volunteers who have been so dedicated, flexible and hard working. We are very lucky to live in such a great community. However, the coronavirus is still with us. It has the capability to kill whilst there is no vaccine. So, please resist the temptation to believe that it is over. Stay distant from one another and stay at home as much as possible.
The Borough Council is honing its outbreak plans which include prevention, effective tracking and tracing and outbreak management plans. We will be continuing with our measures to protect the vulnerable from coronavirus and, at the same time, progressing our recovery without creating the need for extra resources, conscious of the need to balance the Budget. Staff have shown their flexibility and willingness to work within this envelope. I ask all Members to be cognisant of this, not to create non-essential demand and to work through Executive Members. Using our resources wisely will save lives.
Your Council is dedicated to providing the best services and support we can give to our residents. Within the Borough, we are anti-racist, promote equality and celebrate diversity. We can and will do better on each. Stay alert and stay safe.
John Kaiser – Executive Member for Finance and Housing
Financially, councils across the UK have been badly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. In fact, some councils would be considered to be in the unenviable position of declaring bankruptcy, or very close to it. Fortunately, Wokingham Borough Council is not in that position, even as the lowest funded unitary authority. Years of careful management by Conservative administrations means that our reserves are better than most, being rated the 10th highest unitary authority in the country. That said, most of the councillors here would ... view the full minutes text for item 34
Statements by the Leader of the Council, Executive Members and Deputy Executive Members
To receive any statements by the Leader of the Council, Executive Members and Deputy Executive Members.
In accordance with Procedure Rule 4.2.23 the total time allocated to this item shall not exceed 20 minutes, and no Member shall speak for more than 5 minutes