Agenda, decisions and minutes

Executive - Thursday, 26th September, 2024 7.00 pm

Venue: David Hicks 1 - Civic Offices, Shute End, Wokingham RG40 1BN

Contact: Priya Patel  Head of Democratic and Electoral Services

Media

Items
No. Item

17.

Minutes of Previous Meeting pdf icon PDF 110 KB

To confirm the Minutes of the Meeting held on 18 July 2024.

 

Minutes:

The Minutes of the meeting of the Executive held on 18 July 2024 were confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

18.

Declaration of Interests

To receive any declarations of disclosable pecuniary interests, other registrable interests and any non-registrable interests relevant to any matters to be considered at the meeting.

Decision:

The following declarations of interest were made in relation to Minute 28: Shareholders Report 2023-24: Outturn.

 

·        Councillor Prue Bray as a non-Executive Director at WBC Holdings Ltd.

·        Councillor Stephen Conway a Non-Executive Director at WBC Holdings Ltd

·        Councillor David Hare as a Non-Executive Director of Optalis Ltd.

Minutes:

The following declarations of personal interest were made in relation to Minute 28: Shareholders Report 2023-24: Outturn.

 

·        Councillor Prue Bray as a non-Executive Director at WBC Holdings Ltd.

·        Councillor Stephen Conway as a Non-Executive Director at WBC Holdings Ltd

·        Councillor David Hare as a Non-Executive Director of Optalis Ltd.

 

 

19.

Statement from the Leader

Minutes:

“Last week, Council approved the new Local Plan for publication and consultation.  In my speech introducing the plan, I mentioned the key contribution played by many people in the organisation, but the bulk of my comments were necessarily devoted to the plan itself. The method of assessing sites, the new policies, and the reasons why the best interests of the borough were served by approving the plan.

 

I want to take this opportunity to thank more fully the council officers in the Planning department and other areas of the council, for their dedicated efforts over many years and several administrations. Our Planning professionals were obviously the key personnel: they undertook the painstaking technical assessments and evidence gathering for the sites selected and the policies proposed.  But we should not forget the part played by officers in other parts of the council, such as highways and school-place planning.  We are very fortunate in Wokingham to have such high-quality officers, they are our greatest asset, and I’m sure I speak for the whole Executive when I thank them all for their work.

 

I want also to thank my predecessors as Executive Members responsible for Planning and the Local Plan. Most recently, Lindsay Ferris undertook a thorough review of the sites in the draft plan he had inherited and once it was clear that Loddon Valley/Hall Farm was the best in technical terms, with fewer disadvantages and greater opportunities than the other major site options, he led the negotiations with the Loddon Valley/Hall Farm landowners to improve the quality of the proposal and secure a reduction in numbers while retaining the required infrastructure. He also began the work on developing or extending new policies to go in the Plan.

 

An even bigger contribution was made by Lindsay’s Conservative predecessor, Wayne Smith. Wayne laid the foundations for the current plan in the previous administration’s second draft Local Plan (or Revised Growth Strategy), which identified almost all the sites for new housing, including the principal site of Loddon Valley/Hall Farm.

 

The new Local Plan, in short, is the product of a lot of hard work by a lot of people over many years. Whatever some may claim in the hope of capitalising on the inevitable dismay of some residents about development in their vicinity, the truth is that the plan approved last Thursday is the fruit of work by professional experts and by two different political administrations.  It should be understood in that corporate and cross-party context.” 

20.

Public Question Time

To answer any public questions.

 

A period of 30 minutes will be allowed for members of the public to ask questions submitted under notice.

 

The Council welcomes questions from members of the public about the work of the Executive.

 

Subject to meeting certain timescales, questions can relate to general issues concerned with the work of the Council or an item which is on the Agenda for this meeting.  For full details of the procedure for submitting questions please contact the Democratic Services Section on the numbers given below or go to www.wokingham.gov.uk/publicquestions

 

Minutes:

In accordance with the agreed procedure the Chairman invited members of the public to submit questions to the appropriate Members.

 

 

21.

Abigail Treadwell-Collins has asked the Executive Member for Active Travel, Transport and Highways the following question:

Question:? 

When will permits be introduced to Brook Street? They seem to be constantly delayed and the problem seems to be getting worse. 

Minutes:

Abigail Treadwell-Collins had asked the Executive Member for Active Travel, Transport and Highways the question below. As Ms Treadwell-Collins was unable to attend the meeting, the question was read out and a response given by the Chair.

 

Question:

When will permits be introduced to Brook Street? They seem to be constantly delayed and the problem seems to be getting worse. 

 

Answer:?? 

‘Thank you for your question, Abigail.  

  

I understand your frustration, as residents have been waiting for a residents-only parking scheme for a long time. But that long period reflects the special challenges of Brook Street and the difficulty of finding a solution that commands general support. 

  

A significant obstacle to the introduction of a new permit scheme in the street is the number of permits that each household would be entitled to. The amount of available road space on the street means we need to be mindful of the potential demand not being significantly more than the available capacity. The current policy is that for new permit schemes only one permit per property would be issued. This was what was proposed to Brook Street residents in 2023 in an initial consultation. 

  

That initial consultation produced a significant number of objections, which is why officers have been obliged to consider further options. I met with highways officers recently, and the residents have been informally asked their views on two possible options. The responses to that informal consultation will soon be with highways officers. 

  

I should say that whatever scheme is pursued, a legal process will have to be completed called a Traffic Regulation Order, which involves a further statutory consultation. The whole process takes many months to complete, so I’m afraid I can’t offer an immediate solution to the problems experienced by Brook Street residents.

 

I hope, however, that we can find a consensus on the best way forward that makes it easier for Brook Street residents to park near their homes.’ 

22.

Member Question Time

To answer any member questions.

 

A period of 20 minutes will be allowed for Members to ask questions submitted under Notice.

 

Any questions not dealt with within the allotted time will be dealt with in a written reply.

Minutes:

There were no Member questions submitted on this occasion.

23.

Community Vision 2035 pdf icon PDF 207 KB

Additional documents:

Decision:

The Community Vision 2035 has been fully shaped and designed with input from local people from across the Wokingham Borough. 99 organisations represented the views, ambitions and lived experiences of hundreds of people. 34 targeted events reached the views of hundreds more, with the online survey over 500.

 

Whilst the Council will be one of the partners around the table in its delivery – not the sole deliverer - the outcomes within the vision align with the Council’s own ambitions around various other strategies.

 

RESOLVED that the Executive:

1. Noted the ambitions of local people within the Community Vision 2035.

2. Supported adoption of the Community Vision 2035, using it to inform strategic planning and service delivery for the Council.

3. Supported the Councils commitment to continue collaborating with partners and the local community in delivery of the vision.

Minutes:

The Chair/Leader of the Council made the following statement:

 

“When we began work on a Community Vision for Wokingham borough nearly two years ago, I never dared to hope we would be so successful at engaging so many committed and enthusiastic people.

 

The concept of a Community Vision, which sets out the aspirations of the borough for the years ahead, was launched at a well-attended meeting at Wokingham Town Hall. 

 

We began with a series of productive workshops with the voluntary and charitable sector, town and parish councils, and businesses, and two forum sessions with a wider range of participants, including the probation service, the chamber of commerce, health providers, the fire service and police, faith groups, educators (including Reading University and local schools) and the Youth Council. All have been involved as equal partners with the borough Council, and the enthusiasm to participate on that basis has come across strongly.

 

A steering group was formed to carry forward the work on the Community Vision. The steering group includes representatives from business, the charitable sector, health providers, faith groups, the Youth Council, Reading University, and council officers. The chair is Nick Fellows, of the Wokingham Volunteer Centre.  I have attended every meeting I could.

 

I am enormously grateful to all members of the steering group for their time and commitment over many months. I include in my thanks our excellent officers who have supported the steering group’s work.

 

I also want to record my gratitude to those residents and businesses who responded to our recent consultation of the draft Community Vision that we produced earlier this year. The level of approval of the broad objectives is very pleasing.

 

Co-authored by a great range of community groups working alongside the council, the Vision aims to capture the hopes and aspirations of different parts of the community. It will influence the council's direction of travel over the next decade and more. 

 

We hope formally to adopt the Community Vision at the next Council meeting. I see it as the fruit of a new and radical approach to how the Council serves its residents and businesses. In the past, the Council has consulted on its strategies and plans after they have been formed. Our ambition now is for a less top-down and more bottom-up method of engaging the community, where the broad priorities are shaped by the people who live and work in the borough. 

 

There will be periodic refreshes in the years ahead, to make sure the Council is still heading in the direction that the community wants.

 

Rarely do councils initiate a process and then facilitate others taking the lead.  We have sought to call on the energy, enthusiasm, experience and knowledge within our community. The Community Vision, and the process by which it has been drawn up, reflects a new commitment to empowering people to help shape the future. 

 

The Community Vision 2035 has been fully shaped and designed with input from local people from across the Wokingham Borough. 99  ...  view the full minutes text for item 23.

24.

Wokingham Borough School Places Strategy 2024/25 to 2029/30 pdf icon PDF 122 KB

Additional documents:

Decision:

RESOLVED that the Executive determined that the attached draft Wokingham Borough School Places Strategy 2024/25 to 2029/30 be adopted as the Borough’s plan in respect of school place sufficiency in the area, and that a further report should be brought to the Executive to confirm the Council’s commitment to additional primary school capacity in the Shinfield area, if this is deemed necessary, in 2025.

Minutes:

The Executive Member for Children’s Services made the following statement:

 

‘This strategy is the first step towards making sure that we are catering for the right number of school places in the borough. Predicting school places is complicated. The Council's tried to do it in the past, but without the benefit of the kinds of data and tools that are now available. We have more confidence in our figures now due to the more sophisticated methods we've used to analyse and understand the data.


Even so, the figures should still be taken as representing a trend rather than being accurate to the last decimal point. In general terms where we are is that the birth rate has been falling. On the one hand and the population increasing on the other, partly due to house building and partly due to inward migration.
The population of the borough has been increasing and this has resulted in us being in a position where we have a bulge in the number of children. That bulge is currently working its way through secondary and the last years of primary, so the number of children coming into primary at the reception end is considerably fewer and that's not evenly spread around the borough.

So, what are the implications of this? Well, firstly, that with fewer younger children overall, we think our early years, which is the preschool and nursery provision is broadly adequate for the time being.

At the other end, we have already taken the steps necessary to create space in our secondary schools for the years with higher numbers of children. You can see that reflected on in the table, which shows secondary school place availability which is on page 67.


We want all children in Wokingham to be attending good schools that support them in their ambitions for the future, and schools tend to thrive when they're supported by their local communities. While talking about secondary, I do need to acknowledge the concerns that have been expressed about the performance of Oakbank.


Some parents have not been choosing this school because of these concerns, so the Council is doing all we can to try to support the school, but as it's part of a multi Academy trust, we have no direct powers over it.


If all parents from the Shinfield parish area were choosing to send their children to Oakbank, it would not have the capacity that was sufficient to meet that area's secondary school need. I can't promise an immediate fix to all that, but it is being taken into account in our long term secondary school place planning.


Post 16 Education is connected, but it's almost a separate issue.
We have sixth forms which mainly offer traditional A level route for young people. We have no further education colleges of our own. In particular, our offering for young people with Special Education Needs & Disability (SEND) post 16 could be better. We are looking at all of that and as you will  ...  view the full minutes text for item 24.

25.

Disability Bus Passes pdf icon PDF 129 KB

Additional documents:

Decision:

RESOLVED that the Executive:

1) Approved Option 2 – to remove all time restrictions for the use of disabled and disabled plus companion passes on all qualifying bus services under the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme.

2) Approved a Supplementary Estimate of £6,000 for 2024/25 and noted an ongoing budget growth requirement of £15,000 to be included in the February 2025 MTFP submission for 2025/26 onwards.

Minutes:

The Executive Member for Adult Services, Health & Wellbeing introduced this item and stated that he had been approached by several residents with disabilities who wished to be able to travel independently, without being faced with restrictions on the times of the day when they are able to travel with bus passes.

The proposals in this report sought to respond and listen to those requests and to work with people with disabilities, helping them to access employment opportunities independently without being curtailed by the current restrictions placed on their bus passes. This was particularly pertinent currently, given the opportunities for Christmas work.

RESOLVED that the Executive:

1) Approved Option 2 – to remove all time restrictions for the use of disabled and disabled plus companion passes on all qualifying bus services under the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme.

2) Approved a Supplementary Estimate of £6,000 for 2024/25 and noted an ongoing budget growth requirement of £15,000 to be included in the February 2025 MTFP submission for 2025/26 onwards.

26.

Shareholders Report 2023-24: Outturn pdf icon PDF 98 KB

Decision:

The following declarations of interest were made in relation to Minute 28: Shareholders Report 2023-24: Outturn.

 

·        Councillor Prue Bray as a non-Executive Director at WBC Holdings Ltd.

·        Councillor Stephen Conway a Non-Executive Director at WBC Holdings Ltd

·        Councillor David Hare as a Non-Executive Director of Optalis Ltd.

 

 

RESOLVED that the Executive noted:

1) The new governance arrangements for the Housing Companies and the impact on the reporting of the final financial and operating position for 2023/24 financial year, and

2) The Optalis financial and operational position for 2023/24 financial year.

Minutes:

The following declarations of interest were made in relation to Minute 28: Shareholders Report 2023-24: Outturn.

 

·         Councillor Prue Bray as a non-Executive Director at WBC Holdings Ltd.

·         Councillor Stephen Conway a Non-Executive Director at WBC Holdings Ltd

·       Councillor David Hare as a Non-Executive Director of Optalis Ltd.

 

The Chair reported that a separate Shareholders Committee had been set up to have oversight of the Council’s housing companies. These arrangements included replacing councillors as non-executive directors at these companies. This was anticipated to improve the transparency around how these companies were run by bringing more of their information into a public meeting. The first meeting of that committee, would be held in November.


Optalis, the Council’s adult social care company, was being reported here. It was noted that the Council’s new care home, Bluebell House, was not yet at full occupancy and its financial cost would improve as the occupancy increased. It was noted that Optalis also helped the Council to support younger people.


It was noted that the main financial challenges that Optalis had faced had related to finding and retaining staff, which was a national issue for the Care industry. Optalis had utilised agency staff to keep safe service levels, but had been slowly improving and agency staff are being replaced by permanent staff.

RESOLVED that the Executive noted:

1) The new governance arrangements for the Housing Companies and the impact on the reporting of the final financial and operating position for 2023/24 financial year, and

2) The Optalis financial and operational position for 2023/24 financial year.

27.

Health & Safety Annual Report 2023-24 pdf icon PDF 94 KB

Additional documents:

Decision:

RESOLVED that the Executive noted the internal health and safety performance for 23/24; and the priorities in the report which have informed the action plan for 24/25 and will shape the action plan for the next municipal year.

Minutes:

The Executive Member for Resident Services, Inclusion and Fighting Poverty reported that the Council was committed to protecting the safety of its workforce and the residents who used Council services. The recent audit carried out by the British Safety Council of the Council’s Health and Safety management noted the Council’s active leadership, the engagement of staff and the genuine desire right across the Council to continually improve safety.
They gave a number of recommendations for how the Council could improve and these actions were going to be prioritised and actioned over the coming months.


During the past year, the Council had carried out a health and safety assurance programme for schools and worked to improve engagement with staff on health and safety issues, especially around encouraging reporting of incidents and near misses.


The report showed an increase in incidents and near misses in the past year.
Health and safety experts had concluded that the increases related to the work that they've been doing to encourage reporting.


There were eight cases in the past year where an incident was serious enough to be reported to the Health and Safety Executive.

 

It was noted that the Council would be launching a programme in October which would help support staff. There were unfortunately, two incidents in the period where members of the public assaulted Council staff. This was unacceptable. Police had identified actions to be taken to reduce the risk of assault occurring in the future.

 

It was noted that there was an error on page seven of the report with a reference to 2023 to 24 which should read the programme for the coming year.


The Executive Member and the Chair thanked officers for the report, and also thanked every member of staff who had contributed to making the Council a better place to work, to visit and to learn.

RESOLVED that the Executive noted the internal health and safety performance for 23/24; and the priorities in the report which have informed the action plan for 24/25 and will shape the action plan for the next municipal year.