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:
Charlotte Haitham Taylor, Leader of the Council:
I would like to start by thanking you very much indeed for setting up a new awards scheme for the Borough to recognise the contribution of the many members of our community in terms of adults and children who make a tremendous contribution throughout the Borough. Before I move on to the main theme of my speech tonight, I need to inform the Council that I have appointed Councillor Anthony Pollock as the Executive Member for Highways and Transport which is probably already fairly obvious, and also Councillor David Chopping as his Deputy. Both Members bring a wealth of experience to their roles and I am looking forward to working with them over this coming year.
I have stood before you many times as have previous Leaders and Executive Members to tell you that the climate for local government means that we cannot continue to do the things that we always have. We have spoken frequently of the need to change how we do things, in order to maintain a Council that is sustainable and fit for the future. Talk is very easy though. At the last meeting I spoke about the Council Plan, a document that will set out our priorities, our values and a roadmap as an organisation for the coming years. The Plan engagement document was meant to go to the Executive this month but I have insisted that time is set aside to allow the Opposition Members to feed into it before it goes out to a wider audience, so time has been allowed for you to contribute to it over the next coming months. In September we will begin a consultation with the public and it will be a draft plan before engaging with stakeholders and partners later in the year. This is everyone’s opportunity to help shape the future direction of travel. We will be asking the community and stakeholders to say whether they agree with the priorities and values that we have set out for the Authority, for there is another and more vital point, we will be seeking to have a dialogue about a broader agenda, one about a holistic approach to the community and the public sector, voluntary sector and business, can come together to achieve a joint vision.
Local government no longer holds all of the cards. Where there is a problem, the Council may not necessarily be the best one and the best person to be able to produce a solution. Where before we were providers we now need to make the transition to being enablers too, enabling residents to provide solutions where they want to and where they can, encouraging residents to do more to look after each other and with a wealth of other and normally better suited resources, closer to home. To expect the State to solve all of society’s problems is to abdicate our moral responsibility to our neighbours and our community. Part of this is about changing our culture and places barriers in front of residents who want to do more and to take on additional responsibility. But we must keep people safe and ensure a decent audit trail too, but too often has bureaucracy and health and safety been used in the wrong place and the wrong time to prevent someone doing something. Other public sector organisations, businesses, charities, the voluntary sector, community groups and individuals, can build the society that we aspire to see, and want to be part of. The Council Plan engagement will work with residents, organisations and voluntary sector to begin a conversation about what more we can do to enable them to do, so that the buck is not always simply passed back to the Council. The Council will refocus on being the direct provider of statutory services and act as a support for those who really need it. We will use a commercial and entrepreneurial approach to the priorities that our community identifies and residents and other organisations will be enabled where possible to take on more responsibility to provide those things that we as a Council are no longer able to do alone. Democracy is not passive. It is not simply casting a vote at an election and then complaining about what politicians do. We have to create an active society where people do and do not simply have it done to them, where residents both shape the decisions and play a role in delivering the outcomes that our community wants, where local people play a leading and active role in services and shape the direction. All this will not be achieved in the next year. It may not even be achieved in the next 5 years. It is a work of years, engaging and working differently with our full community. We believe in one community, conservatism that empowers our residents and places them at the centre of decision making. It is time for us to show that we trust our local people to look after our local community, look after each other and set the way forward for our whole Borough.
Simon Weeks, Executive Member for Planning and Enforcement
The main issue that I would like to discuss is a surprise appeal decision, received about 10 days ago. I think you are all aware that late last year we were able on the strength of an increased level of build rate across the Borough, to have a review of our 5 year land supply, which at that point was a weakness. That 5 year land supply was reassessed as 6.7 years. That particular issue was also reviewed by leading counsel. Parallel with this, or if we can go back a little way, a couple of years ago, we refused a planning application to build houses on Sonning Golf Course and the applicant took that to appeal and much to our surprise the appeal was successful. Clearly the appeal was very flawed so we mounted a Judicial Review of that and we were granted by the Judge that the appeal should be redetermined by a fresh Planning Inspector. That was concluded 2 weeks ago and the Inspector much to everybody’s surprise, I think including the applicant, determined that we did not have a 5 year land supply in his opinion. We were very shocked to see this, particularly as he had not recalled any of the available evidence and seemed to question that our assessment of our 6.7 year land supply was something that we had plucked out of thin air, rather than something which was clearly backed up by written statements from the many large developers across the Borough who are delivering at agreed rates. So according to that, this clearly drives a serious coach and horses through our current planning strong position, so we have consulted with our colleagues and we will be mounting a further Judicial Review of this decision. We are grateful in one sense that this decision was made at an informal or written hearing as they are known. Those do not require the highest standard of evidence. Meanwhile we do have a couple of undetermined appeals that are being heard at Public Inquiry and these of course require the highest level of evidence and cross examination usually by QCs, and obviously we are hopeful that the outcomes of those undetermined appeals may resurrect this short term hiatus that we have suffered as a result of this rogue inspector decision.
Philip Mirfin, Executive Member for Regeneration:
I would like to give a brief update on the highways related works in Wokingham Market Place and the adjoining roads and an overview re some press comments.
My first subject, is works in the coming week. The lower end of Denmark Street and Langborough Road should reopen for 2 way traffic as promised on the evening of 27 July. The upper section of Denmark Street is planned to be reopened over the weekend of 18-19 August, to through traffic. This is in conjunction with the completion of the major part of the Market Place works. There is likely to be some minor snagging works during the following week and a final deep acid clean and sealing process that will take place over the five nights from 20 August. I have every hope that the Market Place will be fully available for use from Saturday 25 August, cleaned and sealed.
Peach Place is very much on target for opening late November and we have considerable interest in all our units. Elms Field is also progressing at a pace with foundations going into place and access points for the new road and car park constructed.
Some recent press comments have on a number of occasions tried to link the closure of businesses in the town with the Market Place highways works and Town Centre regeneration. Recent examples, the Gig House, only this week Café Rouge’s planned closure as well. Both of these businesses have had problems nationally and they have confirmed that those have affected their decisions to close. What is gratifying is the fact that the Gig House ownership changed so rapidly and Café Rouge have also confirmed that they have sold their Wokingham premises to a solid regional chain who will very much benefit from the works in the Town Centre as we have always said. Wokingham’s new market town centre is beating the national trend with many of the companies wanting to move here. I look very much forward to the buoyant end to the year for retailers.
Julian McGhee-Sumner, Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Finance and Corporate Resources:
I would just like to share three good news stories with Members. I am pleased to report, and as you will have seen in the national and local press, that we collected 99.5% of council tax in year, which makes us the number one performing Council for the fourth year in succession. This is despite increasing our minimum council tax payments to 20%, which is our hardest debt to collect. Every percentage equates to just under £1million so it makes a huge difference to the money available for our vital council services.
We also delivered £89million worth of investment across the Borough on transport, infrastructure, regeneration, education, affordable homes and many other assets for the benefit of our community. This level of capital programme investment is almost five times higher than it was 4 or 5 years ago and it was delivered in the overall budget, a testament to our strong financial controls across the Capital Programme.
Our innovative and ambitious 21st Century Council programme delivered on a very stretching savings target of £2million, which was achieved across the Council support services and senior management posts. This cost reduction makes our services even more efficient. It was achieved with minimal impact on the Council’s day to day business and it provides us with a strong technological IT platform going forward. It is a reflection of the commitment and capability of our staff and shows that we have a well-managed, credible change management programme in place.
Pauline Jorgensen, Executive Member for Housing:
I have several bits of good news to update the Council with. Firstly, Fosters Extra Care in Woodley, a development by the Council’s wholly owned subsidiary Loddon Homes, was opened by the Mayor in the middle of June. This is a lovely building, provides 30 spacious 1 bedroom apartments for older people, with on-site care provided by Optalis, Council Care Company. I was at the opening and was delighted to talk to so many residents who were delighted with their new homes. So that is the first bit of news.
Secondly, we are progressing our plans for development of Gorse Ride in Finchampstead. Officers have held one to one meetings with affected council tenants and home owners on the estate. We are looking to submit the planning application for the redevelopment which we expect to cost more than £30million, shortly. Having met some of the residents at the recent Steering Group I am very keen to work with them to ensure that we maintain what is a great community whilst providing them with new, high quality homes.
Thirdly, I have received a letter from the Chair of the Tenants and Landlord Improvement Panel, Steve Bowers. This bears testament to the close working between the Council and tenants and he specifically asked me to read it out at Council. He said ‘on behalf of the involved tenants I would like to pass my utmost thanks to Manjeet Gill, Councillor Haitham Taylor, Councillor Dolinski and the Tenant and Landlord Improvement Panel Members and other Wokingham Borough Council managers who have taken the time to speak with us and listen to our views on the 21st century council programme to date. In particular I would like to thank you all for responding and acting on our thoughts regarding having an Assistant Director post which acknowledges the importance of housing. As involved tenants we are very proud of the involvement and strong partnership working we have with Wokingham Borough Council, and look forward to maintaining and enhancing this in the future, under the new structures.’ I would like to add my thanks to Steve’s, in particular to my predecessor, Councillor Richard Dolinski who has worked really hard since taking on the role to deliver high quality council and affordable housing, needed by our communities, and I hope that I can do him justice now.
Richard Dolinski, Executive Member for Adult Social Care, Health and Wellbeing:
Looking at the agenda and the time, I doubt that the Motion 406 will be debated. If so I want to take the opportunity now to thank the support I have received from Members. I have had some very constructive conversations with our Liberal colleagues and with Councillor Cowan and also with Councillor Croy as well, so thank you for that. As such I will still be inviting Members to join me in a cross party working group to challenge the funding consistencies and to lobby and work with central government for a realistic, workable, funding solution for Adult Social Care, particularly here in Wokingham. As said in my support of the joint DAS appointment, we must provide opportunities to implement new ways of working. A good example of funding inconsistencies is our DTOC and remember what I said DTOC was, I should test you guys out, but it is delayed transfer of care, better known as bed blocking. If we were to benchmark our delayed days by 100,000 population for 2017/18 with say our closest neighbours, Wokingham does score well with 54 days delay in comparison to Bracknell Forest of 105 days, Reading 114 days and Windsor and Maidenhead 88 days. Yet at the same time Bracknell Forest receive £1.1million, Reading £1.6million and Windsor and Maidenhead £1.35million whilst Wokingham only receives £112,000 in additional funding. This figure is down from £160,000 from the previous year whilst our neighbours’ funding has on a whole remained the same. We are a high performing local authority and as such our Better Care Fund was shortlisted for the first wave of graduate status alongside only 6 other local authorities in England. If I were to be critical, I do not think we highlight enough of the good practice that Adult Social Care achieves in Wokingham in helping our communities.
Anthony Pollock, Executive Member for Highways and Transport:
I wanted to bring to Members’ attention the fact that the M4 is going to be subject to a Smart motorway conversion and it has to be completed by 2022, because I expect 2022 is when they are going to start work on Heathrow. I have seen and I would recommend you find a copy, download it and have a look at it, at the technical engineering document that sits behind this, and particularly to look at the traffic data, because without a Smart motorway the M4 eastbound is at 100% at 2022. Even with a Smart motorway it is still 90 something percent, and to give my colleague Stuart Munro some comfort, I suspect if we build too many houses it will get to overload even with a Smart motorway. I will be doing some work on this connection, particularly using some of the data from assessment because they emailed me because I asked them about a particular site in my ward which you will all know about. I said ‘have you taken this site into account?’ they said ‘we have only taken into account sites that have planning permissions up to 2014.’ They have put some general growth figures in but they have not taken into account any large sites that we might have in our Local Plan refresh, so I think that there is some quite serious problems associated with the M4 and my colleagues and I will be doing work in connection with that.
The other piece that I just want to bring to your attention is that I was attending the Berkshire Local Transport Body that met in Slough this evening and I am pleased to confirm and report back that; funding from the Local Enterprise Partnership for Winnersh Relief Road second phase, which I know is of interest to a number of Liberal Democrats as well as colleagues on this side; the Arborfield Relief Road which I know Gary’s particularly interested in; various cycle routes which I think go through Wokingham; the Thames Valley Park and Ride; and the Winnersh Triangle Parkway station, all these projects are slated to have funding through the Local Enterprise Partnership, and so far they are on track.
Norman Jorgensen,
Executive Member for Environment, Leisure and
Libraries:
I just want to bring to
your attention to a few things.
Firstly, at the start of May we began selling compost from recycled
garden waste including waste from Re3 at the household recycling
centres. We were not sure how well that
would go and started with a stock of 2,000 bags. It proved to be very popular and was sold out by
the first week in June so next year we plan to make the link
between the waste from Re3 to the compost stronger than it was this
year. It will be our waste definitely
in the compost and we will get a larger stock, as it has proved
very popular.
The Re3 partnership was awarded the Best Use of Design and Technology in a Waste Management Facility at the prestigious Let’s Recycle 2018 Awards for Excellence and Recycling and Waste Management Event. The Panel of judges recognised Re3 for its efforts to increase the amount of waste that was reused, recycled and composted, especially noticing the recent investment by Wokingham, Reading and Bracknell Councils and FCC Environment in the material recycling facility at Smallmead, enhancing the recycling capability to take pots, tubs and trays.
The Willow House Hospital School was inspected by Ofsted and the report afterwards was very complimentary about the quality of education provided there. The reason I mention this is they included comments about the use of the library service, so I am going to read a small part of the letter from Ofsted to the school Headmaster. “Teachers promote reading very effectively by making the most of the award winning local library service. The school’s own library was skilfully changed to engage pupils especially those who had read poorly prior to admittance to the unit, so as a result more pupils read much more widely and more effectively.” So it is good to see such comments about the work of our library service.