Minutes:
My Deputy is John Kaiser, the Executive Member for Children’s Services is UllaKarin Clark and Deputy for Children’s Services is Graham Howe; the Environment is Parry Batth and his Deputy is Michael Firmager. John Kaiser, as well as being the Deputy, will have the brief of Finance and Housing and his Deputy is Daniel Sargeant. Charles Margetts will handle Adult Services. His Deputy, I am very pleased to say, will be Richard Dolinski. For Planning, Wayne Smith, and his Deputy, I am also very pleased to say is Gary Cowan. Highways is Pauline Jorgensen and her Deputy will be Malcolm Richards. Business and Economic Development is Stuart Munro with a Deputy of Barrie Patman. Climate Emergency is Gregor Murray, with his Deputy Laura Blumenthal. Regeneration is Charlotte Haitham Taylor and her Deputy, Dianne King.
I am enormously humbled to have been elected Leader of the Council. I hope to serve all of you in the period that I fill this post. We have many new faces here tonight. Welcome to you all. Welcome also to Susan, our new Chief Executive. We should also remember those who have given long and dedicated service who are no longer Members.
Mr Mayor, since last we met, sadly Bob Wyatt a stalwart of Wokingham Borough and Town passed away and Lyra McKee was murdered in Londonderry. Between them they represent the good, the diversity, the tradition, the hope, the optimism, the aspiration and vision of the United Kingdom today. We are a great country, have been a great country and will be a great country. Through the ages we have contributed to the world the template of modern life - science, literature, constitutional democracy, music, the industrial revolution, engineering etc. etc. We punch above our weight in all of these and more. But most importantly we are a liberal democracy looking after our least fortunate and playing a major part in alleviating deprivation around the world. At a moment of great national self-doubt, it is worth reminding ourselves of the place in the world that we have had and we continue to have.
As we begin our Municipal Year, I have no need to remind you that we are here for one purpose and one alone, which is to serve our residents and provide the very best services for the optimal cost. I am sure that all of us are proud that the Borough scores highly despite being the lowest funded unitary authority in England. We are indeed fortunate to live in this beautiful and vibrant part of the United Kingdom. Wokingham Borough is consistently among the best places to live and to do business.
We have a superb team of Directors and Officers who in the past achieved miracles and did so with very limited resources. I am sure that I can rely upon them to reach further and deliver a very ambitious programme for this administration.
In the last 20 years the impact of climate change on our world has changed conditions far faster than ever imagined. It may sound frightening, but the scientific evidence is that if we have not taken dramatic action within the next decade we could face irreversible damage to the natural world and the collapse of our society. We are running out of time but there’s still hope… I believe that if we better understand the threat we face, the more likely it is that we can avoid such a catastrophic future. Therefore, it is my intention that the administration hopefully seconded by the Leader of the Opposition with unanimous opposition support brings forward a motion to July Council as follows:
“Wokingham Borough Council believes the world is now in aclimate emergency. More concerted and urgent action is needed at local, national and international level to protect our planet for future generations. As such, this Council commits to playing as full a role as possible – leading by example as well as by exhortation – in achieving a carbon neutral Wokingham Borough by 2030 and report within six months as to what actions are required.”
The Executive Member for Climate Emergency will champion this programme as his key task. It may be voguish and considered as jumping on the bandwagon, but the imperative of the clock ticking means that we have no option but to take on this target. You may wonder how we as a Borough can make an impact. Lots and lots and lots of ways without waiting for big infrastructure delivery. I will run through a few of the opportunities.
We do not start from scratch. We have been continually seeking to become more efficient in the use of resources including reducing the amount of energy used on our own estate. These actions will help to reduce carbon emissions, (although the Council does not measure currently carbon emissions directly) and address climate change. Some of the Council`s key actions and achievements to reduce energy usage and increase recycling are: Purchasing a proportion of its energy from generated renewable sources with a target of 25% renewables; installing solar panels on Council buildings; low energy lighting has been fitted in over 30% of Council buildings, which has saved an estimated 11% in energy consumption; insulation has been installed in over 20 Council buildings, saving over 3% in energy; enabling and encouraging more sustainable travel through enhancing pedestrian, cycle and bus routes. Bus usage in Wokingham Borough has grown by 14% between 2014/15 and 2017 compared to a 1% decline in the same period in the South East region.
WBC has developed a ‘Greenway Project’ which aims to deliver a sustainable transport network which provides traffic-free commuting and leisure routes connecting new Strategic Development Locations with the existing settlements. Also, ensuring that our planning policies encourage development to incorporate measures to improve energy efficiency and zero carbon as part of sustainable design and construction; promoting the use of ultra-low emission vehicles by supporting the electric vehicle charging infrastructure; increasing recycling and reducing the amount of waste sent to landfill; encouraging the development of smart technologies to reduce energy usage; and striving to improve the air quality in the Borough through the Air Quality Management Plan; and rewriting the Sustainable Environment Strategy 2010-2020.
The Council is bidding for £500,000 of ERDF funding to invest in energy saving schemes. The use of urban greenery in our towns and urban areas and the protection of our countryside will have remarkable positive contribution to carbon generation. Development and its consequent congestion are without doubt the principle preoccupation of the residents. We aim to challenge the housing numbers through the residents’ consultation, through negotiation with the Government and in the event, we do not succeed, by litigation. This administration is determined to do all that it can to reduce housing numbers.
We would like to timetable the Local Plan Update for this year and remove the Damoclean sword from the heads of the residents. We plan to rethink the housing companies to ensure that they are delivering homes to those on median incomes and below and examine how we can help in that funding. Rural exception is popular housing as it keeps communities alive; we wish to revisit these, working with Parish and Town Councils, as well as residents.
Congestion is probably the highest daily burden for our residents. The new roads should help but we must get better at controlling the epidemic of street works which have arisen. We are performing a review of the organisation and how it operates. Similarly, there is a backlog of TROs, many of which are pre-CPE, which need clearing. We will reinstate the Highways Board to enable residents and Councillors to bring forward projects, petitions and concerns.
We imminently expect an Ofsted Children’s Services visit, which always is a concern. Unlike other Boroughs, we are opening libraries and leisure centres, who have all improved footfalls. Almost every week we are opening a new facility somewhere across the Borough. Whilst we have been criticised for our cultural paucity, we proudly have dispersed a huge variety of cultural and social activities. I was stunned to learn that we have over 800 football teams. We intend to harness these in some sort of electronic directory. We plan to facilitate a festival in 2022 centred on Wokingham Town to celebrate the new facilities.
Mr Mayor, this will be a very active year with huge ambitions for change when some of the Wokingham Town Centre regeneration will be concluding and we will continue to have pressures on funding. However, this is wonderful Borough; we all have much to be proud of and be grateful for.
I am pleased to present my administration and am particularly pleased that it includes members of the Independent Group. I discussed with the Leader of the opposition Lib Dem appointments, but it seemed just a step too far at this moment.