Agenda item

Imogen Shepherd DuBey asked the Leader of the Council the following question:

 

Question:

Having looked at the Recovery Strategy document - I am having trouble seeing  what WBC are doing, over and above the business as usual items that are mentioned in this document. This document seems to cover the work that WBC would be doing anyway, but it does not demonstrate what additional funding is being made available to help local Businesses recover and how it might be used.  Even Wokingham Town Council has managed to find funding for advertising and banners promoting businesses in Wokingham Town Centre, but at this critical time, we have seen no wider help at all from WBC.

 

Please can you identify what additional funding is being allocated to business recovery and how is going to be used?

 

Minutes:

 

Question

Having looked at the Recovery Strategy document, I am having trouble seeing what WBC are doing, over and above the business-as-usual items that are mentioned in this document.  This document seems to cover the work that WBC would be doing anyway, but it does not demonstrate what additional funding is being made available to help local Businesses recover and how it might be used.  Even Wokingham Town Council has managed to find funding for advertising and banners promoting businesses in Wokingham Town Centre, but at this critical time, we have seen no wider help at all from WBC.

 

Please can you identify what additional funding is being allocated to business recovery and how is going to be used?

 

Answer

In sending you our proposed Recovery Strategy earlier than the usual date of distribution, I was hoping you would come up with something useful that we could expand on the comprehensive Recovery Strategy we already have in place.  Sadly, you have not but it is really good to have Wokingham Town Council coming to the party, albeit late in the day.

 

Taking your specific point regarding Wokingham Town.  Rather than just hang up some bunting and banners we will continue to regenerate the Town Centre in the context of Business Recovery at a total investment of approximately £150m.  This will involve working hard with our resources to bring in attractive retailers by encouraging them that this is a great place to come and set up a business.  We have already been successful in doing this during the pandemic.  We will continue to administer support schemes available to businesses and ensure our businesses across the whole Borough receive any restart support available in addition to the £66m support we have already distributed.  Additional staffing resources have been secured to reach out to our businesses in this regard.

 

We know that one of the best ways to bounce back is to create vibrancy within the Town, which we will do through attracting desirable retailers as I have previously mentioned, creating the right environment and facilitating events to draw people in.

 

Our regeneration activity will include the completion and sale of the homes we are building around Elms Field and surrounding areas, a new hub for leisure, swimming and other events, including a new library.  You will also be aware from this agenda that we are even investing sizeably in a boxing hub in the town centre, which we are expecting to be of great appeal across age ranges and genders.

 

All of this considerable investment and resource will be directed into; building out the town centre assets and facilities to create an attractive business environment; supporting current businesses to bounce back; attracting desirable retailers and facilitating the environment and events to draw people into the town.  These endeavours stretch into the 100s of million pounds and are without a doubt on top of business as usual for any local authority.  But we know this is the right thing to do as our businesses deserve every opportunity to rise and thrive following such a difficult time. Who knows, we might also put up a bit of bunting.        

 

Supplementary Question

Your answer doesn’t really answer my question.  There was no budget line   in the budget meeting that we had in February to talk about recovery at all.  I know that there has been grant funding from central Government and that has been distributed and that is great.  But I want to know what additional costs the Covid recovery is having on Wokingham and I don’t see any sign of that in this report.  Also, I wasn’t aware that we were allowed to comment on this report as it seemed to have got dumped on us. So, this is why we are asking the question now.

 

Aside from the grants that central Government has given us what funding has come from Wokingham Borough Council? How much money has it cost us for this Covid recovery plan because it was not in the budget for this year?

 

Supplementary Answer

I correct you it is all in the budget.  We have been working on the recovery plan for the last 12 months and it is all encompassed in the MTFP.

 

As I said I am delighted to hear that Wokingham Town Council is finally coming to the party.

 

As far as I can tell both Wokingham and Earley Town Councils have slept for sixteen months, having delegated all the functions to the Officers. There is no evidence that either body has done anything material in that time.  Whilst not doing anything it has kept all the Officers on full pay at the residents’ cost. No identifiable furlough has occurred and no recovery plan has been published.

 

It is appalling that Earley Town Council have not in two years been able to finish the transfer of Sibley Park Woods and grass areas from Persimmon Homes whilst suggesting that they should be custodians of more land.

 

If my memory serves me correctly the Lib Dems were against developing Elms Field which is now and has been throughout the pandemic a centre of vibrant activity. Any day it is literally full reflecting the popularity of the facility.

 

Our regeneration of the Wokingham town centre has kept it alive free of the voids which other town centres have suffered. Again, if my memory serves me correctly your former Leader and your party was against redevelopment but proposed no shops but a dark warehouse from which goods could be collected.

 

£150m has been spent in the town centre providing a cinema, car parking, a swimming pool, new shops, a hotel, a leisure centre, a theatre, etc, etc. We Conservatives have led in Wokingham Town, Woodley, Earley and Twyford. Every improvement has been opposed by the Lib Dems who after the event have claimed responsibility.

 

The Twyford library was completely devoid of any Lib Dem involvement, it is a Tory achievement of which I am proud.

 

Oh no, I do you a misjustice the Lib Dem Leader is very concerned about spending and would wish to curtail presumably cancelling the library, Carnival Pool etc etc. Central to your question was increasing spending. The Lib Dems only see issues in terms of spending and every proposal made increases it.

 

Wokingham Town, despite Covid, is vibrant and I entreat Wokingham Town Council to welcome shoppers and visitors to use it. You should be doing all in your power to revitaise this wonderful asset that the Tory Borough Council has developed. The residents expect it.

 

It is truly good for our residents that the Lib Dems are in opposition. I concur with the assertion that Lib Dem questions are whatever they are.