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:
Charles Margetts, Executive Member for Health and Social Care
I wanted to take this opportunity to update Members on the situation locally with primary care. Our GPs have experienced a 40% increase in demand over the past three to four months which has been very challenging. We believe that every resident who needs it should have a face-to-face appointment. However, it is perfectly possible to get what you need without a face-to-face meeting and we would encourage all residents to do this wherever possible, to get the quickest response and to enable our GPs to deal with this demand. To support our GPs and help our residents with correct advice we will be launching a PR campaign over the coming weeks to advise residents on the best way to access Primary Care health services and what can be achieved and there are many things without a face-to-face appointment with a GP.
As Members will know, GPs are commissioned and contracted to the Berkshire West CCG. WBC has no control over their performance. In the past few weeks the nationwide GP patient survey has been published which ranks GPs across the country based on several measures relating to the quality of service. Surveys are always a slightly blunt instrument to judge anything but there were some key trends that came out. We have some GPs in Wokingham who are doing a very good job despite this situation. The Finchampstead, Wargrave, Wilderness, Burma Hills and New Wokingham Road surgeries all scored in the top 10% in the UK. I wanted to thank them and commend them for this achievement. However, we also have four surgeries in the bottom 10% based on the survey. They are also GPs which residents and Members have raised concerns and questions with me in the past. These four are the Wokingham Medical Centre, Loddon Vale, Woosehill and Twyford. The Wokingham Medical Centre has been in the bottom 10%, according to the survey, since 2017.
As I mentioned earlier, GPS are commissioned by the CCG which is 100% responsible for their performance. However, it is the duty and responsibility of WBC to raise residents’ concerns with the CCG when it is appropriate. I believe that our residents deserve better than this and last week I wrote to the Head of the ICS and the Commissioning Lead at the CCG raising this issue with them over these four surgeries, asking them to provide more active support to resolve the problems with them and to implement improvement plans and to report back to us without delay. I will be happy to keep Members informed of progress.
Parry Batth, Executive Member for Environment and Leisure
I will take a few minutes to update you all on a few salient features within my portfolio.
Waste collections have continued on a weekly basis despite the staff shortage challenges thrown at us by the Covid Pandemic. Whilst the neighbouring authorities have stopped collecting their garden waste, we have continued collecting everything. We are not out of the woods yet but we are doing all we can to provide a valuable weekly collection of waste. There are a lot of issues with drivers which are causing problems. I will keep Members updated if we have any problems but, so far, we are doing okay. I would, therefore, like to thank and congratulate our officers and contractors for delivering a valuable service to our residents during these difficult times.
Mr Mayor, thank you for joining me in opening the Dinton Activity Centre yesterday. The climbing wall you saw was hand painted and the murals carefully selected to reflect the flora and fauna at Dinton in both a woodland scene and a lake scene. Physical education, environmental education and fun all rolled into one! As you saw, wind catchers on the roof allow for natural ventilation. Air conditioning to assist active cooling where needed. The by-product of the warm air is converted into energy to heat the water for our under floor heating in the hall. Solar panels and air source heat pumps are used to generate the rest of the electricity for heating and lighting. The Activity Centre will be the first carbon neutral facility that Wokingham Borough Council owns.
Mr Mayor, I have initiated a Waste Strategy that will comprise of short and longer term measures to help manage the Borough’s waste. In the short term we will be encouraging the public to reduce waste and increase recycling to reduce costs and deliver savings for the Council. In the longer term we will be consulting the public on their views of how we should develop waste services in the light of the Climate Emergency. The development process has begun with involvement from the Overview and Scrutiny Panel who will oversee this project and it is expected a draft waste strategy will be formulated by late Spring next year.
Gregor Murray, Executive Member for Resident Services, Communications and Emissions
I would like to give a brief update to Council on three topics within my areas of responsibility.
The first is to say that there has been a Motion put forward to this Council for many months relating to the Local Electricity Bill. Having looked into this in some detail I have come to the conclusion that the passing of this bill could benefit our climate emergency and our efforts to both reduce our carbon footprint and to increase the financial viability of localised energy generation. With that in mind I have done as the Motion requires and written to each of the four MP’s that represent residents in Wokingham, and also to the Minister of State for Energy, calling on all of them to put their support behind the bill and to work with others within their parties to ensure that this legislation passes and is enacted.
If you will indulge me, I would like to take a moment to read out part of the response I received from the Rt. Hon Theresa May. She said “Community energy is a key part of clean growth and can decarbonise energy in local areas while bringing other economic or social benefits.” However, she added “there are other considerations which must be taken into account. For example, the Bill seeks to alter the licensing provisions. Ministers have expressed their concern that changing the licensing framework would create wider distortions elsewhere in the energy system. I understand that, instead, the Government is encouraging stakeholders to engage with the ongoing work that the Government is undertaking with Ofgem to support flexibility and innovation more generally. This can help identify how a local element can play a part in the solution.”
Finally, her response also told me that “With increased electrification of heat and transport, I am encouraged that the Government and Ofgem continue to work to ensure that the systems and markets that will support this remain flexible, secure, competitive and that they meet the needs of consumers.”
Mr Mayor, from this response I take it that, whether the Local Energy Bill passes or not, work is being done to achieve its fundamental intent and objectives, which, as I already said, could benefit our Climate Emergency and our efforts to reduce our carbon footprint.
Staying on an energy theme Mr Mayor, I would like to provide an update on two schemes that I launched at the tail end of last year, the EcoFlex Help to Heat scheme and the Green Homes Grants scheme. As with the scheme nationally, the Green Home Grants scheme, known as L.A.D. 1A, which we entered into in partnership with Bracknell Forest Council has not been the success we had hoped. We ourselves found this scheme to be difficult to navigate and it was not clear what could and could not be included. Couple that to a national skills shortage meant that we were only able to help five household out of those who applied locally. All of us involved in this project are disappointed by this.
Conversely, the scheme that we created locally however, the Eco Flex Help to Heat scheme was substantially more successful for us, and significantly more successful that we had anticipated. You will remember Mr Mayor that, when I launched this scheme our intention was to retrofit approximately 400 homes across Wokingham Borough using this scheme. To date Mr Mayor I am delighted to inform council that 877 homes have been assessed and have benefitted from either cavity wall insulation, loft insulation or both installed, at little or no cost to the resident. In doing so, fuel bills have been reduced for some of the most at risk of fuel poverty households across our borough, a move which, considering the recent fluctuations in fuel prices, shows great foresight on behalf of us and Council officers and will benefit the families in these properties greatly.
The final matter I would like to discuss is Area DD. For the benefit of Councillors who are unaware of Area DD, this is a piece of land near Asda in Earley that is owned and maintained by Wokingham Borough Council. It is a mixture of woodland and scrubland and, with minimal routine management has been allowed to develop naturally, to support a variety of wildlife species and biodiversity.
In June, Councillor Pauline Jorgensen and I met with the Council’s Ecology Officer at the request of representatives of the Earley Environmental Group to discuss options for protecting and preserving this area of wood and grass land now that it no longer considered a site for future residential or commercial property development. As a result of this meeting, we have agreed that a Climate Emergency-based management and maintenance strategy will be drafted and consulted upon. This strategy will then be used as a basis for increasing biodiversity, enhancing the woodland and scrubland space and for tidying up the remaining debris and dumped waste from the area. I will update Council on the relevant timings of this strategy and any related works in due course.
Pauline Jorgensen, Executive Member for Highways and Transport
Work continues on our congestion management programme, as part of this we have been successful in our bid for £250k of Government funding – this will enable us to improve traffic signals with queue detection and journey time calculation to smooth out traffic and reduce queues; upgrade equipment to low energy technology providing more reliability and reduced maintenance and energy costs and will also introduce new technology to improve pedestrian crossings.
We are installing car park management equipment in several of our car parks, the first set of detectors at Carnival and Denmark Street are up and running, these detectors will feed information on vacant spaces into user apps and also strategic VMS signs guiding people to car parks with spaces available.
I have just approved an amendment to our traffic regulation orders which takes steps to deal with dangerous parking identified by local residents by introducing new parking restrictions in some of our parking hotspots, for example around Loddon school. These restrictions will be implemented over the next few weeks.
We continue to work on our Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP). All Transport authorities are required to develop a plan in partnership with the transport providers in the area with the aim of improving joint working on bus service development. It is also required to enable us to qualify for ‘bus recovery funding’ on 1st September, the BSIP must be published by the 31st October, so it is quite urgent.
Having delivered cycleways and greenways along the new Winnersh relief road, California way, Observer way, Barkham Bridge, and London Road cycling and walking improvements in the Borough continue to gather momentum. The first stage of Public consultation on the local cycling and walking infrastructure plan has completed and we are talking to local bodies such as WATCH, Town and Parish Councils and Councillors to help prioritise the improvement work.
Future cycleroute schemes planned include a 19km route from North to South of the Borough between the Thames Path at Wargrave and the Blackwater Valley path at Swallowfield, cycleway links between Woodley and Winnersh Triangle, a cycle route between Woodley Town Centre and Palmer Park and finally a cycleway linking Winnersh and North Wokingham.
We have received a further £94k from the Government to progress our cycle infrastructure planning and to deliver training and promote active travel initiatives. The recent Beat the Street initiative award scheme, at which the Mayor gave the awards, shows how popular cycling and walking to school has become. More than 6,000 residents took part travelling an astonishing 151,000 miles during the game.
Finally, our road resurfacing programme is progressing with more than 50 roads being fully resurfaced, another 30 plus are being surface dressed or micro-asphalted this year as part of our maintenance programme. Over the summer, since June, 528 potholes were also repaired keeping our pledge to continue to improve the state of our roads.
John Halsall, Leader of the Council
I wanted to discuss three important matters: the Health and Social Care changes, the plight of Afghan families and some of the latest information about Covid.
The current rate of Covid cases within the Borough is 211 per 100,000. This has fallen back in line with the South East and England after a period of higher rates resulting from the increased (asymptomatic) testing amongst young people for attendance at the Reading Festival and return to school testing. Most of the cases within the Borough now fall within our school age population, in line with the rest of the country. Whilst the rate remains stable, it remains high. We must remain cautious and continue to work to reduce transmission of the virus within our Borough.
Following the announcement of the Government’s Winter Plan, vaccination remains at the heart of our response to Covid. Wokingham is doing well with 86% of residents having received the first vaccine and 81% having received the second dose. There is, however, still work to be done. There are over 60,000 residents who are due their booster vaccines in the coming weeks and months. We are working closely with the CCG and primary care colleagues to support delivery of the booster programme. We continue to work to increase uptake, particularly of second vaccinations in those under the age of 40 and have launched a vaccine helpline to provide advice and information to residents. We are also working, through our Children’s Services Taskforce, with all the schools within Wokingham, both in their management of Covid and also providing support for the vaccine rollout within schools.
If I turn to the recent announcements on Health and Social Care changes. I am delighted that the Government is taking some action here. It has been 10 years since the Dilnot report. What is proposed doesn’t solve all Adult Social Care (ASC) problems. Most of the money is going to the NHS with the risk that, rather than a fair proportion of this money going to Social Care, a further burden will fall on local taxpayers.
Regarding the funding, of the £12bn a year this will raise only £1.8bn is proposed to come to councils for Adult Social Care. £1.8bn will not solve the problems in adult social care. It has big risks for WBC, as we have a lot of private funders. Many people must pay for care. The worry here is that the £1.8bn will not cover this impact and the more burden will fall on Councils particularly like in Wokingham where we have a high proportion of private funders. I am lobbying the Government, using every channel that I have, to ensure that we do not end up with a burden that could be very substantial.
On the matter of Afghan refugees, officers from the Council have been in continuous liaison with MHCLG and the South East Strategic Partnership for Migration who are leading on the settlement programme. It is clear to say that this is a significant undertaking as some 15,000 refugees have recently arrived in the UK with 1,500 in the South East region. We are keen to ensure Wokingham Borough plays its part in assisting these families and through our conversations with MHCLG and partners we have agreed to take 3 families. Of course, it is not as simple as identifying and supplying housing requirements, but the overall support required to ensure the families can successfully relocate to the Borough and become a welcome part of our inclusive community.
As a first step, officers from our Housing Services team are busily looking to access suitable properties and then will liaise with the Strategic Partnership for Migration who will carry out a matching exercise to assess suitability. Once assessed, the process can commence for relocation ensuring we have the necessary support in place to meet the individual needs of the families.