Minutes:
The Leader of Council made the following statement:
It is now nineteen months since our first Covid case. The rate of new Covid cases within the Borough remains high and is rising as we begin to see the impact of returning to school and returning to workplaces. The current rate is 296 per 100,000 (compared to 211 this time last week) and this is expected to continue to rise further over the coming weeks. The rate within the Borough remains slightly above, but in line with, the rates across the South-East (280 per 100,000). Most cases continue to occur within the school age population, in line with the rest of the country. We must remain cautious and continue to work hard to reduce transmission of the virus within our Borough.
We are working closely with our Head Teachers and school communities through the Children’s Services Taskforce in the management of Covid within their settings. This work has increased over the past week, and we will continue to do all that we can to support Head Teachers who are facing an incredibly challenging term. The vaccination programme of 12–15-year-olds within schools is underway and whilst the responsibility for the programme is with Central Government, we are working to support schools, particularly with the anti-vaccination messages that they are receiving. I am reliably told that our teenagers are doing a remarkable job in masking and being vaccinated. So, thank you all if anybody is on this call.
Covid marshals are providing support to schools on the day of vaccination, as well as offering reactive support should it be needed. In addition, marshals are proactively walking routes to our secondary schools to look for any anti-vaccination communication or activity. The Children’s Services taskforce are collating questions and concerns from the parent community and school which will shape any further communication and support.
Finally, we are working closely with our colleagues in the CCG and in primary care as the Covid booster programme begins to be rolled out to the 60,000 residents that are eligible.
Therefore Covid 19 is far from over and we continue to step up and play our part in responding to the pandemic, working closely with our Health partners and the voluntary sector as we do this. My message to you remains consistent; please follow Public Health advice, be considerate of others and please do take up your vaccinations and encourage others to do so.
This Council has taken its financial management responsibilities very seriously over many years which is why, unlike others, we have been able to fund vital additional support to our community throughout this awful period in our history. We want to also be able to provide valuable support to our community in the future, both in the context of our response to the pandemic and enabling our community to recover as best it can.
However, it is important we recognise that we face yet another financial precipice to navigate: We have the long-term impact of Covid-19 meaning there is a greater need for local authority support. We must ensure we find funds to enable the delivery of our Recovery Strategy. We are facing significant inflationary pressures impacting on our services and Capital programme ambitions, these include gas prices and the cost of building materials, and probably most significantly, we have a potential multi-million-pound burden following the recent NHS and Social Care announcements. Many of these pressures are already upon us and others will be taking their toll over the coming years. We cannot afford to take our hands off the financial tiller and must continue to collectively steer our way through turbulent and challenging times. I have no doubt we have the right calibre of personnel and officers on board to do this with great effect.
Up ahead is one of the most significant Local Government Finance Settlements this Council has faced in a very long time. It will determine the grant funding we have to deal with our challenges over, I suspect, the next three years. It is essential we get a fair deal for this Council and our residents. I and my Executive will do everything in our power to press home the case for Wokingham. I am just grateful that my contact with Government and MPs is so very good. Regrettably I cannot determine the outcome of such a national funding settlement. So, whilst doing all I can to bring pressure to bear to get the funding settlement our residents and our Borough deserve, it remains incumbent on us to relentlessly pursue value for money in all we do and continue to practice the highest standards of financial management in delivering vital services for our community. Therefore, we are reviewing our revenue income and expenditure, and our capital budget, particularly if unsupported.
Whilst I am a strong adherent of maximising the recycling rate, I could not support Shirley Boyt’s motion on public waste receptacles as it would place adverse pressure on both our capital and revenue budgets at this critical time. Had we had time we would have proposed an amendment.
We were due to discuss the lease for a proposed new library for Twyford this evening but are now not able to do so. The recent and rapid increase in building costs across the country necessitates pause to consider how we ensure value for money for all our residents. A recent tender exercise for the work required for this project revealed a significant increase of above previously planned and budgeted costs. It is well known that I have personally husbanded this project with my Executive and invested much time and political capital to its realisation, with very little local Member or parish council tangible support. So, it is a real disappointment that we must pause our efforts.
This is simply not the moment to be cavalier with our capital spending. We are beginning to see the consequences of other authorities over-stretching themselves and getting into financial problems and these consequences are not pleasant. We have always been prudent and will continue to be so to safeguard services and quality of life for all residents.
I understand this will be disappointing and want to assure everybody that we remain supportive of the principle of the new library and that this is a pause to allow us time to make the right decision.
I have been very lenient with questions to the Executive and have done my best for them all to be answered. However, I would point out that the total permitted time is twenty minutes.
A questioner who has put a question in person may also put one supplementary question without notice. A supplementary question must arise directly out of the original question or the replyand must not introduce any new subject matter. I will rejecta supplementary question on any of the grounds in Rule 5.4.37. A supplementary question must not be longer than one minute. If I consider that the questioner is making a statement, I will rule that the questioner be not further heard.