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:
Clive Jones, Leader of the Council:
We all know that there is a cost of living crisis affecting all of us. This has been made worse by the government’s mini budget a few weeks ago. Although much of the Budget has been reversed this week, considerable damage has been done which will see mortgages for millions of people increase by over £500 a month, a staggering £6,000 a year. Many families in Wokingham will be struggling to cope with the increases cost of food. Over the last year or so some foods have risen by 30% or more. On top of this they have to struggle with increases in energy costs which have doubled since last winter, and could be set to rise again in March now that the energy price guarantee which was to have been for two years has been cut back to only six months. Help is available to those struggling due to the cost of living crisis in Wokingham Borough. The Council is working in partnership with Age UK Berkshire, Citizens Advice Wokingham, First Days children’s charity, Wokingham Food Bank and Wokingham United Charities to respond to these issues locally. This Group known as the Hardship Alliance will be launching a range of initiatives in the weeks ahead to help residents from all across the Borough. The Hardship Alliance is bringing the Borough together to help all those in need, as we respond to the cost of living crisis. With the Borough Council, they are going to provide a helping hand to people through a variety of projects in the winter. Financial pressures continue to rise, and these schemes will use our well established voluntary and community sector to step up once again to do what they do best, to provide a lifeline to those that need one. Madam Mayor, I would urge residents to feed into this incredible support already offered across the area’s voluntary, community and faith sectors. Residents are urged to come forward as soon as possible if they are struggling. Initial projects to help them include; providing support, reassurance, and advice for those who are struggling, setting up places and activities where people can visit and keep warm throughout the winter. The Alliance and Council staff will work together in community locations to provide advice and guidance for anyone in the community that needs help, support for those in a period of poverty; a new round of household support fund to help those in need of support for food and energy costs; create an online cost of living help hub to guide people to help available, and to promote of getting involved in support in the community. More details of these and other schemes will be announced once they are finalised. The cost of living crisis is putting many of our residents under enormous pressure. We are working with partners to work together to alleviate problems as best as we can. We cannot do everything, but in collaboration with our excellent voluntary and community sector, we can offer help to those people in increasing need. If residents need a helping hand in these difficult times, they should reach out to One Front Door as soon as possible. Their team of experienced volunteers are speaking to many people who are facing the same issues, including many people who have not had to ask for help before. They have enormous experience and will support residents to find the best solution to whatever it is, you are facing. Madam Mayor, this administration will do whatever we can to help the least well off residents through these very difficult times.
Paul Fishwick, Executive Member for Active Travel, Transport and Highways:
At the 21 July meeting of Council, I highlighted that I had written to the Police and Crime Commissioner on 24 June related to the lack of mobile speed enforcement across the Borough, over the past three years. I received a response on 13 September which provided information on the road’s policing unit, where every month they are allocated a number of priority roads to target with enforcement work, due to the high level of collisions, excessive speed, and high casualty rates due to drivers using mobile phones. The PCC said that for Wokingham, thankfully, none of our roads, currently feature in these categories. However, the PCC has indicated that Thames Valley Police detected 671 speeding offences on Wokingham roads during April 2022 from their fixed mobile speed cameras, with vast majority being in 30mph speed limit areas. I do not know how many cameras this refers to, or for what duration of April. I have therefore asked for clarification on several points raised in the PCC’s response.
On another subject, I would like to thank Shinfield South Members, Councillors Chris Johnson, Jim Frewin, and Jackie Rance, as well as Shinfield Parish Council, for alerting me about the overcrowding issues on the 15:32 Leopard 3 bus service, starting at Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading. I would also like to thank Wokingham Borough Council Officer Rebecca Brooks and Reading Buses for their swift work in coming up with an interim solution, to double up this service towards Shinfield until a longer term solution, can be found.
At the last meeting of Council, we were presented with a petition relating to the Floreat School. I was planning that evening on updating the Chamber about the plans for the road, but the meeting ran out of time, hence the update today. In accordance with the Department of Transport Circular 01/2013 Setting Local Speed Limits, the Borough Council evaluates the appropriate speed limit outside primary schools. As a new school the Floreat has been assessed as a 20mph. Advisory speed limit signs with flashing lights are planned to be installed during late October 2022 and be operational after half term.