To receive a statement from the Leader of the Council.
Minutes:
“We are beginning a piece of work to plan for what we want the future to look like in the borough. Wokingham Borough Council is embarking on a new approach to thinking about the future, one that is centred on the communities own aspirations. In the past, the Council has drawn up its own strategy and then consulted on it. Now we want to involve our external partners in shaping a vision for the future that the Council will then seek to implement, through its strategies and policies.
For the first time, the Council is embracing a bottom up rather than a top down approach. I’ve asked the Council’s Deputy Leader, Councillor Stephen Conway to lead on this very important project and we are very happy that he is able to do this along with all of his other responsibilities.
We are looking for the involvement of the Council’s external partners throughout the process. This will truly be a Borough vision, jointly authored by a range of interested parties not just the Council.
To begin the process next week there is a meeting in Wokingham Town Hall with representatives from town and parish councils, voluntary bodies, equality groups, businesses, faith groups, schools, young people and the Reading University to discuss this new approach.
The meeting will be facilitated not by the Council but by an organisation called NewLocal which specialises in community engagement. The Council will be represented by the leaders of the different political groups and the Chief Executive and senior officers. The Council will be there as an equal partner with the other parties, not as managers of the event.
The opening session next week will be followed by a series of workshops in February and March to enable us to share views and begin the task of preparing a Borough vision that will shape the Council’s strategy over the coming years.
We have to lift our eyes from the immediate challenges and look ahead to map out the future that we can all feel part of. I am very pleased that so many local bodies have committed to attending the event next week and the follow up workshop. It is very important work for the future of the Borough and I urge Council partners to fully engage with this work.”
Director of Place and Growth, Steve Moore:
“Steve, is our Director of Place and Growth and is leaving us tomorrow after 18 months with us, to take up another appointment.
As Leader of the Council, I would like to thank him for the excellent work that he has done for us since he started here. Steve has been difficult to work with and challenging, but that’s what has made him such a good officer. Steve doesn’t say ‘yes’ to everything, he gives alternatives, points out pitfalls and is prepared to challenge the leadership. He challenges is a very nice way, without losing any temper, without being upset and for me, that is particularly important.
Those in senior roles in the Council have to be able to engage with councillors. Councillors have to be able to engage with officers in a respectful way and I can speak for the whole Executive when I say that we have a huge amount of respect for Steve and that he will be a very hard act to follow.
I know where Steve is going, I know he will still be available for a call at 7.15am. I shall miss the early morning calls that we have had. I will be talking to the people on the Council where you are headed, to let them know that they will be getting a good officer and that Steve can be difficult and challenging, but as I say, for me, that is something to be enormously respected and I think you’ve done an excellent job for us.”