Speech by Cllr John Halsall, Leader of the Council, proposing the item at tonight's council meeting:
“On coming to the Council three years ago, I promised that the Borough would have a published plan. We published a high-level document and a more detailed Corporate plan. We have now reviewed those documents, combined them and published a record of achievement against them.
The seven themes are:
- Providing safe, strong communities
- Enriching lives
- Enjoying a clean and green borough
- Delivering the right homes in the right places
- Keeping the borough moving
- Being the best we can be
- Changing the way we work for you
And what a record of achievement
Through the spring and early summer of 2020, the need to respond to Covid-19 was almost all encompassing for us and it continued to be a key area of focus throughout 2020/21, in particular in Adult Social Care.
Following the start of the COVID pandemic, we took immediate action to set up robust, enhanced financial monitoring and reporting. Financial trackers were introduced across all Directorates with a Council wide tracker developed at both a summary level and a detail level. The finance team prioritised the monitoring of the financial impact, working closely with all services to understand the implications. This was a complex task. Where known, implications were considered as part of budget setting for the 21/22 financial year and will also be considered in future budget setting rounds.
Despite the impact of COVID the Council was able to deliver on its savings targets. A revenue budget of £143.5m (£129.7m expenditure plus £13.8m depreciation) was approved at its meeting on 20 February 2020. The actual spend for 2020/21 was £0.8m favourable variance to budget. The Council continues to invest in its asset base in order to improve services to residents and to support the financial sustainability of the organisation. Capital expenditure in the year totalled £123.5m (2019/20 £171.3m) as set out in report to the Council’s Executive on 24 June 2021.
Occupation levels in the Wokingham Town Centre Redevelopment site has remained on target with no losses of tenancy. We adopted a sympathetic approach to the collection of both Council Tax and Business Rates through the pandemic that balanced the need to protect income streams against the pressures felt by residents and businesses. Collection of both of taxes has remained high, at similar levels to the year before, at a 99% collection rate with support mechanisms in place to implement government schemes for those in hardship.
Despite Covid we have had strong performance across the Council some examples are:
- Launched ‘Kooth’ to provide online mental health support for young people:
- Increased spending to domestic abuse support:
- Launched 18-month pilot service with Berkshire Community Foundation and Oxfordshire MIND to help people suffering problems such as anxiety, isolation and stress.
- Formed the Adult Safeguarding Hub to improve the safety of vulnerable adults:
- Adult Social Care managed 25% more demand, an increase of 1,193 contacts, whilst improving performance.
- Recommissioned a specialist substance misuse provision for local residents, including securing additional funding through successful bids.
- Delivered Bulmershe Leisure Centre, Carnival Hub, Addington School expansion, California Country Park Play Area, Alder Grove Primary School, Arborfield Green primary School, Matthews Green Primary School, Dinton Activity Centre, Foundry College
- Began Shinfield Community Centre
- Launched kickstart
- Expanded the Virtual School
- The Local Plan Update Consultation was published
- £100m investment in new roads continued to deliver improvement Observer Way, the Arborfield Relief Road opened. Construction of the Winnersh relief road and north Wokingham Distributor Roads and the eastern Gateway of the Southern Distributor Road
- Almost every aspect of the Council’s policies have been reviewed and published.
A truly impressive record of achievement, of which I can say that any Council would be proud.”
