Agenda item

To receive the Leader’s report on the work of the Executive since the Council meeting held on 9 September.

Council is asked to resolve recommendations in respect of:

• Joint Venture Business Plan

The Leader of the Council, Councillor Bettison, presented his report on the work of the Executive since that reported at the Council meeting on 9 September 2020. The Executive had met three times on 22 September, 20 October and 10 November 2020.

The Leader highlighted the following matters that had been considered:

COVID Response & Renewal

·       Original Response Strategy was based on five core principles:

o   follow Government/Public Health England advice?

o   maintain non-contact services where possible?

o   close social contact services?

o   support suppliers where possible to retain service capabilities?

o   prepare for renewal as well as recovery

·       Renewal Principles had now been agreed by Executive and were based on seven principles with a longer term view:

• Protect and promote physical and mental health
• Support Bracknell town centre, neighbourhood vitality and businesses to protect economic health
• Short term support to deal with COVID related spikes in demand
• Integrate services with partners and locate them within the community
• Involve community and voluntary sector in supporting people/services

o   Whilst containing/reducing expenditure in the long term to achieve financial sustainability

• Maximising opportunities to address carbon reduction across all activities to achieve environmental stability

Residents Survey: Headline Results

·       This was a representative telephone survey covering 1,826 respondents and further detailed ward/demographic data was available:

o   56% of population satisfied with Council Support for community during pandemic

o   73% who contact Council rated response good or excellent

o   20% of residents volunteered or helped in community

o   93% no volunteering experience before pandemic

Public Health

·       The Pan Berkshire agreement had been in place since 2013 and the outcome of the review commissioned in Autumn 2019 would mean a move to a East/West split across Berkshire. The new model would increase capacity and provide more local access to the Director of Public Health. There would be:

o   One Director Public Health for Bracknell Forest, Windsor & Maidenhead and Slough (hosted by Bracknell Forest)

• One Director of Public Health for Reading, Wokingham and West Berkshire
• Two core shared teams (East hosted by Bracknell Forest)
• Local Consultant lead teams retained (and enhanced with government financial support)
• East Berkshire – Clinical Commissioning Group collaborative co-funding Director of Public Health to increase integration with Health

·       Joint Working blue print was agreed with Clinical Commissioning Group with initial plans to develop joint commissioning capability. The roadmap pointed to closer integration in other support service areas and was endorsed by Executive and Clinical Commissioning Group Place Committee.

Planning and Transport

·       Government Consultation on Planning for Future was made up of two consultations: fundamental changes to system and technical changes to current system and housing numbers. The Council’s response was submitted emphasising need for local democracy and accountability

·       Changes to supported bus network agreed (based on pre-COVID passenger data) with Route 299 extended to allow withdrawal of Route 162/162A. This would result in annual saving of around £125,000. The procurement plan had been agreed for new services.

Heathlands

·       The procurement process had been agreed for care provider for dementia nursing care and ‘hotel services’ to complete offer for the new 66 bed health and care joint venture. Frimley Health would provide 20 bed Intermediate Care.

Joint Venture Business Plan

·       Joint Venture with Countryside already agreed to develop key sites around town centre after extensive procurement

The report contained recommendations that the Council was asked to resolve in respect of the following matter:

·       Joint Venture Business Plan

Councillor Temperton sought confirmation that with the amalgamation of bus services residents who would no longer have access to bus services would be able to access a dial-a-ride community bus service. In response to Councillor Turrell, Executive Member for Planning and Transport explained that the Council’s review aimed to tailor services to actual usage and the areas referred to had light usage. The provision of services through community transport providers was being considered with further detail to be resolved.

Councillor Temperton asked whether a central multi-use hall and good size recreation space would be prioritised in Phase Two of the Joint Venture Project. In response Councillor Brunel-Walker, Executive Member for Economic Development and Regeneration explained that the plans and business case for Phase Two were under development and agreed to work with her separately to see what could be done.

On the proposition of Councillor Bettison OBE, Leader of the Council, seconded by Councillor D Birch it was

RESOLVED that:

(i)             the first proposed JV Business Plan for the Bracknell Forest Limited Liability Partnership joint venture between the Council and Countryside Properties (UK) Ltd as set out in Annex A/A1 and confidential Annex B of the Joint Venture Business Plan report be approved;

(ii)            the proposed Site Development Plan for Coopers Hill for “Bracknell Forest Limited Liability Partnership”, including land drawdown where conditions have been met as set out in confidential Annex C of the Joint Venture Business Plan report and the Council’s equal share of funding needed to undertake this development of up to £2.25m be approved; and

(iii)         the formal Incorporation of the JV and execution of the associated legal contract documentation for “Bracknell Forest Limited Liability Partnership JV” be noted to take place in December 2020.