Agenda and minutes

Executive - Tuesday, 23 April 2024 5.30 pm

Venue: Council Chamber - Time Square, Market Street, Bracknell, RG12 1JD

Contact: Hannah Harding  01344 352308

Media

Items
No. Item

83a

Election of Chair

Minutes:

RESOLVED that Councillor Jefferies be elected Chair of the Executive for this meeting.

83.

Declarations of Interest

Members are asked to declare any Disclosable Pecuniary or Affected Interests in respect of any matter to be considered at this meeting.

 

Any Member with a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest in a matter should withdraw from the meeting when the matter is under consideration and should notify the Democratic Services Officer in attendance that they are withdrawing as they have such an interest. If the Disclosable Pecuniary Interest is not entered on the register of Members interests the Monitoring Officer must be notified of the interest within 28 days.

 

Any Member with an Affected Interest in a matter must disclose the interest to the meeting.  There is no requirement to withdraw from the meeting when the interest is only an affected interest, but the Monitoring Officer should be notified of the interest, if not previously notified of it, within 28 days of the meeting.

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest.

84.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 107 KB

To consider and approve the minutes of the meeting of the Executive held on 19 March 2024.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting of the Executive on 19 March 2024 together with the accompanying decision records be confirmed as a correct record.

85.

Urgent Items of Business

Minutes:

There were no Urgent Items of Business.

Executive Decisions and Decision Records pdf icon PDF 69 KB

The Executive considered the following items.  The decisions are recorded in the decision sheets attached to these minutes and summarised below:

Additional documents:

86.

Development of a New Housing Allocations Policy pdf icon PDF 98 KB

Proposed changes to the housing allocation policy were presented to Executive in November 2023, along with a draft of the new policy and the rationale for the proposed changes. Executive gave its approval to launch a period of public consultation to enable residents, service providers and local organisations to give their views on the key proposals.

This report provides the findings and responses to the public consultation on the proposed new housing allocation policy

Additional documents:

Minutes:

RESOLVEDthat

 

       i.         the outcome of the consultation on proposed changes to the Council’s Housing Allocation Policy is considered.

 

     ii.         the proposed changes set out in this report and the new Housing Allocations Policy appended to this report is approved.

 

    iii.         authority be Delegate to the Executive Director of People, in consultation with the Executive Member for Adult Services, Health and Housing, to make minor revisions to the Housing Allocation Policy, including changes required in future statutory guidance, as considered necessary to give effect to the operation of the Policy.

87.

Household Support Fund and Financial Hardship Action Plan pdf icon PDF 417 KB

To seek approval of the process to distribute additional grant funding received as part of the Household Support Fund. To update on the final outcomes of the Financial Hardship Action Plan.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

RESOLVED that

 

       i.         the Household Support Fund (phase five) be distributed through:

 

a)    Purchasing supermarket vouchers, or for opted schools to make equivalent arrangements, for children qualifying for Free School Meals in Bracknell Forest primary and secondary schools. Households will receive a £15 voucher per child per week of the holidays.

 

b)    Enhancing the Local Welfare Scheme provision, to expand the support available via applications from households in need of emergency help, where assistance cannot be accessed elsewhere.

 

c)     The provision of application-based grants to voluntary, community, and

faith sector organisations to build capacity and extend the reach of support to residents.

 

d)    Extending the incentivised debt support offer, where identified at-risk

households with a housing benefit overpayment, or council tax arrears, are offered up to £1,000 to reduce their debt alongside attending a debt management session.

 

e)    Additional discretionary payment to reduce the Council Tax liability to £0 for six months for those that receive 80% reduction in Council Tax due to being on the highest rate of disability benefit.

 

f)      Should any funding remain unspent toward the end of the grant period,

supermarket vouchers may be provided to properties identified in fuel poverty, particularly those who are in receipt of disability and/or carer benefits and/or EPC below E.

 

     ii.         note the outcomes of the financial hardship action plan and the longer-term

support available through business-as-usual services

88.

Biodiversity Action Plan 2024-2029 – Consultation Approval pdf icon PDF 127 KB

To seek approval of the draft Bracknell Forest Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) 2024-2029 as the basis for a 4-week public consultation

Additional documents:

Minutes:

RESOLVED that the draft Bracknell Forest Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) 2024-2029 and supporting summary document as the basis for a 4-week public Consultation is approved.

89.

Social Value Policy pdf icon PDF 76 KB

The adoption of a Social Value Policy to be applied across all Council commissioning and procurement, in line with the Social Value Act

Additional documents:

Minutes:

RESOLVEDthat

 

i.       the adoption of the new Social Value Policy (attachment 1) under the Local

Target methodology is approved.

 

ii.     the adoption of the Bracknell Forest Council Social Value Matrix (attachment 2), developed by the Bracknell Forest community is approved, to operate as the Council’s current Local Targets under the Policy. The Matrix is not fixed and the specific targets will be reviewed annually and adjusted to reflect the changing needs of the community.