Agenda and draft minutes

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

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.

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

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.

There were no Urgent Items of Business.

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

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.

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

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.

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.