Agenda and minutes

Venue: Time Square, Market Street, Bracknell, RG12 1JD

Contact: Hannah Harding  01344 352308

Link: This meeting will be a Hybrid meeting

Media

Items
No. Item

49.

Minutes of Previous Meeting pdf icon PDF 225 KB

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 22 February 2023.

Minutes:

RESOLVED that the minutes of the Council meeting held on 22 February 2023 be approved and signed by the Mayor as a correct record.

50.

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:

Councillor Heydon declared an disclosable pecuniary interest in agenda item 5, and would leave the Council Chamber for the duration of the item.

 

51.

Mayor's Announcements

Minutes:

Mayors Announcements

 

Mayor’s Opportunity Champion Awards Winners

 

The Mayor gave out his final Opportunity Champion Awards. The awards were presented to Keith Bunyan who runs Martins Heron Train station, Anna Kennedy the Headmistress of Warfield CofE Primary School and Georgina Morris, who was unable to attend in person, who had recently launched the monthly Repair Café in Crowthorne.

Royal Military Academy Sandhurst 200th Sovereign’s Parade

The Mayor reported he attended the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst 200th Sovereign’s Parade, which had been a huge honour to attend and a brilliant day for those passing out.

Coronation Celebration Plans

The Mayor provided an update on the Coronation events that would be happening on the 6 May. A live screening of the service at Westminster Abby would take place at Bond Square from 11am, which would be followed by a tea hosted by the Mayor in the Waitrose Café. A coronation crown made up of resident’s photos from across the borough was being displayed in Princess Square.

 

Libraries would be hosting a range of royal events to mark the coronation and the Mayor would by visiting as many street parties as possible on Sunday 7 May.

 

 

 

 

52.

Executive Report pdf icon PDF 97 KB

To receive the Leader’s report on the work of the Executive since the Council meeting held on 22 February 2023.

 

Council is asked to resolve a recommendation in respect of:

 

·       Local Authority Housing Fund

·       Joint Venture Business Plan Review

 

Minutes:

The Deputy Leader of the Council, Councillor Birch, presented the report on the work

of the Executive since that reported at the Council meeting on 22 February 2023. The

Executive had met once on the 21 March 2023.

 

The Deputy Leader highlighted the following matters that had been considered:

 

Planning and Transport | Proposed Main Modifications to the Bracknell Forest Local Plan

 

·       The making of Proposed Main Modifications to the Bracknell Forest Local Plan (Pre Submission version), and associated changes to the Policies Map had been agreed.

·       The Executive Director: Place, Planning and Regeneration, in consultation with the Executive Member for Planning and Transport, was authorised to agree the draft wording.

·       The Proposed Main Modifications to the Bracknell Forest Local Plan would be consulted on for a period of at least six weeks over the Summer of 2023.

 

Planning and Transport | Highways and Transport Capital Programme 2023/24

 

·       The overall Highways and Transport Capital Programme for 2023/24 had been approved.

·       The Highways and Transport Capital Programme for 2023/24 totalled £4.55m.

·       Over 75% of funding was derived from external sources.

·       The programme included further DfT funding for electric vehicle charging provision following a successful bid.

·       An increase in core capital contribution to £1.2m in 2023/24 had been included for road maintenance.

·       Developer contributions via S106 agreements and Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) supplemented the programme along with a local contribution from Borough Capital.

 

Planning and Transport | SANG capacity agreements between Bracknell Forest Council and Surrey Heath Borough Council

 

·       An agreement with Surrey Heath Borough Council (SHBC) had been agreed for land at Shepherd Meadows to serve as further Sustainable Alternative Natural Greenspace (SANG).

·       The Council would receive financial contributions at rates in line with the Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area Supplementary Planning Document.

·       This would support the continued maintenance and enhancement of the SANG.

 

Children, Young People & Learning | School Places Plan & Capital Strategy 2023-2028

 

·       The School Places Plan and Capacity Strategy 2023-2028 had been approved.

·       This would be published in April 2023.

·       The Council had a statutory duty to provide sufficient school places and an agreed vision.

·       Headteachers and Further Education providers had been consulted on what planning for school places should look like.

 

Children, Young People & Learning | Household Support Fund (Phase four)

 

·       The Household Support Fund (phase four) would be distributed through: 

·       Purchasing supermarket vouchers, or for opted schools to make equivalent arrangements. Households would receive a £15 voucher per child per week of the holidays.

·       Purchasing pre-paid cards or supermarket vouchers to distribute to low income households.

·       Enhancing the Local Welfare Scheme provision.

·       Providing application-based grants to the voluntary, community and faith sector organisations to provide direct support to residents.

 

Council Strategy & Community Cohesion | Council Plan Overview Report

 

·       The Executive noted the performance of the council over the period from October to December 2022 highlighted in the Overview Report.

 

Council Strategy & Community Cohesion | Service Plans 2023

 

·       The Executive endorsed the new service plans and agreed that they be published on the website in April  ...  view the full minutes text for item 52.

53.

Report of Overview and Scrutiny pdf icon PDF 85 KB

To receive a four-year report on progress made in respect of the operation and development of Overview and Scrutiny in Bracknell Forest during 2019 - 23.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Council considered the Overview and Scrutiny report 2022-23 which informed councillors of progress made in respect of the operation and development of overview and scrutiny in Bracknell Forest over the four-year period of the administration –2019-2023.

 

Councillor Angell, Chair of Overview and Scrutiny Commission reported that the Commission and its Panels had received support from Executive members, officers and external witnesses in terms of information provided and participation in activities. The report included statistics on activities including increased frequency of Commission meetings, review activities, officer and witness attendance. He thanked the Chair and Vice-Chairs of the Panels and officers for their hard work to deliver the work programme.

 

On the proposition of Councillor Angell, Chair of Overview and Scrutiny Commission, seconded by Councillor Virgo it was

 

RESOLVED that the 2019-2023 four-year report of the Overview and Scrutiny Commission be approved.

 

 

Contact Information

Democratic services

Email: committee@bracknell-forest.gov.uk