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

12.

Minutes of Previous Meeting pdf icon PDF 122 KB

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the Annual meeting of the Council held on 24 May 2023.

Minutes:

 

It was noted that there was an error in the minutes that referred to King Charles II rather than King Charles III, this would be amended.

 

RESOLVED that, subject to the above amendment, the minutes of the Annual Council meeting held on 24 May 2023 be approved and signed by the Mayor as a correct record.

13.

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 Christoph Eberle declared an Affected Interest in agenda item 7, as he was employed by a company that sometimes delivered engineering services to Thames Water.

14.

Mayor's Announcements

Minutes:

The Mayor gave an overview on her past seven weeks since being made Mayor, which had been a privilege and a pleasure.

 

As promised, the Mayor had attended as many events, local charity events and AGMs as possible, such as:

 

Visiting the Fire and Rescue Services in Newbury which,who did such a valuable wonderful job and couldn’t be commanded enough.

 

Locally in Bracknell Forest, HomeStart Charity had their 30th birthday, a charity who had previously helped the Mayor and a fellow Councillor, which brought the message home how everyone was in need of help from time to time. They were a wonderful organisation working in Bracknell Forest, with an army of volunteers from the community who were there to help and support when required.

 

The Mayor had attended Newbold College graduation, a Christian Ministry college who’s education was based on Christian teaching which had been a wonderful and beautiful experience as a Muslim Mayor.

 

Citizenship ceremonies had been another very valuable service that the Mayor had gotten to be involved in, and during a recent ceremony thirteen different nationalities had come together to accept their British Citizenship and making Britain, and Bracknell Forest, their home.

 

The recent Cultures and Communities Day held by Bracknell Forest Council had been a commendable effort to bring so many communities of Bracknell Forest together through food, music and dance.

 

The Mayor stated that so far she had attended twenty five events with three more to attend before the end of July and had been supported by Councillors Pickering and Watts.

 

15.

Executive Report pdf icon PDF 74 KB

To receive the Leader’s report on the work of the Executive since the Council meeting held on 24 May 2023.

 

Council is asked to resolve a recommendation in respect of:

 

·        Part Refurbishment of Bracknell Leisure Centre

 

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Leader of the Council, Councillor Temperton, presented the report on the work

of the Executive since that reported at the Council meeting on 19 April 2023. The

Executive had met once on the 20 June 2023.

The Leader highlighted the following matters that had been considered:

Culture, Delivery and Public Protection | Part Refurbishment of Bracknell Leisure Centre

·   Additional investment into Bracknell Leisure Centre, combining borrowing and the release of section 106 funding as outlined in option 2 of the paper was agreed.

·   Bracknell Leisure Centre was a strategic council asset and was at the core of providing sporting and leisure opportunities for the borough’s residents and visitors delivered by Everyone Active.

·   Investment into the service offer was critical if it was to remain relevant, up-to-date and attractive to existing and potential visitors.

 

Councillor Harrison asked what the plans were regarding consulting the Bracknell Forest residents on spending money on the leisure facilities. Councillor Jefferies, Executive Member for Culture, Delivery and Public, responded that the first stage of the process would focus on the existing structure, but a Sport and Leisure Strategy would be brought forward to look at a replacement of the current leisure centre.

Children, Young People & Learning | SEND Strategy 2023-2025

·   Progress made on implementing the SEND written statement of action to improve services to children and families had been noted.

·   The council had secured £1m through the Government’s Delivering Better Value in SEND programme and secured DfE commitment to build a new specialist Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) special school in the borough.

·   The release of £350,000 from the council’s corporate contingency, included in the 2023/24 budget, had been approved to fund additional short-term staffing capacity within the SEND team.

 

Councillor Barnard asked about the welcome investment of the £350,000 from the council’s corporate contingency for short term recruitment in SEN and whether recruitment of the right people for these roles would be possible, as he had recently attended a conference where there had been issues raised about recruitment of specialists in these areas. Councillor Temperton, Leader of the Council, responded that the Council were already out to recruit in these areas, and it was looking positive.

The Executive Director: People, Grainne Siggins, would provide a detailed response on the recruitment outside of the meeting.

Councillor Temperton also confirmed that progress would be reported in the quarterly reports, which would now be going to the Overview and Scrutiny Commission ahead of Executive for the first time ever.

Council Strategy and Climate Change | Financial Hardship Action Plan Update

·   Initiatives to address the local cost of living challenges to be delivered over the next 100 days had been endorsed and accelerated.

·   The existing Financial Hardship Action Plan would be reviewed with a report back to Executive in autumn ahead of winter 2023.

·   There continues to be significant financial pressures facing many households in the borough, addressing this was a priority for the new administration.

·   The recommendations provided continued and enhanced support to those most in need.

 

Council  ...  view the full minutes text for item 15.

16.

Questions Submitted Under Council Procedure Rule 10 pdf icon PDF 72 KB

(i)         By Councillor Gaw to Councillor Gillbe, Executive Member for Planning and Transport

 

(a)        Can the Executive Member give an update on the progress of the Draft Local Plan, relative to its previously agreed timetable for consultation and implementation?

 

(ii)        By Thomas Parker to Councillor Temperton, Leader and Executive Member for Council Strategy and Climate Change

 

(a)        As part of the last administration a review of the Member’s Code of Conduct was completed. Whilst this made some slight progress, the behaviours of members towards other Councillors and Officers did not substantially improve as the Code lacked teeth and the ‘tone from the top’ did not sufficiently ensure that it was embedded and that the culture changed.

 

Will the new Council administration commit to the following?:

 

·        A full review of the Member’s Code of Conduct so that it is strengthened and reinforces a higher standard of behaviour that the public expect from their elected officials;

 

·        Strengthening the rules on disclosable interests so that all there is more transparency of any member’s personal financial gain derived from their position at the Council (excluding their allowances);

 

·        Ensuring that a new culture is fostered both at the member and officer level so that the new Code can be properly embedded; and

 

·        A more robust process for holding members to account where these standards are not met

 

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

 

Councillor Gaw asked Councillor Gillbe, Executive Member for Planning and Transport the following published question:

 

Can the Executive Member give an update on the progress of the Draft Local Plan, relative to its previously agreed timetable for consultation and implementation?

 

In response, Councillor Gillbe, Executive Member for Planning and Transport provided the following published response:

 

Following the decisions of the Executive 21 March 2023, officers have been working on the Modifications to the Local Plan in line with the Local Plan Inspectors letter received 19th January. I have agreed with the Executive Director Place Planning and Regeneration that the draft modifications should be forwarded to the Planning Inspectorate, for agreement prior to public consultation. 

 

The Inspectors have been provided with the modified plan and will be reviewing the Council’s modifications and will come back to the Council in due course, confirming whether the Council should consult, or whether further modifications are required. It is anticipated that due to the Inspectors workloads and holidays that they will come back to the council over the summer period. It is likely that consultation on the modifications will take place following the summer holiday period. This is broadly in accordance with the timeframe set out in the report to the Executive in March, albeit the Council is now in the hands of the Inspectorate as to when consultation can commence.

 

Councillor Gaw asked Councillor Gillbe, Executive Member for Planning and Transport the following supplementary question:

 

What, if any, site additions, deletions or amendments in addition to those demanded by the Inspector, have been included and submitted with the modified plan?

 

In response Councillor Gillbe confirmed that the draft only differed to the original draft under the emerging Local Plan in as so far that it removes the Jealott's Hill site allocation as per the Inspectors letter and therefore followed the agreement of the Executive in March under the last administration.

 

Resident Thomas Parker asked Councillor Temperton, Leader and Executive Member for Council Strategy and Climate Change the following published question:

 

As part of the last administration a review of the Member’s Code of Conduct was completed. Whilst this made some slight progress, the behaviours of members towards other Councillors and Officers did not substantially improve as the Code lacked teeth and the ‘tone from the top’ did not sufficiently ensure that it was embedded and that the culture changed.

 

Will the new Council administration commit to the following?:

 

1.   A full review of the Member’s Code of Conduct so that it is strengthened and reinforces a higher standard of behaviour that the public expect from their elected officials;

2.   Strengthening the rules on disclosable interests so that all there is more transparency of any member’s personal financial gain derived from their position at the Council (excluding their allowances);

3.   Ensuring that a new culture is fostered both at the member and officer level so that the new Code can be properly embedded; and

·     A more robust process for holding members to account where  ...  view the full minutes text for item 16.

17.

Motions Submitted Under Council Procedure Rule 11

Motion 03/2023 moved by Councillor Virgo and seconded by Councillor Barnard

 

Bracknell Forest Council recognises that many residents are extremely concerned about sewage discharges, specifically those flowing from Thames Water facility works in our Borough, into streams and water courses. These concerns have been amplified by the recent news over financial problems at Thames Water. The Council commits to work to examine and support the tightening of regulations, through the work of the Executive and Overview and Scrutiny, to help end this harmful process, that is destroying both the environment and our wildlife.

 

 

Motion 04/2023 moved by Councillor Harrison and seconded by Councillor Hayes

 

The Council:

 

1. Commends the progress made by Bracknell Forest Council's Public Protection Partnership officers in detecting and prosecuting environmental crime such as fly tipping.

 

2.  Reaffirms its commitment to deterring and detecting fly tipping in the Borough by expanding the use of CCTV cameras in identified fly tipping hotspots.

 

3. The Council notes the revenue and capital budget underspends achieved in the 2022/23 financial year and invites the Executive to approve spending on further CCTV units and signage to protect further areas identified as vulnerable to illegal dumping of household or trade waste.

 

Minutes:

Motion 03/2023

 

Motion 03/2023 was moved and seconded by Councillor Virgo and Barnard respectively as follows:

 

Bracknell Forest Council recognises that many residents are extremely concerned about sewage discharges, specifically those flowing from Thames Water facility works in our Borough, into streams and water courses. These concerns have been amplified by the recent news over financial problems at Thames Water. The Council commits to work to examine and support the tightening of regulations, through the work of the Executive and Overview and Scrutiny, to help end this harmful process, that is destroying both the environment and our wildlife.

An amendment to the motion was proposed and seconded by Councillors M Forster and C Eberle respectively as follows:

Bracknell Forest Council recognises that many residents are extremely concerned about sewage discharges, specifically those flowing from Thames Water facility works in our Borough, into streams and water courses. These concerns have been amplified by the recent news over financial problems at Thames Water. Furthermore, the Council commits to work with other Local Authorities across the Thames Valley to challenge the failures of Thames Water to collectively minimise the environmental damage we are all facing.

Councillors Virgo and Barnard did not accept the proposed amendment and therefore the amendment was put to the vote.

On being put to the vote the amendment was carried and became the new substantive motion.

An amendment to the new substantive motion was proposed and seconded by Councillors Temperton and Virgo respectively as follows:

 

·   To add “the Council recommends that Overview and Scrutiny commits to work with other Local Authorities across the Thames Valley”

Councillors M Forster and C Eberle accepted the proposed amendment, and the substantive motion became:

 

Bracknell Forest Council recognises that many residents are extremely concerned about sewage discharges, specifically those flowing from Thames Water facility works in our Borough, into streams and water courses. These concerns have been amplified by the recent news over financial problems at Thames Water. Furthermore, the Council recommends that Overview and Scrutiny commits to work with other Local Authorities across the Thames Valley to challenge the failures of Thames Water to collectively minimise the environmental damage we are all facing.

On being put to the vote the new substantive motion was carried.

Motion 04/2023

Motion 04/2023 was moved and seconded by Councillor Harrison and Hayes MBE respectively as follows:

 

That the Council:

1.     Commends the progress made by Bracknell Forest Council's Public Protection Partnership officers in detecting and prosecuting environmental crime such as fly tipping.

 

2.     Reaffirms its commitment to deterring and detecting fly tipping in the Borough by expanding the use of CCTV cameras in identified fly tipping hotspots.

 

3.     The Council notes the revenue and capital budget underspends achieved in the 2022/23 financial year and invites the Executive to approve spending on further CCTV units and signage to protect further areas identified as vulnerable to illegal dumping of household or trade waste.

An amendment to the motion was proposed and seconded by Councillors Jefferies and Purnell respectively  ...  view the full minutes text for item 17.

 

Contact Information

Democratic services

Email: committee@bracknell-forest.gov.uk