Agenda and draft minutes

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 11 September 2024.

It was noted that there was a typo in the minutes relating to Royal Holloway University.

Subject to this amendment it was RESOLVED that the minutes of the Council meeting held on 11 September 2024 be approved and signed by the Mayor as a correct record.

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.

Councillor Barnard declared an interest in agenda item 7 in relation to the recommendation on the Warfield Community Hub as Chair of Warfield Parish Council and would leave the room for the item.

Councillor Harrison declared an interest in agenda item 7 in relation to the recommendation on the Warfield Community Hub as a member of Warfield Parish Council and would leave the room for the item.

The Mayor reported on her activities and events attended since the last Council

meeting.

As part of the Mayors announcements, Councillors Egglestone and Virgo provided an update on the Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

To receive a presentation from Bracknell BID.

Council received a presentation from Ian Ferguson & Maria Sabey on behalf of Bracknell BID (Business Improvement District) - Bracknell BID Presentation

The Leader, Councillor Temperton, congratulated Bracknell BID on their ballot result and on all the work undertaken for Bracknell Forest, in particular in regard to climate change.

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 9 (Public Participation), a petition has been submitted by Darren Bridgman on behalf of the Acoustic Couch CIC.

The full text of the petition is set out below:

This is a petition to the local council and councillors to ask them to help find the music venue and rehearsal room a new home and save a unique part of music culture in Bracknell.

The Acoustic Couchwill present a written petition to the meeting, together with an online petition available via https:/ /www.change.org/p/find-a-new-home-for-the-acoustic-couch-cic

A petition was presented to Council by Jaen Amber on behalf of the Acoustic Couch CIC in relation to finding a new music venue and rehearsal space following the closure of High Street Car park and the relocation of all the units beneath the car park.

Following the presentation of the petition, Council were given the opportunities to ask factual questions of the petitioner, of which the responses are summarised below:

·       The petition was started by a regular attendee of the Acoustic Couch who didn’t want it to close.

·       Affordability was one of the biggest issues for the Acoustic Couch, as they had looked at a number of venues in the Lexicon which were too expensive as the Acoustic Couch was non profit and run by volunteers.

·       It was thought that South Hill Park wouldn’t have a big enough venue to offer.

·       Bands and performers would tend to contact the Acoustic Couch to perform there.

·       Acoustic Couch required help from the Council to find affordable accommodation.

Councillor Smith raised a point of order in regards to the final paragraph under section 16 in the public participation scheme which set out referring a report on the submission to the Cabinet or other committee and when the appropriate time to do this was.

On the proposition of Councillor Bidwell, Cabinet Member for Economy and Regeneration, and seconded by Councillor Barnard, it was:

RESOLVED that an officer update report be brought to the Cabinet.

To receive the Leader’s report on the work of the Cabinet since the Council meeting held on 11 September 2024.

Council is asked to resolve a recommendation in respect of:

·       Warfield Community Hub

• Community Safety Plan 2025-28
• Youth Justice Plan 2024-27

The leader of the council, Councillor Temperton, presented her report on the work of

the Cabinet since that reported at the Council meeting on 11 September 2024. The Cabinet had met three times, on the 17 September, 15 October and 12 November.

The leader highlighted the matters that had been considered within her presentation:

Cabinet Report - Leader's Presentation

Arising from a question regarding devolution, Councillor Temperton stated that all Berkshire authorities believed they would be able to work together if required. There had been suggestion that Berkshire may be too small for a devolved authority but at present there were still many unknowns.

In response to a question about the high spend of the high needs block and whether this would derail the Safety Valve project the Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, Councillor Bailey, confirmed that he was confident that the project was on track and was confident that the new specialist provisions being built in Bracknell would have the required spaces required.

In response to a question regarding the temporary borrowing required for the Warfield Community Hub, the Cabinet Member for Leisure, Culture, Public Protection and Democracy, Councillor Jefferies confirmed that he would provide a technical response in writing to Councillors.

Councillor Temperton confirmed that the car parking charges would not be raised twice in six months, and that going forward the charges would form part of the budget process and that the increase in the car parking charges would help fund towards the very tight budget.

The report contained recommendations that the council was asked to resolve in

respect of the following:

·       Warfield Community Hub

·       Community Safety Plan 2025-28

·        Youth Justice Plan 2024-27

Warfield Community Hub

On the proposition of Councillor Jefferies, Cabinet Members for Leisure, Culture, Public Protection and Democracy and seconded by Councillor Watts it was

RESOLVED that Council approve an in-year supplementary capital approval of £13.7m to enable the scheme to be progressed as part of the capital programme, noting that this is the total scheme costs to be joint funded (50:50) by Bracknell Forest Council and Warfield Parish Council using s106 and Community Infrastructure Levy funding with some temporary borrowing.

Community Safety Plan 2025-28

On the proposition of Councillor Purnell, Cabinet Member for the Environment, Community and Housing and seconded by Councillor Temperton it was

RESOLVED that the Community Safety Plan 2025-28 is approved.

Youth Justice Plan 2024-27

On the proposition of Councillor Purnell, Cabinet Member for the Environment, Community and Housing and seconded by Councillor Watts it was

RESOLVED that the Youth Justice Plan 2024-27 is approved and noted that the Youth Justice Plan 2024-27 is expected to be delivered by utilising external and internal funding, including £36,111 of time limited grant funding.

To received a verbal update on SEND from Councillor Bailey, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People.

Councillor Bailey, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People provided an update on SEND.

In response to a question raised about the letter recently delivered to the council from parents regarding SEND provision, the cabinet member was asked to elaborate on what actions specifically were being taken to address the concerns raised. The cabinet member, Councillor Bailey stated that the letter had been taken very seriously, and a number of decisions with senior officers had taken place with a focus throughout in seeing in whether there were any patterns in what was being said. The cabinet member would also be looking to see if there were any patterns with the outcome of the carer’s forum survey. He assured council that he and officers were looking at every bit of evidence to make sure it was fully understood so that it could be responded to in a timely way.

In responding to a question regarding progress of SEND and whether 3 years after the inspection the progress should be further than what it currently was, the cabinet member said he was painfully aware of the distress and frustration caused by some of the parents referred too. He stated that there was a whole range of complexities but what parents expected was a timely response, an empathetic response and a response that set reasonable expectations. The system was broken and broken across the country, but he was keen to take away the issues that weren’t affected by finance. It was important for parents to be listened too and he was confident that the response letters being sent out now have the right balance. The cabinet member was aware that there were still a number of frustrated parents and he would not ignore them.

The Cabinet Member would circulate the “what is a SEND officer” around to Councillors.

Council to note the Standards outputs in 2023/24.

Council considered and noted the Standards outputs in 2023/24 as set out in appendix B of the report.

To approve the proposed Council budget meeting procedure rules.

The Council considered the report regarding a set of Council Budget Meeting Procedure Rules.

On the proposition of Councillor O’Regan, Chair of the Governance and Audit Committee seconded by Councillor Karim it was

RESOLVED that the Council approve the Council budget procedure rules.

To approve the proposed Schedule of Meetings 2025/26.

The Council considered the report regarding the Schedule of meetings 2025/26.

On the proposition of Councillor Jefferies, Cabinet Member for Leisure, Culture, Public Protection and Democracy and seconded by Councillor Gillbe it was

RESOLVED that the Council approve the schedule of meetings 2025/26.

To approve membership changes in accordance with the wishes of the labour group and to appoint Diana Anderson to the vacant independent co-opted member seat on the Governance and Audit Committee.

The Council considered the report regarding Proportionality and membership.

On the proposition of Councillor Temperton, Cabinet Member for Council Strategy and Climate Change and Leader of the Council and seconded by Councillor Watts it was

RESOLVED that

i.       Council approves the appointments to committees and other groups as set out below in accordance with the wishes of the labour group:

·       Governance and Audit Committee – Cllr Pressland

·       Overview and Scrutiny Commission – Cllr Pressland

·       Planning Committee – Cllr Pressland

·       Planning Committee – Cllr Temperton to replace Cllr Egglestone

·       Great Hollands Community Association – Cllr Pressland

ii.     Council approves the appointment of Diana Anderson as the Governance and Audit Committee independent co-opted member for four years until 27 November 2028;

iii.    Council recommends to the Overview & Scrutiny Commission the appointment of Cllr Pressland to the Education, Skills and Growth Overview

and Scrutiny Panel and the Environment and Communities Overview and Scrutiny Panel;

iv.    Council receives notice from the leader of the council of decisions made under her delegated authority as required by the constitution, and set out below:

·       Establishment of the Community Resilience and Cohesion Partnership (CRCP);

·       Appointment of Cllr Purnell to the CRCP in her capacity as the cabinet member for environment, community and housing;

·       Appointment of Cllr Pressland to the Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education (SACRE).

v.     Council notes that Donna Pressland was elected to the Great Hollands ward on 7 November 2024 and has taken up a labour seat on the council.

vi.    Council notes that no review of the political proportionality of the council is required as a result of the by-election.

(i)         By Councillor McLean to Councillor Temperton, Cabinet Member for Council Strategy and Climate Change

How does the Leader of the Council define to the residents of Whitegrove and Warfield Park what constitutes a “Working Person”.

(ii)        By Councillor S Forster to Councillor Wright, Cabinet Member for Adult Services Health & Housing

Can the Cabinet Member give an update on what is being done to encourage the Department of Health and Social Care and the NHS, specifically the Frimley Integrated Care Board, to ensure that there are sufficient pharmacy facilities in Bracknell Forest? I am asking this question because:

·       All of our residents needing medication depend on pharmacies. Furthermore, the government proposes that pharmacies are to play a much bigger role in relation to diagnosis and prescription going forwards. This will be vital to getting the NHS back on its feet, and delivering the health services we all need.

·       Some pharmacies have closed, and others have reduced their opening hours. For example, the largest pharmacy in Bracknell town centre closes earlier than nearby GP practices, meaning that some patients are unable to promptly collect prescribed medication after visiting their GP. 

·       According to a recent BBC report, the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has reported that Bracknell Forest is among the bottom five council areas with the least number of pharmacies per 100,000 people. 

(iii)       By Councillor Barnard to Councillor Bailey, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People:

Special educational needs provision is a significant worry for many in Bracknell Forest.

Parents and carers have raised legitimate concerns about the effectiveness of the case management process and difficulties updating Education, Health and Care Plans.

Parents and carers have submitted feedback to the Council, highlighting the need for improvements, the reported overspending of £8m in SEN and the delayed building of a new SEN school at Bucklers Park.

We request the Cabinet Member for Special Educational Needs provides a comprehensive written report on the state of the case management system used by the Council.  Specifically, we want to understand how this system supports timely case management and keeps parents, carers and schools informed throughout the process.

Finally, we ask that the Overview and Scrutiny Commission carries out a review of the Council’s Special Educational Needs service, as a matter of urgency

(iv)       By Councillor M Forster to Councillor Neil, Cabinet Member for Finance & Corporate Improvement:

Can the Cabinet Member set out the impact on the Council's financial position of the Autumn Budget Statement by the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

(iv)       By Councillor Allen to Councillor Neil, Cabinet Member for Finance & Corporate Improvement:

Has any work been done to calculate the potential increase in costs to the Council due to the recent changes in the latest budget by the Labour government.  All employers will be affected by the increase in the National Minimum Wage.  Whilst public sector organisations are “exempt” from the increases in employer National Insurance contributions, private sector organisations, who we contract services from either directly or through Personal  ...  view the full agenda text for item 34.

The five questions and responses submitted under the Council Procedure Rule 10

were published in advance of the meeting –Responses to questions submitted under Council Procedure Rule 10

(i)             By Councillor McLean to Councillor Temperton, Cabinet Member for Council Strategy and Climate Change

As a supplementary to his question detailed in the agenda papers Councillor McLean asked the Leader to define what a working person was.

Councillor Temperton, Cabinet Member for Council Strategy and Climate Change and Leader of the Council suggested that residents write directly to the government in order to get a direct response regarding the definition rather than her response.

(ii)            By Councillor Sophie Forster to Councillor Wright, Cabinet Member for Adult Services Health & Housing

As a supplementary to her question detailed in the agenda papers Councillor Sophie Forster asked the Cabinet Member what the council did to support residents needs as this was unclear in the response and whilst the pharmaceuticals needs assessment (PNA) appeared to indicate sufficient provision, the message being received from residents was that access to pharmaceutical provision is increasingly difficult. It was asked whether the Cabinet Member acknowledged the gap between the PNA and the experience of residence and whether the cabinet member could commit to formally lobbying for increased provision for our residents when the revised PNA is carried out?

Councillor Wright, Cabinet Member for Adult Services Health & Housing, explained that the pharmaceuticals needs assessment (PNA) was undertaken every three years, and in the time between the previous PNA and now there had been changes from central government in relation to opening hours which may have caused some of the issues. The cabinet member confirmed that she would lobby for more accessibility and when the next PNA was undertaken it would be ensured that there was even coverage across the borough. The cabinet member asked Councillors to raise any concerns about specific pharmacies directly with her.

(iii)           By Councillor Barnard to Councillor Bailey, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People

As a supplementary to his question detailed in the agenda papers Councillor Barnard asked the Cabinet Member whether he would work with Councillor Watts and cross party councillors to review the councils special educational needs service as a matter of urgency.

Councillor Bailey confirmed that he would.  

(iv)       By Councillor M Forster to Councillor Neil, Cabinet Member for Finance & Corporate Improvement

No supplementary question was asked.

(iv)       By Councillor Allen to Councillor Neil, Cabinet Member for Finance & Corporate Improvement

As a supplementary to his question detailed in the agenda papers Councillor Allen asked the Cabinet Member that as the response stated that the inflationary figures included in the draft budget will be indicative and given that we need to set a budget by March how long do we expect it to be before we have something more concrete and was the Cabinet Member also aware that cabinet aware member aware that the Town and Parish councils were not exempt from the National Insurance increase.

As Councillor Neil, Cabinet Member  ...  view the full minutes text for item 34.

Motion 06/2024 moved by Councillor Allen and seconded by Councillor Barnard

This Council notes that approximately 16,471 pensioners in Bracknell have had the Winter Fuel Payment taken away from them and only those who qualify for certain, limited means-tested benefits will continue to receive it.

This Council believes that the criticism of this decision from Age UK and other charities highlights the social injustice, risks to health and wellbeing, and financial hardship posed by this sudden policy change.

This Council believes that cutting the Winter Fuel Payment, with little warning and inadequate compensatory measures, will hurt local pensioners and is a damaging policy decision.

Therefore, this Council:

1. notes the good work being done by the Council and our community partners to help those pensioners most in need and signpost them towards available benefits;
2. instructs their Leader of the Council to write to the Chancellor of the Exchequer and local Members of Parliament, to demand a review of the decision to means-test the Winter Fuel Payment, in order to protect vulnerable pensioners;
3. will sign the 'Save the Winter Fuel Payment for struggling pensioners' petition being run by Age UK and write to all Bracknell Forest and local Town and Parish councillors, giving them the opportunity to do the same.

Motion 06/2024 was moved by Councillor Allen and seconded by Councillor Barnard as follows:

This Council notes that approximately 16,471 pensioners in Bracknell have had the Winter Fuel Payment taken away from them and only those who qualify for certain, limited means-tested benefits will continue to receive it.

This Council believes that the criticism of this decision from Age UK and other charities highlights the social injustice, risks to health and wellbeing, and financial hardship posed by this sudden policy change.

This Council believes that cutting the Winter Fuel Payment, with little warning and inadequate compensatory measures, will hurt local pensioners and is a damaging policy decision.

Therefore, this Council:

1.     notes the good work being done by the Council and our community partners to help those pensioners most in need and signpost them towards available benefits;

2.     instructs their Leader of the Council to write to the Chancellor of the Exchequer and local Members of Parliament, to demand a review of the decision to means-test the Winter Fuel Payment, in order to protect vulnerable pensioners;

3.     will sign the 'Save the Winter Fuel Payment for struggling pensioners' petition being run by Age UK and write to all Bracknell Forest and local Town and Parish councillors, giving them the opportunity to do the same.

An amendment to the motion was proposed and seconded by Councillors Temperton

and Pickering respectively as follows: (red is amended wording)

Amended Motion

Due to the £22bn blackhole in public finances left by the last Conservative government, this Council notes that approximately 16,471 pensioners in Bracknell have had the Winter Fuel Payment taken away from them, and only those who qualify for certain means-tested benefits will continue to receive it.

This Council believes that the criticism of this decision from Age UK and other charities highlights the social injustice, risks to health and wellbeing, and financial hardship posed by this sudden policy change.

This Council recognises that cutting the Winter Fuel Payment, with little warning and inadequate compensatory measures, will hurt local pensioners and is a damaging policy decision, will impact some local pensioners.

Therefore, this Council:

1.     Notes the good work being done by the Council and our community partners to help those pensioners most in needand signpost them towards available benefits including:

·       identifying eligible residents who are not claiming pension credit and pro-actively engaging to assist them in receiving this support;

·       pro-actively contacting affected residents to sign-post them towards other available benefits they may be entitled to claim;

·       providing additional food vouchers for vulnerable pensioners who are losing winter fuel payments (£59k allocated);

·       allocating an additional £140k to Adult Social Care for further support to vulnerable residents not eligible for winter fuel payments.

2.     Commits to ensure funding is included for the council’s Financial Inclusion Team to continue to support our most vulnerable residents in 24/25 and future budgets.

instructs their Leader of the Council to write to the Chancellor of the Exchequer and local Members of Parliament, to demand a review of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 35.