Agenda item

Purpose: To set out the proposed updated Recovery and Renewal Strategy.

Resolved that:

2.1   The Strategy set out at Appendix B be approved.

2.2   It be noted that the Strategy has been reflected within the Council Strategy Refresh (2019-2023) which was approved by Council on May 4^th.

2.3   Any Recovery funding that is made available is focused on implementing the actions set out in the attached Strategy.

This decision is eligible to be ‘called-in’.  However, if the decision has not been ‘called-in’ by 5.00pm on 17 June 2021, then it will be implemented.

The Executive considered a report (Agenda Item 6), proposed by Councillor Lynne Doherty, which updated the previous Covid-19 Recovery Strategy, which had been approved in June 2020. Councillor Doherty noted that the update strengthened the Council’s focus on addressing inequalities, established seven new priorities, and set out in greater detail the actions moving forward.

Councillor Jo Stewart spoke in support of the report, specifically on the provisions for adult social care, which had been adversely affected by the pandemic, and on mental health and emotional wellbeing, which had been affected by the effects of lockdown, as well as unemployment and grief. The Surviving to Thriving initiative was also highlighted, and Councillors were encouraged to support it and reach out to local groups.

Councillor Alan Macro, noting the mentions of digital technology in the Strategy, highlighted those in the community that lacked the means or confidence to use digital technology, and asked that they should continue to have adequate access to services through the conventional routes. Additionally, he raised the challenges to shops and high streets in towns and villages outside of Newbury, Thatcham and Hungerford, and asked that they receive the same support offered to the retail sector in the Strategy.

Councillor Doherty responded, agreeing with the need to make resources fully accessible to those who did not have access to digital technology, and highlighted access to affordable superfast broadband and providing digital technology to schools as priorities. On shops, she highlighted the £140,000 available as a ‘welcome back’ fund for small businesses and that the criteria for accessing that fund would be specifically open to those outside of the larger towns.

Councillor Tony Vickers, referred to the promotion of active lifestyles in the Strategy and asked if the Winter Service Plan could be reviewed to give more priority to footways and cycleways to enable people to use them more. Councillor Doherty responded that £500,000 had been set aside specifically for recovery projects and that bids could be submitted to the Recovery Panel for those improvements. Councillor Somner made a note to follow up.

Councillor Jeff Brooks, noted the focus on new ways of working in the Strategy and asked for assurances that these would not become the way people worked in the future without proper consideration of how services were delivered, and a consultation to confirm that these new practices were preferred. He also asked for the Strategy to be revisited later in the year to reassess the recovery and how it was changing.

Councillor Doherty responded, stating that new ways of working was now part of Councillor Cole’s portfolio, and that new ways of working that were brought into place due to Covid-19 would be reviewed in line with residents, and that consulting with residents was part of the Communication and Engagement Strategy. On reviewing the Recovery Strategy, Councillor Doherty believed that the plan needed to be delivered first and foremost, but that it was not set in stone and would respond to the findings of the Local Outbreak Engagement Board and changes in Covid-19 demands, and that it would therefore be revisited and reviewed.

Councillor Erik Pattenden congratulated Councillor Doherty and Councillor Boeck for recognising the inadequacy of the Government’s catch-up programme, as each pupil was being offered £50, in comparison to £1,800 in the United States and £2,500 in Sweden, and asked how much the Executive believed each pupil should be offered. Councillor Doherty responded that the catch-up programme was not inadequate, but it did not go far enough, and that rather than looking at per pupil funding, she was looking holistically at how it addressed inequalities across the country and provided targeted support, such as the recovery funding for disabled and SEN students, in an environment in which the pandemic had reduced the information available.

Councillor Pattenden asked about the support for young people, specifically those not in education, employment or training (NEETs) and asked what would happen if that support was not actioned. Councillor Doherty replied that the Council had taken note of NEETs and had provided additional resources to help them into employment, and West Berkshire, as a result, had one of the lowest numbers of NEETs in the country.

Councillor Carolyne Culver asked whether the Council would lobby the Government to ensure provision for young people went directly to the schools and teachers rather than to consultants, and paid tribute to local volunteers who assisted local residents during the pandemic. Councillor Doherty responded that Matt Pearce, the Head of Public Health, was building on relations with local volunteers and consulting with them on how the Council could better support them. On the tuition programme, Councillor Doherty pledged to speak with schools on the issue.

Councillor Adrian Abbs, following up on the digital technology issue, noted that he had heard both criticism and praise from local residents on access to digital services such as the booking system and asked for more work to be done to address the divide between the ‘digital rich’ and ‘digital poor’, and noted that the Council needed to be careful on the decline of service uptake such as recycling due to digital transition. Councillor Doherty responded that recycling rates had held, but agreed with the point about access to digital technology, and offering alternatives to those who were not able to access or use digital platforms.

Councillor Ross Mackinnon seconded the report, noting that the themes in the report and the Recovery Strategy matched the themes in his Economic Development Strategy, and paid tribute to the Council’s Officers.

RESOLVED that:

(1)       The Strategy set out at Appendix B be approved.

(2)       It be noted that the Strategy had been reflected within the Council Strategy Refresh (2019- 2023) which had been approved by Council on 4th May 2021.

(3)       Any Recovery funding that was made available would be focused on implementing the actions set out in the attached Strategy.

Other options considered: None.