I wanted to provide your readers with the view of the Leader of the Opposition regarding how Wokingham Borough Council has performed during 2020.
It has been one of the most difficult years that many of us can remember. There are two areas at WBC in particular that deserve a big thank you both from Councillors and the public.
The Adult Social Care and Children’s Services areas have performed some of the most important roles this year, especially with regard to the Covid-19 Pandemic and how local people and Schools have been supported during this time. Their efforts should be applauded.
One area in particular, that has saved local people lives, was the action taken in early April to prevent patients, especially elderly patients, being discharged from either the Royal Berks, or Wokingham Hospitals into Care Homes without a clear negative test. This was the first such action by a Council in the country.
It, I believe, reduced the level of deaths in our local Care Homes. This action was followed closely by other Local Council’s across the Country including Reading Borough Council and predated the action taken on this topic by the Conservative Government by around two weeks.
Why the delay you might ask?
I would also like to thank the many members of WBC staff who have been prepared to move to other roles during the Pandemic and roll up their sleeves to make sure that we as local residents were safe, or provided with much-needed support, including food deliveries, collection of prescriptions and other.
Here I would also like to thank the Citizens Advice (CAB) for all their good work and to the local councillors (of all persuasions) who helped with the activities at St Crispin’s School earlier this year.
Many of these actions by the staff at WBC are despite the way the local Conservatives have run the Council over recent years.
Both departments I mentioned above (Adult Social Care and Children’s Services) were allowed to be run down in recent years and it has taken a monumental effort by those involved to perform the actions that has occurred.
I trust that lessons have been learnt, but these are two departments which the Liberal Democrats will provide additional support, should we have the opportunity to run the Council.
During the Pandemic, the Government has provided a number of different pots of money (Grants/loans etc) to support a range of activities. This included support for local businesses, care homes, schools and more recently funds for free school meals for the Christmas and February 2021 Half Terms.
Throughout the year my team has consistently supported these actions. The sums received were significant, but there are still many residents and businesses who have not received any, or only a small amount of support and I urge anyone still not receiving help or not sufficient help to contact the council.
I do raise one area of significant concern and that relates to the way the Conservatives have raised the level of borrowing (what I call debt) at WBC over the past four-five years and have further plans to increase this level even further towards £700 million in the not too distant future.
I believe this action is now stretching the Council’s ability to pay for these debts.
WBC has now got to raise additional income to pay off this debt and as the level of debt rises, the level of income required increases.
I see it like the position where a hamster is running in its wheel and has to run faster and faster just to stand still.
Of significant concern is that the last time I was shown the state of the finances at WBC by the Conservatives was in June.
It subsequently took over five months of lobbying senior members of the Council before any further information was provided concerning the state of the Council.
During 2020, the Country has experienced its greatest downturn in GDP in 300 years. Many Businesses have folded, others are struggling and unemployment is set to rise to 2.6Million by early summer.
The Council has also experienced a significant drop in income during this period, whether it is from leisure, car parking charges, rents and other income. I believe there needs to be a serious review as to how the Conservatives have been running the finances. If we are not careful we could experience significant financial problems.
I am sure you have seen many once popular and respected businesses now going into administration with all the problems that cause. Such a review would be one of the first actions of an incoming Liberal Democrat administration.
Finally, after nine months we all need to be able to look forward with hope. The first vaccines have now arrived and others are on the horizon.
We need to be careful between now and the rollout of the vaccines. I ask everyone to be patient as hope and an end to this pandemic can now be only a few months away. I wish you all a Good Christmas and a much better New Year.
Cllr Lindsay Ferris, Leader of the Liberal Democrats and leader of the Opposition on Wokingham Borough Council and member for Twyford
