By Cllr Stephen Conway
Over the last two years, Wokingham Borough Council has been investing in the future.
Too often, politics is about the short term. Politicians, at local and national levels, focus on saying and doing things that they think will make them popular now, rather than thinking about how they can make things better in the longer term.
Short-termism is rarely the best way; it may lead to temporary popularity, but its longer-term consequences can be disastrous.
With the future very much in mind, we have been investing to improve the long-term viability of the council’s finances and make life better for the residents of the borough.
Three examples will, I hope, illustrate my point.
First, we have invested in the purchase of a new care home for the frail elderly, which will provide more reasonably priced accommodation for those who need it and will at the same time save the council – and the council-tax payer – money.
Second, we have secured external funding for two new Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) schools in the borough, as well as investing to expand the number of SEND school places by other means.
By increasing local provision, we will make life better for the young people who require SEND education and again will save the council – and the council-tax payer – the considerable sums that are currently expended on expensive long-distance travel to suitable schools outside the borough.
Third, we have invested in building a new Solar Farm at Barkham, which, when it becomes operational in 2026 will not only contribute to the decarbonisation of the grid but also generate a healthy income for the council, which we can then plough back into services for our residents.
It can, of course, be tempting to appeal to voters by promising quick fixes. But quick fixes often have a habit of unravelling over the longer term.
In our neighbouring Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, the Conservatives for several years levied a nil per cent council tax rise. To cover the rising costs of delivering services, they dipped deep into the council’s reserves. Their aim was short-term popularity and particularly winning council elections.
For a while it worked, but sooner or later the inevitable happened. The reserves were run down to a dangerously low level.
When the Liberal Democrats took over at the Royal Borough in May 2023, they discovered that the cupboard was almost bare. They are having to deal with the consequences of the short-termism and irresponsibility of their Conservative predecessors.
In Wokingham, so long as the current administration is in place, we will continue to act as responsible stewards of the public purse and will continue to do all we can to lay the foundations for a better future for all the people we serve.
Stephen Conway is the leader of Wokingham Borough Council and ward member for Twyford, Ruscombe and Hurst
