There is much I would like to see change in our area. No doubt we all have our lists of pet projects and top priorities for attention. There are undoubtedly problems that need fixing but major financial constraints that hamper the borough council’s ability to do all it would like to do to help.
Those financial constraints are likely to become appreciably more restricting if the government carries thorough with its planned redistribution of the support it gives to councils: Wokingham is set to be a major loser in the redistribution.
The government’s assumption is that Wokingham is an area of high levels of prosperity and therefore does not require the money it gives us to help pay for services.
It’s not difficult to challenge the government’s argument. Despite the general prosperity, there are people in real and pressing financial hardship. Need, furthermore, is not always generated by deprivation. Members of our community live with disabilities that make every day a challenge; they need help, too. We have made these points to ministers and continue to try to persuade them to modify their proposals.
But if our general prosperity is held against us by government, we need to maximize the benefits of that prosperity for the whole community.
Wokingham Borough is home to great businesses, large and small. They cover a wide range of specialisms and include cutting edge new industries. They are aided by the borough’s good transport links, a well-educated population, great schools (as recent A-level results confirmed), a word-class university, and dedicated space for businesses.
Wokingham Borough Council is committed to doing all it can to support our local businesses, through investment in commercial premises, help for start-ups, jobs fares, town-centre strategies, and much else. We recognize that businesses not only provide jobs and opportunities for residents but also contribute to the community through their support for local charities and voluntary organizations. They are truly the lifeblood of successful communities.
We at the borough council want to make Wokingham Borough a place where everyone can thrive and play their part in making our community strong. Local business has led on building the prosperous and inclusive community we all want to see, and I hope business will continue to be a leading player as we move forward.
Partnership, as I have written many times in the last three years, is vital if the council is able to play a full part in helping the community it is here to serve. The council does not have all the answers – and certainly not all the necessary resources – so we must call on the experience, expertise, and resources (human, material, and financial) of others if we are to maximize our ability to help.
Partnership with the voluntary and charitable sector, with other councils, with the University of Reading, and with many others has been a distinguishing feature of the current council administration’s approach.
No partnership is more important than that with local businesses, great and small. Partnership between the council and business is vital to the continued success of our area. Together, we can achieve much more than we can on our own.
