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IN HIS maiden speech as leader of the council, Cllr John Halsall pledged to take action on climate change and housing numbers.
The Ruscombe councillor was elected unanimously by the council chamber during its first meeting of the municipal year.
Held at the Shute End offices on Wednesday, May 22, the meeting saw a new mayor elected as well as a new leader.
Cllr Halsall first paid tribute to “Bob Wyatt a stalwart of Wokingham Borough and Town [who] has passed away and Lyra Mckee was murdered in Londonderry. Between them they represent the good, the diversity, tradition, hope, optimism, aspiration and vision of the United Kingdom today.
“We are a great country, have been a great country and will be a great country. Through the ages we have contributed to the world the template of modern life – science, literature, constitutional democracy, music, the industrial revolution, engineering amongst others. We punch above our weight in all of these and more.
“But most importantly we are a liberal democracy looking after our least fortunate and playing a major part in alleviating deprivation around the world.
“At a moment of great national doubt, it is worth reminding ourselves of the place in the world that we have had and we continue to have.”
He also took time to remind councillors that there were elected “for one purpose and one purpose alone: to serve our residents and provide the very best services for the optimal cost. I am sure that all of us are proud that the Borough scores highly despite being the lowest funded unitary authority in England.”
One of the biggest issues facing the planet at the moment is climate change and Cllr Halsall pledged that Wokingham Borough Council would play its part.
“The scientific evidence is that if we have not taken dramatic action within the next decade we could face irreversible damage to the natural world and the collapse of our societies.
“Therefore, I would like to propose that Wokingham Borough tonight declare a climate emergency and commits to a programme to reduce carbon emissions with a target of zero by 2030. I would like you to vote on this motion tonight. This is an ambitious target which may not be achievable but unless we are ambitious we risk falling short.”
He appointed Cllr Gregor Murray to his roll, with Cllr Laura Blumenthal as his deputy.
“It may be voguish and considered as jumping on the bandwagon, but the imperative of the clock ticking means that we have no option but to take on this target.”
Cllr Halsall said that action had already been taken, but more would be done. This includes:
- Purchasing energy from generated renewable sources with a target of 25% renewables.
- Installing solar panels on council buildings
- Low energy lighting
- Insulation installation
- Enabling and encouraging more sustainable travel through enhancing pedestrian, cycle and bus routes
- Bus usage in Wokingham Borough has grown by 14%
- Ensuring that our planning policies encourage development proposals to incorporate measures to improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions as part of sustainable design and construction.
- Promoting the use of ultra-low emission vehicles by supporting the electric vehicle charging infrastructure
He also said that the borough would do more to promote “the use of urban greenery and the protection of our countryside will have remarkable positive contributions to carbon generation.”
A key policy of Cllr Halsall’s administration would be to tackle housing numbers and he made a challenge to the Government to reduce the number of housing that the borough has to build. If this was not by agreement, he pledged to use legal courses.
“Development and its consequent congestion are without doubt the principle preoccupation of the residents,” he said.
“We aim to challenge the housing numbers through the residents’ consultation, through negotiation with the Government and in the event, we do not succeed, by litigation. This administration is determined to do all that it can to reduce housing numbers.
“We would like to timetable the Local Plan Update for this year and remove the Damoclesian sword from the heads of the residents.”
There would also be changes to the borough’s housing companies to ensure that they are delivering homes to those on median incomes and below. He promised to find ways to help with funding.
And there would also be action on the borough’s clogged up roads, with a plan to tackle misery on the roads.
He said: “Congestion is probably the highest daily burden for our residents. The new roads should help but we must get better at controlling the epidemic of street works which have arisen. We are performing a review of the organisation and how it operates.
“Similarly, there is a backlog of TROs, many of which are pre-CPE, which need clearing. We will reinstate the highways board to enable residents and councillors to bring forward projects, petitions and concerns.”
And Cllr Halsall would also focus on leisure facilities.
“Unlike other boroughs, we are opening libraries and leisure centres, who have improved footfalls,” he reminded the chambe. “Almost every week we are opening a new facility somewhere across the Borough.r
“Whilst we have been criticised for our cultural paucity, we proudly have dispersed a huge variety of cultural and social activities.
“I was stunned to learn that we have over 800 football teams. We intend to harness these in some sort of electronic directory.”
With the regeneration of Wokingham Town centre reaching its conclusion, he also announced a celebration of it.
“We plan to facilitate a festival in 2022 centred on Wokingham Town to celebrate the new facilities,” he said.
FInally, he promised that the council would work together where possible and urged councillors from all sides of the chamber to get involved in that: “I said that this will be an inclusive administration and I invite all of you to play a part.”
