THE LEADER of the borough council said he does not believe reports that one-in-six-children living in poverty in the borough is accurate or responsible.
Speaking at the start of the recent executive meeting, Cllr John Halsall began his statement by reiterating calls for the public to follow Covid-restrictions and pledged to “eliminate poverty in the borough”.
He said: “It is now eight months since we had the first outbreak of coronavirus almost to the day. Since mid-September the cases in Wokingham have been rising. Sadly, also deaths are rising. The hope that we would be able to return to normal for Christmas is fast receding.
“Our policy is to ensure as far we can to remain in Tier 1. This is consistent with our neighbours notwithstanding press reports to the contrary.
“We believe that Tier 1 gives our businesses the best chance to recover and allows for our residents to lead as full a life as possible.”
He said the council is working with care homes to keep residents safe. And is asking schools to champion the Covid rules.
“If we recruit every school child as an evangelist, then the message will get into homes as it is in the homes where it is believed most of the transmission occurs,” he said. “Schools can also help by ensuring that when children leave school settings they remain separated and parents picking up children do not mix.
“Our trace system is now working well and this week we have started door knocking.
“We will be auditing our commercial and recreational premises to ensure the proper application of QR codes and adherence to regulation. This week we fined various establishments for non-observance.”
And the council will be launching Covid community champions and marshals “to lead by example, spread the word and provide factual information about the impact of the virus across the borough”.
Cllr Halsall said: “We are calling upon you, as our councillors to join this initiative and we will arm you with all the stats, advice and comms messaging you need to disseminate through your networks on a weekly basis.”
He added: “I am nervous to say that the curve is decelerating and flattening off. My nervousness is because I do not want to tempt fate but there are very cautious signs for optimism.”
“We as a borough and borough council must plan for the winter and spring and be in hope that next summer we will return to normal – if we remember what that is.
“We have been at pains to reintroduce all the democratic processes as soon as possible and I point out to the naysayers that some of our neighbours have yet to have a full council meeting and many of our neighbours are still working to a scheme of delegation. It could be said of Wokingham that politics has returned with a vengeance, both in the second and third estates.
“This administration has worked very hard to ensure that homelessness in the borough is very low and to ensure that those who are homeless are looked after. We have housed all the rough sleepers except for one who insists that he prefers not being housed.”
Speaking about poverty levels, he said: “We will do the same with poverty, especially food and fuel. We are determined to eliminate poverty in the borough.
“It is extremely important throughout this emergency that our residents have confidence in the council. Statements that there are 6,300 children in poverty and rising and that there are one-in-six children living in poverty in the borough we do not believe to be accurate or responsible.
“The indexes based after housing costs compared to median income have less to do with poverty and more to do with house prices and the structure of employment in the home counties.
“Poverty measured by reference to the median income will, by definition, always be there.
“We need to work with a definition of absolute need specifically with reference to hunger and warm homes. It is not a position of virtue signalling but of practical help.
“The borough is measured by ONS in the index of multiple deprivation 2019 as being the lowest after Hart in the table and the disparity between the highest Blackpool and Wokingham is huge.
“We enjoy and have enjoyed the lowest funding of any unitary authority for many years consequently. It is inconceivable that we are the second to lowest in the index of multiple deprivation and that there are 6,300 children in poverty and rising or one-in-six children.
“Having said that, one vulnerable person, child or family is too much. And this is an area that I am taking very seriously. Especially so, in the light of the impact of Covid.
“Our model has been for the council to work with the voluntary sector using the CAB as the front door. We get the best when we work together with our partners and we do not plough our separate agendas; otherwise it’s confusing for our residents.
“The executive, and the voluntary sector will create the architecture for this important piece of work; both the chief executive and I will be intimately involved.
“We must clearly identify where there exists need in the borough so that we can tackle the root causes of that need and support it until we have done so. I will consult with the leader of the opposition and keep other group leaders appraised of our progress.
“We shall hold special executive meetings to authorise the strategy and expenditure as we go along as this exercise must be at pace.
“As for this half-term, I am extremely grateful to all the restaurants, shops and pubs who have extended their services for free or subsidised school meals and to the food banks and our voluntary sector partners.
“The pressure for the council to extend food vouchers came after it was feasible to undertake this through schools.
“The council would have had to act unilaterally without the appropriate notice or case being made in the executive. This could have resulted in another expensive call in.
“I want to effectively plan for the coming months and deeply understand poverty in this borough and the causes of poverty. I am also confident that we can more fully meet the spirit of the Government’s National Food Strategy.
“It must be remembered that although current publicity is being given to free schools meals, the biggest cohort of the vulnerable are likely to be the old where we may be required to shield again depending on Government Policy. It is this cohort, children and any others, whom we will be addressing in our Poverty Strategy.
“Finally, please help me to help you. Those (watching this meeting) are councillors, the press and interested members of the public. What you do and say will have an enormous impact on public behaviour towards this virus.
“Please do not make things up because it is politically expedient or provides a good story.”
