Bracknell Forest Council Plan 2019 to 2023 Council Plan 2019 to 2023 The borough of opportunity

The Council’s Plan sets out our key objectives for the period 2019 – 2023. It is based upon the pledges made to residents in the 2019 local election. The plan focuses on the things that matter most to you and is at the heart of everything we do. In challenging times, you can be assured that we will provide the strong leadership, financial stability and strong corporate governance to ensure that core services are maintained. A key objective is to ensure that Bracknell Forest stays prosperous and remains a good place to live, work and play. We will work with other organisations to deliver good quality local services in a joined-up way, focusing on individuals’ needs. Bracknell Forest is a place where diversity and cultural heritage are recognised as a strength. We will encourage vibrant local groups and work to ensure everyone feels connected and able to actively participate. We recognise we spend your money. We will prioritise spending wisely based upon clearly identified needs, targeting in particular: • Reducing our impact on climate change. • Ensuring early help is available for our most vulnerable residents to keep them safe and to help them remain independent, whist avoiding loneliness and isolation. • Reducing homelessness. • Developing all age learning and life skills. • Maintaining value for money. To deliver on all our objectives, we have focused our Council Plan on six strategic themes. The Council Plan will be monitored against several annual priorities and key performance indicators in service plans for each department available at: www.bracknell-forest.gov.uk.

Timothy Wheadon Cllr Paul Bettison Chief Executive Leader 2 Contents

Forward 2

Value for money 4

Economic resilience 5

Education and skills 6

Caring for you and your family 7

Protecting and enhancing our environment 8

Communities 9

Strategic themes The borough of opportunity

Value for money

Communities Economic resilience

The borough of opportunity

Protecting and enhancing your Education environment and skills

Caring for you and your family

3 VALUE FOR MONEY

“We will continue to drive and maintain strong financial management and ensure what we are spending is targeted on the right things. The way the council is funded will continue to change, so will the way we deliver the services you value and trust.”

Key objectives are to: 96 per cent of the borough By all comparative measures, covered by superfast the council provides value 1. Ensure our council tax broadband. for money. Since becoming a is in the lowest 10 per cent unitary authority in 1998 the nationally amongst similar council has made savings in authorities. its annual revenue spending in excess of £80m and achieved £11 million transformation Third lowest unitary council tax savings over the last four years. over the last four years

3. Generate income to 78 per cent of the people fund local services from surveyed who have interacted a commercial property with Customer Services were portfolio. satisfied with the service they received*

The council’s website was recognised as one of the best in the UK.*

4. Establish a joint venture with a private partner to ensure timely and appropriate development of key council sites. 2. Invest in digital technology £90 million commercial estate and access points to help investment already made. people use our services.

More information on the issues, planned activity and work in progress: • Bracknell Forest Borough Plan • Site allocation plan • Directorate service plan • Customer Services satisfaction survey for 2018/19 • Medium term financial strategy • IT strategy • Digital strategy • Customer contact strategy • Asset management plan 4 *ranked joint second in the Sitemorse INDEX review for local government. ECONOMIC RESILIENCE

“We will continue to work hard to make sure that Bracknell Forest continues to thrive, even with the challenges ahead for all sectors of the economy. The council is committed to continuing the town centre regeneration and over the next four years will deliver the next phases, helping the whole town centre to flourish and grow, providing a rich 18-hour economy. We will also deliver new housing including much needed social housing in future schemes. The world of work is changing, and we will continue to work closely with all our employers as they look to their futures. We are committed to helping new companies, start-ups and entrepreneurs, maintaining high rates of local employment and ensuring that Bracknell Forest remains a great place to live and work.”

Key objectives are to: 1,800 new homes built. 6. Actively engage with employers and support local 1. Adopt a new businesses to drive local Local Development 4. Work to retain businesses growth. Plan that enables and help attract new the development companies to Bracknell of employment areas Forest. along with the right mix and location of houses and 7. Implement strategic infrastructure. improvements to the highway and transport network to support A town centre to be proud of 84 per cent of the economic growth and and more to come. working age population manage congestion. in employment (30/09/19), higher than the national 2. Secure delivery of the average. next phase of Bracknell’s town centre regeneration including The Deck and the 5. Support the Business refurbishment of Princess Improvement District (BID) 8. Seek CIL and Section Square. area covering the southern 106 funding for new and western industrial area. infrastructure in the borough £13.1m CIL collected since to support growth. June 2017. Bracknell Forest is one of the 11 per cent of least Five-year housing land deprived districts/unitary supply demonstrated. 3. Encourage residents to authorities in England. become school governors.

More information on the issues, planned activity and work in progress: • Asset management plan • Business improvement district • Medium term financial strategy 5 EDUCATION AND SKILLS

“The council is responsible for providing school places to meet demand. By ensuring we have enough school places, we are supporting parents in their desire to have greater choice. The council supports schools through its highly rated schools improvement service. Working with teachers and governors, the service helps with driving up standards and enhancing the learning environment.”

Key objectives are to: 4. Review the future of our 7. Create opportunities for youth services and open a care leavers to develop skills 1. Ensure we provide enough new town centre youth hub to help them prepare for school places for every child at Braccan Walk. transition. in the borough.

5. Increase the number Over 65 per cent of all care Sufficient school places of apprenticeships, work leavers aged 19 – 21 are in available in all areas across experience placements and education, employment or the borough in September other training opportunities training. 2019. within the council and in the borough. 8. Improve the protection 2. Work with schools to of vulnerable children ensure standards are in the 100 per cent of private, including those with special top quartile nationally. voluntary and independent educational needs. early help settings are now OFSTED graded good or 81 per cent of schools rated outstanding. good or better.

6. Increase the percentage of 3. Encourage local children (age 0 - 5) achieving businesses to engage with good levels of development local schools. in communication and language.

Lowest ever proportion of 16 and 17-year olds not in 76 per cent of pupils at Early education, employment Years Foundation Stage or training (1.9 per cent) achieved development September 2019. above the national average, September 2019.

More information on the issues, planned activity and work in progress: • School place plan • Children and young people’s plan 6 • Asset management plan • Learning improvement strategy CARING FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY

“Bracknell Forest is one of the healthiest places to live. We want you to live longer in good health, both physical and mental. We will continue to invest in preventing you and your family from needing health and care services in the first place. We pledge to buy the best possible services that meet the needs of our residents.”

Key objectives are to: 5. Work with the CCG to 10. Use social prescribing develop a joint community and support the voluntary 1. Develop and implement a and health facility at Blue sector to help reduce council wide programme of Mountain. isolation and loneliness. measures to help improve the health of our local population. 6. Work with town and parish 11. Ensure there are councils to deliver new opportunities for everyone community facilities. to enjoy and participate in 2. Develop a new early help sports and leisure activities. mental wellbeing service for children and young people, Higher than the national working with partners, average life expectancy for 12. Continue to including our schools. both men and women. provide easy access to the natural environment. Better than the England 7. Transform the way average for physically active children’s centres work, adults (aged 19+) rates. making them into family Over 6,265 volunteer hours support hubs. contributed to parks and open spaces (2018/19). 3. Align our social care services with Primary Care 9.1 per cent of children live Networks to allow improved in low income families. 13. Actively integration of care and support health activities. the armed 8. Embed the Family services Safeguarding Model of social located in 4. Review our Disabled work practice to protect Bracknell Facility Grants Adaptations vulnerable children and Forest. Service to speed up reduce entrants to the youth applications to support offending service. people to live independently, Over 90 per cent of those implementing a new policy. people aged over 65 9. Deliver a new residential surveyed were satisfied facility for people with with the care and support Over 6,265 volunteer hours dementia, at Heathlands in services received. contributed to parks and Bracknell in, partnership open spaces (2018/19). with health partners.

More information on the issues, planned activity and work in progress: • Joint health and wellbeing strategy • SEND commissioning strategy 7 PROTECTING AND ENHANCING OUR ENVIRONMENT

“We will ensure the sustainable development of Bracknell Forest so that it remains clean and green and will work towards becoming a low carbon environment with high rates of recycling.”

Key objectives are to: £11.3 million contributions Address the impact of received towards man-made climate change 1. Protect our highly valued enhancements of Suitable on our local communities green spaces and strategic Alternative Natural Green by putting in place actions green gaps. Spaces. that work towards meeting the government target of eradicating 4. Protect green spaces, it’s net the Thames Basin Heaths contribution Special Protection Area to climate 95 per cent of and maintain strategic gaps change by people surveyed between communities. 2050. were satisfied with parks and open spaces. 100 per cent increase in 7. Promote greater use cycle parking in the town of public transport and centre. cycleways. 2. Promote recycling and diverting waste 5. Enhance facilities and from landfill, customer experience including at Horseshoe Lake and maintain other council open introducing We have installed spaces. food waste recycling. new LED Lighting in 13,000 new lanterns and 1,000 new 3. Improve parking in columns serving residential 50,000 homes. areas.

40 per cent of all waste is recycled or composted and 17.1 per cent landfilled.

More information on the issues, planned activity and work in progress: 40% • Local cycling and walking Infrastructure plan • Asset management plan • Climate change strategy • Greening waste strategy • BFC parking enforcement strategy 17.1% • Customer experience strategy • IT strategy • Digital strategy • Parks and countryside strategy 8 • Local plan • Thames basin heaths supplementary planning document COMMUNITIES

“Bracknell Forest Council delivers over 200 different services. To secure strong and safe communities we will continue to:”

Key objectives are to: 4. Support culture 96 per cent of people and arts facilities surveyed believe people 1. Maintain the viability of such as South Hill from different backgrounds our community- Park. ‘get on well.’* based shopping and employment areas. 9. Review our housing allocations policy to make best use of affordable 13,208 volunteer hours for Bracknell Forest L ttery housing provision to meet the library service. 5. Establish a local lottery local needs. to help raise funds for local voluntary and community 10. Support the cultural 2. Support groups. our network diversity of our communities. of community centres and 6. Deliver libraries. housing services that focus on preventing Self-service homelessness. technology introduced in all borough libraries. 7. Develop a new Homeless Strategy and implement a local action plan to reduce 3. Work with our local police rough sleeping. to maintain good public order, reduce anti-social behaviour and combat drug 8. Identify the need for, and related crime. facilitate the provision of, affordable homes for rent and shared ownership to 81 per cent meet that need. of people surveyed said they felt safe when out in daylight hours.

More information on the issues, planned activity and work in progress: • Community safety survey 2019 • *Residents survey 2017 • Joint health and wellbeing strategy • Children and young people’s strategy • Medium term financial strategy • Asset management strategy 9 COUNCIL PLAN 2019 - 2023 KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

The set of key performance indicators (KPIs) below helps us measure progress in delivering our Council Plan ambitions, key objective and priorities. They are strategic indicators that we will track over the long term and report on regularly.

• Percentage of IT Strategy • Percentage of staff KPIs delivered that have undertaken How we will measure • Number of IT Helpdesk Apprenticeship training progress calls • Percentage of children and achievement • Percentage of IT estate obtaining a place at one delivered from cloud of their primary school preferences Value for money • Library Service Customer Satisfaction • Percentage of children • Percentage of council tax obtaining a place at one • Satisfaction with Customer collected of their secondary school Services • Band D council tax within preferences • Number of people actively the lowest 10% of all • Percentage of children engaged with Public Health English unitary authorities obtaining their first social media channels, • Collection of business rates preference of primary • Promote and develop • Overall residents’ school digital solutions aimed satisfaction with council • Percentage of children at supporting healthy services obtaining their first and active lives with an preference of secondary • Percentage of people who emphasis on social media- school feel they can influence based innovation e.g. decisions in their locality ‘Facebook Likes’. • Percentage of all schools • Percentage of the rated at least good or population satisfied with better by Ofsted the borough as a place to Economic Resilience • Percentage of maintained live • Percentage of the borough primary schools rated at covered by superfast • Staff satisfaction least good or better by broadband • Percentage of agency staff Ofsted • Number of newly resourcing vacant posts • Percentage of maintained incorporated businesses • Percentage of Agency secondary schools rated • Percentage of working workers council wide at least good or better by age people who are Ofsted • Level of staff sickness unemployed absence • Percentage of academy • Percentage of working age primary schools rated at • Complaints received by the population in employment least good or better by Council • Average journey times per Ofsted • To deliver/operate within mile during the morning • Percentage of academy the approved budget peak on A roads secondary schools rated • Number of self-service • Number of vacancies on at least good or better by transactions processed school governing boards Ofsted via customer account on • Progress gap between council website disadvantaged pupils and • Number of hours of staff Education and skills their peers at KS4 time utilising robotic • Number of entry level process automation Apprenticeships council wide 10 • Percentage of children • Number per 10,000 of • Percentage of non- (aged 0 - 5) achieving good children into care principal classified roads levels of development • Number per 10,000 of child where maintenance should at the end of Early Years protection plans be considered Foundation Stage • Number per 10,000 of care • Percentage of household • Percentage of care leavers proceedings waste sent for reuse, aged 19 -21 years who are recycling and composting • Number per 10,000 of first- NEET time entrants to criminal • Percentage of municipal • Percentage of care leavers justice system waste land filled aged 19 -21 years who are • Time taken, in weeks, to • Reduction in customer in touch with LA process Disabled Facilities visits to Time Square • Number per 10,000 of child Grant applications • Reduction in staff travel protection plans • Average caseload Family • Levels of CO2 emissions Safeguarding Model directly attributable to the Caring for you and your family • Proportion of children BFC estate • Total number of visits to in targeted weight leisure facilities managed management programme Communities by Everyone Active identified as overweight • Number of Green Flag and obese who achieve a • Number of children and Awards young people ( 16yrs and BMI Z-score • Improved local biodiversity under) visits to leisure • reduction Smokers who - proportion of local facilities managed by have successfully ‘quit’ at sites where positive Everyone Active 4 weeks (co validated conservation management • Number of older people • Impact of Social has been or is being (64yrs +) visits to leisure Prescribing as a primary implemented facilities managed by prevention programme on • Percentage of the Everyone Active reducing loneliness population who believe • Number of visits by people from different customers with a disability Protecting and enhancing our backgrounds ‘get on well to leisure facilities environment • Percentage of the managed by Everyone • Satisfaction with parks and population who believe Active open spaces that people in the local • Total number of visits to • Percentage of successful area treat each other with libraries planning appeals respect and consideration • Percentage of children • Percentage of planning • Participation in regular and young people visits to applications determined volunteering Libraries within timescales - Major • Number of cultural/ • Percentage of older People and Minor community events held in visits to Libraries • Percentage of planning libraries • Total number of visits to applications determined • Number of Educational South Hill Park Centre within timescales events held in libraries • Percentage children and • Number of homes given • Overall level of crime young people visits to planning permission • The number of cases South Hill Park Centre • Income from CIL receipts referred and resolved • Percentage older People • Planning permissions by partnership problem- visits to South Hill Park granted for net additional solving groups Centre dwellings not yet • Number of homelessness • Number of social implemented preventions prescribing referrals to • Percentage of principal leisure, libraries and Arts roads where maintenance Services should be considered

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1. Bracknell Town 2. Binfield Parish 3. Crowthorne Parish 4. Sandhurst Town 5. Warfield Parish 6. Winkfield Parish

Bracknell Forest Council Plan 2019 to 2023

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