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Council’s plan to meet housing need at every stage of life
Read Online the next Issue from 1st of September
A plan that sets out an ambitious blueprint for residents to find a home which meets their needs while continuing to build on partnership successes to support the borough’s most vulnerable residents and eradicate rough sleeping by 2024, has been approved.
The strategy aims to create opportunities at every stage of life for all residents across Basingstoke and Deane, focusing on increasing housing choices available to the borough’s residents who have housing needs.
It focusses on five priorities: preventing homelessness, eradicating rough sleeping by 2024, delivering housing choice and quality, tackling climate change and place
Residents Survey - the results are in
West Berkshire Council undertook a survey of residents in late May to understand how communities are feeling about the impact of Covid-19 on their health, finances, on the environment and on the wider community. Almost 3,300 residents from across the district responded and the council has already used the preliminary data collected to inform its Recovery Strategy, which is being considered shaping. It was formed in consultation with housing and homelessness partners and with input from residents, councillors and organisations.
The new plan builds on the successes of the previous housing and homelessness strategy which include delivering more affordable homes, implementing the Social Inclusion Partnership’s rough sleeping plan and significantly reducing the number of people sleeping on the borough’s streets year on year, minimising Bed and Breakfast use and embarking on a programme of initiatives to support greater access to low cost home ownership.
In the midst of a global coronavirus pandemic, the new strategy will guide impact of Covid-19. Among the key findings was:
Support Hub was fairly high, at 72%. to continue to do so and even more in the future.
Covid-19. the Covid-19 pandemic would enable them to make a positive impact on the distr ict's aspirations towards carbon neutrality. dur ing the pandemic and 78.2% of these intend to continue doing so.
the council’s next steps while allowing it and its partners the flexibility to respond to the changing needs and demand and
COVID-19 related policy and guidance.
Cabinet Member for Homes and Families Cllr Tristan Robinson said: “This new Housing and Homelessness Strategy paves the way to enabling residents to access the homes they need. “From families looking to access a home from the housing register, to rough sleepers in need of support to first-time buyers looking to step onto the property ladder, this new strategy has opportunity at its heart. It reflects what our residents have told us they want to see and will be an important part in ensuring those affected by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic can access the support they need.”
Awareness of the Community
Almost all respondents who were able to work from home intend
Just under half (46.9%) of respondents expressed an intention to travel on foot more as a result of
28.7% of those sur veyed felt that
70.8% said they have volunteered For more information please click here 86.5% thought the council's response to Covid-19 was either excellent, good or fair. 8.8% declined to answer with 4.7% judging it to be poor.
31.9% reported a fall in household income.
63.7% indicated they intended to visit local high streets either the same as before, more or much more when allowed to do so.
15.3% of respondents believe that someone in their household has been inf ected with Covid-19.
18% of r espondents reported high or v ery high anxiety levels the days bef ore they completed the survey.
This survey was the first of what will be a ser ies of resident engagement e xercises planned by the council as par t of its Covid-19 recovery work.
Local Issues
West Berkshire Council has published its draft Recovery Strategy
The Strategy sets out the priority areas the Council will focus on to help the community recover as quickly as possible from the effects of the Covid-19 outbreak.
It is structured around three core elements - health, education and the local economy - and gives details of how the council and its partners aim to improve the quality of life of all of those who live or work in the district. In line with the council's commitment to enhanced community engagement, there is a strong emphasis on plans to inform, consult and involve local residents in the development and delivery of these local recovery plans.
The council has also published its Recovery Action Plan as an appendix to the Strategy. This provides information about what has been done to date to support the local recovery in each of the three priority areas as well as further planned actions. Councillor Lynne Doherty, Leader of West
"Our Recovery Action Plan shows that we have acted quickly to help mitigate the ongoing impact of Covid-19 on the district, such as support for local businesses through relaxing licensing obligations, encouraging environmentally friendly active travel and the safe reopening of our schools. We now have the opportunity to take this work even further and will engage with partners and the wider community to support a strong local recovery."
Covid-19 caused Northcroft Lido summer closure
Delays to repairs mean the lido cannot reopen this year. West Berkshire Council and Legacy Leisure are disappointed to announce that Northcroft Lido will remain closed for the summer season.
Despite the Government announcing that outdoor pools can open from 11th July repairs to the lido before it can reopen have been delayed by Covid-19. Each year West Berkshire Council has to wait for groundwater levels to fall to allow the pool to be emptied without risk to the structure and before any decisions can be made on repairs required to open the Lido safely.
This year ground water levels did not fall sufficiently until early June to allow the pool to be emptied without that risk. Due to Covid-19, specialist contractors would not be available to carry out the work until August.
Given that the work would take two to three weeks to complete, then a full ten days is required to fill the pool and that under the current contract the Lido only is required to remain open until the first weekend in September, the opportunity to open in 2020 is very limited.
In addition, guidance for swimming has been developed around social distancing, but natural bottle necks will occur, for example, in changing rooms and at access points to the outdoor area.
After much deliberation, the council and Legacy Leisure have agreed not to open the Lido this year but work to achieve maximum availability of the leisure centres as quickly and as safely possible and focus on the Lido being ready for the 2021 season.
For more details please access www. leisurecentre.com.
UK’s biggest ever organised crime bust and landmark domestic abuse Bill.
It’s been a busy and fruitful month tackling crime with some big victories for the police.
First, we carried out the biggest ever organised crime bust in the UK, Operation Venetic. Our National Crime Agency and fantastic police forces working together with their international counterparts smashed the communications system of organised criminals. Police have made hundreds of arrests so far and seized drugs, cash and firearms – there is much more of this to come.
Our efforts to end ‘county lines’ continue and the British Transport Police along with their amazing sniffer dogs are catching people who are using the transport system to move drugs around the country, including stations like Andover and Basingstoke.
And I’m proud to report our government has passed the Domestic Abuse Bill, which will strengthen protections for victims and make sure perpetrators are brought to justice. The Bill sets a legal definition of domestic abuse, ends the ‘rough sex defence’ and will provide safe accommodation for victims and their children. Domestic abuse is a disgusting crime and we will never tolerate it.
And through all this we are progressing well towards recruiting 20,000 new police officers across the country and I will make sure a good chunk of them come to North W est Hampshire.
As we gradually recover from Covid and leave lockdown, please remember to follow the guidelines and look out for each other.
