Strategies, Policies, and Plans

Our published strategies, policies, and plans

 Our strategies, plans and policies [26kb] shape the way we deliver and improve services.

Vision for the district

•  Our West Berkshire Vision 2036 [16Mb] identifies challenges and opportunities across all policy areas, and establishes shared aspirations for the future. It is supported by a  referenced evidence base [3Mb].

Corporate wide strategies, policies, and plans

• Our Council Strategy 2019-2023 sets out our priorities, which are aligned to the West Berkshire Vision, and a realistic set of objectives that we will deliver for the people of West Berkshire, whilst living within our means.
• Our Medium Term Financial Strategy is a rolling three year strategy which is built to ensure that the financial resources, both revenue and capital, are available to deliver the Council Strategy.
• Our policies and procedures concerning financial crime ( fraud and corruption [462kb],  money laundering [384kb], and  bribery [243kb]) set out our commitment to protecting financial resources, creating and promoting an 'anti-fraud' culture including prevention, detection, reporting and recovery.
• Our  Recovery Strategy [1Mb] sets out the priority areas we will focus on to help the community recover as quickly as possible from the effects of Covid-19. It structured around the three core elements of health, education and the local economy.
• Our  Digital Strategy 2020-2023 [2Mb] sets out how we intend to embrace new technologies, to enhance working practices and use digital techniques to ensure we can operate as efficiently as possible.
• Our  ICT Strategy [1Mb] shows how we will develop our IT systems and digital services.
• Our  Workforce Strategy 2019-2023 [344kb] ties together various policies and activities that affect the workforce.
• Our Equality Policy sets out our vision and commitment to equality of opportunity and respect for diversity.
• Our Consultation Policy sets out our approach and commitment to consultation.

Service level strategies, policies, and plans

Categorised by the council strategy priorities and core business activities

Ensure our vulnerable children and adults achieve better outcomes

• Our  Adult Autism Strategy [217kb] plans how to support people with autism in West Berkshire.
• Our Carers Strategy sets out how we support carers and young carers, to ensure that services are available and of a good quality.
• Our  Discretionary Housing Payment Policy [266kb] supports the homelessness and rough sleeping strategy. The policy explains the scheme and the factors that will be considered when deciding whether to make a payment to residents who need extra help to pay their rent.
• Our  Market Position Statement [11Mb] summarises supply and demand for adult social care services in our district, and signals business opportunities within the care market in our area.
• Our  Preventing Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2020-2025 [2Mb] sets our our plan for continuing work to address homelessness and rough sleeping.
• Our Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Strategy sets out our vision and key priorities for supporting our children and young people with SEND.

Support everyone to reach their full potential

• Our Domestic Abuse Strategy details the targets and aims we've implemented to address domestic abuse and encourages effective action to support those experiencing, or affected by, domestic abuse.
• Our  Health and Wellbeing Strategy [2Mb], which is developed with our partner organisations, shows how we aim to 'Add Life to Years and Years to Life' for all our residents.
• Our School Improvement Strategy aims to ensure that all our schools are at least 'good' and all children make maximum progress, achieving their potential.

Support businesses to start develop and thrive in West Berkshire

• Our draft Economic Development Strategy looks at how the council and its partners might meet the economic challenges we believe are likely to emerge in the coming years. The draft went out for consultation on 17 June 2020, and will be published in due course.
• Our Economic Reports and Plans shows how existing strategies and plans will work together to promote both growth and economic wellbeing across the district over the coming five years.

Develop local infrastructure including housing to support and grow the local economy

• Our Greenham Business Park Local Development Order provides a streamlined planning process.
• Our Housing Strategy is our vision for housing services across West Berkshire for the next five years.
• Our Local Plan, which sets out our local planning policies, is made up of a number of different documents, including for example, the Core Strategy Development Plan Document, the Housing Sites Allocations Development Plan Document and the West Berkshire District Local Plan.
• Our  Playing Pitch Strategy [1Mb] is a strategic assessment that provides an up to date analysis of supply and demand for playing pitches (grass and artificial) in a local authority area
• Our Tenancy Strategy guides Registered Providers (RP's) in developing tenancy policies for their own stock, as we are a non-stockholding authority.

Maintain a green district

• Our  Environment Strategy for West Berkshire [2Mb] outlines the steps we intend to take with our partners to reach our target of carbon neutrality by 2030.

• Our  Local Transport Plan [2Mb] (LTP) helps us to work out the transport needs of the district, and sets out a framework as to how we'll meet them up to the year 2026. It is supported by a number of strategies designed to help deliver the priorities within the plan, including for example, the Active Travel Strategy and the Road Safety Strategy.

• Our Waste Strategy is our long-term vision to maximise recycling and reduce rubbish.

Ensure sustainable services through innovation and partnerships

• Our devolution strategy programme shows how we will work with town and parish councils to deliver the services that matter in your community
• Our  Property Investment Strategy - 2018 [301kb] sets out our plan to purchase commercial investment properties to provide a balanced investment portfolio and therefore a long term, sustainable revenue stream

Other strategies, policies and plans

• Our Complaints Policy and Procedures provide detailed guidance notes and explains our regulatory obligations.
• Our Gambling Licence Policy identifies what we will generally consider when looking at applications for a gambling license
• Our Licensing Policy sets out how we will determine applications made under the Licensing Act 2003
• Our  Smoke Free Workplace Policy [46kb] seeks to guarantee the right of all employees and visitors to breath air free of tobacco smoke or vapour from e-cigarettes and to comply with smoke-free legislation.
• Our  Whistleblowing Policy and Procedure (December 2019) [396kb] sets out how concerns  regarding fraud, misconduct or wrongdoing by employees, workers, Elected Members or volunteers of the Council, or by those providing services on behalf of the Council, is reported and dealt with.