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 (MTFS) 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 MTFS, Capital Strategy and Programme, and Investment and Borrowing Strategy are agreed annually at the Full Council Meeting in March.
• 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 is 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  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 Residential and Nursing Care Placements for Older People Policy set out our policy for any new residential and nursing home placements, principally for people aged 65 and over.
• 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 Apprenticeship Strategy sets out our ambition as both as an employer and as a key stakeholder in the future of our communities, including the promotion of apprenticeships to other local businesses both within West Berkshire and as part of a pan Berkshire initiative.
• 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  Economic Development Strategy 2020- 2023 [11Mb] reflects a refreshed commitment to supporting the economy of West Berkshire. Whilst the area has many strengths we recognise that there is still more to do and our strategy seeks to focus on these issues and, in particular, those challenges where we feel we can make a real
  contribution. 
• 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  Cultural and Heritage Strategy 2020-2030 [14Mb] sets out the Cultural Heritage Strategy Delivery Group's strategic themes and objectives for the next ten years. Culture and heritage are integral to keeping the district as a place where people want to live, work and visit. The Delivery Plan and actions will be developed with key stakeholder organisations who have specialist knowledge, experience and networks, by autumn 2021.
• Our Greenham Business Park Local Development Order provides a streamlined planning process.
• Our  Housing Allocations Policy explains the framework that we use to decide how we allocate our social and affordable rent homes in West Berkshire, and what our priorities are in doing so.  
• Our Housing Grants and Loans Policy explains the housing grants and loans that are available to West Berkshire residents.
• Our Housing Strategy is our vision for housing services across West Berkshire for the next sixteen 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 Minerals and Waste Local Plan sets out our policies to manage mineral and waste development in West Berkshire, as well as allocating sites for mineral extraction.
• 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 [3Mb] 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 Rights of Way Improvement Plan (ROWIP) sets out our aims to improve the access network of 'definitive' public rights of way, cycle tracks, routes permitted for use by landowners, informal routes used by the public, and land open for public access, for the enjoyment of all its users. 
• Our Waste Strategy is our long-term vision to maximise recycling and reduce rubbish.
• Our Ultra Low Emission Vehicle Strategy seeks to map out a programme for supporting ULEV uptake in the district.

Ensure sustainable services through innovation and partnerships

• Our  Communications and Engagement Strategy [15Mb] sets out our objectives and key principles for engagement to ensure we meet the needs of those we serve, and the outcomes which will help us determine if this approach has been successful.
• 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 licence.
• Our Highway Winter Service Plan provides details of the policies, procedures and practices, which ensure our responsibilities for providing the Winter Service are met.
• Our Licensing Policy sets out how we will determine applications made under the Licensing Act 2003.
• Our Pay Policy Statement fulfills the requirements to publish a pay policy statement under s38 of the Localism Act 2011.
• 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 Procurement Strategy sets out ensure that all opportunities are identified to add value and make our budget stretch as far as possible so that procurement to meet the needs of an evolving council.
• Our Street Naming and Numbering Policy sets out the official street naming and numbering process. This maintains a comprehensive and high standard for naming streets and numbering or naming properties across the district.
• 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.