The Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee are scheduled to meet to discuss the Leader and Chief Executive's six-monthly update, the proposed advertising policy, and the committee's work programme. Councillors will also consider the current Executive and Individual Executive Member Decisions (IEMD) Forward Programmes, and the regular action tracker report. There will also be an opportunity for councillors and members of the public to ask questions.

Advertising Policy

The committee will scrutinise the proposed Wokingham Borough Council (WBC) Advertising Policy. The purpose of the policy is:

to consider the advertising content displayed on local authority assets to best align it with community values, legal standards, and the public interest, whilst allowing the council to benefit from associated commercial income.

The report pack includes a draft of the policy, which aims to ensure that advertising on council assets aligns with the council's community values, legal standards and the public interest. The policy is intended to allow the council to secure commercial opportunities, while setting parameters that align to wider strategies and values.

The draft policy states that the council wants to ensure opportunities for local companies to promote their businesses. It sets out principles for advertising, including that agreements:

• must be compatible with the values and priorities in the council's Community Vision and Council Plan
• must have clear commercial or social value for both parties
• cannot be perceived to influence or hinder how the council operates or makes decisions
• must not damage the reputation and credibility of the council

The draft policy also lists categories of products that the council would not consider suitable for advertising. These include:

• Less healthy food and drink, such as prepared soft drinks, packaged snacks, confectionery, ice cream, processed meats, fried and fast foods, processed ready meals and sugary cereals.
• Products that contribute to significant environmental harm, such as single-use drinks bottles, petrol and diesel fuelled cars, airlines and airports, and fossil fuel companies including Shell, BP, Exxon Mobil (Esso and Mobil), Chevron and Total Energies.
• Advertising from businesses or industries that conflict with the council's public responsibility and ethical standards, such as gambling platforms and payday loan providers.

The report pack notes that the council faces significant funding pressures, and that additional restrictions on advertising could reduce the potential for the council to raise income to support services. The committee is asked to recommend where they feel the balance should be drawn between adding constraints beyond national guidelines and reducing the council's ability to raise advertising income.

The report pack includes a table of comments from the last committee meeting and proposed actions, as well as a decision matrix for categories considered unsuitable for advertising.

Leader and Chief Executive Update

The committee will receive a six-monthly update from Councillor Stephen Conway, Leader of the Council, and Susan Parsonage, Chief Executive, on key achievements, challenges and future plans for the council.

The report pack highlights challenges including:

• The local government finance settlement for WBC, which has reduced the council's grant by an estimated £47 million.
• Inequalities in the borough, which the council is addressing through a new council plan and an Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Policy.
• Rising demand and complexity of needs, particularly in adults', children's and housing services.

Achievements noted in the report pack include:

• Being shortlisted for Council of the Year at the MJ Awards.
• Successful community engagement in planting trees at the new Covid Memorial Woodland in Barkham.
• Harbour House Children's home being Ofsted registered.
• Air quality monitors installed outside primary schools.
• More people moving into the Gorse Ride development in Finchampstead.
• Launch of a Community Lottery.

The report pack also includes an update on Fair Funding Proposals, government devolution proposals, and the Local Plan. The Local Plan Update was submitted to the government for independent examination in February 2025, and public hearing sessions are anticipated to start in November, with adoption anticipated in summer/autumn 2026.

Committee Work Programmes

The committee will discuss the work programme of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee and Overview and Scrutiny Committees. The report pack includes draft work programmes for the following committees:

• Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee
• Children's Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee
• Climate Emergency Overview and Scrutiny Committee
• Community and Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee
• Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee

Executive and IEMD Forward Programmes

The committee will consider the current published version of the Executive and IEMD Forward Programmes. These programmes list upcoming decisions to be taken by the Executive and individual executive members.

Items listed in the Executive Forward Programme include:

• Transfer of the Physical Disabilities Day Service from Westmead Day Centre to Matthewsgreen Community Centre
• Renewal of a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) to reduce harm caused by anti-social vehicle use in car parks and other public open spaces.
• An update on the proposals for the Toutley East development.
• The Health & Safety Annual Report 2024-25.
• Amendment No. 5 to the Wokingham Borough Council (Various Off-Street Borough Car Parks) (Civil Parking Enforcement) Order 2023.
• An update on the implementation of the Peer Review Recommendations and proposals for the future of the Shared Public Protection Service.
• The Advertising Policy.
• Capital Monitoring 2025/26 - Q2.
• Revenue Monitoring 2025-26: Q2.
• An update on the current provision of Berkshire Community Equipment Services following the insolvency of the previous provider.
• A decision to join the Regional Care Co-Operative (RCC).
• An Optalis Business Update.
• Updates from Loddon Homes and Berry Brook Homes, including a Managing Director Overview, Development Pipeline, Outturn 2024/25 - Auditor's Statement, Management Accounts Quarter 1, Key Performance Indicators Quarter 1, and Bi-annual Survey Outcomes (Loddon).
• Approval of the budget and programme for delivery of a new outdoor sports hub at Grays Farm.
• The Treasury Management Mid Year Update 2025-26.
• The Community Safety Partnership (CSP) Strategy - Post Consultation.
• The Wokingham Borough Council School Organisation Plan 2025 to 2030.
• Public Spaces Protection Order (Renewal) Post Consultation Feedback.

Items listed in the IEMD Forward Programme include:

• Wokingham Borough Council's response to a public consultation on plans for further reforms to public procurement.
• Wokingham Borough Council's formal response to the Charvil draft Neighbourhood Plan (Regulation 16) consultation.
• The response to the consultation in respect of the proposals to modernise and improve the administration of Council Tax.

Action Tracker

The committee will consider the regular Action Tracker report. The report pack includes an action tracker from the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee meetings held on 15 May 2025 and 23 June 2025, and 22 July 2025.