"I am delighted to be setting out our commitments and aspirations for the next 4 years in this plan.
The plan is unreservedly ambitious and while we know it will be a challenge to achieve everything set out in it, a thriving community is at our core, so we must strive to make real and tangible progress in all areas.
When there are so many vital services provided by our teams, it is difficult to narrow down a few priorities, however, we have identified a set of key themes and goals to guide our work.
We are starting from a good position, the majority of our schools offer excellent education, we have varied and thriving businesses based here, and our natural environment is clean and accessible.
However, there are changes outside of our control that we will have to adapt and respond to as we deliver the plan. For example, the urgency of the climate and biodiversity emergency, national legislation changes, and technological advancement. We do not intend to just keep up with this, but embrace, innovate, and lead.
We also recognise that we will face challenges and changes within the borough over the next 4 years. The population is growing and demand for our services is increasing. We are experiencing, alongside residents, the financial challenges where costs are rising at an unsustainable rate. At the same time, our funding is not increasing to match rising costs and we continue to face uncertainty for future years of funding. We will need to continue to adapt and learn so that we can tackle these challenges and still deliver our ambitions.
However, communities in Bracknell Forest are strong. I saw first-hand during the pandemic how everyone came together. I am passionate about making sure residents are empowered and well-informed, so you can make your own choices and be independent. Our services must be inclusive and accessible, and we need to work directly with you to achieve this. We will be doing more in the coming years to connect with and listen to residents; working together to improve and deliver quality services."
Cllr Mary Temperton, Leader of the council