1. Public Health Shared Agreement
The Health and Social Act 2012 confirms the transfer of Public Health functions, resources and commissioning responsibilities from NHS into Local Government. From 1st April 2013 Slough Borough Council will therefore be required to discharge the statutory public health responsibilities, detailed in the new statute and in the supporting Public Health Outcomes Framework 2012. The Berkshire Joint Agreement will underpin cross unitary boundary public health arrangements. The Strategic Director of Wellbeing and Section 151 Officer have been authorised to approve the agreement, following consultation with the Commissioner of Health & Wellbeing.
2, Slough Town Centre Development
The Town Centre Development Action Plan was approved in Cabinet held on Monday 11th March 2013. The £110,000 budget awarded from DCLG will be allocated to deliver the Action Plan. The Town Centre will be promoted as a key source of employment opportunities and driver for start-up SME retail businesses. A further report on the wider measures to improve the town centre will be considered by Cabinet in April 2013.
3. Rescinding Liverpool Road Widening Line
The Liverpool Road Widening Line between the junctions of Buckingham Avenue and Edinburgh Avenue will be rescinded. There are around 20 Road Widening Lines within Slough. Rescinding Liverpool Road Widening line between Buckingham Avenue and Edinburgh Avenue will assist SEGRO with its programme to commence the multi million pound redevelopment known as Leigh Road Commercial Core in 2013.
4. Tenders for the Windsor Road Junction Improvement and Farnham Road Bus Improvement Scheme
Tenders will be invited for the Windsor Road junction improvement and Farnham Road bus improvement scheme. The measures being implemented are designed to reduce delays primarily on route 78 (between Britwell and Heathrow) and benefit other bus routes within Slough, Heathrow Airport and High Wycombe. The Assistant Director for Enforcement and Regulation will be authorised to enter into contract with the winning contractor.
5. Khalsa Secondary School / Arbour Park – SBC’s response to Department for Education letterOn Monday 18 March, the council responded to a letter from the Department for Education (DfE), which requested to give land, known as Arbour Park (formerly Arbour Vale School) to the Khalsa Secondary Academy for their free school.
Council response to the letter from the DfE.
The original letter from the DfE
6. Flood risk fund
Slough is one of a handful of communities across the country that will benefit from a £5 million fund set up to help find innovative ways of protecting homes and businesses from the risk of flooding.
Slough Borough Council has been successful in its application for funding from the Defra Flood Resilience Community Pathfinder Scheme and will be delivering one of 13 pilot studies aimed at helping communities come up with their own ways of increasing resilience to flooding.
Defra has given the council a £284,665 slice of the fund, the total amount it applied for, which will be used to develop and support community-led initiatives to reduce flood risk.
7. The Queen to officially open Britwell Centre
Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh will be officially opening the new Britwell Centre on Friday 5 April.
During the visit Her Majesty will be touring the new building including the kitchens, main hall and new library and meeting local residents who have been part of the regeneration of Britwell.
She will also be unveiling a plaque to mark the visit.
The Britwell Centre is a brand new community building for local residents and will house the new library, catering and learning kitchens, offices and meeting space, a café and the family contact centre.
8. Fall in teenage pregnancies
Fewer teenagers in Slough are falling pregnant according to the latest figures released by the Office of National Statistics (ONS).
The ONS figures show that in 2011, the number of girls aged 18 and under who fell pregnant dropped by 21.5 per cent in 12 months. Nationally, the rate fell by 10 per cent.
In 2011, 62 teenagers fell pregnant compared to 79 teens in 2010. In 1998 this figure was 121 – a staggering 48.7 per cent higher.
The ONS figures also show the south east as having the lowest regional teenage conception rate (with 4087 conceptions), and the lowest rate in England since 1969.