Agenda item

That the content of the draft Annual Report 2020/21 be approved for publication, subject to incorporating the comments of Lead Members into the final version.

The Group Manager, Business Insight introduced the draft Slough Borough Council Annual Report for 2020/21.

The report set out a timeline of the key events over the past year; details of the Covid-19 response; the progress that had been made to achieve the Council’s five key priorities; and information on partnership working.  Feedback from previous years had been taken on board to make the document more accessible and case studies had been included for each priority.

Lead Members highlighted the excellent work that had taken place with partners in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, for example the targeted enforcement work in Chalvey and Farnham Road and the One Slough approach.  The work of the hundreds of volunteers across the town was considered to be exceptional and had been recognised nationally.  Despite the challenging circumstances the Cabinet welcomed that fact that the Council had still delivered on many of its existing priorities such as the opening, ahead of schedule, of the new hotels on the Old Library Site.

At the conclusion of the discussion Lead Members agreed the content of the draft Annual Report, subject to the addition of any final amendments to incorporate some of the examples raised during the discussion as case studies.  In terms of feedback for future reports, Lead Members suggested the voice of Slough’s communities be more strongly reflected, for example, by highlighting engagement through the co-production network and joint working with the voluntary and community sector.

Resolved –  That the content of the draft Annual Report 2020/21 be approved for publication, subject to incorporating the comments of Lead Members into the final version.