The Minutes of the meeting held on 13 April 2026 and 27 May 2026 were agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

Public petitions and questions may be submitted on any matter within the Committee’s responsibilities. Submissions should be emailed to committee.services@reading.gov.uk and must be received no later than 12 noon, four clear working days before the meeting.

A petition was presented by Aravind Chandrashekar on the potential removal of the Pink 22 Bus service.  Councillor Ennis, Lead Councillor for Climate Strategy and Transport, responded to the petition.

Questions on the following matters were submitted by members of the public:

Questions on the following matters were submitted by Councillors:

This report sets out a Draft Reading Town Centre Vision for the purposes of undertaking wider public and stakeholder consultation as the overarching place?shaping framework for Central Reading.

The Committee considered a report on the draft Reading Town Centre Vision and Delivery Plan. The draft Reading Town Centre Vision, attached at Appendix 1, set out a shared vision for Central Reading over the next 20 years and defined what success should look like for the town centre as  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

This report provides an overview of the outcomes of the enhanced environmental enforcement trial and seeks approval to proceed with the procurement of a fixed?term enhanced environmental enforcement contract.

The Committee considered a report that provided an overview of the outcomes of the enhanced environmental enforcement trial and seeking approval to proceed with the procurement of a fixed?term enhanced environmental enforcement contract, in line with the Council Plan 2025–2028.  Attached to the report at Appendix 1 was the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

This report proposes a package of updates to the Council’s off-street parking tariffs to modernise and simplify the structure, improve consistency, support town centre activity, and ensure charges remain aligned with wider transport, environmental and public health objectives.

The Committee considered a report that proposed a package of updates to the Council’s off?street parking tariffs to modernise and simplify the structure, improve consistency, support towncentre activity, and ensure charges remained aligned with wider transport, environmental and public health objectives. The revisions followed a detailed review of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

This report provides an update on schemes for Battle Street, Southcote Lane and Dee Park Phase 3 and seeks relevant approvals to progress these to the next phases of development. It also provides an update on LANB delivery to date including new sites in feasibility, the new Whitley Wood Community Centre, acquisitions and the fourth round of MHCLG’s Local Authority Housing Fund programme and seeks approvals to progress these schemes including spend and budget approvals and permission to bid for Homes England grant funding.

The Committee considered a report that provided an update on the delivery of the Local Authority New Build (LANB) programme.  Attached to the report was a Confidential Financial Annex setting out financial or commercial information that had been redacted from the report.

The report explained that Policy Committee on 20  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

This report sets out for approval the proposed Local Area SEND Reform Plan for Reading.

The Committee considered a report providing details of a partnership Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Reform Plan to deliver a shared vision and response to Government SEND reforms.  The plan was attached to the report at Appendix 1.

The report explained that on 23 February the Government had published  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

This report provides an overview of all elements of Crisis & Resilience Fund support being proposed to support low-income households within the borough.

The Committee considered a report that provided information on the introduction of the new Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF allocated by the Department of Works and Pensions (DWP) to deliver support to low-income households from 1 April 2026.

It was reported that the CRF allocation to Reading had been confirmed  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10.

This report asks the Policy Committee to make appointments to outside bodies for the Municipal Year 2026/27.

The Committee considered a report on the appointments or nominations to outside bodies for the Municipal Year 2025/26, or longer where required.   A schedule of outside body appointments showing the Group Leaders’ recommendations was tabled at the meeting.

Resolved –

(1)        That the Committee appoint to outside bodies as follows:  ...  view the full minutes text for item 11.

The following motion will be moved by the Chair:

“That, pursuant to Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended) members of the press and public be excluded during consideration of the following items on the agenda, as it is likely that there would be disclosure of exempt information as defined in the relevant Paragraphs of Part 1 of Schedule 12A (as amended) of that Act”

Resolved –

That pursuant to Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended), members of the press and public be excluded during consideration of item 13 below as it was likely that there would be a disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 as specified in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 12.

The Committee considered a report seeking authority to award a new Flexible Response Service to Rough Sleeping contract.

The report explained that the Flexible Response Service to Rough Sleeping was the Council’s core rough sleeping outreach service, providing assertive engagement, safeguarding and pathways into accommodation for some of Reading’s most  ...  view the full minutes text for item 13.