State of the Borough debate

Transcript

[Welcome]

Cllr Dexter Smith, leader of the council:  Thank you all for coming and making the time to be here and attending the State of the Borough debate. This is the first time that I've known there to be a State of the Borough debate.

Sbba Siddique, Director, Asian Star Radio and Founder of Knit your socks off, independent facilitator: There were several questions that came in but there were three recurring themes.

[Theme: Young people]

Madam Mayor Cllr Siobhan Dauti: The topics for tonight are 1. Young people, opportunities activities and education.

Sbba Siddique: Our first question for this evening is what can be done to support young people in Slough with more access to safe public spaces and activities.

Dr Arshad Jarral, Chair, Slough Faiths Standing Together: A lot of young people haven't got the opportunities to do anything.

David Essien, member, Slough Youth Parliament: We want to learn about the real world. We want to learn about taxes.

Omar Mahamoud, Young Ambassador, Slough Children First (SCF): Parks should be safe spaces for people to relax in.

David Essien: These things that schools don't normally teach children.

Cllr Pavitar Mann, Leader of the Labour Group, and councillor for Britwell: It's important that we have activities for young people to do.

Cllr Sabia Akram, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group and councillor for Farnham: So I think we have to be the champions and the advocates of what we want to see.

Omar Mahamoud: How we actually get a job in the first place.

Cllr Sabia Akram: We have  to offer apprenticeships. We have to have a graduate program so our Slough graduates have real opportunities and chances in Slough.

Omar Mahamoud: This is a  very difficult thing to do as a young person, especially when you're just starting off with no work experience.

Cllr Pavitar Mann: And importantly for me it's co-creating our policies with young people.

Madam Mayor Cllr Siobhan Dauti: Listening to our young ones. They feel they need more careers advice, more job opportunities, more opportunities across the board.

[Theme: Finances and recovery]

Madam Mayor Cllr Siobhan Dauti: Number 2 is the role of the council in Slough.

Tom Conlin, Trustee of Slough Council for Voluntary Service, independent facilitator: What is the situation with the council's finances and what is being done to resolve the problem?

Cllr Pavitar Mann: I think it is important that we do acknowledge, all of us, that mistakes were made.

Cllr Sabia Akram: And I think the only way we can really get out of this mess is if we actually work together.

Cllr Pavitar Mann: And it is important that we also learn the lessons from those mistakes.

Cllr Sabia Akram: And it can only happen if we have strong leadership and we all work collectively across the chamber.

Cllr Dexter Smith: We're on a very long journey to becoming a best value council.

Cllr Pavitar Mann: Councillors will have to take decisions that they do not want to do but that is right to for ensuring the governance of our town.

Cllr Dexter Smith: The thing is that we're trying to do the best with the resources that we've got.

Cllr Pavitar Mann: But we will always be guided by what we believe is best for this town and the residents who elected us.

Madam Mayor Cllr Siobhan Dauti: We all know mistakes were made. We all know that we were 3/4 of a billion in debt and we are bringing that debt down as a combined effort.

[Theme: Town centre]

Madam Mayor Cllr Siobhan Dauti:  And number 3, my favourite, our town centre.

Sbba Siddique: What plans are there for the improvement of the town centre and what needs to be done to make it better?

Cllr Pavitar Mann: I'm very pleased that Berkley Homes are taking over the development of the town centre.

Jamie Green, chair, Slough Council for Voluntary Service: In the redesigning of the town centre, we need to design out the elements that we don't like.

Cllr Sabia Akram: Is it going to be affordable for Slough residents or is it going to price us out? That I think is the biggest challenge.

Cllr Pavitar Mann: We do have serious issues of antisocial behaviour and on street drinking in our town centre.

Dr Arshad Jarral: The most important thing about Slough, what I am passionate about is a very diverse community. It has got a lot of rich culture which needs to be reflected.

Omar Mahamoud: There aren't that many fun things to do. Not many activities.

Cllr Dexter Smith: A lot more people moving around the centre, occupying it.

Omar Mahamoud: Activities for people to build friendships and communities out there.

Cllr Dexter Smith: This is going to add a sense of security to people.

Sam Essien: The safety of the town centre would improve a lot because more people are occupied with better and more positive things to do with their town.

[Closing remarks]

Madam Mayor Cllr Siobhan Dauti: Thank you all for coming. Thank you to all of our panel members.

Sbba Siddique: I definitely think that there is a huge appetite for change.

Cllr Dexter Smith: We are listening and we're learning. Thank you all.