The Bracknell Forest Council was scheduled to meet on 10 September 2025. The agenda included a report from Councillor Mary Temperton, Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Council Strategy and Climate Change, on the work of the cabinet since the last council meeting, a mid-term councillor learning and development report, questions from the public and councillors, and a motion relating to freedom of speech. The council was asked to resolve recommendations in respect of the Bracknell Forest Vision 2050, the Revenue Expenditure Outturn 2024/25, and the Climate Change Strategy and Delivery Plan.

Freedom of Speech Motion

Councillor John Harrison and Councillor Gareth Barnard put forward a motion on freedom of speech. The motion stated that the council:

must foster an environment where lawful free speech and freedom of conscience are upheld, enabling councillors and employees to express sincerely held beliefs—religious, philosophical, or otherwise—and to engage in legitimate policy debates, including on immigration dispersal, without fear of reprisal or malicious complaints.

The motion also stated that codes of conduct should not be used to suppress political expression or penalise lawful beliefs. The council was asked to resolve to instruct the Monitoring Officer to review the council's code of conduct, policies, procedures and constitution to explicitly uphold the right to freedom of speech and freedom of conscience under UK law. The council was also asked to ensure that the code of conduct distinguishes between councillors' official duties and their private or political speech and beliefs, limiting sanctions to cases of clear legal breaches and preventing vexatious complaints. The council was further asked to review and amend protections for council employees under the Employment Rights Act 1996¹ and Equality Act 2010², ensuring they can express lawful opinions or raise concerns without facing disciplinary action. Finally, the council was asked to work with external organisations, such as the Free Speech Union³ and relevant faith or advocacy groups, to ensure the revised policies are robust and aligned with best practices, and to oppose any future government proposals to impose standardised conduct regimes that could undermine free speech or freedom of conscience.

Berkshire Pension Fund Investments

Yvonne Hope and Sue Sibany-King submitted questions regarding the Berkshire Pension Fund's investments in companies that supply arms to Israel and Israeli government bonds. They raised concerns about the fund's investments in companies enabling or profiting from Israel's genocide, military occupation, and apartheid against Palestinians, and asked whether Bracknell Forest Council would join other councils in calling for divestment from these companies.

Councillor Mary Temperton, responded that the Royal County of Berkshire Pension Fund is administered by the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead. She added that the Pension Fund uses an asset manager called LPPI⁴ to manage the Fund's investments and that LPPI monitors the Fund's portfolio daily against the United Nations list of companies involved in activities related to settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT). She noted that the Fund has exposure to just one company on the UN OPT list, representing approximately 0.8% of the Pension Fund's assets, and that the Fund now has no exposure to Israeli government bonds through its investment in the LPPI Fixed Income Fund (FIF). Councillor Temperton stated that Bracknell Forest Council has no direct involvement in management of the Pension Fund, which is the responsibility of the Pension Fund Committee, but that Councillor Stephen O'Regan is the council's appointed representative on the Berkshire Pension Fund's Advisory Panel. She said that she has asked Councillor O'Regan to confirm that the Council expects the Pension Fund to act quickly in approving and implementing its Responsible Investment Policy, to ensure that it has no investments in organisations associated with conflicts in any part of the world.

Cabinet Report

Councillor Temperton was scheduled to present a report on the work of the cabinet since the last council meeting. The report summarised decisions taken by the cabinet since their meeting on 15 July 2025. The council was asked to approve recommendations in respect of the Bracknell Forest Vision 2050, the Revenue Expenditure Outturn 2024/25 and the Climate Change Strategy and Delivery Plan.

Equality Objectives

The cabinet approved the council's new Equalities Objectives for 2025–29, as set out in the 2025-29 'All of Us' Equality Scheme, following public consultation. The objectives are designed to foster an inclusive and fair society, supporting ambitions in the Council Plan. The objectives will be tracked and monitored by a cross-council annual delivery plan, with progress reported annually on the Council's website.

All-Age Integrated Autism Strategy

The cabinet approved the draft All-Age Integrated Autism Strategy 2025–2030 as the basis for a 12-week public consultation. The strategy sets out the council's ambition to support autistic children, young people and adults to achieve their life outcomes, and is co-produced with people with lived experience, parents/carers and professionals.

Exploitation Strategy

The cabinet approved the proposed consultation plan for the draft all-age Exploitation Strategy and action plan for 2026–31. The consultation will enable young people, adults, families, as well as the general public to provide their views on the strategy and action plan. The strategy aims to prevent exploitation, support those experiencing it, learn from survivors and stop perpetrators, with a focus on prevention, transition into adulthood and support and recovery.

Berkshire Local Nature Recovery Strategy

The cabinet endorsed the approval of the Berkshire Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) by the Responsible Authority, Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, subject to officer feedback being addressed before 8 August 2025. Local nature recovery strategies (LNRSs) are spatial strategies for nature and environmental improvement required by law under the Environment Act 2021⁵. Each LNRS will agree priorities for nature recovery and propose actions in locations where they would make a particular contribution to achieving those priorities.

Bracknell Forest Vision 2050

The cabinet recommended that the council approve the Bracknell Forest Vision 2050. The Vision 2050 sets out a long-term direction for the borough, developed through extensive engagement with residents, partners and stakeholders, and is underpinned by themes such as community wellbeing, sustainability, transport, education, economy, arts and inclusion.

Capital Expenditure Outturn 2024/25

Outturn expenditure totalled £38.725m for 2024/25. The cabinet noted the outturn capital expenditure and approved carry forwards of £56.770m from the 2024/25 capital programme to 2025/26.

Revenue Expenditure Outturn 2024/25

The cabinet noted the outturn expenditure for 2024/25, subject to audit, of £96.614m, which represents an underspend of -£0.742m compared with the approved budget. The cabinet recommended that the council note the Treasury Management performance in 2024/25 and approve the virements⁶ over £0.100m relating to the 2024/25 budget.

Climate Change Strategy Annual Report

The cabinet noted the annual progress made against the Climate Change Strategy (2020–2024). This annual report is the final report for the Climate Change Strategy that covered the period 2020-2024.

Climate Change Strategy Action Plan 2025/26

The cabinet endorsed the full list of activities in the within appendix 1 of the report with a specific reference to the eight major projects, each aligned to be championed by the relevant Cabinet Portfolio Holder. The action plan sets out what Bracknell Forest Council will do in the year to March 2026 to implement its Climate Change Strategy 2025-2030.

Climate Change Strategy and Delivery Plan – Local Climate Bond

The cabinet authorised the Executive Director: Resources, in consultation with the Borough Solicitor, to enter into legal agreements with Abundance Investment Ltd to develop a Local Climate Bond proposal for Bracknell Forest, to be launched in December 2025. The cabinet recommended that the council approve an update to the Treasury Management Strategy to include Local Climate Bonds, to enable the council to raise funds from the public. Local Climate Bonds (LCBs) represent an innovative form of financing climate action which simultaneously help to engage residents and support the retention of value from investments in the local area.

Mid-Term Councillor Learning and Development Report

The council was scheduled to receive the Mid-Term Councillor Learning and Development Report, as approved and endorsed by the Governance & Audit Committee on 16 July 2025. The report reflected on the councillor induction and ongoing learning and development journey across the first half of the four-year term. Following the election in May 2023, all councillors undertook an induction programme designed to provide the essential knowledge, skills and confidence required to effectively represent residents. The report outlined the core elements of that programme, structured into key phases, and highlighted how the new Councillor Learning and Development Strategy, developed with councillor feedback and the support of the steering group, will guide future initiatives.

Other Questions

Councillor Mark Jones, Warfield Parish Council, asked Councillor Guy Gillbe, Cabinet Member for Planning, Transport and Countryside why he had not responded to invites to attend a meeting of Warfield Parish Council.

Councillor Gareth Barnard asked Councillor Temperton whether there had been a response to the cross-party response to the fair funding consultation that would, if implemented, take £14 million from Bracknell Forest residents.

Councillor Christoph Eberle asked Councillor Gillbe for an update on efforts to improve road safety around borough schools, both generally and specifically with regard to actions following the November 2023 motion requesting the implementation of 20 mph speed limits on roads adjacent to schools where needed. He noted an increase in reports of dangerous parking and driving around the Hurst Lodge School at The Woodlands Upper Broadmoor Road Crowthorne and adjacent roads, which impacts also on foot and bicycle school routes for other Crowthorne schools, such as Edgbarrow School, Wildmoor Heath Primary School and Crowthorne Church of England Primary School, as well as the Morgan Recreational Grounds.

Councillor Christoph Eberle also asked Councillor Gillbe for any update on efforts to improve safety at the junction between Easthampstead Road and Old Wokingham Road on the border between Bracknell Forest and Wokingham Boroughs.

Finally, Councillor Christoph Eberle asked Councillor Temperton for findings from engagement with Thames Water to discuss the development of a Berkshire-wide water and sewage partnership through the newly formed Berkshire Prosperity Board. He noted that Thames Water appears to continue to struggle to attract financing and has to find the money to pay £123 million in fines issued by Ofwat⁷ in 2024, raising grave concerns about the delivery of critical service improvements.