See answers to previous information requests

1. Could you please advise how many Social Impact Agreements have been agreed in the past 3 years by WBC.
Wokingham Borough Council does not operate a formal process for establishing or recording arrangements known as "Social Impact Agreements".
Consequently, the Council does not hold recorded information on the number of Social Impact Agreements agreed during the last three years.
The Council does, however, consider social value as part of its procurement and contract management activities where appropriate. Social value commitments may be included within procurement exercises, contracts, specifications, tender responses or contract management arrangements.
The council development plan policy requires mitigation of the impact of new developments which can also have wider social benefits such as Employment and Skills Plans (ESP’s), Affordable Housing, Education Infrastructure, Active Travel/ Sustainable Transport and delivery of Green/ Blue Infrastructure. Whilst contributing to social value they do not form a Social Impact Agreement.
These commitments are not referred to or recorded as "Social Impact Agreements", and there is no central register or reporting mechanism that would enable the Council to identify and count contracts which may contain social value or community benefit commitments that could be regarded as similar in nature.
As the Council does not hold information identifying or recording "Social Impact Agreements" as a distinct category, we are unable to provide the number requested

2. Please also advise how many vacant retail shops are currently in Wokingham Town Centre.
Wokingham Borough Council does not hold a specific list of vacant retail units. However, analysis of Business Rates data identifies that there are currently 12 retail premises recorded as empty within Wokingham Town Centre

3. Please advise how many office premises are currently unoccupied in Wokingham Town Centre.
Wokingham Borough Council does not hold a specific list of unoccupied office premises. However, analysis of Business Rates data identifies that there are currently 22 office premises recorded as empty within Wokingham Town Centre

4. Please advise number of Young People that are currently classified as NEET.
Under the Education and Skills Act 2008, Local authorities in England have a statutory duty to encourage, enable and support young people aged 16 and 17 (and young people with EHCP up to 24 Inclusive) to participate in education, training or employment, prevent NEET status, and re-engage those who are already NEET. The Council therefore formally tracks and reports NEET and Not Known rates for 16-17 yr olds. Our current position is:
• 98 - 16 – 17 yr olds who are NEET
• 42 – 16 – 17 yr olds who’s status is Not Known
• Together this is 140 16-17 yr olds who represent 3% of the total cohort
• 64 -16 – 25 yr olds who have an Educational Health Care Plan (EHCP) and who are NEET
• 11 – 16 – 25 yr olds who have an Educational Health Care Plan (EHCP) who’s status is Not Known
• Together this is 75 16-25 yr olds with an EHCP representing 13.1% of the total cohort

5. Please advise current level of unemployment 18 - 25 in WBC.
Current nomis data indicates that in Wokingham Borough we have 435 unemployed residents between the ages of 18 – 24 yrs. This represents 3.6% of the 18 – 24 yr old Wokingham Borough population. This compares to 4.7% in the South East and 5.7% in Great Britain.