Council - Wednesday 25 February 2026, 4:00pm - Buckinghamshire Council Webcasting

Council
Wednesday, 25th February 2026 at 4:00pm 

Agenda

Slides

Transcript

Map

Resources

Forums

Speakers

Votes

 
Share this agenda point
  1. Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja
  2. Cllr Lesley Clarke OBE
  3. Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja
  4. Cllr Mohammed Ayub
  5. Cllr Mahboob Hussain JP
  6. Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja
  7. Cllr Alex Collingwood
  8. Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja
  9. Pippa Kirkbride - High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire
  10. Pippa Kirkbride - High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire
  11. Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja
Share this agenda point
  1. Glenn Watson - Principal Governance Officer
  2. Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja
Share this agenda point
  1. Cllr Phil Gomm
  2. Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja
  3. Glenn Watson - Principal Governance Officer
  4. Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja
Share this agenda point
Share this agenda point
  1. Glenn Watson - Principal Governance Officer
  2. Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja
Share this agenda point
  1. Cllr Steven Broadbent
  2. Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja
  3. Cllr Steven Broadbent
  4. Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja
  5. Cllr Susan Morgan
  6. Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja
Share this agenda point
  1. David Skinner - Director of Finance and S151 Officer
  2. Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja
Share this agenda point
  1. Cllr Steven Broadbent
  2. Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja
  3. Cllr Steven Broadbent
  4. Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja
  5. Cllr Stuart Wilson
  6. Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja
  7. Cllr Alex Collingwood
  8. Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja
  9. Cllr Kelly Thornton
  10. Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja
  11. Cllr Anja Schaefer
  12. Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja
  13. Cllr Robin Stuchbury
  14. Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja
  15. Cllr Adekunle Osibogun
  16. Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja
  17. Cllr Ed Gemmell
  18. Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja
  19. Cllr Larisa Townsend
  20. Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja
  21. Cllr Chris Poll
  22. Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja
  23. Cllr Simon Rouse
  24. Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja
  25. Cllr Thomas Broom
  26. Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja
  27. Cllr Penny Drayton
  28. Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja
  29. Cllr Steven Broadbent
  30. Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja
  31. Glenn Watson - Principal Governance Officer
  32. Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja
  33. Glenn Watson - Principal Governance Officer
  34. Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja
Share this agenda point
  1. Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja
  2. Cllr Steven Broadbent
  3. Cllr Susan Morgan
  4. Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja
  5. Cllr Stuart Wilson
  6. Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja
  7. Cllr Cameron Anderson
  8. Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja
  9. Cllr Jonathan Waters
  10. Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja
  11. Cllr Michael Bracken
  12. Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja
  13. Cllr Susan Morgan
  14. Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja
  15. Cllr Mark Roberts
  16. Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja
  17. Cllr Matthew Hind
  18. Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja
  19. Cllr Sherrilyn Bateman
  20. Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja
  21. Cllr Carl Jackson
  22. Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja
  23. Cllr Niknam Hussain
  24. Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja
  25. Cllr Robin Stuchbury
  26. Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja
  27. Cllr Chris Chilton
  28. Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja
  29. Cllr David Moore
  30. Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja
  31. Cllr Hazel Arthur-Hewitt
  32. Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja
  33. Cllr Ed Gemmell
  34. Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja
  35. Cllr Robert Carington
  36. Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja
  37. Cllr Julia Wassell
  38. Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja
  39. Cllr Larisa Townsend
  40. Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja
  41. Cllr Matthew Walsh
  42. Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja
  43. Cllr Alex Collingwood
  44. Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja
  45. Cllr Sherrilyn Bateman
  46. Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja
  47. Cllr Simon Rouse
  48. Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja
  49. Cllr Martin Tett
  50. Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja
  51. Cllr Thomas Broom
  52. Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja
  53. Cllr Steven Broadbent
  54. Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja
  55. Glenn Watson - Principal Governance Officer
  56. Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja
  57. Glenn Watson - Principal Governance Officer
  58. Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja
Share this agenda point
  1. Cllr Robert Carington
  2. Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja
  3. Cllr Robin Stuchbury
  4. Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja
  5. Cllr Robert Carington
  6. Cllr Stuart Wilson
  7. Cllr Robert Carington
  8. Cllr Julie Ward
  9. Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja
Share this agenda point
  1. Cllr Robert Carington
  2. Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja
  3. Cllr Chris Poll
  4. Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja
  5. Cllr Matthew Walsh
  6. Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja
Share this agenda point
Share this agenda point
  1. Webcast Finished

Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja - 0:00:00
I'll give you a couple of minutes for them to settle down.
.
thank you. I'll start again. Thank you for attending this afternoon's meeting. I'm
Safraj Raja, the Chairman of the Council. I'm supported by Vice -Chairman John
Chilva. A warm welcome to all members, Honorary Aldermen, the High Sheriff of
Buckinghamshire and members of the public in attendance and watching online.
Firstly, I would like to say something about Alan Hill. He is an ex -counsellor.
It is with deep sadness that I have to inform you that the former Councillor Alan Hill sadly passed away on the 23rd of January, 2026.
Alan served as a Wycombe District Councillor for the Abbey Ward from 1989 to 2020.
holding the role of High Wycombe District Council Chairman from 2009 to 2010.
He was a Buckinghamshire County Councillor from 2005 to 2013,
and a Buckinghamshire Councillor from 2020 to 2021.
On behalf of the council,
I send my condolences to Alan's family and friends.
I invite Councillor Leslie Clark to say a few words.
Cllr Lesley Clarke OBE - 0:02:22
Thank you, Joanna. I heard about Alan's passing while I was away. Very sad news. He was a
great friend. People underestimated Alan. They thought that he didn't know what he was
talking about. On planning, he was a whiz, absolute whiz, and he was really good at planning.
He was a special constable in Marlowe.
He was born in Marlowe and lived in Marlowe for a bit,
and then saw the light and moved to High Wycombe.
And he was brilliant.
He was very well supported by his wife, Janet, and his family.
He was a really good local counsellor.
He understood the problems,
and he was a very good friend and colleague to myself and my brother.
and for Sir Jean Teasdale when she was one of our councillors.
He would be greatly missed, really greatly missed.
He was a lovely man, really, really lovely man.
Thank you, Chairman.
Thank you, Councillor Clark.
Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja - 0:03:31
Councillor Mabu -Bissane?
Thank you very much, Mr Chairman.
My colleagues have made a very good point
and I also want to pay tribute.
Cllr Mohammed Ayub - 0:03:46
I raised a pay tribute to a former councillor and dear friend, Councillor Alan Hill, who
Cllr Mahboob Hussain JP - 0:03:48
recently passed away.
I will serve this council with great pride and I had the privilege of working alongside
with him for many years.
He was a man of unwavering commitment and dedication, always putting the need of our
to every road he took on. His service extended far and wide. He served as mayor of I Wycombe,
the chairman of Wycombe District Council, and held many other important roles across
our committees. Whether it was pouring rain over council papers, late into the evening,
meeting with grace or listening to resident concerns. With patience, Alan gave his all
to make Buckinghamshire a better place. But beyond his impressive list of roles and
achievements, Alan was simply a wonderful person, kind, approachable and always ready
with a word of support or a smile. He made this Council a warmer place to be.
Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this difficult time and our legacy of service
and kindness will stay with us.
Thank you, Mr Chairman.
Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja - 0:05:20
Thank you, Councillor Sane. And finally, Councillor Conlon -Wood.
Thank you Chairman. Having joined the industry back in 1995, Alan was the first one actually
Cllr Alex Collingwood - 0:05:33
to welcome me and be really supportive. He was always the quiet one, but he was the one
that actually had the perception. And when we were there at 11 o 'clock at night looking
at a planning meeting, he always went going actually, the answer to the question is X,
Y, or Z, and he was always right. Thank you Chairman.
Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja - 0:05:50
Thank you, Councillor Collingwood. Please can I ask members to up stand whilst we observe
a minute silence on that moral ballot.
.
Thank you.
You may be seated.
the
» My sincere condolences go out to
Councillor Waihi -Raja and his family on the passing of his
father. My thoughts are with the family and with you,
Councillor
Raja. We will follow the arrangements for speaking as
laid out in the constitution.
Please remain respectful throughout the meeting.
All members are reminded to uphold the Nolan principles
when speaking to one another during the meeting.
At the start of each debate, I will ask members
to raise their hands if they wish to speak.
And now moving on to, I need to say a few words because one
of our guests, the high sheriff, Pippa Kirkbride, is signing off. This is her last meeting.
She's been wonderful and she's been a really good friend to me over the year, except for
the last, well, earlier this month when she got her husband to cook for her at a cook -off
that we did for Homeless Connexion, but it was a draw between me and Pippa. So, Pippa,
but thank you very much for being a friend and being there.
I've got some flowers for you.
I just wanted to say a couple of words.
So I will be.
Thank you.
Pippa Kirkbride - High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire - 0:09:05
Pippa Kirkbride - High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire - 0:09:47
.
.
It supports vulnerable residents before crisis.
It creates pathways for young people and it amplifies, often invisibly, the reach and
effectiveness of public services.
But here is the challenge I would gently or not so gently place before you today.
Across this year I have also heard repeatedly about fragility, small groups stretched thin,
leaders ageing without successes, funding uncertain, safeguarding burdens, volunteer fatigue.
The goodwill is immense, but it cannot be taken for granted.
So the question for all of us, statutory and voluntary sectors
together, is this.
Are we treating volunteering as the strategic system it truly is?
Because if we are, we will design policy, funding,
commissioning and partnership in ways that actively sustain it
and not simply rely upon it.
And this is where your role matters profoundly.
You shape the environment in which volunteering either
flourishes or struggles through decisions about
community infrastructure, youth opportunity, local
partnership, and how the council works alongside the
voluntary sector.
So I want to thank you sincerely for stepping
forward to lead this county.
local government asks much time, judgement, scrutiny, responsibility, for which you get little thanks and plenty of criticism.
So thank you for your leadership. It is one of the reasons Buckinghamshire remains a place where people still choose to step forward for one another.
As my year, this hugely privileged year that I've had
draws to a close, my hope is simple, that the storeys and
insight gathered through the Shout Volunteering Project
helps keep volunteering visible, not as something
nice to have, but as something vital to plan for,
to invest in, and to grow.
Because when volunteering is strong, communities are
strong. And when communities are strong, Buckinghamshire is strong. So thank you.
Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja - 0:13:25
Thank you, High Sheriff. I plan to allow for a short break, around about 5 .40. Some of
our colleagues are fasting. So if the leaders are speaking, group leaders are speaking,
please if you can quietly go and open your fast and then we'll have a comfort break for everybody.
When the leader's speaking I'm not going to break the meeting for that,
so I hope you can understand. Sorry, you've got your hand up.
We will be having a comfort break around about 5 .35 for people.
So I hope that's fine with you.
Moving on to apologies, Mr. Watson.
Thank you.

1 Apologies

Glenn Watson - Principal Governance Officer - 0:14:23
Yes, we have apologies from Councillors Ahmed, Gryphon and Snaith. We also have apologies from
Lady Howe, His Majesty's, Lord Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire and as we see the High Sheriff
Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja - 0:14:35
has had to leave us also. Thank you Mr Watson. Moving on to minutes. Members content with the

2 Minutes

meal notes of the full council meeting held on the 26th of November. Councillor Gough.
Chairman Fakie, I request that the minutes are amended to accurately reflect the following, please.
In seconding the substantive motion, Councillor Galangate, Councillor Chiltern, the opportunity to apologise for properly recalling his physical appearance.
Cllr Phil Gomm - 0:15:05
However, Councillor Chiltern did not take the opportunity to do so.
Alternatively, if not wanted to change those, I'm happy in the spirit of cooperation and mutual respect to again to allow Councillor Chiltern the opportunity to apologise for his behaviour at the last meeting and accept the minutes as presented.
Can you give me a couple of minutes to talk to Mr. Modson?
Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja - 0:15:29
the minutes of the meeting are meant to reflect the business of
Glenn Watson - Principal Governance Officer - 0:15:45
the meeting and the procedures of it rather than a personal
matter of the sort that the Councillor has just described.
Therefore, that would be our advice that the minutes do not
need to be amended to reflect that and it would be unusual if
they did.
» Okay. Thank you.
Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja - 0:16:02
We go back to the agenda. Minutes are from page 3 to 18 on
the agenda.
are you happy to note them? Thank you.

3 Declarations of Interest

Item 3, declarations of interest, dispensation to speak and vote on item
7, which includes setting of council tax, special expenses precept and agreeing
Council tax support are not required. Councillor Gemmell would you like to say
something because I'm... thank you. With that in mind are there any interests to
declare for this meeting? No thank you. Moving on to 4, Committee

4 Committee Proportionality Review

Proportionality Review. In line with the legislation we are now moving to
consider a review of the committee for promotionality.
This is a technical report.
I am not intending to open it for discussion.
The report asks members to note a revised allocation
of seats on the council committees to political groups.
Appendix one and two are set out
in the reserved allocations in detail.
Our members can attempt to note, sorry.
in approving as I think council has just done.
Glenn Watson - Principal Governance Officer - 0:17:41
May I just say that on the list of names
is tabled in appendix two where it refers to Matthew Walsh,
it should have read councillor Rouse.
Apologies to both councillors and to council
for that omission.
We were properly advised by the leader,
but it wasn't reflected as such.
So apologies, but I'll step back now.
Thank you.
Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja - 0:17:56
Our members content to note and endorse
and the recommendations on page 3 to 6 of the first supplementary PAC on the agenda.
Agreed? Thank you.
Can I request members to put their phones on silence, please?
Moving on to item 5, Senior Resourcing.

5 Senior Resourcing - Appointment of Permanent Chief Executive Officer and Head of Paid Service

This paper seeks Council's approval for the appointment of the new Chief Executive Officer.
I do not propose to open this item for debate.
The recommended candidate has been through an extensive
interview process overseen by senior appointments
and pay committee.
I understand that the leader will propose the report.
Councillor Stephen Boardman, is this correct?
Yes, that's correct.
Cllr Steven Broadbent - 0:18:58
Councillor Susan Morgan, I understand you're
Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja - 0:19:01
a second this? Thank you. Councillor Burbant, do you wish to provide any further information
Cllr Steven Broadbent - 0:19:10
on this proposal? Yes please, maybe just in short order. So I just want to put on record
the attending members of the committee, the SAPC committee, and I want to put on record
my thanks to them because they attended a long time and obviously took very seriously
the need for us to have a successful recruitment with the right candidate. So that's Councillors
Broome, Carrington, Morgan, Wilson and Waters. So thank you for those. As the report says,
the candidates themselves went through a very rigorous process from technical assessments,
psychometric assessments, culminating in quite an intense two -day final event, partly here
at the Council. And there they met with CMT members, staff, trade union reps, partners
from public and private sectors. So my thanks should go on record to those people who put
their time and effort in as well. Because we want to make sure we have a CEO who can
fill the large shoes left by Rachel Schimmin, but do so in their own way. And I think the
The outcome that was universally accepted and endorsed by the people, the members ultimately
on the SAPC committee, is a vastly experienced candidate outlined in the paper called Zina
Etheridge who brings great experience from local government, national government and
indeed other parts of the public sector like the NHS.
You will all get to meet home those members who came as part of that two -day process to
have a quick introduction.
So some people, thank you to you, some of you will have met her.
The plan is to have Zina commence work here subject to the agreement of this council today
in April and therefore I'm happy to recommend this on behalf of the entire Sapsi committee
who are in attendance.
Thank you, Councillor Broadbend.
Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja - 0:21:07
Councillor Susan Morgan, would you like to say a few words?
Thank you, Chairman.
Cllr Susan Morgan - 0:21:12
I do rise to second proposals.
On behalf of the opposition, I would like to warmly welcome Zina Etheridge to Buckinghamshire
Council as our new Chief Executive. This was a really important appointment for this authority.
The Chief Executive sets the tone for organisational culture, drives strategic direction and works
at the interface between members and officers to ensure the ambitions we debate in this chamber
are delivered effectively for our residents. I wanted to also place on record that this
in the unanimous decision amongst the RIG leaders and all involved in all stages of the interview process.
We approached that process seriously, rigorously and collaboratively.
And we were united in our view that Zina demonstrated the strategic leadership experience and clarity
of purpose that Buckinghamshire needs at this time. The coming years will not be straightforward.
We face a lot of structural reform, increasing demand for social care and consent, but I just wanted to also put my thanks on record to the strong CMT leadership team that we currently have.
And I'm sure that they will pull their support behind her as they have told us personally that they will.
Zina brings a track record of complex organisations managing transformation and that experience will serve our future well.
Zina, if you're watching on the webcast, welcome to our Kinsure Council and we applaud your work in the room.
Thank you, Councillor Morgan.
Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja - 0:22:51
By show of hands, our members can attempt to approve the recommendations, which is to
approve the appointment of Zina Etheridge as the CEO of Buckinghamshire Council.
Can I have a show of hands?
Any against?
Any abstentions?
One abstention.
Thank you.
Thank you and congratulations to Zina Etheridge.
Welcome to Buckinghamshire Council. We look forward to working with you.
Moving on to item 6, Chief Financial Officer's Strategy Report.

6 Chief Finance Officer's Statutory Report 2026/27

I'm not expecting a debate to ensure to this item. It is a strategy report prepared by the
I will invite Mr David Skinner, the Council's Section 151 Officer to present his report.
Thank you.
Thank you Chairman.
As the Statutory Chief Finance Officer I am required to report to Council on the robustness
of the budget proposals and also the adequacy of the financial reserves.
This year we followed a rigorous process that commenced in February 2025, immediately after
the agreement of the 25 -26 budget and reflects the challenges that this council and the sector
as a whole faces. The proposals have undergone frequent reviews throughout the process, including
by myself as the section 151 officer, CMT, cabinet members individually and collectively,
and by the cross -party budget scrutiny inquiry task and finish group in January. In addition,
I would highlight the independent corporate peer challenge which took place earlier this
year which affirms that Buckinghamshire Council has developed a credible and structured approach
to financial planning.
There are risks obviously within these budget proposals and these are set out in the budget
papers and summarised in paragraphs 5 .3 to 5 .9 of my report.
These include but are not limited to risks linked to demanding complexity in social care
for both adults and children's services, in home to school transport, in SEND provision,
general and specific inflationary pressures, and the delivery of savings and income expectations.
The local government settlement has provided certainty over the next three years, but has
also confirmed the scale of the funding reductions that we're facing.
Central government has also provided some assurance that there will be government financial
support to councils to manage SCND deficits in the announcement from central government
on the 9th of February that historic incumulative DSG SEND deficits up to the end of March will
be funded by a high -need stability grant, which are subject to a number of conditions,
up to a value of 90%.
For Buckinghamshire, this would be in the region
of about 43 million pounds.
The budget presented is built on the assumptions
that the government will continue to fund
that 90 % of the cumulative deficit
for 26, 27, and 27, 28 financial years.
This is not yet confirmed by government
David Skinner - Director of Finance and S151 Officer - 0:25:56
and will be subject to any conditions,
but is a reasonable assumption
based on the appropriate and proportionate level of funding
that the government has set out
and will need to be monitored as a risk.
Members will also be aware of central government announcements on Monday of this week concerning
changes to SEND provision and headline additional funding announcements.
As of earlier today, we have not yet received confirmation of any additional funding for
Buckinghamshire Council or how the announcement would impact on the school's funding formula
definitively.
If we receive any funding for 2627 detailed for Buckinghamshire, either the council directly
or passported through to schools, then these will be considered through the appropriate
approval mechanisms for additional ring fenced funding.
Our current year budget monitoring
and risk management processes have been developed
to include enhanced reporting on our critical five areas,
building on the work in adult social care,
where CIPFA have highlighted Buckinghamshire Council
for best practise for demand -led modelling.
We have adopted this as the preferred approach
across other demand -led services
such as home to school transport.
This budget does not contain revenue contingencies,
but does contain specific mitigating
future financial risks reserve
to address the risks as set out
along with a robust control framework
building on the strong track record
in financial management that this council has
and continues to operate.
And again, this has been recognised
by the corporate peer challenge.
Alongside the development of the budget
as laid out in front of you,
a review of all reserves has been undertaken
during the year, looking at both the levels
and the usage of these reserves,
and these are included in Appendix A of my report.
As set out in the strategic overview in my report,
this statement is drafted on the presumption
that funding from central government is confirmed
over 26 -27 through to 28 -29,
and that DSG's deficits will be funded up to 90 %
at March 28th, at which point responsibility
will transfer to central government,
but the detail of that is still to be determined.
General fund reserves, which are unallocated reserves,
are currently 42 .8 million,
or 7 % of our net operating expenditure.
This is above the generally accepted minimum
recommended level of 5%,
and it's reflective of the risks that we face,
and in my view remains sufficient.
So in conclusion, I consider the budget proposals
laid before you are robust,
and that the reserves are adequate.
In addition, I'm aware of a proposed amendment
to the budget that involves reserves.
This would not have an impact on the general fund reserve,
reserve, but it would reduce the balance on the reserves within the financial risk mitigation
reserves section in the report by £5 million and reduce the specific mitigating future
financial risks reserve by 23%. Thank you, Chairman.
Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja - 0:28:48
Thank you. This report was for noting. By show of hands, our members content to note
the report.
Thank you.
Thank you. Moving on to Item 7.

7 Medium Term Financial Plan 2026/27 to 2028/29 and Capital Programme 2026/27 to 2029/30

Medium terms financial plan for 26 to 27 to 28 to 29.
and the capital programme 26 to 27 to 29 to 30. The budget papers have been
subject to the budget scrutiny process in January and considered at a lengthy
cabinet meeting. As this is the first time they have been presented to
full council, appropriate debate must be taken in place. I remind members that we
are legally required to have a recorded vote on this revenue
budget, capital programme, and council tax resolution,
and any other associated amendments.
With members' agreement, I intend
to take a recorded vote on block.
For all final recommendations as set out in the report
or as amended by the council.
Now moving on to the procedure, we have the proposer who is the leader, Stephen Broadbent.
Do you formally move the motion?
Yes, Chairman, I do.
And do we have a seconder?
Cllr Steven Broadbent - 0:30:31
Yes, Chairman, I second.
Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja - 0:30:33
Thank you.
Do you wish to reserve your right to speak afterwards?
Thank you.
Leader, would you like to present your speech?
Chairman, members, today we meet at a pivotal moment for Buckinghamshire. This is not a routine
budget -setting year. It's a year that will define how we safeguard essential services,
protect the vulnerable, and uphold our financial stability in the face of
seismic changes to the national local government landscape. As leader I am
Cllr Steven Broadbent - 0:31:18
proud but also determined to bring forward a budget that is clear -eyed
about the pressures we face and unapologetically ambitious about the
future we intend to secure. This is a budget shaped by turbulence at the
national level, yet anchored in strong local decision making.
It reflects the reality we are confronted with, but shows the strength, foresight and
resilience of this council.
And let me say at the outset, we are not here today in such a robust position by accident.
We are here because year after year, this council has planned ahead, acted early and
refused to shy away from difficult decisions.
That discipline is what allows us today to deliver a fully balanced budget for the next three years.
And that's something only half of councils across the country can claim to do.
In setting this budget, as was just referred to by the Section 151 Officer, a lengthy period.
I do want to say thank you to him and the Officer team, to Cabinet for their enduring focus on putting this budget together.
and also, of course, to all the members who served
and attended budget scrutiny on a cross -party basis.
Thank you.
But our priorities are put on the screen.
In this context to deliver stability,
to have an unswerving focus on our resident priorities,
and of course to deliver value for money.
First, the context.
Demand growth in this council will see
51 .3 million pounds more of expenditure requirement
in year one, rising to 89 and a half million pounds
by year three.
The inflation risk on a national level remains
a considerable risk.
If the government don't put the policies in place
to bring inflation down, those costs may rise further.
So with that exceptional pressure on the growth in
demand and the complexity of that demand and inflation, we must always make sure that we
utilise our reserves in the best possible way.
During the last year, we have seen the crystallisation of some of the risks identified previously
relating to some of our key providers within adult social care.
The supply chain increase of national insurance costs that alone relates to over half a million
of unplanned extra expenditure in the year.
And of course, when forecasts are overtaken
by the presentation of people most in need,
such as a family with three children in it,
each of whom cost to look after them
over half a million pounds a year each,
just late in the year.
We have to make sure our budgets are able
to meet the demands and provide the services
to people that are legally required.
Government policy will also continue to put pressure into this council.
You've just heard the 151 officer talk about the changes in SEND funding and that in itself,
following this budget scrutiny, has embedded over the three years almost £14 million more
of additional cost, four and a half million of that
in the first year.
And more on that later.
But all these small changes add up.
I've said at Budget Scrutiny there's a famous supermarket
who talk about every little helps.
Well, this is a budget context
where every little hurts Buckinghamshire.
And nothing hurts more than this,
the fair funding review.
The fair funding review,
or rather the unfair funding review to Buckinghamshire,
is the national government's attempt
to change funding formula for local councils.
They started off in a good place.
It was going to be a three -year settlement
that would give councils some certainty.
They said there was a compelling case
for reflecting remoteness and rurality in their formula.
And then it all changed.
We've still got the three years, but we now don't have the formula.
They have taken away the rurality and remoteness formula aspects that mean one thing.
It means more money as a result is moving from county council and unitary rural, unitary
areas like ours, to metropolitan and urban areas elsewhere.
And that formula makes the expectation that council tax is maximised, and then there is
the pernicious equalisation aspects.
What this means is in counties like Buckinghamshire,
money will be taken away from this county
and sent to counties and areas elsewhere in the country,
usually Midlands, North, possibly labour controlled.
And when they realised the first consultation
of the response to their formula
didn't give them the answer they wanted,
a new wheeze was put upon us.
You may recall me saying,
we look like we were 42 million pounds down.
Then something called a recovery grant happened.
With admitted by the ministers, no evidence,
not data led, simply an attempt to put 600 million pounds
further into rural and metropolitan areas
at the expense of areas like ours.
And lo and behold, that means our funding gap,
our funding loss is now 44 and a half million pounds.
Few councils as a result, as I just mentioned,
are able to cope with this and come forward
with a three year balanced budget.
We have done that.
We have taken that challenge on to make sure
we can give certainty to the council,
to our residents about service delivery.
But I can best exemplify that.
You can see up there the CCN.
That's the County Council's network,
who represent about half the population of England
through large counties and rules and unitaries such as ours.
They estimate that the gap for the, in the end,
for those urban and metro areas is about 180 million pounds.
And they don't even make up half of the rest of the population.
The CCN area gap, £2 .7 billion.
I'll let you join the dots.
Of those metropolitan areas, they are about 90 % labour controlled, and that's where the
funding went.
On the CCN areas, they are about 5 % labour controlled, and that's where the money was
taken away.
This is an unfair formula clearly driven by politics,
using words like equalisation to take money away from taxpayers here and send it elsewhere in the country.
And you can see on the screen the quote to support what I'm saying from the CCN.
That said, in that challenging context, something else happens.
I mentioned the rising demand in the critical five areas, adult social care, children's
care, homeschool transport, temporary accommodation.
Those alone with that growth in demand will now equate to 77 % of the overall council budget
by the time we come to the end of this financial three -year period.
That has a rise up from 72 % back in 22, 23 as the year.
That 77%, as it will be, are the legally required
statutory type services that we must provide
to the most vulnerable and we will continue to do so,
despite the volatility in demand
and the risk that presents in overspend.
The shrinking element there is other services, is the discretionary type services on the
whole that we know our residents really care about.
So this is planning enforcement, it's a bin collection and so on.
With the funding formula being as it is and not fully reflecting the cost of us delivering
those statutory services sufficiently, there is now an overreliance on our budgets of those
of the large chunks, meaning there is less to use for the discretionary spend.
And whilst it's really important we make the right choices on expenditure for those big
services, the reality is they apply to about 10 % of the population.
The discretionary services, if you're not a user of a critical, one of the critical
services is more the service things that our residents want to see.
And that's the scale of the challenge that we have.
The funding gap, when all this comes together, is we're seeing increased costs, we're seeing
increase in demand, and we're seeing a reduction in funding.
That means in this three year period, there was a funding gap for this council of 109
million pounds. This demand and inflation equates to about 24 % uplift and I remind
people this is based on ONS population growth figures. The further attack upon
us for 95 ,000 new homes with no money for infrastructure also comes with no
additional money to meet this cost. So as that kicks in in the future this funding
formula, as I've said multiple times, is not sustainable.
And here we are with council tax.
So a government formula that expects us to maximise council tax revenue and if we don't,
to still equalise away, take away the money from Buckinghamshire and send it somewhere
else.
Their formula does that and it means we have an increased dependency on council tax.
You can see from the graph,
although it might be a little difficult,
council tax is not the only way
that the council is funded,
but you can see that gap beginning to remain stark
between the costs of our net budget
and the tax receipts that come in.
So we will have to increase council tax
up to the referendum limit of 4 .99%,
with 2 % of that going directly into adult social care
as the precept permits.
This of course is not the choice we wanted to make,
but you can see there, this boils down to
44 and a half million pounds being taken away,
meaning we have to look at all other points
in the council endeavours to raise funds,
create efficiencies and savings.
I'll come on to grants, but there are also fees and charges,
and you will see in the budget pack
the average increase on fees and charges is set at 5%.
But the real sinister element of this
is the huge loss of business rates,
because the retention on business rate income
is where they will target the shift,
and that is reduced by 48 % of the current levels
from current levels over this three year period.
So less money in business rates,
more demand, and expectation,
a compulsion to have to increase council tax,
and then the over -reliance on council tax,
because they're reducing grants,
makes life more difficult for us to balance the budget.
This is really difficult to see,
hence why there's a really big arrow.
So you can point out Buckinghamshire.
These are all councils.
These are district councils, county councils,
unitary councils.
This is core spending power, and I need to correct a misnomer
out there in the public.
People are saying, what do you mean you have less money?
You have more money through core spending power.
True, our core spending power is up 8 .2 percent.
But guess where that's come from?
That's come from the tax rises that the government expects us
to put in the formula.
This is not extra funding from government.
And that core spending power, you can see right down the bottom end,
despite increases in council tax,
that is about half the national increase on the same basis elsewhere in the country.
So ours may be 8 .2%.
Nationally, the average is 15 .5%.
So your tax goes up, and the core spending power doesn't go up by the same amount.
again because of that money going away from our county.
Another one which you'll struggle to read potentially but this is also really important.
So the impact of those changes shows the winners and losers.
So on the right hand side you can see third from the end and that's not the end we want to be at,
that is Buckinghamshire, the third worst impacted upper tier authority.
the
authority, those with all the
I talked about in the critical
earlier. You can see how badly hit we are.
coming out of Buckinghamshire and
left -hand side of the page.
can see there some places are in for
not putting up their council tax by the full amount.
They may be even declaring in three years
they'll have a surplus.
Well, I don't know if we'll get a thank you very much
to Buckinghamshire, but it's only because
of this flawed formula.
And if you think I'm being very political
in my discussion on this formula, read that.
That is the Institute of Fiscal Studies
talking about the fact that it does not look
like a principled decision, but a way for government
to achieve a particular distributional aim
through an ad hoc bolt on to the new system
and a response to the lobbying of particular councils.
Given how much time and energy has been poured
into designing a reformed system
for funding local government,
it's a shame the government have already seen fit
to meddle with the outcome before the new system
has even started to operate.
That's the IFS, that's not just me.
And where this is playing out,
despite what's there on that winners and losers chart,
is we have councils up and down the country,
12 of whom have had to go beyond the 5 % referendum limit,
and we have possibly as many as 130
looking at declaring exceptional financial circumstances.
That is not us.
We have been robust for the reasons I said earlier.
I mentioned grants, and I mentioned every little hurts.
This is where it starts to play out.
This is real people's lives, and what hurts.
Skills Boot Camps.
We have an incredibly successful Skills Boot Camps programme.
This gets people back into work.
643 people have been through our boot camps.
Many of them now in jobs, directly helping them.
And you can see there, the funding originally awarded,
or this year alone, 4 .3 million.
That's been now slashed to one and a half million.
The UK Shared Prosperity Fund totally stops the funding
September this year.
Why is this important?
This is the fund that we were all supposed to use across the
country to boost economic growth, economic development,
and make sure we had a vibrant economy.
My goodness me, it's a good job we have the Buckinghamshire
growth plan in place because there's no money here.
And the subsequent fund they've put together,
Guess who's able to bid for that?
Urban and metro areas, and we are not even eligible
for any more.
That's it, gone.
And the crisis and resilience funding.
I'm not just looking into big things.
This is the money we can help pass forward to some of
the most vulnerable households in the county,
and they've even reduced that too.
There was some good news, just to be fair.
There were increases in some of these grants.
But even then, there's a devil in the detail.
If I look at the children, families, and youth grants,
that's five old grants rolled into one,
with a whole new set of conditions that mean
we can't make this a Buckinghamshire specific use.
This is dictated by government.
Same is true on the public health grant.
Very welcome increase, but with clearly defined
strings attached on how that can be spent.
and it's best shown out maybe in a margin uplift
in some of that funding for rough sleeping homelessness
and domestic abuse.
Again, they've rolled four into one,
and shockingly have said we can no longer use
any of that money to fund the temporary accommodation costs
that would get people off the streets sleeping rough.
So what does all this mean?
to all our tax paying households.
It means this.
I'll let you read that.
Every single tax paying household on average in this county
due to that drop in funding are effectively sending
188 pounds to a different part of the country.
Your tax being paid, getting sent somewhere else.
And the crystallisation of the 10 % of central government,
the lack of central government coverage
for the SEND deficit adds another 58 pounds to that.
These are not your council tax bills, but these are the choices being made to take money
from you and send it somewhere else.
That's what it means.
This is, if you think about it, the decisions made in Westminster.
Our labour MPs in Buckinghamshire have all voted for this.
This is the axing of our funding, the Anderson axe.
This is the Reynolds reduction in this county and these are the Kirk Smith cuts that I think
we need to call them out on because it's time they start up for Buckingham shirt.
They should not have voted for this.
They should stand up for Buckingham shirt, not their own career.
I'm appalled.
So what do we do about it?
Well, as I said, we look early, we take the hard choices and we do that in a
balanced way.
Since this council was formed, we have taken out 187 million pounds of the
combined budgets when we formed in 2020.
This funding gap, as I talked about earlier,
we need to do another 109, which means by the end
of this three year period, we will have taken out
296 pounds, a million pounds worth of expenditure.
That is 67 % of those joint budgets.
So don't let anyone tell you this is not an efficient council.
We have productivity metrics in some instances,
such as staff absence that is better than the private sector.
And we have done this whilst managing to keep our services
being provided and managing to make sure
that the resident delivery of priorities continues.
And I'll get to those.
But how have we done that?
I said earlier, we've got to look after people.
So what we do is we're insourcing children's home,
using our money better, using our capital money
to make sure we can have people with better outcomes
in the county rather than being sent
on expensive placements elsewhere, saving 6 .7 million.
Really leaning into expanding our fostering offer,
again, better for those who need to be fostered,
but has a financial impact as well.
This is about focusing the way we do things,
the way we fund things on the high -cost areas
of our council, not just on service cuts.
By leaning into these, it's an expansion of provision
in Buckinghamshire that's best for the residents
of Buckinghamshire.
Homeschool transport, another one where we use
modern technology, AI, to make sure route plans
are done better, make sure we get the unit cost
of the provision down.
I've mentioned today demand rises, complexity of demand,
Well, there's the quantum, the total volume of demand, and the costs by each unit.
And in adult social care, by looking at a whole system approach, promoting independence
to make sure people can stay at home well for as long as possible.
And you can see there, that reduces long -term cost pressures.
It gives high quality and personalised sport, and just builds and protects independence
for longer. So those priorities. When we set this budget, we knew the challenge and I've
outlined those very strongly today. But the second part is true. We've all been elected
to deliver on resident priorities. And so your bin collections have been protected.
They will remain on a weekly basis. Your roads have been heavily invested into, with more
maintenance, 17 % increase on the capital investments,
more money for transport overall,
including large schemes like sealer,
making sure our bridges, such as what's happening in Marlowe,
are looked after, and all the plethora of things
with footway and drainage schemes coming on.
We've tackled the EHCP backlog in year,
and that's flowed through into this budget
with an additional three million pounds
to help clear that backlog,
even though that will put up to an eight million pound pressure into home school transport.
The right thing to do, the tough decision, and making sure our budget reflects it.
So you can see there, drains being cleared every year.
2 .8 million pounds investment in opportunity bucks protected and continue.
And then we come to capital spend.
So capital versus revenue.
Everything I've talked about so far comes into day -to -day spending.
It's a bit like buying a car is the capital cost.
You go out, you buy a car, it's the big ticket item.
And you can see on the screen there,
this is when we're investing in property and the like.
The revenue side, everything I've spoken about so far.
On a car, that's the insurance cost, the petrol, the tyres, etc.
They're the, if you like, the day -to -day running costs.
And so that capital programme in our budget is worth over the period a total of six hundred and twenty eight million pounds.
That's investment going into this county. Two hundred and twenty five of that is in highways,
including the bridges and the and the footways and the streetlights that I mentioned about.
It will see the completion of CELA. It will mean that our high -sol recycling centres are improved and expanded, such as the one in Buckingham.
it will see us replace the fleet of bin lorries,
and it will also include 50 million pounds
for our SEND places in our schools.
These are long -term investments
into our residents' daily lives.
And that 50 million pound into SEND schools
is what we're already doing.
This is not, I repeat, not including the school
that was promised by government
and has just been cancelled.
We had 150 place SEND school on the books and the government
want to cancel it.
We will still invest that 50 million pounds.
And there's a list by portfolio of where that capital
investment goes on the screen for you there.
We have to be prudent.
You can see there SIPFAR.
SIPFAR for those who may wonder what the heck is that,
is the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and
Accountancy.
In other words, the professional body.
And they include us on their index as being a low -risk category, both for our level of
borrowing and our reserves.
But we have to be prudent.
We have to make sure that our reserves are sufficient to meet the challenges that I've
outlined today, to meet the reality of things coming.
And that includes, you know, national approach to other costs.
The recent announcement on DSG, as I've said,
that's the dedicated schools grant,
is welcome in the sense it takes 90 % away.
But it's unwelcome in the sense it's already
crystallised that 13, nearly 14 million pounds
worth of extra cost.
You will see in this budget the use of reserves to set
aside money, hence why there's a piggy bank on there.
We have to invest in, for example, our ERP system,
the functioning system of the council.
That is in place to make sure that in two years time
when we need to draw down on it,
we have put the money aside.
Some people misunderstand that and think
when you spend a reserve, you have somehow got things wrong
and you've had to dip into reserves.
Not the case.
This is about putting money away for an intended outcome.
And there's prudence built throughout our budget as a result.
You'll have heard the 151 officer
talk about the general fund.
The General Fund Reserve currently stands at 43 million pounds.
That sounds like quite a lot of money.
Do you know how long it would last for the gross expenditure of this council?
11 days.
So if people look at the big numbers and say you have plenty of money, why can't you spend
it on X, Y, or Z?
That's the answer.
11 days of gross expenditure for the council through the General Fund.
admittedly, we have other reserves for other things too.
And if you're wondering, well Steve would say that,
wouldn't he?
Here's some external assurance.
This comes from our auditor report
and from our external peer review,
where they've looked at strong budget management,
the financial strategies, and so on.
And you can read that because that shows
that when we are stress tested,
as we currently are in the context,
the sector knows that everything I'm saying holds water
for many years.
This council has been resilient and we continue that today.
We have a robust budget.
And there's some unseen things under the line here.
For example, given the prudence even
of our pension management,
we have been able to reduce the employer pension
contributions to cover it by a percentage point this year.
that's millions of pounds.
You only get that by taking a line by line approach
and being really clear on how we're using your money,
the public's money.
And by looking at things even like our unsecured debt
and bringing that down to make sure we have more certainty,
that's released about two and a half million pounds
in savings we no longer need to find.
So a reminder of the bigger picture,
we're under attack nationally, but we are prepared locally.
The funding formula works against us,
but we saw the pressures coming.
We acted early.
We made more than 20 million pounds worth of savings
in the previous term,
and we should thank Martin Tett and his cabinet
for doing that,
because that meant when this 44 and a half million hit,
we were halfway there already in our plan.
It was twice as bad as we thought it would be,
but we'd foreseen it.
We were a national leader recognised by CIPFA
on managing adult social care budgets,
and that is hard day -to -day slog, but we do it.
And why do we do it?
We do it because of our residents.
This budget is not the easiest, nor the simplest,
but it's not full of largesse, it's not wasteful.
It's the right one for Buckinghamshire.
It protects vital services, it invests in our future,
it keeps our finances robust and resilient,
and above all, it puts residents first.
This is a budget under a conservative controlled council
that says we will not be blown off course
in our focus for resident priorities.
We will not allow national policy shifts
to destabilise our county.
We will make the right decisions early,
responsibly and firmly to safeguard the services
our communities depend upon.
Buckinghamshire deserves nothing less
and I commend this budget to the council.
Yeah, yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Thank you.
We have an amendment to the budget proposed.
The proposer is Councillor Stuart Wilson.
Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja - 1:00:59
Do you confirm you move the amendment?
Yes, Chair.
Thank you.
Do you have a seconder?
Yes, I would second.
OK.
Do you formally second the amendment?
Yes.
Councillor Stuart Wilson, you have five minutes.
would you like to come up?
No, you can do it from there.
I'll do it from here, so that's okay with you, Chairman.
Thank you, Chairman.
I rise to propose an amendment to the budget
Cllr Stuart Wilson - 1:01:30
to support the cabinet member for transport
and the transport team as a whole,
indeed what's been an extraordinarily difficult weather
since we reviewed the draught budget, budget scrutiny,
and even since it was reviewed further by cabinet.
I'm grateful to Mr. Skinner, Mr. Johnson, and Mr. Watson
for assisting in the preparation of the amendment.
As each and every council will know
from their inbox and social media remains right at the top
of residents' priorities and frustrations at the moment.
This amendment is very much in keeping
with what has been proposed on two occasions
in the previous Council term.
Indeed, the amendment unashamedly uses
almost the exact and excellent form of words proposed
by Councillors Tett and Boardman.
Although we may be experiencing more clement weather today,
I understand frost may be returning at the weekend
and the water table remains extremely high.
In that regard, we might expect a considerable number
of potholes already developed to not improve in the short term.
I have seen the recent social media post from Councillor Broome
and other cabinet members over the weekend about the progress
to date and the provision of additional crews,
and that is to be welcomed.
The amendment also continues to note the record capital
investment of 120 million pounds over the next four years
to provide long -term resilience to those roads identified
in our asset management plan for resurfacing
and other preventative measures.
It is worth noting that the Ministry of Transport rates this level of investment as green and
the use of innovative practises in its recent RAG rating of local authority roads.
However, I do remain very concerned that we'll be constantly chasing our tail on the available
capital and revenue investment to shift the overall condition of our roads from amber
to green in the long term, particularly if these recent weather patterns persist.
Buckinghamshire Council oversees 3 ,200 kilometres of roads, even accounting for our mix of larger
and smaller roads and the smart application of full resurfacing and other preventative
treatments, we cannot adequately address the demands placed on our roads within the capital
and maintenance envelope that we have.
If you just take the capital figure of £120 million over four years, divide it by the
of road and apply the average cost of road repair per kilometre.
The Ministry of Transport uses an average of about a million pounds per kilometre,
which obviously does vary according to treatment.
And look at that with an average lifespan of about 15 years, again,
varied by use and preventative treatments.
You can see the scale of the gap.
However, often the 120 million pound capital programme is mentioned.
It will never be enough.
All that said, there is clearly an urgent need to support the current efforts that are
already underway and to take any additional remedial action in the coming months that
may help in mitigating the risk for next winter.
That clearly presents an identifiable risk to our budget and we hold a reserve for mitigating
future financial risk.
With that in mind, I urge all members to support this amendment and use £5 million from the
financial risk reserve support the cabinet member for transport and his
team to address this area of significant concern for residents businesses and all
members and chairman I would request a recorded vote on this please thank you
Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja - 1:04:44
council Drayton would you like to speak now or reserve your right to speak I'd
like to reserve my right to speak thank you we move on to the debate on the
amendment. This is on the amendment which Councillor Wilson has just spoken about.
Cllr Alex Collingwood - 1:05:15
Councillor Collingwood. Thank you, Chairman. I like the well -meaning words from
Councillor Wilson. Unfortunately he obviously wasn't paying attention to the
million. The fair funding means we've got 44 .5 million lost. The
same means we've crystallised a minimum of five million which is directly the same
number he's just talked about. It's actually going to raise to 13 million. We only have
11 days worth of reserves and he wants us to basically get more money out of
there to then end up being really really short and potentially being on the naughty
list and ending up being like our neighbours such as Windsor and Baidenhead
who have just taken two years worth of exceptional financial support to tune
us 30 million and I do really quite question his motives to be honest.
Particularly when this budget actually then does physically deliver. You saw Marlow
Bridge on there. I can tell you phase one is 4 .5 million just for the
structure so we don't end up like Albert Bridge and or Hammersmith Bridge and
based on this budget we then get phase two which then does the rest of the work
in terms of actually doing the footways and the rest of the things we need.
Yeah, and then that's without talking about our social care.
I mean, that number is just exponentially growing since being a councillor.
Where first was councillor was 30 million, I think we were put about 220 million now.
I mean, it's just going to grow and grow and grow.
So I would propose that we reject this amendment, support the leader,
for his clear, prudent way of working
and go forward and reject this amendment.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Councillor Kelly Thornton.
Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja - 1:06:53
Thank you, Chairman.
I stand today as the representative
for Amersham and Chesham boys
to speak in firm support of the amendment
proposed by Councillor Wilson
Cllr Kelly Thornton - 1:07:07
and seconded by Councillor Drayton.
For our residents, the measure of this council success
isn't found in spreadsheets,
but in the state of the tarmac
outside their front doors. The prolonged period of incessant rain and freezing
weather cited in this amendment has left our local roads not just uncomfortable
but hazardous. From the commuter routes in Amersham to the residential streets
in Cheshire, we are seeing a significant deterioration that demands immediate
action beyond the current plan. As a Liberal Democrat I believe in equality
of opportunity and that starts with safe reliable infrastructure for all. When our
roads crumble it's a regressive tax on our residents through vehicle repairs
and the threat to the safety of cyclists and school -run families.
To illustrate this point, this is a direct quote from an email I received from a resident just last week.
I quote,
These potholes create deep puddles which also flood down the drive when a car passes,
leading to fuel and oil -filled water spilling down my drive and into my vegetable practises.
Being eight months pregnant, I don't have the time, energy or strength to try and remedy this like I usually would.
I'll look forward to fuel -tainted fruit and veg next spring.
There was one point this year where signs went up on our road saying that it was to be resurfaced.
So all residents made alternative parking arrangements only for the signs to be taken down in the morning that the works were meant to do to start.
And with not a word said to anyone. At least it brought the community together in despair.
Chairman, in my opinion, this amendment is a common sense application of local fairness.
We are asking to release five million pounds from the mitigating future financial risk reserve.
To my residents, the risk isn't a future abstraction.
It's the very real danger
of the pothole they hit this morning.
By increasing the transport portfolio budget
to 105 .8 million, we're choosing proactive maintenance
over the wasteful reactive pattern of the past.
I urge this council to support our communities,
listen to the evident need of our residents
and vote for this vital investment in our highways.
Thank you, Councillor Anya Schafer.
Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja - 1:09:05
Thank you Mr Chairman. I would like to echo the words just spoken by my colleague. It
is currently the one thing that fills up my inbox is the absolutely horrendous state of
Cllr Anja Schaefer - 1:09:27
the roads. I am entirely cognizant of the significant financial problems or challenges
that this council faces at the moment. And we will have more to say about this. But we
just cannot continue in a situation where drivers have to constantly swerve in order
to avoid deep potholes.
I do it myself.
I see everybody else doing it.
They are an obstacle course.
Five million will not, in fact, really solve the situation.
We need to think much more strategically.
We need to have new ideas of how we're
going to get on top of this.
But in the meantime, five million
will fill quite a lot of potholes,
and ideally even fill them in such a way
that they don't actually open up two weeks later again.
I cannot find it in my heart to go back to my residence
and tell them I did not vote for extra money to fit...
to fix the potholes that endanger your cars,
and if you are two -wheeled vehicle users,
endanger your life on a regular basis.
So for that reason, I urge the council to vote for this amendment.
Or else, let's think about how we go back to our residents and tell them we did not vote
for helping to fix some more of their potholes that endanger them on a regular basis.
Thank you.
Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja - 1:11:13
Can I remind colleagues about what we decided at the beginning of the meeting.
Show respect to each other. Thank you. Can we move on to Councillor Robin Stuxbury?
Cllr Robin Stuchbury - 1:11:28
Yeah, thank you very much for the opportunity to speak. Obviously I'm supporting the amendment.
Only this morning I was in a meeting with the local area technicians with colleagues from Steve Clayton Ward and Buckingham Ward.
The pressure that the local air technicians are under to do work is huge.
The four of us who were present, it was a constant theme within it.
The day before, I was on my coffee route around Buckingham, which means I talked to lots of people,
and everyone was despondent, misunderstanding, and demur about the amount of work needed to be done.
Furthermore to that, I had a phone call the other week from a firm of men's tyres,
stating about the situation of the bypass, which my residents use,
and believe it or not, and they'd had 50 to 60 people come in with tyres to be fixed.
That's not a novelty in North Buckinghamshire, it's everywhere else.
So this money won't solve everything, but it will be a gesture to it,
which will allow strategic decisions
about those sort of issues
where residents are being financially impacted
by the conditions of the highway
gives them more latitude to the cabinet member.
However, videos of each other won't solve this
and they are immensely informative.
And this is a small step to fund it.
I hope that it's received in the same way
that the previous amendment and motion to the budget
was put forward by the controlling group.
It follows the same format, the same wording, and the same direction of travel.
It would be obscure and immensely political if it's turned down on the basis that it came
from a different side of the room, so it couldn't actually make sense if it made sense in the
previous financial year.
So I hope on that basis people will think hard about it, and I hope they will support
the amendment.
Thank you.
Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja - 1:13:28
Thank you, Councillor. Moving on to Councillor Addy, Ozzy, Bogan. I hope I've said your name right. Apologies if I haven't.
Cllr Adekunle Osibogun - 1:13:39
Yes, you did, Chair. And I do appreciate you giving the budget to speak. Actions taken with the best intentions without proper consultation might have a negative result.
In my view I'm privy to the fact that the budget as currently presented has
provision for road repairs. The cabinet member for transport,
Councillor Thomas Broome, is confident with the budget that has been presented
and scrutinised. I'm also minded to listen to my colleagues who spoke earlier to
say to what effect would the five million Councillor Wilson is proposing
have in the scheme of things. I would encourage all members because not only do we have pressures
from central government with the reduction in our funding, it's important that we not
only have a balanced budget but we also don't know what would arise later on in the year.
The team of the council and cabinet have looked at this, presented a budget which we believe
would adequately cover most of the concerns we have now.
They have also left aside reserves
to cover whatever may spring up in the coming months.
So I would encourage my fellow members on all sides
not to support this motion,
not because it's out of bad faith,
but I think proper consultation has not been done
with the relevant parties to ascertain
what exactly is needed and if this five million
or would even scratch the surface.
I'll be opposing the motion, thank you.
Thanks to Councillor Ed Gimmel.
Thank you, Chairman.
Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja - 1:15:18
The five million pounds obviously is a pretty good number
to be putting in, it's the number that we've actually
increased the budget by on several occasions
Cllr Ed Gemmell - 1:15:26
over the last few years, so it obviously is material
because it was proposed previously by Conservatives to do it.
I think there's two things we should be taking
into account on this, and I am very mindful
of helping Thomas Broome, who I've been on his back
quite a lot over the last few weeks
as my residents have been on my back.
First thing is we've got a country right next to us
that doesn't have any potholes.
Why?
Why does Holland not have any potholes?
Why have they got perfect roads?
Yes, they've been investing in it for a long time,
but they've obviously been doing something right.
What haven't we been doing?
And we should be investing a little bit of our money
in going, finding out what the best councils in Holland
are doing and then copying it and doing it here.
And if we can't do it, we should be saying
why we can't do it and why it's too expensive.
But let's get a report or get something out
so we actually know what it is.
The second thing, this cannot go on.
It's not just us, but right around the country,
councils are unable to fill their potholes.
It is us, though, we are one of them,
and we've got to come up with a new system of doing it.
So we've got to do something different,
because otherwise, we're gonna go throw this money
down the drain, all of the money that we've done,
and we're not gonna have better potholes.
We'll be back again here next year,
we'll gradually eke away at the reserves,
and there won't be any money.
So let's come up with something new.
Maybe let's take a pilot area.
Let's work out how we can do it.
Let's blitz it, get the whole thing done, perfectly sorted out.
And if we don't have enough money, let's look at where we can raise it from.
So as well as putting the five million in to help Thomas with it now,
let's look at whether it can be done through bonds, through other borrowing,
to get the system working, because if it isn't,
the next Thomas Broom who takes the job over will still have the same problem.
It'll just be bigger, and in most cases, a couple of inches deeper.
Let's vote for the amendment.
Thank you, Councillor Larissa Townsend.
Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja - 1:17:09
Thank you, General.
While much of today's agenda is rightly focused on long -term financial sustainability,
Cllr Larisa Townsend - 1:17:19
we must also recognise that...
Councillor Townsend, would you like to use another microphone, please?
No, thank you.
Restart.
Is that better?
Yeah, we're going to restart the clock for you.
While much of today's agenda is rightly focused
on long -term financial sustainability,
we must also recognise the immediate lived experience
of residents.
After months of heavy rain and freezing conditions,
the deterioration of our roads is not theoretical.
It is visible, daily, and frustrating for communities
across Buckinghamshire.
This council has committed substantial investment
in highways and that is welcome.
But circumstances have clearly worsened
since the budget was drafted.
This amendment is not reckless spending.
It is a targeted release of five million
from the financial risk mitigation reserve
to address a very real and current need.
Reserves exist to manage risk.
The condition of our roads and the potential liability,
safety and economic impact that flows from that
is a tangible risk.
This amendment would strengthen public confidence
by showing that when circumstances change, we respond.
For residents, road condition is one of the clearest measures
of whether their council is delivering.
Supporting this amendment demonstrates
that we are listening and acting.
I will therefore be supporting this amendment
and urge others to do so.
Thank you.
Thank you, Councillor.
Moving on to Councillor Crispole.
Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja - 1:18:42
Thank you, Chairman.
I have a high regard for Councillor Wilson.
Cllr Chris Poll - 1:18:50
I found his participation
budget scrutiny committee thoughtful, insightful and experienced. We all pressed
cabinet members and officers about the holding and use of reserves and were
satisfied at their utilisation. It therefore comes as a surprise to me that
we now have an amendment which would throw out all budgetary assumptions on
what appears to be an opportunistic stunt.
Yes, I'm sorry to say that, but that is how I see it.
I will therefore urge members to vote against this amendment
and ask for any major change to the budget
be brought to the relevant committee
at the appropriate time,
whereupon it can be properly debated.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Councillor Simon -Rhees.
Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja - 1:19:48
Thank you, Mr Chairman.
Cllr Simon Rouse - 1:19:55
I am a big fan of this approach of starting speeches with statement of political belief.
So I'm a conservative and I believe it is our job to be custodians of money that isn't ours,
it's the taxpayers' money.
And the fact is that this is, I'm afraid, a stunt.
I think that's a very good way of doing it.
And interestingly, if you think this is strategic, I'm afraid that's just risible.
This is, and Councillor Stutchbury has landed on it perhaps by chance,
when he called it a gesture. It's a gesture and I know that deep down Councillor Wilson
understands that this is reckless in terms of trying to use reserves when there is already
£120 million being invested and let me just say to members across the chamber, I've sat in this
chamber for now five years and at least four of those five years you've voted against the
investment that we've put into roads because you voted down the budget and today you've got a
to vote to protect the roads and vote for the £120 million, the clear -eyed priority
that the leader of the council set out.
So if you genuinely want to build a sustainable solution to this problem, vote for the budget.
To try and have this political stunt for £5 million simply isn't going to wash.
And it's not going to wash because we know that when we put it in in the past, it was
in a very different political context.
We've literally just seen numbers that have shown this government taking forty four and a half million pounds away from us
You can't ignore that when we did it before we had a conservative government that was supporting us with road infrastructure
I'm sure that councillor Breen will set out what the government's taken away from our rate support
So I said to council Wilson you sit with Labour members
Talk to those Labour members to get the Labour MPs in this county to get the money from central government
That's been taken away from us the money from central government taken away from the roads
That's the real action that will make the difference here, not the political stunt that you are trying to put forward.
So, whilst I understand and respect Councillor Wilson -Fields who needs to do this, this is, you're better than this, Councillor Wilson.
Let's have some fiscal retitude, let's oppose this amendment.
Time, Councillor.
Moving on to Councillor Thomas -Bryant.
Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja - 1:21:57
Thank you very much, Mr Chairman.
Cllr Thomas Broom - 1:22:04
Well, yes, I think I'm going to echo some of what my colleagues have said already.
Rarely have I heard naked political opportunism put forward with such well -executed solemnity
by opposition colleagues.
I think Councillor Rouse actually makes a really, really important point, which is that
that side of the chamber, over the last four years of the previous council, have voted
against more than £400 million of investment in roads, and now they expect that when they
turn up and say, we found the magic money tree and we're going to shake it for an extra
million quid that we should take them seriously in that they think that we should be doing
more to protect our roads.
We are investing more than we ever have, particularly in capital resurfacing projects, which is
what we all know is necessary to improve roads in the long term.
17 % increase in that capital investment in this budget.
And this is a process which we know is working.
And I suspect that we've heard from a number of colleagues so far on the opposition side,
but also I think by the sound of it, CHAP GPT on a couple of occasions, because there
really isn't a proper understanding of what we're investing in and what the results are.
Over the last four years, we've seen the number of roads in Buckinghamshire in most need of
attention, in need of immediate attention, come down by a third.
And that's because of the level of investment that we've been consistently putting in, long -term
investment to improving the quality of our roads. So those on opposition side standing
up and saying there's no measurable improvement, it is in fact one of our key performance indicators.
And if you bother to look at that or turn up to any of our proceedings from time to
time, you might have seen it. So we have been investing over a long period. We are seeing
the results of that investment in improvements. And our response to that this year is to deliver
for the highest investment in our roads
we've ever seen in Buckinghamshire.
I will vote to give this amendment.
Thank you.
Council Penny Greighton,
Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja - 1:24:08
as the seconder of this amendment,
you have two minutes to speak.
Thank you.
Cllr Penny Drayton - 1:24:16
I am choosing to second this motion,
this amendment even this afternoon.
I believe it is of the highest overall priority
to our residents across the county right now that we are proactive in repairing our roads
and mitigating as best we can the reoccurrence for next winter.
Everyone on social media will have seen local forums swamp with complaints over the last
few weeks and people will find themselves stranded with burst tyres and busted wheels
and constantly discussing putting claims in, which of course is at an extra cost to the
council.
Comments from across the room have come out with questioning motives and opportunists
don't. It's ridiculous. It's not about that. It's about our residents. Stop being political,
take the politics out of it, and look after our residents. Our residents want the potholes fixed.
Our residents need their cars to not let them down when the tyres get broken when they're
taking their children to school.
I fully support this motion.
I ask everyone to support it for the sake of your residence.
Leave politics behind, stand up as an individual
and support what's right.
Thank you, Councillor.
Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja - 1:25:36
Councillor Broadbent, as the mover of the original motion,
would you like to say something?
Yeah, I'd like to speak on the amendment.
Councillor Gemmill almost got there.
Cllr Steven Broadbent - 1:25:46
This is about context.
And the context here is it's a national issue. The context is CCN, who I referenced earlier,
are suggesting that 50 % of councils of our upper tier level are going to reduce road
funding. And I totally agree with all the people who've said we want to see more money
in roads. But I agreed with that years ago when I brought forward with Martin the original
motion to put an extra 5 million
in after that winter that we'd
had.
I agreed with it again the
following year when another 5
million went in and I agreed with
it a third time when those
increases in the budget have been
baked in to the annual spend.
This wasn't a one -off.
This went in and has stayed in.
I agreed with needing to put
more money into potholes, more
money into our roads in each and
every time.
So we have.
Every year since we did that, and Councillor Wilson makes the point, he's copied the wording,
we have moved on with the context.
We've put money in each and every year, more and more and more, and I don't know if you fell asleep during my budget, and if so, I apologise.
But go and look at page 198, where it outlines all the money into roads and into transport.
extra money into footways, roads, highways, fails roads, the whole shebang. More money
each and every year for the last few years, more money each and every year over this three -year
period to do more and more capital schemes. The ideal should be fewer potholes, not having
to fill more and more potholes, and that, when you dive into our budget, is what we're
We're putting our money into preventative works and long -term investment to do exactly what everyone is asking for
Which is delivered more for roads. Remember that figure I put up by nine years will have taken out
296 million pounds
We will have added millions and millions of pounds into the road even in that
context
Our approach to roads is resilient. I know it's difficult for residents
I drive on the road as well, but we have the plan of more than 50 % increase on our crews to get those things
Those things fixed as soon as possible and to consider borrowing is madness
Because by doing that you will put the cost of servicing that debt
Onto the revenue budget and I spent a long time today saying the money just isn't there
Our reserves have been stress tested by budget scrutiny.
The reserve headroom because of, as Councillor Rouse said,
the loss of funding are very tight.
And as was mentioned by another member,
we have already crystallised four and a half million pounds
in new risk because of the 10 % unfunded
DHD part from government.
So already reserves and the council finances
are under pressure that wasn't there
in the budget scrutiny process.
There is more money in roads each and every year,
therefore we do not need this amendment.
We continue to invest in our roads
because that's the priority I've declared already
for our residents and for this council.
Reject.
Thank you.
That's really cool.
Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja - 1:29:14
Councillor Wilson, you asked for a recorded vote.
We need 13 other councillors to vote for that.
.
Just give us one second.
I need to discuss something with
Council Watson.
Sorry, not Council Watson, Mr. Watson.
» Thank you for that. I'm very happy to leave that to
yourselves, especially on a day like today.
Glenn Watson - Principal Governance Officer - 1:29:42
Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja - 1:29:46
I think we have Mr. Watson about a break, but Mr. Watson has said
that we have enough time to do this vote. So we will go with
the vote. Over to you.
» Yes, thank you. Given that the Chairman indicated he would
Glenn Watson - Principal Governance Officer - 1:30:04
take a break, I think the decision is that we could just
vote this vote in and then take the break.
So as you know, recorded vote. I will call out your names in
Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja - 1:30:12
alphabetical order.
And when I do, please say whether you are for, against, or
you wish to abstain from the proposed amendment.
Allen Bacon
Sherilyn Bateman for Steve Bowles again Michael Bracken
Peter Brazier against
Steve Broadbent against Thomas Broom again
Cole Caesar for
Robert Carrington
against David Carroll again
Jaspel Chokar against
Chris Chilton for
John Chilver.
Against.
Chirag Chotai.
For.
Leslie Clark.
Against.
Alex Collingwood.
Against.
Michael Collins.
Against.
Caroline Cornell.
Against.
Anna Crabtree.
For.
Isabel Darby.
Against.
Dev Dillon.
Against.
Karen Dixon.
Tim Dixon.
For.
Penny Drayton.
For.
Mohammed Faiyaz.
For.
Patrick Feeley.
Against.
Dean Field.
For.
Justine Fulford.
For.
Ed Gemmill.
For.
Kathy Gibbon.
Against.
Phil Gomm.
Against.
Gary Hall.
against.
Clive Harris.
against.
Darren Hayday.
for.
Osalia Hayday.
for.
Carol Heap.
against.
Matthew Hind.
for.
Thomas Hogg.
Imran Hussain.
Mahbub Hussain.
against.
Maz Hussain.
For.
For.
For.
For.
For.
For.
For.
For.
For.
For.
For.
For.
For.
For.
For.
For.
For.
For.
For.
four. Chris Poe. So far as Khan Raja. Waheed Raja. Mark Roberts.
Four. Simon Rouse. Against. Anya Schaefer. Four. Alan Sherwell. Four.
Gregory Smith. Four. Peter Strecken. Against. Robin Stutchbury. Four.
Martin Tett.
Kelly Thornton.
Larissa Townsend.
Mark Turner.
Gaurinder Wadhwa.
Ashley Waite.
Heather Wallace.
Matthew Walsh.
Julie Ward.
Julia Wessel.
four.
Jonathan Waters.
Four.
Michael West.
Four.
Stuart Wilson.
Four.
Mark Wynn.
Against.
So we have 42 for 48 against and one abstention.
So the amendment has been lost.
We will return to the substantial motion, but before
that, I think we take a break for 15 minutes. Thank you.
.
Thank you.

7 Medium Term Financial Plan 2026/27 to 2028/29 and Capital Programme 2026/27 to 2029/30

Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja - 1:35:24
We're moving on to return of the substantive motion.
And I'd like to ask Susanne Morgan,
Councillor Susanne Morgan to come to the lecture.
Mic working, thank you.
Cllr Steven Broadbent - 1:35:56
Ladies and gentlemen, fellow councillors and residents of Buckinghamshire tuning in from
across our diverse county, from the bustling streets of Aylesbury to the serene villages
of the Chiltons and from High Wycombe's vibrant communities to the historic heart of Buckingham
itself and from the market towns of Amersham to the rural reaches of the Vale, thank you
for joining us on this crucial debate on the 26 -27 budget.
As the leader of the Liberal Democrats here in Buckinghamshire Council, I stand before
you today not just as an opposition voice, but as a champion for every resident who deserves
a council that truly serves them.
I would first like to extend my thanks to our Section 151 Officer Dave Skinner and his
dedicated team for crafting a balanced budget amidst these challenging economic times.
Their hard work and expertise are invaluable. I will not be criticising the
work of officers. I am here to challenge the political choices made by this
Conservative Administration. Let us be clear from the outset. This budget,
Cllr Susan Morgan - 1:37:10
whilst balanced on paper, falls short in ambition, transparency and long -term
for our county. It reflects a conservative administration clinging to power with a fragile
majority, more focused on short -term survival and on sustainable solutions. As Liberal Democrats,
we believe in putting people first, ensuring that every pound spent delivers real value
for our families, businesses and communities across Buckinghamshire. Today, I will outline
our concerns, backed by evidence from the MTFP and propose constructive ideas that can
be discussed and debated at a later date.
The Conservative administration's approach to governance undermines the democratic scrutiny
essential for a budget of this magnitude, eroding trust in our council's decision -making
process.
Following on from this proportionality review today, we were notified yesterday by the monitoring
officer that the Conservatives plan to strip all opposition members from the roles of chair
and vice chair across all of the scrutiny committees, a move reliant on a slender majority
of one achieved only through the defection of a reformed member, which hardly constitutes
a resounding mandate from the electorate.
Such actions weaken the independent oversight we desperately need when we're looking after
budget that touches every aspect of life in Buckinghamshire, from pothole -ridden roads
in rural areas like the Vale of Elsbury to overcrowded schools in urban towns like
Wickham and from community facilities in Chesham to transport links in Princess Roseborough.
Without diverse voices leading scrutiny, we risk rubber -stamping decisions that favour
political expediency over resident needs.
Nationally, councils with balanced scrutiny
have shown a 15 to 20 % better outcome in service delivery
according to reports from the local government association.
And yet here in Bucks, this could mean
overlooking efficiencies that cost taxpayers dearly,
such as duplicated efforts in waste management
or unaddressed inequalities in service
between North and South Bucks. We asked the leader to reconsider this political choice,
given that he told residents in Buckinghamshire only in May of last year that this would be
a new council formed on collaboration. This governance shortfall could set a troubling
tone that will permeate every portfolio. So I'm going to start this afternoon with our
Portfolio where the cracks quite literally are already showing.
This budget continues a pattern of reactive maintenance that has left our roads in unacceptable
condition, failing residents who rely on safe and efficient transport from the commuter
routes of Beckonsfield to the country lanes of Wing.
The MTFP commits substantial capital to transport, yet for the three years before this unitary
Council, the maintenance budget at Buckinghamshire County Council was halved to between 14 and
16 million pound a year, relying instead on short -term competitive grants with no guaranteed
baseline funding. The consequence is the Department for Transport's amber rating published on
the 11th of January 2026. Persistent potholes that endanger cyclists in Amersham and drivers
in Buckingham and independent surveys showing dissatisfaction with highway conditions at
just 27 % nationally, with bucks aligning closely to those dismal figures, leading to increased
insurance claims and repair costs for families already stretched by rising living expenses.
Liberal Democrat Councillors will therefore submit a call for action to the Transport,
Environment and Climate Change Committee for a full forensic review of the Highways budget.
Councillor Broome, I'm sorry but you've been in my ear the whole time.
Liberal Democrat Councillors will therefore submit a call for action to the Tech Committee
for a full forensic review of the highways budget.
So residents from Marlow to Olney can see the facts
and the long term plan ensuring that our infrastructure
investments bridge the gaps in service across the county
rather than widening them.
Turning to children's services.
The SEND crisis is not adequately addressed
in this budget leaving vulnerable families
in areas like High Wycombe and Elsbury without the support
they urgently need.
The MTFP makes no provision for the council's 10 % share of the projected 211 .6 million pound
dedicated schools grant deficit by the end of the MTFP period, despite escalating demands
from growing populations in and around Buckinghamshire.
Families are facing education, health and care plan weights averaging 47 weeks, double,
more than double the national average, which widens attainment gaps for children with special
needs, exacerbates mental health issues amongst young people in schools from Gerrard's Cross
to Wing and requires over a thousand additional SEND school places by 2026.
But we've only got 295 planned.
We're forcing newcomers in expanding communities like Princess Risborough into inadequate provisions
that hinder their futures and strain parental resources.
This underprovision extends directly to housing, where the budget's shortcomings compound
the challenges for families seeking stability across Buckinghamshire.
Housing ambition falls short in the MTFP, failing to meet the needs of our diverse communities.
From the affordable homes demanded in Buckingham to the homelessness pressures in High Wycombe,
The plan allocates just 28 .1 million for housing and homelessness and yet the
cabinet member halved the Bucks Home Choice Register to help manage temporary
accommodation costs, a decision that disproportionately affects low -income
families countywide. Over 4 ,000 families have had to reapply, resubmitting medical
evidence at personal cost and emotional strain. While the new local connexion
guidelines for this county. Bear with me a second. Sorry. While the new local connexion
guidelines for the county -wide bidding system has separated generations, grandparents in
Elsbury from grandchildren in High Wycombe simply to move the figures on paper, ignoring
the human cost of disrupted lives and increased reliance on emergency housing that drains
resources further.
The Liberal Democrats are calling for the administration to triple house building numbers
through innovative land use and partnerships, drawing on successful models from other councils
to deliver sustainable, affordable homes that keep communities intact from the North in
Olle to the South in Burnham.
Major financial risks are left unaddressed or hidden in this budget, exposing Buckinghamshire
to vulnerabilities that could impact every taxpayer from Beckonsfield to Wingrave.
Extended producer responsibility is not reflected in the budget.
Asset sales assume 103 million pound over the period, with 62 million of that in 2627.
And the 9 million pound Supreme Court receipt is buried in reserves as financial risk committee
without clear accountability.
These assumptions leave future budgets vulnerable
to market fluctuations, legal disputes,
and unquantified waste costs,
all without a plan B or proper scrutiny,
potentially leading to sudden tax hikes
or service cuts that hit rural areas
like the Chilterns hardest,
where infrastructure is already fragile,
or urban towns like Elsbury,
where economic pressures are acute. The same lack of openness is evident in regeneration efforts,
where promises have fallen flat for residents expecting real change with their hard -earned money.
Regeneration spending has not delivered what residents were promised.
Squandering opportunities to revitalise town centres from Elsbury to Chesham to High Wycombe.
Millions of pounds has been spent in Elsbury and High Wycombe on schemes that replaced cherished
community assets with tarmac and parking lots with no funding
secured for the promised second phase that would have included
green spaces or cultural hubs. Residents feel the money was
misdirected, prioritising quick wins over long term vibrancy.
While engagement has been limited to briefings and press
releases, rather than genuine dialogue, leaving communities
in Amersham and Buckingham feeling sidelined and
disillusioned with economic benefits unevenly distributed and local businesses struggling
amid incomplete projects.
This pattern of decisions made without full transparency is why we as the Liberal Democrats
will act decisively to hold this administration accountable.
We will invoke the Council a call for action across every scrutiny committee if opposition
members are removed from the leadership roles in scrutiny committees.
We will add items to the agenda. Ask the questions that residents from Wendover to Stoke Poges
will answer about everything from send funding shortfalls to highway repair timelines and
ensure that recommendations reach the cabinet in the open fostering the collaborative spirit
that Buckinghamshire deserves. In doing so, we aim to bridge the divides, whether geographic,
economic or social that this budget risks exacerbating.
Fellow Councillors let me pause to reflect on the broader implications of these issues.
Our county is a tapestry of contrasts. Innovation hubs in Elsbury alongside historic market
towns like Amersham, affluent suburbs in Gerrard's Cross next to areas of deprivation in High
Wycombe. The budget must serve them all and yet it leans too heavily on assumptions that
could unravel in uncertain times.
Global economic shifts, climate challenges,
or demographic changes like the influx of families
to affordable areas in the veil.
Consider the edge cases.
What if asset sales fall short due to a property market dip?
Families in temporary housing could face even longer waits.
Or the DSG deficit balloons beyond projections?
These are not hypotheticals, they're real risks
highlighted in the MTFP itself,
demanding nuanced planning that accounts for multiple scenarios,
from best case growth to worst case austerity.
Moreover, transparency is not just a buzzword.
It's the foundation of trust.
When residents in Princess Risborough report potholes
via apps only to see no action,
or when parents in Olney wait months for EHCP assessments,
they lose faith. The Liberal Democrats propose alternatives. Ring fencing funds for proactive
highway maintenance based on resident surveys, partnering with schools and charities for
interim send support, and leveraging council land for modular housing pilots that could
add hundreds of units annually. These ideas draw from successful implementations in other counties
through community -led regeneration which has boosted local economies by 10 to 15 percent through inclusive planning.
In conclusion, fellow councillors and residents, this budget reveals a recurring theme.
Short -term fixes, opaque assumptions and a reluctance to confront long -term needs that affects every corner of this county.
The MTFP's own figures, 211 .6 million DSG pressure, 103 million in asset sales, 28 .1
million housing allocation.
It shows the scale of the challenge and yet the approach remains reactive and insufficiently
transparent risking further inequality between the north and the south of our county, urban
and rural.
We, the Liberal Democrats, will not stand by.
We will uphold rigorous scrutiny, demand full disclosure, and champion decisions that put
residents first, whether it's families navigating crumbling roads in Wing, children awaiting
support in Wendover, or communities yearning for better homes and town centres in Wickham.
Buckinghamshire deserves a council that prioritises people over politics, sustainability over
speculation and fairness over short -term optics.
It deserves investment in green transport links
that connect Beckonsfield to Buckingham,
innovative education programmes that close attainment gaps
in Elsbury and housing strategies
that build inclusive futures for all.
Together, we can fight to deliver it
through collaboration, innovation
and unwavering commitment to our shared home.
Let us rise to the occasion, not just for today, but for the generations who will inherit
this remarkable county.
And for the reasons I've set out, we will not be able to support this budget.
Thank you.
Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja - 1:51:41
Thank you.
Council member Wilson.
Thank you Chairman and with your prior blessing before the clock starts I'd
like to thank all those involved in the preparation and presentation of the
Cllr Stuart Wilson - 1:52:33
budget particularly the finance team led by Mr. Skinner and Ms. Jump as well as
Councillor Chilva for chairing budget scrutiny so well and my colleagues on
that committee for their endeavour and endurance. Thank You Leslie. As I said in
this chamber 18 months ago levelling down is not levelling up. I condemn the
actions of the government in removing over 44 million pounds from this council over the
next three years. This comes on the back of years of austerity measures over a decade
from the previous government. I am nothing if not even handed in my condemnation.
Local government cannot provide the level of public services rightly expected by residents
paying their council tax year after year. Local government continues to be the poor
relation and it is simply not acceptable as funding and democracy moves further away from
local communities through unfair financial and local government reform.
Having sat through budget scrutiny for the last five years,
I always approach the preparation of this speech in an independent mindset.
Members of my group are free to think and vote as they see fit.
I know everyone has worked hard to deliver the required balanced budget against
a backdrop of unprecedented risk and a funding landscape that seemingly changes
week by week.
The most recent and long overdue send announcements on funding and reform being
no exception. Although I'm no clear on the implications for home to school
transport. Adult social care part one will be coming soon. Again I hold this
and the previous government in contempt on dragging their heels. There's only so
much long grass local authorities can manage each and every year. I applaud the
initiatives this council has taken and continues to take in this budget on
children's homes, fostering temporary accommodation.
It is better outcomes for those most affected and
better value for money for the taxpayer.
There is much more to be done in our children's
services and education team as the most recent
Ofsted report demonstrates.
My briefing on the Ofsted report, I asked the interim
director of children's services what it would take
in terms of capacity and resources to get us where
we should be.
This authority and its predecessor have been behind
for too long.
I hope the cabinet member and the scrutiny committee will pursue this question.
And as I remind the cabinet member for housing, I supported his strategy,
but I have no confidence in the registered providers delivering our need or our ambitions.
And the Renters Reform Act will tighten the private rental market.
We either assert our position on those provider boards or we take matters into our own hands.
The rise in the threshold to 1 ,000 dwellings before requiring
a housing revenue account must be explored,
and all other options for genuinely affordable housing
as a plan B.
I must congratulate the health and wellbeing portfolio
and the director of adult social services
for managing to budget this year,
even in the face of provider failure in care homes
and community equipment.
There is no substitute for a clear strategy,
a thorough demand forecast model,
which has been rightly acknowledged recently
as the leader referred to, and grip on a daily basis.
However, I remain concerned that we will continue to see provider failure and consolidation
in this market and linked to the housing portfolio, the disabled facilities grant will be inadequate
to deliver the independence we seek for clients in our Better Lives strategy.
I can support the balanced budget for 26 -27 as we wait to see what's around the corner.
However, as the leader knows, I remain extremely concerned about the MTFP for capital receipts.
I've reviewed the MTFP for every year since 2021.
We have never forecast a profile as presented this year.
The number for 2027 -28 is extraordinary.
We've repeatedly asked questions of budget scrutiny and no adequate explanations been provided for each of the four years.
Even on an access to information confidential basis per the constitution for budget scrutiny
or as a group leader.
What do you have to hide that is not covered by our obligations for confidentiality?
Thank you.
Thank you.
Moving on.
Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja - 1:56:58
Thank you.
Mr. Chairman and good afternoon everybody.
I much prefer the view from up here than I do
at the back of the chamber.
And it's nice to see how Stephen feels
being leader of the council
and I'm just group leader for Reform UK.
Cllr Cameron Anderson - 1:57:35
I want to wish everybody a very happy new year.
Although I can't wish you political prosperity,
I wanna wish everybody personal prosperity
with your families, friends, and indeed loved ones.
And I wanna start by agreeing with the council leader
in naming and shaming our disgraceful Labour MPs
that seek to pursue the anti -Bucks agenda
in cancelling SEN school,
supporting mass overdevelopment on Greenbelt
of 95 ,000 houses, and depriving Bucks of 44 million pounds.
But I also want to thank our Labour MPs
for exposing themselves as pawns
in Keir Starmer's chess match against the British public
and against Buckinghamshire residents.
And it's no surprise that across this whole budget debate,
our Labour councillors have unfortunately fallen silent.
And I know that councillors in this chamber with decency
will agree with me in my simple message
to Buckinghamshire residents,
and that is Labour are not your friends.
But there also needs to be big questions asked
of this council and how we tackle
the biggest issues of today.
How does this budget adhere to the monumental
public and private sector investments
which are required to safeguard bugs
against this mass overdevelopment?
And the constraints that there will be
with infrastructure, our roads, our public services,
with tens and if not hundreds of thousands of people
expected to move to Buckinghamshire along with this mass over development.
Now I'm not going to go on for long as it's already we've already been here for
a while but I want to finish with one short note and I would like to
understand and understand if we can make it clear to Buckinghamshire residents
that this council understands that the businesses, the individuals, the families
that pay their way, earn their living and work hard understand that their council
is being attacked by their government.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja - 1:59:54
I'm gonna open this debate, two minutes per speaker.
Can I have a show of hands who wants to speak?
Can you keep your hands up, please, thank you.
Council Jonathan Waters.
Thank you, Chair. In the budget and within the Leader's Speech, we hear for another
Cllr Jonathan Waters - 2:00:22
year how lucky we are in the level of funding set aside to maintain our roads. I don't
think the residents of Buckinghamshire are feeling quite as lucky. Our roads are the
largest asset and for our residents, their number one priority for council focus. How
How have we come to the pothole hell that afflicts our roads every winter?
What is the plan, I'm asked?
There must be a plan.
Well, our hard -pressed team is just about managing to resurface about 3 .5 % of our roads
each year.
Roads are designed to last at most 15 years, but on average, they're having to last 30
years.
Each and every year, the past and present cabinet member announces, like it's some great
victory that even more potholes have been filled in the previous year at
astounding rates. This is a measure of total failure and not an
indicator of progress. The MTFP has built in year after year after
year of failure. The leadership of this council have absolutely no plan for
returning our roads to even the basic good level of order
that is asked for, that condemns our residents every winter
in the future to pothole hell.
Only when we get 6 .7 % of our roads being resurfaced
each year will the number of potholes be reduced
and squeezed down, the requirement of massive
pothole repairs currently budgeted for.
These are the very same roads that are meant to support
95 ,000 new homes and related traffic.
Don't forget the HDV construction traffic.
How will the ambitions for bringing high level companies
and jobs to Buckinghamshire even get off the base,
first base when they drive through our country?
Time is up, Councillor, thank you.
Thank you.
Did I see Councillor Michael Brecken, your hand up?
Yes.
Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja - 2:02:23
Cllr Michael Bracken - 2:02:35
When this Labour government was first elected, I was extremely concerned and felt feelings
of quite extreme paranoia about what was going to happen to this county.
I think what we've seen today in the presentation shows that sometimes when you're paranoid
it doesn't mean they're not out to get you.
These people are out to get Buckinghamshire.
they have taken away £250 per household from the residents of this county.
And that's just through the so -called fair funding review and the effective sound.
In addition, what we saw earlier was that through the grant mechanism, we are also being nobled.
Let there be no doubt that this county is under attack from this appalling central
Labour government. And I think that does rather beg the question to each and every member
who sits in the impact alliance along with those Labour representatives in this council.
I simply do not understand how you can sit in a group which involves Labour when Labour
is demonstrating how they are attacking the residents of this council. And as for the
Liberal Democrats, I'm sorry but I think you were just talking about how you wanted to
protect your chairmen allowances of committees.
That seems to be the key driver for you.
And if it's not that, you've started talking about housing
and about how you should triple the rate of housing.
Well, I am involved in the local plan
in my capacity on the council.
I have to say, if your plan is to triple
the already outrageous housing target
that has been imposed on this council,
then I'm afraid you are seriously disconnected
with the residents of this county.
I will be supporting this budget and I urge everybody to reflect on the other side of this room as to how on earth they can stand with themselves.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Chairman, if I could just correct the record.
Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja - 2:04:36
I was talking about social housing and affordable housing only.
We're moving on. Thank you.
Cllr Susan Morgan - 2:04:43
Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja - 2:04:46
One minute.
One minute.
I'm not going to warn you again. We're moving on. Thank you.
Can I remind Councillors, I have spoken to leaders of group and
I've told them you're going to get one warning. The next
warning you're not going to get. You're going to be told to
remove yourself from the room, from the chamber.
So please respect yourself. Respect others as well.
as well please, thank you.
Moving on to Mark Roberts please.
Thank you.
I want to raise a fundamental concern about budget,
Cllr Mark Roberts - 2:05:25
namely the absence of governance and transparency
about how the council disposes of public assets.
So this budget includes over 100 million of asset sales,
including 62 million next year alone,
and yet not a single one of those assets is identified,
no valuations, no proposed future uses,
no conditions, no safeguards,
and we've been asked to approve a budget
that's built on major asset sales
without visibility and accountability.
And we know exactly where this approach leads.
We saw it in my ward with the sale
of King George V House.
For years, residents were promised housing
on their prime Brownfield site.
In a recent survey, 70 % of them backed that housing
and it aligns with our local plan ambition
for 15 ,000 new homes from increased urban density,
and yet council sold the site without any conditions
to secure housing outcome,
and without overage clauses to protect public value.
The buyer flipped the site too little,
and residents were promised homes,
but instead they saw a community asset
turned into someone else's win for profit.
That is what happens when disposals are opaque,
when terms are weak and when scrutiny is missing.
And now this budget suggests repeating the same mistakes
but on a larger scale.
So no lessons learnt from King George's Fifth House,
no strength in governance,
no commitment to overage clauses,
no future use protections,
and not even a published list
of what the council proposes to sell.
It's a bigger black hole than King George's Fifth House
and residents deserve better.
They deserve transparency, protection of public value
and confidence the public assets are disposed of
responsibly and in the public interest.
This budget cannot allow confidence.
Thank you, Councillor, thank you.
Moving on to Councillor Matthew Hynde.
Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja - 2:07:27
I had to watch with interest the discussion about the money being spent on roads.
I also reflected that a large chunk of the A413 was dug up over the previous, earlier
this month at great cost, over a million pounds I reckon if on the basis of a million pound
per kilometre.
Cllr Matthew Hind - 2:08:08
Lots of money spent, damage caused undoubtedly by the HS2 roads going backwards.
So money is available to be spent it seems on glamorous projects.
If the council wants to spend money on roads, they seem to like spending it on roads where they could maybe have a ribbon to cut at the end of it, that looks good in the Bucks Free Press.
But while the hard -working people of the Missendons are unable to get their roads fixed,
because somehow the money is not available.
So money available to spend on glamorous projects, not money available to spend on the roads within the Missendons.
And I want to know why that's the case.
Is it because, as I said, you can get nice pictures in the paper for building these extra roads?
Or is it because you'd rather help the through traffic of people who don't live in the county
rather than the roads of people who do?
Thank you.
Thank you.
Moving on to Councillor Cheryl Bateman.
Thank you, Chair, for the opportunity to speak.
Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja - 2:09:17
I stand today for employers within the pension scheme.
Cllr Sherrilyn Bateman - 2:09:22
The leader stated in his report that the employer contribution is
to be reduced by 1 % for the LGP scheme
and the appropriate impact to all the residents.
But the pensions committee have not met
to discuss this draught document and we have not agreed
and we have not completed due diligence.
This year, I've asked for meetings and further reports
and have not been provided with these reports on new figures.
The funding strategy statement is to be rubber -stumped on the 17th of March.
It is not good enough without further reports, further due diligence and scrutiny,
taking into account the concerns raised by other employers.
We could indeed, as a committee, vote to reduce the pension percentage by, say, 2%,
and that would have a huge impact on all the employers within the LGPS scheme and, therefore, throughout Bux.
I have not been provided with support from the chair of the committee and no new reports.
So to state in the opening statement that the percentage for pension has reduced by
1 % when the committee will not vote until the 17th of March feels really poor form.
I have asked if I have misunderstood my role within the pensions committee and received
no clarification.
I question stating the reduction in the pension percentage in this budget before the vote
and by the Pension Committee as being misleading.
Thank you for your time, Chair.
Thank you.
Moving on to Councillor Carl Jackson.
Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja - 2:10:53
Thank you, Chairman.
We're all seeing the positions, we've all seen
that we're not in a position to make big,
Cllr Carl Jackson - 2:11:03
exciting new promises and huge new spending ideas,
but this is a sound and sensible and balanced budget.
It invests where there is opportunity.
It is cautious where there is uncertainty.
And it reflects residents' priorities.
It comes, as we've heard, against a difficult backdrop.
Some of that backdrop is not attributable to any government or party.
There are growing pressures over the years, like the pressure on SEND services.
Some of the difficult backdrop, though, is undoubtedly about political choices.
We have a reverse -engineered funding formula where the outcome was chosen
to shift money away from areas like this
to metropolitan areas, and then the formula
designed to fit the outcome.
We have money taken from our taxpayers
to move to other areas.
It is one thing for a government to reduce its grunts.
It is another thing to take money raised here
to be spent here and spend it in other areas.
We should not have our money taken,
undermining our services here to go plate them elsewhere.
It is a political choice from the government
which creates winners and losers
and Buckinghamshire Council and Buckinghamshire's residents
come out as one of the biggest losers.
Despite that, we kept the finances sound.
We protected key services.
Other councils are looking at moving to three weekly bin
collections.
We're not.
Other councils are cutting or freezing funds
for road repairs.
We're not.
You might have noticed the government produced a list
of councils it's having to bail out.
Live, then run Shropshire Council, getting $200 million
just to balance the books for the rest of this year and next.
We are not in that box.
We're also innovating to improve outcomes by improving more foster care as my portfolio,
more in -house children homes, saving money and delivering a better outcome for some of
our most vulnerable residents.
In conclusion, I support this budget.
It balances the books, it sees us live within our means, it protects key services and I
hope Council will support it this afternoon.
Thank you.
Moving on to Councillor Nick Nam -Hassane.
Thank you, Mr Chairman.
Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja - 2:13:04
And they say if you live long enough, you'll see everything.
Cllr Niknam Hussain - 2:13:07
And I love the irony of conservative members
campaigning actively against cuts
after 14 plus years of cuts year on year
to essential services, essential budgets.
But I rise to talk about two particular subjects.
One is raised by the opposition leader.
One was the Send Places,
which as a former governor of a sense school I find particularly aggravating
but also I don't want to sound like a broken record but I have said
previously in this chamber about school places for general school places I've
literally this about an hour ago checked on the account the council website gone
through the spreadsheets and for primary school places Ellsbury has about five
places or very few places.
And Ellsbury secondary school places,
there's zero places in any year group.
Now if that is not a concern, I don't know what is.
And lastly, I'd like to, the subject of the hour
seems to be roads, where somebody who's just
done the Dakar challenge and driven 6 ,000 miles
across Europe and Africa, across four of the poorest
countries in the world, Morocco, Mauritania, Senegal,
and Gambia, and I did look for potholes.
honestly I did and I can tell you there's more potholes on my road which
is a small suburban road than there were in any of those countries on their main
roads and that is I find really astonishing. Thank you moving on to
Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja - 2:14:44
council Robin Stuxbury. Thank you thank you thank you very much it's been
Cllr Robin Stuchbury - 2:14:51
enlightening stimulating and interesting but I just like to cast our minds back
In 2016, the then county council received a £53 million cut.
That was in the total budget of the county council from the previous government.
Roll that forward and you get to a situation where that's baked in, that reduction in funding
has been baked in here.
And over the 10 years, I'm not a great mathematician, but it would be somewhere close to £500 million
which would have been with the Section 51 officer to help us.
We can speak widely about our concerns.
Now, in that same period of time, because of the cuts,
the leader of the council stated difficult decisions
would have to be taken.
And he was right.
He was being honest.
There was difficult decisions that
had to be taken at that time.
At that point, we closed children's centres
in Buckinghamshire.
And it's no coincidence, in my opinion,
that since that decision we've had a rise in SEN and a rise of demand. But we
don't proportion blame for that. Those decisions were taken because of the
situation the present government at the time put the council under. And then I
looked to fair funding reviews and I looked back and I thought of where I
live in Buckingham and the last time there was an unfair funding review or a
935 by King Afulstan when he marched to King of Scotland, Constantine down to
Buckingham to pay some money to the good people of England and the
Shires. So the idea of fair funding reviews, perhaps the one from the
government isn't quite so aggressive or as belligerent as Afulstan was with his colleagues.
Thank you Councillor, your time's up. Thank you. Move on to Chris Chilton.
and Councillor Chris Chilton.
Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja - 2:16:53
Hi, thank you, Chair.
I want to thank the officers and members who produced this.
Can I stop you there?
I'm just here in a rotate.
Cllr Chris Chilton - 2:16:59
I did say chairman.
Chair is, I don't know, is the chair that you sit on.
Sorry.
So please can you say chairman?
Thank you.
Thank you, Chairman.
I'd like to thank the officers and members
who produced this budget.
It contains some good work and on balance,
I support it and will be voting in favour.
But I'd like to start by clarifying matters
related to fair funding. If council tax continues to increase by 4 .9 % per year
as it has done for the last three years, Buckinghamshire's
core spending power grows from 567 million this year, last year, to 650
million in 28 -29, an 83 million pound uplift over this Parliament, a 14 .7 %
increase. In addition, the High Needs Stability Grant announced in
December 2025 will deliver bucks an extra £43 million this year, £27 million next
year and £54 million the year after, £124 million in total, covering 90 % of the dedicated
school grants shortfall which has been accruing off the books since 2020. That funding alone
far exceeds the fair funding impact several times over. So the government grants to Buckinghamshire
are growing. The question is not whether resources exist but whether they're being used efficiently.
And I find the efficiency saving plan proposed in the MTP to be particularly lacklustre.
As a former R &D and procurement director at Cadbury Schweppes, Kraft Foods, and Mondelez
Internationals, I ran multi -billion pound private sector productivity programmes for 14
years.
And I can judge productivity and procurement efficiency very well.
The creation of a centralised procurement centre of excellence is a good start, but
it has two key challenges.
First, how to reduce the number of employees
writing contracts from 250 to 25.
And secondly, how to replace all the long -term contracts
and their index -linked escalation clauses
with open book efficiency -based contracts
containing cost reduction clauses.
So on balance, I support the budget,
but we must stop playing suppliers too much
for the services they supply,
and we need to offer our residents much better value.
Thank you. Moving on to Councillor David Moore.
Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja - 2:19:18
Thank you Chairman. As Councillor Rouser eloquently said earlier, we as Conservatives are custodians of the taxpayer.
So let's join me in a little road tour of the UK. So we're going to drive up the M40,
Cllr David Moore - 2:19:27
we're to Birmingham. Oh no, the road's blocked by bin bags absolutely everywhere.
Three years of not balancing a budget, a complete est show, complete mess.
And that's what happens when you give Labour your taxpayers' money.
they'll throw it into a black hole and blame someone else.
So that's Birmingham City Council.
We're gonna drive back to Oxfordshire.
Oh no, Lev Denver and Oxfordshire County Council
voted worse than Buckinghamshire on roads
on almost every level according to the government's own
roads, amber and highways report.
So don't lecture us on highways
because you can't run highways, let alone councils.
And now we're gonna drive down
to the Royal Borough of Windsor at Maidenhead
as Councillor Connewood said,
they're seeking 80 million pounds
of taxpayers funding in emergency support.
Where did that money go?
So don't lecture us on this because this leadership under a conservative council has made a very
good budget in a very difficult circumstance when over £40 million of money has been stolen
from us to pop up failing councils.
This balances the books.
So let's have some cross -party support here and I thank Councillor Anderson for realising
this is a Labour government, Lib Dems in cahoots, fighting against a balanced budget.
Vote for this budget and support the taxpayer.
Thank you.
Councillor Hazel Arthur -Hewitt.
Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja - 2:20:46
Thank you Chairman. Can you stand up? Thank you.
Thanks to officers and members for the significant work that has gone into preparing this budget.
There is much to keep working on and improving, but I will be supporting it.
Cllr Hazel Arthur-Hewitt - 2:20:59
I can live with myself fondly enough.
because on this side of the house,
we've been bringing up genuine concerns with the budget,
not political grandstanding,
and it's a disgrace that councillors
on the other side of the room seek to encourage
fragmentation among those that can actually work together.
I'm surprised that Councillor Anderson agrees
with the budget considering that reforms
so they can make massive saving of council budgets
across the country.
Where are all these bright ideas
of what the council should be doing to save millions?
I agree with the comments about assets dripping.
Councillor Broadbent, our leader, put a picture up
of Denmark Street in Wickham.
This is a success for saving face with budgets
as it saved the Bucks archives in Aylesbury
from a downgrade in status.
But it was a failure for Wickham regeneration hopes
amongst residents.
In Wickham, we can't even get hold of an assets list
to find out what might be sold off.
One minute our municipal building with our mayor's parlour,
next minute what?
secrecy all round for the cabinet.
Remember, money counting success is one thing,
but it has to come with a heart and understanding
of the wishes of those we represent.
Thank you.
Councillor Ed Girmel.
Thank you, Chairman.
Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja - 2:22:17
Before I come to the criticism,
I think it's worthwhile talking about a couple of things
which I think are great.
Cllr Ed Gemmell - 2:22:21
Thanks for balancing the budget,
so both to officers and to all those
who've worked on it as well.
I think the, as well, the notes about fostering,
I was extremely encouraged by,
so I think it's wonderful that we're increasing
the amount of fostering, and at the same time,
that's saving us money as we go along,
so well done on that.
Now to where I'm not quite so happy,
and as chairman of the High Wycombe Town Committee,
I think I need to speak on behalf of all of us.
Where is QVR in this?
It's presumably in the capital receipts, we can't see it,
so what year are you thinking that our building
is going to be sold and then used for other things.
And in addition, it's not actually clear
what's happening with the sill
for the High Wycombe Town Committee,
which seems to be negligible in future years.
I think I would echo what Stuart Wilson said.
For this year, I don't think the budget's too bad.
But when you look at future years,
I think too many assumptions have been put into it,
and I don't think I can support
what's coming in future years.
I am tending towards voting for it this year.
If somebody can convince me of now
about what's gonna be happening with the money for QVR,
but I won't, at the moment, be endorsing
what's happening in future years,
where so many of the net monies that are being spent
on areas like environment, and including waste
and other things, are going down,
year on year, in future years.
So I don't like what's going on in the future.
This year looks okay.
Convince me that you're not taking away our building
and selling it off, and not giving the receipts to Wickham.
Thank you. Moving on to Councillor Robert Carrington.
Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja - 2:23:54
Thank you very much and thanks for the opportunity and I see my portfolio has taken a little bit of a beating.
Cllr Robert Carington - 2:24:01
But I would just like to clarify a couple of things. Firstly, Councillor Campbell, I would, as I have said multiple times,
I would really recommend reading the cabinet paper. It was last year and it's a long time ago,
But I would recommend reading it because it explicitly
says where the money is going and the time frame.
So I would point you in that direction.
On Denmark Street, very interesting to see criticisms
because it goes against what I presume is the Labour Party
line because we have a comment from the mayor who was present.
I mean, the only Labour member I did see present
who welcomes the opening of Tesco
and the moving of the archives and the office
and said this was a great opportunity for Wickham.
So very interesting to see the party line
has slightly shifted on that.
But cloud for the support.
On the pension funds, just to clarify,
as Sherrilyn, as I hope you would know,
this comes from a very successful annual valuation,
which is in public domain,
and this recommendation of the 1 %
comes from the independent actuary.
So this is independent advice,
and yes, it is going to be voted on,
but this is independent, that this isn't a political agenda.
It is rewarding the employers for the good work done
by the fund to avoid them having additional pain put on them
because a certain government is hitting all sorts of things.
And then finally.
On capital Roberts, you mentioned the wonderful idea
of revealing all of our list of capital assets.
Yes, I think all of those potential investors
and asset sharks who are looking around
would love to know what's coming out
and will be there waiting with claws to,
I think sort of revealing your hands,
but perhaps it's not the best idea
and slightly lowers the value,
but I'll leave it to his very capable knowledge
and on King George the fifth, I'm running over time.
Let the planning system do it.
A little bit more than before, thank you.
Councillor Julia Wessel.
Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja - 2:26:14
Thank you. I speak as a corporate parent, just to make a change from a pothole protester.
Cllr Julia Wassell - 2:26:23
The Children's Home's early success has to be talked up.
But still we need to bring our children home back into Buckinghamshire for good safeguard reasons,
for good practise reasons, and for, where possible, family reconciliation reasons.
So still over 50 % of Bucks children are out of county.
So there's a lot more to do.
The foster care recruitment team have been absolutely fantastic.
I see them everywhere, taking their stall round to show grounds, irrespective of potholes they go.
So that is excellent. But the shortage of social workers and the massive agency budget, I'm afraid this is like a broken record.
We hear the same thing year after year. High cost of living, new schemes are coming on
stream for growing our own social workers and I've been hearing it as a county council
and a unitary councillor for over 20 years. What is going to be done to reduce that agency
budget?
Then the other thing I'd like to say is to Robert Carrington that you came to Wickham,
You stood in front of the Guildhall and you invited residents to ask for a marketing pack
for the Queen Victoria building
So I sent an email myself asking for a marketing pack so that perhaps I could get a consortium
Together to buy the Queen Victoria Road
Building which I feel has got a lot of mileage in it
And what did I hear nothing at all that is rude Robert Harrington. Thank you Councillor Boussoul
Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja - 2:28:23
councillor Larissa Townsend Thank You chairman I too would like to recognise
the considerable work that has gone into producing sustainable medium -term
Cllr Larisa Townsend - 2:28:34
financial plan however I want to draw focus to what I believe is the most
significant and ongoing financial risk in this plan to send the budget is
balanced but fragile particularly in relation to send and we should not be
complacent about the scale of that exposure it's based on a set of
assumptions about government support, the details of which are not yet fully confirmed.
The assumption of 90 % funding for ongoing SEND deficits through to 2028 is material,
and if that assumption proves optimistic, the financial exposure to this Council could
be significant. Beyond the headline numbers, demand remains the core issue. EHCP growth,
increased complexity of need and transport pressures all continue to drive cost. And
And we must be honest, these pressures are unlikely to stabilise in the short term.
Early intervention, high quality EHCP drafting, reducing tribunal escalation, and supporting
and expanding local provision are not just service improvements, they're financial necessities.
The plan is so finely balanced that even small increases above forecast could materially
alter the overall financial position.
That means that ongoing transparency, realistic modelling and rigorous scrutiny in children's
services will be absolutely essential over the life of this budget.
We owe it to families and to taxpayers to ensure that financial stability and improved
outcomes for children go hand in hand.
If we do not successfully address the underlying drivers of send demand and placement sufficiency,
the budget remains exposed and vulnerable.
In response to Councillor Bracken's comment about Impact Alliance, I say this, Impact
is a political grouping, not a political party.
It's made up of councillors
from diverse political backgrounds
and what unites us is a desire
to provide true independent local representation.
I am able to represent,
I am able to respect different political
countries and it will be more of that
positive council. Thank you, thank you.
Moving on to Councillor Matthew Walsh, sorry.
Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja - 2:30:34
That's okay, if my mum was here,
she would tell you off -chairman.
You know first and foremost thank you to all of the officers and the members in delivering a proposed balanced budget.
Cllr Matthew Walsh - 2:30:45
It's a phenomenal amount of hard work and you can clearly see difficult choices have had to be made.
Again budget scrutiny, cross -party, did a phenomenal job.
I missed it was my first year not doing budget scrutiny but I enjoyed watching it.
I certainly enjoyed watching the blossoming bromance between Councillor Wilson and Councillor Tett.
I can definitely see a podcast or a small ITV2 series there in their futures.
Who leaked that?
Indeed. So, you know, congratulations to everybody for all of their hard work.
I will be supporting this budget.
I think just regards to the Leader of the Opposition, I must ask, you know, she mentioned O 'Mee quite a lot.
That's definitely not in Buckinghamshire.
She also referenced mine and Councillor Hall Ward's Princess Risborough quite a lot.
That definitely is in Buckinghamshire.
of Sheer.
And I can assure her that the biggest concern we hear
in Princess Risborough right now is the threat of new houses
pushed for by this Labour government,
but reminding her that her national party want even
more houses than they have here, than the Labour
government has proposed.
Pardon?
No, not at all.
But anyway, you referenced my ward,
and I have every right to return the point.
But yes, I fully support this budget.
Thank you.
Thank you. Moving on to Councillor Alex Collingwood.
Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja - 2:32:09
Thank you Chairman.
Cllr Alex Collingwood - 2:32:14
Based with the backdrop of the £109 million funding gap,
I'm actually really, really impressed by both the officers and the members who have actually managed to put together the balanced budget.
Unfortunately, Councillor Chilton is obviously a very new Councillor, doesn't really understand Council Finance,
So maybe when he goes back to ordering governance with me,
I can then teach him how it actually works.
But he's conflated his scenario of what he talks about in terms
of core spending.
But I'll let you explain more on that.
But what I do, I am really impressed with,
is actually when I looked at page 198,
if you look in your pack, I actually
wouldn't go to pack specifically,
it actually does show you that actually putting
additional new 21 million pound investment in strategic highways
with doubling the budget for footway repairs.
And in terms of bridge maintenance, again, it's an additional 10 million.
So even with all those constraints, we are actually doing what we say we're gonna do,
and that will be our priorities, right?
So therefore, as much as I applaud the opposition for their well -meaning piece,
we actually do deliver what we say we're gonna deliver.
By better roads, better bridges, better actual outcomes for our residents, right?
Cuz that's what we believe as conservatives, that's what you do.
You do what you say, and you get on and deliver it.
and I commend and support this budget. Thank you.
Thank you, Councillor. Moving on to Councillor Imran Hussain.
Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja - 2:33:38
No? You've got your name on the list. We'll move on to...
You've had your chance to speak. So, Chair, I rise to point out a personal
explanation. A statement has just been made about me
and my knowledge and it was incorrect. I think I've been
Cllr Sherrilyn Bateman - 2:33:58
No, I've been advised by...
Okay, and I've been misrepresented. Thank you.
Councillor Simon Rose.
Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja - 2:34:06
Thank you, Mr Chairman. As colleagues know, I get very excited on budget day and
Cllr Simon Rouse - 2:34:15
this year did not fail to disappoint. I'm very tough on the Liberal Democrats quite often.
But I have to say that I thought this year the animation on the slides really had gone up a notch.
And in particular, I want to congratulate the Leader of the Opposition on the very first bit of animation,
which took the slide, crumpled it up and threw it away.
I thought that was a wonderful metaphor for the presentation,
because it was, as ever, a word salad of bullets trying to find intellectual coherence and failing utterly miserably.
And I'm afraid I was excited by the idea of us on the map taking Milton Keynes into Buckinghamshire.
I'm sorry to say for the members of Amersham, you didn't seem to make the map,
so I don't know what you've done wrong in running Amersham Town Council,
but perhaps pick that up.
And as for Olney, if that's the land grab to fix the £44 .5 million
that the government has taken away from us, I'm all for it.
But the truth is this, that every time the opposition tries to grapple
with the complexity of running a council budget, they collapse in the detail.
The detail of the map, the detail of what drives funding,
and the fact they only talk about buzzwords of collaboration and innovation
without a single penny to be saved or reinvested to drive those priorities, to govern is to choose.
And we are the custodians of public money here at Buckinghamshire.
My colleague, Councillor Moore, did a brilliant, brilliant storey about how Lib Dem councils are utter failures.
Everywhere they go, they blow the budget because they govern without principle and they love government without clear -eyed priorities.
And I'll just say to the Labour member that spoke, you really need to reflect.
If you're going to talk about core spending power, at least make the effort to understand it.
Now, this is a council that has once again navigated challenges with a very clear priority
on the vulnerable, on our roads, and I support this budget and I urge everybody in this chamber
to do exactly the same.
Thank you.
Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja - 2:36:15
The last person to speak on this debate is Councillor Martin Tett.
Well, it's a bit of a nuisance always following Simon Rouse,
Cllr Martin Tett - 2:36:23
because he's virtually said everything I was going to say, and David Moore.
It's interesting because every year when you come to these meetings,
you hear particularly the Lib Dems stand up and start posturing on a whole range of issues.
Now, what they probably forget is that we have, the LGA has said,
we have one of the best cross -party budget scrutinies
of any council in the country.
We sit for nearly a week getting every single cabinet member
in, grilling them, reviewing their budgets,
challenging them, proposing alternatives.
They sit there next to us through that whole week,
and then they go away.
And it's a bit like something out of Men in Black
where they have their minds wiped.
And then they come to this chamber, and it's like,
oh, they never were there.
All those ideas of dissent,
when they have the opportunity to put those suggestions forward.
They don't, but when they sit here,
they can have an afternoon of coming up with lots of fanciful ideas.
The word salad that sounds like something,
like a mixture out of the Lib Dem and Green Party manifestos.
But there's no substance there whatsoever.
They have no spending plans, no alternative budget,
no proposals that we can challenge in return,
because they have no competency, quite frankly,
when it comes to finance and the budget.
They're great on speculation, they're great on new ideas,
they're great on word salad, they are hopeless
at actually managing the real finances
of a council like Buckinghamshire.
And when you look around at Lib Dem councils
around the country, you see that proved
time and time and time again.
Which is why when you come to this council,
you get real competent financial management
from the cabinet of this council
and the leadership provided by this conservative group.
And again, I absolutely support what Simon Rouse has just said.
We need to support this cabinet.
We need to support this leadership.
We need to support this budget and get rid of this posturing
that is coming from the Lib Dems who can't even navigate.
Thank you, Councillor Marchett.
Thank you.
Thank you.
When they write their presentations.
Thank you.
Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja - 2:38:29
Moving to the second row of the motion, Councillor Thomas Broome,
you have two minutes.
Thank you very much Chairman. Yes, I think what we have before us today is a well thought
Cllr Thomas Broom - 2:38:42
out, well argued, tight budget for difficult times. We have gone through line by line and
you can see in the way that we've delivered over the last few years efficiencies followed
by efficiencies followed by efficiencies which allow us to invest in the things that residents
care about. We have had a whole dog and pony show today trying to distract by the opposition
from the fact that despite the fact that they have repeatedly, repeatedly voted against
investment in our roads over years and years and years, we are delivering the biggest investment
in our roads that the county has ever seen, which will see investment, long -term investment
in resurfacing our roads continuing for years and years and increasing year on year.
I don't think I can be quite so confident in the level of opposition that we've got.
I have to say I do agree with some of my colleagues that when we've been through the budget scrutiny
process and in front of the committee, a number of members both on our own side and opposition
have asked us thought out careful questions.
I just don't understand where they go when we get to the budget meeting.
They are entirely replaced with political posturing.
You know, the party, you know, the leader of the opposition is standing there saying
we should be less political while she has emblazoned her party logo across half of the
screen of her presentation.
One of her colleagues is complaining that a road in his ward has been resurfaced.
Not resurfaced at our expense, by the way.
We actually made the water company pay for that one so that we could invest that money
somewhere else.
We are delivering this year 220 resurfaced roads in this county.
Next year we're ramping that up to 270 and we are going to keep going on that trajectory.
This is a sound budget and I commend the council.
Thank you.
Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja - 2:40:48
Councillor Stephen Baldwin, as you were the mover of the original motion, would you like to say?
Yes, thank you. I think I should try and surmise a little bit of that.
Cllr Steven Broadbent - 2:40:56
I've got a lot of respect for Susan, but not knowing where the county boundaries are is somewhat unforgivable.
And it made me think, given you said you felt there was no long -term solutions,
and yet I talked about children's homes, road funding, home school transport, adult social care, and the plans that were there,
The three time reference to Oldley made me think,
was this written in Milton Keynes?
Because frankly, it did nothing to recognise
what is actually in this budget.
Everything I talked about, about priorities for residents,
the money we've put into EHCPs,
you've just heard the massive investment going into roads.
Perversely, you said the regen not delivered
and then put a sign up or picture up
of Denmark Street in Wickham.
just delivered, opened last week.
How can you say there's regen not delivered
when it was exactly there?
You also said the north and south of the county
were pitted against each other or were disparate.
And yet I referenced Buckingham House
or Recycling Centre.
I also mentioned the boot camps,
one of the most successful of which is in Iver
doing construction skills for young people.
If you read the pack, if you understood the grant cutting,
the context that we operate in,
you wouldn't be making those remarks.
There was no comments on grants,
not a single reference to losing 44 and a half million pounds.
You talked about assets, as did a lot of other people.
So you came to budget scrutiny,
and you were told the situation,
That is also reflected on page 199 at the back.
There's 103 million pounds in assets.
23 % of that is on technical receipt stuff,
which is to do with leasehold things
and stuff that we know is relatively secure.
71 % of that has already been through cabinet, usually twice,
usually because it comes to say,
we'd like to propose something
and go to a marketing exercise or whatever,
which you get the opportunity to come and speak about.
And then a second time when that marketing has happened
and cabinet have to come to a decision about the asset.
So all this talk about, we need to look at cabinet,
sorry, at capital expenditure.
There's 6 % of 103 million pounds.
So what you're talking about here is we don't know about
6 million pounds, 6 .2 million pounds.
And there was a link there to service cuts.
During the service cuts, we've outlined that actually this is about investing in the things
that make a difference and deliver on resident priorities.
So I think if you look at us protecting vital services, when people say things like you
make out like we're lucky to spend on roads, no, it's not luck.
I said at the start of my speech today, it is not an accident that we're able to present
a budget that has foresighted the issue we've got, that is invested on our resident priorities.
It's not luck. It's hard graft and prudence and careful financial management.
So to hear Councillor Chilton talk about 14 .7 % core spending power, oh, I feel sorry for
you. That came out from press office Labour HQ. The 14 % figure is true. If you base it
on last year, not this year.
That's why it's 8 .2%.
So the core spending power is really a misnomer.
It's taxed.
You mentioned it's taxed each and every year at 5%,
and yet it actually only equates to an 8 % uplift.
That's taxed from people's pockets.
And then you said 67 % savings is lacklustre.
67 % of our combined budgets,
296 million pounds is apparently lacklustre.
Well, it's clear you haven't had to go through
the difficult decisions that we have had to do
since this unity was formed and that we continue to do.
Now, Councillor Bateman, you're quite right in a sense
that there's things when you bring a budget together
with forward assumptions and therefore I wanted to mention
the pension contribution reduction,
because that's careful management.
I was trying to praise the committee, but you're right.
There were a series of elements of a budget
that have to come to pass.
We're looking three years into the future.
And, you know,
Councillor Gemmell sort of made reference to that.
He also made reference though to Queen Victoria Road.
And I think Councillor Carrington covered that.
That is out to marketing.
And I'm sure he'll make sure, Julia Wessel,
that you get the link.
Julia Wassell and Luisa Townsend and Nick Namhousain
all mention about SEND's efficiency.
That's why you should support this budget.
Because we're the people putting 50 million pounds in,
we're not the people having cancelled the promise SEND School.
It's an absolute focus on us to make sure that SEND proficiency provision is there
And therefore, when you look at the budget, there's considerable money going in to do
just that.
So I say again, this is a budget that deals with one of the most challenging times in
the generation in local government financing, that protects vital services, that invests
in our roads, that makes sure we invest in our household recycling, and so on.
Every single page of this budget has been thought through and delivers for us
and therefore in the end I once again strongly commend this budget to the
Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja - 2:47:08
council. Thank you. Can I remind members that all recommendations are taking up
being taken on block. A recorded vote is going to be taken on the substantive
motion. Mr. Watson over to you. Thank you Chairman. As before I'll read out each
Glenn Watson - Principal Governance Officer - 2:47:32
name in alphabetical order and simply say whether you are for, against or are
abstaining from the substantive motion.
Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja - 2:47:45
Steve Bowles.
For.
Michael Bracken.
For.
Peter Brazier.
For.
Stephen Broadbent.
For.
Thomas Broom.
For.
Cole Caesar.
For.
Robert Carrington.
For.
David Carroll.
For.
Jaspel Chokar.
For.
Chris Chilton.
For.
John Chilver.
For.
Chirag Chotai.
Against.
against. Leslie Clark? For. Alex Collingwood? For. Michael Collins? For. Caroline Cornell?
For. Anna Crabtree? Against. Isabel Darby? For. Dev Dillon? For. Tim Dixon? Against.
Phil Gom.
Phil.
Gary Hall.
Phil.
Clive Harris.
Phil.
Darren Hayday.
Phil.
Orsolia Hayday.
Phil.
Carol Heap.
Phil.
Matthew Hind.
Again.
Imran Hussain.
Mahboob Hussain.
Phil.
Maz Hussain.
Phil.
Majid Hussain.
Usain. Nick Nam Usain. Against. Tufail Usain. Against. Andy Huxley. For. Carl Jackson. For.
Jilly Jordan. For. Paul Kelly. For. Raj Khan. Against. Francis Nella. Against. Frank Mahan.
four. Peter Martin. Four. Wendy Matthews. Four. Niddy Merta. Against.
Liu Munga. Against. David Moore. Four. Susan Morgan. Against.
Maru Mormina. Jackson Ng. Four. Catherine Oliver. Four. Ade Osibogan.
four. Dominic Pinkney. Chris Pohl. Safraaz Khan Raja. Waheed Raja.
Mark Roberts. Against. Simon Rouse. For. Anya Shafer. Against. Alan
For.
Julia Wessel.
Against.
Jonathan Waters.
Against.
Michael West.
Against.
Stuart Wilson.
For.
Mark Wynne.
For.
I believe that is everyone.
Thank you.
Glenn Watson - Principal Governance Officer - 2:51:57
Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja - 2:52:00
Thank you, Councillors.
61 for...
Thank you, Councillor.
61 for 27 against zero abstention, so it's been carried.
So the budget has been agreed.
we move on to item 8, capital and investment strategy. I'd like Councillor Robert Carrington,

8 Capital and Investment Strategy

cabinet member for resource to introduce this item, thank you.
Thank you very much chairman, I know I have the very enviable job of standing between
Cllr Robert Carington - 2:53:18
everyone at the door, so I'll try not to be too long, just several hours. So thank you
very much, Mr Chairman, again. So this is basically the council is required to approve
this strategy on an annual basis. This strategy is included on Appendix 1, page 437 of the
PAC. It is a statutory document and is designed to fully comply with the Prudential Code of
Practise for Local Authority Capital Investment 2021 edition, very good read, issued by the
of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance
and Accountancy, CITFA.
The strategy provides the framework
within which the Council delivers
its corporate plan objectives
through the effective investment
of its limited capital resources.
There are only a couple of minor amendments
which keep the document up to date
and relevant to our current programme,
and these can be found on page 434.
So I am asking if the Council
could please approve this strategy.
Is there a seconder for this? Councillor Julia Ward.
Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja - 2:54:21
Would you like to speak now or afterwards? Sorry. I'm happy to speak afterwards Chairman.
Thank you. Is there any questions for clarification for Mr. Councillor
Robin Stucksbrough? Yeah and thank you Councillor Carrington for the strategy.
Cllr Robin Stuchbury - 2:54:40
obviously will vote for it. I am worried living in Buckingham that there's
nothing in there particularly around flooding. If you'd like to come or I can
give you videos of me in flood up to my waist so it can be look at future years
how you can incorporate that and it may not be in the wording if I've got it
wrong it's not there we have a real big issue in Buckingham that needs
addressing and maybe some money put in there would move it forward, would allow it to be
looked at and if you can identify it, Mr. Carrington, please tell me I'm wrong.
Thank you very much, Councillor Stocksbury, and I would recommend you look at page 443
Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja - 2:55:23
Cllr Robert Carington - 2:55:27
where it mentions the capital investment objectives and I would point you to the third one which
implementation of the climate change and air quality strategy which flooding
force under. Thank you councillor Wilson. Thank you chairman I also will support
Cllr Stuart Wilson - 2:55:47
this I would ask cabinet member if he would consider for next year also
including and ensuring that it's reviewed the health and well -being
strategy and also the annual report of the director of public health because
there's a big section about growth and demographics
and the impact on the population.
And I think it's really important
that the evidence base that's cited in there in terms
of the reports that have been considered don't actually
include two of our most important health strategy
documents that are published on a periodic basis
by this authority.
Thank you very much, Councillor Wilson. And as you sat on budget scrutiny, so a lot of
Cllr Robert Carington - 2:56:29
the changes which come in the strategy have come out of budget scrutiny. So I would suggest
for budget scrutiny that might be the vehicle to do that.
Councillor Julie Ward, you have two minutes as a seconder.
Thank you, Chairman.
I won't take up much of anybody's time.
I'm pleased to hear that both Councillor Wilson
Cllr Julie Ward - 2:56:51
and Councillor Stutchbury will be supporting this.
I am happy to second this.
I'm pleased to see the key objectives
of economic development and regeneration,
which are supported by the council's overall aim
and its economic and its growth plan for Buckinghamshire.
And I'm pleased to second Councillor Carrington this evening.
Before we go to the vote,
Councillor Carrington, do you want to say anything more
or add anything more?
No, I don't think I've got anything to add.
Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja - 2:57:18
Thank you.
By show of hands, our members content
to approve the recommendations as set out
on page 433 to 458 on the main agenda.
Anybody against?
Abstentions?
Thank you, it's carried.
Moving on to item nine, Treasury Management Report 26 to 27 to 28 to 29.

9 Treasury Management Strategy 2026-27 to 2028-29

The next item is a treasury management strategy.
I would like to invite Councillor Carrington, cabinet member
for resources to introduce this item.
You again, Mr. Chair.
So this is a chairman, chairman, sorry about that.
Cllr Robert Carington - 2:58:03
It's a statutory, I don't want to be talked off.
It's a statute requirement for Council to approve
a treasury management strategy before the start
of each new financial year.
This document sets out the Council's approach
to managing cash flows, investments,
and borrowing for future years.
And the purpose is to ensure the Council's capital programme.
Corporate investments and cash flow are adequately planned.
The strategy is prepared in line with sector best practise
and with the support of the Council's external treasury
management advisors, MUFG.
The key proposed change for the current strategy is the alignment of the approval process for
investments placed with other local authorities with that in place for other types of investment.
The strategy has been reviewed extensively by the Audit and Government Committee who
have given extremely helpful feedback which has been implemented into the strategy regarding
the proposed change and have recommended it for approval and I'm incredibly grateful for
for their feedback and comments.
I'd also like to thank Dave Skinner and the Treasury team
for their prudent and skillful management
of the Council's fund during the year.
So I ask Council to support the recommendations
in the paper.
Thank you, is there a seconder for this?
Councillor Matthew Walsh, would you like to speak now
or reserve your right?
Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja - 2:59:24
I'd like to reserve my right, Chairman.
Thank you very much.
Any questions for clarification for Councillor Robert?
Councillor Crispold.
Thank you, Chairman.
Not a question or clarification,
I'd just like to also pay tribute to Dave Skinner
and his team for taking the time and patience
Cllr Chris Poll - 2:59:46
to explain to new members of that committee
about this strategy and I'm in full support, thank you.
Thank you, Councillor Matthew Walsh.
Thank you, Chairman.
Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja - 3:00:01
Yes, obviously I would like to second this.
Cllr Matthew Walsh - 3:00:05
It was agreed unanimously out of audit and governance
cross party.
We required additional levels of assurance,
which was provided by our section 151 officer
and our deputy section 151 officer
and officers outside of the meeting as well.
Thank you very much.
It was very good to get that detailed assurance
and in times of very tricky budget circumstances,
it will produce additional income,
at least half a million pound a year,
but I know our section 151 officer will ensure
is available in future MTFPs and in the new budget,
but I'm happy to second this.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Councillor Carrington, would you like to come back
on any point?
No, nothing further to add.
Thank you.
Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja - 3:00:48
By a show of hands, are members content
to approve the recommendation set out on page 459 -482
on the main agenda?
Any against?
Any abstentions? Thank you, Ms. Carring.

10 Report for information - Key Decisions Report

Item 10 is report for information key decisions report.
Please note that the item 10 is a report for information only on
recent key decisions. Thank you.
And before I close the meeting on item
11, I have been informed one of our colleagues in Democratic

11 Date of Next Meeting

Services is retiring, Claire Grey. You've been absolutely fabulous whenever I've asked
you for help and support and I would like to say thank you to you very much.
And I'd like to thank Dave Skinner, Sarah Ashmeade, and the staff for the great work
Lisa Marie, Leslie, and Glenn and John for all your support for today.
Thank you very much and the date of the next meeting will be 15th of April.
Thank you very much.
Good night.