Interactive webcast player

Council
Wednesday, 15th July 2026 at 4:00pm

 
Share this agenda point
  1. Cllr John Chilver
  2. Cllr John Chilver
  3. Lady Howe - Lord Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire
  4. Cllr John Chilver
  5. Cllr Martin Tett
  6. Cllr John Chilver
  7. Cllr Andy Huxley
  8. Cllr John Chilver
  9. Cllr Raj Khan
  10. Cllr John Chilver
Share this agenda point
Share this agenda point
  1. Glenn Watson - Principal Governance Officer
  2. Cllr John Chilver
Share this agenda point
Share this agenda point
Share this agenda point
Share this agenda point
  1. Cllr Steven Broadbent
  2. Cllr John Chilver
  3. Cllr Frances Kneller
  4. Cllr John Chilver
  5. Cllr Llew Monger
  6. Cllr John Chilver
  7. Cllr Susan Morgan
  8. Cllr John Chilver
  9. Cllr Anja Schaefer
  10. Cllr John Chilver
  11. Cllr Thomas Broom
  12. Cllr John Chilver
  13. Cllr Robin Stuchbury
  14. Cllr John Chilver
  15. Cllr Simon Rouse
  16. Cllr John Chilver
  17. Cllr Ed Gemmell
  18. Cllr John Chilver
  19. Cllr Robert Carington
  20. Cllr John Chilver
  21. Cllr Steven Broadbent
  22. Cllr John Chilver
Share this agenda point
  1. Cllr Matthew Walsh
  2. Cllr John Chilver
  3. Cllr Susan Morgan
  4. Cllr John Chilver
  5. Cllr Matthew Walsh
  6. Cllr John Chilver
  7. Cllr Kelly Thornton
  8. Cllr John Chilver
  9. Cllr Matthew Walsh
  10. Cllr John Chilver
  11. Cllr Christine Adali
  12. Cllr Matthew Walsh
  13. Cllr Christine Adali
  14. Cllr John Chilver
  15. Cllr Lesley Clarke OBE
  16. Cllr John Chilver
  17. Cllr Matthew Walsh
  18. Cllr John Chilver
  19. Cllr Martin Tett
  20. Cllr John Chilver
  21. Cllr Matthew Walsh
  22. Cllr John Chilver
Share this agenda point
  1. Cllr Steven Broadbent
  2. Cllr John Chilver
  3. Cllr Andy Huxley
  4. Cllr Steven Broadbent
  5. Cllr Robin Stuchbury
  6. Cllr Steven Broadbent
  7. Cllr John Chilver
  8. Cllr Niknam Hussain
  9. Cllr Steven Broadbent
  10. Cllr John Chilver
  11. Cllr Steve Bowles
  12. Cllr John Chilver
  13. Cllr Alex Collingwood
  14. Cllr Steve Bowles
  15. Cllr Justine Fulford
  16. Cllr Steve Bowles
  17. Cllr Peter Brazier
  18. Cllr John Chilver
  19. Cllr Dev Dhillon
  20. Cllr Peter Brazier
  21. Cllr Alan Bacon
  22. Cllr Peter Brazier
  23. Cllr John Chilver
  24. Cllr Thomas Broom
  25. Cllr Cole Caesar
  26. Cllr Thomas Broom
  27. Cllr David Moore
  28. Cllr Thomas Broom
  29. Cllr John Chilver
  30. Cllr Adekunle Osibogun
  31. Cllr Shade Adoh
  32. Cllr Adekunle Osibogun
  33. Cllr John Chilver
  34. Cllr Hazel Arthur-Hewitt
  35. Cllr Anna Crabtree
  36. Cllr Adekunle Osibogun
  37. Cllr John Chilver
  38. Cllr Mark Winn
  39. Cllr John Chilver
  40. Cllr Hazel Arthur-Hewitt
  41. Cllr Mark Winn
  42. Cllr John Chilver
  43. Cllr Phil Gomm
  44. Cllr Mark Winn
  45. Cllr John Chilver
  46. Cllr Peter Strachan
  47. Cllr John Chilver
  48. Cllr Maru Mormina
  49. Cllr Peter Strachan
  50. Cllr Mark Roberts
  51. Cllr Peter Strachan
  52. Cllr John Chilver
  53. Cllr Robert Carington
  54. Cllr John Chilver
  55. Cllr Matthew Walsh
  56. Cllr Robert Carington
  57. Cllr Kelly Thornton
  58. Cllr Robert Carington
  59. Cllr John Chilver
  60. Cllr Isobel Darby
  61. Cllr John Chilver
  62. Cllr Simon Rouse
  63. Cllr Isobel Darby
  64. Cllr Robin Stuchbury
  65. Cllr Isobel Darby
  66. Cllr John Chilver
  67. Cllr Carl Jackson
  68. Cllr John Chilver
  69. Cllr Alex Collingwood
  70. Cllr Carl Jackson
  71. Cllr Niknam Hussain
  72. Cllr Carl Jackson
  73. Cllr John Chilver
Share this agenda point
  1. Cllr Robin Stuchbury
  2. Cllr John Chilver
  3. Cllr Maru Mormina
  4. Cllr John Chilver
  5. Cllr Carl Jackson
  6. Cllr Phil Gomm
  7. Cllr John Chilver
  8. Cllr Anja Schaefer
  9. Cllr Hazel Arthur-Hewitt
  10. Cllr John Chilver
  11. Cllr Thomas Broom
  12. Cllr John Chilver
  13. Cllr Simon Rouse
  14. Cllr Alex Collingwood
  15. Cllr Steven Broadbent
  16. Cllr Robin Stuchbury
  17. Cllr John Chilver
  18. Cllr Robin Stuchbury
  19. Cllr John Chilver
  20. Cllr Khalil Ahmed
  21. Cllr John Chilver
  22. Cllr Khalil Ahmed
  23. Cllr John Chilver
  24. Cllr Trevor Snaith
  25. Cllr John Chilver
  26. Cllr Jonathan Waters
  27. Cllr John Chilver
  28. Cllr Mark Roberts
  29. Cllr John Chilver
  30. Cllr Peter Strachan
  31. Cllr John Chilver
  32. Cllr Michael Bracken
  33. Cllr John Chilver
  34. Cllr Simon Rouse
  35. Cllr John Chilver
  36. Cllr Trevor Snaith
  37. Cllr John Chilver
  38. Cllr Maru Mormina
  39. Cllr John Chilver
  40. Cllr Mark Roberts
  41. Cllr John Chilver
  42. Cllr David Moore
  43. Cllr John Chilver
  44. Cllr Larisa Townsend
  45. Cllr John Chilver
  46. Cllr Alex Collingwood
  47. Cllr John Chilver
  48. Cllr Christine Adali
  49. Cllr John Chilver
  50. Cllr Jonathan Waters
  51. Cllr John Chilver
  52. Cllr Jonathan Waters
  53. Cllr John Chilver
Share this agenda point
Share this agenda point
Share this agenda point
  1. Webcast Finished

Cllr John Chilver - 0:00:00
Cllr John Chilver - 0:00:11
Thank you for attending this afternoon's meeting.
I am John Chilva, Chairman of the Council and am supported by the Vice -Chairman Frank
Mahon.
A warm welcome to our Lord Lieutenant Lady Howe, all members of the Council, Honorary
and members of the public in attendance are watching online.
And a particular welcome to two young people on work experience, Abby and Leo.
You are very welcome today.
It is with great sadness that I must report the death of former Buckingham School Chief Executive, Mr. Jeff Williams.
I attended Chris' funeral last week in the United States.
and many of you will be working with Chris.
Chris was then on council in 1996
as the director of environmental services
before taking on the role of chief executive in 2000,
a role in which he served until his retirement
in March, 2016.
As chief executive, Chris also acted as clerk
to the Buckinghamshire Lieutenant and was appointed as a Deputy Lieutenant in November 2019, retiring in 2023.
I wish to send my condolences to Chris's family and friends.
I would like to invite the Lord Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire, Lady Howe, to say some words.
Lady Howe - Lord Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire - 0:01:56
Chairman, members of the Council, thank you very much for this opportunity to speak about
Chris Williams.
He was a man whose life reflected dedication, kindness, and a deep commitment to public
service.
Chris was devoted to his family and especially to his mother.
And as many of you know, Claire lives with dementia
and Chris was one of her principal carers.
And their move to Westbury last year to be closer to her sons and their families
was a clear expression of his determination
to ensure that she was supported and surrounded by those who loved her.
Chris himself faced significant challenges, but never let them colour his determination and his charm.
He was a man who was friendly, outgoing and full of fun.
He had a natural warmth which made him easy to approach
and a fairness that earned him respect of colleagues across the spectrum of his work.
He cared passionately about public service and was always supportive of his staff.
He very much believed in doing the right thing and in doing it well.
Chris started his involvement with the County Council, as it was then, in I think it was 1996, as Director of Transportation.
And later, I think in 2020, 200, 2000? I don't know. He became the Chief Exec.
His tenure was characterised by steadiness, integrity and a clear sense of purpose.
He commanded great respect.
Outside his work, he was a passionate supporter of our region, especially the Welsh national team.
He attended matches regularly at the National Stadium in Cardiff.
He was also keen on field sports and an active member of a shooting club.
And as some of you will fondly remember, he enjoyed a glass of red wine,
something he approached with the same appreciation and good humour
that he brought to so many parts of his life.
After retiring, Chris continued to give back.
He dedicated time to charitable work,
including serving on the board of the Clare Foundation,
and he remained a strong supporter of environmental causes.
His commitment to making a difference
did not end with his professional career.
It was simply part of who he was.
His appointment as a deputy lieutenant saw him continue this level of public service.
And whilst it was Sir Henry Aubrey Fletcher who appointed him, I saw Chris jump into action
when we were preparing for Her Late Majesty the Queen's funeral.
And I remember the detailed Excel spreadsheet which he produced allocating DLs to each area
ensuring that no area was left unsupported.
Chris was a man of generosity, leadership,
and genuine humanity.
He leaves behind a legacy of kindness,
public spirit, and service.
And today, we honour his memory,
and we hold Claire and the family in our thoughts
at this difficult time.
May he be remembered with gratitude, respect, and affection.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Cllr John Chilver - 0:06:17
I would now like to invite former Council Leader, Martin Tett, CBE, to say some words about Chris.
Mr. Chairman, thank you very much indeed, and it's my honour to say a few words on behalf of,
Cllr Martin Tett - 0:06:31
I hope all members about Chris.
Just before I do, if you wouldn't mind indulging me,
I don't know if Claire is watching this proceedings.
As Countess Howe mentioned, she is suffering
from quite advanced dementia now.
But I had promised to attend Chris's funeral.
However, my own mother -in -law was quite seriously ill
that week and I was not able to attend
and I'd just like to apologise very publicly to Claire
for the fact that I could not be there
because it was absolutely my intention to do so.
I don't know if the nickname is here,
but he and I have this habit now
of being the only two left, I think, from that era,
who remember many of the key characters
that were around when we first stood for the council.
So I met Chris Williams when I joined
the former county council in 2005.
Chris was a long -term local government professional.
He started, as others have said,
He started his career as county planning officer
in East Sussex County Council, was based in Luz,
and he often talked about this a lot.
He joined Buckinghamshire County Council
as director of environmental services in 1996.
That meant that he actually had a good knowledge
of a lot of the really important frontline services
that really mattered to residents,
so he was a font of knowledge on a wide range
of different local government activities.
In 2000, he was promoted to Chief Executive
of the County Council, and there obviously
as a Chief Executive, he again had an enormously
wide range of responsibilities,
and that organisation at that time spent something
like a billion pounds, which in local government terms
was a lot of money.
He also was the Chief Executive just as we entered
that period of austerity, so a lot of the time
when Chris and I worked together, it was actually
about how we managed to balance the budget,
something I think the current leader
will be very familiar with.
This has been a very tough period right the way through,
and Chris was instrumental in helping this council
and its predecessors get through that.
The first thing I really noticed about Chris
was his strong sense of purpose
and a real desire to meet and get to know
all of his councillors.
It didn't matter whether you were a lowly backbencher
or a member of the cabinet,
Chris wanted to meet you, get to know you,
wanted to talk with you, and understand
what your local issues were in your ward
that he could help make a difference to.
And that really made him stand out
as an inspirational chief executive.
When I became leader of the county council in 2011,
the first person I went to straight away
with my then deputy Mike Appleyard was Chris.
He was the ultimate professional,
so after an immediate warm welcome,
The first thing he wanted to know was what are my priorities?
And what did I want the council to do?
And he enthusiastically took on the mantra
of the council being what I called member -led,
getting away from much more being driven by officers
and much more being driven by the elected members
of the council.
And he helped facilitate that right the way
through the organisation with reprioritization
and realignment of resources.
and I had a great respect for him for doing that.
Chris was guided by his Quaker beliefs.
He was a very firm religious man,
and in an acute sense of right and wrong.
He was always supporting the underdog.
He shunned elitism.
He often chose to sit in the main office
with most of his staff,
rather than a separate office of his own.
He would join enthusiastically in parties and events
in the old county offices in the town centre,
frequently being seen in his Superman outfit
at Christmas parties.
He really stood out, I have to tell you, at these events.
He also managed to persuade me to what he called
Make My Mark, and persuaded me that I should join him
in becoming leader by abseiling down the 13 storeys
of the tower block in Elsbury to raise money for charity.
He put it in a way that, in the old saying,
it was an offer I couldn't refuse,
And so I did, and just to prove that,
I've actually brought along today the t -shirt from that.
Now you might say, why have I still got it?
That's another question entirely.
But just proves that Chris and I did do that together.
He did retire in 2016, having set the council
and the county on a new direction.
He was a loving, very caring man.
He was a devoted husband to his wife, Claire,
and an ultimate local government professional.
He was respected immensely right across
the local government association,
and indeed within colleagues in this
and its predecessor councils.
Chris, thank you very much indeed.
May you rest in peace,
and hopefully on behalf of everybody here,
thank you for everything you have done for us.
Thank you.
Cllr John Chilver - 0:11:39
Thank you. I'd now like to invite Councillor Andy Huxley to say a few words about Chris.
Cllr Andy Huxley - 0:11:57
Thank you, Chairman. Chris Williams became CEO in the year 2000, having already served the county in another position previously, and also afterwards.
Little did he know what was coming.
I joined the council in 2001, not much time in charge for Chris before meeting up with me.
I was elected as deputy cabinet member for transportation, with Rodney Royston being the cabinet member.
Rodney didn't enjoy good health and there were times when I had to cover as chairman on committees.
There were also times when I turned to Chris for help and you may say he became a mentor to me.
I was grateful for his support. During this period we started to build up a love -hate relationship.
I'm only joking. We both had a passion and love for rugby, uni and football.
What a scenario for a friendship. A Welshman on one hand and an Englishman on the other.
Between 23rd March 2002 and the 20th of March 2004, England beat Wales on five successive occasions,
including victory in the World Cup in 2003 in Australia on the way to a famous win thanks to Johnny Wilkinson.
I must have been unbearable, but I'll tell you what, doesn't free wine taste better?
But on the 5th of February 2005, I was pleased to say that Wales won in the Six Nations.
Please there's an understatement to Chris, but he, I think he more than made up for the wine situation.
After that I spent a little time in the wilderness only to return under different circumstances.
Chris was still in place, the rugby season had gone and the conversation changed to medical matters.
We found out that we had similar problems.
I was just recovering from surgery
and Chris was having treatment
and both of us for prostate cancer.
I'm sure he wouldn't mind me saying,
but he and I would urge anybody to get it checked
if you have any problems, gentlemen.
And only a quick aside that former Councillor Mark Shorrock
has just been cleared of cancer following his operation.
My apologies, I digress, but Chris was a lovely man,
understanding, considerate, good company,
and very approachable.
I feel that I have lost a friend,
but gained a lovely memory.
Condolences go to his family,
which I was able to give at the recent funeral.
I can promise you that he was given a tremendous send -off.
Farewell old friend.
Farewell you old hen friend.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
Cllr John Chilver - 0:15:37
I'd now like to call Councillor Raj Khan to say a few words.
Thank you Chairman.
Cllr Raj Khan - 0:15:47
And I think a lot has been said already.
I mean, I also come from that era
when I got elected in 1995.
But if I can just put someone who came
from the very local roots of Ellesbury
and to be integrated into this beautiful environment
and to Bucks County Council was a very daunting task for me.
Chris was an a towering example for the people.
He was a people's person.
I remember once I got elected,
He more or less sort of pulled me forward, integrated me into services, taught me things,
and he made it such user -friendly.
Bucks County Council became a user -friendly because we had such telling examples like
Chris Williams.
Outside he was a people's person.
He would sit in the Market Square, have a cup of tea with us.
I remember having a cup of tea with him in Market Square.
And you'd... how many chief executives would you have
sitting in Market Square under the Hamden Gardens
having a cup of tea with you?
Beyond that, the gentleman gave his life to bucks.
I saw him as an Ellsberian.
He came to all kinds of functions.
I remember he came to, on numerous occasions,
to the Muslim Elbrey Mosque, on numerous occasions.
He made people, people, few people.
And remember, when I got elected in 1995,
I was probably one of very few ethnic minorities,
and it was very difficult.
But that journey that I had became very easy
when we had such people like Chris.
On personal levels, I became a neighbour to Chris
in a place that I was developing some of my houses.
And again, Chris was no longer chief executive.
He'd come and have a chat and he would guide us
and he would give us advice.
I say, where we are thriving,
not necessarily of the politics of this county,
but we had beautiful chief executives like Chris,
and I think we all owe it to him.
And I'm sure I am echoing the words of every one of us here,
which whatever political persuasion we may come from,
We owe it to that family and we owe it to Chris and for Chris being Chris and being our chief executive.
May I rest in peace. Thank you so much.
Thank you very much indeed.
Cllr John Chilver - 0:18:17
It was a great honour and privilege for me to attend the funeral service for Chris last week.
The service ended with the great Welsh hymn and rugby anthem Guide Me O Thou Great Redeemer.
Please can members be upstanding while we observe a minute silence in memory of Chris.
.
Thank you very much.
Please be seated.
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. At the start of each debate I will ask
members to raise their hands if they wish to speak. Moving on to the agenda

2 Minutes

Mr. Watson do we have any apologies for absence? Thank you Chairman, yes we do.

1 Apologies

Glenn Watson - Principal Governance Officer - 0:20:20
We have apologies from councillors Alam, Chotai, Drayton, Gryphon and Mehta.
We've also received apologies from Nicky Ross the high sheriff of Buckinghamshire
and Lady Howe His Majesty's law lieutenant to Buckinghamshire has advised
that due to a prior engagement she shall need to leave the meeting early. Thank
Cllr John Chilver - 0:20:43
you. Minutes of the last meeting. Our members content to note the minutes of

2 Minutes

the council meeting held on the 20th of May 2026 as a correct record. Agreed.

3 Declarations of Interest

That's agreed, thank you. Declarations of interest. There are two motions at item
nine which might be said to relate to town and parish councils. Some
councillors today are also members of our local councils. So having spoken to
the monitoring officer it is her advice that those members do not formally need
to declare an interest in those items today. The fact of your memberships is
already on your registers. In both cases any personal interest would not be
prejudicial. I would ask that this advice is minuted please. With that in mind
members have any declarations of interest on any of the agenda items?

4 Chairman's Update

None. Thank you. Next item is the Chairman's Update. I would just like to highlight some
of the events which I have attended since the last Council meeting, and the full list
will be included in the minutes. We have celebrated two anniversaries recently.
Firstly, the 100th anniversary of Higginson Park in Marlowe.
In 1926, the people of Marlowe raised funds to purchase the park in honour of General Sir
George Higginson, a celebrated local resident.
It was wonderful to meet some of his descendants there and replanted an oak tree to celebrate
the event.
The second was the 50th anniversary of the Chiltern Open Air Museum near Chalfont St.
Isles, which has preserved many historic buildings in Buckinghamshire that might otherwise have
been lost.
A highlight was a visit to a replica Iron Age hut.
I have also attended two Buckinghamshire Scouts events, the Carnival Camp in May and the annual
Awards Day in July.
I would like to thank those of my colleagues who have kindly given time to represent the
Council at other events, including former Chairman, Councillor Safra Khan and Dev Dillon,
and our Armed Forces Champion, Councillor Leslie Clark, OBE.
And I would also like to thank our Vice -Chairman, Councillor Frank Mahon, for attending several
citizenship ceremonies on behalf of the Council.
These usually take place in this room and are happy occasions when residents receive
their UK citizenship.

5 Buckinghamshire Council Corporate Plan 2026-2031

Moving on through the agenda the next item is the Buckinghamshire Council corporate plan for 2026 to 2031.
I would like to invite the leader, Councillor Broadbent, to present this plan to the Council.
Cllr Steven Broadbent - 0:23:42
Today is an important day for us to consider as a council as we seek to improve the council's
new corporate plan.
This is more than a document.
This is the council statement of intent for the next five years.
Usually a corporate plan lasts for a five year term.
And importantly it will set out and does set out the outcomes we want to achieve for residents.
It also says a lot about the challenges that we must respond to and face, and of course
the opportunities that we must make sure we seize to make the most of for those who elect
us.
This will guide our decisions and shape our investments, help us to remain focused on
delivering what matters most to people.
And at the heart of this is that bottom line there, the vision to build a stronger Buckinghamshire
together, building on the strengths we already have and the long history of sound guidance
of the county.
Why do we need a plan?
Well Buckinghamshire, as I've just said, is a strong, successful county and we do face
strong challenges.
So we need people to be able to see the overarching plan for the council.
Demand continues to increase on the services that we have, particularly in social care,
S &D, housing, transport, and so on,
as we've discussed at the budget.
We've got pressures from the major infrastructure projects
that are being imposed upon us, from the housing growth numbers
equally imposed upon us by government, and of course,
the national reforms they are making across a range
of policy areas.
This plan provides a clear framework to help us respond
to those challenges whilst continuing to deliver
for residents. So there are five key priorities. You can see here they are listed before you
and right at the very top is opportunity and aspiration for all. We are very proud and
ambitious for the people of this county and what we can achieve. And so that will mean
skills growing the economy ensuring people can have a job no matter what the starting
point is for someone they are going to be able to thrive and succeed in the county.
And these priorities carry on and they reflect what residents tell us. They want to live
understandably they choose to live here, live in great places and that means the work we've
done to invest into our town centres with more to come into our parks, how things work
like the roads investment are all the things that will help shape the places.
But the plan means people too.
And not only the individual opportunity and aspiration for people to succeed,
but also to build thriving communities.
And be this opportunity box -wards areas, or be this throughout the county,
where volunteering will play a key part to build community resilience.
It's really important that people work together, live together,
play together, enjoy their lives together.
and there's a number of initiatives in there that you will see to aid that.
And of course, supporting the most vulnerable.
We deliver over 1300 services, many of which,
particularly when you look at the financial numbers,
are there for people when they need services the most.
And of course this council will continue to strive for excellence in all that we do.
So again, no matter your starting point, no matter your challenges,
There are elements of this corporate plan that will stitch through to delivery for you.
And of course, everything we do, given the close alignment we must have to the budget
and the financial pressures that we face, is about delivering quality alongside value
and value for money.
You can see that in every decision we make.
Everything we do thinking, is this the best use of funds and does this relate in a good
impact for residents.
So it's about delivery.
You'll see from this wheel, which might be a little bit complicated for those watching
on the webcast, but you can see it in the document pack.
This is how we outline how a corporate plan can only stand for something if it turns into
real delivery.
So we've strengthened the link between strategic considerations, delivery of services, and
performance levels.
and therefore within this plan there is a new suite of corporate performance indicators
beyond the day -to -day indicators on each portfolio.
And that's because this is a five -year plan
and some of the things we look at will take longer to move,
longer than a change in a single quarter.
And this is a really important addition to the corporate plan
because it means this will be reported to Cabinet,
It will be done in public and our residents can then build their faith and their trust even further in what the council is delivering for them.
I mentioned earlier the link to the budget and of course this is shaped by making sure money and delivery goes beyond our legal requirements and into what matters most to residents.
So looking ahead, this is a shared commitment to Buckinghamshire's future.
being ambitious for the county, confident in the future.
It recognises the challenges,
but firmly sees us make the most
of the opportunities before us.
But success will require a partnership,
collaboration, and a continued focus on our residents.
So I know members, officers, partners, and residents
in various ways have contributed to the development of this.
But the corporate plan provides that clear destination
for Buckinghamshire over the next five years,
and is demonstrably stitching together that golden thread
from idea in a plan straight through to delivery for residents.
It's ambitious, it's resident focused and measurable,
and I am proud to present it here today.
And remember, this is about building a stronger Buckinghamshire together.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
Cllr John Chilver - 0:30:06
Is there a seconder for this item?
Yes I second the motion and I reserve my right to speak. Thank you very much
Councillor Carrington. Could any members who wish to speak on this item kindly
raise your hands please and keep them raised.
Thank you.
Thank you very much. Members have two minutes to speak on this item, so please keep to time.
I'll start with the Councillor Frances Nella.
Cllr Frances Kneller - 0:31:44
Thank you Chair. The corporate plan wants to ensure that everyone can have a
decent place to live by increasing the number of affordable homes in Buckinghamshire.
Many affordable homes are delivered through the section 106 agreements where
developers are required to provide a percentage of the homes they are
building for social rented homes or shared ownership. The local plan
regulation 19 proposals are that the percentage delivered through section 106
agreements in the north of the county should be 25 % whilst 40 % in the south.
Currently in the north 23 % are delivered however in the south it is only
15%. How is the council going to ensure that particularly in the south the
percentages are met and the affordable homes are delivered or a sufficient
financial commuted contribution is made where developers already and
increasingly are claiming that doing so makes their schemes unviable. Thank you.
Thank you very much.
Councillor Lue Munger.
Cllr John Chilver - 0:32:53
Thank you, Chair.
Cllr Llew Monger - 0:32:58
This is more of a question than a statement.
But thank you, Chair.
Anyway, page three of the corporate report
indicates population growth of 30 ,162 persons by 2036.
The revised housing delivery forecast presented to growth housing and infrastructure scrutiny
committee last Friday indicate 2 ,150 units per annum delivery from now to 2029 and then
5 ,030 units per annum thereafter.
This would deliver 36 ,630 new homes.
So with a standard occupancy rate of say,
2 .4 persons per dwelling.
The population growth would be 87 ,912 persons
or two and a half times the numbers shown
in the corporate report.
Page four of the corporate plan,
The third bullet point refers to 91 ,000 homes
being delivered by 2040, 14 years away.
Yet the books look at plan references,
and this is without the buffer,
which was removed on Friday.
The 91 ,000 new homes to be delivered
over the next 20 years, not 14.
The corporate plan figures reduce the delivery timeline
by 30 % or put another way,
increase the delivery rate by 43%.
So I would question how the public can have confidence
in the report or indeed in the figures for the local plan
when there are such significant discrepancies
between the two.
Thank you. Councillor Susan Morgan.
Cllr John Chilver - 0:34:58
Cllr Susan Morgan - 0:35:00
Thank you Chairman. I welcome the ambition in the corporate plan.
But ambition is only useful when it's backed by honesty, evidence and deliverability.
And that's where I feel this plan falls short.
Residents are told they will be able to track progress clearly, yet there is not a single measurable target in this document.
no timelines, no KPIs.
We cannot scrutinise what we cannot measure
and residents cannot judge what they cannot see.
Yes, one scrutiny committee received this plan,
but let's be candid, a presentation and a Q &A
is not enough meaningful scrutiny.
Without metrics, without a delivery plan,
without financial modelling,
scrutiny committees were effectively asked
to comment on a brochure.
We also know audit and governance holds
a corporate risk register,
But none of these risks appear in this plan.
There's no explanation of how the council's biggest pressures
send demand, ageing population, housing need, infrastructure,
financial instability are being mitigated through the actions in this document.
The plan acknowledges tougher finances, rising demands
and £44 .5 million lost through national funding changes.
But it does not explain how any of these ambitions will be paid for.
Residents are already asking if the council struggles to fix the basics now, how will it deliver all of this?
And while the plan talks about thriving communities and great places, it avoids the issues residents raise with us every week.
Roads that damage cars, send delays that damage futures, housing pressures that damage families, and customer service delays that damage trust.
Residents don't judge us by how colourful our diagrams are.
They judge us on whether their road is drivable and whether their child gets the support they need to thrive.
And their phone calls and their emails answered.
This plan promises vibrant town centres.
Certainly residents in Aylesbury, Chesham and Wickham will be delighted.
They've been waiting for vibrancy for quite a number of years.
We're told this plan is ambitious.
Ambition is welcome, but residents prefer competence.
Leader, residents deserve a corporate plan
that is measurable, honest, and deliverable.
This document is none of those things,
and that's the reason why our Liberal Democratic group
will be abstaining from the vote.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Cllr John Chilver - 0:37:28
Councillor Anya Schaffer.
Thank you.
Thank you Chairman.
Cllr Anja Schaefer - 0:37:37
We have had the theme of some detail to the plan, measures, figures, which in the spirit
of cooperation, I hope and I trust will be forthcoming at some point.
And one of the measurable figures that I would like to see in there is some more detail on
and the relation between preventative highway maintenance
and repair maintenance,
I don't think we are arguing against
preventative highway maintenance.
I would like to know what proportion of our highway budget
of I think 30 million a year is being spent
on preventative maintenance
and whether it is for in the foreseeable future
we'll get to the point where we will therefore
or need less, I'm not saying no repair,
because we will never need no repair maintenance,
but whether we will need less
and when we can expect that to be.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Councillor Thomas -Broum.
Cllr John Chilver - 0:38:44
Thank you, Chair.
Cllr Thomas Broom - 0:38:50
So I think this document is a vision for the county.
It looks forwards at what we want to be doing.
It is ambitious.
and we've said that in this chamber on a number of occasions, we will always be ambitious
rather than just trying to sort of hide behind the low demands of low expectations.
I think it sets out a really encouraging vision for what we can do in Bucks and what we can
make Buckinghamshire be, both to the residents who live here now but also the children of
those residents and the people who will grow up,
enjoy their lives and retire in Buckinghamshire.
I am gonna turn to some of what we've heard
from the opposition so far,
because I can't quite resist myself.
To answer Councillor Schaffer,
all of the stuff that she's just talked about is published.
It has all been published for a very long time.
And there are a number of documents on our own website.
You can also look at the Department of Transport
where they also publish what we send them
in terms of reporting on how we're dealing with our roads.
Frankly, not bothering to do the research
is not a good enough basis on which
to attack a policy platform.
Similarly, we've heard about the local plan
and how that's going forwards.
Obviously, we had a five hour long scrutiny
committee meeting last Friday about this.
And a lot of what we see in this document
is about supporting what we are having to do
in terms of housing deployment in Buckinghamshire,
because we've had this extraordinary 90 ,000 housing target
imposed on us by central government.
I would gently remind Liberal Democrat colleagues
that their policy is for 20 ,000 more than that.
And so it would maybe be nice to hear a little bit
about how they would propose to put in the infrastructure
that would support their almost 120 ,000 housing number
for Buckinghamshire.
But this is -
Time is up, thank you.
Good members refrain from talking
while other people are speaking please.
Cllr John Chilver - 0:41:05
Councillor Robin Stutchbury.
Yeah, thank you very much, Chair,
for the opportunity to speak.
Cllr Robin Stuchbury - 0:41:13
We need a corporate plan, that's evident.
Delivering the plan is the most difficult part of any plan, actually managing to do it.
I speak on the two sections which are in competition with each other.
The sections on aspiration against the sections on the vulnerable.
We both or everybody in this Council knows that delivering the sections on the vulnerable and the economics of that
are the biggest challenge to our local authority,
fiscally, materially, and been able to do.
What I would have liked, and this isn't meant in the way,
is to understand the delivery plan
and how we're going to implement them.
I can agree with all of the statements,
the aspirations of those statements.
They're the right statements to make,
they're the correct words.
But without the lacking the implement plan,
I know the leader will probably come back and say quite rightly that we will do that
due to the budget.
But I do fear that with the issues that we all know in the Council, the rise in SCN,
social care, rising costs, which we've got to meet, and the fiscal realities that the
Council sells itself in in the umbrella, the financial umbrella, these are the strong,
these are very much difficult things to deliver.
So I say I look forward to looking at how we're going to deliver these things because
just making carp and say I don't like that, I don't like that, a very cheap commentary
on it.
Because these people matter in all those vulnerable groups from the protecting the most vulnerable
statements which is obviously the elderly.
And then you get health and well -being in bucks.
That needs to be, we know there's a step change that needs to go in health and well -being
because we have an ageing population and a dynamic mental health issues and stuff in
Berks which affects many different things.
Thank you, your time is up.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
Sir Simon Rouse.
Cllr John Chilver - 0:43:17
Thank you Mr Chairman.
Cllr Simon Rouse - 0:43:23
I am enjoying the revelation of the discovery of detail by the Liberal Democrats because
just five months ago we sat in this room and listened to a budget presentation that didn't
have a single number in it from memory.
And I do wish I had longer than two minutes
to join what would be an enjoyable forensic demolition
of the numbers salad we heard from Councillor Munger.
But I'll hand that to the leader,
who I'm sure will point out just how nonsensical that question
was.
And as for the idea of pretty graphs,
I do think that's wise words from the leader
of the Liberal Democrats to bear in mind for next year's budget
presentation.
This is a strategic document and on page five it makes very clear that it's setting out
the strategic priorities for the next five years and a plan on a page and corporate performance
indicators will be produced.
The thing about detail is it requires you to read the document to be able to challenge
the detail.
So it's very clear that there are targets and indeed I seem to recall in most scrutiny
committees we sit and look at performance targets.
That's where this happens, not in a council chamber.
That's what high quality scrutiny should be doing.
So this document sets strategic priorities,
and it sets clearly how those priorities will be delivered
and how those priorities will be measured.
And it is incumbent upon all of us in our scrutiny committees
to hold the cabinet and others to account.
And I know that on the Growth, Infrastructure,
and Housing Committee, we will do just that.
So let me conclude by saying I welcome this document,
because what it sets out, and I'm
glad the leader of the Liberal Democrats agrees,
an ambitious statement of intent for a county which is facing an onslaught from
a Labour government that wants to take advantage of Buckinghamshire and its
and its assets and what we can deliver and I have to say to the leader I think
to navigate through that with a plan that can be clearly delivered that
protects the vulnerable in Buckinghamshire and delivers a better quality of life as
a plan that I am delighted to be supporting.
Cllr John Chilver - 0:45:23
Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:45:28
Thank you. Councillor Edgar Naughan. Thank you chair. I just wanted to say that from
my perspective actually I think this is a pretty good document, ticks a lot of
boxes, it sees us going forward with a lot of thought on where we're going, it
ties in with a lot of what the High Wycombe Town Committee wants to do and
I see it as actually a pretty good document as a starting point. I do get
that the details not in there and that will come and I particularly wanted to bring
out the one bit where we say protect nature and cope better with extreme weather events
such as heat and flooding.
And so long as that's actually serious, that's actually what's happening at the moment.
We're in our third heat wave in just as many months.
You ain't seen nothing yet because next year's going to be much hotter with the Super El
Nino and we now need to be protecting our residents.
And one of the things that we should be doing and I can see from some of the things the
council's already doing is community call zones.
We need to be rolling those out so that people
are never more than half a mile away
from a community call zone.
We want to be introducing trees down all the roads.
We want to be bringing the temperatures down
by building buildings that are ready for the next 120 years
and not for the next 10 or the next 20.
So I see this document as a good document
in terms of aspiration and if we follow through
on those aspirations, I think we'll have done a good job.
Cllr John Chilver - 0:46:43
Thank you. Councillor Carrington, a seconder, you now have two minutes please.
Cllr Robert Carington - 0:46:51
Thank you very much Mr Chairman. Building on the points made by the leader and those
people who actually addressed the corporate plan, and I'm surprised by myself by saying
this, including Councillor Gemmel, I think that was a very good speech, and I thank you
for actually talking about the plan, unlike some people. This ambitious plan builds on
strong foundations in the form of the previous plan.
This ambitious plan takes into account the challenges we faced
as mentioned by the leader, such as increasing demand for our key
services, such as social care, housing, and transport,
and the redistributing.
We all seem to forget on one side of the room the
redistribution of 44 million pounds of our money to certain
areas of the country which happen to vote
a different colour.
And this is combined what has worked into the plan,
the strengths as well of our strong local economy,
our well -run finances and delivery
of a balanced budget in February.
This plan sets out the strategic direction,
priorities and outcomes for the next five years,
informs our future decision making
in the medium term financial plan,
aligning our resources to the priorities
and vitally delivering value for money
for our residents in everything we do.
Being the clear golden thread that ties resident priorities
to how it would be delivered.
I'm very glad competence was mentioned,
because importantly, the supporting framework of this
is the corporate plan indicators,
and I would gently and politely suggest
that when a word is blue and underlined in a document
on page 10 of the overall agenda pack,
that means it's a hyperlink,
and I would highly recommend certain people press on it,
and if you do so, you will see the corporate plan indicators
which we were informed are not there.
So I would suggest people press that button
and you will see that we have the clear indicators
which will track our progress, delivering the clear outcomes
and engaging residents and showing their priorities
are being delivered.
So I second this plan.
Thank you very much.
Councillor Broadbent, would you like to come back
Cllr John Chilver - 0:48:54
on any of the points?
Yes, thank you, I would.
I stood at the podium and talked about
Cllr Steven Broadbent - 0:48:59
just how ambitious I am, we are and we all should be
for the people and the communities of this county.
So it's really disappointing when people make commentary
around denigrating the plan on the basis of clearly
not having read it, not having looked at the indicators.
I stood there and said, this is for people
and we have increased the metrics, the measurable numbers,
the things that are there, so there's not only KPIs
on what we are delivering on those services,
there were the corporate performance indicators
on some of the larger trend -based things as well.
So please go and read it again
because your comments suggest
you haven't understood what this is
and you must now go and say,
oh yes, they are the indicators
and actually this is an increase
in information readily available in the public domain
that will be looked at by cabinet,
including you only need to look at today's pack
and maybe you haven't read further.
Thomas Broom's pack to Councillor Shafer
actually specifically says preventative maintenance
in roads is part of the huge capital programme we've got
of 120 million pounds worth of investment
that you would not vote for in this chamber
is there delivering for the people of Buckinghamshire.
I want to come to Councillor Monga's comments.
Please, when you read it again,
please see somewhere near the top right
I think it says, based on ONS figures,
the Office for National Statistics.
The local plan, that clearly there's an attempt today
to try and merge local plan with the corporate plan,
will be based on new housing growth.
That plan is not yet adopted.
This is the only accurate data set we have.
This is the data set the NHS uses,
this is the data set other bits of government use.
Therefore, that's why very clearly we say
this is ONS figures.
What I think you're indicating was,
we will need a step change yet again
when those figures kick in in five years time.
So I'm not sure if the Lib Dems actual abstention
is because it's too few compared to your national policy
of what would be 20 ,000 more houses in Buckinghamshire
or because you actually do not agree
with the ambition that we have for the county.
That will include affordable housing.
Those of you who want to watch the five hour session
of scrutiny will have heard
that the affordable housing numbers,
we are now at the forefront of making sure 60 % of that,
if the local plan is adopted, will be on social rent.
That means the most affordable houses,
more of them in the parts of the county
where the affordable housing will land.
The indicators to the corporate plans,
bring it back to that, will be on the website,
will be there for people to read.
Councillor Stutchbury is right to indicate things
like health and well -being.
That support for vulnerable doesn't just mean
providing things in a way that creates
further service delivery.
It is at its core based on making sure
we boost independent living for people in the county
who are happier, better, have greater outcomes,
and I remind you I talked about outcomes,
for individuals and communities if people can stay at home
for longer and more independently.
All of this, this is a corporate plan.
Someone regarded it as a starting point.
I think Councillor Gavilan was, I appreciate his comments.
This is not the starting point.
This is the overarching cap that flows through
to all the other policies we've got,
be it health and wellbeing and independent living policies,
be it S, E, and D improvement plan policies,
be it even tree management strategies
that have recently been done.
This is about setting the direction of travel
and making sure we have that golden thread.
So I urge you to reconsider and make sure you support this
because the people in Buckinghamshire,
we know these are their top priorities,
looking after people, making sure they can get a job,
having aspiration for them, creating great communities
despite the challenges that are being imposed upon us
from the government and elsewhere,
looking after vulnerable people
and making sure we look after their money.
The link to the budget cannot be overstated.
We do all of that in this document.
We do it almost on steroids.
You can now go look at the CPI indicators as well.
This is a plan fit for the next five years,
meets the ambitions that we know our people in this county have,
and I commend it to you.
Thank you very much.
Cllr John Chilver - 0:53:37
Now we can move to the vote.
By a show of hands, our members content to approve and adopt the corporate plan.
Those for?
Any abstentions?
Thank you. I confirm that the plan has been carried.
We now move on to the next item on the agenda

6 Audit and Governance Committee 2025/26 Annual Report to Council

which is the Audit and Governance Committee Annual Report to Council.
and this is a report for council to note.
I'd like to invite Councillor Matthew Walsh
as chairman of the committee to present this report
on behalf of the committee to council.
Thank you chairman, and yes on behalf of the whole
of the audit and governance committee
Cllr Matthew Walsh - 0:54:33
I submit our report for the year.
As ever, our audit and governance,
I take members of audit and governance
to have read the papers, and I hope all members
of the Council have read the papers.
I'll obviously happily take questions,
but if I could just extend my thanks to everybody
that's been involved in audit and governance this year,
from officers to all members of the Council
and to our external partners as well.
So a big thanks for everybody for everything
that they've done this year and happy to take questions.
Thank you.
Cllr John Chilver - 0:55:07
Are there any questions or comments from members?
could you please raise your hands and keep them raised?
Councillor Susan Morgan please. You have one minute.
Cllr Susan Morgan - 0:55:58
Thank you Chairman. Thank you for the report.
I actually just wanted to raise something on behalf of a little Chalfont resident who emailed me.
He wasn't particularly happy that his own ward members had not been able to get an answer for him.
And came to me and asked me if I could get an answer from the Chamber.
And that's exactly what I'm doing.
He said there wasn't enough transparency around the issues that had happened over the previous years.
I believe it's since Covid. I don't sit on audit and governance myself.
my colleagues do and I've asked them about this,
but there have been some issues with the accounts.
Rather than me relaying that information back to him,
I want him to see that we can openly,
publicly ask questions in the chamber
and I'd like you to, if you can, just respond.
You've alluded to it in your report
that there have been some issues about the accounts,
but I'd just like to offer you the opportunity
to answer the resident, just to let us know
whether the accounts have now been signed off,
what the difficulties were and kind of where we are now.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Councillor Kelly Thornton, please.
Cllr John Chilver - 0:57:08
Thank you and thank you to Councillor Morgan for her question.
Cllr Matthew Walsh - 0:57:17
In terms of the accounts, certainly this year, I think huge credit is due to the Section 151 Officer
and his Deputy Section 151 Officer.
We have published the accounts within the statutory deadlines.
obviously building back assurance after COVID and disclaimed accounts have made things slightly
slower but that's all been met within the deadlines as set down by government. So this council is
actually ahead of schedule in terms of delivering the accounts. If there are any specific issues,
as ever, I'm happy to take them but I think in fairness to the members for the chow font,
they probably should have a right to reply in terms of if they've not had their response. I
I certainly know that Councillor Tech when he was leader
was very good at responding to the hundreds of emails
that he did receive.
So maybe if you're allowed Chairman,
Councillor Tech could represent that question part please.
Thank you, Councillor Kelly Thornton.
Cllr John Chilver - 0:58:12
Thank you Chairman.
I was glad to see the committee specifically
Cllr Kelly Thornton - 0:58:17
strengthened oversight of contract waivers,
contract breaches and contract management.
That suggests the committee felt this area needed
closer scrutiny.
So my question for the chair of the committee
is the committee has introduced additional scrutiny
of contract management and contract waivers.
Does the chairman consider the council's
current contract management arrangements sufficiently mature
or does further work remain?
Thank you.
Thank you for your question, Councillor Thornton.
Cllr John Chilver - 0:58:43
In terms of we breaches and waivers,
I think it's only at the last meeting
Cllr Matthew Walsh - 0:58:49
where we discussed that we'd had our first two breaches
in several years.
So I think overall, the council's framework is very good
in terms of finding these things out.
And I think as you join the committee going forward
and we look forward to that,
you'll see the robust frameworks
that we have in place to safeguard those things.
Thank you, Councillor Christina Dali.
Cllr John Chilver - 0:59:11
There was a slight confusion within the group yesterday,
even with members from the audit committee
been asked questions, so I'll ask it here as well.
Cllr Christine Adali - 0:59:26
Last year the audited accounts, historic audited accounts going quite far back were outstanding.
And I just wanted to double cheque they're all signed off now going back to COVID?
Okay, so obviously you know with the situation in COVID and every public authority in the whole of
Cllr Matthew Walsh - 0:59:50
country has faced the same. They have disclaimed opinions and what our
auditors are doing now, our new auditors who are going into year two, are building back
that assurance and so far the auditors are pleased and have reported to the
Audit and Governance Committee that assurance is being built back over time
and we are ahead of schedule with that. And again you'll be able to ask those
questions at Audit and Governance. So the second part of the question was do you
have a timeline when... I'm sorry you only get one chance at a question, thanks.
Cllr Christine Adali - 1:00:18
Councillor Leslie Clark.
Cllr John Chilver - 1:00:20
Thank you, Chairman.
Cllr Lesley Clarke OBE - 1:00:26
And having been on this committee for more years than I care to remember,
we've always had a problem with contract management.
Contract management is not simply looking at the computer screen to see that the contract's working.
And can the Chairman of this committee please enforce contract management to be done properly?
and I see that in your item 5 .12 that that's what you'll be doing,
but we do need to really get a grip of contract management
and I hope that you will actually take that up as a challenge. Thank you.
Cllr John Chilver - 1:01:02
Councillor Walsh, did you want to take the part of that?
Yes, sorry, thank you. I just wanted to make sure I was looking at the right point.
Cllr Matthew Walsh - 1:01:12
Yes, 5 .12 in terms of contract management.
This is part of the work of audit and governance
that we have agreed to do an additional deep dive
into this year.
So I can assure Councillor Clark and thank her
for her many years of service on audit and governance
that that is something we will take forward,
including making sure that all reports from our auditors
are at a suitable size font as well.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Councillor Martin Tett.
Cllr John Chilver - 1:01:36
Yes, thank you, Chairman.
I just wanted to respond to comments
Cllr Martin Tett - 1:01:43
by Councillor Susan Morgan, to which quite frankly I take great exception.
It is normal protocol here, as it is in Parliament, that if you have a matter raised by a resident
in a different area, you refer that matter to the Councillor for that ward.
Yet, rather than trying to score cheap, quite nasty political points at a Council meeting
like this.
I had this recently where Councillor Mark Roberts was written to, he referred the resident
quite rightly to me because that resident was in my area, and I answered the question
on behalf of that resident. If someone says they've not been responded to, and I've just
consulted my fellow colleague here, Simon Rouse, neither of us, neither of us are aware
of any such communication. I pride myself on responding within 48 hours to residents
that write to me, and it's an absolute disgrace to effectively slur myself, Simon and Carl
with that in public here without any pre -warning
and actually coming to us first and making us aware of it.
Thank you, that's time up.
Thank you very much.
Chairman, if I may, my name was mentioned, may I respond?
Cllr John Chilver - 1:02:46
No, I'm afraid not.
Councillor Walsh, would you like to come back
on any of the points which have been raised?
I think I have managed to answer the majority of the questions.
Cllr Matthew Walsh - 1:03:01
I will be happy to answer in some more detail
at the audit and governance meeting
for that additional point in Councillor Dell's question.
But apart from that, I'm happy.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
So by show of hands, please can members indicate
Cllr John Chilver - 1:03:14
if they are content to note the paper.
Those in favour?
Those against?
Any abstentions?
So I confirm the report is noted.
Thank you.
We now move on to the Cabinet Member Reports.

7 Reports from Cabinet Members

I will ask the Leader and then each of the Cabinet Members in turn if they have anything further to add to their reports
and then open up to questions from Members.
I am planning to continue last year's pattern of taking three questions with the Leader on his report
and two for each of the remaining Cabinet Members on theirs.
Please raise your hands if you wish to speak.
and you have one minute to put your questions,
so please bear this in mind when speaking.
I should be grateful if both questions and answers
could be kept short and succinct, please,
so that we can move through the agenda.
So I'll start with the leader of the council,
Councillor Stephen Broadbent,
do you have anything to add to your report?
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Nothing specifically to add to the report,
Cllr Steven Broadbent - 1:04:26
but I do hope members noted the resplendent
St. George's Cross flying on the flagpole outside.
And just to want to pop and record our support
for the three Lions as they go through this weekend.
That will stay there.
That will stay there for as long as they are
in the competition.
Let's hope that's well into next week, having won.
Thank you.
Are there any questions for the leader of the council?
Cllr John Chilver - 1:04:52
Please raise your hands and keep them up for a while.
Thank you.
Councillor Andy Huxley, please.
Thank you, Chairman.
Cllr Andy Huxley - 1:05:29
Mr. Leader, in your report you mentioned the Aylesbury Town Centre investment prospectus
and attracting the right investment. Having recently joined the residents of the Town
Centre, I'm interested to know of any developments in this very important matter, please.
Thank you very much, and in fact Town Centre investment is a key part, as I mentioned,
Cllr Steven Broadbent - 1:05:53
of the corporate plan as well, but this was our attendance at UK Reef where we have brought
together an investment prospectus for Aylesbury with other town centres to follow to use the
money we have and the opportunity we have with our holdings to attract investment to
deliver genuine large scale town centre regeneration, a key part of the future that we'll do through
the corporate plan and we've heard also today when the local plan comes in we can't just
to have housing, we need to make sure our town centres
work for all people.
So, with that being said, having launched that there,
to hook in people who may be able to invest
in our town centres, I'm pleased to report
that there's a series of meetings being lined up
to do exactly that, to find the partner,
which means we then come with the proposals
for the future and hopefully, that investment
coming into our county to make this
an even better place to live.
Thank you. Councillor Robin Stutchbury.
Cllr Robin Stuchbury - 1:07:00
I thank the leader for the report. Living in North Buckinghamshire, I struggle at times
with the broadcasting of the Silveston circuit race. Despite the fact that we point out a
large part of the circuits in Buckinghamshire, it doesn't seem to get through to the media.
It's continued to be signed in North Hampshire. To be fair, I think the previous leader of
I've struggled with this at times, but when you mentioned the universities and stuff you're doing
And support in our community. I'm surprised living in Buckingham that
Buckingham University doesn't get mentioned
Primarily because of the amount their medical school that they put in when the students which training that medical school
Become doctors in the whole of our area. So them will end up working in
Bucks health and other places so
So take a look at that if you could please
and see whether there's some relevance to do that.
You mentioned the other universities quite rightly.
And sorry for being parochial,
and it's also a major employer in Buckingham.
Thank you.
Yes, thank you for that.
So half the track at Silverstone
Cllr Steven Broadbent - 1:08:03
is on the entrances in Buckinghamshire.
Unfortunately the business rates go to Northamptonshire,
but I always say we're not bitter really, but we are.
But the University of Buckingham is very important
and we have a number of ways that we engage
with the university, recognising it's absolutely
central to the town, central as you've said,
as an employer, and probably even not necessarily
on the skills agenda, but even you might see
in the leader decisions the increased investment
going into being a railway walk cycle way together,
and that's a partnership between us,
the town council there, and of course the university.
So they very much are part of our thinking and we continue to do good work with them.
As is always the case in a report, it's usually things that are omitted that create the focus rather than what's in there.
It's a great university that's really important to the town and important to the county, so that will continue.
Thank you. I'd just like to add, if I may, that I should be attending an event at the
Cllr John Chilver - 1:09:10
University of Buckingham Medical School on behalf of the Council tomorrow morning, and
I'm looking forward to it.
Councillor Nick Nam, Harsane.
Cllr Niknam Hussain - 1:09:23
If I can be chief, Mr Chairman. The leader quite rightly pointed out to some events that
we'll be having later in America, and I think everyone here in every five or a being
hope that we get through.
But in previous years, the legacy councils have put up a giant screen up in the market
square to provide a community event sort of atmosphere.
Should we be successful tonight, and hope we're successful tonight, is there any way
we can plan for that?
And of course we do hope that really goes well.
Cllr Steven Broadbent - 1:09:55
There are no live plans to do that at the weekend.
But of course what I would do instead is show the support for all the community groups the community centres
There I say even your local pub and come together to go and watch it
Where you can because that will make for a fantastic
Evening on Sunday just a small matter of Argentina later there
Cllr John Chilver - 1:10:25
Thank you, we move on onto the cabinet member for communities councillor Steve Bowles you have anything to add to your report
Cllr Steve Bowles - 1:10:33
I've got nothing to add to my report Chairman. Thank you could anybody who wishes to ask
a question please raise their hands and keep them raised.
Cllr John Chilver - 1:10:44
Alex Collingwood. Thank you Chairman I noticed in the report
that the new contract for parking enforcers have gone live. Certainly in terms of Marlowe
Cllr Alex Collingwood - 1:11:08
I've seen a marked increase in the number of enforcement officers there. Just curious
to see, I've seen the new CCTV camera car, just curious when that might be deployed in
Marlowe and would like to invite the cabinet to come and join me in Marlowe with some of
the team to show how it's actually already making an impact on improving the behaviour
of those people who ignore WL lines and the rest. Thank you.
Cllr Steve Bowles - 1:11:34
Yeah, thank you. Thank you for that. What I would say is that the new outsourcing of
enforcement is going really, really well. We have a full complement now with civil enforcement
officers and they are addressing, as you quite rightly say, the illegal and inconsiderate parking
that we do see and the camera car is a great help in that.
So all in all, with the increase in civil enforcement
officers, the camera car, it's leading to safer,
more accessible streets for our residents,
businesses, and visitors.
I will shortly be going out with them on a regular basis,
giving them a few months to sort of settle in,
and then I'm gonna go out on a regular,
probably bi -monthly basis.
I will also have access to a dashboard,
which will show their activity, where they've been.
And then I can pick up, well, if members have hot spots,
let me know.
I can then tell them.
I've asked them to regularly visit around schools,
because that is a real, real issue,
as I'm sure we're all aware in the chamber.
But all in all, the scheme is really
helping keeping our roads and communities safe so thank you for that
Cllr Justine Fulford - 1:12:59
question. Thank you. Councillor Justine Fulford. Thank you. It's really great to
see the vital importance of volunteers in Buckinghamshire communities being
recognised and celebrated so thank you for that and indeed the commitment to
increase levels of volunteering in the corporate service plan. The council
You also organised a workshop with the voluntary
and community sector and other stakeholders
back in February which you attended.
Five months later, nothing seems to have moved forward.
Can you, Councillor Boles, please update members now
on what the next steps are, outline your actions to date
and your commitment to working with stakeholders
to produce a volunteering strategy for BUCKS
to achieve the aims of the corporate plan
and to show this council the financial sustainability
of the voluntary sector, particularly given
and the continuing pressures on public finances.
Yeah, thank you for that.
Meet regularly with the voluntary sector.
Cllr Steve Bowles - 1:13:49
We have the SC board and we meet.
So volunteering is really important part of my brief
and I'm pushing that forward.
We'll be coming out with a way forward on that
in the not too distant future.
Thank you.
Thank you.
We move on now to the Cabinet Member for Culture and Leisure, Councillor Peter Brazier. Do you have anything to add to your report?
Cllr Peter Brazier - 1:14:18
Thank you Chairman and yes I do have one thing to add. It was because of the timing of the press moratorium it wasn't able to go in my report.
I'm really pleased to be able to announce that our eight parks that are in the green flag scheme were all reappointed the green flag, which is a great achievement.
The green flag signifies that the parks are considered,
and this is on a national scale,
that they're safe, well maintained,
and managed to the highest standards.
So all eight of those parks got through.
So I just want to thank our parks teams,
the rangers, the community associations we have,
but also on the subject of volunteering,
the great volunteers that help us look after our parks
and the country parks.
Thank you, happy to take any questions.
Thank you, are there any questions for Councillor Brazier?
Please raise your hands.
Cllr John Chilver - 1:15:16
Councillor Dev Dillon.
Thank you, Chairman.
Cllr Dev Dhillon - 1:15:23
Before I ask my question, may I thank the cabinet member for attending yesterday's Simply Walk,
its 24th anniversary, which is actually supported by this council,
despite the weather, there was about 80 people,
and I think to all the council staff and all the volunteers
which they took part, they have a very strong work agenda.
Now they've got 48 walks, 48 sites with 80 walks per week
and there's about 300 volunteers
with 2 ,000 members taking benefit.
But my question is, Chairman, is does the cabinet member know
there's a public consultation taking place
on Farnham Gulf Coast now and how is, which I want
to publicise and how the WICM vendors
are getting on with it.
Thank you.
Thank you, thank you for the question.
Yeah, the Simply Walks went really well.
Weather was perfect for it, wasn't it?
Cllr Peter Brazier - 1:16:15
And I had a nice tea afterwards.
So Simply Walks, if I may, is a fantastic operation
that we have, is one officer, they have 300 volunteers
operating all those walks you described,
and not enough people know about it.
So, sorry blatant advert there for simply walks.
As far as far as, yes, so I'm going down tomorrow
to see the public consultation they're running.
They've had two events already.
Wickham Wanderers are gonna be,
I think tomorrow is the one that's at the South Bucks
golf club, and I believe there's another one on Saturday.
I think it's in Stoke Poggi, so I assume it'll be
in the village hall there.
It's going really well.
The feedback we're getting is overwhelmingly positive.
It's been estimated that we've got something like 75%.
I'm looking at one of the local members here.
Now that the information is getting out,
that they're presenting what they're gonna do there,
the fantastic redevelopment of the existing facilities,
the softball, they're gonna be investing a lot of money
into that, making that better.
But also, they're gonna be proposing to put a
a performance centre, I think they call it,
training crowds, and a football academy.
So it's really good, it's looking good.
Thanks for the question.
Thank you, Councillor Alan Bacon.
Thank you, Chair, and thank you for the report.
Cllr Alan Bacon - 1:17:47
There are a number of fairly random projects and events
that are happening around the county,
which are in the report.
but I notice there's nothing in Chesham and Amersham
mentioned at all.
My question though is, is there enough ambition here
to show that Bucks is addressing the challenge
stated in the cultural strategy?
I've had a good read of that, and it says,
we need to build lasting partnerships
which put culture at the heart of the economic development
and growth agenda.
Is culture at the heart of the local plan, for example?
Thank you.
Thank you for that.
And can I suggest you visit both Amherst and Chesham
Cllr Peter Brazier - 1:18:28
libraries, they're both some of our larger libraries,
staffed libraries.
There's a lot of information on the local events,
just about everything that happens within our libraries team
is carried out county wide.
So I think if I can signpost you there,
As far as the cultural strategy and the way it fits
into the economic strategy, if I can point you to the,
yeah, the economic, thank you.
The economic growth strategy is mentioned in there.
And also look at the work that our fantastic
Bucks Culture team produce.
Very wide ranging, county wide.
Some very good projects are happening there.
Thank you.
Thank you. So we move on now to the Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Transport, Councillor
Thomas Broome. Do you have anything to add to your report?
Cllr John Chilver - 1:19:27
Cllr Thomas Broom - 1:19:29
Nothing to add to my report. Thank you. Please raise your hands if you
Thank you very much.
Councillor Coles -Caesar.
Thank you very much, Chairman.
Cllr Cole Caesar - 1:19:54
Especially as Burnham -Tappell and Dorney relies heavily on the Bath Road, it's one thing that
we have discussed on numerous occasions.
Over the last couple of weeks, Slough Council has really invested into the cycle path, which
which has caused massive disruptions,
which is now spreading into Burnham Village streets,
private roads, massive turnarounds and cul -de -sacs.
So what is the cabinet member going to do about the issues,
in particular, is any plans going forward
on I'm sure they've had many issues come into their inbox?
Thank you very much for the question, yes.
Cllr Thomas Broom - 1:20:34
So cross -border development, as it were,
is always a bit of a tricky one to manage,
because we don't tend to get a lot of advance warning.
And I know that colleagues across the chamber
who are on the Bucks borders,
whether that's north, south, east, or west,
would have experienced this from time to time.
What I can say to you, Councillor Cole,
is that I will ask our StreetWorks team
to get on the case and engage as we would
if we had disruptive utility work somewhere else
within the county and see if we can prevail
upon those doing the work
to try and alleviate some of those issues.
Obviously we don't have any direct power over works that are taking place in another county,
but we will always try to step up and I know that members of the team have been going around the
county in recent weeks talking to local people about street works issues to see how we can
do things even better. And obviously if you would like I'm very happy to
come and see what's going on myself and maybe have a chat.
Thank you Councillor David Moore. Thank you Mr Chairman. Can I firstly congratulate
the cabinet member for the continued roll out, the 120 million pound budget. We're very
Cllr David Moore - 1:21:45
much seeing that here in the Farmington Stoke Pogers. So thank you for your support with
the specific resurfacing of Templewood Lane and Stoke Common Road where we're trying to
really juggle with all the utilities, make sure they follow and work with your team.
So thank you for that and thank you for our site visits. So my question is simple. How
Are we gonna make sure we get some closure here,
ensure that resurfacing takes place,
understand the coring works that have already started,
and how can we ensure that members have that say
like you've done with me,
so we can really see this member -led council
delivering for highways
and ensuring members have that full say.
Thank you.
Thank you, Councillor Moore, absolutely.
Cllr Thomas Broom - 1:22:23
And I know we've had some issues, shall we say,
around getting these two particular roads moving.
We know we've had a lot of utility works there,
and I know that you have engaged directly
with the utility companies as well
to give them that local perspective
on why they need to get on with it
so that we can get on and resurface those roads.
And I'm so pleased that we're in a position
where we will be able to do that,
I think over the summer, so by the autumn,
before the weather turns, residents will have
those nice new road surfaces.
The roads programme is incredibly important.
120 million pound investment,
it is the biggest investment in roads
in the history of our county,
and it will allow us to move from doing about
220 capital projects last year to 270 this year,
including some in Farnhamton Stoke projects of course,
but across the rest of the county as well.
But I do think this is one of those areas,
as I mentioned earlier, around planning,
where I am now seeing a lot of colleagues
from other parties and other parts of this chamber
going out and taking their photos
with these newly delivered roads.
Failing to mention, of course, that they voted against
the work that they're taking the picture with.
Every single road that is resurfaced in this county
as part of our 120 million pound programme
has been delivered by conservatives and voted against
by every liberal Democrat in this room.
Cllr John Chilver - 1:23:53
Thank you, there were several members there
who put up their hands with questions
and I wasn't able to call them. So please do, as with all the other portfolios, send
your question in my email to the cabinet member and it will be followed up. Thank you.
So now we move on to the cabinet member for info. We are only taking two cabinet member
questions for each portfolio and I'm afraid a lot of people there had their hands up who
wasn't able to call so please do send in your question by email.
Cabinet Member for Environment, Climate Change and Waste, Councillor Ady
Osibogan. Do you have anything to add? Thank you chair nothing to add to my
Cllr Adekunle Osibogun - 1:24:47
report. Ask questions please raise their hands.
Councillor Sade Addo.
Cllr Shade Adoh - 1:25:03
It is great to see that the council has secured over a hundred hectares of habitat banks and
adopted three updated conservation areas.
How will this initiative improve biodiversity and heritage protection while ensuring sustainable
development and compliance with our statutory duties?
My second question is what measurable outcomes can residents expect over the next five years?
Thank you very much, Councillor Adu for that question.
Cllr Adekunle Osibogun - 1:25:41
The delivery of the 100 hectares of habitat bank
and the three conservation areas are a demonstration
of this council's commitment to sustainable growth
and also the preservation of both our environment
and heritage with the county.
The 100 hectares will enable us to have at least 30 years
of biodiversity net gain delivered within county,
which would also enhance the environment for our residents.
With regards to the conservation areas,
one of the key things I would point members to,
it will provide further clarity
and protect the architectural structures of our towns.
And I'm hoping that we can expand that
to include other conservation areas as well.
Both the habitat banks and the conservation areas
would help us ensure we have sustainable development
within county and also ensure that we're
able to fulfil our statutory duties around planning,
environment, and heritage matters.
And also, I must also mention, it also
enables us to fulfil our ambition
around the Imagine Local Plan, which we're all aware of,
LNRRS, which we've passed already,
and also the Climate Change and Air Strategy document,
which we are obliged to follow.
On your second question, I think things that we can look
as measurable outcomes over the few, the coming years,
I would say we should expect to see a lot more creation
of habitant banks within county.
we should be able to see an enhanced environment
by developers, delivering their biodiversity within county.
And also hopefully getting some more conservation areas
as well.
Thank you, Councillor Anna Crabtree.
Cllr John Chilver - 1:27:45
So I'd like to thank Councillor Osso -Bogan
for his report on the environment, climate change,
Cllr Hazel Arthur-Hewitt - 1:27:54
and waste, and ask him a question about resilience
Cllr Anna Crabtree - 1:27:56
and preparedness. In your report you mentioned preparing communities for potential future events
in relation to flooding. At a time when we're seeing hosepipe bans coming into force in parts
of Bucks alongside the third heat wave so far this year and reports that the first two heat
waves of the year may have been responsible for over 2 ,700 excess deaths in England and Wales,
what is the council doing to help prepare our residents for the hotter drier summers that
are increasingly likely to accompany our wetter winters.
Cllr Adekunle Osibogun - 1:28:29
Thank you very much for that question, Councillor Crouchery. I will address it from two perspectives.
First is our current steps around flooding. We have just appointed a charity called the
National Flood Forum to assist our residents and build community resilience around flood
and get the communities better prepared
for any flood events that may arise in that area.
Something else I'll say is I'll refer to our
tree management strategy and the steps we're currently
taking to ensure not only that our trees are well managed,
that's Council on Trees, but also our ambition
to deliver over 500 plus trees,
which will ensure carbon capture is achieved,
and also the heat wave which we have seen,
the trees will be able to absorb a lot of that.
So from an environmental perspective,
steps we're taking is one,
improving our coming to residence
through better presence of flooding,
and also ensuring we have more trees within county
to preserve our environment.
Thank you.
Cllr John Chilver - 1:29:41
Next, we move on to the cabinet member
for housing and regulatory services.
Councillor Mark Wynne, do you have anything to add to your report?
Cllr Mark Winn - 1:29:50
Thank you, Chairman. I'm happy to take questions.
Thank you. Please put your hand up if you wish to ask a question for the cabinet member.
Cllr John Chilver - 1:29:55
Councillor Arthur Hewitt.
Cllr Hazel Arthur-Hewitt - 1:30:09
Thank you very much and thank you for the report.
It was mentioned earlier, but it's also,
I'd like to mention it now as well
about the affordable housing issue.
And especially about the houses available
on Bucks Home Choice.
There seems to be a massive shortage,
which I know I've asked at Scrutiny,
with three and four bed housing,
which is absolutely crucial.
We really need it.
And I'd just like to ask what the situation is
with trying to address that.
I know we've got problems with landlords
being able to provide it,
but what are we doing proactively
to make sure we can have the answers
to stop those people being stuck on those lists?
Because I've had and you know residents
who were stuck on that list.
Thank you.
Thank you, thank you, Councillor Alfery,
for that question.
Cllr Mark Winn - 1:30:58
Yep, we're trying to work proactively
with our registered providers.
We had a round table meeting with them this week.
and in your area, Red Kite, are going to practically
try and build much more within High Wycombe
than they have in the past and within their county.
What we need to do is identify those houses
that we actually need.
Obviously, there is the local plan as well,
and you've seen the numbers that are coming forward there.
Within the south of the county, 40 % of them
will be affordable, 60 % of them are social rented.
And we're gonna...
to work proactively with the
to try and get the housing
pipelines to get them to make
those things available.
They're the homes that we want.
So if you need free bed houses, let's try and build
free bed houses where we need them.
Let's really try and work proactively
with them, not sit passively by
and let these things be done to us.
Councillor Phil Gomm.
Cllr John Chilver - 1:31:58
I knew I'd get there eventually
Chairman, thank you very much for obliging.
I'd just like to say to the cabinet member
Cllr Phil Gomm - 1:32:09
and compliment you, sir, on the registration services
here at Bucks County, you know, to see what you're doing
technology -wise with births and deaths, et cetera.
But what I would like to say is the use of the judges'
lodgings for the new wedding ceremonies that you hold there.
You know, 178 this year, and see more and more grow
to be using a fantastic building.
It's just a shame that we haven't got a bit of an extension to that building to have their ceremony continue afterwards so that but
Compliments to the council and to yourself for bringing that into the picture
Cllr Mark Winn - 1:32:48
Thank You councillor for that those compliments which I will pass on the course of the registry service
They do an exemplary job in what they're doing use of new innovation and use of new venues
and as you quite rightly say, the judges, lodges, and the room next door have proved extremely popular.
I'm really pleased to have seen how popular that has proven to be.
Thank you. Now the Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Planning,
Cllr John Chilver - 1:33:11
Councillor Peter Strachan. Do you have anything to add to your report?
Thank you, Chairman. Two small items to add.
Cllr Peter Strachan - 1:33:20
The first is that the IT system that supports planning
that used to be in the legacy council arrangements
has now been merged together,
which should improve the efficiency
of the planning process quite significantly.
The second thing is that following the members brief
on the new local plan, I've been informed
that two thirds of our ward members
have taken up the opportunity
of having an individual ward brief with the officers.
and I would simply encourage the other third to do the same.
You'll get a level of granular detail about your ward,
which I think you'll find very useful
in understanding how the local plan affects it.
Thank you, Chairman.
Thank you.
Are there any questions for the cabinet member?
Cllr John Chilver - 1:34:08
Please raise your hands and keep them up for a while.
Cllr Maru Mormina - 1:34:55
Thank you. The local plan contains a requirement for a master plan for sites with allocations
of over 1000 homes or more. However, in some of these sites there are parcels of land already
at the stage of reserved matters. Can the member confirm whether the planning process
will be put on hold for those applications until a master plan is produced.
Cllr Peter Strachan - 1:35:27
From what I understood of your question about a master plan, as we go into Reg 19, which
is when the draught plan becomes public, any comments on individual wards or sites can
then be offered and they will be given due consideration in the larger planning terms.
If that's what I understand what your question was, I couldn't hear you very clearly.
Thank you. Councillor Mark Roberts. Perhaps write to me.
Cllr Mark Roberts - 1:36:03
Thank you. Councillor Strachan, in your report you've highlighted the considerable reduction
in the validations backlog, which is very welcome. However, the picture painted by officers
is concerning.
One recently stated that in many cases,
applications are already approaching
or exceeding their target dates
by the time they're allocated.
And another said that they are being encouraged
to reduce non -essential correspondence
and interim updates because of workload pressures.
This suggests the problem's shifted
from validation to determination,
with applicants waiting longer for decisions
and the greater risk then of appeals for non -determination.
Given the importance of delivering the homes allocated
in the local plan, can you tell us what proportion
of applications are being determined
within the statutory limits without extensions?
And what assurance you can give members
that current performance is not gonna become
a strategic risk to the council's delivery
of a five -year local housing land supply?
Cllr Peter Strachan - 1:37:06
I can tell you that this item receives
the highest possible priority.
We are and have been traditionally quite short
of planning offices and we have put other resources now
into the planning department to attend to this.
I can say that the validation backlog,
the trend is in the right direction and we hope
that continues and will continue to resource it.
And we recognise the issues with the five -year land supply,
which of course we don't really control the levers
that influences that.
Developers do more so than that, but I can assure all members that this is an area of
huge priority for us in terms of our reliance on it to make the new local plan work in the
middle time.
But thank you for your question, Councillor.
Next is the cabinet member for resources, Councillor Robert Carrington.
Cllr John Chilver - 1:38:01
Do you have anything to add to your report?
Cllr Robert Carington - 1:38:05
I've got nothing further to add.
Thank you. Questioners please raise your hands.
Cllr John Chilver - 1:38:11
Councillor Walsh please. Thank you Chairman. Councillor Carrington looking at
Cllr Matthew Walsh - 1:38:21
your report talking about council tax and billing. Talking to local residents
like we all do I don't know I'll rephrase I think it would be very
helpful if we could include in our annual council tax billing an explanation of where
the council spends the money. I don't think a lot of residents are necessarily completely
aware about the critical five and the 76 % that we spend on them. And is that something
between now and the next billing cycle the council could consider whether or not to include
a second page in the billing as it explains exactly to our residents where their money
goes?
Thank you very much for your question, Councillor Walsh.
Cllr Robert Carington - 1:39:02
And so we currently provide on the website
additional information in regards to our spending plans
on the MTFP, how council tax collection levels
and how the council tax is spent as per your query.
But we are addressing the overall point,
I think it's a fantastic idea,
and we're actually going through the process
of a review of what information we put out,
and I think that is something which will definitely
go to the front of the queue and be considered.
So thank you very much.
Thank you.
Councillor Kelly Thornton.
Thank you, Chair, and thank you
to the cabinet member for the report.
I was wondering what percentage of the capital programme
Cllr Kelly Thornton - 1:39:43
is currently forecast to deliver its expected benefits
on time and budget, on budget and in full, please.
Well, thank you very much for your question.
Cllr Robert Carington - 1:39:56
And I will ask you to wait with bated breath for our out -turn report, which will be, actually
is out for cabinet, and I would ask you to read there for the percentage there on where
we are with Q1.
Thank you.
Next is the Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing,
Councillor Isabel Darby.
Do you have anything to add to your report?
Cllr John Chilver - 1:40:21
Thank you very much, Chairman.
Cllr Isobel Darby - 1:40:25
And just to update, we were privileged a couple of weeks ago
along with our Bucks Healthcare Trust colleagues
to host a visit by the Chief Medical Officer for England,
Professor Chris Whitty.
This was part of his information gathering programme,
focusing on small towns and rural areas
to form his annual report for the whole country.
He was, excuse me for reading my notes,
but he was able to see it firsthand,
the challenges we face, but also, and I quote,
because he actually sent us a thank you email afterwards,
which I thought was really lovely.
He's talked about the impressive work
we're doing in Buckinghamshire.
So I think that's a real pat on the back
for what we're doing.
And we had a meeting here with the leader
and the chief exec, where we sort of set out the store
for Buckinghamshire and what we as a council were doing.
We then moved on to Elmhurst School,
where we looked at the Healthy School neighbourhoods,
programme and then on to Buckingham where they met the GP's at the Swan Practise and also
Buckingham Community Hospital and then on to Buckingham Library where he saw the Healthy
Libraries work. And it was, he said, inspiring to see the work of our really great public
health and NHS teams and its impact on the health of our citizens. And I just think that
that's something we should all be really proud of, that we have at least put something on
the national map in terms of input into the future.
So very pleased with that, thank you.
Thank you, are there any questions for the cabinet member?
Cllr John Chilver - 1:41:50
Councillor Rouse.
Thank you, Chairman.
Councillor, I noticed in your report that you referred
Cllr Simon Rouse - 1:41:56
to completion of the closure of the day centres.
Having supported some families through that process,
I know it was incredibly difficult for families.
So I wonder if you could just give us an update
on how that transition has gone
and certainly any feedback that you've had from families
about how they're feeling post the transition.
Thank you very much, Councillor Asdon.
Cllr Isobel Darby - 1:42:18
Can I say firstly, I know how unsettling this has been
for the individuals who use the centres,
for their families and for our staff,
and in particular the users.
And I know there was an awful lot of anxiety
about the changes, and I have followed that.
I've had regular reports about what's going on.
I'm really pleased to report that it has been,
I think hugely successful.
We have now got fewer centres.
They are well populated with clients
who have benefited from an awful lot of investment
into new equipment, improved areas like sensory areas
and things like that.
And I think given the upheaval that was involved
for some very, very vulnerable people in our community,
I think I'm really proud of the way that it's gone.
And I would just like to thank our staff,
but also our families because they've embraced it.
Katza Heap and myself have been to a coffee morning at Sealy's house
and there's a real positive feel about the centre and that's good
because it's important for the people that we support,
they're vulnerable people.
We're not finished yet because we've got to move on to the building of the,
or converting of the bit of the centre in Aylesbury
which is going to go to respite care which will be starting later this year.
So watch this space, but so far I'm really, really pleased and proud of what we've done for our residents.
Thank you. Councillor Robin Starchbury?
Well firstly, thank you for visiting Buckingham, it's just unfortunate you didn't meet me.
Cllr Robin Stuchbury - 1:43:47
I would have enjoyed meeting you, as I said, to the Deputy Cabinet Member the other day when they visited Buckingham.
I'm sure Anja would as well.
You visited the Swan Practise which is one of the great successes,
thanks to George Gabriel and the SWAN practise in delivering, which is probably the only
new, or to be delivered, the only new GP practise in the whole of the health area, which is
down to the credit to the SWAN practise, their business case, and the way they fought to
get the money from the NHS.
The question really is, are you aware of the NHS plans for the Health Hub, which was mentioned
before you took over the portfolio,
of delivering a health hub in Buckingham,
and the theoretically is to use the site
which would come available on the Buckingham Hospital site
once the centre opens.
And can you please go away and look into that
and see how that's progressing?
It was signalled in the HASC some time back.
Time, thank you.
Thank you very much, Councillor Stutchbury,
Cllr Isobel Darby - 1:44:54
and I'm sorry that I didn't have time
to pop in for a cup of tea,
because I'd love to have had a cup of tea with you on the visit to Buckingham and next time.
Who knows?
So in terms of the Swan practise, it's really exciting.
And I personally wish that we could see more new GPs practises in other areas of the county.
And, you know, for example, Longcrendon is one of the ones where I know there is a piece of land,
but there isn't the money to make it happen.
Creation of GPs practises is very much down to the ICB and it is a very difficult and
different relationship because GPs are self -employed, the ICBs commission them, so you've got to
get an awful lot of people together and we as councillors and members of our community
can see what we think is needed but actually getting those people together is very difficult
and I'm afraid a bit outside our remit so we can keep pushing but it's hard to make
to make it happen.
What I would say, I'm aware of it,
but I don't know the detail,
but I would certainly follow that up.
Thank you.
Thank you.
And lastly, we have the cabinet member
for education and children's services,
Cllr John Chilver - 1:46:04
Councillor Carl Jackson.
Do you have anything to add to your report?
Cllr Carl Jackson - 1:46:09
Yeah, one thing to add, Chairman, thank you,
because this information's only become available
since after the deadline to submit cabinet reports.
Last month we received an Ofsted -focused visit
of our children's services team
with a particular focus on children
in need of health and protection.
A focused visit is not an inspection,
it's a sort of two -day visit.
There's no grade, there's no report,
there's a sort of letter which gives a quick summary
of the main areas of stress and areas to improve.
I've received the letter back now from Ofsted,
which I'm pleased to say has reported positive progress
since the last inspection.
prays for an experienced and visible leadership team,
positive relationships between children and social workers,
timely support for children at risk.
Areas for improvement include driving up that consistency
in quality and timeliness of plans.
As is often the case, there's a recognition,
there's a lot of good practise,
it's about making sure it's good for every child, every time.
They want to see wider use of family networks
for children supported through Children in Need
of health and protection arrangements,
and he wants us to see as roll out our new approach
to identifying potential cases of neglect
further and faster, but I'm pleased that Ofsted
summarised that where there are errors for improvement,
there are strike allegations in place
for continued improvement.
Happy to take any questions, Chairman.
Thank you, any questions from members?
Councillor Alex Collingwood.
Cllr John Chilver - 1:47:35
Thank you, Chairman.
I received a report, it talks about the national reforms
to children's services in particular to send.
Cllr Alex Collingwood - 1:47:45
I'm aware through the risk management group
we are working on a plan for the EHCP plan.
So I'm just curious to know how far that's progressed
and how that will work going forward.
Thank you.
Thank you, Councillor Conlon.
Yes, so as members might recall,
Cllr Carl Jackson - 1:48:06
we launched the EHCP recovery plan back in January.
So we're sort of around the six month mark now.
I'm getting data, obviously weekly,
to track how that's going.
I'm pleased to see we're making some progress.
The average wait time for an EHCP
has dropped by the best part of two months,
about seven and a half weeks.
We're seeing an increase in the number of EHCPs
issued within the 20 week statutory deadline.
For a bit of context, I heard this in the information
a couple of days ago, so I'm gonna test my memory.
From January to May 2025, the Council issued 199 EHCPs.
January to May 25, 199 EHCPs.
January to May this year, it was 729 EHCPs,
which is a lot more like it.
The January, the 2025 figures, frankly,
were performance that we're seeing a backlog go up and up.
We're now starting to see a backlog come down.
So I'm pleased with progress.
It's six months into a two -year plan.
August, because I always love to throw a fly in the ointment,
August will see the figures go backwards because the schools aren't there to contribute to EHCPs
and they have longer deadlines, but I'm confident we will then start to see the figures
carry on their upward trend from September.
So I'm happy with progress at the moment and I will keep members updated. Thank you.
Thank you. Councillor Nick Ngan Houssane.
Thank you, your report, Commander Member.
Cllr Niknam Hussain - 1:49:35
As a leader showed, and I'm sure our economics department,
we're trying very hard, quite rightly,
to attract businesses and people to Buckinghamshire.
The problem they have when they get here
is finding school places for their children.
I'm very pleased in your report,
the expansion of Kingsbury secondary and primary.
But you were attending a scrutiny committee
where I was there, and I showed the spreadsheet
published from our own council's website,
showing there's only a handful of places
for secondary and primary places, especially Dalesbury.
Can the cabinet member reassure us
that this problem will be humiliated as soon as possible?
Because my post bag has gone from the usual
grass cutting and car parking to I can't find a place
for my school child, or yes, they found a place,
but they happened to transport him half an hour,
40 minutes away and back.
Yes, thank you, Councillor.
I know this is an area where you have a long -standing interest.
Cllr Carl Jackson - 1:50:33
The Council, there's kind of two sides to this.
There's kind of the longer -term school -based planning, which will obviously link in with the local plan.
And then there's sort of more short -term planning.
You mentioned Kingsbrook.
We've recently had the topping out ceremony to go from sort of six to eight form entry.
That can then go on to ten.
We're obviously open to new primary schools as well.
We have a dedicated team which is constantly looking at how the population is changing,
where houses are being built, and to try and make sure that we match school place efficiency
to sort of developments of where the need is.
I thought it's worth the Department for Education says that our team does a very good job of
that and it's generally very accurate.
We've also recently provided funding, for example, in Haddonham for a new
Bulge Class at Haddonham Infant School so more local children can get a local
place there. So we can be flexible in the short term and also plan for the long
term. Obviously if you have any individual cases where there seems to be an issue
with admissions, please let me know. What we want to avoid is a situation where
children are having to travel long distances at the beginning and end of
on top of an already tiring school day, which obviously eats into the social life.
It means they're a long way from their friends.
It costs the council a lot of money.
It's not a good outcome for anyone.
So that's a big drive as well, of our plan to have more children going to their local school.
Thank you very much indeed.
That brings us to the end of cabinet members' reports.
Cllr John Chilver - 1:52:06
and I would like to ask Council, are members content to note the cabinet members' reports?
Show of hands, please. That sounds unanimous, thank you.
So we can now proceed to the three Notices of Motion that we have before us.
And these will be dealt with in the order in which they appear on the agenda.

8 Notices of Motion

And you will also be aware that there has been one amendment submitted.
So the first notice of motion is the first one is education sufficiency and
local plan decision -making. I'd like to ask the proposer Councillor Robin
Stutchbury to confirm that he formerly wishes to move the motion. I wish to move
the motion. And the seconder Maru Mormina that she formerly seconds the motion
please. Yes I'm happy to second the motion. Thank you very much.
Councillor Stachper, you have five minutes to propose the motion.
Firstly, thank you, Chair, for the opportunity to talk about this important matter.
Cllr Robin Stuchbury - 1:53:12
We're all corporate parents. We're all involved in, across the piece here, in...
Education, this thing.
We'll start again. Is that, can you hear me? Because it's doing things, it's done that before.
Thank you. I'm providing education places across Buckenship.
I didn't come to this immediately.
I've been questioning these matters since 2017.
I've had two questions to Cabinet in 2023 and 2024 on this,
so please don't think I've come here willy -nilly.
Just put in a motion to the council.
I have been concerned about this for a very, very long time.
I've also been, in the immediate time,
working with officers and talking to officers
to try and find the immediate short form resolve which initiated in Buckingham and other places
which initiated the need to bring emotion forward. This isn't about scoring points,
this is about delivering a better future for our children and anyone thinks it's about
scoring points then they're in the wrong place because we should all be here on one side
trying to make sure any initiative that comes forward actually works for long term sustainability
of our children. And that's laying that out so nobody's conceptions of the morality and
reasons for bringing this. I'll put my glasses on as we're going to read and please accept
the fact that sometimes I'll lose the line. Right. Buckinghamshire Council has a statutory
duty under section 14 of the Education Act 1996 to secure sufficient school places for
children within areas. To school places sufficiency plan through establishing Council's procedures
including planning areas, forecast school capacity,
SCAP, returning and to work,
and officers and lead education boards free.
The emerging Buckinghamshire local plan
will influence the scale and the distribution
of future housing growth,
and consequently the future demand for school places.
Fourth, the Council already holds use information
relating to school places capacity project
deemed housing growth assumptions in education and infrastructure, planning, exercise and office
statutory function. This council believes, I do believe, that effective decision making requires
members to be able to consider housing growth assumptions in small places, sufficient information
together and with transparency and consistency and the presentation of existing information
supports effective change of the council's
statutory duties and strengthens the public's confidence
in the infrastructure planning.
Considering the education infrastructure requirements
should form part of evidence base for the members
before they decide to take a major housing allocation
through the local plan, this council therefore resolves
to request the cabinet to prepare a conciliatory
the school placement efficiency assessment,
drawing together existing data,
forecasts and reports already had and used by the council
in its existing school places functions.
The arrangements such as this one's to include
for each relevant planning area,
the current pupil numbers, the pupils and school capacity,
the demand capacity forecast
within the existing planning assumptions,
The project supplies deficit council planning horizons
and measures already planned for and approved,
already appreciated under,
where applicable,
relationship between the project
and growth and school plan assumptions.
Four, this three,
the published circulation to all members.
All members is the key thing here.
It's not about me, it's about all members.
Four, make the assessment available to all members.
at least two weeks before the end of the regulation 19 consultation period.
So members can consider the education infrastructure implications
alongside other relevant planning evidence when submitting their submissions.
Nothing in this motion shall be taken as a direct directed or outcome of the local plan decisions.
Describing school places planning methodology or requiring the calculation of information.
Not already held by Ruchini by under the council.
Now I've got three minutes left.
I hope that this will be considered sympathetically
because when we have to go and answer to our constituents,
which was mentioned earlier in the meeting,
why we haven't got a school place,
this is going to become very testing for the council.
And I have no, there's no jive to the cabinet member
with his responsibility.
But we do need to be able to put a sensible answer
to our constituents and we all...
Thank you, Councillor Stutchfield, your five minutes is up.
Thank you.
I'll be back.
Councillor Mormina, do you wish to speak now
or to reserve your right to speak later?
May I speak now, please?
Yes, you have two minutes.
Cllr John Chilver - 1:58:26
Thank you, Chairman.
Cllr Maru Mormina - 1:58:29
This motion is not about questioning the methodology
for forecasting school places
or about changing the local plan.
It's about something far simpler.
where the members are given the evidence we need before making decisions that will shape
Buckinghamshire for decades.
We have two simultaneous statutory duties here.
Securing sufficient school places and preparing a local plan that will determine where thousands
of new homes will be built.
These duties cannot be separated.
If we plan homes without understanding the education impact, but we're not planning,
were guessing. And let's be clear, the information already exists. It is produced every year
as part of our statutory reporting to the Department for Education. This motion doesn't
ask for new work, nor will it draw significant officer time. It asks for existing evidence
to be brought together into a single assessment and shared with members before Regulation
19 closes. That's the minimum standards for good governance.
The decisions we take today, we take in the coming months, will affect children who are
not yet enough to start school, perhaps not even born.
If we get this wrong, those children will pay the price, with overcrowded classrooms,
with long journeys, or no local schools at all.
That is not a risk that any responsible council should take.
Whatever our views on the local plan, we should agree on one thing.
No child should miss out because we failed to plan.
This motion is not about politics.
It's about responsibility.
Our responsibility to ensure that the communities we create today have the infrastructure that
tomorrow's generation will need.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
Cllr John Chilver - 2:00:30
So now we open the debate to the floor and could anybody who wishes to speak please raise their hands and keep them up for a bit.
And we'll start with the cabinet member responsible, Councillor Carl Jackson please.
Cllr Carl Jackson - 2:00:48
Thank you Chairman. I would recommend that Council votes against this motion I'm going to.
not because it's ill -intentioned or unimportant,
but because everything it requests,
the council either already does or is about to do.
Requests one and two require the council,
or ask the council to prepare a consolidated
school place efficiency assessment.
We already do this.
This is done constantly by a team
who are seen to be doing very well
by the Department of Education.
I did confirm that we already did this
when Councillors Stuxbury and Mormino asked me
at the select committee on 18th of June,
and in a follow -up email later that day.
But I'm happy to confirm it for a third time
that this work is already done,
now that the question has respawned
as a full council motion.
Requests three and four ask for this evidence of this work
to be given to members two weeks before the end
of the local planned consultation.
I think this puts the cart before the horse.
We don't want to be in a situation
where we finalise our school place planning
before we know where the houses are going.
The local plan is still in draught.
It's still got to go past the government.
We might change it.
So I think we want to be sure where the houses
and ultimately the people, therefore, are gonna go
before we end up finalising our school place assessment.
In terms of communication with members,
I'm happy to say to the proposal seconder,
I think I can do rather better than the motion asks.
I'm gonna put the school place efficiency strategy
out to a full public consultation in the autumn
So members and residents will have a chance to see it and to comment on it. I hope the proposal seconder aren't too disappointed
I hope councilman Mina will be consoled by the fact that council has funded a bold class
For a school in her wards to help more of her children children award have education at their local school
But my recommendation to council chairman would be that we go to get this motion
Simply because everything in it is either something we're about to do or that we already do
Thank you. Councillor Phil Gaughan.
Very kind Chairman and I'd like to follow on as the Chairman of the Select Committee for Children and Education Services.
Cllr Phil Gomm - 2:02:59
This is something we've been discussing there the last couple of times.
We know that school placement is a difficult time for parents including school transport etc.
But like the cabinet member just said as well, it's the cart before the horse.
you know, that's got to go through and get to its system.
We don't know what's going to happen over the next, say,
10 years of child population and how that's going to work.
There's different criteria that comes into it.
I would like to reassure council that the select committee,
which is a cross -member party, of course, is a good committee,
is going to be working with Simon Rousey's committee
on the growth at the same time, where they're dealing with that.
So we're going to do some cross -border working
with two different parties, looking at that
and see how we can help that.
So again, we're taking up officers' time
and doing something like this
is just gonna take more officers' time up
and drift it away from us.
So I would like council to trust us in those two committees
which is all cross -party to work like that
and take that forward and turn this motion down.
Thank you.
Thank you, Councillor Anya Schaffer.
Cllr John Chilver - 2:04:10
Thank you, Chairman.
Cllr Anja Schaefer - 2:04:14
And this is important and I'm very grateful to my fellow Councillor for raising it, but
also for the cabinet member for his answer and clarification on that.
We get a lot of emails and letters in our inboxes from concerned parents who have been
allocated or whose children, 11 years old, have been allocated to a school place not
in Buckingham where they live right opposite the school but in Stoke Mandeville which would
require them to take not one but two busses which for an 11 year old I think we can all
agree is not great. So I'm glad that the cabinet member has clarified that he is going to put
a report forward and that this will go out for public consultation on it and that has
in some ways answered my question. Thank you.
Cllr Hazel Arthur-Hewitt - 2:05:14
Thank you Councillor Hazel Articuite. Thank you. I'm fully in support of this
motion because it's about the timing with the local plan. We've got to be able
to when we're writing up our thoughts on this and playing up our in the
consultation whether we're genuinely satisfied that those sites work. Now I'm
worried about it still being called a draught because when it was called you
developers places where they'd like to build last time so not to worry too much
that was our last chance to have the plan changed by council before it was
submitted because this consultation won't be looked at by council for changes
it can only be touched by the planning inspectors so this really is the last
chance to actually raise any issues and when I had my one -on -one member
consultation it was great but they were surprised I wanted to talk outside my
and we're very grateful to do so.
I cared about three or four different wards building
because that's where our children go to school.
And it's not just primaries, it's secondary schools.
We have enough primary school places in Downey,
we do not have enough secondaries.
And I'd really like to look at the building
happening in the areas that do house
where our children go to secondary,
which is Hazelmere, Princess Risborough,
and everywhere around that area,
Ms. Bornholm and Green.
They're all taking builds.
they all school Downley kids,
and they haven't got many spaces left.
And it's really crucial that when I'm looking
at those builds, I can see what council
have got going on at the moment.
I think it's wonderful that there's gonna be
a proper review in August, but that's too late
for me to make a really good considered decision
on what's going on right now in time for it to be put
into the local plan consultation.
And that's key, it's not that we don't trust
what's gonna go on, it's the fact that we need
to be intelligently responding to that plan
with that information now.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
Councillor Thomas Broome.
Cllr John Chilver - 2:07:09
Thank you, Chairman.
Yes, obviously there are some down the line implications
Cllr Thomas Broom - 2:07:14
within the transport portfolio on this,
obviously through the provision of home to school transport.
I would very much echo what we've heard
from the cabinet member and the Chairman
of the Slack Committee in terms of the sequencing of this
and why it's really important that actually,
if there were to be some intervention
in the local plan process, either from the inspector
or from the Secretary of State.
We would not find ourselves stuck in a position
where we were committed to a scheme that
didn't provide educational support for such a direction.
I think, generally speaking, there
is a mood in the room on this one that I think, certainly,
the proposal and second are coming
at this from an absolutely admirable and noble position
in terms of wanting to make sure this should happen.
I do have to say to colleagues though,
you know, here's a view from Labour members,
we are only in this situation
because Labour have imposed 90 ,000 houses on the county,
and I say to Liberal Democrat members
that their national policy is for 20 ,000 more than that.
Could we come to order please?
Too much chatter going on.
We are in Councillor Boonfert.
Cllr John Chilver - 2:08:26
Are you finished? Thanks.
Councillor Simon Rice.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Cllr Simon Rouse - 2:08:35
Just to follow up on the point made by my good friend, Councillor Gaughan.
These are matters where the scrutiny select committees have a really important role to play.
And indeed, only on Friday we had a, I think, very detailed discussion.
And just to reassure the public,
so I just want to correct some misunderstandings
that I think may have been created
by Councillor Arthur Hewitt.
So just so we're clear, we spent a great deal of time
on Friday looking at infrastructure.
And within infrastructure, we looked at health
and education and spent a huge amount of time on it.
There is in the documents with the local plan,
and I would encourage members to make sure
you spend the time to read the detail
behind the local plan, a very detailed infrastructure delivery plan that
highlights the existing pressure on services in Buckinghamshire and a
recognition that houses will add extra infrastructure pressure but has been
very articulately set out there is no point addressing that in terms of the
future housing until you know that that plan is adopted so it can be a
meaningful plan. It's also not correct to say that the plan cannot be changed so
So again, if you watch the committee on Friday,
we ask this explicit question.
There is a reason there is a public consultation
and that is to ensure the public can have its say
on the shape of the plan and on Buckinghamshire
and officers confirm that if there are material changes
that emerge from that consultation,
they can feed those material changes through
for the planning inspector to consider.
And I think it's important, members,
we have a responsibility in these next few weeks
to engage the public to make sure the local plan
is understood factually and clearly,
and we do not drive misinformation into the public campaign,
which I felt happened in the Regulation 18.
So I'd urge members, please read the detail.
Please make sure that you communicate
and help people understand it is important
they participate in that consultation,
so we get a local plan that works for Buckinghamshire
across everything, including education infrastructure.
Yeah.
Thank you.
Councillor Alex Collingwood, please.
Thank you, Chairman.
Cllr Alex Collingwood - 2:10:43
As general student sites, I wish some of the members actually were listening and
actually participate.
Cuz actually what you've actually articulated is actually what happens.
So whether it's gonna be for secondary schools, primary schools, for
transport, for highways, or it's gonna be for ICB.
In every single case, on a case by case basis, each of those sites are looked at
and how they fit into the wider scheme of things.
Therefore, we're already doing this as a matter of course and a matter of policy.
That's how this council already operates.
And that's what we're also doing in some of the other committees,
which again, if you saw the one for West Plankton Beach last week,
actually we said, no, it's not just primary, it is both secondary schools' education.
And we deferred and told the officers to go back and come back with that answer for that specific application.
Because as each of these applications come forward,
that will change the dynamic of actually where the school will be required.
and where it's going to be in Aylesbury, Buckingham, Marlowe, Risborough, wherever it might be,
as each of those come through the local plan process,
they'll be tested by us as the councillors on the strategic sites piece to work out,
okay, what actually does that do and how does that change the dynamic?
So therefore I'll formally say we should formally vote against this motion. Thank you.
Thank you. Councillor Steve Broadbent.
Thank you, Chairman.
Cllr Steven Broadbent - 2:12:02
I just think it would be useful to pull some of the threads
of what has been said in here.
I do think it's right that the motion is coming
from the right place, and it's the place that was reflected,
as Simon Rouse has said, at the select committee.
I think it's a thing that transcends all parties here,
and that is the need for the right amount of infrastructure
to support the housing number that's been imposed upon us
by the government.
To that end, already seeing ahead of this, I have already written an open letter to our
local MPs, all of them, so I would encourage members to please pass your comments directly
onto the MPs.
We have the challenge here through the local plan to make sure there's an infrastructure
delivery plan, education is part of it, utilities, NHS provision.
That is not all curated and determined by the council,
but it is important, it is all in there.
And it's quite right, a big chunk of the five hours
of scrutiny was on that point.
That open letter is out there genuinely
because we need the MPs to work alongside the council
to go and secure us the infrastructure money
that is needed.
Right now, we've got 91 ,000 homes to find space for.
What we don't have is a single committed penny from government to be able to deliver it.
And yet it's the same government who twice have decided not to give us the education
sufficiency provision in the promised SEND school and this is a bigger version of that
across all forms of education.
So please, that did not pass with unanimity in this chamber because some people couldn't
bring themselves to write to their MPs
and support that position.
Please do it on infrastructure.
This is the future of our county
and our residents will expect us all to support that.
But that being said, this motion is the wrong thing
at the wrong time given the work
that the cabinet members outlined.
So whilst well -intentioned,
I think we should vote against it.
Councillor Stachbury, as the proposer of the motion,
you now have two minutes.
Cllr Robin Stuchbury - 2:14:19
Yes, thank you. I wasn't going to ask for a recorded vote, but after Thomas's intervention I will do.
I thank the cabinet member for his honest and sincere response to it, and it's a shame that wasn't an amendment,
because that would have been a more civilised way of proceeding with this.
You knew information that we didn't know about the future plan to do a consultation.
For information, the standard order doesn't allow you to put a motion in after a select committee is set.
You have to put a motion in advance those who haven't done it don't look at standing order
So the motion was drafted long in advance in reaction to a situation
We were on dealing with in the Anya and my ward and Addie's ward, which was we had children, whatever
How do you get to discuss this thing and what you do as a local member? We've only got council
So that came forward that it was not meant to be a criticism or aggressive in any shape form
It was meant to be politically neutral. We changed that during the debate, which is unfortunate
I think the cabinet member behaved right.
The other responses were negative.
Now, I think I will, one of the matters we got with this is we know, whatever we do now,
we have to, as elected members, make informed, calculated, knowledgeable input.
Not only do we have to advise our parishes, which are numerous about this,
and not only do we have to advise each other.
So I think those elements of actually asking for that information would inform us to make
better recommendations.
This is what the council does now, so don't be worried they'll do that in the future.
Or if there's an inconsistency, you'll know it in your own area.
We only have one stab at this.
The plan won't be changed only by the inspector, I understand, and the select committee might
well meet.
I have not seen a vote that's saying...
The vote's going to go. Sadly that's the maker for the council but please don't have an
amendment think it's personal with you. I think you were a gentleman. I just feel
it was unfortunate we have to let everything this council...
Thank you council your time is up.
So now we move to the vote on the motion.
Cllr John Chilver - 2:16:26
Do we go straight to the vote?
You need to ask Councillor Stutchbury, was he requesting a recorded vote?
Just to confirm, Councillor Stutchbury, were you requesting a recorded vote on this motion?
Were you requesting a recorded vote?
Correct, I wasn't going to do it until you...
Cllr Robin Stuchbury - 2:16:51
We need 13 other Councillors to support a recorded vote.
Could all those who support this please raise their hands?
Cllr John Chilver - 2:17:09
Please keep your hands up while we count them.
That hasn't been passed so we're not taking a recorded vote on this.
We're going straight to the vote.
Could all those in favour of the motion please raise your hands?
And those against?
The motion has clearly not succeeded.
Thank you. On to the second motion on the countywide community governance review.
Councillor Ahmed can you confirm your attention to move this motion please?
Cllr Khalil Ahmed - 2:18:23
Thank you and Councillor Snaith can you confirm your attention to second it. Thank you.
Cllr John Chilver - 2:18:33
Before I invite you to both propose and second the motion I just want to say as chairman how this matter will be dealt with.
can then take that.
That automatically makes a decision to put it to standards.
If he withdraws it, he don't need to put it to standards
because it's not even an issue.
So, we simply should ask him to begin his proposal.
Councillor Ahmed, you have five minutes to propose your motion.
Thank you, Chairman.
Cllr Khalil Ahmed - 2:19:23
I'm pleased to move the motion for a county -wide community governance review.
At its heart, this motion is about a simple principle.
Local democracy works best when residents understand the communities they belong to,
who represents them, and how decisions affecting them are made.
This should not be controversial.
It's a fundamental principle of good governance.
The local government and public involvement in Health Act 2007 places a responsibility
on all councils to keep community governance arrangements under review so they continue
to reflect community identities and interests remain effective and convenient.
This motion simply asks us to fulfil that responsibility in a strategic and
comprehensive way. Members will recall that Buckinghamshire has undergone
significant changes in recent years. We moved from a two -tier system to a unity
authority. We then underwent a countywide electoral review resulting in
significant changes to ward boundaries and patterns of representation. Whether
members supported every aspect of those changes or not, those boundaries are now
place and elections have been fought on them. The question before us today is not
whether those ward boundaries were right or wrong. The question is whether the
community governance arrangements that sit beneath them still properly reflect
the communities we represent. Following the electoral review we now have
examples where parish and ward boundaries do not align naturally. We
have wards containing both parish and unparished communities. We have
communities split by governance arrangements that can be difficult for
residents to understand and at times for councillors to explain to themselves
to explain. Importantly, many members of this council wear more than one hat, about 30 of
them to be exact. A significant number of Buckinghamshire Councils also serve as parish
councils and town councils. Those members understand better than most the value of genuinely
local representation. They will know that the parish and town council tier is often
where democracy feels most immediate and accessible. It is where residents raise concerns about
their street, their park, their village, the neighbourhood, and their sense of place.
For many residents that local tier provides a strong feeling that their
voice is heard. However, that experience is not enjoyed equally across
Buckinghamshire. Some residents find themselves caught between parish
boundaries and unitary ward boundaries that do not neatly align. Some communities
struggle to understand where one area ends where another begins for the
purposes of representation. Others have no parish or town council at all and
must rely solely on Buckinghamshire Council representation
or local area structures.
This creates an inconsistency
in how local democratic representation
is experienced across our county.
This motion seeks to examine whether
that inconsistency remains justified
and whether our governance arrangements
continue to reflect the communities we serve.
The council has already recognised the need
for a community governance review in High Wickham.
That review affirmed that governance arrangements
should reflect local identities,
support effective and convenient local government
and provide clear community representation.
If those principles are important in High Wycombe,
they are important everywhere.
If local identity matters in one part of Buckinghamshire,
then it matters in all parts of Buckinghamshire.
This motion is therefore about consistency, fairness
and democratic accountability.
It asks us to step back and take a county wide view.
Not piecemeal reviews, not isolated interventions,
not waiting for individual communities to identify problems
and then fight to have them addressed.
Instead, a strategic review that considers whether the governance arrangements we now
have remains fit for purpose across the whole county.
Importantly, this motion does not predetermine any outcome.
It does not say boundaries must change.
It does not say new parishes must be created.
It does not say existing arrangements are wrong.
It simply says that we should undertake a proper review, gather evidence, listen to
residents and parish councils, community groups, elected members, and establish whether improvements
can be made.
Surely that is a reasonable proposition.
Review may conclude that most existing arrangements
are working well.
If so, we will have strengthened confidence
in those arrangements.
But if the review identifies areas where representation
can be improved, where community identity
can be strengthened, or where accountability
can be made clearer, then we will have the opportunity
to address those issues.
Chairman, this motion is not about politics.
It's about ensuring that every resident of Buckinghamshire
feels connected to the democratic structures
that represent them. It is about ensuring that local government remains genuinely local
and is about making sure that governance arrangements remain coherent, understandable and reflective
of real communities. I therefore commend the motion to Council and ask members from all
sides of the Chamber to support it.
Cllr John Chilver - 2:23:59
Thank you. It is my ruling as Chairman following discussion with the Monitoring Officer that
the subject matter of this motion comes within the terms of reference of the
standards and general purposes committee and as such under procedure rule 3 .36
this motion will stand referred without discussion to that committee for full
consideration. Councillor Snait as seconder of the motion you have two
Cllr Trevor Snaith - 2:24:40
minutes available if you wish to speak. Yeah thank you for letting me speak. I'm
A county -wide governance review is not about forcing change.
It's about recognising that across Buckinghamshire,
our governance arrangements are becoming uneven.
We have areas with very strong active parishes
and town councils, and they provide a strong local voice.
But we've got small and ineffectual parishes
where the capacity is limited.
And there's others that rely totally on the unitary tier and we know who they are.
And at the same time we have major developments happening and these are crossing wards,
they're crossing Paris boundaries, they're creating communities that don't align with the government structures that exist and represent them.
Now, this isn't a criticism of any council or community.
It's simply reality, reality of growth and change.
A review allows us to look at these issues openly.
It gives us an opportunity to understand where current arrangements could be done better.
Secondly, this motion is supporting due process.
It's supporting effective decision making and it's supporting the principles of governments.
So I've spoken to many councillors along the way and one of the reasons we brought this forward is because of these issues that we face.
And it's for those reasons, Chair, that I'm pleased to support this motion. Thank you very much.
Thank you very much indeed.
Cllr John Chilver - 2:26:27
So this motion will now be considered by the Standards and General Purposes Committee under its delegated authority to consider community governance reviews.
And we can move on now to the third motion, transparency in planning, publication of public comments.
I'd like to ask the Proposer, Councillor Jonathan Waters, to confirm that he wishes to move the motion.
I confirm that I wish to move the motion. Can we have Les Chatter and pay
attention please. And I'd like to ask the seconder, Councillor Mark Roberts, confirm
that he wishes to second the motion. I confirm that I wish to second the motion.
Thank you very much. Councillor Waters you have five minutes to present the
Cllr Jonathan Waters - 2:27:13
motion. Thank you chairman. I'm proposing this motion following the decision in
in March 2025 to cease publishing public comments
on planning applications.
Although this was treated at the time
as an operational decision, its impact has been far wider.
It changed the level of openness and transparency
that residents had come to expect from the planning process
and affected how this council is perceived.
No prior consultation took place with Buckinghamshire councillors, town and parish councils and the
consultees or residents. Had there been greater engagement, many of the concerns that have
I think your microphone has stopped working. Can you perhaps swap with your neighbour?
Mine's got worse than you thought. I'll hold that closer to you.
Is it working now? Okay, we'll hold it.
Okay, a public petition opposing the change attracted over 2 ,300 signatures.
In my own ward both Penn Parish Council and Cheping Wickham Parish Council have passed motions expressing their concerns and
written to the cabinet member describing the change as retrograde step that risks creating a divide between
Buckinghamshire Council and the communities we serve.
As a councillor who served on the planning committees for several years
I've always felt uncomfortable with arrangements that can be seen as
as excluding the public from information
that planning officers and committee members
are able to consider when making decisions.
It creates the impression of a process that is less than open
and that should and should be.
Openness and transparency are fundamental
to public confidence, particularly in planning,
where decisions can be contentious
and deeply affect local communities.
This change has undoubtedly shaken that confidence.
Planning works best when everyone is able
to understand the issues and the planning arguments
being put forward.
For those most directly affected by an application,
the process can be stressful.
Individuals, as well as town councillors,
should be able to see that relevant planning considerations
have been presented and can be seen to have been presented.
The motion does not dismiss the data protection concerns
that prompted the change.
Those concerns are important
and must be addressed appropriately.
but few councils have followed by a conscious approach
with more than 300 planning authorities
continuing to publish comments
using different systems of moderation and redaction.
This raises legitimate questions
about why different authorities
have reached different conclusions
and whether alternative approaches
that could achieve both transparency and compliance
with data protection requirements.
Decisions of this nature,
which directly affect the relationship
between this council and our residents,
should wherever possible benefit from member oversight and scrutiny.
Now that the current arrangements have been in place for more than a year,
this is an appropriate time for Growth, Infrastructure and Housing Select Committee to undertake a formal review.
Importantly, this motion does not prejudge the outcome of that review.
It's simply asked that the Select Committee examine the circumstances that led to the change,
the approaches taken by other local planning authorities,
the options considered by Buckinghamshire Council,
the implication of the current arrangements,
and the progress made in exploring alternative approaches.
It then asks the cabinet to consider
select committee recommendations,
decide whether any changes to the current arrangement
are appropriate, take into account both legal requirements
and the importance of transparency.
I hope this council will see this
not as a politically badged motion,
but a constructive response to concerns
that have been raised by residents,
parish council and councillors from across
the political spectrum in Buckinghamshire.
I therefore ask members across the chamber
to support this motion.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Cllr John Chilver - 2:31:34
Councillor Roberts as the seconder of the motion,
do you wish to speak now or is that the right?
I would like to speak now if I may.
Thank you, you have two minutes.
Cllr Mark Roberts - 2:31:41
So thank you.
This motion is fundamentally about governance,
scrutiny and evidence.
Since public comments stopped being published
in March 2025, concerns have been raised
by residents, parish councils, and their county association.
But what we don't know is the basis
on which the decision was taken.
Members have not been provided with a report
setting out the evidence, the options considered,
the advice received, the comparative position
with other authorities, or the reasoning.
That is why this motion calls for a report
and for scrutiny.
I come at this with more than 30 years
professional experience implementing business operations,
systems, and processes that have had to comply
with data protection and privacy requirements.
One lesson I've learned repeatedly is that GDPR
is often cited as a reason for not doing something
when the real issue lies somewhere else.
In process design, controls, resources,
training, or governance.
The data controllers, privacy specialists, and lawyers
that I've worked with have always been helpful
in identifying what needs to be done to allow
important activities to continue lawfully and safely.
Now perhaps Buckinghamshire's circumstances
really are different from the more than 300
other local authorities that continue
to publish planning comments.
Perhaps there is compelling legal advice
that explains why Bucks is different.
Perhaps there is an options appraisal that explains
why Bucks can't do what other local authorities do.
If so, the answer's simple, show us.
That's all the motion asks for.
So I urge colleagues to support the substantive motion
and reject the wrecking amendment that asks us
to accept vague assurances instead of evidence.
Thank you.
Cllr John Chilver - 2:33:40
well one amendment has been received and I'd like just like to ask the proposal
of that amendment can't be Chancellor Peter Stratton to confirm that he wishes
to formally move it thank you chairman to confirm and we have offered and as I
Cllr Peter Strachan - 2:34:02
was tracking just just to confirm you wish to remove it I do chair yeah
Councillor Bracken, you're the seconder.
Thank you.
Go ahead, please, Councillor Strachan.
You have five minutes.
We offered an amendment to this particular motion
simply to get a better result.
We're all actually after the same thing.
And we thought by offering a civilised amendment
to get a better result,
because what you offer is very retrospective
and tends to seek to understand why we are where we are.
You're also gonna turn a scrutiny committee
into a policy making platform, which it is not.
So just to give some background for those listening,
this happened as a consequence of a data breach
back in early 25.
We received an equivocal Casey advice
that we should stop at that time,
publishing personal data within comments.
So it's important to understand the subtlety here.
This is not about letting parish and town council
see the comments, it's about the personal data
which is embedded within those comments.
That's where the problem lay.
We were advised at the time that we should stop
publishing comments and we got Casey advice on that.
And then we got a second opinion of the Casey advice
which offered that to be the same.
So we have huge sympathy with parish and town councils
who wish to see other comments.
And it is our wish to do so as well.
If we were to do that in the current conditions
and continue to risk the way that we run it,
there was a nearby council who got a fine of 160 ,000 pound
for a data breach very similar to the one that we had.
And given that condition, we couldn't risk taxpayers money
and maybe risk that that would have happened to our council.
So we took the view we took
so that we could protect our residents
from that potential financial problem.
We continue to look at this
and we constantly review the position.
We were talking to the information commissioner's office
about what the opportunities may be.
and the problem that we essentially have
is the size of authority that we have.
We have about 1 ,000 applications a month,
and if you add all the comments to that,
we would need an officer team working full time to do this.
So there is a business case to be involved,
and we're not risk -averse,
but given the conditions we found ourself in,
we were obliged to do what we could do.
We're still in conversation with the commissioner's office
about a way that we can do that.
We are currently talking to people that run artificial intelligence platforms to see if
we could find a way of doing this.
And those inquiries are currently underway.
So we are much further down the road than Councillor Walters thinks we are.
We hope very much to revert to the position we were in when we're in a position to be
able to do that safely.
and without the financial risk that would lie
where we are at the moment.
So we're working very hard on this.
Our wish is to revert to that position
where we can share comments with the town
and parish councils.
Although I would say, just for the absence of doubt,
there is no legal requirement for this.
So it's not a statutory duty,
but it's clearly something that town and parish councils
feel strongly about, and we have sympathy with that view.
So we are currently working very hard on it.
If colleagues read the amendment
that we prepared carefully,
they will see that it offers a much neater
and tidier solution than the retrospective motion,
which is put before it.
So I will not be voting for the motion.
I will be voting for the amendment
and I suggest colleagues do likewise.
Thank you, Chairman.
Thank you.
Councillor Bracken, as the seconder of the amendment,
do you wish to speak now
or reserve the right to speak later.
Cllr John Chilver - 2:38:13
I'll speak now, Chairman.
Cllr Michael Bracken - 2:38:18
Thanks very much, Chairman,
and the opportunity to speak in support
of my colleagues' amendment motion.
The reasons why we propose these changes,
I think, have been very well laid out by my colleague.
I just wanted to step back a little bit,
because I noticed that the original motion
was presented as a non -political motion,
which seems to be a very popular thing
when presenting very political matters at this council.
I would also like to highlight that the original motion
sought to put something into the agenda
of the Growth and Infrastructure and Housing Committee.
I do find it slightly odd that the proposer
and the seconder are actually members of that committee.
The proposer was actually the chairman of the committee
from shortly after the time that this decision was taken,
all the way through to until quite recently,
and apparently did not see to take the opportunity
of using that committee to inquire
in the way that they wanted,
and instead have chosen to bring something to this council,
which frankly could quite easily have been resolved
at the committee level.
I'd also like to observe that I think of all the things
that we might be concerned about in planning
at this Council, I find it very difficult to get very worked up about this one,
compared to the appalling changes in the planning system that the Labour government
is trying to impose on us by removing the powers of planning committees,
taking away local decision making, and trying to undermine democracy at every opportunity.
So I do think it is important that I'm happy for the decision to be scrutinised,
happy for the committee to continue to ask questions, that's absolutely fine. But I would
recommend that we adopt all the measures. As I say, the second part deals with the proposal.
That makes it a little bit clearer as to what the government is doing.
Thank you. Your time is up. Thank you.
Cllr John Chilver - 2:40:24
So now we move to a debate on the amendment. I just want to emphasise this is on the amendment
and not on the original motion. Could anybody who wishes to speak please raise your hands.
I'll start with Councillor Simon Rouse.
Thank you Mr. Chairman.
Cllr Simon Rouse - 2:40:48
Just for the clarity of the public, we often debate things in this chamber,
but a huge amount of work goes through the select committees.
Councillor Waters knows I hold him in very high regard.
He was the previous chairman of the Growth, Infrastructure and Housing Committee,
who I took over from in April.
At the meeting in April, I invited members
to share anything they wanted to add to the work programme
of the Growth, Infrastructure, and Housing Committee.
I then, during post -May and before the July meeting,
had a member call that invited members to come on,
see a draught work programme, and add anything
to that work programme that they considered appropriate.
We then had a meeting of the Growth, Infrastructure,
and Housing Committee last Friday,
where the work programme was on the agenda.
The members were invited to share anything
wanted added at no stage has Councillor Waters or Councillor Roberts or any
other member of the committee asked for this to be scrutinised. I would
absolutely stand for the committee's total right to scrutinise anything that
they wish to do so, but to bring a motion to the chamber without the courtesy of
raising it at the committee, raising it with me and asking if we can put it onto
the work programme, I think exposes the motion for what it really is. If we want
to do serious scrutiny, and I do, and I hope members across the chamber know that when
you're in a scrutiny committee that I'm chairing and participating in, I am as challenging
and robust and rigorous as the next person. We should scrutinise this. I think the cabinet
members set out the right time at which to do that scrutiny, and I would welcome the
opportunity for it to come to the Growth and Infrastructure and Housing Committee for us
to do so. But please, let's not use the council chamber for matters that absolutely sit in
purview of the select committees which are cross -party and do serious work. Now
as far as I'm concerned the amendment is is one that I will support and I just
say to any members of the select committee my email, my door, my phone are
always ready for anything you want to add to the work programme bring it there
Cllr John Chilver - 2:42:46
first. Thank you councillor Trevor Snaith. Thank you. I know my inbox and emails are
Cllr Trevor Snaith - 2:42:52
constantly filled with residents saying,
I'd like to be able to see what my friends have said on planning applications.
So I cannot support this motion at all. Um,
I'd like to read one that's just been received today. Um,
unbelievable. I don't think this has come from a resident.
I don't think deleting every point and replacing it with the opposite can be
called an amendment. Lennon would be impressed.
I hope the Books Free Press gets hold of this.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Quiet please.
Cllr John Chilver - 2:43:30
Councillor Mary Momina.
Thank you, Chairman.
I can't support this amendment
because it takes straightforward resident focus motion
and turns it into something far less meaningful, I'm afraid.
Cllr Maru Mormina - 2:43:47
The original motion asked for proper scrutiny,
the kind of structured evidence -based oversight
that helps residents understand how decisions are made.
This amendment replaces a clear scrutiny process
with a simple update.
And that for me is not good enough.
Residents have been very clear.
Removing public access to planning comments
has damaged confidence in the system.
Over 2 ,000 people have signed a petition.
Town and Parish Councils have raised concerns,
weakening the motion at the moment like this.
I'm afraid since the entirely wrong message.
Members know that scrutiny is not an inconvenience.
It's how we demonstrate accountability.
The original motion sets out a sensible structure review,
looking at the legal advice, the options considered,
the implications of the current approach
and how other authorities manage this.
The amendment strips all of that out.
It undermines transparency, it undermines member oversight,
and it undermines residents' confidence
in the planning process and in local democracy itself.
For those reasons, Chairman, I urge members
to reject the amendment and support the motion
as originally trusted.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Cllr John Chilver - 2:45:06
Just a reminder, we are debating the amendment
and not the original motion at the moment.
Councillor Mark Roberts.
Yes, thank you.
Cllr Mark Roberts - 2:45:15
To answer Councillor Bracken's point,
the reason this was not a political motion
was because planning is not a political matter,
as we all know.
And the main thing with this is that
the processes, it's not just about the processes being done,
it's about the processes being seen to be done,
and that's how we get public confidence
in the decisions, the planning decisions that are reached.
If they can see all the evidence
on the planning applications,
then they can have assurance that their views
have been taken into account
and the views of their other residents.
I'm afraid this is back to the example that I gave.
This is an example of GDPR being used
as a fig leaf for a choice.
We don't know what evidence has been supported.
This amendment is a fob off.
Assurance is not scrutiny.
Assertion is not evidence.
And it's certainly not what residents, parish councils,
and over 2 ,000 petitioners are asking for.
So I urge colleagues to vote against the amendment
and support the substantive motion.
Thank you. Councillor David Moore.
Thank you, Chairman.
Cllr John Chilver - 2:46:31
This amendment is fantastic
Cllr David Moore - 2:46:34
because it will find a solution whilst being custodian of the taxpayer.
And this is yet another example of the Liberal Democrats
who are seeing hundreds of thousands of pounds in fines
to play a bit of political football.
And I know what football I want to watch tonight
and not this ridiculous behaviour.
We're not a district council where we receive
a couple of applications every week.
We are a unitary authority and that comes with a planning portal
where we see lots and lots of comments.
and this amendment is going to use the power of technology that satisfies the legal advice
while saving the taxpayers money because the ICO has fined many authorities where they
have fallen astray of GDPR rules.
May I also remind the Liberal Democrats that GDPR has retained EU legislation, so you can
of course thank the European Union for this as well, because that privacy legislation
came from the EU.
I didn't know that Liberal Democrats have had a U -turn on the European Union, but I
they pick and choose policy, just like with their housing targets.
So please support this amendment.
I'd like to thank Councillor Strachan and Councillor Bracken for putting this forward.
And I want to echo Councillor Rous.
This could have been brought forward at GIH,
but you wanted to put it here to play a bit of football before the actual football.
So please support this amendment. Thank you very much.
Councillor Larissa Townsend.
Cllr John Chilver - 2:47:55
Thank you. I wish to speak against the amended motion and in support of the original motion.
Cllr Larisa Townsend - 2:48:05
This is a debate on the amendment rather than the original motion.
The original motion does not ask the council to ignore data protection legislation,
nor does it ask for privileged legal advice to be published. Instead,
it asks for something entirely reasonable that members are given the opportunity to
scrutinise the circumstances that led to the current position, examine how other authorities
have addressed the same challenge, understand the options that have been considered, and
explore whether there's a lawful and proportionate way of improving transparency.
That is where the amended motion falls short.
It replaces independent scrutiny with an update.
Respectfully, I don't think those are the same thing.
If there are genuine legal constraints, then we should understand them.
If there are practical alternatives, then we should examine them.
and if there's a compliant solution that restores greater openness, then surely we should want to pursue it.
Ultimately, this motion is not simply about planning comments.
It's about demonstrating that Buckinghamshire Council is committed to openness, accountability and earning the trust of the people we serve.
For those reasons, I'll be supporting the original, unamended motion and I hope that other members will do the same.
Thank you, Councillor Alex Collingwood.
Cllr John Chilver - 2:49:16
Thank you, Chairman. Having actually looked at the amendment, I'm surprised
Cllr Alex Collingwood - 2:49:21
Councillor Townsend doesn't understand it because it clearly says we are going
to look for, and I'll read it back out again, so it says worked on a state to find a
solution that suffices legal advice, data protection and the interests of the
taxpayer. Very clear. That's exactly what this amendment will do. So therefore I
would ask the rest of the chamber to support the amendment because actually
would do what we actually are looking for it to do but do it with the right
technology at the right time to make sure we do not get fined by Information
Commissioner because they will actually come for us big time. Thank you.
Cllr John Chilver - 2:49:55
Thank you councillor Christina Dalley. Thank you chair.
Cllr Christine Adali - 2:50:02
Councillor Townsend, Mormina and Roberts spoke very very eloquently to it so I
won't add any more of the same.
Just a little flavour from, as a councillor,
also town councillor in Beaconsfield,
since the comments have disappeared
of the planning portal for residents and town councils,
my inbox for every big planning application
has attracted about 100 emails per planning application,
just because the residents wanted to make sure
that the town councillors know what's happening.
That's a workload that clerks and town and parish counsellors, who are all volunteers,
can't really support for any length of time.
It's now a year of this already.
Residents feel unheard, they feel neglected and ignored.
So for them it's a transparency issue.
Planning carries very big emotions for a lot of people.
So for people feeling that they might not be heard is very, very important.
Given how clever our Council website is with a very agile AI that directs you to every place where you could possibly ask for,
I can't really understand why the Planning Portal can't do a similar thing.
Firstly, because you put all your details in at the beginning so you can just take those boxes out in what you publish,
because that's not even a task that you need to look at.
And then if there's addresses or phone numbers or anything or email addresses in text,
that's quite easy to determine with AI.
I mean, I can ask copilot, they can tell me that.
So I can't really see why it's taken a year of residents feeling ignored.
And now an amendment which will push it even further down the line.
I think people are just getting a bit frustrated and I'm just reflecting here what residents
have told me and my own sentiments of just being a bit overwhelmed by the inbox.
Thank you, that's time up. Thank you. I'm going to wrap this debate up because I
Cllr John Chilver - 2:52:09
think we've heard arguments on both sides of the amendment. So I shall just
invite Councillor Jonathan Waters as the original, apologies for those who I
haven't been able to call, as the mover of the original motion to sum up for two
for a few minutes.
Thank you, Chairman.
Hopefully the microphone works now.
Cllr Jonathan Waters - 2:52:29
When I opened up the document and saw with dismay
the level of changes that had taken place
on the original motion that was put forward
and negating really the whole purpose, I was shocked.
But then it just confirmed my suspicions
and those of fellow councillors,
parish and town councillors, and Buckinghamshire taxpayers
when something is not right and being challenged,
the leadership of this council is on the ropes.
It comes out fighting, shouting at the top of its voice,
look away, there is nothing to see here.
We are the experts, we have all the facts.
Hoping to drown out the voices, the letters, the petitions,
and whatever that vote is today,
the leadership are on the wrong side of the argument.
The motion is headed up, transparency and planning,
and this amendment is anything but transparent,
this amendment.
It does not even try to answer the frustrations
that coming into the cabinet member for planning
from across Buckinghamshire.
It is the very way those challenges have been rebuffed
by Councillor Strachan saying no, no, no
to any change or possibility
that we are completely out of step.
This has been going on for 12 months
and the call for change are getting louder
after every statement.
It is about time the select committee got the opportunity to do its job, and that is
to scrutinise fully all the facts on the executive decisions that are causing a significant concern,
and in this case, shaken up our relationship with the public.
The public need to see that we value and take comments seriously.
This amendment completely gives the control of the narrative to the cabinet member when
it is that very person's decision that is being scrutinised.
it makes me ask, what are you scared of,
and what are you hiding?
I will quote your parish,
a parish councillor from Cheping Wycombe.
But -
Thank you, your time is up.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Please vote against the amendment.
Cllr John Chilver - 2:54:31
So now we move to the vote on the amendment,
not on the original motion, on the amendment.
Could all those in favour, please,
of the amendment, please raise their hands.
And those against?
Are there any abstentions?
So the amendment has been passed
and it now becomes the substantive motion.
So we move to the debate on the substantive motion.
Again, two minutes for any speaker who wishes to speak.
Thank you.
Please put your hands up and keep them up.
Councillor Pohl.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I propose that the question be put.
Could we have quiet, please?
Continue, Councillor Pohl.
I propose that the question be put.
Is there a seconder for that?
Councillor Ying I think.
I second that.
Thank you.
So we put the proposal to go straight to the vote.
Could all those in favour please raise their hands.
Those against.
Any abstentions?
Before you go to the final substantive vote.
Jonathan Waters gets two more minutes.
So, we are going to a vote, but firstly, Councillor Waters, as the mover of the original motion, gets two minutes to speak if he wishes.
That is the procedure.
I'll start with that because you're always doing it with the motion.
It's been proposed to me to have a vote.
I'll start with his motion.
His motion has been amended, but it's now the substantive motion.
and so as the proposer of the original motion he gets two minutes.
Thank you Chairman.
I think we have had enough debate and I think everybody understands the arguments so I'm
Cllr Jonathan Waters - 2:57:22
not going to spend two minutes going through it and I think we should go to the vote.
Thank you.
Cllr John Chilver - 2:57:31
Right, so this is the vote on the amended motion, substantive motion.
All those in favour please raise their hands.
Those against. Abstentions. So that motion has been carried as amended. Thank you very much. We're nearly there.
We're nearly there.
Please, can we get through the last little bit of the agenda quietly, please?

9 Questions on Notice from Members

The next item is questions or notice from members, and this item is for information only,
followed by the key decisions report, again, for information only,

10 Report for information - Key Decisions Report

which leaves the date of the next meeting, which is on Wednesday the 16th of September at 4 p .m.

11 Date of Next Meeting

So thank you all very much for your attendance and your contributions this evening and a
safe journey home.
Thank you.
Well done, John.