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Cabinet
Tuesday, 28th July 2026 at 10:00am

 
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  1. Cllr Steven Broadbent
  2. Cllr Steven Broadbent
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  1. Cllr Thomas Broom
  2. Cllr Steven Broadbent
  3. Cllr Peter Strachan
  4. Cllr Steve Bowles
  5. Cllr Steven Broadbent
  6. Cllr Steve Bowles
  7. Cllr Steven Broadbent
  8. Cllr Peter Brazier
  9. Cllr Steven Broadbent
  10. Cllr Robert Carington
  11. Cllr Isobel Darby
  12. Cllr Steven Broadbent
  13. Cllr Carl Jackson
  14. Cllr Steven Broadbent
  15. Cllr Mark Winn
  16. Cllr Steven Broadbent
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  1. Questions
  2. Cllr Thomas Broom
  3. Cllr Steven Broadbent
  4. Questions
  5. Cllr Thomas Broom
  6. Cllr Steven Broadbent
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  1. Cllr Isobel Darby
  2. Cllr Steven Broadbent
  3. David Munday - Director of Public Health
  4. Cllr Steven Broadbent
  5. David Munday - Director of Public Health
  6. Cllr Steven Broadbent
  7. David Munday - Director of Public Health
  8. Cllr Steven Broadbent
  9. Cllr Carl Jackson
  10. David Munday - Director of Public Health
  11. Cllr Steven Broadbent
  12. Cllr Mark Winn
  13. David Munday - Director of Public Health
  14. Cllr Steven Broadbent
  15. David Munday - Director of Public Health
  16. Cllr Steven Broadbent
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  1. Cllr Isobel Darby
  2. Cllr Steven Broadbent
  3. Ms. Sara Turnbull
  4. Cllr Steven Broadbent
  5. Cllr Robert Carington
  6. Cllr Isobel Darby
  7. Cllr Steven Broadbent
  8. Ms. Sara Turnbull
  9. Cllr Steven Broadbent
  10. Cllr Carl Jackson
  11. Cllr Isobel Darby
  12. Cllr Steven Broadbent
  13. Cllr Peter Strachan
  14. Cllr Isobel Darby
  15. Ms. Sara Turnbull
  16. Cllr Steven Broadbent
  17. Cllr Mark Winn
  18. Cllr Isobel Darby
  19. Cllr Steven Broadbent
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  1. Cllr Carl Jackson
  2. Cllr Carl Jackson
  3. Cllr Steven Broadbent
  4. Errol Albert - Corporate Director for Children's Services
  5. Cllr Steven Broadbent
  6. Cllr Robert Carington
  7. Cllr Carl Jackson
  8. Aman Sekhon-Gill - Assistant Director, QA
  9. Cllr Steven Broadbent
  10. Cllr Isobel Darby
  11. Aman Sekhon-Gill - Service Director for SEND and Inclusion
  12. Errol Albert - Corporate Director for Children's Services
  13. Cllr Thomas Broom
  14. Aman Sekhon-Gill - Service Director for SEND and Inclusion
  15. Cllr Mark Winn
  16. Cllr Carl Jackson
  17. Cllr Steven Broadbent
  18. Aman Sekhon-Gill - Service Director for SEND and Inclusion
  19. Cllr Steven Broadbent
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  1. Cllr Robert Carington
  2. Cllr Steven Broadbent
  3. Cllr Carl Jackson
  4. Cllr Steven Broadbent
  5. Cllr Thomas Broom
  6. Cllr Steven Broadbent
  7. Cllr Robert Carington
  8. Cllr Steven Broadbent
  9. David Skinner - Director of Finance and S151 Officer
  10. Cllr Steven Broadbent
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  1. Cllr Robert Carington
  2. Cllr Steven Broadbent
  3. Cllr Thomas Broom
  4. Cllr Steven Broadbent
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  1. Cllr Robert Carington
  2. Cllr Steven Broadbent
  3. Cllr Robert Carington
  4. Cllr Steven Broadbent
  5. Richard Barker - Corporate Director for Communities
  6. Cllr Steven Broadbent
  7. Cllr Robert Carington
  8. Cllr Steven Broadbent
  9. Amy Bridgford - Service Director for Corporate Property and Assets
  10. Cllr Steven Broadbent
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  1. Richard Harrington - Service Director for Economy and Investment
  2. Cllr Steven Broadbent
  3. Cllr Thomas Broom
  4. Cllr Steven Broadbent
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  1. Webcast Finished

Cllr Steven Broadbent - 0:00:00
Thank you very much and good morning everybody.
My name is Stephen Broadbent, the leader of Buckinghamshire Council and welcome you to
Cllr Steven Broadbent - 0:00:11
today's cabinet meeting of Buckinghamshire Council on the 28th of July 2026.
Just some practicalities early on, members please make sure you use your microphones
when speaking or indeed anyone contributing today and then turn it off when you're not
speaking that so that people watching on the webcast can see it.
And also people in the room, there is an area of this chamber that you can sit in if you
do not wish to be captured by the webcast.
If you're a member of the public who wishes to be there, please talk to the clerk of the
committee to make sure you are sat in the right place.
So that being said, item number one today is apologies for absence.

1 Apologies

I do not have I believe any apologies for absence although I do note
Councillor Ade Osibogan is stuck in traffic as he comes down on the 413
Following an incident so he will arrive late
We also have in attendance today
I can see three deputy cabinet members before me councillors Peter Martin Catherine Oliver and Carol heap and they're very welcome
In line with the Constitution deputy cabinet members are able to speak and contribute to debates
but do not have a vote on the items just for clarity.
So you're very welcome.
Item two today, declarations of interest.

2 Declarations of interest

Are there any declarations of interest, please?
Just while I wait for that, obviously,
members do have their interests recorded online.
And therefore, they're available for study
by members of the public.
And I take there are no new declarations of interest today.
Thank you.
So we move on to hot topics.

3 Hot Topics

Hot Topics is an opportunity for cabinet members to convey both to cabinet and people watching
anything of particular importance or urgency that is happening in their portfolio.
You are not required to have a Hot Topic, but please do introduce yourself when you
speak so people know who you are and what portfolio you have.
I will go straight to Thomas Broome on Hot Topics.
Thank you, leader.
Thomas Broome, deputy leader and cabinet member for Transport.
Cllr Thomas Broom - 0:02:20
No hot topics other than the continuing roll out of our 120 million pound road programme,
the biggest investment in Buckinghamshire's roads in the history of the county.
Thank you very much Peter.
Cllr Steven Broadbent - 0:02:29
Peter Strachan, Deputy Leader Cabinet Member for Planning.
Cllr Peter Strachan - 0:02:32
Today Leader I have no hot topics, thank you.
Thank you very much.
Cllr Steve Bowles - 0:02:40
Cllr Steven Broadbent - 0:02:42
Safe to say local plan consultation is out and therefore if people encourage everybody
to make their views known.
They can go on the website, Peter, to do that and search for local plan and regulation 19,
the consultation for that.
Thank you.
Steve Bowles.
Cllr Steve Bowles - 0:02:58
I'm Steve Bowles, cabinet member for communities.
I've just got one hot topic which concerns an initiative by East Bucks Community Board,
which was Ageing Well.
As a result of summer community conversations last year,
Ageing World was identified as a shared priority
for Stoke Mandeville Ward.
And that was shaped directly by voices and experiences
of local residents, partners, and charities.
So building on this, a local resident
with a strong commitment to supporting older people
worked in close partnership with a community board manager
to co -produce a response to this priority.
The collaborative process led to the creation of Brew's Company, a project rooted in local
insight, community strengths, and mutual ownership.
So Brew's Company stands as a positive example of how working together, combining local enthusiasm,
practical support, community leadership, can deliver lasting social and wellbeing benefits
and strengthen community resilience.
and future events will continue to be shaped by attendees,
ensuring the group remains responsive to local interests
and firmly community led.
Thank you.
Thanks Steve, very good, an interesting initiative.
Thank you Peter.
Cllr Steven Broadbent - 0:04:19
Thank you, good morning.
Cllr Peter Brazier - 0:04:22
Peter Brazier, Cabinet Member for Culture and Leisure.
I've one hot topic.
As you know, one of the most popular services
we offer in our libraries is access
to computers and the internet.
Ripple is a digital suicide and self -harm prevention tool
that intervenes when users search for content
related to suicide or self -harm.
It displays a supportive message and signposts
users to appropriate crisis support,
helplines and mental health services in Buckinghamshire.
Ripple went live on Friday the 17th of July
across public facing personal computers
in Buckinghamshire libraries.
The rollout forms part of Buckinghamshire's wider
suicide prevention programme performing an additional
layer of support within community settings.
This work has been delivered collaboratively between
public health libraries, Ripple, and sorry,
public health libraries and Ripple strengthening the
suicide prevention and support within community
settings across Buckinghamshire.
Thank you.
Thank you Peter, important stuff.
Cllr Steven Broadbent - 0:05:32
Robert.
Cllr Robert Carington - 0:05:35
Hello, I'm Councillor Robert Carrington, Cabinet Member for Resources and no hot topics from
me today.
Thank you.
Isabel.
Cllr Isobel Darby - 0:05:41
Hello, I'm Councillor Isabel Darby, Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing.
I've got three today.
Firstly Move Together which members will recall is a physical activity and wellbeing programme
designed to help people aged 50 and over living with a long -term health condition to get them
to become more active, improve their health,
and maintain their independence.
So due to the initial success of the programme, which was just
in the Opportunity Bucks wards, from the 1st of August,
Move Together Bucks is available countywide
for inactive adults aged 50 and over with or at risk
of a long -term health condition.
The 1st of September, there's going
to be a tiered approach to service delivery being
implemented, providing a more needs -based model of support,
meaning those who just need some signposting
to local physical activity sessions will get that,
whilst others who need a much more individualised
and tailored person plan will be able
to receive that instead.
Physical activity benefits us all,
and it's proven to improve mental and physical well -being.
And this programme helps us build a healthier
and more thriving county through improved physical activity
as people age.
So the next one is the other end of the spectrum.
that's all about starting reception.
So we've got a whole cohort of children in Buckinghamshire
who will be starting reception in September.
And sadly, many children who start reception
don't have all the skills, routines, and healthy habits
that help them settle quickly and thrive at school.
The differences in school readiness
are quite stark in some places, and they
can affect children's confidence, their learning,
their well -being, and longer -term outcomes,
with some families needing additional support
to prepare for this important transition.
So what we're doing is part of priority three,
positive start to school in our best start in life plan.
A county wide communications campaign
is running throughout July and August
through radio, social media, digital advertising,
community partners.
A campaign promotes the message
that school readiness begins at home
and encourages families to help develop the key skills
and healthy habits that children need
before starting reception.
And this matters because supporting this school readiness helps all our children start school
confident, happy and ready to learn.
The campaign contributes to the best start in life plan and wider efforts to improve
outcomes for children and reduce inequalities across Buckinghamshire.
And my final one is about meningitis B vaccinations.
So members will recall that in Kent and Reading and other recent clusters of meningitis B,
you know, we've had absolutely awful tragedies occur.
So all year 13 pupils from 25 -26 academic year
and anyone under 25 going into halls of residence for the first time
will be offered two doses of the MenB vaccine this summer by a pharmacy.
18 year olds are being contacted by the NHS app to book in for the two jabs.
To ensure fuller protection from next year onwards,
all teenagers will routinely be offered the meningitis B vaccine.
And in the longer term this will simply be given as a single booster dose
in school for 15 year olds alongside other jabs that children get at school.
NHS partners will be making announcements for the arrangements for vaccination
for those currently aged 15 to 17, so they don't miss out.
As we know, meningitis is a deadly disease
and extending this protection into adolescence
aims to reduce severe illness and long -term harm significantly.
So we hope we're not going to see as many awful outbreaks as we've seen in the past.
Thank you.
Thanks, Isabelle.
Cllr Steven Broadbent - 0:09:27
Quite a lot in there and I know we've got quite a lot of helpful things on today's agenda.
So just to pick up on that meningitis vaccine part, you said NHS partners will make the contact first.
So you're raising awareness, but you know, obviously it's been delivered through the NHS and they will make contact for the arrangements. Yes
Great. Thank you
Carl
Cllr Carl Jackson - 0:09:48
Thank You leader Carl Jackson, Cameron member for education and children's services one hot topic
We are now just over six months into our two -year EHCP recovery plan
And I wanted to share some of the good news we have on that
Members were called that towards the end of last year the leader suggested
taking three million pounds of underspend from other areas of the council budget and putting it into an EHCP recovery plan,
which involved a number of initiatives, but the headline was buying in external support, particularly educational psychologists,
to help us complete EHC needs assessments and issue EHCPs more quickly, cutting waiting times and getting support to children and young people who need it more quickly.
I'm not even going to say that performance has improved because it's not strong enough.
Performance has been absolutely positively transformed so far by this investment, by
this council, as agreed by this cabinet.
If you want me to put some numbers on the rhetoric to hang your hat on, then in the
first half of last year we issued 240 EHCPs.
In the same period this year we issued 1 ,000 EHCPs.
That is more than we issued in the entire of last year,
in fact, and the figure for 2025 was 800.
Demand remains very high, so it's not a case of,
you know, you sort of issue 200 EHCPs in a month
and the backlog goes down by 200,
there's still a lot of demands for assessments coming in.
But progress is heading firmly in the right direction,
waiting times are coming down,
the backlog of assessments is coming down.
So I think it's, you know, behind all those figures,
which I enjoy quoting.
Obviously there are real children, young people
who are waiting for support who need it.
They're families who are anxious for them to get it.
So it's really important we get this right.
I'm certainly not standing here with a big banner
saying mission accomplished, but I think I can say
that we have made a very, very positive start
to this two -year programme.
And as a last point leader, I just say
I want to put all my thanks to the external team
who've come in to support our in -house team.
They're doing a great job.
And of course our own in -house EHC coordinators
and everyone involved with the EHC process, whether that's conducting assessments, conducting
the annual reviews, supporting families.
They're doing a fantastic job and this plan is paying dividends.
Thank you, Carl.
Cllr Steven Broadbent - 0:12:08
I mean, that's a really, really positive update and thank you for the work you've done, you
with the team, the external providers to really begin to press down on that.
Like you say, work not done, not finished, but great progress made.
and it was the right thing to do for us to put that money in to get that improvement.
But as you say, we'll sustain that.
And also it relies on school partners and others to help bring that in.
So obviously in the school holidays that will have a bit of a slowdown.
But I think it's so good.
We just passed our corporate plan and that was a part, one of the key tenets to that
is about protecting the vulnerable and giving them the support they need.
is a great example of doing exactly that,
no matter what the starting point was.
So there's still more to do, like you say,
but to hear the waiting times are down
and that massive increase in getting the plans through,
I hope is reassuring to families
who've either now got their plan or are waiting.
These are coming through the system much more quickly.
So thank you for that and the efforts
being done to achieve that.
Mark, please.
Good morning.
Mark Nguyen, cabinet member for Housing and Regulatory Services.
Cllr Mark Winn - 0:13:18
I've got no hot topics this morning.
Thank you very much.
Cllr Steven Broadbent - 0:13:22
That brings us to the end of hot topics.
Obviously Ade is not here so he doesn't get to convey any hot topics.
But also as we come into question time item 4, he was due to respond to Councillor Mormina.
What I'm going to do just in case it helps with a bit of timing with with the indulgences is take
The second question which is Councillor Townsend first, maybe just have some more time if that's okay, Romina and
Councillor Romina, sorry and then
He may not and if not, then Thomas will provide the response to you. So
Councillors have the opportunity to ask questions of cabinet through question time
under the constitution, so as I said we have two today.
And the first of those now is from Councillor Larissa Townsend
who has a question for Councillor Thomas Broome.

4 Question Time

So Larissa, good morning and welcome.
Please ask the question.
Thank you very much.
The Q1 budget management report recommends reallocating
Questions - 0:14:34
three million pounds of the in -year growth provision
for home to school transport to children's services
based partly on passenger numbers being lower than assumed
when the budget was set.
However, the report also confirms
that send transport demand remains higher than last year
and identifies risks arising from the throughput
of the EHCP backlog,
which we just heard is going really well.
Before reallocating this funding,
what assurance can cabinet provide
that the transport forecast fully reflects
the anticipated pace of EHCP backlog clearance
and any resulting increase in eligible passengers
during the remainder of 26 -27?
And what provision is available should transport demand rise
above the current forecast?
Thank you, Councillor Townsend.
Cllr Thomas Broom - 0:15:26
The current home -to -school transport forecast reflects a
favourable position against budgets as a result of lower
than projected growth in SEN passenger numbers in the previous financial year and current
financial year to date.
EACP backlog recovery work is progressing well as we've just heard and children's services
and transport services are working closely together to understand transport eligibility
implications.
It is anticipated that there will be some growth in the number of children eligible
for travel assistance through the latter half of this financial year.
This is included in full in the forecast
and funding is available to manage risk in this area
within the remaining budget envelope.
As this is an area of increasing demand
for all local transport authorities,
we continue to drive efficiency in this area as a priority.
An established home to school transport programme is in place
focused on improving services and delivering efficiencies
and since 24, 25, over 5 .1 million pounds of savings
have been delivered through this programme
reducing unit cost and delivering better value for money for the taxpayer.
Thank you Thomas, thank you for the question, Councillor Townsend.
Cllr Steven Broadbent - 0:16:36
And again, that value for money is a key tenet of the guiding plan of what we do here.
And there's some great examples.
So I'm glad that was raised about the Q1 budget position and what we're doing with that, which we'll cover later.
Thank you for the question.
If I could ask Councillor Mormina to come forward please.
Clearly Ade is not here.
So what we will do is ask Thomas to respond to you,
particularly as he previously held that portfolio
in a previous term, that might be helpful.
You're welcome, thank you and thanks for waiting.
Please ask your question.
Thank you, good morning.
Questions - 0:17:14
I noted in the last report from Council
by the cabinet member, that Buckinghamshire Council has made a modest commitment to purchasing
a minimum of 25 % of grid supplied electricity backed by Renewable Energy Guarantee of Origin
Certificates, or RIGO for short.
This is recognised as a low -cost way of supporting renewables.
However, since RIGO certificates can be decoupled from the actual energy generated and sold
separately, customers on a RIGO -backed tariff cannot know whether the energy their suppliers
is buying is genuinely renewable or simply has a RIGO certificate attached.
This is one of the reasons RIGOs don't meet EU's recently tightened traceability requirements
and therefore are no longer interoperable.
So I'm aware that businesses that want to decarbonise meaningfully look beyond certificates
to direct long -term relationships with renewable generators,
for example through power purchase agreements or PPAs.
PPA tariffs can be less competitive than regal -backed tariffs
in the short term, but may provide corporate customers
with greater long -term value for money, price stability,
and increased traceability, at the same time
supporting additional renewable generation.
So lots of benefits.
PPAs can also be quite flexible, still allowing customers to purchase varying percentages
of renewable energy as the Council is currently doing.
My question is therefore, what assessment has the Council made of the financial and
environmental benefits of regal -backed tariffs compared to alternative approaches to decarbonisation
such as PPAs, which can fix prices for 10 or 15 years, thereby protecting from volatility,
and also offer greater certainty regarding the renewable nature of the energy purchased.
Thank you very much. Sir Thomas, please.
Thank you for the question. Apologies you have to settle for me.
Cllr Thomas Broom - 0:19:28
The Council recognises that there are several approaches to procuring renewable energy.
Power purchase agreements and renewable energy guarantees of origin both support renewable energy but serve different purposes.
PPA is a long -term commercial agreement between an electricity consumer and a reliable energy
generator.
Such agreements provide a direct relationship with the renewable energy project, but require
long -term contractual commitments and careful forecasting of future energy demand.
This can be challenging for organisations such as the Council, whose property portfolio
and energy requirements may change over time as buildings are acquired, disposed of, refurbished
or repurposed.
By contrast, RIGOs are part of Ofgem's
renewable electricity certification scheme
and provide independent certification
that electricity consumption has been matched
with renewable generation.
The council currently purchases bundled RIGOs
where the electricity and associated RIGO certificate
are purchased together.
This provides a clear and transparent link
between renewable energy generation
and the electricity supplied, unlike unbundled RIGOs
where certificates may be traded separately
from the underlying electricity.
The European Union operates a similar certification
framework through its guarantees of origin scheme.
However, the UK and the EU, as mentioned,
no longer mutually recognise their respective schemes
and now operate under separate regulatory arrangements.
Both continue to certify electricity generated
from renewable sources, with RIGOs remaining
the recognised certification mechanism
within the United Kingdom.
As electricity supplied through the national grid
is drawn from a constantly changing mix of renewable,
nuclear, and fossil fuel generation,
neither PPAs nor RIGOs alter the physical electricity delivered
to individual buildings.
Instead, RIGOs provide a recognised and transparent
means of certifying renewable energy electricity consumption.
The Council will continue to review developments in renewable energy procurement, including
PPAs and other emerging market mechanisms, and will consider these alongside its operational
requirements, financial objectives, environmental ambitions, and governance arrangements when
undertaking future procurement exercises.
Thank you, Thomas.
Thank you for the question.
Thank you very much.
Very comprehensive answer.
Thank you.
Thank you, and there will be wording in the minutes to help.
Cllr Steven Broadbent - 0:22:02
Thank you very much.
That brings us to the end of question time and takes us straight into item five,

5 Forward Plan (28 Day Notice)

which is called the forward plan on 28 day notice.
This is a snapshot in time of the future work coming through to this committee.
It is updated more dynamically than between these meetings, so
please do look at the website.
But for the purposes of today, as the agenda was published,
this was the item at the time.
Does anyone have any comments or questions on the forward plan?
Okay, so are you content for us to note the forward plan, please?
Great, thank you.
That is done.

6 The Buckinghamshire Director of Public Health Annual Report 2026. Buckinghamshire’s Building Blocks: A Blueprint for Better Health & Wellbeing.

And that brings us to the first substantive item of today's agenda, which is an annual
piece of business where we welcome the Director of Public Health, which is David Munday, and
he is here to discuss and present his annual health report.
obviously most closely working with Councillor Darby in the portfolio.
Do you want to open up and then hand over to David?
Yes please, Leader. Thank you very much.
Cllr Isobel Darby - 0:23:12
So I'm really pleased to introduce our Buckinghamshire Director of Public Health annual report for 2026.
Whilst this is required to sit as an independent report from the Director of Public Health,
as his professional opinion on the health of residents in Buckinghamshire,
he is a statutory officer of this council
and this report has been written to be of direct relevance to the Council and the broad
range of functions that we're responsible for.
Through Cabinet and our Health and Wellbeing Board, we review and approve key strategic
documents that direct our work to improve health and wellbeing.
This includes our health and wellbeing strategy and our joint strategic needs assessment.
This report really builds on these important pieces of work that we've previously reviewed
and approved as an authority.
It also helps us with our ambition as described in our new corporate plan and
Excuse me to ensure opportunity and aspiration for all
Shaping great places and building thriving communities
Earlier this month. We had a visit from professor Chris Whitty the chief medical officer for England to see the work
We're undertaking in Buckinghamshire
one of the projects we showed him was our healthy school neighbourhood work as
As described in the introduction of this report,
this is an example of how, as an authority,
we already work with partners using a building blocks
of health approach to improve health and well -being.
This means we're addressing air quality,
sorry, excuse me, opportunities for active travel,
access to safe green space,
and addressing the unhealthy food environments.
Professor Whitty was very impressed with our work,
and his clear advice to us was to be ambitious in this type of preventative work,
noting that often people underestimate how much disease and illness can be prevented
if the right joined -up actions are taken.
So I'm delighted to have this report in front of us today
and think it will really help us, the Council, and a range of partners go further
in improving health and wellbeing of our residents.
So I'll hand over to David to say some more.
Thank you. Just before we do that, David, and welcome to the meeting.
Cllr Steven Broadbent - 0:25:15
I was remiss in not telling those watching that your report is on pages 19 to 118 of
the Agenda Pack.
So they'll look at it while you talk to it.
David.
Great.
Thank you, leader.
Thank you, Councillor Derby.
David Munday - Director of Public Health - 0:25:27
So the report that I've written this year really builds on last year's report.
So last year I discussed the long -term challenge and opportunities we have regarding health
and wellbeing in Buckinghamshire as we are a growing county and as an ageing county.
And this report outlines seven areas of action
that taken together help us with that long -term
preventative approach which last year's report
articulated clearly the need for.
And so within this report, it's helping us
consider those factors that are really driving
health and wellbeing in our county,
acknowledging that about 80 % of what drives
health and wellbeing sits outside of clinical NHS services
and sits within what I framed as the building blocks
of health.
In a county like Buckinghamshire, I think it's fair to say
that most residents have most of the seven building blocks
for good health present in their lives most of the time.
And where they don't, they may well have personal
or family assets that can help support them
or they live in a community where there's sufficient
social capital that would help establish those,
is help establish good health.
But these building blocks work in combination
and where one or more are missing,
the impact can be really challenging,
especially where people don't have those personal family
or social assets to support.
And we know that some residents and communities
in Buckinghamshire are more likely to have
some of those missing building blocks.
and that's what drives the inequalities we see
in Buckinghamshire and the focus of the work
like the opportunities bucks programme that we have here.
And where those building blocks are missing,
that's where we as partner organisations,
and I think I highlight this in the report,
need to step in to support those individuals
and communities to ensure those building blocks are in place.
My hope is that this report helps us
as an authority taking forward that joined up approach
that we need to be providing to support residents.
I think it helps us with our ambitions as a council,
as Councillor Darby has already referred to our ambition
within our new corporate plan.
I think it also helps us with the long -term management
of demand for services and it also therefore helps us
with the financial stability of the authority.
The report itself is not designed to be a new strategy,
but it's something that supports development and delivery
of a wide range of different strategies,
of different programmes, and of different plans.
And as will be apparent from looking even just at the titles
of the seven chapters, clearly this work spans
across different cabinet portfolios.
For example, it speaks to education,
the education and skills chapter, sorry,
It picks up on points about school readiness,
school attendance, challenges with young people
who are not in education, employment, and training,
and pulls out the health impacts that we see from that,
but what some of the solutions might be.
The housing chapter speaks directly
not just to the local plan work
that we have been undertaking as a council,
but ensures that houses in Bucks
are the homes that our residents need,
help build communities that people can thrive in.
It has relevance to our country and community parks.
It has relevance to community safety and so forth.
And then finally, I think this report also has relevance
to our NHS partners who we're currently working closely
with on the development of neighbourhood health plans.
And at its heart, neighbourhood health is simply about
how we integrate health and wellbeing services more closely
and make them more community based.
And this report will help in the development
of neighbourhood health plans because it ensures
we take an approach to health in bucks
that doesn't start with health being a concept
of where residents might access NHS services,
but it starts at home, it starts in communities,
it starts where people live their day to day lives.
So it will also help inform the development
of neighbourhood health planning in the county.
So I will leave my comments there.
I'm very happy to take any questions,
Lita, relating to the report.
Thank you, David.
Thank you for outlining that.
Cllr Steven Broadbent - 0:30:05
I think the report is very clear for people watching it
with those seven blocks, as you call them.
What do you think, while people think about some questions,
do you think this helps convey that health and wellbeing
in its broadest sense is not reliant on any single one thing
or there's any single one fix, for want of a better word.
Is that what you're trying to convey here,
that there's a multiplicity of things
that are dependent on one another?
And if someone, so linked to that,
if someone was looking at these seven blocks,
what's your advice?
Do you get going on the one you can most readily
get going on or are you trying to spin seven plates at once?
Please.
David Munday - Director of Public Health - 0:30:53
So I think it's a really important question and you're right,
this is about how we build together because of that interdependence of the seven.
So I think all of these building blocks will play into residents' health and
well -being.
And I think for individual residents who would look at something,
look at a report like this, it's really important
that people take forward the things that they can do
for themselves and take that kind of responsibility
for their own well -being.
And there's simple day -to -day things
like improving physical activity,
which we can all benefit from doing more of,
and individual residents can look at how they can ensure
that they are being physically active.
But I think the way the report is designed
and the thrust of what I'm trying to communicate
is that the individuals will need to take those steps
to be, pun intended, to be more physically active,
but actually there's different factors that are at play
which will determine how easy it is or how safe it is
for people to be physically active
or what those opportunities are,
and that's how these building blocks come together
that would contribute to, in that example,
physical activity levels.
Cllr Steven Broadbent - 0:32:15
Thank you very much. Other questions for David please? I mean David, I suppose a
follow -up to what I just asked was, is a bit around where do you think this
this sits? You said it's no new strategy, this is not you know a full strategy for
the council to have to deliver, but clearly it's consideration and everything
else and I think in your comments you link to our skills plans, our economic
and development plans and the impact on health
of having a job and good education and so on.
And obviously, and then the corporate plan,
talking about thriving communities.
Is this as much about creating individuals,
individual and community resilience
by knitting those blocks together?
Or is it kind of more do your bit
and hopefully a happy accident will make the jigsaw pieces
of people pulling together?
What's your view?
Is it kind of a provision led, like you said, so people can access things safely?
Or is it a bit of both?
So I think it's at its heart, it's both of those things.
David Munday - Director of Public Health - 0:33:16
So I think what the report is arguing for is that we can build some of that
community resilience and strengthen those community assets all around the county.
And that's a really important area of focus.
and there is, as I highlight then in the report
and how I've introduced it,
there are a whole range of different activities,
be them kind of overarching county -wide strategies,
be them direct service provision,
that we're involved in either currently delivering
or kind of planning towards,
where I think this report helps pull out the opportunities
to be improving kind of health and wellbeing.
So as an example, we're developing the new homelessness
strategy as a council, which will come forward
at a scheduled time, and the housing element of this report
will help inform how we build in that kind of health lens
to that homelessness and that homelessness prevention
strategy to give a tangible example.
That then would translate to how the services
and the support that individual residents might receive
who need that specific support.
But I could draw that thread to a whole number of different kind of strategies or plans that
We either have in place or in the process of developing as a council that I think this report would kind of support
Okay. Thank you. Carl
Cllr Steven Broadbent - 0:34:40
Thank You Lida. Yeah, I think
Cllr Carl Jackson - 0:34:44
Looking at the sort of education and development in early years section report. I think this this report brings out
very clearly
the sort of the figures that lie under the headline figures
if you like in terms of the levels of development
of children from quite different backgrounds
even within Buckinghamshire.
So if you look at the good level of development
we're about 71 % of children achieving it
which is higher than the southeast average,
higher than the national average.
But then when you start talking about children
who are eligible for free school meals,
that figure isn't 71 and a half percent,
that figure is 47%.
And I think that for me is one of the kind of
these figures in the whole report.
And I think it shows even more how important
the Best Start in Life programme is here in Buckinghamshire
and they're rolling out these Best Start family hubs.
We're not just putting these hubs where we can find
a building that doesn't need too much doing up.
We're putting these Best Start family hubs in places
where the data tells us they're gonna have
the biggest impact.
So we've already opened one in Aylesbury.
with designator Burnham and Wickham
Best Start family hubs as well.
I think this report really shows why it's needed
and where it's needed.
I think it's also worth mentioning,
I don't know, Dave, if you're able to comment on it,
but the Best Start in Life programme,
the Best Start family hubs,
it's not about just getting people through the door,
it's also that outreach aspect.
You have to try and go to the families
where you've got evidence they need support
as well as rather than just saying there's a building,
if you fancy coming through the door,
or we might be able to help.
But I think this section of the report really caught my eye
and I think it's very, very clear on what the challenge is
or where some of the disparities are, so thank you.
And thank you for those comments
and would wholeheartedly agree.
David Munday - Director of Public Health - 0:36:32
And I think that part of the report for me
is all about how we ensure aspiration
for kind of all in Buckinghamshire.
And we know that ensuring that best start in life,
ensuring that children are ready to learn
and thrive at school, aged five,
sets them on the course for positive learning and education,
but that is entirely entwined then
with their kind of health and wellbeing.
So it's such an important kind of part of the picture.
And on the specific point about kind of come to us
versus kind of go to them if you like.
So Councillor Darby noted earlier in the hot topics,
the starting reception kind of campaign,
and that's all about how families themselves
can take some of those key steps to support school readiness, that readiness to learn
and thrive at age five, which isn't about coming to a building and coming to a service.
We also commission a very effective health visiting service as a council, which does
exactly that, kind of going to families' homes to provide some of that expert kind of advice
and support and the monitoring of children's development to help families in those kind
of early years and early stages of life.
So the hubs will be really important,
but agree it's not just about expecting people
to come to a council run service.
Thank you David, and Mark please.
Cllr Steven Broadbent - 0:37:54
Thank you for the report.
Cllr Mark Winn - 0:37:57
One thing I wanted to ask is related,
or a couple of things related to the local plan
in terms of housing and how you're influencing that.
I mean one thing you talk about is affordability.
I know we want to increase within the local plan
the number of affordable homes that we have and there's a target that
25 % in the north and 40 % in the south will be affordable, but also that 60 % will be social rented
So how are you influencing that but also with the strain of an increased population?
How our external partners are going to cope because they're very much in partnership with us in achieving these recommendations
that you outlined.
Thank you.
David Munday - Director of Public Health - 0:38:43
So the affordability question is an important one and clearly Buckinghamshire is not alone
as a county in terms of some of the kind of affordability kind of points and the targets
are within the kind of local plan for good reason.
In terms of how we build and shape the communities that the local plan is designed to have that
kind of oversight of the development for.
We've been providing some, and my team have been providing
some specific input to kind of planning colleagues
on how we can ensure that when developments come forward
for settlements of 100 homes or more,
a health impact assessment is undertaken by the developer
which identifies what the health opportunities are
within the development that's being built
and also what some of the risks to health could be,
and with the latter of course,
how those might be mitigated,
to ensure that we're taking the opportunities
within those local developments
to be building health into that local
developing new community.
We're also including within the local plan policies
that ensure that there's space for community growing,
so that there's allotments, garden space and so forth
so that there is access to kind of green space
immediately for people.
It's not just kind of going kind of out and further afield
and have an overall kind of health objective
kind of within the plan.
There's of course also need for the right infrastructure
kind of within the local plan coming back to
kind of what I'm not talking so much about in the report
but about the provision of the services
that residents need in a growing county
and that kind of infrastructure part of the plan
has been inputted in by NHS integrated care board colleagues
in terms of what the kind of infrastructure build
would need to be from that kind of health side
to ensure that we're kind of building
healthy communities for the future.
Great, thank you very much.
Cllr Steven Broadbent - 0:40:52
I think maybe I'll just use this as an opportunity
to do another promotion for, and thanks to the great work
that all our volunteers do across the county.
And when I presented the corporate plan at full council,
we talked about thriving communities
and the resilience in the effort people make.
And this report, on page 55 of the report,
79 of today's pack, really digs into the impact
of loneliness and social isolation,
and the impact that will have on health,
the risk of dying early or causing psychological distress.
So I just, maybe you could just give a comment, but
sometimes doing something both in and for yourself within your community
can have a much wider impact on others as a result.
So is that something you wish to add a comment to, David?
Yeah, thank you, Lita.
I'd agree, and I think one of the bits of data, and it's an estimate, but
David Munday - Director of Public Health - 0:41:49
I think it helps bring this point home is that being lonely and socially isolated
Is it equates to the same health impact as smoking 15 cigarettes a day now? I probably wouldn't
there will be an element of kind of of
Error within that kind of that estimation, but it just it strikes home how impactful
Being isolated or being lonely can be on both physical and mental kind of well -being
So living in connected communities really matters and really makes a difference.
And this isn't simply an issue of kind of ageing, but we do see loneliness and
social isolation at different stages in the life course.
And I think to your point on volunteering, I think one of the really important
features of volunteering is it has kind of two benefits.
It has the benefit of the cause for which the volunteering is being given, but
but it also has significant benefits for the individual
who's providing that time, that expertise, that resource
to do the volunteering.
So it's a win -win in terms of how we build
kind of connected communities and how we have cohesion
in our communities and have kind of thriving communities
in Buckinghamshire.
Excellent, thank you very much, David.
Cllr Steven Broadbent - 0:43:05
So that brings us to today's recommendation,
which is for us to note and endorse the report.
Thank you, David, for compiling it.
as Isabel said earlier, your strategy officer of the council
have to bring this through though with an independent view.
So I think it's always well worth reading
given the, not only the statistics in there,
but the views you're expressing.
So our cabinet content to note and endorse this report.
Thank you very much, that is great.
Thank you David for your time this morning.
That brings us on to the Buckinghamshire
Better Lives Strategy.

7 Buckinghamshire Better Lives Strategy

This is item 7 on today's pack.
That's on pages 119 to 158.
Again, Isabelle, I think you've introduced this.
And we have Craig McArdle here as the corporate director
for adults and health and Sarah Turnbull, service director.
If there's any questions.
Over to you, Isabelle.
Yes, thank you.
We've also got Sarah Turnbull with us as well.
Cllr Isobel Darby - 0:44:03
She has been heavily involved in this.
So our Better Lives strategy sets out our vision for enabling people to live as independently
as possible in their communities and our approach to deliver this.
So the strategy sets out the operating model for adult social care through three pillars.
Firstly, living independently, supporting people to access the right information, advice,
guidance, and community networks to stay well and live independently for longer.
Secondly, regaining independence.
So when somebody has a problem, when they need help,
it's providing timely, practical, short -term support
that helps people to recover the skills and return home safely
following illness, injury, or change in circumstances.
And the third strand is living with support.
And those are for the people who really need longer -term care,
making sure that they get personalised, high quality support
that promotes choice, control, and most importantly, dignity.
So whilst the strategy focuses on the delivery of adult social care,
we know that we will only succeed in delivering the best outcomes for people
by working with our health and wider system partners,
and that includes, again, the voluntary sector.
The strategy aligns with our joint local health and well -being strategy,
And I think from that, I will hand over to Sarah
who will go into it in more detail.
Welcome Sarah, hello, good to see you.
Thank you, morning.
Cllr Steven Broadbent - 0:45:34
As I just add to that introduction,
this strategy is an update on our existing strategy
that was been in place and last refreshed in 2022.
The strategy has been and continues to be
absolutely fundamental to how we drive forward
high quality care and support,
but most importantly how we support adults in our communities to live well, to thrive
and to live as independently as possible.
The strategy that's here today, it builds upon a lot of existing work.
Ms. Sara Turnbull - 0:46:10
It strengthens that by really articulating our operating model.
So how do we turn those aspirations into a delivery reality?
So it really gives you that approach on how we will translate that into delivery.
It's backed up by a robust action plan as well that sits underneath that because of
course delivery is really, really important.
The strategy in our approach in adult social care is about building upon the strengths
of individuals, understanding what they are, understanding and building upon the strengths
in our communities.
We've heard in the last item that we have some fantastic foundations to build upon with
our communities, our volunteering and our thriving communities and the work of our voluntary
and community sector.
And that partnership is really at the heart of how we will improve people's lives going
forwards.
And we have made significant improvements to date, but there's always more to do.
And this strategy is a five -year strategy which really sets out our approach and backed
up by delivery in investing in prevention and sustainable services.
Thank you.
Thanks, Sarah.
Any questions, please?
Cllr Steven Broadbent - 0:47:25
Robert?
Cllr Robert Carington - 0:47:30
Thank you very much, Lisa, and thank you, Sarah and Councillor Darby, for a very interesting
presentation.
I would just like a little bit more information on how is this strategy going to support unpaid
carers?
Can I take that one?
Yes.
And then Sarah can add to it.
Cllr Isobel Darby - 0:47:47
So supporting unpaid carers is absolutely central to our Better Lives approach.
And as a carer myself, I'm very invested in that, I can tell you.
We remain committed to supporting unpaid carers through our All -Age Carers Strategy,
which we're delivering in partnership with health services, council teams and the voluntary sector partners.
Unpaid carers make an invaluable contribution to our communities every single day,
and it's vital that they get the support and the recognition that they deserve.
This strategy restates our commitment to strengthen the support available to unpaid carers across Buckinghamshire,
which is delivered through our Carers Partnership Board.
We're delivering on our commitment for better support for unpaid carers.
On the 1st of July, we launched a new commissioned All -Age Buckinghamshire Carers Support Service provided by an organisation called Mobilise.
And the new service has been specifically designed to support our All -Age Carers Strategy and the Better Lives Strategy.
And I would just take this opportunity to encourage anybody who is watching today, if
they are a carer themselves or they know a carer, to encourage them to contact the council
for a carer's assessment because we really want to help people.
Unless we know who those people are, we cannot give them the information and advice and support
that they absolutely deserve.
Thank you.
Yeah, absolutely right.
Anything to add?
Cllr Steven Broadbent - 0:49:08
Ms. Sara Turnbull - 0:49:13
Just to add to that, we have a really strong partnership board for unpaid carers which
has senior representation from different partners across the voluntary and community sector
and health sector.
That's really, really important because it's not just about what we can do as a council,
it's about how we work together as a system to create a carer friendly Buckinghamshire.
So that approach of partnership work is again kind of fundamental because each department,
each area has a role to play in supporting unpaid carers across Buckinghamshire.
Thanks Sarah.
Carl Jackson please.
Thank you Lida.
Cllr Steven Broadbent - 0:49:52
Obviously when I see a strategy now given my current role I try and look at it through
Cllr Carl Jackson - 0:49:57
the eyes of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities.
So in sort of practical terms, how will this strategy help those who need it?
Thank you very much.
Cllr Isobel Darby - 0:50:13
So the strategy has driven the improvements that we've made in the Council Short Break Service,
which cabinet members will know all about.
Significant capital investment has been made and now delivered to ensure the best possible environment
for providing care to adults with learning disabilities in the Council's in -house centres.
We've got a comprehensive refurbishment programme at Seeley's House in Beckonsville that's been
completed improving internal spaces and facilities and Councillor Heap and I have been to see
that.
New sensory equipment has been provided at all the centres and what's really exciting
is that we've got the development of a new specialist overnight respite facility in Aylesbury
which means that we're going to have one in the south and one in the north for families.
And that is just so important to give our unpaid carers some respite
so that they can have a rest, recharge their batteries
so they're able to care for their loved ones again.
And in addition, we've got new dedicated service that's been established in adult social care
for adults with learning disabilities to ensure the right specialist support.
and we're working to strengthen support and access in the community for adults with learning
disabilities with our partners. So there's an awful lot going on in that area. I don't
know if Sarah wants to add to that.
Cllr Steven Broadbent - 0:51:32
Great, very busy, obviously. Lots doing. Peter Straffin, please.
Cllr Peter Strachan - 0:51:36
Thank you. The adult care in the round is getting the attention of the media at the
be grateful for a couple of words of assurance
that this comprehensive strategy is flexible enough
to change in the event that government policy changes
and that any advantages that come forward,
particularly financial ones, we can take advantage of.
Yes, thank you very much.
And we know that we've got huge risks anyway,
Cllr Isobel Darby - 0:52:12
which could affect the strategy.
The strategy has to be agile,
enable to respond to the needs of our residents.
We have absolutely no control over demand
and demographic growth, so we have to do
as much preventative work, which we've heard
from David Monday earlier, we have to do preventative work,
but we have to be able to respond.
We know we have to provide high quality care
to those that need it, so financial sustainability
is also a risk, and we need to make sure
that we've got providers and workforce
able to provide that care.
So those, if you like, are risks.
We know that we're in a huge area of flux.
We've heard the new prime minister say that adult social
care can't carry on the way it has.
Well, I'm glad he recognises that because that's what the
sector have been saying for years and years and years,
hence the ongoing case review.
So I, you know, I am confident that our team,
knowing them as well as I do, are absolutely capable in
moving things around and juggling things to actually ensure that our residents receive the best possible care that can be given
given the constraints that we work under. I don't know if Craig or Sarah wants to add to that.
Just to add, we live in an environment where we as local
authorities, you know, respond all the time to changing government priorities and challenges. So absolutely this this strategy
we will respond accordingly.
Ms. Sara Turnbull - 0:53:42
We're awaiting, of course, the Casey review,
which is really fundamental to the sustainability
of the adult social care sector nationally and locally.
So we await that.
But in the meantime, it's really important
that we set out our priorities for Buckinghamshire,
which is what this strategy seeks to do,
so that we are able to drive forward
the changes that we need now,
and of course adapt when we need to
to changing government agendas.
Thank you very much for the very complete answer.
Thanks.
Mark, please.
Just a quick question on carers.
Cllr Steven Broadbent - 0:54:20
You hinted or you highlighted the importance of carers.
Cllr Mark Winn - 0:54:24
And being a carer myself, I know what a hard role it can be.
There's a new commission service.
What does the new commission service offer?
The new commission service, although it's
Cllr Isobel Darby - 0:54:39
a new provider, we have had a service for carers for a long time. So we have a new provider
and we hopefully have tweaked the service in that it will provide more. But there is
ongoing advice, so there is, I've received a weekly email which has got various bits
of information in it and some is useful and some is not relevant to me, but it is there.
There is tailored advice and support for young carers.
And we've got a young carers event, I think it's the 8th of August, but I could have got that date wrong.
So it's trying to engage people.
There's in -person stuff. A lot of people were very worried with the change of provider that there would be nothing in person.
The in -person events will continue.
There is a lot of online stuff and to be fair, a lot of carers can't actually get out.
They can't get out to go to events they'd love to, but physically they have to stay
with their loved one, but actually they could just go in another room and go online.
And this particular service offers coffee groups.
Well, you make your own coffee, you go online, but you meet with a group of people
and you can have a chat with other carers.
And I think that, as a carer myself, it's lovely to speak to people who actually get what it is,
get what you do because you know your friends say oh yeah you're doing a great
job but they haven't watched in your shoes they don't know what it's really
really like and so it's lovely to be able to connect with other people who
understand you and can support you when you're having a bad day so that's the
sort of stuff I don't know if you're registered with Mobilise but you really
ought to. I am actually yeah so starting to get in the way man.
But you know I just say that to anybody who's a carer and I think one of the
I would like to take this opportunity of saying a lot of people don't realise they're a carer
and I was in one of our local hospitals recently and there was a poster on a wall which really
brought it home to me and there was an elderly gentleman sitting by his wife in a wheelchair
and he said I'm not a carer, I just look after my wife.
And actually yes you are a carer, you're a carer if you do shopping for people because
they can't do it themselves.
You're a carer if you do housework for people
because they can't do it themselves.
You're a carer if you go to the pharmacy
to get their medication.
There's so many little bits.
That's how being a carer starts.
And then it gets more onto the physical bit
of getting them in and out of bed and things like that.
But people don't realise, and caring, I can assure you,
is something that creeps up on you.
So get registered, get help, and get support
before you really start falling apart.
Thank you Isabelle and just pull that thread through.
Cllr Steven Broadbent - 0:57:30
If people look at section five of the report,
if anyone's had any doubt about the importance
of this strategy and I was really surprised actually
to read it's not actually a legal requirement
for us to have the strategy but you know,
taking a preventative independence led,
strengths based support, what does that mean?
Well you can see in there you've said
more and more people increasingly,
2 .9 % more in the last year alone and are now living independently.
And if anyone wants to know, well, what is the link between that and
what the rest of what the council does?
As a result, that actually contributes to savings in the council.
So again, it comes back to not only looking after and
giving support to the people who need it.
It really plays on the value for money piece.
It's better outcomes for individuals to be independent and obviously ultimately
saves money for everyone by not having to go to an external placement. So 5 .2 million saved in 24 -25,
5 .1, 25 -26 year with projections to carry that on. So this is real for individuals and real for the
public purpose as well. So thank you for the efforts you're doing. I proposed now we, we,
I seek approval. It says to approve the Better Life Strategy for the next five years. Is that
approved? Thank you. Thank you Isabelle. Thank you Sarah and Craig. Let's move swiftly on
then we heard earlier Carl Jackson say he looks at policies and looks through the eyes
of younger people and now here's a real opportunity to express that because we have next the Buckinghamshire

8 Buckinghamshire Youth Justice Plan 2026-2029

Youth Justice Plan for 2026 -29 on pages 159 to 198 of the pack. Carl you're here and you
We have both Errol Albert, who's corporate director for children's services, and Amman
Sekun Gill, who's the service director for S &D and Inclusion.
Over to you, Carl.
Thank you, Lida.
Yes, so Cabinet is recommended today to endorse the Youth Justice Plan 2026 -29 and recommend
Cllr Carl Jackson - 0:59:35
its adoption by the Council.
Cllr Carl Jackson - 0:59:38
This is a statutory requirement that the Council produces the Youth Justice Plan, which needs
to explain how youth justice services will be provided in the county, how the youth defending
team will be funded, how it will operate and the functions it performs.
The plan in front of you provides some details about the progress we're making against our
statutory kind of legal outcomes for children and for victims as well.
It's important not to forget that side of things.
It also outlines priorities for the next three years alongside potential future challenges
for the partnership.
The plan I point out has been developed in collaboration with children, parents, carers,
and victims supported by the service.
As you'd expect, we don't run the justice system as a council, so this is very much
a case of partnership working.
Thames Valley Police involved the council's children's services and community safety teams,
local health services, Thames Valley probation service, and also parts of the voluntary sector.
For background, the budget, 1 .7 million or so,
is funded through a combination of grant funding
from the Youth Justice Board
and also contributions from those partners.
There are three key objectives
for our youth offending teams.
Cut the number of first -time entrants
into the youth justice system,
cut reoffending, and where appropriate,
cut the use of custody.
And it's those three objectives
that form the basis of this plan.
If I could just take each of them in turn
and give a sort of summary of recent performance based on the latest figures we have available.
There's a reduction in the rate of children becoming first -time entrants to the justice system
down from about 89 to 60. The rate of reoffending Buckinghamshire is very low, significantly lower
than in comparable areas. The use of custody for young offenders fell from three custodial sentences
in 2024 to two custodial sentences in 2025.
If that's perhaps a better politician,
I'd describe that as a 33 % drop
rather than the fall of one person,
but you can take whichever figure you'd prefer.
You'll see from the report there's obviously
a big emphasis on prevention and support
and avoiding custody.
I would stress this is, if anyone's getting worried,
this is certainly not a hugger hoodie policy.
We know where serious crimes are committed
and the custodial sentence is appropriate for public safety,
then a custodial sentence should be imposed.
But we also need to remember we're talking about children.
If you tell me that a 47 -year -old career criminal
who's committed 1 ,000 burglaries might be turned around
because he's asked to write a letter to his victims,
then you will see my sceptical face.
But here we are, of course, talking about children,
young people, possibly exploited,
possibly have unmet, complex needs,
maybe not in education, not attending school,
and that there is plenty of evidence, I think,
in the report to suggest that early intervention
at this stage can make a real lasting difference.
The priorities ahead, for the year ahead,
I keep focusing on diverting young people away from crime,
early intervention, with supporting them to stay
in suitable education being a big part of that,
and a big focus as well on long -term support
and restorative justice for victims of crime,
or I believe persons harmed, as we're now asked to call them.
There's a strong focus on working with young people
and their families, not to excuse offending,
but to help them express remorse, to make better choices,
to understand the consequence of their actions
and the impact on victims, to improve school attendance
and focus on education, where applicable,
to support and to end drug use,
to impose restorative justice.
Finally, before I take questions,
Lida, I just want to thank everyone from Bucks Council
who works on youth justice issues, including Errol and Aman who we have here, because it
can be challenging work but we can see from the report that actually we're getting some
excellent results.
Yes, I think that's definitely the takeaway from that.
Anything you want to add now, Aman or Errol?
Cllr Steven Broadbent - 1:03:41
Thank you, Lida, and thank you, Councillor Jackson.
Thank you, Councillor Jackson, for that intro, because I think it's a really important point
just to effectively not lose sight of that whole issue
around how these are children and how they're impacted.
Just to say very quickly, we were recently visited
by inspectors from HMI around our youth justice support team.
It was a positive visit, so the report's not been published
Errol Albert - Corporate Director for Children's Services - 1:04:09
as yet, but it was a favourable position.
So again, the work that's been reported here
has been recognised and we'll update
cabinet in due course of the formal outcome.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
Okay, I've got three hands.
Robert first, please.
Cllr Steven Broadbent - 1:04:24
Thank you very much, Lida, and thank you for that,
Cllr Robert Carington - 1:04:28
which is another very good report.
I'm looking at page 161 here, paragraph 3 .8,
where it mentions the 10 KPIs,
which the Ministry of Justice requires
forms data to be submitted.
And one of them, I mean, the third one is
special educational needs.
So I was just wondering what analysis have the youth justice
team, the youth justice support team, made of the role of SEND
in the system and the caseload and how can it be addressed?
Thank you, Robert.
Cllr Carl Jackson - 1:05:06
Yeah, I mean, you obviously spotted that in terms of the
children and young people who engage with the justice system,
More than half of them have kind of set needs
of some kind of EHCP or sent support.
If you put it in context with the population,
testing my memory, I think it's about 5 % of children
who have an EHCP and about 13 % on top of that
who have sent support.
So talking 80 % of the population,
more than 50 % of the engagement,
sort of the youth justice caseload if you like.
There is no doubt that special educational needs,
particularly unmet special educational needs,
are a factor in understanding why some children
come into contact with the youth justice system.
There is work on this.
There's a process now that the youth justice support
team has introduced to share the details of the HCPs
with the police where appropriate in case that helps
where children are in custody.
There are communication profiles completed for children
with identify, particularly with identified speech
and language needs, obviously might affect their ability
to communicate.
I think it's fair to say that there's connexion here
with other parts of the council's work.
So there's a clear link between work to try
and prevent children coming into contact
with the justice system and keeping children
in suitable education.
Finding them a suitable placement in some cases.
And making sure they attend attendance
is definitely important.
And I think we've mentioned the best of our family hubs.
I think you can argue there's a connexion there as well.
I think if as we open more Best Start family hubs
in connexion with our Best Start in Life programme locally,
that is an opportunity both through having the hubs
and through the outreach work to identify families
who might be struggling, identify unmet SEND needs,
potential SEND needs, all of this kind of feeds
into the youth justice work as well.
So I think it's, you know, we're very aware of the stats
on that and there is work going on.
I don't know, Amal or Errol,
if you have anything to add on that.
I think just to add that there's two aspects of that.
So when children are within the system, we absolutely ensure we do loads of deep dive
audits, quality assurance to try and understand what the factors were that contributed to
that child entering the system.
The other side of it is we do often do lots of awareness work around children with vulnerabilities
who are at risk of entering the criminal justice system, whether that's exclusions, children
Aman Sekhon-Gill - Assistant Director, QA - 1:07:30
with a disruptive family situation, whatever it is, we always try to raise that awareness
of that kind of pipeline of children who potentially are at risk of entering the criminal justice
system.
And we are really fortunate that we have our own kind of speech and language therapist
as well.
So if a child comes in and we believe there's a risk or there is something that's potentially
the child's not understanding or we think there's a communication issue, our speech
and language worker will do an assessment on that child and then the right services
are put in place as well.
Thank you very much.
Isabel, please.
Cllr Steven Broadbent - 1:08:04
Yes, thanks very much and this is incredibly important.
Cllr Isobel Darby - 1:08:08
I mean certainly the progress and the reduction in numbers is really, really encouraging but
you can say well even one is too many and I know that that is what you will be looking
at.
We have to strive to continue to be better than we are at whatever job we're doing.
I was listening to a radio programme the other day where they were interviewing youngsters
from somewhere up north where there'd been a lot of trouble and the biggest
thing came out from these youngsters was boredom and it was like they didn't
really want to hurt anybody they just wanted to throw some tiles off a roof
and you know sadly obviously people get hurt when that kind of thing happens and
it's kind of thoughtless stuff but it's it's just really a really sad reflection
that for whatever reason these kids are bored and they want something to do and those something
to dos are sometimes not always the most sensible things and they can be quite dangerous not
only to the individual but also to people around them. And I just wondered what wider
work is being done and what more we could do to actually engage young people so that
they don't make those perhaps unsafe choices.
I wasn't sure.
So the service does lots of work around positive activities
for children.
Aman Sekhon-Gill - Service Director for SEND and Inclusion - 1:09:36
And we are really focused on exit planning
because court orders are short lived.
So we can have children who are subject to orders
for six weeks all the way up until two, three years,
if not longer.
So our sustainable kind of plan is always
saying who is the system around the child that's going to help them remain
outside of offending and not enter the system in the first place. So lots of our
we are one of the agencies who will actually work with children who also end
up with what's called Street Community Resolutions so they don't necessarily
enter the system but we say to Thames Valley Police send us those children and
we'll ensure there's an activity package around them so there's a real focus on
that exit planning and sustainable kind of system and community around the child
which is why we do lots of work to try and identify third sector providers who can work in partnership with us and
We can be the hand holder of that child into that whatever it is
they're interested in so and our inspection kind of reflects that as well in terms of the strength of us using
the activities that Buckinghamshire has on offer and
And if I may council just to add you talk about the wider system
Errol Albert - Corporate Director for Children's Services - 1:10:47
Councillor Jackson mentioned earlier on around the family hubs.
There's work exploration currently around the potential for youth hubs within Buckinghamshire as well.
There's real opportunity there as we talked about earlier, the early intervention, the prevention, the easy accessible services to do that join up.
And our youth teams that are out there doing that work on a voluntary basis and working with voluntary agencies will continue.
But we are looking at how we can develop that further to ensure that we meet the needs earlier on.
Thank you, I have two more people. Thomas Denmark, Thomas please.
Cllr Thomas Broom - 1:11:21
Thank you, Lida. So I think one of the takeaways that sometimes members of the public will see when we talk about issues around this is that we can appear to be being almost a little bit too supportive towards people who are perpetrating offences.
I think one of the things that's really important to emphasise is that the reason that we do this work is precisely because it means that
We have reductions in antisocial behaviour further down the line. We have less criminal activity and that
by going in and supporting young people and steering them away from
You know, what is a fairly grim future for them potentially?
You know, the incentive that we're following to do that is very much to make sure that
residents in Buckinghamshire are at less risk when it comes to crime, when it comes to anti -social
behaviour, and that communities will be less disrupted by these things.
And so I just want to say a huge thank you to the team.
I think this is incredibly important work and I just want to make sure that anybody
watching along at home, obviously we talk about the way in which we do this a lot because
That's how we actually get the results, how we achieve the results.
But the purpose of doing it is very much to make communities safer across Buckinghamshire
and the work done across the beast is excellent.
I think it's an absolutely valid point, Councillor.
Aman Sekhon-Gill - Service Director for SEND and Inclusion - 1:12:50
We also have a statutory duty to not just safeguard the child but protect the public as well.
So that is within our guidance and legislation and all of our assessments,
all of our planning, always considers risk to community and how we can prevent further
harm from happening either to an individual, an organisation or a community.
Great, thank you.
Mark Wym, please.
Thank you, thank you, Anita.
Cllr Mark Winn - 1:13:12
One of the things was the reduction in the number of first entrants from 89 to 60.
So is that sustainable and what's behind it is really the question.
So less people are coming forward to the excellent service that has been provided.
Thank you, Councillor.
So I think that's the product really of the preventative work.
Cllr Carl Jackson - 1:13:34
So I think you'll see in the report there's a lot of detail on reoffending.
There's a lot of detail on how young people, children, are supported within the Youth Justice System.
You'll also see, and I can provide you with more detail as well if you'd like it,
focus on preventative work, so engaging with children
and young people who are identified as being at risk
of entering these justices, but not just about once
they've entered it, it's at risk.
Do they appear to be at risk of exploitation?
How do they keep being excluded from school?
Are they just not attending the school?
So I think identifying those warning signs
and sort of taking the prevention is better than cure
approach is a big part of it.
I don't know if I'm not ever one to put any flesh
on the boats, but I think that preventative work
is gonna be key if we wanna keep driving that number down.
I'm not going to be so cruel as to ask Admiral Errol
to promise me what the figure is going to be
this time next year, but I'm sure the good work
will continue.
Yeah, I think, too, we work with a smaller cohort
Cllr Steven Broadbent - 1:14:33
Aman Sekhon-Gill - Service Director for SEND and Inclusion - 1:14:35
of children, so if, for example, we get one group -based
offence, that could be three children,
and then the figures shoot up massively.
It's really important to understand that
about our smaller cohort.
But the other thing that's really important
around the first time entrants is the fact that we are very proactive in our partnership
arena.
So we are a partnership model.
We have education that sits on our board.
We have health colleagues sit on our board.
And actually we ensure that that responsibility for preventing offending isn't just sitting
with the local authority and actually is a partnership approach.
So that kind of joint work and we often get health colleagues reach out and say I'm a
little bit concerned about a child.
What agencies are out there?
How can we kind of support them?
If there's a sibling in a family, we'll do that collective family holistic working as
well because we recognise that's a factor.
So I think all of those things help us to keep that prevention agenda as high as possible
because that's the direction we want to go in.
Thank you.
Cllr Steven Broadbent - 1:15:34
I think this is a really positive area of work and it doesn't happen by accident like
you just outlined both the hard work of you and the team but also with our partners.
So thank you for that and long may that continue.
And I know because of as it's outlined in the strategy,
you're taking the approach holistically, but also centering on the child
themselves to make sure as Thomas alluded to earlier.
This is a long term benefit to the individual and to our communities hopefully.
So, Carl, back to the fact the recommendation is for
cabinet to endorse this Youth Justice Plan and recommend its adoption in full at full
council.
Are cabinet minded to agree to that please?
Okay, excellent.
Thank you El and Amman for being here.
Thank you cabinet for that.
We move swiftly on to item nine.

9 Q1 Budget Management Report 2026-27

Never too far away from the budget so we are on the quarter one budget management report
pages 199 to 242.
Robert Carrington obviously is the cabinet member
for resources, will introduce the report
and we have David Skinner here as the service director
for finance at 151 offset, Sarah Murphy -Brookman,
corporate director for resources,
and Elspeth has just taken her position
as the assistant chief finance officer, Elspeth O 'Neill.
Welcome all.
Just to update members, Ade has messaged me to say the cars are not moving so he will
not make today's meeting.
So we'll have to turn his intently lenient into apology please.
And Robert Counten, back to you for quarter one budget management report please.
Thank you very much Leda.
Cllr Robert Carington - 1:17:24
And so I'm happy to present this report which is the first one of the new financial year,
26, 27, and as a reminder, we are monitoring again
to the budget approved by council at the end
of February this year.
So turning to revenue, the forecast out turn
on the revenue budget for quarter one is a balanced budget.
This is a strong position to be
in given the financial challenges we continue to face
and the new sets of saving targets for 26, 27.
There are continued pressures from growth and demand
and complexity of need and the key services
of children's social care, temporary accommodation,
high needs budgets, and the dedicated schools grant DSG
alongside adult social care.
But we are forecasting to achieve a balanced budget due
to growth in home to school transport not coming
through as quickly as expected.
Additional income in planning portfolio
and favourable variances in corporate budgets
from treasury management.
On the portfolio budgets, overall,
there is an adverse variance of 4 .9 million,
1 % of the portfolio budgets, but this is offset by favourable
variants in corporate and funding budgets.
The adverse variances of the portfolio budgets are 6 .7
million in children's social care.
This is due to higher average unit costs and volume of
external residential placements, and I mean,
no doubt when I finish talking, I think Councillor Jackson will
probably want to talk on this.
There's also 2 million pounds adverse in the health and
wellbeing portfolio due to increased equipment costs
following the insolvency of the previous provider and increased
costs of clients transitioning from children's services and
a 0 .4 million adverse in the homelessness and housing due to
higher volume and cost of nightly paid accommodation.
These are, however, offset by favourable variances of 3 .1
million pounds as mentioned earlier in home to school
transport from lower level of growth in passenger numbers
than previously assumed.
1 million of additional income in the planning portfolio
and a 9 .2 million pounds in treasury management.
This is due to cash balances being higher than expected.
A number of funding streams were received earlier than expected
and there's been some additional interest on that.
And the council has not yet needed to borrow
to fund capital expenditure.
As a result of these favourable variances, cabinet is recommended
to approve some additional one -off investments
in priority areas, which are reflected
in the reported position.
So these three requests or recommendations
are to reallocate three million pounds
of the in -year growth in home to school transport
into children's service improvements
to fund a rapid improvement programme
across social care and education.
And no doubt, putting no pressure on Councillor Jackson,
when he wants to talk, he may want to add
some more information on this.
Also to invest an additional 2 .2 million pounds into the
regeneration programme to accelerate investment in our
town centres through the leader portfolio.
And then prudently set aside 10 .1 million pounds to address
risks in the financial position from domestic or geopolitical
factors such as what is going on in the Middle East and closer
to home with a change of government which may have an
inflationary impact on our budgets.
Turning to the dedicated schools grant, DSG, for
clarity, the budget at the beginning of the year was set
with a deficit of 30 .3 million pounds.
Currently, the forecast position is 0 .2 million
pounds above budget.
There is an improved position on the DSG deficit following
a review of the out term for 25 -26 with our advisors from
the Department for Education.
And the opening balance is now a deficit of 42 .8
million pounds with a forecast closing balance of 73 .3 million pounds.
Important to clarify that it is assumed that the DSG High Needs Stability Grant announced
in February 26 with the further announcement we now need to bid for it, will fund 90 % of
the cumulative DSG deficit.
Moving on to achievement of savings, as can be seen in page 204, there is a challenging
savings targets for the financial year of 61 .4 million
pounds, which is being closely monitored.
And there is maybe there will be some impact on the variance due
to challenges in education and children services, but as I
said, this has all been very closely monitored and being
factored within this all.
Now moving to capital.
The approved capital programme agreed at council on February
in 2026 was at 628 .3 million pounds.
Changes have been set out in the next paper
we'll be considering after this,
the Q1 capital budget adjustments and reprofiling paper.
And so I won't go into too much detail.
Beyond that, this will, as I'll be talking about it shortly,
this will increase the four -year capital programme
to 655 .5 million pounds.
And the forecast capital expenditure for the year,
Which is in line with the budget is a hundred and ninety one point one million pounds
Important search to note the key programmes which are going to be delivered this year
The seal art the southeast alesbury link road and the progressing of the delivery of the eastern link road through the woodlands project
34 million 27 percent of the
120 million pound four -year road improvement programme set out by councillor
Broome at the beginning is set to be delivered this covers preventative strategic highways maintenance plane and patch and failed road launching and
a 27 million pound investment in schools
including 8 million pounds and send places 12 million pounds and mainstream places in early year provision and
6 million pounds or maintenance delivering places to meet the required places sufficiency targets
18 .5 million pounds of the budget remains unreleased as they are now preparing to move to the next delivery phase
via the Capital Gateway, and you can find more information on this on page 207.
On capital funding, the disposals, which are earmarked to generate capital receipts to
fund our ambitious programme for the year, is £17 .7 million, and this is forecast in
line with the budget, and we have received £5 .1 million of community infrastructure
levy income and grant income of £68 .9 million, which is forecast in line with the budget.
I'll just very quickly go on to three other additional points on debt.
Our overall performance is stable with the key measure of unsecured debt over 90 days
at £10 .7 million, which is below our target of £12 million.
This is an increase from quarter four, but is in line with our billing, which has increased
27 % year on year.
Also bear account, you may have noticed on the recommendations,
there are two additional ones with one of them being this
also includes I think in appendix three.
In appendix three there are some changes to fees and charges from
the schedule published as part of the budget.
These are due to some minor clarifications and amendments
which are required.
And then for appendix four, there is an update on grants
following the receipt of additional ring -fenced grant
income, which has been received since the budget was set
in February 2026.
So I will now look at Dave to see if there's anything further
or Elspeth, if there's anything further they want to add
to this all.
Cllr Steven Broadbent - 1:25:22
I'm seeing shaking of heads, so you're here for any other
questions, but thank you, Robert.
That's a useful and comprehensive summary.
I will come to Carl in a moment given you made the point about children's services.
I think it's worth noting that there's quite a few puts and
takes in this part which indicate how demand,
you mentioned is rising both in volume and complexity.
And whilst we best model where we think that demand will appear,
it's not until effectively people arrive at the front door of a council service
that we know exactly hence why movements that you're proposing would go from, you know,
the fewer people arriving in the home school transport part than we may have anticipated.
But obviously helping to improve efficiencies and drive on that improvement programme in children's services,
given there's a lot of demand there, shows the dynamic nature of all of us as a cabinet
and with the off city making sure that we are close to the picture in a given portfolio
and just as we did last year make sure we try and bring this budget in on target.
Right, Karl over to you to give some explanation about why your portfolio has an adverse at the end of quarter one.
Cllr Carl Jackson - 1:26:44
Thank you, leader. Yes, Councillor Carrington invites me to speak and hope it doesn't put too much pressure on Councillor Jackson.
I can assure you these figures put some pressure
on Councillor Jackson because it is clearly
the most significant adverse variance
in the budget at the moment.
The reason for the overspend is not something
that's a surprise to us in terms of its fact,
but in its scale, I think.
What we've seen for some time is the fact
that there's a rise in the number of looked after children
and probably even more significantly,
the rise in the pure numbers, the rise in the complexity of cases.
In the background there remains the fact that there is an excess of demand compared to supply
in terms of children's residential places in the private sector.
Everyone around this table will know what happens to prices when you have a massive
shortage of something.
And I'm told sort of nationally that residential care costs for children's residential placements
have doubled between sort of the 2019, 2020,
and 2023, 24 period.
The average cost spent per child in care
has gone up from about a quarter of a million to about 318 ,000.
So it is an area of continuing pressure.
And that's the main driver of the adverse variance here.
It is a continued reliance on private sector children's homes
and the fact that the cost is going up.
Of course, when you have a shortage of places,
there is an element of the providers,
the private providers, of being able to pick and choose
their cases.
So why take on the extremely complex cases
when you can take on slightly less complex cases
and still charge an awful lot of money?
So it's a complex area.
The three million pounds that is coming across,
thank you, Councillor Broome, from the home to school
transport budget is going to help us address
some of these issues, including in sort of better intelligence
and planning in terms of forecasting
where future demand is going, as well as obviously,
we need to meet the costs of the placements we're
having to fund.
And I think what this shows is overspend
is how we need to push on with the work
we've already been doing to try and mitigate these costs.
Nothing I've just said about increasing costs,
a shortage of placements, is a surprise to anyone,
myself included.
But the way we are looking to mitigate this
by opening more of our own children's homes
and recruiting more foster carers
is now something we need to crack on with
even faster to try and reduce our reliance
on private sector residential places.
I'm pleased to say that the number of foster carers
has increased since last year.
That is particularly pleasing achievement
given the national trend is very much
in the other direction.
I think a lot of that is owed to the support provided to our our foster carers and by the team and
You know foster carers are well -meaning but they don't want a situation where they are given a child person look after and then told
Good luck. See you in six months to see how it's going. We don't we provide a lot of support
We provide a very good package of
Perks council tax rebates access to council leisure facilities
these, you know, platinum, merling cars, free parking,
to try and support foster carers
and encourage recruitment of more.
And it is working, but we need to push on.
I can confirm, I got the figures this morning, actually,
from Errol, that we have 22 new foster carers
currently going through the assessment process.
And in terms of foster care recruitment,
those, for context, those are big numbers.
You recruit 22 extra foster carers, that's a big deal.
in terms of the comparative costs of foster care,
compared to residential care, to the council.
So I think that's extremely important.
So that, I think, is my main message.
Those are the reasons why we're seeing the costs go up.
What we're doing to address them,
we need to do further and faster
in order to keep mitigating these costs.
And obviously, I'm working very closely with Errol
and the team to make sure we deliver on those promises.
Errol didn't know if you had anything more
to add at that point.
He's shaking his head, I think you've covered it.
Thank you, Carl, for doing that.
Cllr Steven Broadbent - 1:31:01
And I'm really pleased you mentioned the fostering part.
One of the best things people out there can do
for young people is become a foster parent to them.
Much better outcomes for the individual.
Yes, they're all, you turn them as perks,
the added advantages you get,
like pre -parking in council car parks, the cabin,
and a council track and so on.
But the ultimate motivation is the impact
you can have on young children.
So I do recommend if people are considering it,
please do have a conversation with the team.
Elwin and his team will do that.
And you can make contact with that through the council
website.
I think what you've said illustrates the point
about the complexity of demand that I spoke
about earlier and I think it's really important that we have this collective
effort as we have around the cabinet table to to meet that so you mentioned
Thomas therefore the home school transport budget and he's next to speak
so Thomas to you. Thank you leader yes no well we are we're happy to be able to
Cllr Thomas Broom - 1:32:06
provide three million and to see further improvements there is a real partnership
between Children's Services and the home school transport team to make sure that
everything is linked up and delivering a good service
and also pushing for value for money.
And I particularly pay tribute from sort of my side
of the operation to the home school transport team
for the fact that they are delivering
genuinely remarkable savings while I think improving
the service that we provide.
And that is incredibly important.
I do also think we need to bear in mind here
that actually we're looking at a balanced out turn
in quarter one is a relatively rare thing.
Quarter one is where a lot of pressures tend to rear their heads and you often end up with
adverse variances that you then spend the rest of the year managing in.
I think it's a continuation of the fact that we managed to finish last year effectively
having met our balanced budget which again is not something that the lost councils around
the country are able to do at this point.
But I do also think it's really important that we remember that all of this is in the
context of the removal of 44 and a half million pounds
of funding from Buckinghamshire by this Labour government.
That has caused a very significant amount of work
to have to take place to deal with that removal of funding.
And what you see here, although it may look a little
sort of dry and financial, is the product of a lot of people
working very hard to protect Buckinghamshire residents from the
actions of the government in removing that funding and you know it's it's an
effort across the organisation and you know really appreciate the work that's
gone in to make sure that Bucks residents do not feel the impacts of
those cuts that have been imposed on them by central government. Thanks Thomas
Cllr Steven Broadbent - 1:34:03
I mean yes we know there's a huge effort here to protect frontline
and services that we know are resident priorities
and do that in a really hard financial time
and reduction of funding made that all the more difficult,
which is why the work you and the team doing
is really important.
But we do have an upside.
And so, Robert, just to reiterate,
so there are three parts to this.
You said 10 .1 million for us to put into,
because we know there's future risks coming.
Some of this is service delivery.
You mentioned inflation risk and others due to geopolitical parts.
So to put some money aside for risks and further delivery of priorities,
2 .2 million into town centre regeneration.
And I've talked quite recently about the plans that we have on that and
having gone to UK Reef and bringing those forward,
particularly in the Aylesbury town centre first.
So we can begin to make progress on that.
and then the three million that we've just talked about.
So, you know, when we have this money,
we're being prudent with it
and investing it in those priorities
and putting things aside for risk.
Robert, you went on to talk about the DSG
and the deficit there and some movements.
Are you confident the money,
are you still confident the money we have set aside
if government funding continues at 90 %
when it should be 100 %?
Are you and or Dave confident that the shape of the money we have in reserve to meet that
deficit when it crystallises at the end of the financial period still looks appropriate?
Well, thank you very much for the question and obviously I know Dave will want to come
in after I've spoken on this.
Cllr Robert Carington - 1:35:47
I mean from my perspective, I think this is one of these areas where, as I've said in
different
Arizona committee, this is the one which keeps us all awake at night and
My answer to you would be yes in as much a situation as this is a moment of time
But we are obviously the mercy of central government
I said they have already moved the goal goal posts on this
I mean, it would be a particularly interesting decision if they were to fully remove it
But I think from what we have done that as you said particular prudency
we I think have taken a sensible prudent approach
and I think our position at this moment in time
is I would give me the confidence to say yes
in answer to your question.
But I mean Dave hopefully is not going to contradict
everything I've just said.
Dave you have a view and I know as Robert has outlined
Cllr Steven Broadbent - 1:36:42
we only know what we know at the time we know it.
If that's not and therefore we don't know everything yet
we just know we've got to do the horizon scanning
In the same way we're planning to have the demand,
we have to meet future costs.
Are you confident with where we are?
Thank you, really, yeah.
David Skinner - Director of Finance and S151 Officer - 1:37:00
Based on what we know, I think the approach
that we've taken is prudent.
It sets aside the money from last year's downturn
based on the information that we've had
and the process that's been outlined by central government
in terms of the payment of that,
of the high -value stability grant
in terms of kind of going through.
There are obviously two windows in terms of the payment
of that grant for the deficit up to 25, 26,
so through to September is the first window
and then into March is the second window
in terms of going through.
So subject to that payment being received
by the end of this year and the continuation
of that process in terms of kind of going through
in terms of receiving 90 % that we're reasonably confident.
Obviously in terms of the DSG position
strategically could change in terms of going through,
in terms of demand coming through, going through.
And I think, as Councillor Jackson has said,
then the investment in terms of inter -children services
should start to provide us better intelligence
in terms of that future, future look in terms of
kind of going through so we'll get a more informed position
as we go forward.
So it could be change subject to that.
Based on what we know at this point in time,
then confident, yes.
Okay, thank you very much.
Cllr Steven Broadbent - 1:38:14
So, Robert, you covered all the other parts
and I intend to take these recommendations on block.
So to note the report and the balanced revenue position,
note the capital out -term position,
and we know the next paper will touch a bit on that,
to improve the investment proposals,
which are the three we just talked about
that are in the paper, paragraph 1 .6,
and approve these minor changes to fees and charges
and clarifications in there,
and the budget changes for grants, to reference that.
our members content to note and approve
as outlined in those recommendations please.
Agreed, thank you.
That's carried.
Robert, you carry on now please into item 10.
The report continues, so it's 243 to 266.
The same people are here to help.

10 Q1 Capital Budget Adjustments and Reprofiling

I bet you've already referenced capital budget
adjustments and profile.
Over to you.
Thank you very much, leader.
Cllr Robert Carington - 1:39:08
And yes, I already mentioned this,
I've sort of touched upon it,
that when council voted on the budget in February,
the capital programme was for 628 .272 million,
rounded to 0 .3 million.
Since then, there has been movement
of just over 18 million pounds, about 10%,
in 2526, which has been rolled forward
into this year's programme and future.
And new funding has been announced by government,
which has also been added to the programme.
Also in addition, through the closing of the accounts
for 2526, some projects have been completed
with unspent funding, which will be removed from the programme
and a small number of projects have overspent
and require funding from contingency.
So this has led to a revised figure for 2627 to 2930,
which totals 655 .542 million pounds.
There are five recommended changes which touch upon sort of the circumstances which I just
mentioned there.
I will very briefly go through them.
So the first one is for 10 .794 million pounds of additions to the capital programme.
So this is from ring fence grant funding throughout the year.
So this one we can't predict at the time.
And this is just what governments with their own interesting internal timing decide to
announce.
So we have to sort of factor that all in.
and all of these require cabinet approvals
to be added into the programme,
hence why we are meeting today.
So the main sort of gist of this funding breakdown
is 8 .7 million of it is for highways infrastructure funding.
This is all I think for future funding, future years.
And then just under two million
for disabled facilities grants
and about just under 200 ,000 pounds
from section 106 allocations.
The next recommendation is regarding to the removal of 4 .116 million pounds.
As mentioned, this is due to completion or underspend of some projects which all come from wing fence funding.
So more detail on this can be found on pages 246 to 248.
The third one is a transfer of 0 .037 million pounds, which is from corporately funded projects.
So these were underspent and this was all corporately funded.
So the funding is now being recommended to move back to capital contingency.
The fourth recommendation is regard to the release of 0 .115 million pounds
from capital contingency as a technical adjustment to fund overspends
in the last financial year.
This can be set out on page, yeah, in section five.
Recommendation five is the reprofiling of 30 .707 million
pounds from this year into future years.
So by regularly reviewing the profile of the programme,
it's absolutely key to ensuring that delivery can be trapped
and monitored and resources reallocated where appropriate.
And this helps with our treasury cash flow management.
So there are two tables on this in section six,
table six and table seven.
Table seven shows the reprofiling type,
be it acceleration or a reface.
It's important to note that there is particularly
on the acceleration, this is mainly for the highways
projects and there are some very important things in there
which Councillor Broome may want to touch upon later.
It's gonna be found on page 250.
So two final things just to say is also section seven
and eight of the report, these show the release of budgets
through the gateway process and budget adjustments
through leader or cabinet decisions.
So that is just my brief introduction.
Great, thank you very much.
Any questions from anyone?
Thomas.
Cllr Steven Broadbent - 1:43:13
Cllr Thomas Broom - 1:43:17
Just to highlight, leader, that as Councillor Carrington
has mentioned, we are bringing forward a number of
spend schemes within the highways network.
So that's an increase in strategic highways maintenance, money going into the failed roads,
haunting and reconstruction programme and our plain and patch scheme.
And obviously, you know, we know that this is an absolute top priority for residents
and so whenever we have the room to do so, we do bring that spending forwards
so that we can get on with that programme and resurface as many roads in the county as we can.
I would just like to give a quick shout out on the basis of these papers to Councillor Matt Walsh,
who I think within about 20 minutes of these papers being published and seeing the availability of potential additional road schemes,
had already contacted me on behalf of his residents, particularly in Princess Risbir, to see if there was some extra funding available.
I think that's the fastest I've ever seen it.
But it really is genuinely good to see us be able to accelerate this work.
We know how much of a priority it is.
We know we had a tricky start to the year because of the weather.
And so as we look into next year and getting that stuff done,
it just protects us in the long term against future bad winters.
Yes, thank you very much.
Cllr Steven Broadbent - 1:44:42
And I just think all resident priorities, if people want to look at some of the,
where investment is going in this county.
Just take a look through some of these tables.
Schools, SE &D units, temporary accommodation,
affordable housing, active travel scheme,
roads, waste services, parking machines in country parks,
flood defences, et cetera.
That money, the over 600 million pounds capital programme
over the financial term that we're operating within
delivers a lot of services.
And there's so much information in here
and shows you why we had a cabinet meeting a week ago
where we made some capital decisions.
It's when we dispose of things
or talk about best value and getting returns.
It works in two ways.
This is capital investment and the rest is to make sure
from the previous item we can balance the budget
as much as possible.
So I'm really pleased to see this.
It shows just also how much is going on
and how close you are, Robert, with the officers
to making sure we deliver a strong capital programme.
I'm not seeing, because of that sort of knowledge,
any other hands.
So I'm gonna take this to,
you went through the recommendations a moment ago.
So I'm gonna go and take those on block now.
Are people content to agree the recommendations
as set out in the paper, please?
Agreed.
Thank you, that's agreed.
And then that brings us still to the next item for Robert,
which is something called Strategic Asset Management Plan.

11 Strategic Asset Management Plan

This can be found on pages 267 to 286 inclusive.
Richard Barker's here, corporate director for communities
and Amy Bridgeford, service director
for corporate property and assets.
As the faces change around the table, thank you, Osbert.
And Robert, over to you, please.
Thank you very much, Lida.
And this item also links to the previous item
Cllr Robert Carington - 1:46:34
in regard to capital and particularly our assets.
I mean, people watching, I mean, quite rightly,
the first question will be, what is this?
What is a SAMP?
So, a SAMP is a strategic asset management plan,
which it sets out a clear framework of how the council
will manage and make best use of our property and land
to support the council's priorities,
including regeneration, housing, and economic growth
as set out in the corporate plan,
which we approved recently, and aligned with the delivery
of the MTFP.
So it will provide a clear basis for informed decision
making and set out how our state will support modern ways
of working and better outcomes for the people of Buckinghamshire
To sort of just lay the scene a bit, the property portfolio
extends to over 1100 building assets and over 600 land
interest with an overall value in excess of 1 .4 billion
pounds as of the 31st of March, 2025.
these figures are taken from the accounts.
So these assets serve a number of different functions
and for simplicity within the SAMP they are being divided
into three distinct portfolios which shape how we manage
these assets.
The first portfolio is in investment assets.
These are, as the name suggests, income generating
and this includes our significant agricultural
and land holdings.
So to put some numbers onto this,
there are 307 investment properties.
This includes nine business parks, 31 tenanted farms,
over 4 ,500 acres in agricultural use,
and an overall asset value of 353 million pounds,
which brings in an annual rental income of 21 million pounds
to help support council priorities.
The second portfolio is operational assets.
These are those that accommodate and support
council services and functions such as schools
and community services.
There are 841 operational properties,
318 educational facilities, so primary and secondary schools,
72 car parks, 56 managed parks, and eight council depots.
The third portfolio is the infrastructure assets.
These are our roads, vehicles, and equipment.
So to put into context, this is about 2 ,200 miles of roads,
in addition to over 27 ,000 street lights,
85 ,000 gullies and a fleet of vehicles
and various types of equipment
to deliver these key services.
So the implementation of the SAMP
is going to be monitored against a number of measures,
agreed as proxy indicators within the corporate priorities
as CPIs as what was agreed during the corporate plan
a couple of weeks ago.
So in conclusion, effective asset management
is not simply about maintaining buildings and lands,
It's about ensuring that all of the decisions we make
deliver value for money for residents
and support long -term sustainable services
for residents and businesses in Buckinghamshire
and the SAMP, in my belief,
will support this and deliver that.
Thank you very much, Robert.
Cllr Steven Broadbent - 1:49:43
I really did indicate nothing necessarily to add here,
but why we only got this now, Robert?
Cllr Robert Carington - 1:49:55
The reason is, so obviously with unitarization, we have been working through the process and
going into this is best practise and the perfect timing with the new corporate plan to align
fully with that to make certain, obviously aligning with the priorities and also with
the approval of the MTFP as well.
It is the perfect time to bring this in, which is industry best practise.
Amy, I don't know if there's anything further you want to say on that.
No, okay, I think that's really important.
Cllr Steven Broadbent - 1:50:24
So we have the corporate plan and I said, when we introduced that,
it was like a capstone, the guiding principle and things will flow through it.
This strategic asset management plan is a really key point and
you just highlighted today the finances involved,
the size and scale of the property holdings.
So within that corporate plan, it talks about value for money and best value and
so on.
This, I think, will give people reassurance over how we're handling that
to make sure we can evidence it as things go forward.
I also note it was referenced by the corporate peer challenge previously
where they said, you know, good thing to have, bit of best practise.
So this is the first we've had and it does link with that corporate plan
and I think sets out very clearly those kind of groupings
of the holdings investment, operational
and infrastructure portfolio.
And how each of those will need a different kind of aligned
but slightly tweaked focus.
Question for Amy or Richard though,
how does that align within the service?
How will you make sure,
because they're not equally split,
Are they in terms of all the holdings being equally divided?
How will you make sure each of those areas gets the right focus in it?
Yeah, thanks, Lita.
So, it's Richard Barker, I'm the corporate director for
Richard Barker - Corporate Director for Communities - 1:51:51
communities, as you said at the start.
Very helpfully, the team within property align themselves to
the portfolios that we have within the strategic asset management plan as well.
So we have a team of people that focus around the operational estate,
which as you say have some different guiding principles as we've indicated
within the within the SAMP that's very much around ensuring that the service
requirements for those operational facilities are aligned, that we maximise
the use of our operational footprint, that we promote access to services for
our residents and make it as easy as possible to access and enjoy the
services that we're here to provide. The investment portfolio is obviously very
different in terms of its ultimate outcomes that we're seeking to achieve, which is around
driving revenue to help the Council support its wider objectives, as you say, linked to
the corporate plan. And we have investment asset managers, which are professional in
that sphere and are able to maximise market opportunities, ensure that the Council is
able to guide its investment portfolio to maximum effect
and help the delivery of the MTFP specifically as well.
But as I said, those teams are distinct and separate
and are aligned to the same, thanks.
Thanks, that's really helpful, thanks, that's helpful
Cllr Steven Broadbent - 1:53:16
because the property and asset team
are not delivering the operations.
So, you know, they're not running the car park
or the leisure centre or whatever.
And obviously there are people in,
and operators and teams within the council
who keep that online.
Robert, either you or maybe Amy and Richard,
this phrase is in here corporate landlord.
Can you just put that into speak
that people could more readily understand, perhaps?
You know, what do we mean by a corporate landlord model?
Oh, no, thank you.
No, I can very much take this one.
So the name, apologies for those listening
Cllr Robert Carington - 1:53:56
for the corporate speak, but basically what the corporate landlord means is that it's
going to centralise all the state related budgets, decision making, and activities within
the central team, which is Amy's team, the corporate property and assets team.
So service departments in effect are going to become tenants of the corporate, of Amy.
I assure you she's a very good landlord.
And so basically the estate is going to be managed in one place.
it centralises this all and it basically makes certain
that it is going to be the decisions
on regard to the property are going to be coming
from those who are the experts.
So Amy and her team, they are all,
so to be in her team you need to be a member of RIT,
so the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors.
So these are the qualified individuals
regarding building surveying and so the experts on this.
So basically the decision making is going to be originating
from the experts and then obviously all decisions will be involved with the
tenants for the relevant teams but it is just to centralise the process and make
certain we have more the more effective decision -making as I mentioned in my
introductory statement. Thank you would obviously input from you and any
Cllr Steven Broadbent - 1:55:11
disposal or acquisition decision will come to cabinet typically. Amy anything
to add with a landlord hat on or an officer hat?
Thank you, Lida. So Amy Bridgeford, Corporate Property and Assets Service Director, so Councillor
Carrington explained that very well. I think the simplistic term is that the corporate
property and assets team are the landlord and the service users are the tenant. So it's
just the difference between landlord and tenant. Thank you.
Amy Bridgford - Service Director for Corporate Property and Assets - 1:55:38
Cllr Steven Broadbent - 1:55:40
Okay, thank you, Amy. I don't think we've got any further questions. I know because
as I sat alongside you in one of our scrutiny sessions
when members were asking about this,
they were keen to see this.
So this won't be the first time,
or only time that this comes into the public sphere.
But are we happy to take the recommendations
to approve the stamp?
And the sample is in the appendix A that's on this item.
Content to approve the stamp, please?
Agreed.
Thank you, that is agreed.
And that brings us now to item 12, which is in my name.

12 Buckinghamshire Growth Fund – BOSCH and NADIC (National Autonomy & Drone Innovation Centre) Funding

And I have Richard Harrington here to assist
your people have questions.
This is entitled Buckinghamshire Growth Fund,
Bosch and Naddick.
That is the National Autonomy
and Drone Innovation Centre funding.
The item here is in two parts.
There is a public paper and a confidential appendices.
The public report is on pages 2, 8, 7 to 2, 9, 4.
And as I said, I have Richard who's our service director for economy investment and regeneration here to answer questions.
So the Buckinghamshire Growth Board is something that I chair on behalf of the council and the residents,
but has on there representatives from education, health, I think at times our voluntary sector, and importantly our business community.
And I have spoken a lot about our economy and the fact we brought
forward our economic plan that links very strongly to our corporate plan.
And one of the opportunities we have through our very important enterprise
zones is to reinvest that money into our economy.
And so two or three months ago, we have launched the Buckinghamshire Growth Fund,
which is an opportunity for the businesses of Buckinghamshire who have got
investment proposals that are ready or can be made ready through some additional and usually matched funds
to come forward with proposals and there are a number of those that work in a way through the system.
What happens there is they are then assessed by
the Enterprise Board that sits beneath the Growth Board, then comes to Growth Board
in order to then bring a recommendation here to cabinet,
given this is ultimately public funds
for some of those investments.
You will see today, there are two programmes being looked at.
These are assessed based on some criteria
as part of the fund, and the two recommendations
are to allocate funding to both Naddick and the Bosch Centre,
and the recommendation two is we would,
if that was passed, then Richard and myself
would be delegated the ability to go
and come to the final agreement with the two businesses.
What's exciting here is we have a frontier business,
if you like, a new business looking at
the Drone Innovation Centre at Westcott,
which is a huge, one of the huge jewels
in Buckinghamshire's economic crown,
to really unlock further funding and continue making that site and the
activities happening there genuinely national and arguably international of
international importance. It's only one of three centres in the UK that could do
this. There's lots of match funding that comes around that. It will allow indoor
flight arenas, operational zones, test labs, integration facilities and is supported by
the catapult who will make sure the facility is delivered and is on an open access and
neutral basis to allow UK businesses to come and use it.
This is a real opportunity for Buckinghamshire to not only get the investment in the economic
benefit but plays part in the UK's strides in that space.
So in total the project would be 7 .8 million and details of that is outlined in the paper.
The second one is more of a foundation economy, an existing economy.
We're very proud in Buckinghamshire to have Bosch, a huge international company, have
its headquarters in Denham.
They are really putting confidence into Buckinghamshire and what we offer with the near 100 million
investment they want to make into that site.
This will provide them with a new campus for their operations down in Denham.
A training suite to become a national training centre of excellence for
them in parts of their businesses, educating over 9, sorry, 6 ,000 learners a year.
They're providing open access facilities for
other businesses as well as the local community.
ultimately there will be a local use cafe and they are restoring their grade
two listed heritage gardens with improved riverside access for visitors
and the local community. So this is what happens when a business is vested in the
community and wishes to play a part. This is a real shot in the arm for Bosch in
Buckinghamshire. They have about 40 locations across the country but want to
make sure they stay in Buckinghamshire as their main home, their HQ.
And it means it's an investment that we can be welcome.
Again, the assessments on this show some strong performance metrics.
And therefore, whilst they would have liked 4 million,
as you'll see, the paper recommends 2 million.
National government are supportive of the investment and you will see under
section 3 .6, Bosch have confirmed they will meet any funding shortfall from the
UK government matched funding and there has been some movement on that.
National government have, whilst they're very supportive of the scheme, are no
longer directly contributing funding to this but whilst they may have a minor
impact on the timeline, I've spoken, Bosch have confirmed to us that they will be able
to cover that bit of match funding.
So 100 million worth of investment, of which our 2 million would play a part.
So in this public session, that's the outline, how the Growth Board operates, how this is
a real opportunity to use the investment enterprise money that we have to recycle into our local
economy and really back our businesses because they will then take on more
people, apprenticeships, make more business rates even and so on. That's
really important to the future of the council. It comes to our corporate plan about
opportunity and aspiration for all, comes in to us helping to have thriving
communities and obviously drive on the economy. All the things we've been
talking about today quite a lot as core threats to the work of today's agenda. So
So, Richard, I'll just cheque if there's anything I've missed
or that you wish to add at this point
and then open to questions, reminding members
if it's a confidential part,
then we'll go into confidential session for that.
Richard.
Thank you, leader.
Richard Harrington, Service Director for Economy
and Investment.
Very comprehensive.
Richard Harrington - Service Director for Economy and Investment - 2:03:28
So, I would only want to add a couple of things
to that, leader.
This is the first investment that we're making
out of the Growth Fund
And it maps very strongly onto the economic strategy
that the council launched last year.
So this is us implementing policy,
particularly we're assisting big businesses
but also small businesses as well.
And they're creating facilities here that are open access,
that are focused on innovation and focused on training
to create opportunities for Buckinghamshire residents.
I think in the context of the drone centre,
you're starting to hear Westcott mentioned as often as Harwell.
So this is demonstration about how investment in these types of facilities
is gaining traction for the employment opportunities within Buckinghamshire.
And also as the leader mentioned, the investment in Bosch.
You have a top company in the county that is also open in its doors and
to create an open access facility for a supply chain
and SMEs to come in and to train
the next generation of engineers.
So I'd wholeheartedly recommend this proposal to you.
The two points of clarification I want to pick up on,
either were that there's reference to 600K
in the report around NAIDAC.
There was some confusion at the time of drafting the report,
but I just want to clarify that that is not
a funding request on the Council that the satellite applications catapults are meeting
that 600K contribution to the scheme.
And I also wanted to clarify the second recommendation in the report and just make it clear that
all decisions regarding future funding will come back to the Cabinet and with a delegation
to sign agreements within the parameters
determined by those cabinet reports delegated.
So the decisions will remain with the council and cabinet.
Thank you, Leda.
I hope all, thank you, right.
Cllr Steven Broadbent - 2:05:42
Comments and questions.
Tom, now you're a growth board member,
so that's a bit sad, but ask the question.
Yeah, not so much a question, but just to say
Cllr Thomas Broom - 2:05:52
that I completely endorse what's come before us today.
I think this agenda that we've set out in Buckinghamshire
around growth, innovation, skills, is incredibly important.
This is a practical way of delivering it.
It benefits not only residents here in Buckinghamshire,
but actually across the rest of the country,
and because of some of the stuff we're doing at Westcott,
across the rest of the world.
You know, you're looking at people
who are coming to Buckinghamshire
to acquire the skills they need
to look after the things that sort of keep us ticking over
on a day to day basis, keep our homes warm
in the case of some of the stuff that Bosch is doing,
all the way up to testing and maintenance
in space of satellites.
And I suppose the drone layer sits between those two.
So this is a really good investment.
I think it shows delivery of the growth strategy
and how seriously we take that.
And that Buckinghamshire is a place where,
you know, if you're looking for somewhere to invest,
if you're looking for somewhere to come and do business,
growth innovation skills central
to what we're doing here at Bux.
And, you know, to just to appeal to anyone
who might be listening,
who's thinking about moving their business
somewhere within the UK, Bux is the place to come.
Thank you for those positive words, Tom.
Cllr Steven Broadbent - 2:07:17
I mean, what is really equally exciting is the rest of the growth fund opportunities
are being worked through. We are really backing Buck's business. And let's not forget,
Buckinghamshire is a net contributor to Treasury. So all the talk of growth in every postcode,
this is real growth, real action, whilst the government have withdrawn and not committing,
our enterprise zones are vital so we can reinvest this. So when we look across the
piece, applying things together like building up Woodlands ultimately, more enterprise zone
work. This is the stuff that will have a direct impact on people in and throughout Buckinghamshire
as we boost our economy and hopefully people are well skilled and have good employment.
Anyone got any questions on these? If not, I will move. Okay, I need to ask, does anyone
have any questions on the confidential papers that you would have read, which obviously
has some degree of sensitivity around them?
No.
With that in mind then, are we minded to go back
to those two recommendations, ultimately
which is to endorse the recommendations made
by the Enterprise and Investment Board and Growth Board
to commit funding to the NADH of $2 .25 million
and to Bosch for $2 million.
That's recommendation one.
And the second part of that is then, as Richard has outlined,
make sure we finalise those arrangements with those two recipients.
Are we so minded?
Thank you, agreed.
They are agreed.
That brings us then to date of the next meeting.

15 Date of next meeting

And obviously the date of the next meeting is the 15th of September, 2026 at 10 AM.
There is no cabinet meeting in August if people are having some downtime in over
the summer period.
I hope that goes well and we look forward to seeing you all in mid -September.
Thank you and meeting closed.
Please end the webcast.