Meeting documents

Written questions may be asked of the Leader or any Cabinet Member if submitted to the Head of Democratic, Legal and Policy Services no later than 12 noon on Monday 9 April 2018. Questions will be submitted in the order in which they were received.

(a)Question from Mr R B Colomb to the Leader of the Council

"In light of the Secretary of State indicating that he is minded to approve a single Unitary Authority for Buckinghamshire, I would assume that the Leader has had a considerable number of meetings with the other District Council Leaders, who all support the twin Unitary Authorities approach as a more effective option since the Secretary of State’s announcement. Have they agreed to appoint professional expertise to put the case to the Secretary of State and also devised a plan to galvanise local taxpayers to lobby the Secretary of State in support of the twin approach during the consultation period, which I believe ends on 26 May 2018"?

Response from Councillor Ms K Wood (Leader of the Council)

"Yes, we have.  Just to clarify the consultation actually ends on 25 May.

We have put in place an approach which fights this decision on a number of fronts. One is to raise public awareness about the decision and to highlight the serious consequences for communities across Buckinghamshire who will lose representation and in return could see further Council tax rises at both parish and unitary level. 

We are also challenging the basis of the decision; the secretary of state has not set out the reasons for his decision and we have written requesting an explanation.  We do not believe that the representation period should start until we have been provided with this information.

For example the Minister says that there is local support for a single unitary but that is simply not evidenced – four out of the five councils support two; more parish councils support two; more residents support two.  In fact the only area where the majority support a single unitary is MPs.  I would therefore urge as many residents as possible to write to their MP and let them know how residents of Buckinghamshire feel and help them to see how damaging it will be if this decision is allowed to go ahead. 

Residents in this area know what kind of service they have received from the County Council.  They know that Ofsted has judged the services to our vulnerable children to be inadequate not once but twice; that the roads in this County have been allowed to deteriorate to a dangerous level; that the cost of providing adult social care has been allowed to spiral out of control and they have no faith that a single new council forced to operate across the wrong geography and to work against the communities it seeks to serve will be any different 

We urge residents in Wycombe District not to remain silent and accept this but to speak out and make their voice heard." 

Supplementary Question

"It would be helpful to High Wycombe residents if you could send more information regarding services, and the likely financial effects of the single unitary Council. In other words, in an unparished town there will be a requirement to establish a Town Council, to which there will be a significant cost.

I feel if they are provided with the necessary information it will make lobbying more effective."

Supplementary Response

"We are sending leaflets to all households in the southern districts of Buckinghamshire which contains the information on all business cases and also with relevant links to WDC and the County. So in answer to your question, we are in the process of doing just that."