Meeting documents

Cabinet is asked to approve the new Smarter Buckinghamshire Strategy (2018-2020) and nominate the Technology and Digital Board to oversee and monitor the delivery of the Strategy and provide an annual update on progress.

Mr Tett introduced the item by stating the importance of ensuring that the County Council were taking into account what the district councils were doing to ensure a smoother transition to a unitary authority.  Mr Chilver stated that the strategy had been reviewed in light of the unitary decision and focused on shorter timeframes.  The strategy did not seek to cover the work of the new council.

Mr J Chilver, Cabinet Member for Resources introduced the Strategy and highlighted the following:

• The strategy built on the strong processes already in place.
• It placed residents at the heart of what the Council do, ensuring improved access.
• Funds had been committed which included £15m from the Capital programme.
• Mr Chilver was confident that the Council could deliver an excellent service that could be taken through into the new authority.

Ms B Heran, Joint Strategy Director, also attended the meeting to answer any questions from Cabinet.  Ms Heran highlighted the following points:

• The strategy was deliberately shorter and focussed on Buckinghamshire as a whole.  It would improve infrastructure and put the authority in a better place to transition into the new authority.
• Ms Heran stated that regular meetings were held with district colleagues with collective agreement on work programmes that would continue, be stopped or put on hold.
• Focus was being put on items that needed to be in place on day one of the new authority and a programme of works for direction of travel.
• The strategy recommended a hybrid approach and that allowed the authority to have more varied options.
• The strategy focussed on five themes:
  • Smarter County – using technology to create opportunities and ensure Buckinghamshire thrives;
  • Smarter Communities – safeguarding our vulnerable and building self-reliant communities;
  • Smarter for Customers – making it easier for people to access our services;
  • Smarter Council – creating an efficient organisation, helping staff and Members to do their jobs;
  • Enablement – delivering this Strategy and ensuring value for money.
• Work within Children’s and Adult Social Care would continue.
• The ICT Improvement Programme was being reviewed along the unitary plan to understand what work would continue, be put on hold or stopped.
• The strategy had already been seen by the Finance, Performance and Resources Select Committee.

Cabinet raised and discussed the following points:

• Cabinet Members were reassured that the strategy took into account integration with the NHS but also taking into account benefits for all five councils.
• Cabinet raised issues with the Broadband coverage ma contained within the report as it seemed to be out of date.  Ms Heran confirmed that the map was the latest requested from Ofcom before Christmas, but as soon as an updated map was issued it would be included.
• Cabinet asked to be updated on those showing red on the broadband map, which were commercial properties and which were residential as this had an impact on whether they would be eligible to be subsidised.

ACTION: Ms Heran

• It was also queried as to when community schemes were added to the map.  Ms Heran suggested that Members could contact her with any specific queries.

The report set out the following recommendation.

Cabinet is asked to approve the new Smarter Buckinghamshire Strategy (2018- 2020) and nominate the Technology and Digital Board to oversee and monitor the delivery of the Strategy and provide an annual update on progress.

RESOLVED: Cabinet APPROVED the above recommendations and asked for a further update in 6 months’ time.