Agenda item

The Buckinghamshire Strategic Vision for 2050 had been developed by the Buckinghamshire Growth Board with input from partner organisations and other key stakeholders. The Growth Board had approved the most recent draft with minor changes at its December 2021 meeting and it was now ready for endorsement by its partner boards, including Buckinghamshire Council’s Cabinet.

The Strategic Vision was a multi-purpose document that set out the key priorities and objectives partners (including the Council) would take forward. The Strategic Vision was influential in guiding emerging strategies and played a core function in the deliverables of the Growth Board partners. It also established our identity and sets out the aspirations to Buckinghamshire’s residents and businesses, as well as regionally and nationally.

The content of The Strategic Vision was written in conjunction with Buckinghamshire’s Recovery and Growth Proposal looking closely at how the objectives aligned in delivering a Buckinghamshire that facilitates placemaking and economic growth.  The Strategic Vision for Buckinghamshire would:

-                 Express our shared ambition and focus by setting the commitment and direction to improve the economic, environmental and social health of Buckinghamshire.

-                 Tell the compelling narrative for Buckinghamshire by using our single voice to make clear our willingness to engage and deliver sustainable and ambitious clean growth. Setting out what our priorities are and where we wish to go.

-                 Set the strategic direction and overarching guidance that has previously been absent to enable the shared 2050 goal to be achieved in all future plans, strategies, and frameworks.

-                 Establish our identity nationally and in the context of the wider South East region by bringing together our successes, future opportunities, and challenges.

RESOLVED –

That the Buckinghamshire Growth Board’s Strategic Vision to 2050 be endorsed, with the Leader authorised to make any minor or typographical changes to the vision document before it was submitted to the Growth Board. 

The Buckinghamshire Strategic Vision for 2050 had been developed by the Buckinghamshire Growth Board with input from partner organisations and other key stakeholders including the Local Enterprise Board, Bucks Business First, Healthcare Trust, Clinical Commissioning Group and the Voluntary and Community Sector. The Growth Board had approved the most recent draft with minor changes at its December 2021 meeting and it was now ready for endorsement by its partner boards, including Buckinghamshire Council’s Cabinet.

The Strategic Vision was a multi-purpose document that set out the key priorities and objectives partners (including the Council) would take forward. The Strategic Vision was influential in guiding emerging strategies and played a core function in the deliverables of the Growth Board partners. It also established our identity and sets out the aspirations to Buckinghamshire’s residents and businesses, as well as regionally and nationally.

The content of The Strategic Vision was written in conjunction with Buckinghamshire’s Recovery and Growth Proposal looking closely at how the objectives aligned in delivering a Buckinghamshire that facilitates placemaking and economic growth.  The Strategic Vision for Buckinghamshire would:

-                 Express our shared ambition and focus by setting the commitment and direction to improve the economic, environmental and social health of Buckinghamshire.

-                 Tell the compelling narrative for Buckinghamshire by using our single voice to make clear our willingness to engage and deliver sustainable and ambitious clean growth. Setting out what our priorities are and where we wish to go.

-                 Set the strategic direction and overarching guidance that has previously been absent to enable the shared 2050 goal to be achieved in all future plans, strategies, and frameworks.

-                 Establish our identity nationally and in the context of the wider South East region by bringing together our successes, future opportunities, and challenges.

Members discussed the vision and commented as follows:

·         Reference was made to 2.4 of the report with regard to expressing the Council’s shared ambition and focus. A suggestion was made here to refer to physical and mental health rather than social health as this had a different connotation.

·         The document referred to the environmental ambition to be carbon neutral by 2050 which was ambitious but deliverable.

·         This was an exciting document as the Council was aiming to provide over 200,000 jobs and therefore skills training had been incorporated into the document. Good jobs were the key to moving people out of depravation and improved health and wellbeing.

·         Vibrant and connected places would underpin this vision which was supported by national infrastructure such as East West Rail and it was important to focus on inward investment and increased prosperity.

·         Another area of focus was digital connectivity as Buckinghamshire was below the national average and employees who worked from home needed to be supported. 

·         Buckinghamshire faced a number of challenges and significant improvements needed to be made including areas of depravation and affordable housing. The Cabinet Member for Education and Children’s services commented that there were 124,000 children in Buckinghamshire and 7,000 children received free school meals which showed that the County was not as affluent as it appeared.

Cabinet Members welcomed the report.

RESOLVED –

That the Buckinghamshire Growth Board’s Strategic Vision to 2050 be endorsed.