Agenda item

Members received reports from Cabinet Members. There was an opportunity for Members to ask questions of individual Cabinet Members about matters and issues affecting their portfolios.

 

Leader of the Council, Councillor Martin Tett

 

The Leader reported that he was aware of a number of social media reports in connection to the Best Western Hotel in Buckingham and its rumoured use as part of the migrant dispersal scheme. Following clarification being sought from the Home Office, confirmation had been received the day prior to this meeting that the hotel was being used as part of the scheme to accommodate up to 140 predominantly male asylum seekers. The Council would continue to seek clarification from central Government and carefully consider its options once the implications were fully understood. 

 

The Leader received comments and questions in respect of Homes for Ukraine, funding for Ukrainian guests, loan payments to other authorities, and a local issue to Buckingham.

 

The Leader explained that many host families’ six-month period of housing Ukrainian guests would be coming to an end in the coming weeks and months and this was a significant issue. The Leader was proud that Buckinghamshire had accommodated the highest number of Ukrainian guests in the country and paid thanks to hosts and staff for their efforts. Many hosts were willing to continue with arrangements, whilst some wished to cease the offering at the six-month period. Other hosts had raised concerns that the £350 per month payment from central Government was not adequate to cover their costs. The Council continued to lobby Government and the Leader had met with local MP’s and asked that they lobby the Treasury to increase the monthly payment. Work was underway to look at potential hosts who had initially volunteered and had not been matched to see if they were still willing to accommodate guests and to explore the private rental sector as an option, particularly for those guests who had found paid employment. The Council was reviewing options to support private renting such as underwriting one or two months’ worth of rent. In response to a related question, the Leader confirmed that the entirety of the Government grant to fund the scheme was accounted for and that this information could be shared with Members.

 

In relation to lending money to Thurrock Council which was in line with the Council’s approved Treasury Management Strategy, the Leader advised that whilst he would like to improve visibility of lending, inter-authority loans were underwritten by Government and no Council had previously defaulted on loan payments.

 

The Leader confirmed that he had referred the issue of hedgerows being removed at Nook Park, Great Horwood to the appropriate Corporate Director and on receipt of a full report would assess what could be done to assist residents.

 

 

Cabinet Member for Accessible Housing and Resources, Councillor John Chilver

 

The Cabinet Member highlighted the MK Job Show taking place on the 23^rd and 24^th September in Middleton Hall, Centre:MK. The Council would be hosting a stand to showcase the job opportunities across the Council. Homes for Ukraine information and recruitment events were also being held, with the next one taking place on 28^th September at Union Baptist Church, High Wycombe. This event was open to all, although particularly aimed at Ukrainian guests and their hosts with information being shared on employment and training opportunities.

 

The Cabinet Member received comments and questions in respect of the Treasury Management Strategy, cyber security, and the energy council tax rebate.

 

The Cabinet Member advised that in relation to the loan to Thurrock Council, the Council had strict controls in place for any investment decision and the Treasury Management Strategy, approved by Council annually set these controls out. Following the financial difficulties faced by Slough Borough Council, additional controls were introduced with a list managed containing authorities who were known to be in financial difficulty or facing potential issues, Thurrock was not on this list when current investments were closed, although had since been added. The Cabinet Member affirmed that no local authority had ever defaulted on an inter-authority loan. The Chief Executive of CIPFA had confirmed that Government ensured all liabilities would be met as part of the current investigation into Thurrock. A Member highlighted an extract from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities which noted the concern that had developed over previous years surrounding Thurrock’s external borrowing and raised concern that the issue was not referred to the upcoming Audit and Governance Committee. The Cabinet Member confirmed that he received regular reports on the Treasury Management Strategy, and there was an external treasury management advisor who also advised on risk exposures. The Chairman of the Audit and Governance Committee clarified that he had requested the Section 151 Officer to provide an update on the issue at the upcoming Committee meeting on 27^th September.

 

In relation to cyber security, the Cabinet Member advised that a dedicated cyber security manager had recently joined the Council, and a consultancy contract with Hi-Tec was in place which monitored and advised on potential threats. Consolidation of IT systems following the move to a unitary authority, including the website and revenues and benefits system was underway and the number of web pages and applications were being reduced. The biggest risk remained individual exposure to malware. Mandatory training had been rolled out to all staff and Members should also now be emailed regular online cyber training modules from Boxphish.

 

In response to a query on Council Tax energy costs rebates, the Cabinet Member advised that all those who paid by direct debit had received their £150 rebate and over £15 million had been paid out to over 100,000 households, however there was concern that 8,000 post office vouchers remained uncashed. A Government deadline of 30 September had been set for these to be cashed and Members were encouraged to share with any resident who may not yet have cashed their voucher, details of the deadline and advised that individuals who were unable to cash the voucher at the post office themselves could nominate someone to do so on their behalf.

 

 

Cabinet Member for Communities, Councillor Steve Bowles

 

The Cabinet Member received comments and questions in respect of resilience planning work, fly-tipping, voluntary sector support through winter, food poverty, and Community Board Terms of Reference.

 

In response to a query about resilience planning and partnership working in the High Wycombe urban area, which did not have its own Town or Parish Council, the Cabinet Member advised that a workshop had been held with Chepping Wycombe Parish Council at the end of July. The Member posing the question was invited to send it to the Cabinet Member directly with regards to the unparished area of High Wycombe.

 

The Cabinet Member was pleased to commit to the Council’s zero tolerance approach to fly-tipping and noted that he would regularly share news of successful prosecutions with Members.

 

The Cabinet Member was congratulated for his work with the voluntary sector who were planning and preparing for a tough winter, providing support, advice and warm spaces to those residents who needed it. The Cabinet Member provided reassurance that the Council would continue to work closely with voluntary partners to support residents through the cost of living crises, highlighted the Helping Hands support scheme and advised that there was a task and finish group to review voluntary sector grants.

 

The Cabinet Member spoke of the success of Community Boards which had seen good levels of public engagement and a number of successful projects had been delivered. The Standards and General Purposes Committee had recently recommended constitutional changes, approved by full Council which included drafting a baseline terms of reference to be agreed by the Constitution Members’ Working Group and the Audit and Governance Committee.

 

In response to a query raised on the outcome of the food poverty motion put to full Council at its meeting in April, the Leader responded that Cabinet had considered this and the report had been published and was available to view in the public domain. The Opportunity Bucks Programme had held a meeting with local Members whose wards were included in the first phase. The launch was due to take place imminently, having been slightly delayed by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s passing.

 

 

Cabinet Member for Culture and Leisure, Councillor Clive Harriss

 

The Cabinet Member received comments and questions in respect of footpaths and open space maintenance, leisure operator contracts and rights of way.

 

Following a Member highlighting the increased pressure on parks, open spaces and leisure centres throughout Covid and the following months, the Cabinet Member reported that the Parks and Recreation team had been working hard to maintain the upkeep of parks, particularly the country parks which had been under significant pressure from the increased demand. Parking restrictions had been introduced since the Covid spike in visitors, and park rangers had to be particularly vigilant in the period of dry weather for potential fire risks such as barbecues. Leisure centres had now re-opened fully to residents and many schedules, such as for swimming had been reviewed to meet demand.

 

The Cabinet Member reported that the majority of leisure operator contracts were robust and conversations were already being held about the energy crisis and potential challenges this posed to leisure centres. Actions had been taken such as lowering the temperature in swimming pools and efforts were being made to review areas where possible without spoiling the offering. A number of contracts were due to be reviewed in coming years when it was hoped that the energy crisis would be better under control.

 

A Member paid thanks to the rights of way group and spoke of the good work of Community Boards in helping to create a volunteer group to look after rights of way in rural areas. The Member requested, where possible, funds be made available to improve rural rights of way bridges. The Cabinet Member asked Members to inform him  on areas of the network which were failing so that they could be reviewed. 

 

 

Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Environment, Councillor Gareth Williams

 

The Cabinet Member received comments and questions in respect of home energy efficiencies, waste collection, the Solar Together scheme, air quality and river/stream water pollution.

 

In relation to supporting residents with housing insulation, particularly for low income households, the Cabinet Member advised of the Greenhouse Gas Local Authority Delivery (GGLAD) scheme which the Council had been successful in achieving £7.2m funding for the first phase, following a joint bid with Watford Borough Council. There would also be a second and third phase of the scheme. This was for households with energy certificates rated D, E, F and G and where household income was below £30,000. A total of 91 homes had been insulated so far. Members were also advised of a community energy conference taking place in Princes Risborough on 24^th September which they were welcome to attend.

 

The Cabinet Member apologised to residents on behalf of the Council for the continued waste collection disruption in the south of the county. A range of improvement measures had been put in place following pressure placed on the contractor by the Council and the number of missed weekly collections was down to 180 from the peak of 3500. The Cabinet Member acknowledged that this remained unacceptable and assured Members that this was a high priority area with the aim to reach the contract threshold tolerance of 60 and below for the number of missed bins. The range of improvements being made included the contract provider bringing in assets from other contracts, putting extra supervisors in place, and improved data management. The Cabinet Member asked Members to continue to send problem areas through to him for investigation. There had been a high number of entries identified by the Council that had not had containers appropriately assigned and these were being worked through.  A report was now being produced containing photographs of problem areas, and an in cab alarm system elevated repeat missed collections. Thanks were paid to the Select Committee who brought in the National Head of Waste, Regional Manager and Contract Manager of Veolia to question them, scrutinise measures taken and push for further improvements to be made.

 

In response to a query on the Solar Together scheme and negative comments seen on Trust Pilot, the Cabinet Member advised that the take up had been positive with 7,000 residents indicating their interest, the scheme had worked successfully in other areas of the country and the company were aiming to speak to their satisfied customers to ensure that Trust Pilot could accurately reflect the positive experience of the majority of customers.

 

In relation to the journey to net zero, the Cabinet Member reported that emissions were 70% lower in 2021/22 than they were when the carbon audit started. The Council was committed to promoting schemes such as Solar Together, working closely with contractors, delivering EV charging points and engaging with businesses and residents across the county.

 

The Cabinet Member reported that the target for green waste take up in the legacy Wycombe area was circa 20,000 subscriptions, the figure was currently around 22,000 and had exceeded target levels. Crews had been tagging bins presented where there was no subscription, there had been a social media campaign, residents had been written to and the message was displayed on collection vehicles to ensure residents were aware of the introduction of a charge. The call centre was also prepared for a possible increase in calls.

 

In response to air quality management areas (AQMAs) in Bucks, the Cabinet Member advised that there had been a significant drop in nitrogen dioxide levels in these areas since 2018/19, although it was recognised that an element of this related to Covid traffic levels so these would be kept under close review. A number of Government initiatives had been rolled out, including the Council having been successful in securing a £500k bid to electrify and upgrade a refuse vehicle which serviced an AQMA. The plans for 10,000 EV charging points and a number of other strategies would be reported in the upcoming update report on the Climate Change Strategy and Air Quality Management.

 

The Cabinet Member suggested that a Member speak to the Chairman of the Transport, Environment and Climate Change Select Committee about the approach they wish to take when reviewing pollution of chalk streams and waterways to widen their remit to include other waterways such as the River Ouze. It was noted that the focus had been on the River Chess as this had been one of the three pilot areas and had seen an increased provision to treat sewage largely as a result of pressure placed on water companies by the Council and its Members.

 

Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing, Councillor Angela Macpherson

 

The Cabinet Member received comments and questions in respect of flu vaccinations and financial pressures in Adult Social Care.

 

A Member highlighted how well served residents had been with Covid vaccinations as a result of excellent partnership working between health partners and the Council, although concern was raised that residents appeared to be less well served with flu vaccinations. The Cabinet Member advised that the accessibility of the flu vaccine was a concern and this would be taken up with health partners as this was an NHS programme supported by the Council. It was noted that GP surgeries, pharmacists, midwifery teams and care homes would be provided with vaccines and the health on the move bus would also continue to reach areas where uptake was not high. Communications around these sites would be strengthened and the Cabinet Member confirmed that she would share further details around what is happening and where, when there was further clarity.

 

The Cabinet Member welcomed the Government initiative on social care reforms in terms of providing a certainty over total cost of care and the introduction of the care cap. Members were assured that the Council had made preparations for implementing the reforms and had undertaken significant data analysis and demand modelling to calculate what the cost of care may be in liaison with healthcare providers. The emerging results had been concerning and could potentially cause significant financial pressures, particularly with the number of self-funders within the county. The Council continued to lobby Government through the LGA and County Councils Network to emphasise that these reforms needed to be fully funded.

 

The Cabinet Member provided assurance that the travel costs of staff would be kept under constant review to ensure valuable members of staff were being supported as best they could be through the cost of living crisis.

 

 

Cabinet Member for Education and Children’s Services, Councillor Anita Cranmer

 

The Cabinet Member received comments and questions in respect of the Buckinghamshire Youth Participation Strategy, enhancing young people’s skills, partnership working on EHCP plans, 11+ results and a local schooling issue.

 

The Cabinet Member advised that the Participation Strategy for Young People had been launched, this focused on ensuring the voices of young people were heard across Council services. A newly appointed Participation Co-ordinator was in post, plans were being made for young people to participate in decision making meetings and to have an opportunity to provide valuable input into decisions which affect the young people of Bucks. There would also be two young people appointed to each of the Community Boards and Participation Champions had been appointed across different service areas to champion young people’s voices being heard.

 

In response to a query on building the economy and providing opportunities, the Cabinet Member recognised that young people were vital to the future growth of Buckinghamshire and advised that there was a focus on skills and training. A Skills Advisory Leader would be appointed in the coming weeks; this post would report to a number of directorates.  There would also be partnership working with Buckinghamshire Business First and the Local Enterprise Partnership, amongst other partners to encourage apprenticeships and retraining opportunities. Members were encouraged to provide details of businesses within their wards who may be interested in taking on apprentices or re-trainers.

 

In relation to EHCP plans, the Cabinet Member reported that whilst the Council was reliant on its partners to undertake assessments, the Council was committed to working with its partners to reduce the waiting times children faced for assessments which had been unsatisfactory and it was hoped that this would improve in due course.

 

The Cabinet Member advised that there would be a Members Briefing held on the 11+ results and how these would be communicated to parents in the coming weeks. There were various arrangements in place for parents who had limited access to certain communication methods, such as the internet.

 

Lastly, the Cabinet Member informed a Member that she would ensure that she received a response to a Freedom of Information request that had been submitted in relation to The Downley School.

 

 

Cabinet Member for Homelessness and Regulatory Services, Councillor Mark Winn

 

The Cabinet Member reported that the Council had received further funding from Government for its rough sleeper initiative. Funding had been committed for a three-year period as opposed to the previous one year which provided more continuity and allowed the Council and partners to continue the work undertaken to date. This funding would allow the continuation of staff including outreach workers and a homelessness prevention officer, new supported accommodation and provision for rough sleepers to decorate accommodation, the continuation of a mental health nurse as well as provide funding for support workers in both the north and south of the county.

 

The Cabinet Member also reported that following a query raised at the last meeting of full Council in relation to taxi licensing regulation changes on school transport contracts, actions to streamline processes had been taken and despite changes to regulations there had been no detrimental effect on school transport contracts. Thanks were paid to staff for their hard work and to taxi drivers and transport firms for their patience and cooperation.

 

The Cabinet Member received comments and questions in respect of unauthorised encampments, Bucks Home Choice, Town and Parish Council involvement in licensing applications, environmental health, illegal tobacco sales, and engagement in the local plan development.

 

In relation to unauthorised encampments, the Cabinet Member advised that firstly a welfare assessment of any new encampment was undertaken and the local authority issued a code of conduct to each occupant on site. Where there was anti-social behaviour, evictions would be sought to minimise the impact on the settled community. The positive relationships that experienced officers had built with members of the travelling community were highlighted. Encampments causing significant disruption and distress could be evicted by the police under new powers. Where certain sites were identified, the local authority could take preventative measures such as installing bollards, barriers and large stones. The rural police task force and Environment Agency were working together to target waste crime caused by unauthorised encampments.

 

A Member referred to the growing number of residents registering to join the Bucks Home Choice scheme to which the Cabinet Member advised that the Housing Strategy was in development and would be brought before Members to comment on. The Cabinet Member explained that sites, such as that of the former Buckinghamshire Council Sports and Social Club, Stoke Mandeville, would be developed to support creation of affordable housing. The Council was committed to working with its registered providers to increase affordable housing provision that was genuinely affordable and not only that which was 80% of often, unaffordable market rent. There was also a commitment to pushing for more than 25% affordable housing on new developments.

 

The Cabinet Member reported that training sessions had been arranged for Town and Parish Councils to enhance their understanding of licensing applications and to provide clarity on what they were able to comment on and take into consideration as applications came forward in their respective areas. 

 

A Member queried what steps were being taken to ensure houses offered to Ukrainian guests were safe and appropriate, to which the Cabinet Member explained that the Environmental Health team had been working closely with those guests offered accommodation to ensure that homes were safe and suitable and the Council’s inspection process had been widely praised by the LGA and held up as an exemplar to other councils. Almost 800 properties had been inspected and there was extra resource in place to undertake further inspections as existing placements came to an end so that the Environmental Health team could undertake their primary functions. Residents of Buckinghamshire were praised for their generosity in providing housing for Ukrainian guests.

 

The Cabinet Member reported that prosecuting sales of illegal tobacco was a high priority, with the importance of educating residents highlighted. Public Health and Trading Standards had run roadshows focusing on illegal tobacco sales and sales of vapes to underage residents, making clear the dangers of long term tobacco use. Whilst the tobacco was illegal, there was a need to ensure due tax was paid as well as protecting residents’ health as there were often illegal banned substances within illegal tobacco. Alongside the education aspect, detection teams were working hard to identify sellers who were using increasingly sophisticated methods.

 

Lastly, the Cabinet Member confirmed that he was part of the Members working group looking at the development of the Buckinghamshire Local Plan and advised that the Housing Strategy would be closely linked to this, particularly with reference to affordable housing.

 

 

Cabinet Member for Planning and Regeneration, Councillor Peter Strachan

 

The Cabinet Member received comments and questions in respect of planning regulations, the emerging Buckinghamshire Local Plan, Green Belt developments and the High Wycombe BidCo.

 

A Member gave his thanks to the Cabinet Member and officer team for their work on the Biodiversity Net Gain Supplementary Planning Document and for the enforcement team’s achievement of being the most active enforcement authority outside of London.

 

The Cabinet Member advised that he was awaiting what would come out of Government in terms of any new planning regulations and noted the preference for the local authority to have more control over planning aspects rather than having them imposed. It was hoped that any change would allow the Council to do best by its residents, ensuring the right kind of development was taking place in the right locations with local support.

 

A Member raised that large applications had been received, along with appeals, which were within Green Belt land and questioned who was being lobbied in Government to make changes to the standard method. The Cabinet Member advised that prior to ministerial changes the Council had given push-back to Government, predominantly on the data used which it was basing planning projections on which it was felt was not as accurate as it could be. This would be taken up further following the recent ministerial appointments.

 

The Cabinet Member affirmed his commitment to the development of the Buckinghamshire Local Plan by 2025 and noted that at each stage he emphasised to officers the need to proceed at pace with the plan to protect communities from unscrupulous developments and avoid unnecessary costs to the Council.

 

A Member queried a planning application for a renewable energy development within the Green belt in Speen which had been refused, noting that in certain circumstances such as renewable energy developments, the NPPF allowed Green Belt development. The Cabinet Member noted his commitment to brownfield over greenfield development, adding that in exceptional circumstances Green Belt could be developed on, although the Council policy remained to protect Green Belt land as much as it could. The Cabinet Member requested the Member write to him with details of the specific application so that this could be looked into further.

 

The Cabinet Member joined a Member in congratulating the High Wycombe Town Centre Business Improvement District (HWBIDCo) for their work in supporting local businesses and bringing life to the town centre. The regeneration of High Wycombe remained a priority alongside that of Aylesbury and other places of growth and development in Buckinghamshire.

 

A Member raised concern over a recent development site in Osier Way, Buckingham which had received planning approval in recent weeks without having plans included for a sufficient sewage system. The Cabinet Member requested the Member write to him so that these concerns could be looked into.

 

 

Cabinet Member for Transport, Councillor Steve Broadbent

 

The Cabinet Member received comments and questions in respect of the Ivinghoe Freight Strategy, HS2 lorries using routes that were not permitted, removal of local bus services, utility company disruption to highways, unsocial parking, the new highways contract, cycle ways, surface dressing schemes, and a local issue to Buckingham.

 

A local Member thanked the Cabinet Member for the soon to be implemented Ivinghoe Freight Strategy and the progress made on the implementation of Moving Traffic Enforcement and queried what impact the first cameras to be installed were expected to have. The Cabinet Member recognised the continued HGV use on the road network in Buckinghamshire, an issue which was exacerbated by the ongoing large rail infrastructure projects and expressed hope that the first cameras would be installed in December 2022. The cameras would enforce a variety of restrictions including environmental weight restrictions, although disappointingly would not include structural weight restrictions. An example of an environmental weight restriction in Well Street, Buckingham was given with the Council seeking to enforce any offences. The initial list of sites had been submitted to the Department for Transport to obtain the relevant powers, Wing and Ivinghoe were not included in the initial list, however Members were encouraged to put suggestions for sites forward and cameras may be moved in the future depending on need. 

 

In relation to the routes used by HS2 lorries, it was acknowledged that there had been reports of HGV’s using routes that they were not permitted to use and this had caused inconvenience to residents. The Cabinet Member advised that HS2 would be held to account for these issues and residents should report any issues directly to HS2, and where possible to the Council so that specific locations could be monitored. If safe, for example when a passenger is in the vehicle, photographic evidence of the offending vehicle’s number plate and visibility of the HS2 sign would be beneficial to further identify offenders. HS2 were said to be rolling out a vehicle tracking system to its supply chain which should also aid in the identification of culprits. It was noted that subcontractors had been removed from HS2 work when found to be using unpermitted routes.

 

A Member raised concern around capacity issues following the removal of the 37 bus route operated by Arriva. The Member reported having received conflicting messages around capacity from a Council Officer and Arriva Officer to which the Cabinet Member asked for details to be forwarded to him so that he could investigate further. The Cabinet Member explained that a number of changes to the operator’s schedules had been made on the receipt of a government request for more sustainable routes. When a change was made to a route, the relevant team published the information on the council website and endeavoured to inform schools to aid passing this knowledge on to parents.

 

A Member queried how statutory work contractors were being held to account for disruption and damage caused to highways, highlighting fibre broadband installers in Buckingham who had caused a particular issue. The Cabinet Member noted that this was an area of frustration and that broadband providers now had the same rights of access as other utility companies. The Council managed over 60,000 permit requests per year, which meant that often work had to stack up to keep the network flowing. Inspectors visited and challenged any job that had been submitted classed as ‘urgent’, as these often resulted in diversions and road closures which impacted residents. Where contractors went beyond the conditions of their permits, the Council had the ability to remove them from the network temporarily so that meetings between senior officers could take place.

 

The Cabinet Member responded to an issue raised of inconsiderate parking on the Totteridge Drive / Kingston Road junction in High Wycombe and advised that he would respond to the Member outside of the meeting on the specific details of the case. The Cabinet Member explained that vehicle status could be checked online to see if the vehicle had valid tax and insurance and if it could be classed as abandoned. If the parking caused a road safety issue, then the police were able to take action.

 

In response to a question on the robustness of the new Highways contract, the Cabinet Member advised that there were newly introduced key performance indicators and there was strong provision within the contract to remedy poor performance, and if necessary penalise the contractor. If there was to be a sustained period of poor performance without remedial action and rectification, then there were provisions to ultimately terminate the contract. The overall aim was to ensure quality work was done at the first point and the service residents expected was delivered to a high standard.

 

A Member asked if there were any plans to extend the High Wycombe Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (HWLCWIP) further, particularly toward the south west of the county. The Cabinet Member advised that the draft HWLCWIP was due to go out to public consultation on the 30^th September although this may be delayed slightly following the passing of HM the Queen. The Council would continue to make bids to Government for active travel funds and the Cabinet Member added that he would be interested to talk to local Members collectively about what would be involved in extending the walking and cycling plan. The Cabinet Member highlighted the work underway to extend the Greenway north of Aylesbury and the work funded by Sustrans on the route between Wendover and Great Missenden.

 

The Cabinet Member spoke of the cost-effective surface dressing scheme, including the use of ‘golden gravel’, which involved chippings being bound together, then compressed by traffic. The completed schemes would be assessed over time to assess how they performed, and how they retained their aesthetic, following which the appropriateness of other sites would be considered in the future. The Cabinet Member noted that certain areas of the county were filmed and photographed significantly and thus any change could impact on creative industries who use Buckinghamshire.

 

A Member raised Railway Walk, Buckingham, a scheme which would connect Tingewick Road to the junior and secondary schools and questioned whether there had been any progress made on the scheme. The Cabinet Member noted that there was work underway to deliver the scheme using section 106 funding and at the appropriate time of scheme delivery he would visit the site and welcomed speaking to ward Members.