Agenda item

The following hot topics were raised:

Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Environment

The BEIS (Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy) Sustainable Warmth Competition invited bids from local authorities. Buckinghamshire Council secured just under £5m of capital funding. This would be allocated as follows:

• £3.2 million to support low-income households on the gas grid with energy efficiency and low carbon heating measures such as external wall insulation, underfloor insulation and air source heat pumps
• £1.7 million to support low-income households with energy efficiency and low carbon heating measures such as cavity wall insulation, solar photovoltaics panels and loft insulation

The grants were for households with a gross annual income of less than £30,000 or who were receiving eligible benefits, and properties must have an energy rating of D, E, F or G. The scheme would benefit both homeowners and those who rented privately. The new grant funding would potentially help more than 400 households in the county, and includes properties that were ‘off grid’, currently using an alternative energy supply, such as oil. Applications were open now to eligible households at: buckinghamshire-applications.co.uk

Cabinet Member for Accessible Housing and Resources

The Chancellor announced a £150 energy rebate for most households in Council Tax bands A to D (occupied properties) and some households in Council Tax bands E to H. This mandatory scheme closed on 30 September 2022 but had now been extended to end of November. Currently 6,000 vouchers had not been claimed.

Cabinet Member for Transport

The Cabinet Member provided a reminder on demand responsive transport. Buckinghamshire Council and Carousel Buses were launching a new ‘demand responsive transport’ (DRT) service in and around High Wycombe. The new DRT service came as part of a pilot scheme funded by the Government’s Rural Mobility Fund. The new service would run for the next 3 years, with scope to run for longer if the pilot is successful. The High Wycombe DRT pilot was set to launch from 27 September, with an Aylesbury pilot launching later in the autumn. Sitting under Carousel’s ‘PickMeUp’ brand, the Wycombe pilot would serve several communities, including Booker, Daws Hill, Wooburn Green, Wycombe Marsh, Loudwater and Downley. These either have a limited bus service or a route which only served part of the community. Users would be able to book one of the five fully accessible minibuses to collect them either directly from their home, or from one of the 500+ pickup points – also known as ‘virtual bus stops’ – out and about in the local area. The Cabinet Member would report back on the data collected from the pilot. https://www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/news/wycombe-residents-will-soon-be-ableto-book-a-bus/

https://www.pickmeupwycombe.co.uk/

Cabinet Member for Education and Children’s Services

The Cabinet Member reported that the results of the 11+ exam would be issued this Friday. A number of parents had not given schools or the Council any contact details for their results to be issued and they were urged to get in touch. Arrangements had been put in place by the customer service centre to receive calls.

Deputy Cabinet Member for Community Safety (relating to the Communitiesportfolio)

On 21 October 2022 an event was being held at High Wycombe Library to help residents who were finding it difficult to obtain employment. A review of Anti-Social Behaviour would commence on 17 October and Members were welcome to feed back any suggested improvements to services.

Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing

The Cabinet Member had visited the customer service centre and was very complimentary about the service provided. She had particularly listened in to adult social care calls which at times could be very difficult to deal with. The number of calls to the Council was phenomenal.