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 informed Members that he had attended the recent ‘Dragons Den’ event run by the Clare Foundation at which Councillor Paul Irwin had pitched and won a substantial amount of funding for his charity, Inspire Bucks, which supported disadvantaged children across the county.  The Leader placed on record his recognition of Councillor Irwin’s efforts.

The Leader received questions on the budget shortfall and its impact on non-statutory services funded by Community Boards, as well as the Opportunity Bucks scheme.  Members were informed that details of the budget would be revealed to all Members in due course and at the same time.

The Leader reiterated that the Opportunity Bucks scheme was a worthwhile initiative to target areas of disadvantage and improve the conditions for residents across the county.

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

The Cabinet Member received questions about the handover of patients discharged from Milton Keynes to care workers, and the resourcing to manage the growing concern of mental health post COVID.

Members were informed that there was more integrated working than last year, and she felt assured that there was a more robust mechanism for discharge. The Cabinet Member also mentioned that mental health was managed with Oxford Health through the urgent and emergency care board and that there were several initiatives in Buckinghamshire, including the Safe Haven initiative.

Cabinet Member for Homelessness and Regulatory Services, Mark Winn

The Cabinet Member provided a short update announcing that the consultation on the Housing Strategy, which outlined the issues and solutions for housing in Buckinghamshire, had been extended to 18 January 2024.

The Cabinet Member received questions about Bucks Home Choice and pavement licensing issues related to Kingsbury Square.  Members were informed that the Bucks Home Choice figures represented people in housing need, not necessarily homeless, and that the Housing Strategy would identify the gaps in provision which could then be addressed.

The plans for Kingsbury Square had not yet been published by the Council, and as such, he could not comment on them at this time, but would be open to a discussion about any related concerns once they had been made available.

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

The Cabinet Member received questions on tree planting and the Council’s carbon emissions.  Members were informed that the Council had consulted with Forestry England, and would organise community planting days in Wing, where a new wood of more than 100,000 trees was being created. These would likely begin next February.

The Cabinet Member also confirmed that the Council would continue to evaluate its progress towards reaching net zero emissions for its own operations by 2050 or sooner, and that the evaluation would be part of the Portfolio and Asset Strategy. The Council had planted 145,000 trees in the last year and planned to double the number of electric vehicle charging points by 2027. Buckinghamshire Council had reduced its own operational emissions by 73.4% and was looking for more opportunities to continue to lower its carbon footprint.

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

The Cabinet Member received questions on the new phone line for children's services, and the possibility to involve local charities in a future ‘Shout Out for SEND’ event.  Members were informed that the new phone line was part of a complete transformation of the children's services and would be revised between January and April 2024.

The ‘Shout Out for SEND’ event was the second one that the Council had delivered, and had a focus on bullying. The event had been received very positively, and the suggestion of inviting local charities that offer different opportunities for children with special educational needs was a good one, that the Council could look to include at a future event.

Cabinet Member for Culture and Leisure, Councillor Clive Harriss

The Cabinet Member received questions on the roofing works on the Court Garden Leisure Centre, grant funding for Haddenham library, and the Queen's Park Arts Centre winning the King’s Volunteering Award.

The Cabinet Member was not aware of the current timescale for the roof repair but would provide the information in writing following the meeting. Damage to the pool liner was a health and safety issue, but was not currently considered urgent. Buckinghamshire Council was in discussion with the contractor to get a proper response and solution.

The Cabinet Member stated that he would be happy to provide information concerning the grant funding for Haddenham library. Buckinghamshire Council was undertaking a rationalisation of the library services, and was in discussion with Haddenham Parish Council, which had volunteered to have a greater involvement in the library moving forward.  He concurred with a Member in congratulating the Queen's Park Arts Centre for receiving the King's volunteering award, which recognised the contribution of volunteers to the arts and culture sector.

Cabinet Member for Planning and Regeneration, Councillor Peter Strachan

The Cabinet Member received questions on CIL money for Portland House, the town centre update for Aylesbury, and a response to Buckingham Town Council’s questions to the Growth, Infrastructure and Housing Select Committee.

The Cabinet Member confirmed that he had provided a written reply to the question on CIL funding, and that he was happy to discuss the issue following the meeting. He reiterated that the CIL money was being correctly administered, and that the Opportunity Bucks scheme was a great asset of Buckinghamshire Council.

Members were informed that the Regeneration Strategy had been agreed by Cabinet, which included a larger public realm element. The Deputy Cabinet Member for Town Centre Regeneration would be willing to discuss the involvement of local Ward Members. The project was not a duplication of the Town Council's work, but a complementary initiative.

Members were informed that a written response had been sent to the Buckingham Town Council clerk earlier in the day concerning their Growth, Infrastructure and Housing Select Committee questions.

Cabinet Member for Communities, Councillor Arif Hussain

The Cabinet Member received questions about the possibility of attending meetings in the unparished Wycombe area, and on Community Boards.

Members were informed that the Cabinet Member regularly attended meetings of the High Wycombe Town Committee, as he was a Member of that Committee.  He also engaged widely with everybody through the Community Boards. The Cabinet Member stated that he would welcome invitations to attend meetings in the unparished area.

The Cabinet Member reiterated his support for the Community Boards as an integral part of the Council and the community. A boundary review on the High Wycombe unparished area was currently underway, and the views of Members' had been requested. Following the conclusion of the review, the Council would be in a better position to see how Community Boards might be impacted.

Cabinet Member for Accessible Housing and Resources, Councillor John Chilver

The Cabinet Member received questions on the Housing Strategy, and the Capital Budget in relation to Saunderton Lodge.

Members were informed that the Council was compiling a Portfolio and Asset Strategy that would address the housing issues. Buckinghamshire Council was on track to deliver around 300 units of new affordable housing on its assets and to reach the target of 500 units over the course of the Council, whilst achieving a good return on its commercial property portfolio.

The Council had retained Saunderton Lodge for the time being because of the need for more temporary accommodation although no decision had been made about any other use of the site. Two new properties for temporary accommodation were being acquired in Aylesbury and High Wycombe.

Cabinet Member for Transport, Councillor Steve Broadbent

The Cabinet Member updated Members to confirm that the consultation on the proposed amendments to the School Transport Policy had gone live on 6 December 2023, and would run for eight weeks.  The Cabinet Member received questions on broken parking machines in Cornwalls Meadow, Buckingham, on the proposed expansion to Luton Airport, on the Fix My Street service, and on the Pick-Me-Up service and footpaths in Wing.

Members were informed that the parking machines at Cornwalls Meadow were ageing and prone to breakdowns, caused largely by the mechanisms used to accept cash payments. Whilst the Council had a policy to keep using the spare parts as long as possible, over time the machines would become obsolete and beyond repair. The Council was working to change the payment methods to contactless cards and phone apps, which were more reliable and convenient.

The proposed Luton airport expansion was subject to a Development Consent Order, meaning that the final decision would be made by the Secretary of State. The Council had submitted its response and given evidence as an interested party in the form of documents and live evidence by officers, and the public could access this information online.

The Fix My Street service had been enhanced, with some reports concerning Parish responsibilities now being directed firstly to Parish Councils. The Council had a separate £2 million programme to clean gullies across Buckinghamshire throughout the year, and so Fix My Street would not react to every report of a blocked gully. If there were any functionalities that were missing from the service, he was open to discuss this with Members.

The Pick-Me-Up service was in a defined zone as agreed with the Department for Transport through the Rural Mobility Fund and usage of some central Government funding. The service had recently been extended into Flackwell Heath and had seen increased patronage. Usage data was kept under review and would be used to examine the scope, both financially and within the delivery of the service, to expand further the service.

The Cabinet Member informed Members regarding the footpaths in Wing, stating that there was no application to close any defined footpath and that the landowner was exercising their right to define where the footpath lay across the land through a CA17 form (Section 31(6) of the Highways Act 1980 and Section 15A (1) of the Commons Act 2006).