Decisions

Recommendation

To adopt the Burnham Beeches Special Area of Conservation Mitigation Strategy as a Supplementary Planning Document

The Leader AGREED:

To adopt the Burnham Beeches Special Area of Conservation Mitigation Strategy as a Supplementary Planning Document

Recommendations

To agree the Childcare Sufficiency Assessment 2020 (CSA) for Buckinghamshire and to note:

·       The nature and the extent of the need for, and supply of, childcare within Buckinghamshire.

·       The impact of Covid 19 on Buckinghamshire Council’s role as market manager for sufficiency of early education places and childcare

The Leader:

AGREED the Childcare Sufficiency Assessment 2020 (CSA) for Buckinghamshire and noted:

·       The nature and the extent of the need for, and supply of, childcare within Buckinghamshire.

·       The impact of Covid 19 on Buckinghamshire Council’s role as market manager for sufficiency of early education places and childcare

The school's governing board and LA are consulting their local community, parents/carers and staff on a proposal that from September 2021 the school changes its age range and becomes a 1/2 form entry all-through primary school. It presently takes children up to the end of KSI. If agreed the proposal would mean that children stay at the school until the end of KSII before moving into secondary education. The governing board held a public consultation in 2019 when they received overwhelming public support for the proposal. In line with the DfE's statutory guidance a statutory notice was published on 18 September, launching a 4 week representation period for people to support, comment on or object to the proposal. Planning permission and funding for the project have been secured. If the proposal is agreed the necessary building work would be finished by the 2021 Autumn Term.

Recommendation: The Leader is recommended to agree to the proposal by the governing board of Maids Moreton Church of England (CE) School that the school from September 2021 expands its age range. The school presently takes children up to the end of Key Stage 1 (KSI) and if the proposal is agreed children would continue at the school until the end of Key Stage 2 (KSII). The school undertook a public consultation on the proposed change and then held a representation period for people to comment on the proposal and there was overwhelming support for the proposed change.

The Leader AGREED to the proposal by the governing board of Maids Moreton Church of England (CE) School that the school from September 2021 expands its age range. The school presently takes children up to the end of Key Stage 1 (KSI) and if the proposal is agreed children would continue at the school until the end of Key Stage 2 (KSII). The school undertook a public consultation on the proposed change and then held a representation period for people to comment on the proposal and there was overwhelming support for the proposed change.

Recommendations:                        For the Cabinet Member Children’s Services to consider and approve the Corporate Parenting Strategy 2020-2023 for children and young people in or leaving care and endorses its use across the Council and its partners in order to prioritise the needs of this vulnerable group of children and young people.

Recommendation:

To proceed to award the contract for the waste management and treatment services of green, food, bulky and wood waste to the preferred bidder (Bidder B).

The Leader AGREED:            

To proceed to award the contract for the waste management and treatment services of green, food, bulky and wood waste to the preferred bidder (Bidder B).

The report sets out the overview of the financial Revenue and Capital outturn position for Buckinghamshire Council for the financial year 2020/21 as at quarter 2.

RESOLVED

Cabinet noted the current forecast outturn for the financial year 2020/21 and the latest estimates of impacts and funding related to Covid-19.

This report sets out the proposal that has been developed for a Buckinghamshire Recovery and Growth deal proposition for Government. The proposition will build on the strengths, partnerships, and opportunities within the County to enable Buckinghamshire and the Government to support key ‘bounce back’ objectives and enable the ‘levelling-up’ agenda in other parts of the country.

Cabinet was asked to consider a proposal which had been developed to set out a Buckinghamshire Recovery and Growth Deal proposition for Government.

Comments by Cabinet were as follows:-

·         To check whether the map of Buckinghamshire could be superimposed on the map of the Country.

·         As and where there are social mobility issues it was important to focus on the local economy as local businesses know what is best for development, not just focusing at the top end of the skills set but also bringing in opportunities at the apprenticeship level as well as devolution of the apprenticeship fund, to cater for all aspects of the employment market.

·         Buckinghamshire was known for its high number of ‘start-ups’ and it was important to particularly provide assistance to young people because of the legacy of covid-19 and the need to generate new businesses.

·         It was important for the bid to address areas of improvement such as digital connectivity, skills matching job opportunities and traffic congestion whilst also recognising development areas such as Winslow, which was ideally placed with its new green business park with East – West rail connections, Buckingham University and proximity to Silverstone.

RESOLVED

Cabinet agreed to:-

·         Support the Buckinghamshire Recovery and Growth Deal Proposal

·         Delegate to the Leader of the Council the power to make & approve any minor amendments in light of any comments after Cabinet

·         Approve the submission of the Proposal to Government by the Buckinghamshire Growth Board

Request for delegated authority to utilise the NSAP grant awarded by MHCLG/Homes England to further assist rough sleepers in Buckinghamshire. This will require the purchase of a property in Aylesbury and subsequent lease to a Registered Provider of Housing (RP) for use by rough sleepers and the use of s106 developer contributions funds for affordable housing for this purpose; as well as the grant funding to a different RP for them to purchase and make available to the Council 15 one bedroom units for use by former rough sleepers. The funds used will match fund the award from MHCLG/Homes England for these schemes.

In order to follow on from the ‘everyone in’ initiative to assist all rough sleepers into accommodation in March, the Council successfully applied to the “Next Steps Accommodation Programme” (NSAP) in August 2020 with proposals which have been accepted by MHCLG and Homes England, awarding over £2m to the Council and its partners for this purpose. This report asked Cabinet to agree delegated authority so that officers could move forward with this initiative.

RESOLVED

Cabinet agreed to delegate authority to the Corporate Director of Planning, Growth and Sustainability and the Cabinet Member for Housing and Homelessness;

• To grant fund Harrow Churches Housing Association £1.3m - using £650k of Next Steps Accommodation Programme grant awarded from MHCLG/Homes England and up to £650k of unallocated s.106 developer funding - for them to be able to purchase 15 one bedroom properties in the Wycombe and Aylesbury areas for move on from supported housing for former rough sleepers;

·         To grant fund Hightown Housing Association £650k of unallocated s.106 developer funding - for them to be able to purchase Ardenham House, Aylesbury match funding a £650,000 award from the Next Steps Accommodation Programme for this purpose, subject to contract with Hightown and in return for a nomination agreement on behalf of the Council in perpetuity.”

• That the two projects are added into the Capital Programme this year with agreement from the s.151 Officer and the Leader.

The regeneration strategy for High Wycombe, Princes Risborough and Marlow was endorsed by the Shadow Executive in November 2019 but had not been formally adopted by Buckinghamshire Council. As well as the strategic perspective there was the need for a board to provide guidance on the current and future programme of regeneration and regeneration-related projects in High Wycombe.

RESOLVED

Cabinet agreed that a regeneration board for High Wycombe be established, chaired by the Cabinet Member for Town Centre Regeneration. The Board would consist of Cabinet Members and representatives of stakeholder organisations.