Buckinghamshire Council

Buckinghamshire Council was formed in 2022, when the District and County Councils were merged

Hallmark November 2022. The end of the year 2022 is rapidly approaching and what a year it has been. In June we celebrated Her Majesty the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and then in September, we mourned her passing with the proclamation of King Charles’ accession to the throne.

With the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, all of us in the UK are seeing a rise in the cost of living, energy costs, interest rates and inflation.

Buckinghamshire Council is working hard on its priorities and spending plans for next year. So, like other Councils across the UK, the Council is in the process of setting its budget for 2023/2024. 82% of the cost of providing all its services comes from the collection of Council tax.

On 12th October, Buckinghamshire Council launched “Money Matters” – the way for residents to tell us what matters most to them when we allocate available funds during next year. The budget will pay for services such as road repairs, adult social care, children’s services, running libraries and leisure centres, and support for residents facing hardship.

This consultation closes at midnight on 20th November. You can complete the online survey or download a printed version and send it back. Here is the link to the website: https://yourvoicebucks.citizenspace.com/corporate-services/budget-2023-24/

With the financial pressures Buckinghamshire Council runs the “Helping Hand” initiative which is there to help individuals or families in need, those on low incomes and those who are experiencing a financial emergency or crisis. Details can be found here: https://www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/cost-of-living/

The Bledlow Ridge Household Recycling Centre closed in March 2019 due to Buckinghamshire County Council having to make savings due to financial pressures even though there was a petition with over 4,500 signatures opposing the closure.

A Community Interest Company was set up with the support of 12 Town and Parish Councils to act as a vehicle to submit a planning application to re-open it independently. With the Covid pandemic and the transition of the Councils to the new unitary, the application went to appeal due to non-determination. The Planning appeal was dismissed in August 2021 by the Planning Inspector solely on the CIC not having an adequate Minerals and Waste Management plan.

With the transition to the new unitary, Buckinghamshire Council has made savings within the Climate Change and the Environment Portfolio, and with the expansion of Princes Risborough in the next few years, the Cabinet met on 22^nd September and voted to re-open this facility sometime in November if not sooner. Details of this can be found here:- https://www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/waste-and-recycling/household-recycling-centres-permits-and-waste-facilities/find-your-nearest-household-recycling-centre/bledlow-recycling-centre/

If you have any other matters or concerns relating to Buckinghamshire Council such as Roads, Adult Social Care,

Children Services, Education, Planning, Waste and Recycling and Libraries for example that you need some assistance with, please don’t hesitate to contact either:

Carl Etholen. carl.etholen@buckinghamshire.gov.uk 07810 442617. Robert Carington. robert.carington@buckinghamshire.gov.uk 07515 997953. Shade Adoh

shade.adoh@buckinghamshire.gov.uk 07941 618331

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a peaceful Happy New Year 2023.

Hallmark November 2023. Traffic calming petition. The petition was discussed at a special Community Board meeting on the 7th September.. The following recommendations were discussed:-

1. Commission a review of available speed data to determine its suitability as the basis of a formal speed limit assessment.

2. Liaise with the LAT (Local Area Technician), to determine if maintenance could increase the available width of the existing footway.

3. Commission a review of options to improve conspicuity of the 30mph gateway; this could include foliage cutback and enhanced signage.

4. St John's Church of England Primary School should re-engage with the Schools’ Sustainable Travel team to update and continue their School Travel Plan.

It was agreed that as a next-step actions 2-4 would be further considered and further speed data and other supporting evidence should be collected to help support the proposal.

Roadworks breaches. This year the Council have seen a record number of permit requests from utility firms – such as gas, water, electricity or communication companies – who want to access their infrastructure for repairs or improvement works. The Council knows that these works cause major disruption to road users across the county. Utility firms have a right to install and repair their networks which are usually under our roads and pavements. The council's role is to grant permits to allow them to carry out the necessary works and to coordinate these as far as is reasonably practical to try to minimise the impact on the public. Unfortunately, the Council have seen a sharp increase in the number of fines the council has had to issue where they’ve failed to keep to the terms of their permits. Breaches the council has taken action on include:-

• Failing to display correct details on site, including emergency contacts.

• Not taking away temporary traffic lights when they’re no longer needed.

• Failing to implement correct traffic management.

• Not publicising proposed works well enough.

• Failing to remove surplus materials and equipment.

It’s residents and road-users who bear the impact of these failures, and with the rise in the number of works across Buckinghamshire, the Council are stepping up how they manage these works :-

• Introducing seven day working for the ‘streetworks’ team, who monitor works across the county, so they can respond more quickly to problems.

• Reviewing the whole network to best understand where the busiest places and times are, as some road use patterns have changed since the pandemic.

• When these areas have been pinpointed, the Council will look at insisting on extended working hours and more night time and weekend working to lessen the impact on drivers.

• Writing to utilities companies to inform them of the new ‘zero tolerance’ approach when they fail to keep to the permitted arrangements. Companies will now receive a fine on first breach and will have their permit revoked if a further breach occurs.

• Lobbying Government to increase substantially the amount the Council can fine companies who breach their permits; this is set nationally and, with the early payment rate of £80, is totally insufficient to act as an effective deterrent.

Winter support. Buckinghamshire Council has confirmed its package of support to those most in need as we head into winter. £4.8m of Household Support Fund (HSF) from the Department for Work and Pensions is being used to provide a wide range of support to residents. The HSF money is also being used to provide grants to food and welfare voluntary and community support organisations, to help those struggling with the ongoing cost of living pressures.

The HSF supports the council's Helping Hand service which assesses applications for financial help and navigates residents to the most appropriate support.

In addition to the support provided to eligible families during school holidays through the Household Support Fund, Buckinghamshire Council also runs the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme during the Easter, Summer and Christmas school holidays. Funded by the Department for Education, HAF provides free holiday activities and a healthy hot meal for children in Reception – Year 11 who receive benefits-related free school meals.

Surgery dates. The team hold regular surgeries across the ward to hear from residents directly. You don’t have to book an appointment to attend, however, if you would like to talk privately you can contact the team on team@ridgewaywest.uk

Hallmark