TransportBy Tricia Birchley
“Transport Matters” is the latest County Council consultation with local residents. Although the state of local roads has improved there is still a great deal to be done on our rural roads. In particular the remedial work done to Potter Row has improved the situation but I believe it lacks a proper sub-structure and will require substantial improvement before long. I’m sure you will have read in the Press about the Government’s resources equalisation programme, which takes money away from authorities in the South East and distributes to other parts of the country.
Buckinghamshire will lose at least £3 million a year if the Government goes ahead with proposals to change council funding. Because of the way the council funding formula works many councils in the South East will no longer receive extra money to pay for specific grants such as the Carers’ Grant. Nonetheless we still need to provide the same level of support to our residents.
My role at the Council has changed, having overseen the preparation of the outline business case for the future management of waste, I now find myself on a steep learning curve in Adult Social Care. The great majority of our clients are older residents; nonetheless half the annual budget goes towards caring for people with learning, physical and sensory disabilities and mental health disorders. During the last few days I have been trying to assess whether people with these problems who live in our rural community feel disadvantaged by transport issues. By 2026 the population of ‘over 65s’ in Buckinghamshire is predicted to grow by 36% and the ‘over 75s’ by 47%, so the provision of these services will become increasingly challenging.
I look forward to seeing you at local events over the coming weeks and will meet regularly with the Parish Council. Please let me know if I can be of help in supporting your views and concerns at County Council.