Report from County HallBy Tricia Birchley, County Councillor
How will Buckinghamshire shape up in 2026? Chiltern residents largely enjoy an outstanding quality of life; a large majority agree it is a nice place to live and the County Council is intent on preserving the quality of the AONB.
Buckinghamshire has been successful in encouraging the growth of business, providing good quality job opportunities and maintaining high levels of employment. Our proximity to London, Milton Keynes and the Thames Valley provides employment for 60,000 people who commute out of the county daily to work. Most positively, people here are living longer, with an expected 42% rise in the over-80s in Chiltern District between now and 2026.
Supporting people to maintain their independence has a high priority and many challenges facing the County are being addressed by the community, with articulate, active residents engaging with local issues.
Over the next two decades the population of the county will grow by about 51,000 – mainly in the Vale of Aylesbury. The good news is that Buckinghamshire is a strong and vibrant county and one that is extremely well-placed to care for its residents – albeit in a difficult economic climate. By 2026 we hope to have a healthy rural economy and better roads and to maintain our superb natural environment in the Chilterns AONB.
The Council Tax increase this year is predicted to be 3.9%. This has been achieved by identifying savings and efficiencies of over £16 million, together with increased income of almost £2 million. As you may already know, the Government’s benchmark comparison of local authorities now rates Buckinghamshire County Council as the second-highest-performing council in England in terms of meeting its targets and offering value for money. In order to deliver our corporate ambition of Achieving Outstanding Performance we are scrutinising a range of work streams and projects including adult social care, the built environment and recruitment to create a more customer-focused, efficient and lean organisation.
As I write, the Chilterns are snow-clad and the winter landscape is breathtaking. Secondary winter gritting routes are being treated today to make many more roads safer, but the difference in temperature between Chesham and the hilltop villages can be dramatic at this time of year. Despite the cold temperatures I am sure we’d prefer crisp blue skies to dull days of winter and walking on the hills is most uplifting as we look for the first signs of spring.
Please let me know if there are issues you wish me to raise on your behalf with officers at County Hall.