By Tricia Birchley
In early March the County Council was delighted to regain its top performing ‘4 star’ status. The Audit Commission said that “the council delivers a range of high quality services, while maintaining below average council tax and net revenue expenditure”. Success in encouraging the growth of business, providing good quality job opportunities and maintaining high levels of employment in the current financial climate all counted in our favour.
Another piece of good news is that Buckinghamshire residents live longer than the national average with an expected 42% increase in the over 80’s in Chiltern District by 2026. Through the ‘In Touch’ programme the council is supporting residents to maintain their independence by providing information on services in this area, offering a social care assessment for self-directed support, the new way forward for social care, and overseeing the rebuilding of high quality residential and nursing care homes in the county.
The NATS decision to abandon their consultation on increased flights over the Chilterns AONB was a rewarding outcome for the 14,647 people who wrote and protested their objections. We must be on the case when they review their proposals, since the tranquillity of the Chilterns is one of the criteria cited as making Buckinghamshire the best place to live in England in 2009, in terms of social values.
That said, many people have expressed their concerns about the state of local roads following the extreme winter weather. I have been out personally with the local area technician marking up potholes for repair and have spoken to Cabinet members at County Hall to press for funding to improve our roads.
The council has now received two final tenders for the proposed ‘Energy from Waste’ facility, which could be built at Calvert in North Bucks or at a disused brickworks in Bedfordshire. During the two years since the process started several fundamental facts have changed, including the devaluation of the pound making the components more expensive, the lack of appetite by the banks to lend money and the lack of a market for LATS certificates (the Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme). Therefore it has taken longer than expected to announce the final solution.