What will the Big Society mean for you?By County Cllr Tricia Birchley
‘More for less’ is the Government’s edict to local government in the Budget – so what are the implications for the County Council? The ‘Big Society’ means less government interference in our everyday lives, more responsibility for individuals by enabling people to help themselves and a bigger role for the voluntary, community and private sectors.
There will be significant changes in public services and the Bucks Debate which takes place during September asks local residents what you think our priorities should be. Our ambition is to remain a top-performing council but we need to manage expectations about what we candeliver in the future. During the consultation there will be public events across the county inviting everyone to state their views.
The condition of local roads continues to be a concern and I am pressing Eric Meek, the Area Maintenance Manager, to do the repairs promised on Potter Row before the cold weather returns. I have their assurance that much more remedial work will be done locally and the Bucks Debate will be an opportunity to comment on the rural road network.
You will have read in the local press that several Buckinghamshire schools that meet Ofsted’s criteria as ‘outstanding’ have expressed an interest in becoming Academies. Hopefully there will be many advantages but it will be a culture change and need very careful consideration.
Finally I met the Transport Secretary Philip Hammond at 10 Downing Street on 8th July and raised the prospect of HS2 cutting through some of the most exceptional and fragile areas of the Chilterns AONB. We talked about the AONB receiving 51 million visits a year from people seeking peace and tranquillity and the option of increasing capacity on both the West Coast Mainline and the Chiltern Line from Marylebone to Birmingham. A recent meeting at The Oculus in Aylesbury demolished the business case and the conclusion has to be that HS2 is a political enterprise.