On March 12 Government announced it is ‘minded’ to approve the creation of a brand new, single unitary council in Buckinghamshire, which would replace the existing five district and county councils.
The new council would be a ‘once in a lifetime’ opportunity to combine best practice from across our existing councils, join up and redesign services to be more streamlined to focus on local residents’ needs, saving many millions of taxpayer pounds to plough back into crucial frontline services.
One size does not fit all – right across Buckinghamshire different local communities all have differing needs. That’s why the new single council will have local services tailored to the needs and wishes of each community, via a network of community hubs. The new council will work closely with local partners and communities to co-design these new, very local services, so people will have the opportunity to shape services for their own area. Local people will also have more say in decisions on their local area and will have a stronger voice for the local issues that matter to them.
The new council will also be much simpler for residents and businesses, removing all the existing confusion about which council does what – offering a ‘one stop shop’ approach with one website and one phone number for customers to use.
There is a period until 25 May for the government to receive further comments or suggestions about the proposed new unitary council before the Secretary of State makes a final decision. People are encouraged to give their views to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government direct by emailing sajid.javid@communities.gsi.
Take a look at www.futurebucks.co.uk to find out more about the new council for Buckinghamshire and follow us on Twitter @futurebucks1