Keeping it Local

Tuesday 4th June, 6-8pm,

The Hub, Easton Street,

High Wycombe, HP11 1NJ

Town and Parish Council

Workshop

Agenda Approx.

timing

1. Welcome & Update

Mark Shaw & Katrina Wood, Localism Member Co-Leads

Questions

6.00 pm

2. Localism & Community Boards

Sara Turnbull, Localism Officer Co-Lead

6.20 pm

3. Group Exercise 1: Community Boards 6.30 pm

4. Working Together & Devolution

Mark Jaggard, Localism Officer Co-Lead

7.00 pm

5. Group Exercise 2: Working Together & Devolution 7.05 pm

6. Group Feedback

7.35 pm

7. Closing Remarks & Next Steps

7.55 pm

On 1 April 2020 there will be a brand

new single unitary council for Buckinghamshire.

This will replace all five current county and district councils.

The new Buckinghamshire Council will have 147 elected

members; elections to the new council will take place in May 2020.

The new council will deliver all local government services – both

county and district for Buckinghamshire – from 1 April 2020.

This is an exciting opportunity to improve services for our residents.

A brand new

unitary council for

Buckinghamshire

The temporary Shadow Authority (all 202 county and district

elected members) and its decision-making Shadow Executive

will oversee the transition to the new council.

An Implementation team, led by Rachael Shimmin as Interim

Head of Paid Service and Implementation Lead, alongside

the Chief Executives of the district councils, will drive the

work needed to get to day 1.

A programme has been created bringing together officers

from the five councils.

The focus for 1 April 2020 is a seamless transition from the

five councils into one new council with no disruption to

services for residents.

Most transformation and integration of services will come

once we are one team, after 1 April 2020. Th

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You are important in helping to make this change

shadow.buckinghamshire.gov.uk

@DeliveringBucks

Keeping it Local

Community Boards For local members to take decisions and

for communities to have their say.

Council Offices & Access Points For residents to access services and talk to

Council staff near to their home.

Working together with Town & Parishes,

including Devolution Offer For town and parish councils to have the

opportunity to take on the running of

services/assets.

Community Boards

What might the role of Community Boards be?

• To enable Local Members, Town & Parish Councils and residents to influence Buckinghamshire Council & partner service planning.

• To lead and encourage community action.

• To have particular regard to the health and wellbeing of residents in the area.

• To have an oversight and scrutiny role in relation to local public sector performance and delivery in the area.

• To take decisions on delegated Council budgets.

• To provide a local point of access to Members and Council services.

How might a Community Board work?

Board

• Decisions e.g. Community grants

• Consultation e.g. Service Changes

• X 6 meetings per year

• Set Membership. Different Options.

Forum

• Area Priority Setting

• Interactive events, informal style.

• Open to all. Wide Public Participation

• X 2 events per year

• Online Forum

Task & finish Groups

• Partnership working on local issues e.g. Tackling social isolation among older people

• As required.

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Option 2

• Greater potential for partner

engagement /attendance

• Lower staffing than

supporting 19.

• Core budget of possibly

£182k

Option 3

• More local

• Similar to LAFs.

• Core budget of

possibly £105k

Community Boards:

Possible Options

Option 3 - 19

Community Boards

Option 2 – 11

Community Boards

Option 1 – None

Option 1

• Issues based

engagement only.

• Missed

opportunities for

local decisions,

ongoing dialogue.

Dorset

Council: 0

Durham

Council: 14 Northumberland:

5 Cornwall: 19 Wiltshire

Council: 18

Group Exercise 1:

Community Boards

1. How might Community Boards help to support:

Town & Parish Councils to work with the new Council?

Local Members to take decisions?

Enable residents to influence how services are planned?

2. Look at the detail of the illustrative maps provided for Options 2 &

For each option consider the:

Benefits?

Challenges/Issues?

Are there any other alternative options?

Working Together & Devolution

Key feedback from Town & Parishes to date:

• Some keen appetite for devolution but concerns from many

smaller rural parishes about their capacity.

• Desire for effective communications and knowing who to

contact.

• Desire to ensure that the new Council ‘keeps it local’ and is not

remote.

Emerging Thinking…

• Developing a Devolution Offer—Offer only. No compulsion.

• Support package to be developed.

• Process and phased approach.

• A Town & Parish Charter.

Group Exercise 2:

Working Together & Devolution

1. What do you want from the new Council to ensure that it works

effectively with you?

2. What do you think of the suggested key criteria for assessing

devolution requests?

3. If you have an ambition to take on assets/services what support

might you want from Buckinghamshire Council?

Group Feedback

Exercise 1 – Community Boards

Exercise 2 – Working Together & Devolution

Next Steps

Timing Activity

Summer 2019 Engagement Events Research

Autumn 2019 Consultation on Community Board Proposals

Winter 2019 Shadow Executive Decisions on Localism

Thank you