Here is a summary of the Buckinghamshire Council Cabinet meeting scheduled for Tuesday 16 December 2025. The Cabinet will discuss proposals for the Council Tax Reduction Scheme, the consolidation of grounds maintenance provision, and the use of conservation covenants. They will also review the progress of the Buckinghamshire Skills Bootcamps.

Council Tax Reduction Scheme Proposals

The Cabinet will consider proposals to launch a six-week consultation on amendments to the Council Tax Reduction (CTR) Scheme, starting 17 December 2025. The proposed changes aim to reduce volatility for households, simplify assessments, and reduce reliance on data from the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP). The proposals include transitioning to a banded scheme, which is projected to reduce processing times for new claims from 29 to 10 days, and deliver £200,000 in administrative savings.

The report pack states that the proposals, if adopted, could secure an additional £1.5 million of council tax income by 2028/29. This additional income would contribute to covering the increasing costs of services such as children's and adults' social care, as well as addressing financial challenges arising from the government's Fair Funding Review 2.0.

The proposed banded scheme would base CTR awards on household composition and weekly income levels. Households with more than £6,000 in savings would not be eligible for support. The report pack includes a table illustrating the proposed CTR banding structure.

The report pack notes that a transition to a banded CTR scheme could result in changes to the levels of support provided to individual households. Therefore, transitional protection would be provided to households experiencing larger reductions (more than £10 per week) in their CTR awards. The report pack states that modelling suggests this transitional protection would be provided to 1,720 households at a cost of £800,000 in 2026/27.

Consolidation of Grounds Maintenance Provision

The Cabinet will discuss a proposal to consolidate all grounds maintenance activities into a single, countywide outsourced contract. This would replace the current mix of in-house and multiple external arrangements. The aim is to achieve greater consistency, efficiency, and value for money across council-operated sites.

The new contract, with procurement anticipated to commence by the end of December 2026, will be output-based to allow flexibility and potential cost savings. It will also require the TUPE transfer of affected staff.

The report pack states that the new contract will seek to deliver a £200,000 saving in relation to the current budget of £2.3 million per year. The existing arrangements cover several operational areas, including adopted verges and green spaces, allotments, cemeteries and crematoria, and parks and green spaces. Activities include grass cutting, grave digging, landscaping, litter picking, and play area inspections.

Conservation Covenants and Biodiversity Net Gain

The Cabinet will consider a recommendation to approve the use of conservation covenants in relation to securing offsite Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) habitat banks on sites that geographically cross the council's boundary with a neighbouring authority.

Conservation covenants are legal tools introduced by the Environment Act 2021 that can be used to conserve the natural or heritage features of land in England. They are voluntary agreements between a designated Responsible Body and a landowner to deliver lasting conservation benefits. Buckinghamshire Council has been designated as a Responsible Body, enabling it to enter into conservation covenants.

The report pack states that using a conservation covenant would be a simpler and more streamlined way to secure nature-related outcomes at sites that cross authority boundaries. Instead of two separate Section 106 agreements¹ with two different Local Planning Authorities (LPA), there would be one conservation covenant with one enforcing authority.

Buckinghamshire Skills Bootcamps

The Cabinet will note a report on the progress of the Buckinghamshire Skills Bootcamps. Skills Bootcamps offer up to 16 weeks of free, flexible training in high-demand sectors such as digital, construction, creative industries, green skills, and leadership. They are designed to align with both national and local priorities, and provide residents with a direct pathway to employment, career progression, or self-employment, and include a guaranteed interview with an employer.

Buckinghamshire Council has been the Accountable Body responsible for delivery of the programme since July 2023, and has been allocated three 'waves' of grant funding, totalling £7.5 million. The report pack states that data from Wave 5 shows a high level of performance, significantly surpassing the DWP key performance indicator (KPI) target of 70%. The Wave 6 contract includes provision for 886 enrolment places, and covers seven high-demand sectors: Digital and IT; Construction; Green Skills; Creative; Leadership and Management; Education and Early Years; Catering and Hospitality.

Select Committee Work Programme

The Cabinet will note the Select Committee Work Programme.

Forward Plan

The Cabinet will note the Forward Plan.