The Council of Buckinghamshire Council was scheduled to discuss changes to committee proportionality following a shift in political group membership, and an amendment to the Medium Term Financial Plan and Capital Programme. Additionally, the appointment of a permanent Chief Executive Officer and Head of Paid Service was on the agenda.

Committee Proportionality Review

The meeting was scheduled to consider a review of committee proportionality, prompted by Councillor Kathryn Gibbon's move from the Reform UK Group to the Conservative Group. This change has resulted in the Conservative Group holding an overall majority of seats on the Council. In accordance with the Local Government and Housing Act 1989¹, the membership of council committees and other bodies appointed on a proportionality basis needed to be reviewed to reflect this new majority. The agenda indicated that this would involve adjustments to the allocation of seats on 11 committees, including the Pension Fund, Senior Appointments & Pay Committee, Licensing Committee, and various Area Planning and Select Committees. The proposed changes were detailed in Appendices 1 and 2 of the supplementary agenda, outlining the revised seat allocations per political group and the specific appointments to committees.

Amendment to Medium Term Financial Plan and Capital Programme

A proposed amendment to the Medium Term Financial Plan 2026/27 to 2028/29 and Capital Programme 2026/27 to 2029/30 was scheduled for discussion. This amendment, proposed by Councillor Stuart Wilson and seconded by Councillor Penny Drayton, sought to address the deterioration of roads across Buckinghamshire due to prolonged periods of rain and freezing weather. The proposal was to release £5 million from the 'mitigating future financial risk' Reserve and add it to the 2026/2027 Revenue for Highways Road maintenance. This would amend the Transport Portfolio's gross expenditure budget and the Corporate items Revenue Reserves. The agenda also indicated a request for Cabinet to begin immediate planning for assessing the deliverability and deployment of this additional £5 million for road repair and resurfacing.

Appointment of Permanent Chief Executive Officer and Head of Paid Service

The Council was scheduled to consider the appointment of a permanent Chief Executive Officer and Head of Paid Service. The previous substantive post holder left the council on 18th January 2026. Following an interim appointment, a recruitment process had been undertaken. The Senior Appointments and Pay Committee (SAPC) recommended Zina Etheridge for the permanent role, with an annual salary of £240,000. The report detailed the recruitment process, which included advertisement, longlisting, technical interviews, and final assessments involving various stakeholders. Zina Etheridge's experience in senior leadership roles across local government, the NHS, and central government, including her tenure as Chief Executive of NHS North East London and Haringey Council, was highlighted. The appointment, if approved, was expected to commence in April 2026.