The Finance and Resources Select Committee of Buckinghamshire Council met on Thursday 8 October 2026 to discuss the HR People Plan update and the Strategic Asset Management Plan (SAMP). Key discussions included workforce priorities, improving productivity, skills development, and the management of the council's property and land assets.

HR People Plan Update

Councillor Robert Carington, Cabinet Member for Resources, presented the annual update on the HR People Plan, which outlines the council's strategic workforce priorities for 2027-2031. The plan aims to improve productivity and performance, enhance wider place-based skills and employment, and foster a modern workplace culture.

A significant focus was placed on health and attendance, with a reported rolling average of sickness absence at 8.23 days per Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) employee, costing £378,000 per month. While this is below the council's KPI target of 8.5 days per FTE and performing better than national benchmarks, an upturn in absences over the summer was noted, partly attributed to the extreme hot weather. The council has implemented revised policies and processes, including manager training and the use of the ServiceNow system, to manage absence more effectively. Councillors raised concerns about the cost of sickness absence and requested further clarification on the different categories of absence.

The committee also discussed skills and employment programmes, including the Horizons Programme which supports residents with barriers to employment, and Skills Bootcamps offering training in priority sectors. The council's use of the apprenticeship levy was also a topic of discussion, with a commitment made to provide a further report on how the levy funds are utilised and the associated opportunities and constraints.

Regarding workplace culture, the report highlighted findings from a Corporate Peer Challenge Review, which recognised strong cultural foundations but identified opportunities for improvement in consistency and staff experience. The council is working on a new workforce dashboard and has implemented changes to simplify governance and empower managers. The reduction in management layers, specifically a decrease of 56 Professional Manager posts between 2025 and 2026, was discussed in the context of delivering savings while maintaining service quality.

The committee requested further information on the breakdown of how these posts were reduced (e.g., redundancy, regrading, or relocation) and assurance that service quality has not been negatively impacted. The council confirmed that service delivery is continuously monitored through Corporate Performance Indicators (CPIs).

Strategic Asset Management Plan (SAMP)

Amy Bridgford, Service Director for Corporate Property & Assets, presented the Strategic Asset Management Plan (SAMP), a framework for managing the council's property and land assets to support its corporate priorities, including regeneration, housing, and economic growth. The SAMP aligns with the council's Corporate Plan for 2026-2031 and aims to ensure value for money and effective decision-making.

The council's asset portfolio is valued at over £1.4 billion and is divided into three categories:

• Investment Portfolio: Comprising 307 income-generating properties, including business parks, tenanted farms, and agricultural land, with an asset value of £353 million and generating £21 million in annual rental income.
• Operational Portfolio: Consisting of 841 assets that accommodate council services, such as schools, car parks, depots, and community facilities.
• Infrastructure Portfolio: Including roads, streetlights, vehicles, and equipment, which are managed by specific service areas.

The SAMP outlines five strategic principles: aligning with council priorities, adopting a corporate landlord model, ensuring value for money, enabling places to be shaped, and maintaining compliance and assurance. Guiding principles have also been developed for each portfolio.

Discussions covered the process for evaluating surplus assets, with an emphasis on community value and future service needs. The consultation process with ward members on disposals was clarified, indicating multiple opportunities for their input. The committee also explored the process for reviewing investment assets, including decisions on holding, selling, or acquiring new properties, and how the council manages borrowing and interest rate risks associated with its investment portfolio.

Officers confirmed that asset plans for the investment portfolio are reviewed annually, and the SAMP is being implemented with a view to regular reviews. A further report on the SAMP's performance is to be brought back in a year's time and considered as a standing agenda item.

Concerns were raised about the omission of climate adaptation measures, such as flood risk and overheating resilience, within the SAMP, particularly in light of recent extreme weather events. While the council confirmed compliance with current legislation regarding energy performance and environmental standards, the integration of climate adaptation costs into financial management processes and the SAMP itself was discussed.

The committee also noted that the Councillor Shadowing Scheme is not managed by the council directly and is not included in the report's statistics.

Work Programme

The committee discussed the work programme, noting that Budget Scrutiny Briefings are scheduled for November. It was clarified that skills and employability falls under the remit of the Growth, Infrastructure and Housing Select Committee, but the financial aspects of this topic would be explored by the Finance and Resources Select Committee. The issue of digital exclusion was also raised, with a suggestion to include it in the IT plan update.

The next meeting of the Finance and Resources Select Committee was scheduled for Thursday, 26 November 2026.