The Transport, Environment, Climate Change and Communities Committee met to discuss key priorities and challenges within their respective portfolios. Councillor David Carroll was appointed Vice-Chairman of the committee. The committee also discussed their work programme for the coming year, agreeing to discuss flooding responses, electric vehicle infrastructure, and digital exclusion at their next meeting.

Transport Overview

Councillor Thomas Broom, Cabinet Member for Transport, presented an overview of the transport portfolio, highlighting core functions such as road maintenance, active travel, and home-to-school transport. He also addressed the ongoing challenges posed by HS2^[1], and the importance of securing mitigation for the damage caused by the project.

Pednameed Culvert

A resident's question was raised regarding delays to the Pednameed Culvert project, which is listed under item 7 of the Capital Programme on page 34 of the Public Reports Pack. Councillor Justine Fulford relayed the resident's concerns about the lack of progress and communication since 2022. Councillor Broom explained that the delays were due to difficulties with utility providers and that a solution was now in place, with updates to be provided on a dedicated website.

Local Area Technicians

Councillor Anja Schaefer raised concerns about the lack of clarity regarding local area technicians (LATs) and their coverage areas. Councillor Broom confirmed that a list of LATs would be circulated to members the following week.

Collapsed Drains

Councillor Schaefer also highlighted the issue of collapsed drains, citing a specific example on Western Avenue in Buckingham. Councillor Broom acknowledged the concern and stated that there was £10 million in the budget for capital works for drainage.

FixMyStreet

Councillor Carroll praised the FixMyStreet reporting tool, and asked about reaction times. Councillor Broom responded that FixMyStreet is the swiftest way to get a response, as reports are immediately logged for inspection. He also noted that the council is reviewing the responses provided through FixMyStreet to make them clearer and more user-friendly.

Potholes

Councillor Ed Gemmell raised concerns about the increasing number of potholes and questioned whether the council was learning from other countries, such as Holland, which have better rates of pothole maintenance. Councillor Broom responded that the amount of funding available to local authorities is restricted, and that Holland is a very flat country, so does not have the same issues with surface water runoff. Richard Barker added that continental European roads often have significantly different and better substructures than UK roads. Councillor Gemmell asked for a commitment to write to the government asking them to check on why Holland does it better. Councillor Broom agreed to look into it.

Councillor Michael West echoed Councillor Gemmell's comments on potholes, stating that the success of repairs should not be measured in monetary terms, but in whether the roads are getting better. Councillor Broom responded that the council is working to deliver value for money and that the transition to a new primary contractor, Balfour Beatty Living Places (BBLP), is allowing for better repairs.

HGV Traffic

Councillor Gregory Smith raised concerns about through HGV traffic and asked when the survey results from the Ivanhoe zoning project would be available. He also asked about measures to manage through traffic in small communities. Councillor Broom responded that the council is exploring freight zones and the use of powers to enforce weight and width restrictions.

Cycle Route Between Hadlam and Thame

Councillor Smith also raised the issue of the cycle route between Hadlam and Thame, which residents have been campaigning for for over 25 years. Councillor Broom responded that Bucks has been working on this for some time, but that cross-border projects are tricky.

Traffic Lights in Aylesbury

Councillor Andy Huxley raised concerns about the timing of traffic lights in Aylesbury, stating that they were not improving the flow of traffic. Councillor Broom agreed to look into the issue.

Environment, Waste and Climate Change

Councillor Jaspal Chhokar, Deputy Cabinet Member for Environment, Climate Change and Waste, provided an update on the environment, waste and climate change portfolio, outlining the council's commitment to becoming carbon neutral by 2050, the tree planting programme, and enforcement against fly-tipping and littering.

Litter Enforcement

Councillor Penny Drayton asked for more detail on the litter enforcement scheme. Councillor Chhokar confirmed that there had been a good publicity drive on the scheme, and that signs had been strategically placed. He also stated that residents support the action and the finding of culprits.

Flood Project Funding

Councillor Carroll asked how funding was selected for flood projects. Councillor Chhokar responded that a range of factors are considered, including the number of people impacted and the knock-on effects of flooding.

New Waste and Recycling Plant

Councillor Caroline Cornell asked when north Buckinghamshire would be getting a new waste and recycling plant. Richard Barker responded that the Buckingham Household Recycling Centre (HRC) is in the capital programme and that the council is hoping to conclude the acquisition of a suitable site this financial year.

Greatmoor Incinerator

Councillor Cornell also asked why another Greatmoor incinerator could not be built to get rid of more rubbish and produce more electricity. Richard Barker responded that the current facility has plenty of headroom for Buckinghamshire waste and that there would not be a credible business case to build another.

External Partnership Funding

Councillor Fulford asked about the forecast impact on the environment of cuts to external partnership funding, including scrapping funding for the Natural Environment Partnership (NEP) and Colne Valley Regional Park. Councillor Chhokar responded that he and Councillor Jackson had meetings to discuss that and the knock-on impacts. Steve Bambrick added that the work of the NEP could be onboarded within the wider ecology team within the council.

Net Zero Target

Councillor Gemmell questioned whether the council was on top of the science regarding climate change and whether the 2050 net zero target was still relevant. Councillor Chhokar responded that the council was limited by its resources and that it needed to do things in a way that works both for the residents and for the council.

Local Nature Recovery Strategy

Councillor Gemmell asked whether the Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) was being taken into account in the Buckinghamshire plan. Steve Bambrick responded that the LNRS would be a really important document in terms of the council's future strategy and would be a key piece of evidence in developing the Buckinghamshire Local Plan.

Plastic Film Collection

Councillor Drayton asked about the ambition to collect plastic film collection from everyone by 31 March 2027. Councillor Chhokar responded that this was a compulsory requirement under simpler recycling legislation.

Food Waste Collection

Councillor Drayton also questioned whether food waste from residential properties was actually being composted or whether it was being treated as general waste. Richard Barker responded that the council does have a collection service for food waste and that it is treated entirely separately.

Communities Overview

Councillor Ashley Waite, Deputy Cabinet Member for Communities, presented an overview of the communities portfolio, highlighting key priorities such as Opportunity Bucks, community boards, community safety, and the Helping Hand service.

Community Boards

Councillor Schaefer raised concerns about the changing role of community boards and how they would bring forward the priorities of communities with a significantly smaller budget. Richard Barker responded that the focus of the boards was now much more on community engagement and bringing people together to identify local priorities.

Energy Doctor Scheme

Councillor Smith asked about the funding for the energy doctor scheme. Councillor Waite responded that he would need to come back with a written response.

Solar Canopies on Car Parks

Councillor Smith also asked whether the council had considered solar canopies on car parks. Councillor Waite responded that the council had just commissioned an asset review of all of its car park sites and that this would be considered as part of the review.

Acoustic Cameras

Councillor Fulford asked whether there were any plans to investigate acoustic cameras to capture anti-social behavior from loud cars. Councillor Waite responded that the cameras being installed as part of the upgrade were not acoustic cameras, but that he would take the question back to the team.

CCTV

Councillor Drayton asked why 12 areas were chosen for consultation on CCTV. Councillor Waite responded that the areas were chosen based on crime stats, population density, and other metrics. He also stated that there was an opportunity for towns and parishes to pay a contribution for cameras in their area, which could then be linked through to the council's control room.

High Wycombe Town Council

Councillor West asked why High Wycombe did not have a town council. Councillor Waite responded that this issue had been subject to much debate and that he would point Councillor West to the report that the council considered to determine why the town committee is continuing.

Work Program

The committee discussed their work program for the coming year, agreeing to discuss flooding responses, electric vehicle infrastructure, and digital exclusion at their next meeting.