Less than 90 days to go for New Buckinghamshire Council

The council have said there will be a 'minimum of disruption' to day to day services such as bin collections, social care, libraries and parking.

The new council will deliver the whole range of local services currently delivered by the five current councils as a single organisation.

This has been done to make things 'more straightforward' because from April, there will be one point of contact for all council services.

New from April, residents will be able to access information, advice and support on a range of topics near where they live or work through a network of 17 local Council Access Points (CAPs).

This is a brand new idea for the new council designed to offer a 'face to face' contact point with the general public and local community.

It's likely these will be located in a library or a council office in one of the county’s main towns.

The current council main offices located in Aylesbury, High Wycombe, Amersham and Denham will become ‘access plus’ points, geared up to handle more complex enquiries.

In addition, 16 Community Boards will be set up across the county to help the new council build strong links with local communities and respond to local needs more effectively.

Buckinghamshire Council councillors will work closely with local people and community organisations to understand the key issues affecting their local area.

Each board will be made up of local people, town and parish councils, community groups, police and healthcare organisations who will focus on finding solutions to local issues.

These local issues could include improving facilities for young people, tackling social isolation of older people or helping to set up a community bus.

All of the current elected members from the five existing councils will continue serving their communities until the councillors elected to the new Buckinghamshire Council in May take up their posts.

Leader of the Shadow Executive that is paving the way to the new council, Councillor Martin Tett, said: “We are just three months away from the new council and our countdown clock is ticking.

"We’ve come a long way in the last few months and the five councils are working really hard to create a brand new council – a council which our residents, councillors and staff can all be really proud of.

"The next few months is all about making sure we are ready for April and residents know how to find out about the new council and where to go if they need us.

"As one council from April, our focus will then be on how we can improve services for our residents.”

Deputy Leader of the Shadow Executive, Katrina Wood, said: “We’re looking forward to the future. It’s exciting and a privilege to be part of this historic change for the county. The Council Access Points and Community Boards will keep the new council local, making it easier for people to access face-to-face support and get involved in improving services at a really local level. “

Find out more about Community Boards at https://shadow.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/communityboards.

In the run up to the start of the Buckinghamshire Council there will be regular news and updates, including on Twitter and Facebook (@DeliveringBucks) and at www.shadow.buckinghamshire.gov.uk