Bucks Council backs out of Thames Valley Local Government plan
Buckinghamshire Council wants to back out of forming part of the Thames Valley Strategic Authority.
That’s the big mayoral area, including West Berkshire, planned in the government rejig of how local councils operate. Bucks has sought a “correction” to proposed borders for spatial development strategy groupings after it was included alongside councils aiming to set up a Thames Valley strategic authority.
Last week the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government published proposed boundaries for spatial development plans. Buckinghamshire was included in a group with Oxfordshire County Council, the six Berkshire unitaries and Swindon Borough Council, and is the only council which has not been working towards setting up aa Thames Valley strategic authority.
Buckinghamshire leader Steven Broadbent (Con), told the Local Government Chronicle that it was “disappointing” because the government had previously indicated new arrangements would not be based on “unwilling partners”.
He added: “This does not reflect our position, and we have asked the government to correct the map to show Buckinghamshire as ‘grey space’, as there is no consensus for our inclusion.”
Buckinghamshire has been reluctant to join devolution discussions in the region. This week Mr Broadbent said the authority wanted to go it alone and added: “We remain ready to progress such devolution at pace and have repeated our request for a meeting to discuss next steps on this basis.”