Recently Conservative-controlled Buckinghamshire Council presented to council its entire three‑year financial plan (MTFP) and Long Term asset investment plan as one bundled package. Many elements of the MTFP were deeply problematic - with significant risks, shaky assumptions and unquantified holes, that the Liberal Democrat Group could not support.
🚧 Highways – failing roads, no real plan
Our roads are deteriorating fast after years of underinvestment and the Conservatives rejected an opposition proposal to add £5 million to the budget for pothole repairs, insisting that their budget was 'sufficient' and that they're 'doing a good job' despite knowing there was a £210m backlog. Residents know that’s not true - they don’t need to go to Specsavers!
🫂 SEND – a crisis the Conservatives won’t confront
Families are continuing to face huge delays for Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) with the recent target at a mere 6% instead of 50%. In some cases parents are having to resort to legal action to get what their children are entitlement to. And in 95% of cases, parents have won at tribunal costing the tax payer an estimated £6-£12m. More than 1,000 new SEND school places are needed and yet only 295 are planned.
🏛 Asset Sales – £103m of “family silver to be sold” with no transparency
The plans rely on over £100 million of asset sales, including £62 million in 26/27 alone. But councillors have been refused a list of what will be sold, let alone an opportunity to scrutinise what council wants for those sites, how those values were calculated, or what risks the council runs. They say they know better! Just take a look at the disaster of King George V House and you’ll see why they can’t be trusted with public money with no public scrutiny.
♻️ Major Risks – uncosted, unplanned, unacknowledged
New national recycling rules could cost Buckinghamshire Council millions as a result of how our long-term waste contracts are structured. This risk was not built into the financial plans and has only been added to council's official risk register as a result of Liberal Democrat pressure - but there's still no contingency in the financial plans which could cost millions of pounds.
Residents deserve clear, transparent and credible long‑term financial plans — not vague assumptions and hidden risks.
That’s why Liberal Democrats could not support the Conservatives' financial plans, despite the work that officers had put into producing a balanced budget.
Buckinghamshire residents deserve better - stronger public scrutiny, good governance, clear transparent strategies, greater certainty and financial plans they can trust.
Buckinghamshire Liberal Democrats are shocked to have learnt of a massive £210 million road repair backlog, on top of an official "amber" warning from the Department for Transport (DFT).