Annual Report (2022 to 2023)

Buckinghamshire is a beautiful county and our stunning natural and historic landscape is valued by all. Over a quarter of our county is within the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, a third is covered by the Metropolitan Green Belt, and we have two National Trails (The Ridgeway and the Thames Path) running through the county.

Protection of the county’s beautiful countryside, including areas of outstanding natural beauty and green belt will be achieved through the ‘Brown before Green’ principle.

We know we must deliver more homes and associated infrastructure for our growing population. By managing growth sensibly and responsibly (including identifying appropriate surplus public sector property and actively developing this for market, affordable housing, and key worker housing), we can protect and enhance our natural environment and the benefits it brings. Aylesbury Garden Town is an exciting example: putting green spaces and natural environments at the heart of future development.

We are on track to reduce our carbon emissions by at least 75% by 2030.

Nitrogen dioxide concentrations are lower than the 40µg/m3 (micrograms per cubic metre) annual mean in 2020 and 2021 across all monitoring locations in Buckinghamshire.

Secured Government grants in excess of £10.3 million to progress climate change projects.

Continued the successful delivery of our 4-year £100 million improvement programme to our highways network.

Continuing our gully clearing programme with over 85,000 gullies in the county to help mitigate the impact of highway flooding.

Provided new cameras in fly tipping hotspots to combat cross border fly-tipping.

Fly-tipping offenders have been ordered to pay £83,794 in fines and costs regarding dumping offences in Buckinghamshire in the year 2022 to 2023.

We have completed 31 prosecutions, 20 Fixed Penalty Notices and 18 Simple Cautions for fly-tipping offences.

Continuing to hold to account HS2 and EWR to seek mitigations for detrimental impacts including remuneration for roads.

7,647 Highway related search requests in relation to the purchase of property or land completed in 2022 to 2023.

Developed a new service model to transform the way we deliver the highways service.

In 2022 to 2023 we completed 23,780 pothole repairs.

Safe Drive Stay Alive celebrated its 19th year in 2022 and has welcomed over 324,000 visitors since its first performances in 2006.

Buckinghamshire Council has topped a league of 59 local authorities who are members of the Modeshift STARS scheme, with the council having the highest percentage of schools with a sustainable travel plan.

Launched demand responsive transport pilot in High Wycombe delivering 25,000 trips since the launch and is now exceeding 250 passengers a day.

Provided 467 Personal Transport Budgets giving eligible young people with SEND and their families the flexibility to make travel arrangements to suit their needs.

49 public bus routes subsidised with £2.05 million budget annually.

Adopted our ambitious Electric Vehicle Action Plan to provide access to low emission vehicles.

Secured £667,000 funding to install charging points for 128 vehicles in public car parks, resulting in an increase of 30% compared to October 2022.

Bledlow Household Recycling Centre opened in January 2023 to enable local residents to reuse, recycle and compost their waste at a more convenient location.

2022 has seen a 34% increase in the amount of waste sent for reuse through the South Bucks Hospice Reuse Shops.

Over 1.16 million visitors to the Country Parks in 2022 to 2023.

Five Green Flag awards for our parks: Heartlands in Buckingham, Vale Park and Bedgrove Park in Aylesbury, Higginson Park in Marlow and Hughenden Park in High Wycombe.

4.4 out of 5 satisfaction rating from visitors to our main town and country parks.

Finalists in national Keep Britain Tidy awards for Community Engagement, for the Litter Bug Trail and Waste Awareness Day events at Country Parks.

62% of adults accessing a stop smoking service between April 2022 to March 2023 reported successfully quitting at four weeks compared to 55% in 2021 to 2022.

Since June 2020, 8.0 tonnes of produce have been collected across 20 allotments through Grow to Give food donations.

Buckinghamshire Council was placed 5th nationally for number of planning enforcement notices issued in 2021 to 2022, the best in the country outside of London.

In 2022/2023 we have:

• issued 125 planning enforcement notices
• undertaken 1,730 investigations
• closed 1,707 cases

14,500 planning and related applications registered in 2022 (second highest number of applications registered nationally in 2022).

33,800 trees planted by end of March 2023 with proposals for an additional 132,000.

Extended e-scooter schemes by 18 months in Aylesbury, High Wycombe and Princes Risborough, saving approximately 50,000 car journeys and 20 tonnes CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent).

Delivered over 4 miles of new active travel routes including Platinum Way, Berryfields to Buckingham Park and Wendover and 3 parallel crossings to prioritise people cycling and walking.

Opened the St Peter's Greenway, a new mile long cycling and walking route between the Buckingham Park and Berryfields developments in Aylesbury, providing a high quality link to schools and communities.

80 hotels across Buckinghamshire signed up to the Hotel Watch scheme.