Corporate plan

• 47.8% of residents aged 16-64 are educated to NVQ4+ (equivalent to Higher Education Certificate/BTEC).
• 28% of vacant jobs are not filled due to lack of skills (compared to a national average of 25%).
• 91.4% of pupils attend good or outstanding schools in Buckinghamshire (compared to the South East 91.5% and England 87.9%).
• The value of exports from Buckinghamshire comes to £1.719 billion in 2020.
• 80.1% of residents are in employment (employment rate aged 16-64) compared to the South East average of 78.2%.
• 4.8% of those aged 16-64 have no qualifications (compared to the South East average of 5.0%).

Buckinghamshire is a prosperous county and a successful place to do business, contributing £18 billion to the UK economy and ranked as the fourth most productive area in England.

The county has low unemployment, higher than average household incomes, and boasts world leading sectors. From Pinewood Studios in the south to Silverstone in the north, Buckinghamshire is a great success story. We are also well placed to take advantage of emerging opportunities because of our proximity to London and Heathrow, and our location in the middle of a leading economic area with global strengths in science, technology and high-value manufacturing.

However, the Covid-19 pandemic has impacted this and the national trend shows that high levels of productivity and growth are beginning to slow, and levels of unemployment are rising. Our High Streets have been badly affected and are still facing challenges, including the change in retail habits with increased online demand and falling footfall in Town Centres. Action is needed now to ensure our economy remains fit for the future.

We want:

• to encourage sustainable economic growth, working with our partners to maximise opportunities and boost productivity
• to continue to attract high quality jobs and investment in skills, innovation, and connectivity, keeping Buckinghamshire one of the best places to do business
• growth to benefit both new and existing communities, preserving the character of our environment while delivering everything we need to prosper

Working with partners we will:

• provide a clear and consistent vision for Buckinghamshire through longer term strategic planning and a new Buckinghamshire Local Plan and Local Transport Plan
• continue our commitment to working proactively and in partnership to deliver regeneration plans for Aylesbury, High Wycombe and other town centres
• maximise capital and revenue opportunities in our property estate to support the provision of affordable key worker housing, to support the economy and other council services
• enable residents to be successful in their chosen career by encouraging skills development providing inclusive opportunities for levelling up and lifelong learning
• support the business community, especially SMEs, to grow and flourish including through promotion of high streets and Enterprise Zones
• deliver at least £105 million investment in Buckinghamshire’s roads and pavements; including gully emptying and investing £2 million in our drainage programme in 2023 to 2024 and in alignment with the rigorous, data driven approach set out in our highways asset management policy
• continue to deliver the infrastructure that Buckinghamshire needs where possible ahead of planned growth, including improving connectivity, and strategic Transport links, increasing sustainability, attracting investment in the economic prosperity of the county and tackling congestion
• promote Buckinghamshire, its locations and reputation as a film friendly county and maximise the economic and social benefits of location filming in Buckinghamshire