Corporate plan

Last updated: 9 August 2023 Download the Corporate Plan 2020 to 2025 (pdf, 8.0 MB)

The financial challenge

We will ensure that Buckinghamshire Council is financially fit, efficient, and responsive to change. We will maintain robust financial planning, scrutinise budgets closely and be prudent in managing risks. As a new unitary authority, we have already achieved significant savings and will strive to achieve more.

Like all local authorities, we face challenging financial circumstances. There are more people turning to the council for support, but the resources available to help them have not increased to match the demand. We have to be realistic and focus on greater efficiency and value for money.

However, we are still ambitious to keep investing in our communities, sustaining the vital services on which our most vulnerable residents rely. We will manage our assets to create long term benefits and additional income, reducing our dependency on the taxpayer and protecting front line services.

How we will spend the 2023 to 2024 budget

2023 to 2024 budget (gross): £1.328 billion

Borrowing costs, contingencies to manage high risks service costs, and other corporate costs: £46.8 million

Spend by service
Service	Amount	Details
Adult social care	£245 million	Includes additional investment to address continued increases in demand, cost, and complexity of social care services
Children’s social care	£99 million	Includes additional investment for care services and children in care, plus preventative services
Highways and transport	£77 million	Includes roads, footpaths, street lighting, repairing potholes, parking and transportation
Accessible housing and resources	£166 million	Includes customer services, ICT, finance, property, housing benefit payments, HR, legal and democratic services
Planning and regeneration	£16 million	Includes development management, strategic planning and local planning, economic growth and regeneration, and enforcement
Climate change and environment	£40 million	Includes climate change, waste collection and disposals, recycling, flood prevention and street cleansing
Schools	£594 million	Funded by specific grants
Education	£21 million	Includes Special Educational Needs, school improvement and early years services
Culture and leisure	£9 million	Includes leisure centres, libraries, museums, parks and play areas.
Homelessness and regulatory services	£25 million	Includes Trading Standards, Registrars, Environmental Health, Licensing, Cemeteries and Crematoria
Leader	£6 million	-
Public health	£22 million	Giving residents tools and information to lead healthier lives. Funded by specific grants
Communities	£8 million	Includes community boards, community safety, community grants and localities and strategic partnerships

2023/24 to 2026/27: spending on providing or improving buildings, roads and other infrastructure (capital budget)
Service/project	Amount
Economic growth and regeneration	£33.7 million
Education and children’s services	£142.5 million
Transport	£144.7 million
Strategic transport and infrastructure	£91 million
Homelessness and regulatory services	£22.4 million
Climate change and environment	£34.9 million
Culture and leisure	£7.5 million
Accessible housing and resources	£22 million
Corporate	£2.3 million

Total: £501 million