History
Successes during Administration of
Wycombe District Council 1995/1999
Finance
Administration costs were cut by paring down number of Council Committees and frequency of the meetings.
Reform of the finances of the Council freed £1m per annum each year.
Democracy
Community News was introduced – partially funded by advertising, keeping the electorate in touch.
Business Breakfasts – successful consultation with the business community (attendance soared to 200 at first breakfast, from 20 under previous administration)
Public speaking at planning meetings.
Wide consultations towards the first Strategic Plan.
One-Stop-Shop for District Council services inaugurated in Marlow, and Princes Risborough shop replaced.
Reformed Committee system enabled decisions to be implemented speedily.
Opposition parties kept informed through Briefing Groups.
Helped develop Thames Valley European Forum and appointed a European Officer
Transportation
Worked with Bucks County Council towards implementing Wycombe Transportation Strategy.
Traffic Lights into Sports Centre.
Green Transportation Scheme for Cressex Business Park.
Buses to Adams Park on match days.
High Wycombe Town Centre Pedestrianisation.
Upgrading of car parks.
Need for rural bus services identified, supplied with Bucks County Council funding.
Council Administration
Investors In People renewed.
Constantly growing number Charter Marks for Council Services.
Regular Councillor/Staff meetings instituted.
Community Projects
Deprivation Audit by Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College (Cost £20,000: Police, Social Services, and Health Authority each contributed 25%) against much opposition. It enabled –
● The Castlefield Community Challenge – £6million over a period of 5 years with 19 agencies participating (Crime cut by 82% by 4th year)
● Skidz – popular project to learn to service cars/engines for young people
● Foyer – to assist young people find accommodation and jobs or further education.
Support for Youth Clubs when funding cut by Bucks County Council.
CCTV implemented within 6 months of taking over (after 3 years of discussion)
Rent Deposit Guarantee facility set up
Many local organisations received financial support.
Planning
Wycombe Local Plan taken forward with wide public consultation, each proposition being tested according for its sustainability.
Environment
Two Nature reserves opened.
A council house rebuilt to demonstrate sustainable building.
Waste paper collections started.
Environment Centre planned.
Other Projects
Western Sector Planning carried forward (later rejected by Tories, but never opposed at the time).
Enterprise Centre for Cressex (now Basepoint) planned and successfully implemented. The 60 original units were supplemented by a further 40 recently.
Value for Money
The most effective savings a council can make are ones the public doesn’t see.
Cutting down the number of meetings is part of the story. On a larger scale, it’s a matter of communication. Money can be wasted if too much staff time is spent communicating. But if too little time is spent, staff feel under-valued and don’t give of their best. The trick is to get the balance just right.
The Lib Dems achieved this when they were running the council in Wycombe, mainly because they didn’t dither: they had laid out their intentions clearly in their manifesto and they stuck to them. Council officers knew what they were aiming for.
Such unseen savings were reckoned to be about £1 million per year. The public would have appreciated this better if their council tax had been cut. Had this been done in any year, the Government have penalised the council the following year by withdrawing support.
These savings were spent on useful projects. When the public saw the extra spending – sometimes on things they didn’t like, such as “balls in the High Street” – they didn’t realise that money had actually been saved, and believed the Tory story that it was being wasted.
The Tories pointed out that Wycombe’s council tax had risen 38% under the Lib Dem administration. They didn’t mention that the Tory-controlled Bucks County Council’s tax had risen by the same amount, even though they were getting increased Government support; moreover, while they were cutting services, Wycombe was improving them.
Since the Tories returned to power, we have had more dither and more waste. They have installed a cabinet system, wasted £500,000 unsuccessfully trying to persuade council tenants to transfer to a Housing Association, and delayed the Western Sector implementation by around 5 years …
Role of other parties 1995-9
The 1995 election gave no party overall control. Lib Dems had 18 seats, Labour 15, Tories 24 and Independents 3. Tories, who had run the council up to this point, wanted to do a deal with Labour, and wouldn’t even talk to the Lib Dems. Labour preferred to work with us, presumably on the grounds that the electorate had voted for a change.
This episode shows that Lib Dems can and will work constructively with other parties when none has an overall majority, to produce benefits for the electorate.
