Council reminds residents of new photo ID requirements for local and national elections
Buckinghamshire Council is reminding residents that to vote in upcoming elections in England they will need to show a valid photo ID at polling stations.
This will apply to:
- Local elections
- UK General elections
- Police and Crime Commissioner elections
- UK parliamentary by-elections
- Recall petitions
The Electoral Commission’s website lists the accepted forms of photo ID.
A photo ID will be required to vote at a polling station for the Police and Crime Commissioner election on Thursday 2 May.
For people registered to vote by post, no photo ID will be required. This is because postal voting requires other identification checks, such as signature and date of birth verification.
Street Trading Policy consultation
We want to hear your views on our draft Street Trading Policy for Buckinghamshire Council.
If you are holding a community event, you may be impacted by the proposals, so I would urge you to read the consultation and please tell us your views – either through the consultation pages or a direct email/letter.
Street trading is the sale or offering for sale of items in a street. A ‘street’ includes any road, footway, or other area to which the public have access without payment (including service stations).
It is not only the public highway – it can include publicly accessible areas that are privately owned, such as shopping centre car parks and open spaces.
The consultation has been extended and you now have until 11:59pm on Sunday 26 May 2024 to tell us your views.
We will use your responses to develop the final Buckinghamshire Street Trading Policy.
UNDER EMBARGO UNTIL 12.30PM FRIDAY 10 MAY 2024: Council unveils unique benefits package in drive to recruit more foster carers
Buckinghamshire Council today (Friday 10 May) unveils a unique and exciting package of benefits and perks for foster carers in Bucks, as it launches a major new campaign to recruit more foster carers.
All councils offer some benefits to foster carers but in the face of ever-increasing costs for children’s social care, Buckinghamshire Council is taking a proactive approach in a bid to encourage more people to come forward and consider fostering.
From a 100% refund on Council Tax to free bus travel in the county, and from free leisure passes to access to a bigger bin, the package has been carefully and thoughtfully put together in partnership with current foster carers in order to help make their lives easier. It also reflects the invaluable role foster carers play in supporting children in care and the council’s appreciation for all that they do.
Full details of the benefits package:
- A retrospective Council Tax allowance to cover 100% of their Council Tax bill (eligible foster carers will have had a placement for 182 days within the year. This can be a continuous placement or a number of short-term placements).
- Free parking in Buckinghamshire Council car parks and country parks.
- Free bus travel for foster carers and the children they care for, within their chosen travel zone in Bucks.
- Free membership to a chosen Buckinghamshire Council leisure centre and access to family swimming and soft play.
- Free access to Buckinghamshire Country Parks events and activities.
- Offer of an enlarged bin, free green waste collections and two free bulky waste collections per year in recognition of the additional demand within fostering families.
- An electronic device to help manage admin tasks.
- Free family annual pass to the Discover Bucks Museum and Roald Dahl Children’s Gallery.
- Free family theatre tickets.
Buckinghamshire is one of only a handful in the country, and the first in the local area to offer a full refund on Council Tax for those eligible. Combined with the other benefits, the new package will be offered to existing eligible foster carers as well as new recruits.
Bucks taxi driver loses licence after being caught using mobile phone while driving
Buckinghamshire Council has successfully defended in court a decision to revoke a private hire taxi driver’s licence after he was caught using a mobile phone whilst driving.
Mr Azhar Iqbal of Littleworth Road, High Wycombe, was stopped on the A355 by Thames Valley Police officers, after he was seen handling and speaking into a mobile phone whilst driving in August 2022.
Mr Iqbal failed to notify Buckinghamshire Council at the time of the offence, contrary to the conditions of his private hire licence. He eventually notified the council’s Licensing Team in April 2023, and subsequently Mr Iqbal’s private hire licence was revoked by Buckinghamshire Council on 12 October 2023.
Mr Iqbal unsuccessfully attempted to have his original conviction overturned. On 19 December 2023, after hearing evidence from the attending police officers and watching recordings from officers’ body worn cameras, magistrates said they were satisfied that he was guilty of the offence. He was issued with 6 DVLA points and ordered to pay a fine and court costs totalling £774.
Further to Mr Iqbal’s revocation, Buckinghamshire Council received an appeal against the decision to revoke his licence which was heard at Wycombe Magistrates on Friday 26 April 2024.
The District Judge found the conviction for using a mobile phone was sufficient to justify revoking Mr Iqbal’s licence in accordance with the council’s policy and that there were no exceptional circumstances to justify an alternative decision.
Mr Iqbal was ordered to pay Buckinghamshire Council’s costs in the case of £5,500.
Council pledges extra £500k for gully cleansing and roadside drainage repairs
With the highest rainfall for more than 200 years throughout winter and spring, in recent months many areas within Buckinghamshire have experienced flooding and related problems. To bolster resilience to flooding and heavy rain, the council will use the new funding to carry out extra cleansing of high priority gullies that need it in addition to its regular planned gully maintenance, to ensure they are in prime condition to cope with periods of sudden heavy or prolonged rainfall. New ditches and ‘grips’ to remove water from the road will also be created in some problem areas, and damaged drainage systems will be repaired so that water can flow away more easily
New home energy efficiency grant scheme launches in Bucks
Grants of up to £30,000 are now available for energy efficiency improvements for homes. These measures can include work such as loft insulation and window replacements. Eligible households in Buckinghamshire who own properties with an Energy Performance Certificate rating of D or below (D to G) can take advantage of this opportunity.
This local scheme, named the Domestic Building Envelope Energy Efficiency (DBEEE) Grant, is fully funded from Buckinghamshire Council’s allocation from the Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
If a resident is approved for a DBEEE Grant and they are given the go ahead for home improvement works, then the council will pay the contractor after the work has been completed. To qualify for the grant, all works must be completed and grant claims submitted by 31 December 2024.
Residents should enquire about the grant through Better Housing Better Health. To qualify, residents need to provide necessary proofs, including a quotation for the desired improvement work on their homes.
More information on the DBEEE Grant can be found on the council’s website.
For residents who aren’t looking to have major work done on their homes, the council’s Energy Doctor scheme offers a range of free energy and water saving measures. These include hot water insulation jackets and reflective radiator panels. To find out if you are eligible for an Energy Doctor visit, go to the council’s Energy Doctor webpage.
Councillor Derek Town