Opinion : Does Wycombe really want to be governed by a Buckinghamshire super council?

For many years there has been talk of rationalising the structure of local government in Bucks, now it seems steps forward are being taken.

Only the other week an article appeared on the news section of this site headlined ‘Blueprint for a new ‘Buckinghamshire Council’ released by Buckinghamshire County Council‘.

It seems that under the plans for the ‘Buckinghamshire Council’ the five district councils would be abolished to be replaced with a central council governing Bucks.

The ‘Buckinghamshire Council’ plans have already been given unanimous backing by the Bucks County Council Cabinet and could soon be sent to Westminster for a decision.

Do the people of Wycombe want to have their local services governed (presumably) from Aylesbury?

Do the people of Wycombe want their bin collections to be operated in the same way as road repairs have been organised?

Do the people of Wycombe want their planning decisions made miles away by people who have no connection with the town and may not even live here?

Do the people of Wycombe want the economic development of the town controlled by the same organisation that replaced most of the roundabouts in Wycombe with traffic lights?

What sort of democratic process is it that can allow for one organisation to come up with plans that radically affect the lives of everyone in the County and decide to sent their plans to central Government without the people whom the plans affect even having a say?

As far as my good self can see the plans for a central council for Bucks are an attempt to grab power and centralise it in a manner last seen when the Soviet Union was created back in 1922.

Why should Wycombe be governed from Aylesbury?

Regular readers will know of my opposition to some of the decisions taken by the powers that be in Wycombe over the years but at least the voters in Wycombe could shape our own destiny. With a County wide body controlling our town it’s no longer possible for a town to take its own course instead it will be dragged down by the needs and wishes of the other towns in the County.

It seems ironic that only a few months ago the UK voted in a referendum to leave the EU yet now a power grabbing organisation is trying to spring up in a similar manner to way the EU did but this time take over the whole of Buckinghamshire from a Kremlin presumably to based in Aylesbury.

Will the BC (Buckinghamshire Council) become the new EU (European Union) in the eyes of the local people?

Perhaps the BC will come up with a flag just like the EU did? I wonder what the design might be? Perhaps the flag might feature symbols including a pothole, set of traffic lights and a tall 1960’s style tower block to represent the offices where it is based?

I for one would far prefer to see the local authority governing the Wycombe District take on more responsibility rather than being subsumed. If Wycombe is to thrive it needs to have the ability to take opportunity when it arises and not be lead wherever an outside force wants it to go.

The way in which local services are run should be up to the local people. We had a national referendum on the UK’s relationship with the EU now lets have a local referendum on the future of local government in the Wycombe District so we the voters can choose the administrative future that we the people want.

What do you think?

*My blogs are published every Tuesday and Friday evening around 8.00pm here on the WycombeToday.com website.

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