Businesses crowdfund £25k research into local government structure for county

Businesses in Buckinghamshire have raised £25,000 to pay for independent research into the advantages and disadvantages of introducing a different local government structure in the county.

On its website Buckinghamshire Business First said earlier this month: “Reaching this target gives us the opportunity to sensibly review the current system of local government and allows the business community to join the debate for change.”

The findings from the report will be published towards the end of September.

In launching its crowdfunding campaign, the organisation cited initial estimates that Buckinghamshire could save up to £25m by establishing a unitary authority.

It added: “After the May 2015 general election there is likely to be a window of opportunity to refresh the way we are governed. As business leaders and residents in Buckinghamshire, we need to pick up the mantle and provide leadership in this once in a generation chance to bring about a lasting change.

“It is difficult for our local politicians to champion an active debate about bringing about the end to all five current councils and creating a new body or bodies in their place without a clear message from large numbers of us that they might wish to do so.

“But to have a proper and informed debate we need… the facts.”

The group continued: “To gain a full understanding of this complex issue we need a high quality independent research report to examine both the pros and cons of unitary systems, including how well (or not) they have worked elsewhere.

“This affects us all, so crowd funding the research is a great test of our resolve to step forward to improve how important matters are handled around here. This is not about hard working councillors and staff in our current local authorities, which are in fact amongst the best of their kind in the country. This is about a sensible review of the current system, which was established well before Hong Kong was returned to China, before the fall of the Berlin Wall, and before London had a Boris.”