Have your say on how High Wycombe is run: Your Voice, Your Town

Community governance is about how you and your local community are represented. It is about decision making that affects you and your local area. There are many types of local governance, for example:

• local councils
• community groups
• trusts
• societies
• faith groups
• residents’ or tenants' associations
• neighbourhood groups

This review is about governance processes involving local councils. It is not about other types of local governance listed above.

Buckinghamshire Council is responsible for providing all local authority services to High Wycombe. Examples of these include education, social care, highways planning, bin collections, grass cutting, street lighting and town centre redevelopment. These services are funded by the Council Tax that you pay.

Currently there are 24 Buckinghamshire Council councillors who are elected by residents in the High Wycombe area. This will reduce to 16 councillors in 2025 representing the new wards of:

• Abbey
• Booker and Cressex
• Castlefield and Oakridge
• Disraeli
• Downley
• Hazlemere
• Marsh and Micklefield
• Sands
• Terriers and Amersham Hill
• Totteridge and Bowerdean

Most of the Downley ward and Hazlemere ward are not in the unparished area of High Wycombe. But a small section of each ward is in the unparished area.

Our councillors represent High Wycombe at Buckinghamshire Council meetings. They also serve on the High Wycombe Town Committee and as Charter Trustees.

Find out about our Buckinghamshire Councillors.

High Wycombe Town Committee advises us on issues affecting the High Wycombe town area, for example:

• regeneration
• community and facilities grants
• transport, cycling and walking strategies and plans
• High Wycombe and Penn Road Cemeteries
• events in the town centre
• All Saints Churchyard

The Committee is made up of the 24 Buckinghamshire Council elected councillors whose wards currently include any part of the unparished area of High Wycombe. The Committee also works with local organisations.

The Charter Trustees of High Wycombe were established in 1974. The 24 Buckinghamshire Council councillors whose wards currently include any part of the unparished area of High Wycombe are appointed as the Charter Trustees. They have a ceremonial role, in addition to their Buckinghamshire Council responsibilities. They are responsible for preserving the historic identity and civic traditions of the town. Annually, one of the Charter Trustees is nominated by their peers to be Mayor of the Town. The Mayor of High Wycombe is a ceremonial and non-political role. The Mayor represents the town at civic and ceremonial events.

Find out more about the Charter Trustees and Mayor of High Wycombe.

In 2020, Buckinghamshire Council established community boards uniting local councillors and key partners. We did this to understand and respond to local issues and priorities. The High Wycombe Community Board delivers projects that meet local needs using our funding. The Board would continue regardless of whether a town council was created or not.

View examples of the projects delivered by the High Wycombe Community Board.

All Buckinghamshire residents pay a Council Tax which funds the key local authority services provided by Buckinghamshire Council across the county. In addition, the Council Tax paid by High Wycombe town residents includes a fee for ‘special expenses’ which cover services which would normally be provided by a town or parish council. This fee is sometimes called a precept. This fee supports the maintenance of local amenities and projects in High Wycombe Town including:

• cemeteries
• recreation grounds
• allotments
• footway lighting
• war memorials
• community grants
• town twinning
• town centre events

The special expenses annual fee we receive from High Wycombe town residents for a Band ‘D’ property is £17.66. This is based on 2023/24 Council Tax.

The High Wycombe Town Committee makes recommendations to us on the allocation of this funding and proposes an annual budget.

A new town council could provide a number of local services. Town councils already established in Buckinghamshire provide services such as:

• arranging events such as the Christmas lights switch-on and farmers’ market
• managing open spaces, play areas, football pitches and allotments
• managing cemeteries and memorial gardens
• maintaining benches and some footway and street lighting
• managing local community venues such as public halls
• maintaining flower beds and hanging baskets
• local grass and hedge cutting

A town council could provide some of the very local services instead of Buckinghamshire Council. It could also choose to provide some new services.

In Buckinghamshire there are town councils established in Amersham, Aylesbury, Beaconsfield, Buckingham, Chesham, Gerrards Cross, Marlow, Princes Risborough, and Winslow.

If we establish a town council, we would dissolve the Charter Trustees and Mayoral roles. A new town council could decide to create a new Mayoral role.

A new town council would not replace Buckinghamshire Council as the principal council for the area.  We would continue to be responsible for providing most of the local authority services to High Wycombe. This includes services such as education, social care, highways, planning, bin collections and recycling.

Buckinghamshire Council and our councillors would continue. A new town council would need separate elections for additional councillors. Based on a similar population, this could be between 13 and 25 additional councillors.

Town councils are funded by a town council precept (fee) added to your Council Tax. This would be on top of the existing Council Tax that you already pay (there would be no reduction in how much Buckinghamshire Council charge you). The amount of the precept would be decided by the town council and would depend on factors including: 

• the number of councillors 
• the number of staff employed 
• the cost of the facilities they use
• the number and nature of the services the town council chooses to provide

So, it is not yet possible to tell you what the additional precept for a town council in High Wycombe could be. But here are some examples for existing town councils of a similar size:

Depending on what services a new council would provide, the ‘special expenses’ precept may continue alongside the precept for the new council (if this is the preferred option).

Each year, the increase to the total Council Tax for Buckinghamshire Council is ‘capped’ by Central Government. There is no ‘cap’ placed on increases to the precept for town councils.

The Council Tax paid by High Wycombe town residents includes a fee for ‘special expenses’ which cover services which would normally be provided by a town or parish council. This fee is sometimes called a precept.

If a town council is created, the special expenses precept you pay Buckinghamshire Council would decrease based on the services the town council takes on.

If the town council takes on all services and assets currently paid for by special expenses, your Council Tax bill will include a town council precept but not a special expenses precept.

If the town council only takes over some services and assets currently paid for by special expenses, your Council Tax bill will include a town council precept and a special expenses precept.

The precept for a town council would be an extra charge on top of your current Council Tax. This is because a town council precept would pay for costs on top of those paid for by your existing Council Tax, such as extra services and support staff.

The current governance arrangements would continue, including:

• • the High Wycombe Town Committee
  • the Charter Trustees
  • the Mayor
  • the High Wycombe Community Board

As part of this review, there is an opportunity to suggest improvements.