More than £1.5 million is set to be ploughed into two new children’s homes in south Bucks in a bid to relieve service pressures. 

Last year Bucks County Council (BCC) agreed to earmark £2 million for four new homes in the county to improve the quality of services provided for children in care.

BCC’s cabinet will meet on Monday (July 9) to discuss plans to release the remaining £1,676,000 in the pot for two new homes in the south of the county – with two already planned in Aylesbury.

It is thought the savings made by placing children in care within Bucks rather than sending them out of the county will facilitate the costs of buying and renovating the properties.

Council chiefs are exploring the south of the county to find the new homes, however it is likely the sites will be in High Wycombe.

A council report stated: “Extensive work has been carried out to review all options to use properties which are already within the BCC property portfolio.

“This work has concluded that none of these properties are suitable for the development of new homes and so this decision now seeks to agree the purchase of two additional properties to be developed in south Buckinghamshire as the third and fourth children’s homes.”

Each home will require up to six bedrooms to house four or five children and one member of staff.

A total of £1.2 million has been earmarked to buy both properties, while an additional £250,000 has been set aside for each home to cover the cost of refurbishment.

Initially BCC hoped to build one of the homes on the site of the Hughenden Road car park, however concerns were raised over the cost of developing the site which was “higher than first anticipated”.

To view the council report visit https://democracy.buckscc.gov.uk/documents/s116857/Report%20for%20Childrens%20Homes%20Local%20Provision.pdf