Yesterday’s government budget announcement is the “first good news for local government in quite a while”, according to the leader of the county council, after authorities were promised more cash for social care and potholes.

Leader of Bucks County Council (BCC), councillor Martin Tett, admitted the chancellor’s budget “is not everything that we want” however welcomed the £420 million national cash injection to fix the country’s dilapidated roads.

He went on to call for the government to make the funding for roads a yearly pledge – and not just a “one off”.

Cllr Tett said: “I particularly welcome the cash injection of £420m nationally to help fix potholes. This is probably the issue that people write to me about most, and we desperately need this money, particularly if we have yet another ‘Beast from the East’ this winter.

“What we need now is a commitment to make this something we will receive every year and not just a 'one off'."

The budget also included more money for social care following desperate pleas from councils across the country, with £240million set aside for the service in 2019/20 and a further £410 million the following year.

While Cllr Tett branded the funding “good news” he added BCC will have to wait and see just how much money the county is due to get for social care, and raised concerns the “one off” injection could not be used to fund day-to-day spending, such as care home fees and staff wages.

He also welcomed additional support for high streets across the country, airing concerns about Bucks' struggling shopping centres.

Cllr Tett added: “Importantly, we will need to see how much money Bucks will actually get from this. Later this year we should also see the long promised social care green paper.

“I just hope this is the '7th cavalry' arriving, otherwise our budget is heading into very difficult times in the next few years."

"Personally, the action to help our high streets is particularly welcomed. I know that so many of our Bucks shopping centres are really struggling, with too many empty shops.

“The business rate relief will hopefully help smaller shops, and the introduction of the proposed digital sales tax will help rebalance between high street and online shopping.

“Councils now need to work together to help reshape our town centres to make them really great places to go in the 21st century."

"So overall, hopeful, but fingers crossed.”

Bucks residents are urged to take part in BCC's budget consultation, which closes on November 14.

Take part in the survey at www.buckscc.gov.uk/budget2019