Major decisions on changes to children’s services, rubbish tip closures and home-to-school transport cuts will still go ahead following the approval of a huge council shake-up in Bucks last week.

Leader of Bucks County Council (BCC), Martin Tett, has confirmed politicians will still push forward with major decisions after the government confirmed the main authorities will be replace with a ‘super council’.

BCC is currently running a series of consultations on major changes, including controversial plans to replace 35 children’s centres in the county with 14 ‘family centres’ as part of an overhaul of children’s services.

Talks on the potential closure of at least one recycling centre in Bucks and cuts to free home-to-school transport provided to pupils are also ongoing.

In an interview today Cllr Tett said there are still “huge pressures” on local government budgets, so BCC will continue to save cash before the new council is launched in 2020.

He added changes desperately need to be made to the Early Help service – which provides early intervention support for families – as continuing with the current system “is not good for children”.

Cllr Tett said: “[The consultations] relate to current planned changes to services or savings, all of which quite frankly need to happen.

“Just to take one of them – the early intervention. We need to change the way in which we tackle problems in terms of families that have particular social needs with young children, so we need to intervene earlier, we need to intervene better.

“Carrying on with the existing system actually isn’t good for those children.”

The new council will replace the county council and four district councils – Wycombe South Bucks, Chiltern and Aylesbury Vale.

Services which are currently divided between the district and county councils, such as bin collections, waste disposal and planning will be brought together under the unitary council.

Cllr Tett added: “We need to keep making savings, it will be 18 months nearly before the new authority is up and running.

“We can’t just simply say ‘happy days are here again and everything is going to be okay.’ Pressure on local government funding is still there.

“I am absolutely convinced it will be brilliant for our county, it will be brilliant for our residents.

“For me the top thing is not so much the financial savings, it’s the way in which we bring together all the services.”

The leader said he has written to the district councils –who long opposed plans for a unitary authority – urging them to work together with BCC to launch the new council.

The district councils campaigned for two unitary authorities – one for the north and one for the south of the county.

Cllr Tett assured residents last week they would see “no immediate big change” in the way services are delivered.