Sarah Green MP: "Planning is often seen as ‘boring’"

It brings to a close a summer that has offered a great deal of unusual heat and, until the last week or two, not a great deal of rainfall.

The challenges of these dual issues bring impacts on our care and health systems, how we continue to produce food as a nation, and how we build our homes. These are questions that need both national and local answers.

One opportunity to do so is our unitary council’s consultation on future planning across Buckinghamshire (which closes on 6th September).

Planning is often seen as ‘boring’. But, ensuring we have the right Local Plan is critical to our communities, ensuring that we provide for local needs in the right spaces and that the infrastructure required to support our communities is delivered along with them.

This should never be about putting a stop to all development, but making sure that the development we enable deals with the challenges we face today, and those we can see coming.

These challenges include our environment, but also ensuring that we have the school places, GPs, and services for new and existing residents alike.

Back to school can be a new start. To those embarking on the next chapter of your education I want to say good luck and I hope you enjoy every moment.

It is also important to acknowledge that new starts also bring new costs, whether it is the need for new uniforms, sports kit, or travel.

All of which is at a time when energy bills are forecast to rise. The issues above are ones that our new prime minister needs to tackle from day one of the new parliamentary term.

I will be working with colleagues across the House of Commons to ensure that all those across our county who need assistance get the right help. I know that MPs from across our area will be seeking to do the same.