Businesses in Buckinghamshire have crowdfunded £25,000 to pay for an independent review of local government in the county.
Buckinghamshire Business First believes up to £25m a year could be saved if the current five councils were combined into one or two unitary authorities.
‘We’re delighted that this initiative has been so well supported throughout the county, proving that crowdfunding can maximise community impact,’ said Philippa Batting, managing director of Buckinghamshire Business First.
‘All of the support and publicity has continued to drive the debate on improving the impact of local government.
‘Reviewing the structure of local government will help shape the future for our county and help ensure the best use of increasingly limited funds and resources. This does not underestimate by any means the hard work of councillors or the current staff in our local authorities. Our focus is to ensure that the county has the most effective local government structure for its future sustainability.’