The Buckinghamshire Shareholder and Trust Committee was scheduled to discuss the appointment of new directors to Buckinghamshire Advantage and review the council's forward plan for the committee's activities in the upcoming year. The meeting also included the confirmation of previous minutes and arrangements for future meetings.

Appointment of Directors to Buckinghamshire Advantage

A key item on the agenda was the appointment of new directors to Buckinghamshire Advantage, an organisation focused on the economic development of Buckinghamshire, particularly its role in the Aylesbury Woodlands project. The report pack indicated that the committee was to consider the resignations of Lisa Michelson and Richard Harrington from their director positions. It was recommended that Richard Ambrose, Interim Service Director for Planning & Environment, and John Reed, Director of Special Projects, be appointed as new directors, effective from 31 August 2026. The report highlighted that both Ambrose and Reed possess significant experience and knowledge relevant to the company's aims and have previously acted as advisory officers to the committee. Additionally, a recommendation was made to delegate authority to the Section 151 Officer, in consultation with the Chairman of the Shareholder & Trust Committee, to make time-sensitive director appointments that cannot wait for a scheduled meeting. This delegation would be used only when absolutely necessary, with any such appointments reported to the next formal meeting.

Forward Plan

The committee was also scheduled to review and comment on the Buckinghamshire Shareholder Committee Forward Plan for 2026/27. This plan outlines the topics and activities anticipated for the committee's consideration throughout the upcoming year. Scheduled items for future meetings included six-month reviews of Key Performance Indicators and Risk Registers for various entities, budget and business plan considerations for Farnham Park Sports Fields charitable trust, and updates on dormant trust funds. The plan also detailed future discussions on the financial accounts and business plans of subsidiaries such as Aylesbury Vale Estates and Consilio, as well as annual reviews of the committee's terms of reference and director appointments.

Minutes of the Previous Meeting

The committee was set to confirm the minutes of the previous meeting held on 2 July 2026. The minutes from that meeting indicated that the committee had noted and ratified the appointment of Councillor Julie Ward as a Board Member of Aylesbury Vale Estates. Authority was also delegated to the Service Director for Planning and Environment, in consultation with the Chairman, to make an officer appointment to the Board of Aylesbury Vale Estates to replace Mr Mark Preston, who was due to leave the Council in September 2026. Furthermore, the appointment of Councillor John Chilver as a Director of Consilio Property Limited was noted and ratified. The previous meeting also saw the approval of draft conflict of interest guidance for Trusts/Charities, with a note that further amendments would be made regarding the disposal of charity land. The draft 2026/27 budget for the Farnham Park Sports Fields charitable trust was also noted.

The agenda also included standard procedural items such as apologies for absence and declarations of interest. The date of the next meeting was scheduled for 19 October 2026. The report pack indicated that the public would be excluded from certain parts of the meeting, specifically for the confirmation of confidential minutes and discussions relating to the financial or business affairs of particular individuals or the authority itself, as per Regulation 4(2)(b) of The Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012.