Huntingdonshire District Council continues its series of articles explaining The Local Plan with Bret Mickelburgh, executive councillor for finance and resources.

As I often say, we need to “make budgets boring".

It shouldn’t be headline news that the numbers add up or that we’re balancing the books—those things should be a given.

What should be newsworthy is what we can achieve for residents because we’ve done the hard work behind the scenes. The Local Plan is a perfect example of that philosophy in action.

The Local Plan is about far more than finances. It’s our roadmap for the future—deciding what kind of place we want our district to be for the next generation. This requires careful planning, community involvement, and the resources to make it all happen.

With a strong financial foundation, we’re able to collaborate with developers to invest in the things that matter most to our residents: affordable housing, infrastructure improvements, and services that improve quality of life.

It also means we can engage more meaningfully with the community, bringing residents into the planning process to ensure that the future we’re building reflects their needs and aspirations.

In short, by keeping budgets under control, we’ve freed up the resources needed to do the “interesting stuff”—creating sustainable, thriving communities where people can live, work, and raise their families.

The Local Plan is a key part of that vision, and that’s why we need to know what’s important to you. Find out more and give your feedback at LetsTalkHuntingdonshire.net