Agenda and draft minutes

1.1       The minutes of the Cabinet meeting held on 22 April 2025 were agreed as a correct record.

2.1       Apologies for absence were received for Councillor Claire Dowling.

3.1       Copies of the reports referred to below are included in the minute book.

Report by the Chief Executive

4.1       The Cabinet considered a report by the Chief Executive.

4.2       It was RESOLVED to note the latest monitoring position for the Council.

Reason

4.3       The report sets out the Council’s position and year-end projections for the Council Plan targets, Revenue Budget, Capital Programme, and Savings Plan, together with Risks at the end of March 2025.

Report by the Chief Executive

5.1       The Cabinet considered a report by the Chief Executive.

5.2       It was RESOLVED to:

1) note the evidence base on demographics (Appendix 1 of the report) and the national and local policy outlook (Appendix 2 of the report);

2) review the priority outcomes and delivery outcomes (Appendix 3 of the report) and agree these as the basis of the Council’s business and financial planning;

3) agree officers update the Medium Term Financial Plan as the basis for financial planning when more information is available, as set out in paragraph 5 of the report;

4) agree officers identify areas of search for further savings as set out in paragraph 5 of the report;

5) agree officers update the Capital Strategy and programme (Appendix 4 of the report) as set out in paragraph 6 of the report; and

6) receive reports on more detailed plans for 2026/27 and beyond in the autumn when there is more information about future resources.

Reason

5.3       The State of the County report is a key annual milestone in the County Council’s Reconciling Policy, Performance and Resources (RPPR) process, our integrated business and financial planning cycle. The report provides an overview of the current operating context for the Council to begin the process of more detailed planning for 2026/27 and beyond. Alongside the 2024/25 year end monitoring report, it reflects on our achievements over the last year and the challenges we expect in the year ahead arising from both local and national factors. This analysis helps us start to refine our plans and to guide our business planning and budget setting processes.

5.4       Work will continue over the summer to refine our understanding of the medium term impacts on our services of national reforms, changing demand for services and the financial resources that will be available to us in the coming years. We will also develop proposals for closing the financial gap.

5.5       We will report back to Members in the autumn with an updated assessment of our service demand, funding expectations and proposed actions to inform more detailed business and budget planning for 2026/27 and beyond. We will use our RPPR process to plan for the future as best we can in the context of the considerable uncertainty we face.

5.6       Members will continue to be consulted on plans as they are developed through Cabinet, County Council, Scrutiny Committees, Whole Council Forums and specific engagement sessions throughout the 2025/26 Reconciling Policy, Performance and Resources process.

6.1 It was agreed that items 5 and 6 should be reported to the County Council.

[Note: the items being reported to the County Council refer to minute numbers 4 and 5]