Agenda item

Proposed Capital and Revenue Budgets 2026/2027

Minutes:

Background:

 

The report set out the Cabinet’s proposals for the Capital and Revenue budget for 2026/27. In accordance with the Constitution, this would be submitted to Full Council on 25 February 2026, the meeting convened to set the Council Tax.

 

The report had previously been considered by all of the Overview and Scrutiny Committees, as summarised in Appendix 1 to the report and Appendix 1 part B as circulated in the supplementary agenda. The Cabinet thanked those Committees for their comments and took the opportunity to thank the Employment Matters Committee for its work too.

 

The Leader advised that new information had been received since publication of the report, as this report would be considered by Full Council unaltered, a short supplementary appendix would accompany it detailing the new information for consideration.

 

Decision

number: 

Decision:

 

 

The Cabinet noted the comments from the Overview and Scrutiny Committees as summarised in Appendix 1 to the report, and Appendix 1 part B within the supplementary agenda.

27/2026

The Cabinet agreed to recommend to Full Council that the net revenue budget summarised at Table 1 should be set at £523.752million, funded from a 4.994% increase in Council Tax for 2026/27 with the equivalent Band D figure at £1,934.33.

The Cabinet noted that on 28 January 2026, Employment Matters Committee recommended to Full Council:

 

a)        an increase for all staff on MedPay terms and conditions, in line with inflation, which included those on MedPay Performance, Progression Pay Scheme as well as those who were on the legacy scheme.

b)        To not return to NJC currently but keep negotiations open on this matter and do a joint piece of work on impact and cost assumptions.

28/2026

The Cabinet agreed to recommend to Full Council a 3.5% increase for all staff on MedPay terms and conditions, which included those on MedPay Performance, Progression Pay Scheme as well as those who were on the legacy scheme, recognising that CPI increased to 3.4% in December.

29/2026

The Cabinet agreed to recommend to Full Council the fees and charges as set out at Appendix 6 to the report.

30/2026

The Cabinet agreed to recommend to Full Council the Flexible Use of Capital Receipts Strategy set out at Appendix 7 to the report.

31/2026

The Cabinet requested that the Chief Operating Officer calculate the formal requirements under sections 30 to 36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 for resolution by the budget Full Council meeting on 25 February 2026.

32/2026

The Cabinet agreed to recommend that Full Council approve the amendments to the Discretionary Non-Domestic Rate Relief Policy at Appendix 9 to the report and noted a further update would be presented to Full Council in respect of the policy for Pubs following the announcement By HM Treasury of further support on 27 January 2026.

33/2026

The Cabinet agreed to instruct officers to continue to liaise with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to secure support through the Exceptional Financial Support scheme.

Reasons:

The Constitution requires that the Cabinet’s budget proposals must be referred to Full Council for consideration and approval.

The Council is required by statute to set a balanced budget and set the Council Tax levels by 11 March each year.

Supporting documents: