Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received on behalf of Councillor Gemma Monaco.

To invite Councillors to declare any Disclosable Pecuniary Interests and / or Other Disclosable Interests they may have in items on the agenda, and to confirm the nature of those interests.

There were no declarations of interest.

The Leader asked Members to note that at the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 27^th July 2026, the following items had been pre-scrutinised:

• Housing Assistance Policy 2026
• Food Waste Collections Implementation

Following discussions, the Committee endorsed the recommendations set out in the reports. The Committee also proposed further recommendations in relation to the Housing Assistance Policy 2026, which were detailed in the ‘Additional Papers 2’ pack.

On behalf of the Executive Committee, the Leader thanked the Members of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee for their work in pre-scrutinising the reports.

Appendix 2 to this report will follow in a supplementary pack.

The Private Sector Housing Manager presented a report regarding the Housing Assistance Policy 2026.

The Committee was advised that the purpose of the policy was to support disabled and vulnerable individuals to remain living independently in their own homes. Assistance typically included adaptations such as stairlifts, level-access showers and extensions to facilitate ground-floor living arrangements.

Members noted that, whilst the majority of the elements of mandatory grants were prescribed by legislation, the Council was required to maintain a local policy to set out its approach to a number of discretionary elements for the application of discretionary funding. This included the provision of top-up funding where the cost of necessary adaptations exceeded the grant funding available.

The revised policy had been developed collaboratively by officers from all Worcestershire local authorities. The shared approach was intended to improve the customer experience, ensure consistency across the county and support preparations for Local Government Reorganisation.

The Committee was informed that the principal amendments to the 2024 policy had been made to achieve three key objectives:

·       To establish a common policy across Worcestershire authorities and provide greater clarity and consistency of arrangements.

·       To adopt nationally recognised performance targets in order to improve delivery timescales for urgent and non-urgent, as well as complex and non-complex, cases.

·       To remove additional discretionary fees for high-value adaptations, thereby providing greater flexibility to approve exceptional cases.

Members also noted that the policy recognised the Armed Forces Covenant and set out how the Council would work with local organisations to ensure that serving personnel, veterans and their families received appropriate support where required.

In relation to funding, the Committee was advised that the revised policy would not place any additional financial burden on the Council. Funding for housing assistance was provided by Government through the Better Care Fund and through recycled funding arising from previous assistance cases where repayment conditions had been triggered.

In concluding the presentation, the Private Sector Housing Manager advised that the policy would enable the Council to meet its statutory responsibilities, provide a fair and transparent framework for housing assistance, support residents to remain independent in their homes, improve energy efficiency and help address service failures where identified.

Following presentation of the report, the Committee considered the recommendations that had been proposed by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee at its meeting held the previous evening as set out below:

RECOMMENDED that

The following amendments be made to the Housing Assistance Policy 2026:

1) Wording be added to the first paragraph of section 13 – Decisions, Notifications and Redeterminations, to read: “The Council will do everything it can to fast track cases where applicants have rapidly progressing or terminal conditions.”

2) Information is set out at the beginning of the document on who is eligible to apply under the Policy (both for the Disabled Facilities Grant and any discretionary assistance set out under the Policy).

3) That the financial eligibility criteria (i.e. income and savings test limits and contribution thresholds for amounts above the limit) are clearly set  ...  view the full minutes text for item 22.

The Environmental Services Manager presented the Food Waste Collections Implementation report.

Members were advised that the requirement to introduce a separate food waste collection service had been established under the Environment Act 2021, with a compliance deadline of the end of March 2026. As part of the Act, the Government had committed to providing capital funding for vehicles and containers, together with ongoing revenue funding to support service delivery. Whilst capital funding had been received, the Government had delayed providing details of the ongoing revenue funding arrangements. Members were informed that no specific allocation for food waste collections had been identified within the Local Government Finance Settlement and there had been no significant increase in funding to support implementation costs.

It was reported that a number of local authorities had opted not to implement the service at this stage, including Wyre Forest District Council, due to concerns regarding funding.

The Committee was advised that Redditch Borough Council and Bromsgrove District Council had been working together to develop a joint service. A joint procurement exercise had initially been undertaken with Wyre Forest District Council because of limited depot capacity across the area and the intention to use a third-party provider to support delivery and share risk. However, following changes to the funding position, Wyre Forest District Council had withdrawn from the procurement process, meaning that the original proposal could not proceed.

As part of the Council’s financial planning, provision had been made within the Medium Term Financial Plan to address an anticipated shortfall in revenue funding. However, Members were informed that this funding would now be required to support the overall rollout of the service.

The Environmental Services Manager explained that the proposed approach would initially provide food waste collections to approximately fifty per cent of households in Redditch, commencing between late January and early February of the following year. Members noted that the collection vehicles had a lead time of approximately twelve months and were expected to arrive in December 2026. The service would therefore be introduced in phases, rather than being implemented across the whole Borough at once. This phased approach would enable the Council to ensure the service was operating effectively before extending it further.

It was highlighted that a number of local authorities, including Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council, had implemented their services on a Borough-wide basis from the outset and had subsequently experienced significant operational difficulties. Members were advised that the phased rollout was intended to mitigate these risks, avoid disruption to existing recycling services and protect the Council’s reputation.

The report also outlined proposals for additional funding to support the eventual expansion of the service to all households. Members were informed that the Council was not currently compliant with its statutory duties in relation to food waste collections. However, commencing implementation would demonstrate progress towards compliance and reduce the risk of legal challenge. It was further noted that Government was not currently taking enforcement action against authorities that had yet to fully implement the service and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 23.

The Financial Services Manager presented the Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP) Scene Setting Report.

Members were advised that the report represented the first stage in the process of preparing the 2027/28 budget and the Medium Term Financial Plan through to 2030/31. The report set out the proposed timetable, key assumptions and financial issues that would inform the development of future budget proposals.

It was noted that the report had been prepared during a period of significant change. Whilst the Government had provided a three-year financial settlement, uncertainty remained beyond that period. Members also recognised the implications of Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) and the approach of vesting day, which created additional uncertainty for long-term financial planning.

The Financial Services Manager highlighted three key messages arising from the report. Firstly, the Council continued to face a number of significant financial pressures. An initial review of the budget had identified pressures totalling approximately three million pounds. Members were advised that a number of savings and efficiency measures had yet to be delivered and that some one-off savings, including those achieved through vacancy management, had not been incorporated into the Council’s base budget. In addition, projected shortfalls within the Town Hall budget and other emerging pressures indicated that further action would be required to address the funding gap.

Secondly, Members were advised of the need to continue prudent financial planning. The assumptions underpinning the MTFP included provision for a two per cent pay award, annual increases in fees and charges, and Council tax increases in line with Government expectations and referendum limits. Despite these assumptions, the financial settlement did not fully offset rising costs, including pay, contractual commitments and inflationary pressures. The Council would therefore need to continue identifying efficiencies and opportunities to strengthen its long-term financial sustainability.

Thirdly, the report highlighted the uncertainty surrounding future local government funding arrangements as a consequence of LGR. As details continued to emerge, the Council’s financial planning would need to take account of the associated risks and uncertainties.

In summary, the Committee noted that the report provided the framework for the development of the 2027/28 budget, set out the principal financial challenges and assumptions facing the Council, and established the timetable through which detailed budget proposals would be brought forward for Member consideration.

The Portfolio Holder for Finance and Governance highlighted the need to address the two point three million pound savings requirement. He stated that the administration would take greater ownership of the budget process moving forward and noted that additional pressures could arise if future pay awards exceeded the contingency included within the financial assumptions. He further commented that local government remained underfunded and advised that he would be working closely with the Director of Finance and the Finance team to identify savings and address emerging budget gaps.

In response to a query regarding the impact of national policy changes and the future of the New Homes Bonus, officers advised that the funding stream had not been confirmed as ending entirely. It was noted that  ...  view the full minutes text for item 24.

The Portfolio Holder for Finance and Governance presented the Treasury Management Outturn Report for 2025/26.Members were advised that the report presented a positive position and confirmed that the Council had complied with its Treasury Management Strategy. The report also highlighted how the Council had managed treasury activity during a period of global market and economic uncertainty.

Members noted that the Council’s investments remained in a positive position and that borrowing was well within approved limits. The Portfolio Holder for Finance and Governance commented that this demonstrated responsible financial management from a treasury perspective.

Officers clarified that the reported borrowing figure of one hundred and sixty million pounds included one hundred and twenty five million pounds relating to previous refinancing of the Housing Revenue Account.

RECOMMENDED that

1)    the Council’s Treasury performance for the financial year 25/26 be noted.

2)    the position in relation to the Council’s Prudential indicators be noted.

The Financial Services Manager presented the Quarter Four Financial Monitoring and Outturn Report for 2025/26.

The Committee was advised that the report set out the Council’s final financial position for 2025/26, including performance against budget, explanations for key variances, and the impact on Council balances, reserves and the capital programme.

It was reported that the Council had closed the financial year with an overspend of £579,000. Members noted that this was significantly lower than some of the service pressures projected during the year. The overspend had been funded from the General Fund balance.

The largest service pressures were within Finance and Customer Services, this was largely as a result of a housing benefit subsidy shortfall of one point two million pounds. Additional budget pressures had arisen from the use of agency staffing and work relating to VAT. Environmental Services had also experienced an overspend, largely due to fleet maintenance costs and bereavement services. Members were informed that many of these pressures were one-off in nature and were not expected to recur. These issues, together with income shortfalls and recruitment challenges, would be reflected in the Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP) scene-setting report.

The Committee noted that the Council had benefited from positive corporate finance outcomes during the year, including one point six million pounds in Section 31 grant funding and £541,000 of investment income.

Despite the year-end overspend, the Council remained in a relatively stable financial position, with a General Fund balance of £6.79 million. It was highlighted that these balances provided an important degree of financial resilience. Members also noted that the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) position was broadly in line with budget and that the Council continued to invest in its housing stock, energy efficiency measures and the delivery of new homes.

In conclusion, Members noted that while an overspend had been recorded at year-end, the report provided a clear explanation of the underlying pressures and outlined the actions being taken to address them.

The Portfolio Holder for Finance and Governance commented that the Council’s financial position had changed since Quarter Four, with overspends now anticipated in relation to both the Innovation Centre and the Town Hall. He advised that work was being undertaken with the Director of Finance to gain a clearer understanding of earmarked reserves and balances, including reviewing projects to ensure that resources were directed towards schemes that were deliverable. Where projects were no longer considered achievable, consideration would be given to reallocating resources accordingly.

RESOLVED that

1)    the updated procurements position set out in Appendix A to the minutes be noted, with any new items over £0.200m to be included on the forward plan.

RECOMMENDED that

2)    The 2025/26 revenue outturn position is an overspend of £0.579m which will be funded by an allocation from the General Fund Balance.

3)    The Ward Budget allocation for 2025/26 of £54,000 had approved allocations at £46,900 as at 31 March 2026, resulting in £7,100 which is transferred to General Fund reserves.

4)    The General Fund Balance of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 26.

Members considered the minutes of the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 8^th June 2026.

RESOLVED that

the minutes of the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 8^th June 2026 be noted.

To receive and consider any outstanding minutes or referrals from the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, Executive Panels etc. since the last meeting of the Executive Committee, other than as detailed in the items above.

There were no minutes or referrals from the Overview and Scrutiny Committee or any of the Executive Advisory Panels on this occasion, other than those already detailed.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the Executive Committee meeting held on 9^th June 2026 be approved.

There was no urgent business on this occasion