Agenda and draft minutes

Link to further information in the Council’s Constitution

There were no declarations of interest.

The minutes of the meeting held on 18 November 2025 were approved and signed by the Chair.

Report of the Director – Finance and Corporate Services

The Senior Finance Business Partner presented the Q3 financial monitoring for 2025/26 and advised the Group that the Council continues to to face significant challenges including rising costs, increased demands for services and the need to balance its budgets while maintaining service quality. In addition, policy changes and Local Government Reorganisation (LGR), has added further cost pressures and demands on officer resources.

The Group were informed of the projected net revenue efficiencies and the significant variances arising from additional investment interest, unallocated contingency budget, additional grants and savings in Neighbourhoods and Streetwise. It was noted that any savings were offset by a reduction in planning income resulting from a reduced demand. Appendix A of the report provided the proposals to carry budget forward into 2026/27 and to earmark funding for additional cost pressures and the financial challenges around LGR and Simpler Recycling as previously reported.

The Group were informed of a projected capital underspend the majority of which is due to capital budget programme reprofiling and will be requested to be carried forward at the year end. The significant underspends highlighted in the report related to land acquisition for carbon offsetting, Rushcliffe Oaks PV works, highways and verge enhancements and Edwalton Golf Course enhancements following flood mitigation works.

The Senior Finance Business Partner informed the Group that the Q3 position of the Special expenses budget provides a projected expenditure of £1.7k above budget, however at Q2 this was reported as a £19k overspend, works to Bridgfield fencing have been capitalised and the saving against this budget has offset the previously reported overspends.

In concluding the Senior Finance Business Partner advised the Group the revenue position remains relatively healthy and the position on capital is positive and while long term capital resources are diminishing, it is anticipated that there will be no need to externally borrow this financial year. However, it was noted that existing budgets are under pressure from inflation and rising costs of labour and resources. The focus remains on delivering the capital programme alongside the demands of LGR.

The Assistant Director for Corporate Services presented the Q3 performance monitoring of the Corporate Strategy 2024-27, advising the Group that four of the fourteen strategic tasks are compete and the majority of the remainder have reached 50% progress, indicating they are on target for completion by the end of the strategic period. A full corporate scorecard was provided at Appendix G of the report.

The Group were advised that 9 of the performance indicators had missed their targets as follows:

·       Percentage of household waste sent for reuse, recycling and composting

·       Number of fly tipping cases

·       Percentage of recycling contamination rate

·       Cumulative number of successful homelessness prevention outcomes

·       Number of leisure centre users – public

·       Level of income generated through letting property owned by the Council but not occupied by the Council

·       Percentage of expected Cuncillors attending in-person training events this year

·       Income generated from community buildings

·       Number of missed bins (residual dry recycling, glass and garden waste0 reported

The Assistant  ...  view the full minutes text for item 26.

Report of the Director – Finance and Corporate Services

The Assistant Director for Corporate Services presented the Mid-point Review of the Corporate Strategy 2024-2027, which provided an update on progress of the strategic tasks within the council’s four key priorities of Quality of Life, Efficient Services, Sustainable Growth and The Environment. It was noted that the Council was now two-years through the delivery of the four-year Strategy, and the Group were asked to consider whether the objectives set by the Council in December 2023 remain relevant, achievable and desirable against the backdrop of Local Government Reorganisation (LGR).

The report highlighted some of the key achievements and the Council’s financial position. The Group were asked to consider extending the current Corporate Strategy by a further 12-month period to March 2028 which would lead to vesting day of the new authority under the LGR proposals.

Councillor Combellack asked whether amendments could be made to the strategy. The Assistant Director for Corporate Services explained the strategy was a live document and yes tasks can be added or removed during its operational monitoring, adding the Council should have a clearer idea around what’s on the horizon with regards to LGR within the next six months.

Councillor Gaunt raised some concerns in respect of the review of the Council’s assets and the sale of assets as identified through the asset review, reported to and approved by the Asset Management Group and Cabinet and asked whether this should be a Council decision. The Assistant Director for Corporate Services explained that there are strict rules and governance around the acquisition and sale of assets now that the Council is actively undertaking LGR.

Councillor Plant asked a specific question relating to the Ratcliffe on Soar Power Station and whether there had been any further movement on this and asked what community leadership meant in context to the site’s development. The Assistant Director for Corporate Services explained the community leadership involved local parishes, the landowner Uniper, EMCCA and businesses to influence the delivery of the site. It was noted that a briefing note from the East Midlands Freeport was circulated in December and that a further scrutiny request has been submitted for the item to come back to Growth and Development Scrutiny Group.

It was RESOLVED that Corporate Overview Group:

a)    Considered the information provided outlining the Council’s progress towards delivering the 2024-2027 Corporate Strategy

b)    Discussed whether the remaining Strategic Tasks in the 2024-2027 Corporate Strategy continue to be relevant, achievable and desirable to deliver

c)     Highlighted any additional Strategic Tasks that it would be prudent to include in the Corporate Strategy for its remaining two years

d)    Approved extending the life of the Corporate Strategy by an additional yea to lead the authority through to Vesting Day under LGR

Councillor Combellack, Chair of Growth and Development Scrutiny Group provided feedback from the Growth and Development Scrutiny Group meeting held on 28 January 2026, where the Group were asked to consider and comment on the Council’s Asset Management Strategy and Plan.

Councillor Combellack advised the Group that the Council has a comprehensive delivery of services and complimented the success made by Rushcliffe Oaks and the excellent return on investments from the Co-op in Ladybay and the property at Coalville. Councillor Combellack highlighted the recent purchase of land for carbon offsetting and the proposals to plant a wood including an orchard and wetland area.

Councillor Combellack advised the next meeting of Growth and Development Group will consider Affordable Housing and Shared Ownership. However, she did raise concerns about the scrutiny process and that Park Homes would not be included in the discussion, adding that she has been asked to raise a separate scrutiny request for Park Homes.

Councillor Gaunt, Vice Chair for Governance Scrutiny Group provided feedback from the Governance Scrutiny meeting held on 5 February 2026, where the Group considered the Council’s Internal and External Audits, Capital and Investment Strategy and Risk Management. Councillor Gaunt advised there was much discussion around some of the Council’s risk management systems and in particular comments were raised around the Council’s cloud-based IT systems, the asylum relocation scheme, staff retention and budgetary provision in respect of LGR and the Gamston/Tollerton SPD and the risk of the site not coming forward for development. With regards to the Capital and Investment Strategy Councillor Gaunt advised that the Group discussed S106 and CIL funding and using these reserves to offset internal borrowing.

Councillor Plant, Vice Chair for Communities Scrutiny Group provided feedback from the Communities Scrutiny Group meeting held on 22 January 2026, where the Group considered the Asylum Dispersal Scheme with external representation from the Home Office and SERCO working in the Borough. Councillor Plant advised that the Group were provided with an overview of the asylum dispersal system and the legislation of homes of Multiple Occupancy (HMO’s) and she felt the external representative’s responses had been honest.  However, the meeting had been closed to the public which some members had not been happy about. It was also noted the minutes had been circulated publicly and members concerns had been addressed but not resolved.

The Assistant Director for Corporate Services gave her apologies to Councillor Combellack as the Chair of Growth and Development Scrutiny Group for the misunderstanding that Park Homes could be included in the Affordable Housing and Shared Ownership item going to Growth and Development Scrutiny Group.

The Group were also advised that the recent Communities Scrutiny Group was closed to the public at the request of the Home Office and SERCO due to the sensitivity of the Asylum Disposal Scheme and if the meeting had of been open then the Home Office and SERCO would not have attended.  It was considered, on this occasion, more important to have the opportunity to scrutinise this particular topic than to have the meeting opened to the public.

Report of the Director – Finance and Corporate Services

Four scrutiny requests had been submitted for consideration as follows:

Metropolitan and Trent Valley Housing (repeat request), submitted by Councillor Parekh. Councillor Parekh in her request had stated that there had been many unanswered questions from the previous meeting with MTVH and felt the topic needed further scrutiny to allow MTVH to provide their response.

The Group agreed for the request to come forward for scrutiny and for it to be scheduled into the Communities Scrutiny Group work programme in October 2026. 

East Midlands Freeport (repeat request), submitted by Councillor Combellack.

The Group agreed for the request to come forward for scrutiny and for it to be scheduled into the Growth and Development Scrutiny work programme in July 2026.

Road Sweeping, its effectiveness and efficiency, submitted by Councillor Gowland. It was noted that there is a County Council element to road sweeping, however, Councillor Guant suggested the Council could scrutinise the Boroughs influence around street cleansing.

The Group agreed for the request to come forward for scrutiny and for it to be scheduled into a future meeting of Communities Scrutiny Group.

Article 4 Direction, submitted by Officers from Cabinet on 10 February 2026.

The Assistant Director for Corporate Services explained that the Article 4 Direction needed to be considered at the July meeting of Communities Scrutiny Group in line with the Cabinet recommendation. She added that she expected a request for scrutiny to take place at the same meeting for two policy related changes that are being proposed as part of the March Budget and asked the Group to agree these in principle so that space on the agenda could be reserved. She reassured the Group that scrutiny requests outlining Key lines of Enquiry would be available at the June meeting of Corporate Overview Group.

The Assistant Director for Corporate Services advised the Group that as the Strategic Tasks had been discussed at this meeting these would not be reported at the meeting of Corporate Overview in June 2026 and for an update and review to be scheduled in a year’s time.

It was RESOLVED that the Corporate Overview Group:

a)    Considered any additional items for scrutiny from current Cabinet Forward Plan, Corporate Strategy, Medium Term Financial Strategy, Capital and Investment Strategy and Transformation and Efficiency Programme (Appendix One)

b)    Determine any additional topics to be included in a scrutiny group work programme for 2026/27 for each of the scrutiny groups as presented on newly submitted scrutiny requests (Appendix Two)

c)     Review the current work programme for each of the scrutiny groups (Appendix Three)

Work Programme 2026/27 Corporate Overview Group