Agenda and decisions

To receive any apologies for absence.

To approve the minutes from the previous meetings.

To receive and note any declarations of interests in respect of any matters included on the agenda for consideration at this meeting.

(The other registrable interests of Councillors of Somerset Council, arising from membership of City, Town or Parish Councils and other Local Authorities will automatically be recorded in the minutes: City, Town & Parish Twin Hatters - Somerset Councillors 2023 )

The Chair to advise the Committee of any items on which members of the public have requested to speak and advise those members of the public present of the details of the Council’s public participation scheme.

For those members of the public who have submitted any questions or statements, please note, a three minute time limit applies to each speaker and you will be asked to speak before Councillors debate the issue.

We are now live webcasting most of our committee meetings and you are welcome to view and listen to the discussion. The link to each webcast will be available on the meeting webpage, please see details under ‘click here to join online meeting’.

To note the latest Executive Forward Plan of planned key decisions that have been published on the Council’s website.

Click here to access - Executive Forward Plan

Following consideration of the officer report, appendices and discussion, the Executive resolved to:

1. Note Council is now forecasting a balanced revenue position (on-budget).  

2. Note the total Council revenue forecast underspend of £25.774m for the year. There is a forecast underspend of £19.714m within Service Directorates for 2024/25 and the Corporate Contingency of £6.000m, whilst remains unallocated it has been released into the forecast outturn within budget lines Table 1.  

3. Note that the planned use of reserves of £36.800m for Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP) Support towards the budget is forecast to reduce by £25.774m to £11.026m, due to the forecast underspend within budget lines (paragraph 18).  

4. Agree that mitigating actions are to be identified in order to reduce any overspends, to take action and to contribute to the long-term financial sustainability of the authority.  

5. Agree that the Council continues with the aim of avoiding a Section 114 notice by taking all of the necessary actions and continuing to operate as if one has been issued.  

6. Note the progress and delivered savings of £33.346m of the approved savings programme as set out in Table 2 and Appendix J. 

7. Note that work will continue to find mitigating or substitute savings for the £3.197m of Red unachievable savings, deliver the £0.310m Amber at risk savings and the £3.379m Green on track savings.  

8. Note the in-year forecast overspend on the Dedicated Schools Grant of £30.738m, a decrease of £0.562m from Quarter 3 (paragraph 12).  

9. Note the total forecast Dedicated Schools Grant year-end deficit of £64.649m as set out in Appendix C.  

10. Note the collection rates for Council Tax and Business Rates as set out in paragraph 19.  

11. Approve an addition to the Capital budget of £0.743m of Disabled Facilities Grants available which are fully funded by a grant from MHCLG  

12. Note the Capital Programme forecast outturn at Month 10 is £151.956m.  

13. Approve the additional Month 10 capital slippage of £0.356m into future years  

14. Note the approved write-offs included in the confidential Appendix N.  

Following consideration of the officer report, appendices and discussion, the Executive resolved to:

1. Extinguish the Silver Street rank and relocate the provision to Princes Street. 

2. Provide a new nighttime only rank in Stars Lane car park. 

3. Remove the two-car rank in Stars Lane car park. 

4. Remove the rank in Middle Street, northeast of South Western Terrace junction. 

5. Retain and amend the Old Station Road rank. 

6. Retain the Earle Street rank. 

7. Retain the South Street rank subject to further monitoring and annual review of safety. 

8. Retain the Hendford rank subject to further monitoring and annual review of safety. 

Following consideration of the officer report, appendices and discussion, the Executive resolved to:

1. Note the Council’s suite of Anti-Fraud and Corruption policies has been reviewed and updated, and have passed through Audit Committee 

2. Recommend the suite of policies for approval by Full Council. 

3. Note the updated Annual Counter Fraud Strategic Action Plan for 2025/26 setting out the corporate arrangements and actions to be taken to deliver the Anti-Fraud and Corruption Strategy. 

Following consideration of the officer report, appendices and discussion, the Executive resolved to:

1. Approve the adoption and publication of the Somerset Council Procurement Strategy 2025/26 as in Appendix A; and 

2. Approve the adoption of the Contract Management Framework covering the financial year 2025/26, 2027/28 as in Appendix B. 

Following consideration of the officer report, appendices and discussion, the Executive resolved to consider and endorse Somerset’s Corporate Peer Challenge Action Plan.