In a meeting of the Barnet Council Cabinet, those present noted the progress being made against the council's strategic plan, approved a £15.52 million investment in the borough's roads and pavements, and agreed to acquire 38 affordable homes at the Donahue Business Park site. Councillors also discussed the Medium Term Financial Strategy and budget for the coming years, and agreed to consult on council tax proposals.

Medium Term Financial Strategy and Budget Consultation

The Cabinet considered the Business Planning and Medium Term Financial Strategy 2026-31, which included the 2025/26 budget management. Councillor Simon Radford, Cabinet Member for Financial Sustainability, presented the report, which outlined the updated Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) and the underlying assumptions.

The Cabinet noted that central government support is likely to be needed to set a balanced budget in 2026/27. They also noted that the MTFS assumes no impact from business rates reforms or the outcome of fair funding reforms until final figures are available.

To address the remaining budget gap for 2026/27, the Cabinet agreed to consult on the use of the council's flexibility to raise the level of general council tax by 2.98% in 2026/27. They also agreed to consult on applying a 2.00% social care precept¹ to help fund pressures in social care. The council's budget consultation was launched the week beginning 15 December 2025, with the budget and a cumulative equalities impact assessment to be considered by the Cabinet on 24 February 2026, before being referred to full council on 5 March 2026.

Improving Barnet Roads and Pavements Programme

The Cabinet approved the Improving Barnet Roads and Pavements (IBRP) Programme 2026-27, which will see a capital expenditure of £15.52 million on improving the borough's highways. Councillor Alan Schneiderman, Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Change, presented the report, noting that highway spending has more than doubled since 2021/22. The Department for Transport has allocated £2.467 million to Barnet for 2026/27, with further funding increases notified up to 2030.

The programme includes carriageway resurfacing and patching, footway resurfacing and patching, as well as work on structures, drainage, and other highway assets, including heritage assets.

Councillor Clarke commented on the improvements to the programme that have come about because councillors can now feed into it, giving the example of Goldsworthy Road in Cricklewood, which had repeatedly been omitted from footpath relays. She also highlighted the poor state of the pavements on Cloister and Coringham.

Councillor Beg asked about how the council would handle objections to the schemes from the borough's diverse communities. An officer responded that the council has a detailed communications plan and engages closely with ward councillors. They also stated that the council is receptive to having conversations with communities and will try to flex the programme to work with them, taking into account religious festivals, events, and school opening times.

The Cabinet also agreed to delegate authority to:

• The Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Change, in consultation with the Director of Highways and Transportation, to approve an additional programme of schemes utilising any potential funding from the Department for Transport (DfT) or other sources.
• The Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Change, in consultation with the Director of Highways and Transportation, to approve the utilisation of the retained funding of £0.6 million to address urgent reactive maintenance requirements.
• The Director of Highways and Transportation, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Change, to make necessary amendments to the programme within the approved budget and any additional funding allocation.

Acquisition of 38 Homes from Chase Homes

The Cabinet approved the acquisition of 38 affordable homes at the Donahue Business Park site from Chase New Homes. Councillor Ross Houston, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Homes & Regeneration, presented the report, stressing that the acquisition would be funded from right-to-buy receipts and the housing revenue account, and would not create a general fund pressure.

The development will include a mix of one, two, and three-bedroom homes, with 47% being three-bedroom, 32% two-bedroom, and 21% one-bedroom. Ten of the three-bedroom properties will be wheelchair accessible.

The acquisition aligns with the Temporary Accommodation (TA) reduction plan presented to the Cabinet in November, which focused on increasing supply. The council is exploring other similar opportunities.

Councillor Moore welcomed the wheelchair-accessible units, noting that they have been some of the trickiest placements to make in temporary accommodation. Councillor Clarke reflected on the history of the site, noting that it was good news for Cricklewood to have homes there instead of a disruptive waste site.

The Cabinet delegated authority to the Executive Director Growth, in consultation with the Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Homes and Regeneration, to approve and enter into the final transaction and related documents, ensuring appropriate financial and legal due diligence.

Contract Compliance with Lee Fire and Security Ltd

The Cabinet approved an increase in the contract value for Lee Fire & Security Ltd to a total of £2,000,000 for the delivery of fire safety inspections, remediation works to fire safety systems, reactive callouts, and project works. They also ratified payments to Lee Fire & Security Ltd totalling £771,966 that have arisen in excess of the existing agreement and contract value of £200,000.

Councillor Barry Rawlings, Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Strategic Partnerships, Economy and Effective Council, explained that the local firm was brought in when another firm failed, and the scope of work has gradually increased. The decision was made to ensure compliance with procurement rules.

Our Plan for Barnet - Delivery and Outcomes Framework

The Cabinet noted the contents of the Our Plan for Barnet – Delivery and Outcomes Framework, Quarter 2 (Q2) 2025-26 report. Councillor Barry Rawlings, Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Strategic Partnerships, Economy and Effective Council, presented the report.

The report detailed the council's performance against its strategic objectives for the second quarter of the financial year. It included updates on various initiatives and projects aimed at improving outcomes for residents.

Councillor Rawlings highlighted the work being done with partners to improve the uptake of cancer diagnosis and screening, particularly among men. He also mentioned the work with Boost and the Shore Trust to support people with physical or learning disabilities and mental health issues back into work.

Councillor Cahill highlighted the work of the culture action group and thanked them for their work on the delivery of the culture strategy. She also noted the success of the heritage grants, which have generated a huge amount of interest from communities across Barnet. She stated that:

heritage is, is, is defined by those who experience it. So it's not defined by the council. It's not defined by our local history, but it's, it's defined by those who, you know, who are applying for grants and engaging with the program.

She also pointed out that there had been 300,000 more quarterly visits to leisure centres, which she said was great news.

Public Questions

A member of the public, Mr. Medford, raised concerns about the treatment of a child known to him by Barnet Social Services at the Singing Tree care home, the same care home where a young person who was the subject of a recent council meeting lived before her death. He alleged statutory breaches, an unlawful eviction, and a lack of response to a complaint and Subject Access Request (SAR).

Councillor Rawlings responded that he could not comment on the specific case but would ask the director to contact Mr. Medford to address his concerns.