The Cabinet of Leicestershire County Council is scheduled to meet on 16 December 2025 to discuss the Medium Term Financial Strategy, the Rural Estate Strategy, Community Life Choices, Strategic Spatial and Transport Planning, and the Community Infrastructure Levy.

Strategic Spatial and Transport Planning

The Cabinet will be asked to note a report on strategic spatial and transport planning, in light of concerns expressed by local communities, councillors and MPs about the traffic impacts of new developments in Leicestershire.

The report pack includes proposals for the preparation of a Spatial Development Strategy (SDS), and seeks approval for the council to share initial evidence work it has developed as the Local Transport Authority (LTA) with the district councils and developers, and to undertake initial scheme feasibility and development work.

The report states that the LTA supports a plan-led approach to development, but that it is finding it increasingly difficult to support the local plans being prepared by district councils. Concerns raised by the County Council about emerging Local Plans in terms of service and infrastructure provision are often not properly addressed, due to pressure on the local planning authorities from the government to expedite production of their Local Plans and deliver new housing.

The report notes that the population of Leicestershire is projected to increase by 23% between 2018 and 2043, and that the Leicester and Leicestershire Strategic Growth Plan (SGP) sets out a future spatial vision that sees growth more focused in major strategic locations.

The report states that the changes to the National Planning Policy Framework¹ (NPPF) in December 2024 resulted in marked changes to housing requirements. It notes that some areas, such as Oadby and Wigston Borough Council, are now assessing whether they can meet their revised standard method housing requirement, whilst others are proceeding based on previous standard method requirements.

Should an area be unable to meet its revised SM housing requirement (for whatever reason(s) as suitably evidenced), there is a risk that this will have a ripple effect across the HMA, requiring any unmet need to be met elsewhere across the HMA. This again does not aid efficient and effective strategic planning.

The report also notes that the scale of strategic transport investment required to address the impacts of growth is becoming increasingly beyond that which a Community Infrastructure Levy² (CIL), combined with likely future levels of public funding, can afford.

The report sets out proposals for scheme identification and development work, including:

• Developing a multi-modal, mapped strategic vision for the HMA's future transport system.

• Examining options for improving strategic transport orbital connectivity around the east and south of the Leicester Urban Area.

• Examining options for the A6 corridor to the south of the City of Leicester, including the Kibworth villages.

• Exploring options for the use of the Eastern District Distributor Road (EDDR) reservation in Oadby.

Response to the Charnwood Borough Council Community Infrastructure Levy Draft Charging Schedule Consultation

The Cabinet will consider the County Council's proposed response to the Charnwood Borough Council Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Draft Charging Schedule consultation.

Charnwood Borough Council is proposing to implement a CIL for strategic transport infrastructure as part of its emerging Local Plan.

The report pack states that the County Council has consistently raised concerns regarding the cumulative impact of planned growth on the strategic and local highways and transport networks, and the need for an appropriate mechanism to ensure the proposed development funds the necessary interventions to mitigate these impacts.

The Draft Charging Schedule sets out the rates for residential development in three geographical zones, with rates ranging between £6 and £225 per square metre, depending on the nature of the site and its location. The Draft Charging Schedule also highlights the proposed charging rates for other types of development, including older persons housing, purpose-built student accommodation, retail and industrial/logistics units, with rates starting at £75 per square metre and going up to £250 per square metre.

The report notes that the overall expected contributions through the CIL is a maximum of £45 million, compared to an estimated cost of the strategic transport infrastructure of £145 million.

Investing in Leicestershire Programme Rural Estate Strategy 2025-2035

The Cabinet will be asked to approve the draft Investing in Leicestershire Programme Rural Estate Strategy 2025-2035 for consultation. The draft strategy is intended to provide a vision, key ambitions and objectives for the next 10 years.

The stated vision in the draft Strategy is:

To create a Rural Estate that provides opportunities for people to establish thriving rural businesses, supports the rural economy and local communities and makes an increasing contribution to the attainment of the Council's strategic objectives whilst delivering ongoing financial benefits.

The draft strategy sets out proposals for managing the rural estate, including supplementing staff resources with specialist legal and consultancy advice, supported by appropriate information and financial systems to ensure effective and efficient portfolio management.

The Council owns the freehold of the entire estate which extends to 7,359 acres and has a current asset value of £95.9m. The estate comprises 6,996 acres of farmland made up of 65 main farms, including one bare land holding, together with 45 partially equipped, secondary bare land holdings and areas of allotments, together with 275 acres of woodland or land of high ecological value.

The report notes that the estate has a record of delivering financial returns above those achieved in the wider agricultural investment market. The overall returns for the estate over the past 1, 3 and 5 years have averaged 8.2%, 7.9% and 12.3% respectively.

Procurement of Community Life Choices

The Cabinet will be asked to approve the procurement of a new Community Life Choices (CLC) framework for the provision of day centres/services and individual personal assistants (PAs) provided by organisations.

CLC is a commissioning framework operated by the council for the provision of day services and PAs. The main purpose of CLC is to enable people to remain in their own homes, living as independently as possible. 1,274 people currently receive CLC services via the framework and/or a Direct Payment³.

The current CLC framework ends on 30 August 2026, and the new CLC framework will be for the period 2026-2029, with the option to extend for a further two years if required.

The report pack states that the proposals for the future recommissioning of the CLC framework aim to promote sustainability, deliver care and support outcomes in line with the Care Act 2014 and the Council's Fair Outcomes Policy, strengthen carer support, enable progression, and ensure cost-effective care.

The CLC service includes two types of support:

• Day Services are community-based and provide meaningful activities, social engagement, and opportunities to develop independent living skills.

• Provider-employed PAs are employed by an agency and support people to build independence, gain independent skills, and access their community.

The report notes that there are recognised shortages of PAs within certain areas of Leicestershire, including Market Harborough and Melton Mowbray.

Provisional Medium Term Financial Strategy 2026/27 to 2029/30

The Cabinet will be asked to consider the provisional Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) for 2026/27 to 2029/30, which incorporates the 2026/27 revenue budget and capital programme. A supplementary report setting out the detailed proposals for the MTFS is being prepared and will be circulated to members and published on the County Council's website.