The Overview & Scrutiny Committee of Enfield Council met on Monday 19 January 2026 to discuss the council's budget proposals for 2026/27 and the Medium-Term Financial Plan (MTFP) for 2026/27 to 2030/31. The committee was also scheduled to scrutinise the council's treasury management strategy and review its work programme for the remainder of the 2025/26 financial year.

Budget Consultation for Members

The committee was asked to formally scrutinise the budget process and the specific budget proposals for 2026/27. This included reviewing the latest position regarding the Medium-Term Financial Plan (MTFP) for 2026/27 to 2030/31. The aim was to provide feedback and comments for the Cabinet to consider before the final budget is submitted to the Council on 26th February 2026. The report pack indicated that the council was working to a 'favourable' scenario presented in the December Cabinet paper, following the Provisional Local Government Settlement. It also noted that further work was ongoing to identify additional savings to close the budget gap and avoid the use of usable reserves. The report highlighted a significant budget gap of £25m in 2026/27 and £63.4m through to 2029/30, reflecting ongoing cost pressures and uncertainty surrounding government funding reforms. The council had confirmed it would not be seeking Exceptional Financial Support for 2026/27. The report also detailed proposed increases to fees and charges across service departments for 2026/27, with a continued focus on ensuring service costs are recovered from relevant fees and charges, generally increasing by CPI at 3.4%.^[1]

Treasury Management Strategy

The committee was recommended to formally scrutinise the council's treasury position, operational practices for managing debt and investments, and the Minimum Revenue Provision (MRP) policy. This scrutiny was to take place before the Treasury Management Strategy Statement was presented to Full Council for approval on 26 February 2026. The report pack indicated that the council's overall cost of debt to the General Fund for 2025/26 was forecast to be £31.4m. It was noted that borrowing levels remained within the limits approved by Full Council and national prudential standards. The report also detailed the council's debt maturity profile, showing it was within approved limits, and provided a summary of treasury investment activity, with an estimated investment income of £4.3m. The council's risk appetite was redefined in 2022/23, leading to a restructuring of the forward-looking capital programme and capital financing costs in line with a new, lower, financial risk appetite.^[2]

Work Programme 2025/26

The committee was asked to note the Overview & Scrutiny Committee Work Programme for 2025/26. This programme included several key items for review. Notably, an update on Meridian Water was scheduled, with the committee requesting details on progress over the past 12 months, the current situation, future projections for one and five years, the housing mix, and planned infrastructure updates such as doctors' surgeries and schools.^[3] An update on ICT, with a focus on customer service, was also on the agenda, including information on income generated from online service payments and the use of AI to optimise customer experience.^[4] Furthermore, the committee was to receive an update on successful bidding for funding and grants, including the process, contributions to successful bids, and lessons learned from unsuccessful bids.^[5]

Dates of Future Meetings

The committee was also to note the dates of future meetings, including provisional call-in dates and scheduled business meetings for the remainder of the 2025/26 municipal year.