The Overview and Scrutiny Committee of Redbridge Council met on Tuesday 24 February 2026 to discuss the council's revenue and capital budget for 2026/27, the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) finances, and budgetary control reports. Key decisions included the approval of the council's budget, a rent increase for council homes, and the noting of various financial reports and updates.

Revenue and Capital Budget and Council Tax 2026/27

Councillor Vanisha Solanki, Cabinet Member for Finance, introduced the council's revenue and capital budget for 2026/27 and the Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) for 2026/27 to 2030/31. Councillor Solanki highlighted that Redbridge has faced over a decade of underfunding, losing over £160 million in real terms since 2010, and has received some of the lowest funding per head in London. Despite these challenges, the council has protected frontline services such as bin collections, parking, libraries, and leisure centres.

A significant development is the government's Local Government Finance Policy Statement, which introduces a multi-year settlement from 2026/27 to 2028/29, providing much-needed stability and allowing for better planning. This settlement includes the first steps of a fair funding review, which aims to match funding to local needs. For Redbridge, this means an estimated £61.5 million over the next three years, although full value will not be realised until 2028/29 due to a transitional period.

To bridge the gap before the full funding is received, the council has applied for exceptional financial support. This support, which Councillor Solanki clarified is not a bailout but a mechanism to provide financial breathing room, will allow the council to continue delivering vital services while transforming into a more modern and efficient organisation through the Modernising Redbridge programme. This programme aims to cut duplication, reduce hand-offs, and improve efficiency through data, technology, and collaboration.

The budget also prioritises investment in key areas:

• Adults and Children's Social Care and Homelessness: These services account for 64% of the net revenue budget and are under intense pressure across the capital.
• Infrastructure: Investments are planned for roads, leisure facilities, and other essential infrastructure.
• Environment: £1 million is allocated to street cleansing, enabling daily town centre cleaning, weekly residential litter picks, and a rapid response clean team.
• Safety: £5.5 million is earmarked for upgrading the 24/7 CCTV service with new equipment, and additional trading standards officers will be deployed.
• Community Spaces: The council plans to expand Fairlop Waters by 250 acres, build a climbing centre, and introduce pickleball courts.

Councillor Ryan, Deputy Leader, expressed gratitude for the Labour government's listening approach, contrasting it with 14 years of austerity under the previous government. He emphasised the importance of the £61.5 million funding increase over three years, noting that it allows for proper planning, unlike previous years where funding was only known at the end of December.

Councillor Dudridge, discussing children's and young people's services, highlighted that tough decisions made a year prior regarding complex placements and children with disabilities have placed the department on a firm financial footing. He stated that the focus is now on growth and transformation rather than cuts. The recovery plan for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) is fully funded from the children's perspective, although further work is ongoing with health partners to finalise funding arrangements. Councillor Dudridge also detailed efforts to reduce high-cost placements for children in care, noting a significant reduction in residential placements and an enhanced fostering offer.

Councillor Saima Ahmed, Cabinet Member for Housing and Homelessness, presented the housing budget, acknowledging the ongoing housing crisis in London. She highlighted efforts to prevent homelessness and manage affordability pressures, noting a reduction in households in temporary accommodation to 2,791, the lowest level since August 2022. The council has also delivered 600 new council homes and achieved strong tenant satisfaction scores.

Councillor Blackman, discussing street cleanliness and road safety, outlined investments in street cleansing, waste modernisation (including wheelie bins for recycling and a food waste collection service), and highways improvements such as resurfacing, road safety, and electric vehicle charging points. Councillor Kaya Chowdhury, Cabinet Member for Public Safety, detailed investments in neighbourhood enforcement, the Community Protection Taskforce, CCTV, and additional trading standards officers to tackle issues like illegal vapes and tobacco. Councillor Namreen Chowdhury, Cabinet Member for Leisure and Culture, spoke about investments in leisure facilities and libraries, including the reopening and improvement of sites like South Woodford Library and the Kenneth Moore Theatre. Plans are also underway for pickleball courts at Oaks Park and a climbing centre.

Councillor Coombe, Cabinet Member for Digital and Transformation, outlined the £10 million allocated to the Modernisation Programme, led by Adrian Wilkie, Deputy Chief Executive. This programme is intended to drive efficiency across the council and is a key component of the recovery plan. Councillor Mark Santos, Cabinet Member for Adult Services, described the significant investment in adult services aimed at improving the wellbeing and independence of vulnerable residents, focusing on promoting independence, prevention, and strengthening front-door services.

The committee made three recommendations to Cabinet:

1. Highways to publish the list of schemes for the budget year ahead.
2. The recovery board to be a standing topic for Overview and Scrutiny.
3. The council to consider scrutiny governance arrangements for the recovery board.

Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Finances and Rent Setting

Councillor Saima Ahmed presented the HRA budget for 2026/27 to 2030/31, describing it as an ambitious, responsible, and forward-looking plan. The budget includes a £178 million investment in improving existing homes, regenerating estates, and enhancing neighbourhood environments to ensure all council properties meet decent home standards.

A rent increase of 4.8% for social and affordable housing is proposed from April 2026, in line with government guidance (September CPI + 1%). Service charges for non-sheltered and sheltered housing units will also be adjusted to reflect costs, with some seeing decreases due to improved procurement of energy. Garage rents and car parking space charges will also increase by 4.8%.

The HRA Capital Programme includes £146.954 million for the existing stock programme up to 2029/30, aiming for 100% decent homes by March 2030. The council is also pursuing government grants for energy efficiency improvements. The Affordable Homes Programme aims to deliver 600 new council homes by March 2027, with 577 completed by March 2026. The council has secured £62.303 million in GLA grant funding for this programme.

The HRA is projected to have a surplus of £0.113 million for the year 2026/27, with a cumulative surplus of £7.680 million at the end of the year. The report noted that the HRA is sustainable over the next 30 years but operates in a challenging financial climate. The committee noted the report.

Budgetary Control Report for Quarter 3 2025/26

Councillor Vanisha Solanki presented the Budgetary Control Report for Quarter 3 2025/26. The general fund forecast for 2025/26 indicated an overspend of £31 million, a decrease of £156,000 from Quarter 2. Pressures were noted in homelessness and adult social care, with overspends of £23.8 million and £22 million respectively.

Councillor Daniel Morgan-Thomas raised concerns about the lack of savings in the deputy chief executive's area, which he suspected was due to the recent creation of the role. Councillor Solanki explained that some savings had been reversed due to the modernisation programme, which is expected to deliver substantial savings. She confirmed that the savings reported as red were being slipped rather than abandoned, with ambitious plans to bring them into fruition next year. The committee noted the report.

Updates from Chairs of Policy Development Committees

Verbal updates were provided by the Chairs of various Policy Development Committees (PDCs):

• Children & Young People PDC: Councillor Alex Holmes reported a delay to a site visit to Parks School for Girls.
• Clean and Green PDC: Councillor Joe Hehir mentioned upcoming workshops.
• Homes and Neighbourhoods PDC: Councillor Kumud Joshi provided no update.
• Health Scrutiny Sub-committee: Councillor Daniel Morgan-Thomas provided no update.
• Education Scrutiny Sub-committee: Councillor Anne Marie Sachs would revisit A-Level results and NEETs.
• Safe Redbridge PDC: Councillor Mushtaq Ahmed reported that recommendations and a report would be coming to Overview and Scrutiny.
• Strategy and Resources PDC: Councillor Judith Garfield noted that some recommendations had been included in the modernisation agenda.
• External Scrutiny: Councillor Matthew Goddin reported hearing from Vision about the police's annual report.
• Health Scrutiny: Councillor Daniel Morgan-Thomas reported on a meeting with Barts Trust and Redbridge Health Watch.
• PDC (unspecified): Councillor Martin Sachs mentioned a presentation from health colleagues and upcoming development work.

The committee noted these updates and agreed on three recommendations to Cabinet regarding highways, the recovery board's scrutiny, and governance arrangements.

Overview and Scrutiny Work Plan 2025-26

The committee noted and agreed changes to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee Work Plan for 2025-26. The next meeting was scheduled for 9 March 2026.