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Budget Council, Council - Wednesday 4 March 2026 7.00 pm
March 4, 2026 at 7:00 pm Council View on council website Watch video of meeting Read transcript (Professional subscription required)Summary
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The Council of Lambeth Council was scheduled to consider the Revenue and Capital Budget for the upcoming financial year, alongside proposed amendments from the Green and Liberal Democrat groups. Other key items on the agenda included the adoption of the council's Constitution, the Pay Policy Statement, and the Lambeth Statement of Principles for Gambling.
Revenue and Capital Budget 2026/27
The meeting was scheduled to include a discussion on the Revenue and Capital Budget for the 2026/27 financial year. This would involve consideration of the council's financial plans and allocations for the upcoming period. The agenda indicated that supporting documents for this item included the Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) for 2026-301, a simplified Council Tax model and statutory calculations2, and the Council Tax Support Scheme for 2026-273. An end-of-consultation report for the Council Tax Support scheme was also listed as an appendix4.
Green Group Budget Amendments
The agenda indicated that the Council would consider budget amendments proposed by the Green Group. These amendments would likely outline alternative financial proposals or adjustments to the main budget. Supporting documents included a statement from the Green Party S151 budget5 and the Green Budget Amendment document itself6.
Liberal Democrat Group Budget Amendments
Similarly, the meeting was scheduled to review budget amendments put forward by the Liberal Democrat Group. These would represent their alternative financial proposals for the 2026/27 period. Documents associated with this item included the Liberal Democrats S151 budget statement7, the Liberal Democrat Group Alternative Budget 2026-278, and a specific budget amendment document9.
Constitution 2026/2027
A significant item on the agenda was the proposed Constitution for 2026/2027. This document outlines the fundamental rules and principles governing the council's operations and decision-making processes. The agenda referenced an appendix containing the full Lambeth Council Constitution with track changes10, alongside a schedule of changes11 and updated Council Procedure Rules12, and a clean copy of the updated rules13. A cover report on the Constitution Review was also provided14.
Pay Policy Statement 2026/27
The meeting was scheduled to consider the Pay Policy Statement for 2026/27. This statement sets out the council's policies on the pay of its senior staff and is a requirement under the Localism Act 201115. Supporting documents included the full Pay Policy Statement report16, Appendix A which is the Lambeth Pay Policy Statement for 2026-2717, and Appendix B, the Pay Policy Statement as of November 202518. Lambeth's payscales for 2025-2026 were also available as an appendix19.
Lambeth Statement of Principles for Gambling 2026-2029
The agenda also listed the Lambeth Statement of Principles for Gambling for the period 2026-2029. This policy would set out the council's approach to regulating gambling premises within the borough. Documents related to this item included the draft Statement of Gambling Policy 2026-202920, a gambling policy report21, a summary of changes22, and an Equalities Impact Assessment for the Gambling Policy Statement23.
Petitions and Deputations relating to the Budget
The meeting was scheduled to receive petitions and deputations specifically relating to the Budget. This provided an opportunity for residents or groups to present their views on the council's financial plans.
Minutes of Previous Meeting
The agenda included the approval and signing of the minutes from the previous meeting held on 21 January 2026.
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The Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) is a document that outlines a local authority's financial plans and priorities over a period of typically three to five years. ↩
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Council Tax is a tax set by local authorities to fund local services. The Council Tax model and statutory calculations would detail how this tax is determined and applied. ↩
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The Council Tax Support Scheme provides financial assistance to low-income households to help them pay their Council Tax bill. ↩
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This report would summarise the outcome of public consultation on the Council Tax Support scheme. ↩
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The S151 officer is the council's chief finance officer, responsible for ensuring the legality and financial prudence of council decisions. ↩
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This document would contain the specific financial proposals put forward by the Green Group. ↩
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This document would outline the Liberal Democrats' financial proposals as presented by their S151 officer. ↩
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This document would detail the Liberal Democrats' alternative budget for the 2026-27 financial year. ↩
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This document would contain the specific financial amendments proposed by the Liberal Democrat Group. ↩
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The Council Constitution sets out the framework for how the council operates, including its decision-making processes, roles of councillors, and standing orders. ↩
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This document would detail the specific alterations proposed for the Council Constitution. ↩
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Council Procedure Rules govern the conduct of council meetings, including how debates are managed, voting procedures, and the roles of officers. ↩
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This is a clean version of the updated Council Procedure Rules, without tracked changes. ↩
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This report would provide an overview and justification for the proposed changes to the Constitution. ↩
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The Localism Act 2011 is a piece of UK legislation that devolved more power to local communities and individuals. It includes provisions for councils to set their own pay policies for senior staff. ↩
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This is the main report detailing the council's Pay Policy Statement for the specified financial year. ↩
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This appendix provides the specific Pay Policy Statement for Lambeth Council for 2026-27. ↩
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This document provides the Pay Policy Statement as it stood in November 2025, likely for comparison or as a basis for the new statement. ↩
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This appendix would list the salary scales for council employees. ↩
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This is the draft version of the policy that sets out the council's approach to licensing and regulating gambling premises. ↩
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This report would provide background information and recommendations regarding the gambling policy. ↩
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This document would summarise the key changes made to the gambling policy. ↩
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An Equalities Impact Assessment evaluates how a proposed policy might affect different groups of people, particularly those with protected characteristics, to ensure fairness and compliance with equality law. ↩
Attendees
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