Purpose

To provide details of the General Fund provisional outturn position for the Financial Year 2025/26. The report covers the following areas Revenue Budget, Capital Programme and Reserves Overview

Decision

That Cabinet:

1. 1.    Review the provisional General Fund Revenue and Capital Outturn position including the supporting appendices for the financial year 2025/26.
2. 2.    Note the revenue and capital budget carry forwards in Appendix B and C of the report.
3. 3.    Endorse the proposed reserve movements in table 3 of the report in readiness for presentation to Governance and Audit Committee with an additional reserve of £200,000 to be called the Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) Reserve.

Reasons for the decision

It is important that members were aware of the financial position of the General Fund to ensure they can make informed decisions that are affordable and financially sustainable for the Council. Effective budget management is critical to ensuring financial resources are spent in line with the budget and are targeted towards the Council’s priorities.

The report provides an overview of the provisional General Fund outturn financial position for 2025/26.

Other options considered

Cabinet have oversight of the Council’s budgets and therefore, the option of not producing a provisional outturn report was discounted.