The Cabinet of Leicestershire County Council met on Tuesday 26 May 2026, approving a revised transformation programme named the Better Leicestershire Programme with an investment of up to £20 million, and noting the provisional revenue and capital outturn for the 2025/2026 financial year. The meeting also addressed the response to the Oadby and Wigston Borough Council's Local Plan consultation and the declaration of unmet housing need.

Provisional Revenue and Capital Outturn 2025/2026

The Cabinet noted the provisional revenue and capital outturn for the 2025/2026 financial year, which showed a net revenue underspend of £7.02 million. This underspend will be allocated to additional commitments, including £2.5 million for capital financing/debt repayment, £2.5 million for highway investment, and £2 million to fund the implementation costs of the Better Leicestershire Programme. The Cabinet also approved an addendum to the EMSS Partnership Agreement.

Efficiency Review - Outcomes and Revised Change and Improvement Programme

A significant decision was made to approve and rename the revised Transformation Programme as the Better Leicestershire Programme . This programme, informed by an Efficiency Review conducted by Newton Consulting, aims to identify savings and improve financial sustainability. The review identified savings of £27 million over the Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) period, with the potential to reach £60 million by 2030/31. The Cabinet approved an investment of up to £20 million to fund the net implementation costs of this programme, to be allocated from the Council's reserves. Chief Officers were authorised to implement the initiatives within the programme, subject to scrutiny and Cabinet processes. Further reports on the programme's progress will be made to the Cabinet and Scrutiny Commission.

Response to Borough of Oadby and Wigston Regulation 19 Local Plan Consultation and Declaration of Unmet Housing Need

The Cabinet noted the proposed timetable for the progression of the Oadby and Wigston Borough Council's Local Plan and the declaration of an unmet housing need in that borough. The County Council's formal response to the Oadby and Wigston Borough Council's Local Plan Regulation 19 consultation was approved. Key points of the response included noting that it is for Oadby and Wigston Borough Council to demonstrate to the Inspector(s) why their Local Plan has been positively prepared regarding local housing need, particularly concerning highway reasons for an inability to meet the standard method calculation. The County Council also stated it had no fundamental issue with the Local Plan's Spatial Strategy but considered the transport evidence presented by Oadby and Wigston Borough Council to be insufficiently granular to conclude that the highway network would be severely congested. The Director of Growth, Environment and Transport, in consultation with relevant Cabinet Lead Members, was authorised to work with Oadby and Wigston Borough Council and other partners to address the declared unmet housing need.