The Council meeting on Thursday, 16 July 2026, addressed significant financial challenges and future strategic direction, approving a corporate transformation programme aimed at achieving substantial savings and enhancing efficiency. Key decisions also included a revised capital programme and the withdrawal of plans for a new secondary school in Worcester, opting instead to expand existing facilities.

Corporate Transformation Programme Approved

Councillors approved the Corporate Transformation Programme, a key initiative designed to address the council's difficult financial situation. Councillor Adam Kent, Deputy Leader of the Council, introduced the report, highlighting the council's reliance on £60 million of exceptional financial support and the need for £35-£40 million in savings to balance the budget. The programme's first phase will focus on back-office functions, consolidating enabling services like finance, HR, and technology into a single corporate services directorate. It also includes a significant push towards adopting new technologies, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), to improve productivity and efficiency. Councillor Kent stated, Standing still is not a strategy.

The programme aims to generate between £6 million and £8 million in annual savings, with a portion of this expected from reduced tail and shadow spend – a term referring to expenditure outside formal control. Councillor Matt Jenkins, Cabinet Member for Local Government Reorganisation, Transformation and Government Lobbying, seconded the motion, emphasizing the difficulty of the financial situation and the necessity of this programme to make inroads into the required savings.

While the Reform UK group, represented by Councillor Nick Price, supported the continuation of the programme initiated by their previous administration, they abstained from voting, calling for more emphasis on prevention and demand reduction. Councillor Price questioned the leader's personal responsibility for delivering savings and requested regular public reporting on progress. Councillor Richard Udall, speaking for the Labour Group, stated they would not support the proposition due to concerns about the impact on vulnerable individuals and service users, fearing cuts to customer-facing roles and services.

Despite some reservations and calls for greater detail, the recommendations for the Corporate Transformation Programme were agreed.

Revised Capital Programme and Worcester City Secondary School Plans

The council also approved a revised Capital Programme and decided to withdraw the presumption for a new secondary school in Worcester. Councillor Adam Kent presented the report, noting that the capital programme had increased to over £665 million due to additional external funding, including £59.9 million in exceptional financial support.

Crucially, the council decided against building a new secondary school on the Newtown Road site. Instead, the plan is to meet the projected shortfall in school places by expanding existing schools. Tudor Grange Academy has agreed to increase its provision by 15 places per year group, and discussions are underway with Bishop Perrone CE College and Blessed Edward Alcorn Catholic College for further expansion. These measures are expected to provide 75 additional places per year group, exceeding the forecast requirement of 60. This decision will reduce the capital programme by £33.6 million of borrowing.

The decision to withdraw the new school proposal was met with mixed reactions. Councillor Rob Wharton, speaking for the Reform UK group, expressed surprise and concern, noting that their previous attempts to remove borrowing for a new school had been opposed by the current coalition. Councillor Seb James, speaking for the Conservative Group, stated they would vote against the proposal, arguing it ignored the South Worcestershire Development Plan and the significant housing growth planned for the area. Councillor Dan Boatright-Green, speaking for the Liberal Democrats, supported the revised plan, highlighting that the expansions would be within the city centre, reducing travel times for students and saving the council £3.6 million annually on revenue budgets.

The vote on the recommendations was split, with recommendation 1A (revised Capital Programme) being carried, and recommendation 1B (reduction in borrowing for Worcester City Secondary sufficiency) being lost.

Notices of Motion Discussed

Several notices of motion were debated:

• Motion of no confidence in the Leader of the Council: This motion was withdrawn.
• Vision and Policies for the Council: Proposed by Councillor Alan Amos, this motion called for the Leader to detail and publish the administration's vision and policies within seven days. While many councillors agreed on the principle of having a clear vision, the seven-day timeframe was widely considered unreasonable given the council's complex financial situation and the recent formation of the administration. The motion was not carried.
• Strategic Road Safety Partnership to Reduce Harm on Worcestershire's Roads: Proposed by Councillor Karl Perks and others, this motion sought to establish a strategic partnership to address road safety issues. An amendment was accepted to refer the motion to the relevant scrutiny panel for further consideration.
• Highways Liaison Teams: Proposed by the Conservative group, this motion called for an increase in the number of parish liaison teams to address highway matters. This was referred to scrutiny.
• Number and Size of Police Forces: Proposed by the Conservative group, this motion advised the Home Secretary to consider local concerns regarding the potential merger of police forces. This was also referred to scrutiny.

Annual Report of the Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Performance Board

Councillor David Taylor, Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Performance Board, presented the annual report for 2025. He highlighted the significant work undertaken by the scrutiny committees throughout the year, including reviews of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) proposals, the Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership (WLEP), and the council's budget. Councillor Taylor also thanked the scrutiny officers, describing them as the unsung heroes of democracy. The report was noted by the council.

Reports of Committees

• Audit and Governance Committee: Councillor Dan Birch, Chair of the Audit and Governance Committee, presented the report. Key points included updates on the external audit plans, the Exceptional Financial Support (EFS) and the requirement for an external assurance review, and the committee's self-assessment. The committee noted the progress on the Counter Fraud Action Plan and the council's performance and risk management update.
• Pensions Committee: Councillor Linda Robinson, Chair of the Pensions Committee, presented the report, which included updates on the Business Plan, Risk Register, Governance and Compliance, Communications and Training, and the unaudited Pension Fund Annual Accounts for 2025/26. The committee noted the successful completion of asset transitions into LGPS Central structures and approved the draft Investment Strategy Statement for consultation.
• Planning and Regulatory Committee: Councillor Martin Allen, Chair of the Planning and Regulatory Committee, presented the report. The committee approved an application for an Anaerobic Digestion Facility at Court Farm, Hindlip Lane, subject to conditions. They also noted the review of activities related to the Safety of Sports Grounds legislation.
• Standards and Ethics Committee: Councillor Sam Evans, Chair of the Standards and Ethics Committee, presented the report. The committee noted draft social media guidance for councillors, with requests for amendments to be made before its finalisation. They also reviewed the annual report on member complaints, noting that 22 of the 64 complaints received related to social media posts.

The meeting concluded with a brief adjournment for a comfort break.