The Overview & Scrutiny Committee meeting scheduled for Monday 27 July 2026 was cancelled. The available documents, including the public reports pack and agenda, outline the items that were scheduled for discussion. These included budget monitoring reports, a strategic delivery and performance report, and a review of forthcoming decisions.

Budget Monitoring 2026/27 Period 2

The committee was scheduled to consider the Budget Monitoring report for 2026/27, Period 2. This report provides a forecast of the financial position against the budget as at 31 May 2026, covering the General Fund Revenue, Housing Revenue Account (HRA), and an in-year savings tracker. The report indicated a projected £19.2 million General Fund overspend, with plans to utilise reserves and contingency budgets to mitigate this. Recommendations included noting the revenue forecasts, progress on savings targets, and the proposed use of funds from various reserves and contingency budgets.

Budget Monitoring 2025/26 – Provisional Outturn

The committee was also set to review the provisional outturn for the 2025/26 financial year. This report detailed the year-end financial position, highlighting a net General Fund overspend of £19.4 million. It also outlined the Council's response, including a strengthened transformation programme, and noted a £15.1 million Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) overspend. The Housing Revenue Account (HRA) was projected to have an underspend of £3.5 million. The report detailed the Council's financial governance arrangements and the progress made against savings targets.

Strategic Delivery and Performance Report Quarter 4

A key item for discussion was the Strategic Delivery and Performance Report for Year 4, Quarter 4, covering the period from 1 January 2026 to 31 March 2026. This report was intended to provide an update on the delivery status of operations relevant to the council's strategic objectives, offering a clear understanding of the council's current performance. The committee was recommended to note the report and review the status of 60 performance measures tracking the delivery of Year 4 of the Strategic Plan 2022-2026. The report indicated that 34 performance measures were rated 'Green', meaning they met or exceeded their targets, while 5 were rated 'Red' (below target).

Forthcoming Decisions

The committee was scheduled to review forthcoming decisions expected to be taken by the Mayor from the Executive Forward Plan. This would allow the committee to identify any areas for further scrutiny. The Forward Plan itself, published on 1 July 2026, listed numerous decisions due to be taken by the Mayor or Cabinet in the coming months, covering a wide range of council activities from housing and regeneration to budget strategies and contract awards.

Other Scheduled Items

The agenda also included items such as Scrutiny Leads Updates, where updates on work across the council were to be heard, and Pre-Decision Scrutiny of Unrestricted Cabinet Papers, allowing the committee to prepare questions and comments for the upcoming Cabinet meeting. The committee was also to consider any other unrestricted business deemed urgent by the Chair. A section for exempt/confidential business was also listed, indicating that some items were scheduled to be discussed in private.