The Place and Resources Overview and Scrutiny Committee met to discuss the council's financial position and the communications plan for upcoming changes to waste collection services. Key decisions included noting the financial update and agreeing to a briefing session on the new Financial Sustainability Strategy, as well as making recommendations for the waste collection communications plan.

Revenue Monitoring and Medium Term Financial Strategy Update

The committee received a verbal update on the council's financial performance and medium-term financial strategy. James Edmunds, Corporate Director of Finance & Procurement, reported a net cost of service pressure of £24 million, with a contingency of £11 million, resulting in an overall pressure of £13 million. The most significant pressure identified was the Northamptonshire Children's Trust (NCT), which faced a potential £32 million overspend across the county, with £18 million attributed to the West Northamptonshire area. Adults social care also showed an £8.4 million pressure due to increased demand and the complexity of services.

Regarding savings delivery, the council had a requirement of £29 million, with £20 million flagged as delivered or expected to be delivered. Work had commenced on setting the 2027/28 budget, with potential savings being discussed in Star Chambers meetings. Information was still awaited regarding the NCT contract sum and the re-basing of its contract split, with hopes for favourable outcomes for the council.

A new Financial Sustainability Strategy was due to be submitted to Cabinet in October, with an underpinning delivery plan to follow. This strategy aims to provide a longer-term view of the council's priorities and consolidate costs, benefits, and risks. Check and challenge sessions were ongoing to identify savings and consider all potential mitigations.

Committee members raised concerns about the need for member input into the Financial Sustainability Strategy and sought assurances regarding the accuracy of figures provided by the Children's Trust. There was also a discussion about the long-term consideration of developing in-house services rather than relying on the private sector, and the need for closer inter-agency working in adult care, particularly concerning funds from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

It was agreed that a briefing session on the new Financial Sustainability Strategy would be held by the end of September, before the document is considered by Cabinet in October.

Three Weekly Residual Waste Collections: 1,2,3+ Service Communications Plan

The committee received details of the communications plan for the introduction of three-weekly residual waste collections, known as the 1,2,3+ Service, in suitable properties across Northampton and South. The plan aims to ensure residents understand the changes, feel supported, and have their concerns addressed.

Key recommendations from the committee included:

• The Communications Plan should incorporate a diverse range of media, avoiding over-reliance on social media.
• The use of bin tags/stickers should be investigated.
• The possibility of including information with Council Tax bills should be explored.
• Media content should be appropriately targeted to its intended audience.
• The committee requested an update on the final communications plan for the 1,2,3+ service at a future meeting.
• The committee agreed to scrutinise the impact of the 1,2,3+ service as part of its future work programme.

Councillor Peter York, Vice-Chairman of the Council, addressed the committee, suggesting the plan felt more like a persuasion campaign than an informational one. The Assistant Director for Waste explained that the plan was a live document and would adapt as needed, aiming to avoid information fatigue by varying themes and using a wide range of communicators. Councillor Nigel Stansfield, Cabinet Member for Environment, Recycling & Waste, acknowledged that some areas might find the message harder to convey and mentioned that roadshows would be held.

Concerns were raised about the £100,000 budget, with the Assistant Director of Waste confirming some flexibility. The committee stressed the importance of continued communication beyond the launch and consistency across West Northamptonshire. Confusion regarding a letter about sack collection limits was clarified, noting it was a general guide on residual waste and not directly linked to the three-weekly collection. The council's ability to identify areas with higher waste production through tonnage data was highlighted, with targeted communications planned for areas with lower participation in food waste and recycling. Prioritising collections over the Christmas period was also suggested.

Encouraging residents to sign up for the council's App for bin collection notifications was noted, with 56,000 households already signed up. The plan's social media focus was questioned, with a suggestion for a broader mix of channels. The committee also recommended that letters sent to households should include contact details for further assistance and that bin tags/stickers, potentially with QR codes, should be provided. The inclusion of real people and diverse family situations in communications was suggested, as was involving schools in educating children about recycling. Communicating any increases in recycling rates as monetary savings was also proposed.

Lessons learned from rolling out a similar project in Daventry were acknowledged, with the need to consider Northampton's different demographics. The option of including information with Council Tax bills was also suggested, and the item was scheduled for review by the committee in approximately a year.

Budget Scrutiny

The committee considered improvements to the budget scrutiny review process. It was noted that the current process had been consistent for several years, and an earlier start would be beneficial. The committee agreed that a budget scrutiny session for the Children's Trust should be arranged in October, followed by a session scrutinising adult social care in late November. Two sessions were scheduled for January 2027, with potential for breakout sessions to provide eight hours of scrutiny time.

Review of Committee Work Programme

The committee discussed its work programme. Councillor Fiona Cole proposed that the Planning Department's significant issues and upcoming government changes to the planning process should be added to the work programme. An update on the Planning Department's Improvement Plan was agreed to be provided for the next meeting on 15th October, with the committee having advance sight of the document.

Items identified for the October meeting included:

• Finance/Budget monitoring update
• Performance Monitoring report
• Highways winter preparedness
• Capital funding for care homes (verbal update)
• Governance of capital projects
• Planning Department Improvement Plan

It was requested that the Cabinet Member for HR, Corporate Services and Regulatory Services be invited for the governance of capital projects, and the Cabinet Member for Planning be invited for the planning item. The committee also agreed to schedule a session on the Adult Social Care Sustainability Plan for late November.