The Executive of Middlesbrough Council met on Wednesday 2 September 2026, approving a new Risk and Opportunity Management Policy, a Place Strategy to Investment Prospectus, and a Cremator Refurbishment Programme. The meeting also addressed the Council's financial performance, noting a significant forecast overspend in Children's Social Care and approving budget virements and additions to the Capital Programme.

The Council's Approach to Poverty

The Executive noted the report from the Overview and Scrutiny Board on the Council's approach to poverty and approved an accompanying Action Plan. The report highlighted that while good work was being done, there was sometimes a lack of clarity on who was leading the poverty agenda. The approved Action Plan aims to embed actions within existing strategic planning, performance management, and partnership arrangements to ensure a more joined-up approach. This includes developing a Partnership Strategy to align efforts across the wider system and reporting annually to the Overview and Scrutiny Board on progress.

Risk and Opportunity Management Policy

The Executive approved the Risk and Opportunity Management Policy 2026–2029. This policy establishes a consistent, structured, and organisation-wide approach to identifying, assessing, managing, and monitoring risks and opportunities. It aims to support the Council Plan ambitions by ensuring risks and opportunities linked to economic growth, regeneration, and investment are systematically managed. The policy also contributes to creating a healthy place by embedding risk management into decisions impacting public health, wellbeing, and environmental sustainability, and enhances community safety and resilience. The revised policy strengthens the Council's approach to risk appetite by supporting proportionate and well-governed risk-taking, while maintaining a low tolerance for risks relating to safety, compliance, equality, and reputation.

Place Strategy to Investment Prospectus

The Executive endorsed the Council's role in delivering the Middlesbrough Place Strategy, developed by the Place Leaders Partnership. This strategy, with a central ambition to make Middlesbrough the UK's most creative place for young people to live, learn, and realise their future, was approved as the Council's Town Centre Strategy. The Executive also approved the Middlesbrough Investment Prospectus, which outlines the Council's economic funding priorities required to deliver these strategies. The Place Strategy was developed through extensive engagement with over 1,300 young people and aims to address concerns about the town centre's attractiveness, safety, career opportunities, and the availability of leisure activities. The Investment Prospectus details transformative projects necessary to reshape the town's economic foundations, including housing developments, town centre redevelopment, cultural projects, and transport improvements.

Cremator Refurbishment Programme

Approval was given for the inclusion of the Teesside Crematorium Cremator Refurbishment Programme in the Council's Capital Programme, with an allocation of £1.047 million from existing Council-funded capital resources. This programme will involve refurbishing the existing cremator plant, including refractory replacement, installation of operational bypass flues, NOx abatement technology, emissions monitoring upgrades, and associated mechanical, electrical, and structural improvements. The independent condition assessment highlighted risks associated with ageing infrastructure, deteriorating refractory linings, and the need to comply with DEFRA Process Guidance Note PG5/2(25). The investment is expected to extend the operational life of the cremator plant by at least ten years, improve service resilience, support regulatory compliance, and reduce nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions by approximately 65%.

Stainton Way Highway Improvements

The Executive approved the Stainton Way Highway Improvements scheme, which includes the signalisation of the existing roundabout at the junction of Stainton Way and Dalby Way, the creation of a westbound bypass at the Kings Academy roundabout, and the provision of improved footway and cycleway connections. This project, funded by the Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA) through the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement, aims to improve sustainable transport accessibility and road safety. Public consultation indicated mixed views, with 52% supporting or remaining neutral towards the proposals, but concerns were raised regarding potential congestion from traffic signals and the impact of the McDonald's drive-through. The scheme design was amended to address some concerns, and the safety benefits were considered to outweigh the limited disbenefits.

Quarter One 2026/7 Integrated Performance and Finance Forecast Year End Outturn

The Executive received an integrated overview of the Council's performance, financial position, and strategic risks at Quarter One 2026/27. The Council's net revenue budget for 2026/27 is £200.840 million, with a forecast year-end pressure of £8.479 million (4.22%) if no further action is taken. The most significant pressure is within Children's Social Care (£8.472 million), driven by agency staffing costs, increasing numbers of children looked after, and high-cost external placements. Additional pressures were identified in Environment, Communities and Culture, Regeneration and Housing, and Adult Social Care and Health. The Executive approved budget virements over £250,000 within the revenue and capital budgets and approved the inclusion of new externally funded schemes to the Capital Programme totalling £3.120 million, resulting in a new Capital Programme budget of £94.940 million for 2026/27. Directors are required to complete Financial Recovery Plans to address the forecast overspend and strengthen financial resilience. The report also noted progress against the Council Plan 2026-2029 and the Strategic Risk Register.