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Cabinet - Tuesday, 20th October, 2026 7.00 pm
October 20, 2026 at 7:00 pm Cabinet View on council websiteSummary
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The Camden Council Cabinet met on Tuesday 20 October 2026 to discuss the future of several schools and review the council's treasury management outturn report. Key decisions included approving public consultation on structural changes for four schools facing declining pupil numbers and financial pressures, and noting the Annual Treasury Management Outturn Report for 2025/2026, recommending it to the Council for approval.
Strong and Sustainable Schools Consultation
The Cabinet approved the undertaking of public consultations on structural change options for four schools: St Alban's Church of England Primary School, St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, St Patrick's Catholic Primary School, and La Sainte Union Catholic Secondary School. These schools are experiencing sustained pressures including high surplus capacity, declining pupil rolls, operation below sustainable forms of entry, and significant financial deficits. The proposed options for each school include reducing their Published Admission Number (PAN), amalgamation with another school, or closure. For La Sainte Union Catholic Secondary School, options also include federation with another secondary school, or retaining and reconfiguring post-16 provision while ceasing Years 7-11 provision. The consultation period is set to run for six weeks from 2 November to 14 December 2026.
The decision to proceed with consultations was made after considering evidence of falling pupil numbers and increasing financial pressures across Camden's schools. The report highlighted that Camden, in line with many London boroughs, is experiencing a sustained decline in demand for school places, leading to a structural mismatch between available capacity and demand. This has resulted in growing financial pressure across the system, with some schools operating with significant deficits. The School Sufficiency Programme1 has been in place to address these challenges, but the evidence indicates that longer-term structural changes may be required.
Annual Treasury Management Outturn Report 2025/2026
The Cabinet noted the Annual Treasury Management Outturn Report 2025/20262 and recommended it to the Council for approval. The report detailed the council's treasury outturn position and activity for the 2025/26 financial year, outlining compliance with regulatory requirements and treasury indicators.
Key highlights from the report included the Council maintaining a consistent risk profile and prudent investment and borrowing strategies. No new external borrowing was taken in 2025/26, with the internal borrowing policy remaining sound and cost-effective, delivering annual savings of approximately £10.4 million. The Council operated fully within its treasury and prudential indicators during 2025/26, demonstrating strong governance and effective financial control. The report also noted the North London Waste Authority's (NLWA) borrowing for the North London Heat & Power Project, with Camden's own balances co-invested.
The report detailed the borrowing position, showing total external borrowing remained stable at £294 million, while the Capital Financing Requirement (CFR) rose to £812 million, indicating an increased under-borrowing position. This reflects the Council's continued commitment to internal borrowing. The borrowing portfolio consists of fixed-rate PWLB loans and variable-rate market loans, including LOBOs. The Council also launched a Community Municipal Investment (CMI) in June 2022, raising £1 million to fund local climate projects.
Regarding investments, the Council adopted a conservative and risk-averse approach, prioritising security and liquidity. The total investment portfolio stood at £197 million as at 31 March 2026, with £159 million invested on behalf of the NLWA. The Council achieved an average return of 4.27% on investments during 2025/26, outperforming comparable market benchmarks. The report also mentioned a £6.4 million loan to Camden Living Housing Association for affordable housing acquisition and an investment in the Camden Wealth Fund for social impact lending.
Other Business
The Cabinet also approved the minutes of the previous meeting held on 8th September 2026. Apologies were received from Councillors Abdi-Wali, Atolagbe, and Callaghan. Councillor Wright declared an interest as a governor of William Ellis School in relation to Items 4 and 8, and Councillor Slater declared an interest as a governor of the Rosary School in relation to Items 4 and 8. Deputations were heard in relation to Item 9. There were no notifications of urgent business.
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The School Sufficiency Programme (SSP) is a coordinated framework established by Camden Council to address challenges related to declining pupil numbers and surplus school places. It integrates admissions, SEND, and financial data to identify schools at greatest risk and support the development of options for system reform. ↩
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The Annual Treasury Management Outturn Report 2025/2026 (CS/2026/14) presents the council's treasury outturn position and activity for the 2025/26 financial year, detailing compliance with regulatory requirements and treasury indicators, and providing an update on the economic context. ↩
Delegated decisions linked to this meeting
Decision summaries below are AI-generated from the council’s published record. Check the council source or the full decision page before relying on them.
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Matters Referred from a Council Scrutiny Committee
Recommendations ApprovedCamden Council's Cabinet decided on 20 October 2026 to approve recommendations. There were no matters referred from a Council Scrutiny Committee.
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Any Other Business that the Chair Decides to Take as Urgent
Recommendations ApprovedCamden Cabinet on 20/10/2026 resolved that there was no urgent business.
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Minutes
Recommendations ApprovedCamden's Cabinet approved the minutes of the meeting held on 6th July 2026. The decision was made on 8th September 2026.
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Apologies
Recommendations ApprovedCamden Cabinet received apologies for absence from Councillors Abdi-Wali, Atolagbe and Callaghan on 20/10/2026. The recommendations were approved.
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Notification of Any Items of Business that the Chair Decides to Take as Urgent
Recommendations ApprovedCabinet decided to approve recommendations on 20/10/2026. There was no notification of urgent business.
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Deputations
Recommendations ApprovedCamden's Cabinet approved recommendations on 20/10/2026. Deputations were heard from Agnes Panasiuk, La Swap Sixth Form Consortium, and Jennifer Ofodile.
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Announcements
Recommendations ApprovedCamden Cabinet approved recommendations on 20/10/2026. The meeting was broadcast live and recorded for website availability.
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Strong and Sustainable Schools Consultation (CL/2026/16)
For DeterminationThe Camden Cabinet decided on 20/10/2026 to approve undertaking public consultation with stakeholders regarding structural change options for four schools. The schools are St Alban's Church of England Primary School, St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, St Patrick's Catholic Primary School, and La Sainte Union Catholic Secondary School. The consultation will explore options including reduction in Published Admission Number, amalgamation, federation, and closure.
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Declarations by Members of Statutory Disclosable Pecuniary Interests, Compulsory Registerable Non-Pecuniary Interests and Voluntary Registerable Non-Pecuniary Interests in Matters on this Agenda
Recommendations ApprovedCabinet decided to approve recommendations on 20/10/2026. Councillor Wright declared an interest and left the room for items 4 and 8. Councillor Slater declared an interest but remained for items 4 and 8.
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Annual Treasury Management Outturn Report 2025/2026 (CS/2026/14)
For DeterminationCamden Council's Cabinet noted the Treasury Management Annual Report for 2025/2026 and recommended it to Council for approval on 20/10/2026. The report outlines how the council managed its borrowing, investments, and public money in line with its approved strategy and regulatory requirements. The council maintained a consistent risk profile, avoided high-risk commercial investments, and did not take new external borrowing in 2025/26, utilising internal borrowing which delivered annual savings of approximately £10.4 million.
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