The Executive of Bromley Council was scheduled to consider a range of financial and operational matters, including proposals to adjust the Council Tax premium on empty homes, the framework for Council Tax Support, and the procurement of advisory partners for key programmes. The meeting was also scheduled to review updates on housing delivery grants and the extension of contracts for agency workers.

Empty Homes Premium

The Executive was scheduled to consider a proposal to reduce the period for which a property needs to be empty before an Empty Home Premium is applied for Council Tax. Currently, this premium is applied after a property has been empty for two years. The report recommended reducing this period to one year, effective from 1 April 2027. This change was projected to generate an estimated annual income of £610,000. The report noted that there were 2,869 properties recorded as empty within the borough at the time of the report, with 472 currently being charged an Empty Homes Premium and 189 being charged a Second Home premium. The proposed change was expected to impact 598 properties that had been empty between one and two years. The report also detailed various exemptions that could apply to the premium, including for properties undergoing probate, those being marketed for sale or let, and dwellings requiring major repairs or structural alterations.

Council Tax Support Scheme 2027/28

The meeting was scheduled to consider the Council Tax Support Scheme for the financial year 2027/28. The report recommended maintaining the existing scheme, which had been in place since April 2025. This scheme increased the minimum Council Tax contribution for working-age claimants to 50% of their liability and restricted entitlement to Council Tax band D. The estimated annual cost of the scheme was £13.3 million, with £7.6 million relating to working-age claimants. The report indicated that the current caseload comprised 12,534 households in receipt of Council Tax Support, of which 7,446 were of working age and 5,088 were elderly. The report highlighted that 1,881 disabled working-age claimants and 2,458 working-age households with children were affected by the scheme.

Proceeding to Procurement for Advisory Partner to the Better Lives Programme: Delegated Authority

The Executive was scheduled to consider granting delegated authority for the award of a contract for an advisory partner to support the Council's Working Age Adults Transformation Programme, known as The Better Lives Programme. This programme aims to achieve better outcomes for local residents and develop a more financially sustainable model of support, in line with the Bromley Learning Disabilities Strategy 2025-2030. The proposed contract was for an initial 12-week review and plan design phase (Phase 1) at an estimated cost of £500,000, with an option to proceed to a second phase for plan implementation at an estimated cost of £4.5 million to £5.5 million. The report sought delegated authority to the Chief Officer for Adult Social Care to approve the award of the contract for Phase 1, with any decision to proceed to Phase 2 remaining an Executive matter. Funding for Phase 1 was to be drawn from the Invest to Save Reserve.

Extension of Contract for Provision of Agency Workers

The meeting was scheduled to consider extending the contract for the provision of agency workers with Matrix SCM Ltd. The current contract, managed through the ESPO MSTAR4 Framework, was due to expire on 20 April 2027. The report recommended extending this contract for a further two years, until 20 April 2029. Agency workers are funded from individual departmental staffing budgets, and the total spend on agency workers across the Council for 2025/26 was £11.4 million. The report noted that qualified social care staff represented the highest usage of agency workers. The extension was considered instrumental in managing the Council's temporary recruitment staffing needs, particularly given the volatility of the social care recruitment market and the ongoing transformation agenda. A further report was scheduled to explore future options for longer-term agency procurement.

Housing Delivery Grant Update

The Executive was scheduled to receive an update on a Grant Allocation received from the Greater London Authority's (GLA) Affordable and Social Housing Programme (ASHP). The report detailed the grant specifics and recommended its acceptance. This item was marked as urgent due to insufficient time for the standard call-in procedure to apply before the grant acceptance deadline. The acceptance of this grant was noted as supporting the provision of affordable housing in the borough, which would benefit vulnerable adults and children.