The meeting began with a discussion of the council's financial position. The Cabinet was informed that the council was facing a significant in-year budget challenge, with a projected overspend of £20.196 million. The Cabinet was also informed that the council's Housing Revenue Account was forecasting a deficit of £0.752 million. The Cabinet discussed a number of measures that could be taken to address the financial challenges, including a review of the capital programme, the introduction of new revenue streams, and the development of partnerships with other local authorities.

The Cabinet also discussed the outcome of Ofsted's recent inspection of Barnet's Children’s and Family Services. The Cabinet was pleased to note that Ofsted had rated the service as ‘Good’ overall, with an ‘Outstanding’ rating for the services and support provided to children in care. The Cabinet discussed the four areas for improvement that were identified by Ofsted and noted that a comprehensive action plan had been developed to address these areas.

The Cabinet then discussed the Hampstead Garden Suburb Library. The Cabinet was informed that the library was run by the Garden Suburb Library Group Limited, a charitable group staffed almost entirely by volunteers. The Cabinet discussed the terms of a proposed sub-underlease and side letter agreement with the Library Group and agreed to approve the grant of the sub-underlease and side letter.

The Cabinet also discussed the council's Sustainability Programme. The Cabinet reconfirmed its commitment to the Climate and Biodiversity Emergency Declaration issued in May 2022 and agreed to include an additional work stream within the Sustainability Action Plan to support climate adaptation and resilience. The Cabinet delegated authority to Councillor Alan Schneiderman to oversee the process of producing a climate budget to address the residual funding gap in the Sustainability Action Plan.

The Cabinet then discussed the findings of the council's recent Adult Resident Perception Survey. The Cabinet was pleased to note that the survey found that residents were generally satisfied with the council's services, and that the council was on track to meet its targets for improving resident satisfaction.

Finally, the Cabinet noted the contents of the Our Plan for Barnet Delivery and Outcomes Framework for Quarter 1 2024/25. The Framework sets out the council’s key activities, performance indicators, and risks for the year ahead.