This meeting was scheduled to include the council's first report to the government on its approach to adapting to climate change, an update on the Markham Vale project, and several financial updates.

Climate Change Adaptation

The Cabinet was scheduled to discuss the council's first report to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) on its progress adapting to climate change. The report was to be submitted as part of the Adaptation Reporting Power (ARP4) process, and would feed into the government's plans to prepare for the risks of a changing climate.

This report included an assessment of the risks posed by climate change to the council's services. The council recognised that

With Council services under strain from the lasting impact of the coronavirus pandemic and economic pressures, it is imperative that risks from current and future climate change are understood and that plans are put in place to increase resilience. The Council also has a critical role working with partners and communities to plan and ensure Derbyshire is prepared and resilient to climate change.

The report highlighted flooding as a particularly important risk, but also said that other risks, like extreme heat, needed further study.

Markham Vale Update

The Cabinet was scheduled to hear an update on the progress being made on the Markham Vale project, which aims to develop a new employment zone.

Financial Updates

Several financial reports were scheduled for discussion. These included an update on the capital budget, a treasury management report, and a report on the council's performance and financial forecast for the year.

The cabinet was scheduled to note that the capital programme was expected to be underspent, and that the council was complying with all relevant treasury management rules. However, the council's forecast suggested it was set to overspend its revenue budget by £28.104m.

The report attributed this to continuing demand and cost pressures in Adult’s and Children’s Social Care services resulting in forecast expenditure being significantly in excess of budget.

The report also included information about the Dedicated Schools Grant. It was scheduled to be noted that the council expected the Dedicated Schools Grant to be overspent by £26.135m. This is a grant from central government to local councils in England that is ringfenced for spending on schools. The Dedicated Schools Grant is made up of several different blocks of funding, each of which is intended for spending on different things. The report said the overspend was due to the High Needs Block, which is intended for spending on supporting children with special educational needs, and highlighted the increasing number of children with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) as the main reason for increased expenditure on the High Needs Block.

Design Services for DFGs

The Cabinet was also scheduled to discuss the future of the Disability Design Team (DDT), which provides architectural services to support people applying for Disabled Facilities Grants (DFGs). DFGs are grants available to people who need to make changes to their home because of a disability.

The report included the results of a public consultation which considered three different options for the future of the service:

• Seeking funding from District and Borough Councils for all the discretionary services provided by the DDT.
• Restricting the service to only statutory work supporting complex or major projects.
• Ceasing to operate an in-house DDT altogether and procuring these services externally.

The report recommended that the Council discontinue funding the discretionary element of the service and, as from 1 April 2025, only support projects where the County Council has assessed an eligible need to adapt a property, along with providing a 12-month transitional offer for the six Districts and Boroughs currently using the service to establish an alternative.

The report also recommended that the Cabinet begin a public consultation on the process by which the council would provide funding above the DFG limit for people assessed to have an eligible need. It was suggested that this process might involve giving people funding and support to identify designers themselves.

Community Safety Agreement

The final item on the agenda was a discussion of the Derbyshire Community Safety Agreement. This agreement sets out the priorities for the Derbyshire Safer Communities Board, which is made up of representatives from different organisations, including the police, fire service and local councils. The agreement was scheduled for approval.