The Cabinet of Gloucestershire County Council met on Thursday 9 January 2025 and endorsed the Leader's response to the English Devolution White Paper, committing to local government reorganisation and devolution for Gloucestershire, and requesting a postponement of county council elections. The Cabinet also approved a draft budget for consultation, which includes a 4.99% Council Tax increase, and made decisions on various operational and strategic matters including waste haulage contracts, fire service duty systems, and IT system consolidation.

English Devolution White Paper

The Cabinet endorsed the Leader's response to the Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution regarding the English Devolution White Paper. This response commits Gloucestershire to local government reorganisation and devolution, and requests that the county council elections and electoral boundary changes be postponed until May 2026. This decision was made under urgency procedures due to the tight deadline for response. The White Paper, published on 16 December 2024, outlines government proposals for devolving powers and restructuring local government, with a preference for unitary authorities of at least 500,000 population. The Minister of State's letter of 16 December 2024 set a deadline of 10 January 2025 for upper-tier councils to provide a clear commitment to devolution and reorganisation.

The decision to endorse the Leader's response was made despite some district councils not supporting the postponement of the elections. Councillor Stephen Davies, Leader of the Council, acknowledged the lack of full agreement with the districts but stressed the tight timescale for responding to the Minister. He also highlighted the potential financial benefits of moving forward with the plans and the importance of considering what is best for the people of Gloucestershire. Concerns were raised about the implications of not moving quickly on recruitment and retention in social care teams and the potential for the county to be split up. An amendment was agreed to delegate authority to the Deputy Chief Executive and Executive Director for Corporate Resources to make further amendments to the letter before submission.

Draft 2025/26 - 2028/29 Budget for Consultation

The Cabinet approved the draft revenue and capital budget, along with the Dedicated Schools Grant budget for 2025/26 to 2028/29, to be used as the basis for consultation with residents, staff, businesses, partners, trade unions, and schools. The proposed total revenue budget for 2025/26 is £649.589 million, an increase of £32.718 million from the previous year. This increase is comprised of £53.032 million in investments, offset by £14.125 million in budget reductions and £6.189 million from the use of reserves.

The draft general fund revenue budget includes an overall Council Tax increase of 4.99%, made up of a 2.99% general increase and a 2% Adult Social Care Precept increase. This will result in a Band D Council Tax of £1,679.65 for 2025/26, an increase of £79.83 per annum or £1.54 per week. Cabinet members noted that the budget proposals had not yet been adjusted to reflect announcements from the Chancellor's Autumn Budget Statement and that lobbying would be needed on key areas such as funding for demographic growth and new payroll taxes. The Cabinet also noted the positive work of officers in preparing the budget and expressed concerns about the economic situation and the impact of national insurance changes. The budget reflects the council's commitment to addressing the climate emergency through continued investment in household recycling, infrastructure projects, and energy from waste.

Finance, Performance and Risk Monitoring Report - Quarter 2 2024/25

An update was provided on the end-of-year forecast for the 2024/25 revenue and capital budgets, as well as the council's performance and risk during the second quarter. A net underspend of £580,000 was reported against a budget of £616.871 million. This underspend was after the proposed use of £39.408 million of reserves. The largest favourable budget variance was a forecast underspend of £1.070 million in Economy, Enterprise and Infrastructure.

The report indicated that the Children's budget was under control, and approximately 70% of corporate performance measures were on or within tolerance of their targets, an improvement from previous quarters. Over 80% of the Council Strategy priorities were also on track. Highways repairs and structural maintenance performance remained positive despite high levels of rain and flooding. The Cabinet approved the use of £39.408 million of reserves and noted the forecast delivery of £25.929 million in savings against a target of £32.453 million. They also approved changes to the capital budget profile and noted the capital expenditure forecast outturn position of £144.717 million.

Gloucestershire County Council’s Adult Social Care (ASC) Fairer Contributions Policy

The Cabinet approved in principle the revised Adult Social Care Fairer Contributions Policy, subject to funding being made available during the 2025-2026 budget setting process. The proposed amendments include an increase of £5 to the Minimum Income Guarantee (MIG) for individuals receiving care and support, disregarding the difference between higher and standard rates of Personal Independence Payments when assessing care contributions, and introducing an administration fee for arranging home care services for those with capital above the upper threshold. These changes are anticipated to reduce chargeable income by approximately £3.72 million in the first year, making the policy more generous for the public. The implementation of the MIG increase and the disregard of PIP differences are expected from April 2025, while the administration fee provision will be implemented immediately, with its application deferred.

Digital Strategy 2024 - 2027

The Cabinet approved the proposed new Digital Strategy for 2025-2028 and the associated Digital Roadmap. The strategy outlines the council's commitment to using digital capabilities to enhance performance, create efficiencies, and improve services for residents and local businesses. It aims to modernise infrastructure, adopt new technologies, and foster a culture of data and innovation to meet evolving needs.

Procurement and Award of Contracts for the Bulking and Haulage of Residual Waste

The Cabinet approved the procurement strategy for contracts related to the bulking and haulage of residual waste collected by Cheltenham Borough Council, Tewkesbury Borough Council, Forest of Dean District Council, and Cotswold District Council. The council, as the statutory Waste Disposal Authority, is responsible for the treatment and disposal of household waste. The contracts will be procured in three geographical lots: Tewkesbury and Cheltenham Boroughs (Lot 1), Forest of Dean District (Lot 2), and Cotswold District (Lot 3). The proposed contracts will have an initial term of 7 years with an option to extend for a further 3 years. Authority was delegated to the Executive Director of Economy, Environment and Infrastructure, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Environment, Economy and Planning, to conduct the procurement process and award the contracts.

Proposals for a new day staff duty system at Cinderford and adjustments to the whole time shift patterns for the Fire and Rescue Service

The Cabinet approved proposed changes to the Fire and Rescue Service's duty systems to align with the priorities of the Community Risk Management Plan 2022-2026. These changes include the introduction of a new day staff model at Cinderford community fire station, creating 14 new full-time posts, and adjusting whole-time firefighter shift patterns from 9-hour days and 15-hour nights to 11-hour days and 13-hour nights. These decisions were made following public and internal stakeholder consultation, and despite some concerns raised by the Fire Brigades Union and individuals regarding potential impacts on those with caring responsibilities or mental health issues. The Cabinet also agreed to add a recommendation for the Chief Fire Officer to review the impact of the shift pattern changes within six months of implementation, particularly for those with protected characteristics, and to make reasonable adjustments if necessary.

Procure and Award a Contract for Traffic Signal Maintenance and Capital funded Improvements

The Cabinet approved the procurement of a new 5+2 year contract for traffic signal maintenance, installation, and improvement works. This will ensure the continued essential maintenance and capital-funded works for the county's 392 traffic signalised sites. Authority was delegated to the Executive Director of Economy, Environment and Infrastructure, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Highways and Flood, to conduct a mini-competition process and award the contract. An extension to the current contract with Telent Technology Services Ltd for traffic signal maintenance services was also approved, along with the award of a call-off contract for traffic signal works related to a Department for Transport grant.

Adults & Children’s IT Social Care Systems Contract Consolidation

The Cabinet approved the award of a call-off contract to Liquidlogic Limited for the Adults and Children's Social Care Case Management and Finance IT Systems. This consolidates multiple existing contracts with the same supplier, aiming to leverage economies of scale, improve technical interoperability, and achieve resource and contract management efficiencies. The proposed contract will have an initial period of five years with an option to extend for a further two years. Authority was delegated to the Director of People and Digital Services to determine whether to exercise these extension options.