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 the draft budget for consultation, which includes a 4.99% Council Tax increase, and made decisions regarding the Adult Social Care Fairer Contributions Policy, the Fire and Rescue Service's duty system, and waste haulage contracts.

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 English Devolution White Paper, published on 16 December 2024, outlines the government's proposals for devolving powers and restructuring local government. It encourages two-tier areas to develop proposals for unitary authorities with populations of at least 500,000, which would then potentially form combined authorities of around 1.5 million people. The Minister of State's letter of 16 December 2024 set a deadline of 10 January 2025 for upper-tier councils to commit to devolution and reorganisation.

Councillor Stephen Davies, Leader of the Council, presented the report, highlighting that the government had presented this as a mandated direction of travel. He acknowledged that some district councils did not support the postponement of the elections, but there was general acceptance that a unitary structure was the way forward in light of the White Paper. Councillor Davies also noted the potential risks of not moving quickly and the financial benefits of progressing with these plans. The Cabinet discussed the implications for staff recruitment and retention in children's and adult social care teams, and concerns were raised about any aspirations to split the county. 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 to the Minister of State.

The decision to endorse the Leader's response and request the postponement of elections was made to ensure Gloucestershire could consider reorganisation and to unlock devolution. The Cabinet resolved to endorse the Leader's response and delegate authority for further amendments to the letter.

Draft 2025/26 - 2028/29 Budget for Consultation

The Cabinet approved the Council's 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. The proposed 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 acknowledged the significant effort from officers in preparing the budget and expressed concerns regarding the economic situation and the impact of national initiatives. The budget reflects the council's commitment to the climate emergency, with continued investment in household recycling, infrastructure projects, and energy from waste. The Cabinet resolved to approve the budget consultation document and questionnaire for public consultation, which will run for five weeks from 5 December 2024 to 10 January 2025.

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 follow public consultation, with 81% of respondents indicating that the current MIG was insufficient for daily living expenses. The focus groups favoured disregarding the difference in Personal Independence Payments. The council anticipates these changes will reduce chargeable income by approximately £3.72 million in the first year, making the policy more generous for the public. Changes 1 and 2 are anticipated to be implemented from April 2025, with change 3 to be deferred.

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 Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service's duty system, subject to funding being allocated in the 2025-2026 budget. 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 shifts from 9-hour days and 15-hour nights to 11-hour days and 13-hour nights.

These proposals aim to meet the priorities of the Community Risk Management Plan 2022-2026 and were developed following public and internal stakeholder consultation. The Cabinet acknowledged concerns raised by the Fire Brigades Union and individuals regarding the potential impact on those with caring responsibilities or mental health issues, but concluded that the benefits of the changes outweighed the risks. A review of the impact of the shift pattern changes will be conducted within six months of implementation to ensure reasonable adjustments are made where necessary, particularly for those with protected characteristics.

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

The Cabinet approved the procurement strategy for contracts for 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 contracts will be procured in three geographical lots: Tewkesbury and Cheltenham; Forest of Dean; and Cotswold. The proposed contracts will have an initial term of seven years, with an option to extend for a further three 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.

Other Decisions

The Cabinet also approved the proposed Digital Strategy 2024-2027, which aims to leverage digital capabilities to enhance performance and improve services. They also approved the procurement and award of a contract for traffic signal maintenance and capital-funded improvements, and the consolidation of IT systems contracts for Adults and Children's Social Care with Liquidlogic Limited.