The Scrutiny & Overview Committee was scheduled to meet to review the 2025-26 work programme, receive an update from the Executive Mayor, Jason Perry, and discuss the 2024-25 Period 10 Financial Performance Report. The committee was expected to agree on the principles that would guide its work and that of its sub-committees for the coming year. Members were also expected to consider whether any recommendations should be put to the Cabinet¹.

Executive Mayor's Update

The Scrutiny & Overview Committee was scheduled to receive an update from the Executive Mayor, Jason Perry, on the key achievements of his administration over the past year, as well as his priorities for the year ahead.

The report pack included a summary of progress against the five core outcomes of the Mayor's Business Plan:

• Balancing the council's books, listening to residents and delivering good sustainable services
• Ensuring Croydon is a place of opportunity for business, earning and learning
• Ensuring children and young people in Croydon have the chance to thrive, learn and fulfil their potential
• Making Croydon a cleaner, safer, and healthier place
• Enabling people to lead healthier and independent lives for longer

Achievements that were scheduled to be highlighted included:

• The independent external Corporate Peer Challenge recognising significant progress in leadership and financial management.
• The approval of a new Target Operating Model² and medium-term financial strategy (MTFS).
• The production of a Stabilisation Plan to accelerate Transformation activity.
• The delivery of over 96% of the Improvement and Assurance Panel Exit Strategy.
• Setting a balanced budget for 2025/26, with Exceptional Financial Support.
• The publication of draft accounts for 2022/23 and 2023/24.
• The approval of new financial regulations by Full Council for adoption into the Constitution.
• The launch of Croydon's Growth Plan and Town Centre Vision.
• Securing an initial £30 million in funding for a programme of improvements designed to attract new visitors, residents, businesses and investors.
• The success of This is Croydon, London Borough of Culture, with the Museum of Croydon regaining its Arts Council accreditation.
• Children's Services retaining a 'Good' Ofsted rating despite financial challenges.
• The opening of Croydon's second Family Hub at the Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Centre in South Norwood.
• The launch of the Cleaner Croydon Campaign.
• The re-negotiation of the new waste, recycling and street cleansing contract.
• The launch of Croydon's first-ever Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) strategy.
• The continued delivery of the Housing Improvement Plan, recognised by the lifting of the voluntary undertaking in full by the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH).
• The approval of plans for a new leisure centre on the Purley Pool site and regeneration of the surrounding area.
• The approval of plans for the new Coulsdon Medical Centre at 41 Malcolm Road.
• The successful launch of the Coulsdon Banking Hub in partnership with local Councillors and Chris Philp MP³.

The Executive Mayor, Jason Perry, was also scheduled to outline his priorities for 2025/26, which included:

• Using the Future Croydon transformation programme to modernise the Council.
• Commencing construction on Regina Road.
• Driving regeneration, attracting investment and delivering developments across the borough through Croydon's Growth Plan 2025 and Town Centre Vision.
• Finalising and adopting the revised Local Plan.
• Continual implementation of the delivery plans that sit within the community safety strategy.
• Holding a second full resident survey.

2025-2026 Period 10 Financial Performance Report

The Scrutiny & Overview Committee was scheduled to review the 2024-25 Period 10 Financial Performance Report. The report provided the council's financial performance as at January 2025 for the General Fund, Housing Revenue Account (HRA), and the Capital Programme.

The General Fund revenue forecast showed a projected overspend of £34.2m, which could be reduced to £4.3m through the use of the risk contingency budget, corporate earmarked reserves, business risk earmarked reserve, and capitalisation directions.

The Housing Revenue Account (HRA) was forecast to overspend by £8.0m, and the General Fund capital programme was forecast to underspend by £10.6m.

The report noted that the council's historic borrowing and debt burden continued to be critical to the non-sustainability of the council's revenue budget.

Scrutiny Work Programme 2025-26

The committee was expected to agree the underlying principles to guide the work of the council's scrutiny function for 2025-26. A further report providing detail on the work programme was scheduled to be brought to the next committee meeting on 22 July 2025.

The report pack noted that the Chair of the Scrutiny & Overview Committee had previously set out the intention to make the Future Croydon Transformation Programme a key focus of the 2025-25 Work Programme, alongside the efforts of the council to focus on prevention to manage down demand on services.

The Sub-Committees were scheduled to consider the following items in the interim:

• Homes Sub-Committee – Stabilisation Plan, focusing on the Housing related accelerated actions
• Streets & Environment Sub-Committee – Climate Action Plan and the Stabilisation Plan, focusing on the action targeting increased parking income
• Children & Young People Sub Committee – Stabilisation Plan, focusing on the CYPE related accelerated actions and the Family Hubs Model
• Health & Social Care Sub-Committee – Stabilisation Plan, focusing on the Adults related accelerated actions, including the impact on the Adults Living Independently Transformation Programme and the Croydon Health Service Quality Accounts