The South Cambridgeshire District Council Cabinet met to discuss the 2025-26 first quarter performance, budget monitoring, and the new Climate and Nature Strategy. Councillors approved recommendations for the acquisition of 136 affordable homes in Marleigh, the Climate and Nature Strategy 2026-2030, the 2025/2026 Revenue and Capital Budget Monitoring (Quarter 1), and the 2025-26 Quarter One Performance Report.

Acquisition of Affordable Homes

The cabinet approved the acquisition of 136 affordable homes at the Marleigh development in Fen Ditton parish, authorising the Service Manager – Acquisitions and Development to proceed to contract with the developer, Hill. The council also approved the onward sale of 83 shared ownership homes. The site already has full planning permission, and the affordable homes meet the requirements of the Section 106 agreement¹. The homes, consisting of apartments and houses, will be built between 2026 and 2029.

Climate and Nature Strategy 2026-2030

The cabinet agreed to release the draft Climate and Nature Strategy 2026-2030 for public consultation, following a recommendation from the Climate Change and Environment Advisory Committee and noting their comments. The new strategy includes commitments to:

• create a net zero target for the council’s estate and operations emissions
• assign a measurable value to the previous ‘doubling nature’ target, based on land use data from DEFRA²
• ensure communities are resilient to a 2°C rise in temperature

The strategy outlines plans to offset emissions where it is not possible to reduce them to zero. A public consultation is planned for the autumn, with sustainability consultants Bioregional analysing the results.

Councillor Natalie Warren-Green, Lead Cabinet Member for Environment, will approve the draft strategy for consultation.

5/2026 Revenue and Capital Budget Monitoring (Quarter 1)

The cabinet reviewed the 2025/26 revenue and capital budgets, noting the projected major variances and actions being taken to address underlying issues. They also noted the budget carry forwards from 2024/25 and the latest Capital Programme position.

5-26 Quarter One Performance Report

The cabinet reviewed the council’s organisational performance for the first quarter of 2025-26, including operational key performance indicators (OKPIs), strategic indicators, and progress against the Corporate Action Plan. They noted the proposed introduction of a new KPI relating to tenant rent arrears and reviewed housing tenant satisfaction measures. The inclusion of prototype dashboard screenshots, being developed to provide access to service-level performance information, was also noted.

Public Questions

A question had been received from Mr Fulton, who asked for clarification on the statutory remit of the Community Safety Partnership (CSP) in relation to the resolution of cases . Councillor Henry Batchelor, Lead Cabinet Member for Communities, explained that the CSP brings together local partners to tackle crime, disorder, and anti-social behaviour, and that information is shared appropriately to bring about a resolution.

Mr Fulton also asked whether there had been a mandatory consultation under Regulation 12 of the 2007 Regulations, and noted that there hadn't been a meeting of the Community Safety Partnership since March 2024. Councillor Henry Batchelor said that he would look into the matter and provide a written response to Mr Fulton, and clarified in writing that the CSP has met since March 2024, in October 2024 and April 2025.

Update from Scrutiny and Overview Committee

The cabinet noted the update report from the Scrutiny and Overview Committee meeting held on 5 June 2025, which summarised the meeting.