The council are scheduled to meet on Tuesday, 23 September 2025, to discuss a number of reports, including the Treasury Management Stewardship, the Scrutiny Annual Report, and a report from Councillor Naomi Tweddle, Leader of the Council, on climate and corporate strategy. Councillors will also consider a motion affirming support for the LGBT+ community.

Here's a breakdown of the key items on the agenda:

LGBT+ Community Support

Councillors will consider a motion proposed by Councillor James Brown and seconded by Councillor Natasha Chapman, entitled Ensuring Lincoln is a welcoming city for the LGBT+ community. The motion acknowledges recent events, including a Supreme Court judgement and guidance from the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), that have caused great anxiety, uncertainty, and fear for the trans community .

The motion states that:

Trans women are women, trans men are men, and non binary people are non binary.

It calls on the council to affirm its support for trans, non-binary, and gender-diverse residents, and to commit to defending their rights and dignity. It also proposes that the Leader of the Council writes to the Minister for Women and Equalities to seek clarity on how existing legislation will protect the rights of trans people, and what new legislation is envisaged. The motion also includes commitments to providing gender-neutral bathrooms and changing facilities where appropriate, supporting Lincoln Pride and calling on service providers to uphold the provisions of the Equality Act 2010.

Climate and Corporate Strategy Report

Councillor Naomi Tweddle, Leader of the Council and Portfolio Holder for Climate and Corporate Strategy, is scheduled to present a report outlining the council's progress over the past year and its priorities for the future. The report will cover a range of areas, including:

• Climate Change: The council has appointed a new Climate Change Manager and is relaunching the Lincoln Climate Commission to deliver the Lincoln 2030 Climate Action Plan (2030 CAP). The council also continues to work with Plastic Free Lincoln.
• Low Carbon Agenda: The council is working with Lincolnshire County Council on the Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) fund to install electric vehicle charge points. The council has also been awarded funding for the Warm Homes: Local Grant scheme and the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund to improve energy performance in council households.
• Equality and Diversity: The Human Resources Team continues to offer support and guidance on equality, diversity, and inclusion. The council's gender pay gap has significantly reduced in recent years.
• Corporate Communications and Media Relations: The communications team has been involved in a number of successful campaigns, including a domestic abuse awareness campaign and the renaming of the Western Growth Corridor.
• Corporate Strategy: The council has reviewed progress with Vision 2025 and agreed on a new Vision 2030, which sets out the council's priorities for the next 5 years.
• Human Resources: The Human Resources Team has continued to support employee mental and physical health and wellbeing.
• Devolution and Local Government Reorganisation: The report will provide an update on the Greater Lincolnshire Devolution Deal and Local Government Reorganisation.
• Legal: The Legal Team's role in enforcement is ongoing and has increased this year.

Reducing Inequality Report

Councillor Lucinda Preston, Portfolio Holder for Reducing Inequality, is scheduled to present a report providing an update on the service areas under her responsibility. Key areas of focus include:

• Welfare and Benefits Advice: The council's Shared Service for Revenues and Benefits provides advice and assistance in claiming benefits, pensions, grants, and tax credits. In the last financial year, the team advised 5,616 individual customers and helped them to secure £33,744 of additional weekly benefit payments.
• Cost of Living Support: The Cost of Living Support Team continues to provide vital support to residents struggling with cost of living pressures. The team delivers the Household Support Fund (HSF) in partnership with Lincolnshire County Council and other district councils.
• Universal Credit: The ongoing managed migration of Universal Credit continues to result in significant demands on officers within the Revenues and Benefits service.
• Housing Benefit / Council Tax Support: The council's Benefits Team continues to administer a significant number of Housing Benefit and Council Tax Support claims.
• Lincoln Anti-Poverty Strategy: Officers continue to refresh the council's Anti-Poverty Strategy, working collaboratively with a range of key partners in the city.
• Discretionary Rate Relief Policy: The council's Business Rates Growth Policy provides a time-limited rate relief discount to new and extended business premises within the city.
• Financial Inclusion: Financial inclusion continues to be a key objective. The Lincolnshire Financial Inclusion Partnership (LFIP) brings together organisations and partners to promote and raise the profile of financial inclusion across the county.
• Safeguarding: Progress continues to be made to embed safeguarding across the council. The number of internal referrals from officers has increased.
• Skills and Training: Officers continue to engage with a range of skills and employment related organisations.
• Housing Strategy: The council is working to deliver a variety of housing options within the city that will help people have varying levels of support according to their needs.
• Asylum Seekers and Refugees: The council has welcomed families from Syria and Afghanistan into the city in the past. The council is working closely with the Strategic Migration Partnership and partner councils in the East Midlands area to accommodate asylum seekers and families from Afghanistan.
• Neighbourhood Working: The Sincil Bank Revitalisation Programme continues to focus on long term sustainable place making and community building.
• Public Protection and Anti-Social Behaviour: The Public Protection and Anti-Social Team (PPASB Team) operates to protect individuals, the community, and the amenity of the city.
• CCTV Service: The council's CCTV service monitored 12,192 incidents from January 2024 to January 2025, a 16% increase on the 2023 figures for this period.
• Lincoln Community Lottery: The Lincoln Community Lottery was launched in 2018 as a tool to help local causes to raise additional funds.
• Social Value Policy: Where relevant and proportionate to the contract/provision being procured, Social Value will be used as part of the quality assessment.
• Lincoln Social Responsibility Charter: There are currently 103 local organisations accredited to the charter.

Treasury Management Stewardship and Actual Prudential Indicators Report

Councillors will consider the Treasury Management Stewardship and Actual Prudential Indicators Report 2024/25, which provides an overview of the council's treasury management activities and performance against key indicators. The report notes that during 2024/25, the council complied with its legislative and regulatory requirements. Key points include:

• The council's total debt at 31 March 2025 was £107.286m, compared to a Capital Financing Requirement (CFR) of £154.583m, representing an under-borrowing position.
• Investments at 31 March 2025 were £19.127m, higher than the previous year.
• Actual investment interest earned was £1.131m, compared to £661k estimated in the Medium-Term Financial Strategy.

The report also includes risk benchmarking and performance against security, liquidity, and yield benchmarks.

Scrutiny Annual Report

The council will review the Scrutiny Annual Report 2023/24 and 2024/25, which summarises the work of the scrutiny committees over the past two years. The report highlights key achievements and areas of focus for each committee, including the Community Leadership Scrutiny Committee, Performance Scrutiny Committee, Policy Scrutiny Committee, Select Scrutiny Committee, and Housing Scrutiny Sub-Committee.

Rule 15 Scrutiny Procedure Rules: Executive Decisions Taken as a Matter of Urgency

Councillors will note two decisions taken by the Executive as a matter of urgency, in accordance with Rule 15 of the Scrutiny Procedure Rules¹. These decisions related to Local Government Reorganisation and the Leisure Services Contract.

Fees and Charges

Councillors will note the amendment to car parking sessional fees, which were applied with effect from 1 September 2025. The increases were agreed under delegated authority to partially offset the cost of the new leisure services contract provision.

Amendment to Membership of Audit Committee

The council will be asked to approve a replacement labour group member to the Audit Committee for the remainder of the 2025/26 Municipal Year, following the departure of Councillor Neil Murray.