The Enfield Council Cabinet convened to discuss and approve the updated Schools Capital Programme Strategic Delivery Plan 2025/26 - 2027/28, authorising expenditure of £29.1m, and to agree in principle to savings and income targets of £15.4m in the Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP) Update 2026/27 to 2030/31. Both decisions were made subject to call-in¹.

Updated Schools Capital Programme Strategic Delivery Plan 2025/26 - 2027/28

The Cabinet approved the updated Schools Capital Programme Strategic Delivery Plan 2025/26 - 2027/28, along with a revised spend of £13.4m for the schools' 2025/26 capital budget and a total spend of £29.1m over the three years. This plan addresses the council's responsibilities as a corporate landlord, ensuring the safety and well-being of pupils and staff through capital works that maintain and improve the school estate. It also aims to deliver the Council's Pupil Places Strategy, including additional Special Education Needs (SEN) places, and contribute to the borough's carbon neutrality target by 2040.

The plan takes into account the potential impact of the forthcoming Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill, which may allow councils to propose new schools, including those for SEN pupils. The bill aligns with the government's inclusion agenda, offering councils more flexibility to respond to rising Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) demand.

Key elements of the approved plan include:

• Condition-related works: Continuing projects to address building conditions, with several projects already completed, including window and door replacements at Highfield Primary School, Hazelwood Primary School, and Enfield County Upper School.
• Special Educational Needs (SEN) pupil places: Acknowledging the increasing demand for SEN places and the pressure on the High Needs block of the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG), the plan includes a strategic delivery plan for SEN pupil places.
• Decarbonisation and energy projects: Aligning with the Council's Climate Action Plan, the programme incorporates low-carbon solutions in all condition and maintenance projects.
• Caretaker houses disposal: Reinvesting income generated from the disposal of vacant caretaker houses back into the programme to support SEN provision and safeguarding works at school sites.

The Cabinet also delegated authority to the Executive Director of People to award contracts up to £5m and to add or omit projects from contingency budgets, and to the Lead Member for Children's Services to approve contracts exceeding £5m. The Executive Director of People, in consultation with the Chief Finance Officer, can also accept additional in-year funding and add it to the Schools Capital Programme.

The Cabinet noted the risk that two proposed SEN schools may not be delivered through the SEN Wave Programme. In response, they approved feasibility studies for the Addison House project to deliver SEN satellite provision and to identify appropriate sites for large-scale SEN provision development.

Finally, the Cabinet approved the allocation of £250,000 from capital receipts generated from the sale of vacant Caretaker Houses to fund these feasibility studies as revenue expenditure.

Medium Term Financial Plan Update 2026/27 to 2030/31

The Cabinet agreed in principle to proposed savings and income targets of £15.4m for 2026/27, delegating authority to relevant directors to make decisions to achieve these targets, including substituting proposals subject to consultation with the relevant Cabinet Member. The savings are broken down as:

• £10.5m from service redesign, efficiencies, and demand management
• £4.9m from income generation

The proposals will be subject to consultation and an assessment of equality and other implications.

The Cabinet noted the uncertainty around funding for 2026/27 due to Fair Funding reforms, with the outcome expected in the provisional Local Government Financial settlement in mid-December 2025, and also noted the proposed fees and charges, which will be subject to approval by Full Council as part of the budget process.

The report highlighted the financial challenges faced by local government, including sustained austerity, rising costs, and demand pressures in services like children's social care, adult social care, homelessness, and home-to-school transport for children with SEND.

The report considered two scenarios: a 'favourable' and a 'low' Fair Funding settlement. Under the 'favourable' scenario, the proposals would set a balanced budget for 2026/27. However, under the 'low' funding scenario, there would be a budget gap of up to £18m.

If the settlement is better than the 'favourable' scenario, it was suggested that any surplus is used as follows: one third for service investment, one third for rebuilding reserves and one third for funding transformation currently funded by Flexible Use of Capital Receipts, which would allow those capital receipts to be used to reduce debt instead.

The report also noted that Enfield Council had previously applied for Exceptional Financial Support (EFS) of £30m due to pressures in homelessness and social care. The current forecast for 2025/26 is a £7.5m overspend, primarily driven by demand in adult social care, children's services, and temporary accommodation.

The report set out a number of risks and uncertainties, including the outcome of the Fair Funding Review, increasing demand for social care services, and the impact of macroeconomic factors such as inflation and interest rates.

Finally, the report noted that the council is required to undertake a budget consultation which will commence in December and close in early January.