The Policy and Resources Cabinet Committee meeting on 14 January 2026 focused on the council's budget proposals for the upcoming year, performance updates across key departments, and strategic property management. Key decisions included the endorsement of the draft budget, which necessitates savings and income generation to balance the books, and the approval for the disposal of land at the former Spires Academy in Canterbury.

Draft Budget and Financial Planning

The committee discussed the draft budget for the Chief Executive's Department and Deputy Chief Executive's Department, outlining significant spending pressures, particularly in adult social care and children's services, which are expected to exceed available funding from central government and local taxation. To address this, the council plans to implement savings and income generation measures, focusing on efficiency and transformation to protect frontline services.

A core element of the budget discussion was the need for savings, with proposals including a review of car parking provision across the office estate to generate £1 million annually from 2026, changes to drinking water provision to save £30,000, and a review of plant provision in offices to save £40,000. The council also plans to recruit four permanent in-house solicitors to reduce reliance on expensive external legal firms, projecting a net saving of £487,600. A review of contact centre service levels is expected to yield a saving of £290,000 through increased use of technology.

Concerns were raised about the potential for increased council tax to balance the budget, with the council acknowledging that while a council tax freeze is an objective, it cannot be guaranteed. The medium-term financial plan highlights a significant shortfall in funding for future years, which will need to be addressed through further savings, income generation, or potential council tax increases.

Performance Dashboard

The performance dashboard for the Chief Executive's Department and Deputy Chief Executive's Department revealed that 23 out of 30 Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) met or exceeded their targets, rated green. One KPI was rated amber, and six were rated red. The red KPIs included:

• FN06: Percentage of sundry debt due to KCC under six months old.
• FN08: Invoices received on time by Accounts Payable processed within 30 days, impacted by a move to a new Oracle cloud system.
• FN16: Publication of budget proposals for Cabinet Committees, Cabinet, and County Council by the intended deadlines, which was delayed due to uncertainty over government funding reforms.
• GL02: Freedom of Information Act requests completed within 20 working days, with performance reduced due to a high volume of requests.
• GL03: Data Protection Act Subject Access Requests (SARs) completed within statutory timescales, also affected by a high volume of requests, particularly related to special educational needs.
• CS07: Complaints responded to within timescales, with the Growth, Environment and Transport Directorate and Adult Social Care and Health showing lower performance.

Discussions around the red KPIs included the potential for AI to assist with Freedom of Information requests and the challenges faced by officers dealing with increasing volumes of complex requests.

Resilience and Emergency Planning

The committee received an update on the work of the Resilience and Emergency Planning Service, highlighting significant incidents over the past six months. These included a bitumen discharge in Gravesend, a major fire at the derelict Portlands Factory Club in Northfleet which led to a Major Incident declaration due to asbestos contamination, and a prolonged water outage in Tunbridge Wells affecting 25,000 properties, which also resulted in a Major Incident declaration. The report also detailed the council's participation in Exercise Troy, a cyber incident simulation, and ongoing engagement with the Kent and Medway Resilience Forum through training and exercises like Operation Skippered and Exercise Pegasus.

Strategic Overview of Peppercorn Lease Estate

A strategic overview of Kent County Council's peppercorn lease estate was presented. A peppercorn lease is an agreement where the rent is a nominal amount, often one peppercorn per year. The council holds over 350 such leases, primarily for statutory purposes such as the transfer of school land to academies under the Academies Act 2010. Other reasons for peppercorn leases include supporting community and social care initiatives, enabling service delivery through commissioned contracts, and managing legacy assets. The report emphasised that all peppercorn leases must comply with Section 123 of the Local Government Act 1972, requiring the council to obtain best consideration, which may include non-financial benefits such as public well-being.

Disposal of Land at Former Spires Academy

The committee considered the proposed freehold disposal of land at the former Spires Academy in Westbere, Canterbury. The site, approximately 1.34 hectares, is vacant and has been allocated in the Draft Canterbury District Local Plan for residential development. The recommended option is disposal to generate a capital receipt for reinvestment into the council's capital programme and to reduce holding costs. The disposal will be marketed on an 'all enquiries' basis, with bids appraised based on price, deliverability, and compliance with local plan requirements. The decision to proceed with the disposal was endorsed.