The Cabinet of North West Leicestershire Council met on Tuesday 13 January 2026 to discuss the Council Tax base for the upcoming financial year, review recommendations from the Scrutiny Committee, and consider a compulsory purchase order for a property on Station Road. The meeting also included a discussion on the council's environmental policy.

Council Tax Base 2026/27

The meeting was scheduled to consider the report of the Strategic Director of Resources, presented by Councillor Keith Merrie MBE, Finance and Corporate Portfolio Holder, regarding the Council Tax Base for 2026/27. This report detailed the process for calculating business rates amounts due to the Council for the 2026/27 financial year, which is a necessary component of the budget-setting process. The report recommended that Cabinet review the tax base for each parish and special expense area for the financial year 2026/27 and recommend its adoption to the Council. It also noted that the calculated Council Tax Base for North West Leicestershire District Council for the financial year 2026/27 shall be 37,927 Band D equivalents. Furthermore, it was recommended that authority be delegated to the S151 Officer to submit the calculations on non-domestic rating income and other amounts required by the government by the 31 January 2026 deadline.

Scrutiny Committee Recommendations for Cabinet

Councillor Nicholas Rushton, Infrastructure Portfolio Holder, was scheduled to present a report from the Strategic Director of Place concerning recommendations made by the Corporate Scrutiny Committee and the Community Scrutiny Committee. These recommendations, made during their December meetings, were to be considered by Cabinet. The Corporate Scrutiny Committee had discussed the annual Zero Carbon update and stressed the importance of funding the next phase of feasibility studies for a mine water heating solution around Whitwick and Coalville Leisure Centre, recommending an £80,000 provision for the Stage 3 feasibility study as part of the 2026/27 budget proposals. They also recommended increasing funds in the Zero Carbon Reserve and financing the Climate Change Programme Manager post from the General Fund. The Community Scrutiny Committee had also considered the leisure centres review and the mine water heating solution, making the same recommendation for the feasibility study funding. Additionally, they had discussed the annual community grants report and the services provided by Age UK, feeling that previous cuts had impacted service delivery and recommending the reinstatement of £22,000 in grant funding.

Compulsory Purchase Order - 65 Station Road

Councillor Michael Wyatt, Community and Climate Change Portfolio Holder, was scheduled to present a report from the Strategic Director of Communities regarding a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) for 65 Station Road, Kegworth. The report detailed the long-term empty nature of the property, its poor state of repair, and the distress it was causing to local residents. It outlined the Council's Empty Homes Policy and the steps taken to engage with the owner over many years without success. The report recommended agreeing to the value of an offer to be made to the owner for a voluntary sale, and authorising the Head of Legal Services to take all necessary steps to secure the making, confirmation, and implementation of the CPO should a voluntary sale not be agreed. This included the negotiation and completion of any necessary agreements, the presentation of the Council's case at any public inquiry, and the acquisition and subsequent disposal of the property. The report also noted that an indemnity agreement with a developer would be in place to mitigate costs associated with purchasing and maintaining the property.

Environmental Policy

Councillor Michael Wyatt, Community and Climate Change Portfolio Holder, was also scheduled to present a draft Environmental Policy. This policy aimed to confirm the Council's commitment to the wider environmental agenda beyond reducing carbon emissions. The report detailed how the Council had worked with Unipart, a company based at Mercia Park, to develop a gap analysis aligned with ISO 14001 principles. The analysis identified that while the Council had sound environmental practices, a co-ordinated corporate approach would further embed best practice. The draft policy outlines key aims including reducing the carbon footprint, sustainable waste management, energy efficiency, water conservation, sustainable transportation, biodiversity and green spaces, and awareness and education. The policy also detailed implementation through sustainable procurement, staff and member awareness, and collaboration. The report noted comments and a recommendation from the Corporate Scrutiny Committee, which had felt the draft policy was too generic and lacked concrete, council-specific commitments.

The meeting also included scheduled items for apologies for absence, declarations of interest, and a public question and answer session. The minutes of the previous meeting held on 16 December 2025 were also to be confirmed. Items concerning the demolition of fire-damaged housing and acquisitions and disposals were scheduled to be discussed in private session due to the likely disclosure of exempt information.