The Overview and Scrutiny Committee of Merton Council is scheduled to meet on Wednesday 21 January 2026. The primary focus of the meeting will be the call-in of a decision made by the Cabinet regarding fees and charges.

Call-in of Fees and Charges Review and Approval

The committee will consider a call-in request concerning the Cabinet's decision on 15 December 2025 to approve proposed changes to fees and charges for the 2026/27 period. A call-in is a process where a decision made by the Cabinet can be reviewed by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee if at least three non-executive councillors believe it to be inappropriate. The committee will examine the information provided in response to the call-in request and decide whether to:

• Refer the decision back to the Cabinet for reconsideration.
• Determine that the matter is contrary to the council's policy and/or budget framework and refer it to the Full Council.
• Decide not to refer the matter back, in which case the Cabinet's original decision will take effect immediately.

The call-in request, submitted by Councillors Anthony Fairclough, Matthew Willis, and Victoria Wilson, cites suspected breaches of Merton's Constitution regarding the principles of decision-making, specifically concerning respect for human rights and equalities, and the consideration and evaluation of alternatives. The form notes that the decision report stated an equality impact assessment should be undertaken, but there is no evidence that this was done or that Cabinet members considered the potential impact on protected characteristics. The alternative decision sought is for the agenda item to be reconsidered at a subsequent Cabinet meeting, following the completion of an equalities impact assessment.

The committee will be reviewing documents including the Cabinet report from 15 December 2025¹, the call-in form received², and an officer response to the call-in³. An exempt appendix containing further details on fees and charges is also part of the report pack⁴.