The Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes Fire Authority's Executive Committee was scheduled to discuss the Medium Term Financial Plan for 2026/27 to 2030/31, alongside the Provisional Local Government Finance Settlement for 2026-27. The committee was also set to review the Budget Monitoring Report for April to December 2025 and consider the Members' Scheme of Allowances for the upcoming year.

Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP) 2026/27 to 2030/31

The Executive Committee was scheduled to consider the proposed revenue and capital Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP) for the financial years 2026/27 to 2030/31. This plan is closely linked to the Service's new Community Risk Management Plan (CRMP) 2025-2030. The report detailed the proposed revenue budget for 2026/27, including an increase in the Council Tax precept by £5 for a band D equivalent property, which equates to an approximate increase of 10p per week. The capital programme for the same period was also presented for approval. The report highlighted the impact of the Provisional Local Government Finance Settlement, noting that the Settlement Funding Assessment has been rebranded as the Fair Funding Assessment (FFA) and consolidates most grants. A key concern raised was the projected decrease in non-council tax funding from £12m in 2025/26 to £9.7m in 2028/29, attributed to a resources adjustment deducted from the needs assessment based on a notional level of council tax. The plan also outlined assumptions for annual uplifts, including a £5 increase in council tax precept each year and a projected pay award of 4% in 2026/27, decreasing to 3% in subsequent years. The capital programme includes funding for a proposed local training facility and an indicative allocation of up to £8m for the redevelopment of High Wycombe Fire Station. The adequacy of reserves was also reviewed, with a projected year-end General Fund Balance of £2.0m and Earmarked Reserves of £0.2m.

The Prudential Code, Prudential Indicators and Minimum Revenue Provision (MRP)

The committee was due to consider the Prudential Code, Prudential Indicators, and Minimum Revenue Provision (MRP) for 2026/27. This report is presented to support the MTFP and requires approval from the Fire Authority. The Authority has made sufficient revenue provision to cover the repayment of its gross borrowing, with no plans for additional external borrowing in the foreseeable future according to the current MTFP. The report recommended setting the Authorised Limit for 2026/27 at £2.5m higher than the Operational Boundary Limit to allow for effective cashflow management and the implementation of IFRS 16 Leasing. The Minimum Revenue Provision (MRP) is a statutory charge against the General Fund, estimated at £47k for 2025/26. The Prudential Code aims to ensure that capital investment plans are affordable, prudent, and sustainable.

Response to the Provisional Local Government Finance Settlement 2026-27: Consultation

This report detailed the Authority's response to the Provisional Local Government Finance Settlement 2026-27 consultation. The consultation, published on 17 December 2025, sought views on various aspects of local government funding, including fair funding allocation, transitional arrangements, and council tax referendum principles. The Authority's response, submitted on 14 January 2026, expressed disagreement with the government's proposals for distributing the total Fair Funding Allocation, arguing that restricting council tax increases unfairly penalises areas that have taken a prudent approach in previous years. While welcoming the £5 council tax precept flexibility, the Authority felt it did not go far enough and advocated for the removal of referendum principles for standalone fire and rescue authorities. The response also highlighted concerns about the use of a forecast GDP deflator for inflationary increases, arguing it is not appropriate for Fire and Rescue Services whose costs are largely driven by staffing. The Authority also noted the lack of specific capital funding for Fire and Rescue Services for over a decade and urged the government to provide appropriate capital funding.

Budget Monitoring Report April 2025 - December 2025

The committee was scheduled to review the Authority's revenue and capital spending position as of 31 December 2025, along with the projected outturn for the financial year. The report indicated a projected underspend of £0.867m against a budget of £42.989m. This underspend was primarily attributed to lower direct employee costs due to vacant positions, a reduction in Airwave costs, one-off income, and investment returns exceeding budgeted expectations. The report also noted a projected funding shortfall of approximately £0.202m due to changes in central grant allocations, specifically the removal of the Airwave grant and a significant reduction in the Pension Grant.

Members' Scheme of Allowances 2026/27

This report proposed the adoption of the Scheme for Members' Allowances for 2026/27. The proposed scheme was based on the principle of indexation with the preceding year's Grey Book pay award, which was agreed by the Authority in February 2023. The 2025/26 Grey Book pay award of 3.2% was used to illustrate the proposed increase in Members' allowances, which would increase the budget for Members' Allowances from £77,770 to £80,259. The report also noted the legal requirement to adopt a Scheme of Members' Allowances before 1 April each year and to have due regard to the recommendations of the Independent Remuneration Panels of the constituent authorities.

Performance Management - Q3 2025/26

The committee was presented with the Service's performance against 56 specific measures for Q3 2025/26, as defined in the 2025-2030 community risk management plan (CRMP). The report detailed performance across six objectives: reducing risk and keeping the community safe; protecting people from risk in the built environment; responding quickly and effectively to emergencies; fostering an inclusive, healthy, and engaged workforce; making the most of finances and assets; and optimising technology and data. At the end of Q3, 15 measures were rated as 'Blue' (better than expected), 24 as 'Green' (as expected), 9 as 'Amber' (worse than expected), and 7 as 'Red' (considerably worse than expected). Highlighted measures included positive trends in Home Fire Safety Visits Completed and Fire Safety Audits, with the latter exceeding targets relating to high risk and non-satisfactory outcomes. The report also detailed Over The Border Mobilisations into BFRS Grounds, noting the benefit of borderless mobilising agreements across services.

Date of Next Meeting

The committee was scheduled to note that the next meeting would be held on Wednesday 18 March 2026 at 10 am.