The Overview and Scrutiny Committee of Hertfordshire Council is scheduled to meet on Monday, 9 February 2026. The primary focus of the meeting will be the scrutiny of the council's budget for 2026/27 and its Medium Term Financial Strategy. This will involve reviewing recommendations that have emerged from evidence-gathering sessions held in the preceding week.

Scrutiny of the Budget 2026/27 and Medium Term Financial Strategy

The committee is set to review the council's financial plans for the upcoming year and the subsequent medium term. This process will involve examining reports prepared by the Head of Scrutiny, which outline the format for the committee's scrutiny of the budget and the Medium Term Financial Strategy. The evidence-gathering sessions, which took place on 3 and 4 February 2026, were designed to be held in public and webcast, reflecting a consensus across political groups for transparency in the scrutiny process.

These evidence-gathering sessions involved multiple member groups focusing on specific portfolio areas. On Tuesday, 3 February, groups examined Children's Social Care, Education, SEND & Inclusion, Highways, and Environment, Transport and Growth. Wednesday, 4 February, saw groups scrutinising Adult Care Service, Public Health & Community Safety, Resources & Performance, and the strategic overview of the overall budget. Each session included the gathering of evidence, the presentation of challenges, and the formulation of recommendations.

The report pack indicates that the committee's recommendations, arising from these scrutiny sessions, will be reported to the Cabinet on 11 February 2026. Subsequently, these recommendations will be considered by the full Council on 17 February 2026, when the final budget for 2026/27 will be agreed.

Public Petitions

The agenda also includes an opportunity for members of the public, who are resident in Hertfordshire, to present a petition. These petitions must relate to a matter that concerns the council, be relevant to the remit of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, and have signatories who are also resident in or work in Hertfordshire. At the time of publication, no petitions had been received.

Minutes

The committee will also be asked to confirm the minutes of its previous meetings held on 8 and 17 December 2025.