The Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes Fire Authority met on Wednesday 11 February 2026 to discuss a range of financial and operational matters. Key topics included the approval of the Medium Term Financial Plan, the Prudential Code, and the Members' Scheme of Allowances. The Authority also reviewed performance management reports, the Treasury Management Strategy, and the Pay Policy Statement for the upcoming financial year.

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

The Authority 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 Community Risk Management Plan (CRMP) 2025-2030. The report highlighted that the government's provisional local government settlement for 2026-27 allows for a £5 increase in council tax for a band D equivalent property, which equates to approximately 10p per week. The report recommended approving this precept and the associated revenue and capital budgets.

The MTFP detailed a projected decrease in non-council tax funding from £12m in 2025/26 to £9.7m in 2028/29, attributed to a resources adjustment within the Fair Funding Review. Key assumptions for the plan included a council tax base increase of 1.28% for 2026/27 and annual uplift assumptions for council tax precept, pay awards, and the Fair Funding Assessment. The capital programme included funding for a proposed local training facility and an indicative allocation for the redevelopment of High Wycombe Fire Station. The adequacy of reserves was also assessed, with a General Fund Balance of £2.0m and earmarked reserves of £0.2m forecast for 2025/26.

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

The Authority was recommended to approve the Prudential Indicators for 2026/27 and the Minimum Revenue Provision (MRP) policy statement. These are required to support the MTFP and set financial limits for capital investment. The report indicated that the Authority has no plans for additional external borrowing in the foreseeable future. The Authorised Limit for 2026/27 was proposed to be set at £2.5m higher than the Operational Boundary Limit to allow for cashflow management and the implementation of IFRS 16 Leasing. The MRP is a statutory charge against the General Fund, estimated at £47k for 2025/26.

Members' Scheme of Allowances 2026/27

The Authority was asked to adopt the Scheme for Members' Allowances for 2026/27. This scheme is based on the principle of indexation with the preceding year's Grey Book pay award, which is the pay award for local authority fire and rescue service staff. The proposed scheme reflects a 3.2% increase in line with the NJC employers' Grey Book pay award for 2025/26. The current budget for Members' Allowances is £77,770, and the proposed budget with the 3.2% increase would be £80,259. Costs for publishing the notice of the scheme in a newspaper were estimated at £800.

Performance Management – Q3 2025/26

The report presented the Service's performance against 56 key performance measures for Quarter 3 of 2025/26, drawn from the 2025-2030 Community Risk Management Plan (CRMP). These measures cover six objectives: Reducing risk and keeping our community safe; Protecting people from risk in the built environment; Responding quickly and effectively to emergencies; An inclusive, healthy and engaged workforce; Making the most of our finances and assets; and Optimising our technology and data. At the end of Q3, 15 measures were rated 'Blue' (better than expected), 24 'Green' (as expected), 9 'Amber' (worse than expected), and 7 'Red' (considerably worse than expected).

Highlighted measures included:

• PRV 1.03 Home Fire Safety Visits Completed: Performance continued a positive trend, with 1389 visits completed against a target of 1200. Vulnerability targets were also significantly exceeded, partly due to partner agency referrals.
• PRT 1.01 Fire Safety Audits: Quarter 3 performance showed improvement, with 210 audits completed against a target of 198. Audits exceeded targets for high risk and non-satisfactory outcomes, indicating effective targeting and compliance finding.
• RSP 7.02 Over The Border Mobilisations into BFRS Grounds: A total of 1535 incidents occurred in Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes, with 245 utilising support from neighbouring services, resulting in 440 appliance mobilisations into BFRS.

Treasury Management Strategy 2026/27

The Authority was required to approve the Treasury Management Policy Statement, Treasury Management Strategy Statement, and the Annual Investment Strategy for 2026/27. The report noted that the current strategy has been operating effectively, outperforming benchmark targets. Despite a reduction in the Bank of England's base rate, the Authority anticipated continued strong investment performance, exceeding the investment income budget for 2026/27 due to delayed capital programme expenditure and upfront pension grant funding. The strategy proposed continued investment of surplus funds in short-term deposits with frequent maturities, ensuring liquidity. The report also detailed the borrowing portfolio, investment portfolio, debt rescheduling strategy, creditworthiness policy, and counterparty lists.

Pay Policy Principles and Statement 2026/27

The Authority was asked to approve the revised Pay Policy Principles and Statement for 2026/27. This statement outlines the Authority's approach to pay, including the remuneration of Chief Officers and the lowest paid employees, and the relationship between their pay. The proposed statement reflects a 3.2% pay award implemented in July 2025 and updated pension information. It also noted the ongoing monitoring of developments regarding public sector exit payment caps. The statement detailed the pay structure for operational, support services, and senior leader roles, including arrangements for pay progression, allowances, and pension schemes. The pay multiple between the highest and median salary was reported as 4.55:1 for 2026/27.

Safety Centre Funding Agreement 2026/27 - 2029/30

The Authority was asked to approve a four-year partnership and funding agreement with The Safety Centre (Hazard Alley) from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2030, with funding at £50,000 per annum, totalling £200,000. This proposed increase from the previous £25,000 per annum was driven by inflationary pressures, an expanded scope of delivery by the Centre (including serious violence prevention), and strategic alignment with BFRS's Prevention Framework and Serious Violence Duty commitments. The report highlighted the Safety Centre's impact on early-intervention safety education for children and young people and outlined the financial implications, risks, and legal basis for the agreement.

2026-27 Annual Delivery Plan

The Authority was asked to approve the 2026-27 Annual Delivery Plan, which details the Year two programme of work arising from the 2025-30 Community Risk Management Plan (CRMP). The plan outlines specific actions to deliver business change and ongoing activities to mitigate risks, supporting the Service's objectives in Prevention, Protection, and Response, and its enablers: People, Finance & Assets, and Digital, Data & Technology. Key actions included delivering road and water safety initiatives, launching a Youth Inclusion Programme, strengthening partnerships for fire safety remediation, reviewing water rescue capacity, implementing a refreshed People Directorate structure, investing in station facilities, and collaborating on the replacement of the Command & Control system.

Member Update on the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) Improvement Agenda 2025

This report provided an in-year update on the Service's progress against the 2025 Fire Brigades Union (FBU) Improvement Agenda. Notable achievements included the introduction of enhanced maternity and parental entitlements, providing up to 52 weeks of provision. Progress was also reported on training infrastructure, particularly for water rescue capability, with funding approved for Module 2 training in a controlled environment from 2026/27. The report acknowledged that progress on some items was limited by capacity, funding, and the need to align with other workstreams, while national negotiations on pay and reward also influenced local delivery. A comprehensive end-of-year report was scheduled for the June 2026 Fire Authority meeting.