The Lancashire Combined County Authority's Overview and Scrutiny Committee was scheduled to discuss the authority's budget for the upcoming financial year, alongside its medium-term financial strategy. The committee was also set to review updates from the Chief Operating Officer and receive a report on the Get Lancashire Working initiative. Additionally, the committee's work programme for the current and upcoming municipal years was on the agenda.

Chief Operating Officer Update

The report from the Chief Operating Officer, Matthew Sidgreaves, was intended to provide the committee with key updates and announcements relevant to the Lancashire Combined County Authority (LCCA). This included information on the LCCA's one-year anniversary, ongoing discussions with the Minister for Devolution regarding future devolution, and expressions of interest for a new wave of Foundation Strategic Authorities. The update also covered the progress of the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill and the confirmation of Strategic Authority Capacity Funding for 2026/27. Consultations on an overnight visitor levy, Local Government Reorganisation (LGR), Spatial Development Strategy (SDS) geography, and the licensing of taxis and private hire vehicles were also highlighted. Progress on thematic work programmes, including a reduction in funding for Skills Bootcamps, was also to be presented. The LCCA's Advisory Boards – Economy, Transport, and Skills – were scheduled to provide updates on their key agenda items and actions.

Get Lancashire Working

The Get Lancashire Working report, presented by Dr Michele Lawty-Jones, Director of the Lancashire Skills and Employment Hub, and Dan Dixon, Strategic Programme Manager for Connect to Work, outlined the development of the initiative. This programme aims to boost employment rates and reverse the growth in economic inactivity, aligning with the government's Get Britain Working White Paper. The report detailed the strength of partnership working in Lancashire, including collaboration with the NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board and the Department for Work and Pensions. It also covered the development and mobilisation of Connect to Work, a large-scale supported employment programme that launched in the summer of 2025. The report included the Get Lancashire Working outcomes framework, designed to track progress in employment rates and economic inactivity, and highlighted the priority groups identified within the plan. The mobilisation of the devolved Adult Skills Fund programme was also noted as a future discussion point.

Budget 2026/27 and Medium-Term Financial Strategy 2027/28

The report from the Chief Finance Officer, Susan Guinness, presented the LCCA's Budget for the 2026/27 financial year and the Medium-Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) for 2027/28. The report detailed the approval of a balanced budget for 2026/27, which included taking £144,638 from reserves. It also outlined the assumptions made in preparing the budget, the advice of the Chief Finance Officer regarding the robustness of estimates and the use of reserves, and the indicative budget for 2027/28. The report covered the approval of the Capital Strategy, Treasury Management Strategy, Investment Strategy, Minimum Revenue Provision Policy, and Expenses Policy. The proposed Capital Programme for the four years to 2029/30, with a programme for 2026/27 of £121,560,415 funded by grants, was also presented. The report acknowledged that changes to the budget were anticipated due to the evolving nature of the LCCA, staff transfers, and ongoing dialogue with the government regarding devolution.

Overview and Scrutiny Committee Work Programme 2025/26

The committee was scheduled to receive its work programme for 2025-26, as set out in Appendix 'A' of the report, and consider the recommendations and actions tracker at Appendix 'B'. Members were also invited to provide input into the work programme for the upcoming municipal year 2026/27. The work programme had been developed in consultation with the Chief Operating Officer and officers leading on the LCCA's key priorities of economy, transport, and skills. The programme for 2025-26 had focused on the Lancashire Growth Plan, the emerging Local Transport Plan, and the Get Lancashire Working Plan.