The Executive, Resources and Contracts Policy Development and Scrutiny Committee is scheduled to meet on Monday 16 March 2026. The meeting's agenda includes a review of the capital programme, the council's forward plan of key decisions, and the annual scrutiny report.

Capital Programme Monitoring

The committee is set to review the Capital Programme Monitoring for Quarter 3 of the 2025/26 financial year. This report, detailed in the Q3 25-26 ERC PDS Capital Monitoring document, will provide an update on capital expenditure and receipts following the third quarter. It will highlight changes to the capital programme for the Resources, Commissioning and Contract Management portfolio, as considered by the Executive on 11 February 2026. The report includes details of new schemes being requested for addition to the Capital Programme and proposed asset disposals to generate capital receipts. It also outlines the capital financing implications and any shortfall in capital resources, as well as how these proposals will impact the council's revenue budget.

Forward Plan of Key Decisions

The committee will consider the council's Forward Plan of Key Decisions, covering the period from February 2026 to May 2026. This plan, available in the Printed plan FORWARD PLAN OF KEY AND PRIVATE EXECUTIVE DECISIONS - FEBRUARY 2026 Executive document, outlines upcoming decisions that are key to the council's operations and services. It details what is being decided, who the decision-maker is, when the decision will be made, and who will be consulted beforehand. The plan also specifies how comments can be made on decisions before they are made and whether items will be considered in public or private.

Annual Scrutiny Report 2025/26

A significant item on the agenda is the Annual Scrutiny Report for 2025/26. This report, presented in the Annual Scrutiny Report 2025-26 document, summarises the work carried out by the council's Policy Development and Scrutiny (PDS) Committees during the year. It includes contributions from the PDS Chairmen, detailing the work of their respective committees. The report is scheduled for approval by the Executive, Resources and Contracts PDS Committee and then for reception and noting by Full Council. The foreword to the report highlights the challenging financial context facing the council, with significant funding reductions and increasing cost pressures, particularly in areas like adult and children's social care. It also touches upon the council's efforts to balance its budget through savings, council tax increases, and the use of reserves, while also considering the potential need for external borrowing in the future.

Matters Outstanding and Work Programme

The committee will also review matters outstanding from previous meetings and develop its work programme for 2026/27. This is detailed in the ERC PDS Matters Outstanding and Work Programme MARCH document. The work programme outlines the committee's planned activities, including pre-decision scrutiny of Executive agenda items, contract monitoring, and policy development reviews.

Pre-Decision Scrutiny of Executive Reports

The committee is scheduled to undertake pre-decision scrutiny of several reports that will be presented to the Executive meeting on 18 March 2026. These include an item on Budget monitoring for 2025/26, a report on The Crofton, Orpington Social Housing Acquisition, and an update on the Crisis and Resilience Fund. This process allows the PDS committee to examine these items before the Executive makes its decisions.