Cllr Paul Hodgkinson

...to support the Council's rolling laptop replacement programme, authority was delegated to the Director of People and Digital Services, in consultation with the Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance, Assets and Transformation, to award multiple call-off contracts for the supply of Microsoft Surface laptops over a 3-year period, within budget, to the Most Economically Advantageous Tenderer under a Crown Commercial Services framework agreement.

...to approve the Council Strategy 2025-2029 – ‘A stronger future, built together’ for recommendation to Full Council on 12th November.

...to adopt a Planning Performance Agreements Charter and delegate authority to the Executive Director of Economy, Environment and Infrastructure to enter into Planning Performance Agreements based on the Charter, enabling the County Council to manage complex planning applications more efficiently and transparently.

...to approve, in principle, Gloucestershire County Council's continued participation in Adoption West as their preferred option for a Regional Adoption Agency (RAA) beyond February 2027, while also directing the Director of Children's Services to further develop Adoption West in consideration of national policy, operational experience, resourcing, and local government reform.

... the Cabinet of Gloucestershire approved a £56.656 million forecast use of reserves, noted a £224k overspend for the 2025/26 financial year, approved a £300k draw from the Risk & Investment Reserve for speed limit policy development, approved a £1.827 million transfer to the Business Rates Retention Reserve, noted savings delivery and capital expenditure forecasts, and approved, subject to funding, a £110 million increase to the Capital Programme for the M5 Junction 10 Improvement Scheme, delegating authority for funding gap negotiations.