Purpose

This report presents the Council’s Annual Health and Safety Report for the period 1 April 2025 to 30 April 2026. It provides an overview of the Council’s health and safety performance, highlights key departmental achievements and challenges, and outlines the strategic safety priorities for the 2026/2027 period.

Decision

Cabinet agreed the following:

1. To approve the updated Corporate Health and Safety Policy.

Reasons for the decision

The Council holds a legal obligation under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 to monitor, assess, and report on its safety performance. Adopting this report ensures robust governance, maintains regulatory compliance during the Local Government Reorganisation, and enables the delivery of strategic actions intended to transition the authority from a reactive posture toward a proactive, embedded safety culture.

Alternative options considered

Option 2: Reject or defer approval. This option is rejected as it would leave the Council operating under outdated policy guidelines, delay critical safety upgrades, compromise technical compliance, and increase exposure to regulatory breaches and civil liabilities.