Budget Monitoring 2025/26 – Quarter 2

December 17, 2025 Approved View on council website
Full council record
Content

1.    
Notes the Council’s Quarter 2 Revenue and Capital
forecasts as at 30 September 2025.
 

2.    
Approves in principle additional funding substitutions
including NCIL, CIL and s106, subject to governance process
(£1.4m).
 

3.    
Notes the progress made against the 2025/26 savings targets
of £33.5m as at 30 September 2025.
 

4.    
Notes the Quarter 2 General Fund forecast net overspend would
utilise, £18.9m of the total £23.2m risk reserve
forecast at year-end.
 

5.    
Agrees subject to final outturn, net movement of
(£61.8m) and net over/(under) spends of (£9.1m) on the
General Fund and net movement of (£77.2m) and net
over/(under) spends of (£80.3m) for the Housing Revenue
Account.

Reasons for the decision

The regular,
timely and accurate reporting of Revenue and Capital Budget
Monitoring and progress against savings targets through the year is
a key financial control. It makes visible variations to budget to
inform decision making and enable the council to take timely
mitigating actions.
 
It is important
that issues driving variations to budget are understood and
addressed so that the council remains both within the approved
budget envelope and on track to delivering the plans Council
budgeted for. 

Alternative options considered

The council could
choose to monitor its budgetary performance against an alternative
time frame, but it is considered that the reporting schedule
provides the appropriate balance to allow strategic oversight of
the budget by Members and to manage the council’s exposure to
financial risk. More frequent monitoring is undertaken by officers
and considered by individual service directors and the
council’s CMT including approval of management
action. 

Related Meeting

Cabinet - Wednesday, 17th December, 2025 5.30 p.m. on December 17, 2025

Supporting Documents

Appendix 2 - 2025-26 Quarter 2 Forecast Outturn General Fund Variances.pdf
Appendix 1 - 2025-26 Quarter 2 Forecast Outturn General Fund Revenue by Service Area.pdf
Appendix 3 - 2025-26 Quarter 2 General Fund and Earmarked Reserves.pdf
Appendix 4 - 2025-26 Savings Tracker.pdf
Appendix 5 - 2025-26 Q2 General Fund Forecast Outturn Capital Programme.pdf
Budget Monitoring 2025-26 - Quarter 2 Forecast Outturn FINAL Cabinet Final.pdf

Details

OutcomeRecommendations Approved
Decision date17 Dec 2025