The Cabinet of Bath and North East Somerset Council met on Thursday 2 July 2026 to discuss a range of significant issues. Decisions made included the adoption of the Movement Strategy for Bath, the retrospective approval of the SEND Reform Plan, and the approval of the Revenue and Capital Outturn Report for 2025-26. The Cabinet also noted the Treasury Management Outturn Report for 2025/26 and the Revenue and Capital Budget Monitoring for the first quarter of 2026/27, alongside the end-of-year review for the Corporate Strategy 2023-2027. Further decisions included the approval of the Bath Riverside Council Housing Delivery plans and the progression of the Clean Air Zone State 4 Modelling.

The Movement Strategy for Bath Adoption

The Cabinet formally adopted the Movement Strategy for Bath, a ten-year vision aimed at transforming the city's transport network. This strategy seeks to rebalance the transport system by improving alternatives to private car use, such as public transport, walking, wheeling, and cycling. The overarching goals are to create high-quality places, enhance travel choices, and reduce overall traffic volume. This initiative is expected to contribute to the Council's climate and net-zero objectives by reducing transport-related carbon emissions and congestion, thereby improving the quality of life for residents and visitors. The strategy was developed following extensive public consultation, with 63% of respondents expressing support for its direction.

SEND Reform Plan

Cabinet retrospectively approved the Bath and North East Somerset (B&NES) Local Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Reform Plan, which was submitted to the Department for Education (DfE) in June 2026. The plan, developed through extensive partnership working with education, health, and parent carer representatives, aims to strengthen inclusion in mainstream education, improve outcomes for children and young people with SEND, and ensure better value for money. The Council anticipates receiving formal feedback from the DfE in September 2026 and will update its delivery plans accordingly.

Bath Riverside - Council Housing Delivery

The Cabinet approved plans to progress the next stages of the Bath Western Riverside residential quarter. This involves a land swap agreement and the purchase of 303 homes to be managed by B&NES Homes, representing 30% of the total homes on the site. This groundbreaking agreement with Berkeley Homes aims to deliver a significant number of affordable homes, with 30% affordable housing across the entire site, a figure considerably higher than the typical 15-20% achieved in the private market. The deal is projected to provide a financial benefit of approximately £19.5 million to B&NES. The first 92 homes are scheduled to begin construction this year, offering delivery at pace and de-risking the development for the Council.

Clean Air Zone State 4 Modelling

The Cabinet noted the success of Bath's Clean Air Zone (CAZ), implemented in March 2021, which has achieved sustained compliance with nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) legal limits, reducing levels by approximately 40% compared to the 2019 baseline. The Council was asked to approve progression to State 4 modelling, a required step in the national NO₂ programme. This modelling will assess whether CAZ measures can be modified or removed without risking a return to exceedances, ensuring continued compliance with central government requirements. Authority was delegated to the Director of Place Management to progress procurement, modelling, and stakeholder engagement for this stage.

Treasury Management Outturn Report 2025/26

The Cabinet approved the Treasury Management Outturn Report for 2025/26. The report detailed the Council's performance against its Treasury Management Strategy Statement, confirming that all prudential indicators remained within target levels. The Council's average credit rating on its investments ended the year at AA+, exceeding the minimum threshold of A-. Liquidity levels remained above the minimum threshold, and borrowing was in line with the liability benchmark. Operational investments earned an average return of 4.03%, beating the benchmark by 0.07%. The report highlighted the effective management of treasury operations despite significant economic volatility, resulting in an overall outturn of £2.087 million under budget for interest and capital financing costs.

Revenue and Capital Outturn Report 2025-26

The Cabinet approved the Revenue and Capital Outturn Report for 2025/26, which presented an adverse revenue variance of £2.631 million. This figure includes a one-off pressure of £0.840 million relating to irrecoverable invoices from 2024/25. The remaining underlying variance of £1.791 million represents an overspend of just over 1% of the net budget. The report detailed the proposed funding for the adverse variance through transfers from the Commercial Income Risk Reserve (£1.176 million) and the Revenue Budget Contingency Reserve (£1.455 million). The Cabinet also approved the capital programme outturn position, which is forecast to deliver the total £117.862 million budget, with capital rephasing and write-offs of net underspends approved as detailed in the appendices.

Revenue and Capital Budget Monitoring, Cash Limits and Virements - 2026/27 Quarter 1

The Cabinet approved the Quarter 1 forecast for the 2026/27 Revenue Budget, which indicated an adverse net variance of £5.320 million. This figure is mitigated by the release of the corporate contingency and utilisation of the Commercial Income Risk Reserve. The gross portfolio risk currently stands at £10.4 million. Children's Services accounts for the largest portion of this risk (£6.825 million), with pressures from residential placements and market costs continuing from the previous year. Capital financing and treasury management, however, are forecasting a favourable £1.225 million due to lower borrowing costs and higher investment returns. Directorates have been tasked with developing credible in-year savings plans to mitigate these risks, with an updated forecast to be presented in the Quarter 2 report.

Corporate Strategy 2023-2027 - End-of-Year Review for 2025-26

The Cabinet approved the end-of-year review for the Corporate Strategy 2023-2027. The report highlighted achievements in cultural life, with Bath ranking seventh in the UK and top 1% worldwide for attractions, and the Roman Baths receiving a TripAdvisor Best of the Best award. Significant progress was also noted in environmental initiatives, including weekly food waste recycling for all residents and £4 million spent on the regeneration of Midsomer Norton town centre. Housing delivery at Bath Western Riverside is progressing, with hundreds of new homes planned, including a policy-compliant proportion of affordable homes. The securing of a 120-place SEND special free school at Culverhay was also highlighted as a key achievement. The report also noted the positive outcomes of the LGA Corporate Peer Challenge, which recognised real progress made by the council.

The meeting also included questions from councillors and the public on various topics, including the release of Local Authority Fire and Rescue Service data, the governance framework for the Twerton and Whiteway Pride in Place programme, and reporting routes for anchor institution work. Statements were also heard regarding the need to protect affordable family housing from conversion into Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs), the burden of VAT on fuel, and SEND reforms.