The Executive of Lincolnshire Council met on Tuesday 1 September 2026. The meeting approved a new four-year contract for the Council's mains gas supply, noted the financial performance for the first quarter of the 2026/27 financial year, considered the Council Plan Performance Framework for the same period, and approved a change to the Council's appointment to the Greater Lincolnshire Combined County Authority.

Gas Framework Contract Re-Procurement

The Executive approved the procurement of mains gas for the Council's corporate property portfolio via the ESPO Energy Framework¹. A new call-off contract will be awarded under this framework for the period 1 April 2027 to 31 March 2031, with an indicative whole-life value of approximately £3.0 million to £3.5 million. Authority was delegated to the Executive Director for Resources, in consultation with the Executive Councillor for Community Engagement, to finalise the contractual arrangements and oversee implementation of the new contract.

This decision continues a long-standing and successful arrangement, with the ESPO framework having supported the Council for over 25 years. The ESPO framework provides access to specialist expertise and the benefits of aggregated public sector buying power. In a volatile energy market, this approach helps manage risk, improve budget certainty, and avoids transition risks and internal resource pressures. Councillor Oliver highlighted the transparency of the process, noting that a high-level analysis demonstrated that the buying-in-advance approach through ESPO had avoided approximately £2 million in additional costs during the Ukraine conflict and a further £92,000 during recent Middle East disruption. Councillor Gibson moved the recommendations, stating that buying in advance had proven very, very sensible. The decision was approved unanimously.

Review of Financial Performance (2026/27 Quarter 1)

The Executive noted the forecast outturn position for revenue and capital for the first quarter of the 2026/27 financial year. A forecast underspend of £0.1 million is projected for the Council's general fund revenue budgets, but this is offset by a significant forecast overspend of £51.8 million within school budgets, primarily driven by pressures in the High Needs block. The report highlighted ongoing cost challenges, particularly in social care placements and school transport, and noted that the corporate contingency budget has been significantly allocated.

The Executive approved the reallocation of £5.348 million from the Contingency budget to fund spend within service budgets. These allocations include £2.938 million for high-cost secure placements within Children's Social Care, £1.128 million for SEND workforce stabilisation, and £0.300 million each for the Tour of Britain event and support for Harrowby United's stadium pitch conversion.

Councillor Roberts, Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board, expressed concern about the forecast overspend, particularly within children's services, place, and resources. He noted that the corporate contingency budget had been largely allocated, leaving limited flexibility for future pressures. Heather Sandy CBE, Deputy Chief Executive and Executive Director for Children's Services, clarified that the £9 million pressure within the council's core budget is for children's social care placements, while the £51.8 million overspend relates to the ring-fenced Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) for the High Needs block. She explained that the government has indicated it will fund 90% of the DSG overspend, subject to the submission of a credible plan. Councillor Oliver emphasised that the priority remains on outcomes for children, not financial burden, and that complexity in children's services can lead to costs of up to £18,000 per week per child. The recommendations were approved unanimously.

Council Plan Performance Framework 2026-27 Quarter 1

The Executive considered and noted the performance for the first quarter of the 2026-27 financial year against the Council Plan Performance Framework. The report indicated strong performance across all three areas of Family, Community, and County.

Key highlights included:

• Family: Fewer young adults aged 18 to 64 had their long-term needs supported by admission to residential and nursing homes, with more being cared for in their own homes. However, waiting lists for occupational therapy and general care act assessments were longer than anticipated, though prioritised by risk and urgency. Performance regarding children in care living in a family environment was below target, but the council continues to promote family-based care and benchmarks well regionally and nationally.
• Community: Good performance was noted across key performance indicators. Two activities were rated amber: one related to the Gold Award for the Defence Recognition Scheme, which is unlikely to be achieved before local government reorganisation, and another concerning a cancelled training session for the Emergency Volunteer Pool due to poor attendance.
• County: Performance showed a mix across the waste hierarchy, but overall waste management was considered good, with positive progression in prevention, recycling, and landfill diversion. Support for local businesses through commissioned services was also strong. One activity, related to a heritage site, slightly missed a milestone.
• Spending Wisely: Sickness absence remained below target, though slightly increased from the previous quarter. Customer satisfaction with the Customer Service Centre remained high, exceeding expectations.

Councillor Roberts, Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board, highlighted concerns about increased waiting lists for assessments, which were attributed to staffing challenges and national shortages of qualified social workers. He also noted a decrease in adults receiving direct payments, which was explained as a deliberate policy to ensure direct payments are only used where they are the most beneficial option for the individual. Councillor Clegg sought further detail on specific performance indicators related to adult social care, and Martin Samuels, Executive Director of Adult Care and Community Wellbeing, provided clarification on waiting lists and direct payments, emphasising the focus on those with the greatest needs and the benefits of a person-centred approach. Councillor Oliver reiterated the administration's commitment to outcomes for children and the ambition within the new Council Plan. Councillor McGonagall raised a point about community emergency plans, urging councillors to promote their development. Councillor Gibson moved the recommendations, which were approved unanimously.

Appointments to Outside Bodies

The Executive approved a change to the Council's appointment to the Greater Lincolnshire Combined County Authority. Councillor Robert Gibson was replaced as the named substitute for Councillor S Matthews (Leader of the Council) with Councillor Paul Locke. Councillor Gibson, who seconded the recommendation, humorously described the paper as the best paper of the day and explained that it made more sense for someone else to act as substitute. The decision was approved unanimously.