The Staffordshire Council Cabinet met on Wednesday 16 July 2025, receiving updates from cabinet members and approving measures relating to street lighting and waste disposal. The Cabinet also reviewed the Treasury Management Report and the Better Care Fund, and they approved the Integrated Performance Report for Quarter 1 of 2025-26.

Street Lighting LED Invest to Save Initiative, Phase 2

The Cabinet approved Phase 2 of the Street Lighting LED Invest to Save Initiative, which will invest £4.9 million in replacing 15,000 old sodium streetlights with modern, energy-efficient LEDs. The project will be funded from the £6.2 million PFI¹ reserves held by the council. Councillor Peter Mason, Cabinet Member for Strategic Highways, explained that Phase 1 of the initiative saw 48,000 LED lights installed, saving the council around £2.2 million per year in energy costs.

Councillor Mason stated that the new phase is more complex as it targets commercial areas with larger lanterns, leading to even higher energy savings. The project is expected to reduce energy consumption by over 5 billion kilowatts per year, saving approximately £1.2 million annually at current rates. The savings over four years will replenish the invested reserves.

Councillor Ian Cooper, Leader of the Council, praised the initiative, stating:

This is a really good example where we can put an excellent business case together to improve the lighting, to make it more efficient and more effective, more environmentally sustainable, but actually save a lot of money to the residents of Staffordshire.

The Cabinet also authorised the Directorate of Economy, Infrastructure Skills, and its nominated officers to finalise and enter into a supplementary agreement with Lighting for Staff Shield Limited, delivered by EON, to commence the project over a two-year period.

Residual Waste Disposal Framework

The Cabinet approved the procurement process for appointing suppliers to the residual waste disposal framework agreements. This framework is designed to ensure that the council can meet its statutory duties² for waste disposal in the event of unplanned outages at the Hanford Energy Recovery Facility (ERF). Councillor Andrew Mynors, Cabinet Member for Connectivity, highlighted the importance of the framework, particularly given the age of the Hanford ERF.

The framework will apply to districts and boroughs that already deliver their residual waste to the Hanford ERF, including East Staffordshire Borough Council, Newcastle Under Lyme Borough Council, Stafford Borough Council, and Staffordshire Moorlands District Council. The agreement with Stoke-on-Trent City Council secures the disposal of 55,000 tonnes of residual waste, ensuring that the county council meets its statutory duties. Councillor Hayley Coles, Cabinet Member for Communities and Culture, commended the due diligence of the officers in planning for any outages, noting the potential knock-on effects if waste collection is disrupted.

The Cabinet provided delegated authority to the Director for the Economy, Infrastructure, and Skills to approve contracts for execution and to affix a common seal by signature as appropriate, in accordance with the council's processes.

Treasury Management Report for the Year Ending 31 March 2025

The Cabinet noted the Treasury Management Report for the year ending 31 March 2025, which covers the council's borrowing, lending, and cash management activities. Councillor Chris Large, Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources, explained that the council takes a prudent and low-risk approach to treasury management, focusing on the security and liquidity of funds.

During the year, the council repaid £28 million of external debt using cash reserves, achieving savings on debt charges. Investments yielded returns of £21.7 million, which was higher than the benchmark when considering risk above return. The Cabinet also approved the use of the minimum revenue provision³ at 31 March 2025 of £19.673 million.

Better Care Fund 2025-26

The Cabinet approved recommendations related to the Better Care Fund (BCF) for 2025-26. Councillor Martin Rogerson, Cabinet Member for Health and Care, explained that the BCF aligns funding for health, social care, and housing services to avoid hospital admissions, facilitate timely hospital discharge, and avoid admissions to long-term care. The fund is overseen by the Staffordshire Health and Wellbeing Board, which has approved the 2025-26 BCF Plan.

The Cabinet agreed that the council will transfer the 2025-26 Disabled Facilities Grant to the District and Borough Councils as required by the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. They also delegated authority to the Director of Health and Care to enter into a legal agreement under Section 75 of the NHS Act 2006 to implement the BCF Plan, allowing a transfer of £28 million from the Integrated Care Board to the County Council. Additionally, the Director of Health and Care was authorised to enter into appropriate legal agreements with NHS organisations under Section 75 of the NHS Act 2006 and/or Section 256 of the Health and Social Care Act 2012 to allow the council and NHS organisations to commission health and social care services on behalf of one another.

Integrated Performance Report, Quarter 1, 2025-26

The Cabinet approved the Integrated Performance Report for Quarter 1 of 2025-26. Councillor Chris Large, Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources, presented the report, which covers performance data from 1 April and the latest forecasts for both revenue and capital budgets. The report included a recommendation to approve the allocation of the extra social care grant announced in the final settlement, split between health and care and children's and family directorates.

The latest forecast on the revenue budget indicates an underspend of £250,000, which is 0.03% of the budget. The capital programme shows a forecast spend of £170.6 million, with additional funding being allocated to highways. Despite the underspend, the council faces external pressures from increasing levels of demand and increasing care market prices across both adults' and children's social care. The overspend on the high-needs blocks is forecast to be £38.5 million this year, increasing the DSG⁴ deficit to £90 million by the end of the year.

Leader's Update

Councillor Ian Cooper, Leader of the Council, provided an update on various initiatives and events in Staffordshire. He highlighted the upcoming summer holidays and encouraged residents to explore local attractions, directing them to Visit Staffordshire for information. He mentioned the 1,100th anniversary of Athelstan becoming the first king of all England, which is being marked with local tours in Tamworth.

Councillor Cooper also noted that Staffordshire would be welcoming more than 50 of the world's top golfers for the Live Golf Tournament at JCB headquarters. He also promoted the free holiday activities program for children eligible for free school meals and the Summer Reading Challenge in libraries. Finally, he congratulated those shortlisted for a Dignity in Care Award.

Staffordshire Means Business

Councillor Martin Murray, Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Economy and Skills, focused on businesses in Staffordshire. He mentioned recent visits from His Royal Highness, the Prince of Wales to St. George's Park, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, to JCB headquarters. He highlighted JCB's investment in hydrogen engines and hydrogen-powered equipment, as well as Cozy Direct, a company that received the King's Award for Enterprise.

Councillor Murray also emphasised the importance of energy saving engagement with businesses and the public to reduce the impact of global events on energy bills. He encouraged businesses to participate in the 2026 Visit Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Tourism Awards.