The Corporate Scrutiny Committee of North Northamptonshire Council met to discuss the council's financial performance, key performance indicators, and budget timeline. The committee approved recommendations for future reports to include benchmarking data, explanations for red-rated indicators¹, and links between performance outcomes and resource allocation. They also recommended that officers arrange an informal workshop on draft budget proposals in early 2026.

Finance Activity Report - Quarter 1

The Corporate Scrutiny Committee reviewed the Finance Activity Report for Quarter 1, which was previously presented to the Executive on 12 August 2025. The report highlighted a General Fund overspend of £9.421m, a Housing Revenue Account (HRA) underspend of £523k, and a Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) deficit of £18.6m.

The committee requested a further detailed update at a future meeting, focusing on directorate-level recovery plans, actions to mitigate demand pressures, and updated financial forecasting including inflation scenarios. Officers were also asked to include a summary of corporate risks relating to finance in future reports.

Key points from the Finance Activity Report Quarter 1 included:

• A General Fund overspend of £9.421m
• A Housing Revenue Account underspend of £978k
• A Dedicated Schools Grant deficit of £18.668m
• A General Fund Capital Programme underspend of £28.9m
• A Housing Revenue Account Capital Programme underspend of £10.2m

Performance Indicator Report 2025/26

The committee reviewed the Performance Indicator Report for Period 3 (June / Q1) 2025/26.

The committee requested that future reports include clear benchmarking data against statistical neighbours and national averages, explanatory narrative for all red-rated indicators, and links between performance outcomes and resource allocation. A spotlight session on customer service performance was requested for a future meeting.

Key points from the Performance Indicator Report 2025/26 included:

• 55% of KPIs were on or exceeding target
• 19% of KPIs were within tolerance of target
• 26% of KPIs were performing below target

Indicative Budget Timeline and Scrutiny Process 2026/27

The committee discussed the indicative timeline and scrutiny process for the 2026/27 budget, requesting that officers arrange an informal member workshop on draft budget proposals in early 2026. They also recommended that future budget reports clearly show the impact of proposals on service performance and strategic priorities.

The proposed timeline included:

• A scene-setting session at the Corporate Scrutiny Committee on 29 October 2025
• Dedicated sessions with Executive Directors, Assistant Directors and subject matter experts in November 2025
• A draft budget report presented to the Executive on 16 December 2025, followed by a consultation period
• Updated budget reports presented to the Executive on 10 February 2026
• A suite of budget reports presented to the Council for approval on 19 February 2026

Corporate Scrutiny Work Plan

The Scrutiny Work Plan was noted as it relates to the Corporate Scrutiny Committee. The Corporate Scrutiny Work Plan 2025-26 outlines the committee's planned activities for the year, including performance monitoring, budget reviews, and scrutiny of various council services.

Appointment of Town and Parish Representatives

The committee noted the nomination and selection process for co-opted Town and Parish representatives to the Democracy and Standards Committee. It was recommended to full council that Councillor Lora Lawman of Loddington Parish Council be appointed as a co-opted representative until May 2029, providing eligibility criteria remains.