The Redditch Borough Council was scheduled to meet on 4 September 2025 at the Oakenshaw Community Centre to discuss a report on local government reorganisation and the outcome of an options appraisal, and to decide on a preferred option to put forward to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government¹. The meeting was also scheduled to cover routine items, including apologies for absence, declarations of interest, and approval of the minutes from a previous council meeting.

Local Government Reorganisation

The council was scheduled to consider a report on the outcome of an options appraisal conducted by Mutual Ventures regarding the reorganisation of local government in Worcestershire. The report presented two options:

• Option A: A single unitary authority for the whole of Worcestershire.
• Option B: Two unitary authorities, one for North Worcestershire (Bromsgrove, Redditch, and Wyre Forest) and one for South Worcestershire (Malvern Hills, Worcester City, and Wychavon). Option B had two variants, one with a complete transfer of services and functions, and another with a shared service/hybrid model for specific services like adult social care and transport.

The report included findings from a public survey called Shape Worcestershire, staff surveys, and focus groups. The Shape Worcestershire survey, which ran from 1-29 June 2025, received 4,249 responses. The majority (94%) were from residents, with some responses from businesses, parish and town councils, and voluntary and community sector organisations. The survey asked respondents which option they preferred. 47.8% preferred the two unitary councils model, while 28.7% preferred a single unitary council. The staff survey launched on 25 June 2025 and received 251 responses.

The report also included an assessment of each option against six key criteria set out by the Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution:

1. Establishment of a single tier of local government.
2. The right size to achieve efficiencies, improve capacity and withstand financial shocks.
3. Prioritise the delivery of high quality and sustainable public services to citizens.
4. How councils in the area have sought to work together in coming to a view that meets local needs and is informed by local views.
5. Ability of new unitary structures to unlock devolution.
6. New unitary structures should enable stronger community engagement and deliver genuine opportunity for neighbourhood empowerment.

The report recommended that councillors select their preferred option and instruct officers to undertake further analysis and development of that option, and to bring a set of final proposals for consideration at a council meeting in November. The report also recommended delegating authority to the Chief Executive, John Leach, following consultation with the Leader of the Council, Councillor Sharon Harvey, to work with other councils and consultants as necessary. Finally, the report recommended agreeing a supplementary budget estimate of up to £100,000 to allow further work on the council's proposal.

The report quoted Mutual Ventures, stating that:

LGR presents the opportunity to reimagine local leadership, rebuild trust between citizens and the state and transform public services so they are truly people-centred, integrated and relational.

The report also included a table summarising the design principles that were utilised in recognising that although there will be a vesting day, change will take time. To this end it was determined that for LGR to be considered a success in ten years' time, services delivered by Local Government should effectively cover the following themes/activities:

1. Relationship with the council(s)
2. Social
3. Economic
4. Environmental

Warm Homes Local Grants Funding and Resources

The Portfolio Holder for Climate Change and Biodiversity, Councillor Jen Snape, was scheduled to present a report on Warm Homes Local Grants Funding and Resources. The funding would be invested in improving the energy efficiency of eligible properties in parts of Woodrow and would only be available to benefit owner occupiers of properties in this locality. Separate funding had been made available to upgrade the energy efficiency of Council House properties in Woodrow. For both the owner occupiers and Council tenants, this would result in a reduction in fuel bills for residents at properties that benefited from either source of funding. The report mentioned an income threshold of £36,000 annual earnings for owner occupier households who were eligible to apply for this funding. It was anticipated that an average £15,000 would be spent on each property.

Shareholders Committee Annual Report 2024/25

The Chair of the Shareholders Committee in 2024/25, Councillor Sharon Harvey, was scheduled to present the Committee's Annual Report for the 2024/25 municipal year. The Managing Director of Rubicon Leisure Limited² was thanked for his hard work. The report mentioned improvements to the food and beverage offer at various sites managed by Rubicon Leisure Limited, and that the financial performance of the company had also improved. The staff and volunteers at Rubicon Leisure Limited were thanked for all their hard work during the year. The report clarified that the Council continued to manage play areas and Rubicon Leisure Limited did not have any involvement with this service.

Executive Committee Minutes – 10th June 2025

The content of the minutes of the meeting of the Executive Committee held on 10th June 2025 were to be considered.