The Cabinet of Bromsgrove District Council were scheduled to meet on 10 September 2025 to discuss the adoption of a fixed penalty charge for breaches of community protection notices, the expansion of the commercial waste collection service, and the 2026/27 budget setting proposal. They were also scheduled to review the financial and performance monitoring report for the first quarter of 2025/26.

Expansion of Commercial Waste Collection Service

The cabinet were asked to consider a recommendation to increase investment in the commercial waste collection service.

A report included in the Public Reports Pack noted that since 2015, the council had operated a commercial waste collection service that had grown significantly. It stated that the Environment Act 2021 would require businesses with more than 10 employees to separate food waste from 31 March 2025, and that this would extend to micro-businesses by 2027. The report stated that without a compliant service, the council risked losing 80% of its commercial customers, representing £825,000 of annual income.

The report stated that the service had experienced increased costs in 2023/24 due to fleet and maintenance issues, and that the unexpected exit of Dudley Metropolitan Council from the commercial waste market in March 2025 had created both an opportunity and a pressure on the council's service. It noted that the council had received over £135,000 of new enquiries and signed 50 new customers by April 2025, but that the existing service had little capacity to take on additional customers.

The report stated that key issues included vehicle pressure, staffing constraints, limited recycling capacity and food waste capacity limitations. To address these issues, the report recommended capital funding of £489,760 be added to the Capital Programme for 2026/27 to purchase two Refuse Collection Vehicles (RCVs). It also recommended that the council allocate capital funding of £35,000 annually in the Medium-Term Financial Plan from the 2025/26 financial year to fund wheeled bins for commercial services, and allocate £334,342 revenue funding in the Medium-Term Financial Plan to fund operational costs of providing the expanded service from 2025/26.

The report stated that by 2027/28, the service was forecast to deliver a net surplus annually, with year-on-year growth driven by legislative compliance, customer retention and operational efficiency.

Quarter 1 2025/26 Finance and Performance Monitoring Report

The cabinet were asked to note the Quarter 1 2025/26 Finance and Performance Monitoring Report.

The report provided an overview of Bromsgrove District Council's finances and performance for April to June 2025. It outlined the council's revenue and capital positions, savings delivery, procurement pipeline and progress on key strategic projects.

The report noted that the council was forecasting a £0.173 million revenue overspend for the full financial year, driven by cost pressures in various services, partially offset by underspends in corporate services and corporate financing. It stated that the council had delivered £0.398 million of its £0.913 million savings target, with further work ongoing. Capital expenditure to date stood at £3.326 million against a revised budget of £21.876 million.

Key capital projects included the Levelling Up-funded Windsor Street and Nailers Yard schemes. The Windsor Street scheme was nearing completion of phase one remediation works, and discussions were being held with the Environment Agency regarding any required remediation works under phase two. The Nailers' Yard scheme was progressing, but a detailed survey of the culvert had uncovered that more work was required, leading to a projected increase in the culvert element to £1,660,476.71 against a budgeted sum of £220,256. This had pushed the project over-budget by £165,000, and a supplement estimate had been agreed as an 'Urgent Decision' for £500,000 which includes contingency.

The report noted that the council's collection rates for council tax and business rates remained strong, and that benefits processing times were within expected parameters. It also included updates on ward budget allocations, earmarked reserves and treasury management performance, with no new borrowing undertaken and £3.5 million in short-term investments held at quarter-end.

Adoption of Fixed Penalty Charge for breach of Community Protection Notice

The cabinet were asked to consider a recommendation to adopt a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) charge of £100 for failure to comply with a Community Protection Notice (CPN).

A report included in the Public Reports Pack noted that in June 2024, responsibility for enforcement of planning enforcement, fly-tipping, littering, duty of care of waste offences and dog fouling was passed to Worcestershire Regulatory Services (WRS). It stated that one of the tools for dealing with these issues was a CPN under Part 4 of the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014.

The report noted that CPNs were intended to stop a person or business continuing with conduct which unacceptably affects victims and the community. It stated that failure to comply with a CPN was a summary offence punishable on conviction by a fine. However, it noted that there were alternatives to prosecution, such as simple cautions and FPNs.

The report stated that a fixed penalty could not be for more than £100, and that there was currently no charge adopted by the council for any FPN served in the event of failure to comply with a CPN. It noted that adoption of a charge would allow FPNs to be considered as an alternative method of discharging any liability alongside simple cautions and prosecution.

Medium Term Financial Plan Scene Setting Report 2026/2027

The cabinet were asked to consider the Budget Setting Proposal for the 2026/27 financial year and the Medium-Term Financial Plan (MTFP) up to 2028/29.

The report set out the processes the council would follow to set the annual budget for 2026/27 and for the MTFP. It stated that the administration intended that there would be no reduction in services to residents and businesses over the Medium-Term Plan period.

The report outlined a proposed budget timetable for 2025 and 2026, including check and challenge meetings, a 'star chamber' review of discretionary growth and service efficiencies, and review by the Finance and Budget Working Group and Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

The report also outlined budget assumptions for the 2026-27 annual budget, including a 2% pay award, a 2% uplift in fees and charges income, and an increase in council tax in line with government assumptions on Core Spending Power (CSP). It noted that the government's CSP assessment assumed that no councils would be worse off in real terms, but that this had previously been offset by reductions in formula grant.

The report identified present risks, issues and concerns that would need to be addressed in the budget, including the actual 2025/26 pay award being above the assumption built in at budget setting, and the potential for any nationally agreed pay award for 2026/27 to be above the budget estimate of 2%.

The report estimated the impact of the fairer funding review to be a reduction in support grant and retained business rates of £1.2 million. It noted that the government had hinted at a three-year phasing of the reduction, but that this was neither confirmed as happening nor the format of any phasing.

Minutes of the Overview and Scrutiny Board

The cabinet were asked to consider the minutes of the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Board held on 22nd July 2025.

The minutes included a recommendation that officers proceed with preparing a budget bid to Cabinet to invest in new recycling bins for installation in Bromsgrove Town Centre. The minutes noted that the Environmental Services Manager had reported that an audit of the town centre recycling bins had shown poor levels of adherence to the use of each bin, with only one fifth of the entire waste collected in those bins being recyclable. The minutes stated that the Environmental Services Manager estimated that the cost of replacing the current bins on Bromsgrove High Street with bins that have separate receptacles for glass could be circa £5,000.

The minutes also included a recommendation that future Quarterly Financial Outturn and Performance reports provide a detailed narrative in terms of variance for each specific service area, detail of the action(s) being taken to address the issue and the officer(s) responsible, and information on recharge amounts.

Other Matters

The cabinet were also scheduled to confirm the accuracy of the minutes of the meeting of the Cabinet held on 23rd July 2025, and to receive and note the public minutes of the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Board held on 22nd July 2025.