The Winchester City Council Cabinet met to discuss financial performance, approve funding allocations, and adopt a nature improvement plan. The cabinet endorsed the Q1 Finance and Performance Monitoring report, approved the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) outturn figures for 2024/25, adopted the Winchester District Nature Improvement Plan 2025-2030, approved Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) funding allocations, and approved the General Fund outturn for 2024/25.

Nature Improvement Plan

The Cabinet adopted the Winchester District Nature Improvement Plan 2025-2030, a technical document outlining a strategic approach to reverse the decline in nature by actively seeking enhancement and improvement across the whole district. They also delegated authority to the Corporate Head of Economy and Community to create and publish an executive summary for residents and partners, detailing nature improvement priorities and key areas for delivery.

The plan sets out five pathways for action:

• Protect and manage land for nature
• Create new spaces for nature
• Deliver more nature-based solutions for tackling climate change
• Prevent and control pollution better
• Connect more people to nature

The Nature Improvement Plan has been informed by various important existing council documents as well as national policy and legislation, including the Winchester City Council Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) 2021.

Councillor Kelsie Learney, Cabinet Member for the Climate and Nature Emergency, said that the plan aligns with the United Kingdom's commitment to protect 30% of land and sea by 2030, with ambitious, yet achievable measures.

Community Infrastructure Levy Funding Allocations

The Cabinet approved funding allocations and capital budgets from the Winchester City Council CIL receipts for transport, active travel projects, and council-led strategic projects.

• £36,393 was allocated to Hampshire County Council in 2025/26 for upgrading the existing pedestrian crossing at Friarsgate in Winchester to a toucan crossing, which will allow cyclists to use it.
• £282,000 was allocated to Hampshire County Council in 2026/27 for providing a footway adjacent to Andover Road in Micheldever.
• £153,000 was approved for a perimeter footpath at River Park recreation ground in Winchester, subject to subsequent approval of expenditure under Financial Procedure Rule 7.4¹. The Cabinet noted that £150,000 of district CIL, previously allocated to the delivery of the KGV park plan, is no longer required and has been released back to the fund for future allocation. They also delegated authority to the Corporate Head of Economy and Community to approve grant payments based on evidence of spend and to the Service Lead Legal to enter into grant funding agreements.

General Fund Outturn 2024/25

The Cabinet noted the General Fund Revenue Outturn and Capital Programme Outturn as set out in report CAB3514. They approved transfers to and from the Major Investment Reserve and noted the reserves and closing balances at 31 March 2025.

The Cabinet approved the revised 2025/26 capital programme, including new budgets for:

• Special maintenance vehicles replacements - £251,000
• Rural Enterprise Prosperity Fund (additional funding received) - £223,000
• Disabled Facilities Grant (additional funding received) - £185,000

The revised 2025-2035 capital programme was noted.

The Cabinet approved writing off five individual outstanding Non-Domestic Rate debts totalling £458,213.50, as listed in exempt Appendix 7 of the report, in accordance with Financial Procedure Rule 12.7(f).²

Housing Revenue Account Outturn 2024/25

The Cabinet noted the HRA Outturn figures for 2024/25, as detailed in Appendices 1 and 2 of report CAB3516, and the Housing capital programme outturn for Major Works and New Build, as detailed in paragraphs 10.5 and 10.6 and Appendices 3 & 4 of the report. They noted the funding of the 2024/25 HRA capital programme and approved the reforecast capital programme budget of £48.8m for 2025/26.

Q1 Finance & Performance Monitoring

The Cabinet noted the progress achieved during Q1 of 2025/26 and endorsed the contents of report CAB3513. The report highlighted that Winchester City Council is the best district council nationally for tackling climate change, according to results from the national Climate Score Cards. The council was awarded a score of 68% overall, an increase of 19% compared to 2023.