The Cabinet of Gateshead Council is scheduled to meet on 23 September 2025 to discuss a range of issues, including the Medium Term Financial Strategy, increases to fixed penalty notices for environmental offences, and a violence at work charter. Also on the agenda are the Better Care Fund, drug and alcohol services, the Audit and Standards Committee, parking charges, and school governors.

Medium Term Financial Strategy 2026/27 – 2030/31

The cabinet is to consider the Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) 2026/27 – 2030/31. The MTFS is described in the agenda as a key part of the council's budget and policy framework, designed to ensure financial resources are directed towards the delivery of council priorities. The report to be presented to the cabinet indicates that the council estimates it will need to address a cumulative financial gap of £42.1m by 2030/31.

The report pack states that the MTFS assumes positive interventions to manage demand and cost pressures in social care totalling £14.1m and the proposed planned use of reserves of £4m in 2026/27. Alongside council wide interventions of £10.1m, there are £17.9m of unidentified savings required to deliver sustainability within the MTFS.

The report pack also indicates that the MTFS strategy is built upon on the following approach:

• Intervention of demand / cost pressures
• Planned Use of Reserves

The report pack lists the proposed MTFS principles, including that:

• The overall financial strategy will be to ensure that the Council's resources are directed to deliver the Council's Corporate Plan and the Thrive agenda framework.
• The Council will consider a range of delivery mechanisms and funding sources to support capital investment to deliver Thrive priorities
• The Council will maintain its general reserve at a minimum of 3% of the net revenue budget
• The Council recognises the impact of increases in council tax levels and fees and charges in an area of relatively low income and low wealth and will therefore balance the need for increases against the delivery of the Thrive framework and Council priorities.

Fixed Penalty Notices

Cabinet will consider a proposal to increase the level of fixed penalty notices (FPN) for fly tipping, household waste duty of care, littering, fly posting and graffitiing.

The report pack notes that fly tipping is a criminal offence and is a significant source of complaint and cost to Gateshead Council. It says that illegal disposal of waste undermines efforts to dispose of and recover waste responsibly, and that flyposting and graffiti in communities create a sense of neglect.

The report pack indicates that it is proposed that the council introduce the maximum FPN levels for:

• Fly tipping and littering connected with the operation of a business
• Householder Duty of Care to dispose of waste
• Fly posting
• Graffiti

It is also proposed that FPN levels for fly-tipping and littering connected with the occupiers of housing are increased, but not to the statutory maximum for first offences.

Violence at Work Charter

The cabinet is scheduled to consider a request from UNISON¹ and GMB for Gateshead Council to sign the UNISON Violence at Work Charter. The report pack states that the charter raises awareness of the organisations' intention to support the reduction of violence at work.

The report pack includes the Health and Safety Executive (HSE)'s definition of work-related violence as:

Any incident in which a person is abused, threatened or assaulted in circumstances relating to their work', which can include verbal abuse or threats, including face to face, online and via telephone or physical attacks.

The report pack also notes that work-related violence can have an impact on the council's workforce and Gateshead residents, and can cause injury, stress and mental health conditions, disability or death.

Better Care Fund

The cabinet will consider a report regarding the Gateshead Better Care Fund S75 Agreement 2025-2026. The report pack states that the Better Care Fund (BCF) has been in place since the 2013 spending round, with the goal to secure a transformation in integrated health and social care. It says that the BCF created a local single pooled budget to incentivise the NHS and local government to work more closely together around the needs of people.

The report pack notes that it is a requirement of the Better Care Fund arrangements that the North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB) and the council should establish a pooled fund for the purpose of achieving both the national and any local objectives.

Public Health Commissioned Drug and Alcohol Services

The cabinet will discuss the future delivery model for public health commissioned drug and alcohol services for adults, and an extension of the current contract. The report pack states that the Gateshead Recovery Partnership - Integrated Drug and Alcohol Service for adults is currently delivered by Change Grow Live (CGL) under a procured services contract with the council. The contract commenced on 1 November 2018 and will expire on 31 October 2025.

The report pack notes that following recommendations from the national 10-year drug strategy From Harm to Hope, each local authority was awarded funding through the Supplementary Substance Misuse Treatment and Recovery Grant (SSMTRG) to build further capacity into its drug and alcohol treatment services.

The report pack indicates that it is proposed that cabinet agree the extension of the current Gateshead Recovery Partnership - Integrated Drug and Alcohol Service for Adults contract for a term of 9 months with the option to extend for a further 3 months if required (12 months in total).

Annual Report of the Audit and Standards Committee 2024/25

The cabinet will consider the Annual Report of the Audit and Standards Committee 2024/25. The report pack states that audit committees are a key component of an authority's governance framework, and that their purpose is to provide an independent and high-level focus on the adequacy of governance, risk and control arrangements.

The report pack notes that the committee has oversight of both internal and external audit together with the financial and governance reports, helping to ensure that there are adequate arrangements in place for both internal challenge and public accountability.

Parking and EV Charges for Gateshead Quays MSCP

The cabinet will discuss the introduction of parking and EV charges at Gateshead Quays MSCP². The report pack indicates that it has been decided that the council are to manage the car park in-house initially and thus receive the income from it arising from parking charges.

The report pack notes that the view has been taken to mirror the parking charges for the MSCP with those of the nearby Quarryfield Road Car Park. The charges relating to EV charging shall remain the same as those agreed in the 25/26 fees and charges (66p per KwH).

Nomination of Local Authority Governors for Maintained Schools

The cabinet will consider the nomination of local authority governors to schools seeking to retain their local authority governor in accordance with The School Governance (Constitution) (England) Regulations. The report pack states that the regulations prescribe which categories of governor must be represented and what the level of representation is for each. The local authority's nomination is subject to the approval of the governing body.

Other Items

The cabinet will also discuss:

• The Statutory Service Plan for the Health & Safety and Food Control Services 2025/2026
• A response to the Fair Funding v 2.0 Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) consultation
• A Labour Group nomination to the Gateshead Bus Board