The Lincoln Council Executive met on 16 September 2025, and approved an updated telematics policy, budget allocations for ICT infrastructure, and noted the financial and operational performance reports for the first quarter of 2025/26. The council also agreed to exclude the press and public from part of the meeting to discuss exempt information.

ICT Infrastructure Upgrade Approved

The Executive approved budget allocations of £182,000 from the General Investment Programme and £78,000 from the Housing Investment Programme for capital investment in the council's ICT provision. This decision was made to address the fact that the core infrastructure hosting compute and storage across the council is becoming unsupportable from the end of November 2025, which could significantly impact council services and pose a security risk.

Several options were considered and rejected, including:

• Doing nothing, which was deemed unacceptable due to security risks and potential service disruptions.
• Full replacement of on-premise hardware only, which was seen as an expensive upfront investment with fewer long-term benefits.
• A shared service with neighbouring authorities, which was not feasible due to ongoing local government reorganisation (LGR) proposals.
• Full migration to Azure Public Cloud, which was not recommended as some legacy systems cannot move into cloud hosting.
• Full migration to another Public Cloud, which presented additional challenges and complications.

The chosen hybrid cloud and on-premise approach was favoured because it reduces short-term risk, enables longer-term flexibility as more applications migrate to Software as a Service provision, and builds on existing expertise within the team. The council already has a small footprint in Azure and Azure Virtual Desktop, and this approach allows the team to develop skills for more complex migrations while drawing on external expertise and support.

The council will implement a hybrid model, combining minimal on-premise replacement with cloud hosting in Azure. To ensure a smooth implementation by November 2025, four key workstreams have been identified:

• On-Premise Infrastructure Design
• Azure Environment Assessment
• On-Premise Migration Support
• Cloud Migration Planning & Execution

Financial and Operational Performance - Quarter 1 2025/26

The Executive reviewed the council's operational and financial performance for the first quarter of 2025/26.

Key points from the Operational Performance Report included:

• Out of 86 performance measures monitored, 62 had targets allocated, and 45 (72.6%) were within or exceeding the targets set.
• A change in how call answering times are measured, focusing on live queue calls rather than callbacks.
• The performance statuses of measures related to major developments were determined by an external partner, considering factors such as milestone performance, financial performance, and associated risks.

The Financial Performance Report highlighted the revenue and capital budgets, including the General Fund, Housing Revenue Account, Housing Repairs Service, and Capital Programmes. The report noted the financial performance for the period 1 April to 30 June 2025, and the underlying impact of pressures and underspends. Changes to the General Investment Programme and Housing Investment Programme, as approved by the Chief Finance Officer, were also noted.

Telematics Policy Approved

The Executive approved the implementation of an updated telematics policy to ensure the safety, efficiency, and sustainability of its fleet operations and provide a more efficient repairs service. The policy aims to balance the operational benefits of vehicle tracking with the protection of employee rights, focusing on improving safety and efficiency rather than enforcing discipline. A short life working group will be established to meet monthly for six months to oversee the use of the system and identify any potential changes required. Training and policy guidance will be issued to all employees requiring access to the system.

Treasury Management and Prudential Code Update

The Executive noted the Prudential and Treasury Indicators and the actual performance against the Treasury Management Strategy 2025/26 for the quarter ended 30 June 2025. The council held £10.713m of investments as at 30 June 2025, achieving an average interest rate of 4.41%. Forecast interest income for the year was £0.751m, an overachievement of income of £0.151m against the £0.600m budget. The council sought sustainable investments and was working with advisors on the best way to score banks and funded ESG ratings, whilst balancing this against generating returns that were in the best interest of the taxpayer.

Strategic Risk Register Quarterly Review

The Executive noted the council's strategic risks as at the end of quarter 1 2025/26. The Strategic Risk Register contained sixteen strategic risks, which had been refreshed and updated by the Risk Owners and Corporate Management Team for the financial year 2025/26.

Exclusion of Press and Public

The Executive resolved to exclude the press and public from the meeting during consideration of certain items of business, as it was likely that if members of the public were present, there would be a disclosure of 'exempt information' as defined by Section 100I and Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972.

Items Discussed in Private Session

The following items were discussed in private, with the press and public excluded:

• Charterholme - Future Development Proposals
• Tenancy Services Staffing Resources
• Statutory Food Waste Collection Service - Policy and Revenue Finance Report
• Update on the Remobilisation of Two Leisure Centres

The decisions made on these items were approved, based on the details provided in the exempt reports.