The Finance and Procurement Select Committee of Wiltshire Council met on Thursday 6 November 2025 to review the second quarterly budget monitoring for the financial year 2025/26, covering both revenue and capital expenditure. The committee also considered the Treasury Management Strategy for the same period, a draft schedule of fees and charges for 2026/27, and a notice of motion regarding green electricity tariffs.

Financial Year 2025/26 Q2 Revenue Budget Monitoring

The committee was scheduled to receive a report detailing the revenue budget monitoring forecast for the financial year 2025/26, based on the position at the end of September 2025. This report indicated a projected net overspend for the year of £6.658m, a slight increase from the previous quarter. Significant pressures were noted in care budgets, particularly within Adult Services and Families & Children's Services, attributed to factors such as increased National Insurance contributions, inflation, and rising demand for complex cases. The report outlined proposed drawdowns from various reserves to support these areas, including the Supporting Families Reserve, Children's Social Care Prevention Grant Reserve, Latent Demand Reserve, Streamlining Adult Social Care Grant Reserve, and the Public Health Grant Reserve. The Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) budget was also highlighted as having a significant forecast overspend of £12.892m, contributing to a cumulative deficit of £49.404m. The report also detailed the savings delivery performance for 2025/26, noting that while a significant portion of savings were on track, £1.705m was assessed as having significant delivery risk, a deterioration from the previous quarter.

Financial Year 2025/26 Q2 Capital Budget Monitoring

The committee was set to review the Capital Programme for 2025/26 as at 30 September 2025. The report indicated a revised quarter two budget of £214.743m, a decrease of £30.833m from the approved quarter one budget. This revision was due to several factors, including the addition of £1.243m in grant funding and other contributions, the removal of £0.320m due to project completion or grant underspends, and the reprofiling of £32.632m of budget to future years to align with projected delivery timescales. Conversely, £0.935m of budget was brought forward from future years to support accelerated projects. The report detailed movements within specific directorates, including significant reprofiling in Education & Skills and Highways & Transport, and highlighted the progress of key schemes such as the Chippenham Bypass and the Trowbridge Leisure Centre construction. The funding of the capital programme was also detailed, showing reliance on grants, developer contributions, HRA funds, borrowing, and capital receipts.

Treasury Management Strategy 2025/26 Half Year ended 30 September 2025

The committee was scheduled to receive an update on the Council's Treasury Management Strategy for the first half of the financial year 2025/26. The report noted that the Council had operated within its approved prudential indicators and treasury limits. It detailed economic background and interest rate forecasts, indicating a projected fall in bank rates and PWLB rates over the next two years. The report confirmed that no new long-term borrowing had been undertaken, but short-term borrowing had been used to manage cashflow deficits. The investment portfolio was reviewed, showing a yield of 4.30% against a benchmark of 4.20%. The report also highlighted a projected overachievement in interest receivable for 2025/26 due to significantly increased interest rates. The Council's property fund investments were noted to be currently valued below their cost, a difference that does not impact the revenue account due to a statutory override.

Fees and Charges 2026/27

A draft schedule of fees and charges proposed for 2026/27 was presented for the committee's review and comment. This document outlines the council's approach to setting, reviewing, and managing discretionary fees and charges, aiming to promote financial sustainability, transparency, and equitable service delivery. The proposals included increases to various fees and charges, with specific details provided for services within the PLACE directorate, including Highways & Transport, Planning, Environment, and Leisure, Culture & Communities. The report detailed proposed increases for a wide range of services, from licensing fees for dangerous wild animals and zoos to charges for leisure centre memberships, swimming lessons, and sports hall hire. Planning application fees, building control charges, and various highway-related fees were also listed with proposed increases for 2026/27.

Full Council Notice of Motion No.25-17: Green Tariffs

The committee was scheduled to consider a notice of motion referred from Full Council on 21 October 2025, which requested the Cabinet to remove any green tariff with immediate effect to save on additional annual electricity fees. The report explained that the council has been procuring electricity on a green tariff since 2019, ensuring all electricity consumption is reported as zero carbon, but this incurs a premium. The current contract is in place until March 2027, and early termination would incur penalties, estimated at £0.18m, resulting in a saving of only £0.06m in 2026/27. Exiting the green tariff would mean the council could no longer report electricity as zero carbon, increasing its reported greenhouse gas emissions significantly. The report also discussed the potential implications for the council's Climate Change Strategy and the cost of offsetting residual carbon emissions if the green tariff were removed.

Financial Aspects of the Safety Valve Programme

A presentation was scheduled on the financial aspects of the Safety Valve Programme, as requested by the committee at its previous meeting on 9 September 2025. This programme relates to financial support arrangements for local authorities with high needs deficits in their Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) budgets.

Cabinet Member Update

Attending Cabinet Members were expected to provide a brief verbal update on news, successes, or milestones in their respective areas since the last committee meeting, provided these were not covered elsewhere on the agenda.

Forward Work Programme

The committee was due to review and approve its forward work programme, taking into account any decisions made during the meeting. The programme indicated that the Treasury Management Strategy 2025/26 Half Year ended 30 September 2025 would be added to the November agenda.

Urgent Items

The committee would consider any other items of business that the Chairman agreed to consider as a matter of urgency.

Date of Next Meeting

The date of the next meeting was confirmed as 28 January 2026.

Exclusion of Press and Public

The committee was scheduled to consider excluding the press and public for Item 17, Adult Social Care Finances, due to the likely disclosure of exempt information relating to financial or business affairs, where the public interest in withholding the information was deemed to outweigh the public interest in disclosing it.

Adult Social Care Finances

This item was scheduled as a presentation, as requested by the select committee on 9 September 2025, to discuss the financial aspects of Adult Social Care.