The Finance and Procurement Select Committee of Wiltshire Council met on Thursday 6 November 2025, to discuss the council's financial performance, proposed fees and charges for 2026/27, and a motion regarding green tariffs for electricity. The committee was also scheduled to receive updates from cabinet members and review its forward work programme. Some of the reports for the meeting were provided as an agenda supplement.

Financial Monitoring

The committee was scheduled to discuss the council's financial performance, reviewing the Financial Year 2025/26 Q2 Revenue Budget Monitoring and Financial Year 2025/26 Q2 Capital Budget Monitoring reports. These reports provided an overview of the council's revenue and capital budget monitoring as of 30 September 2025. The revenue report indicated a forecast overspend of £6.658m, with pressures mainly in adult and children's care budgets. The capital report showed a revised budget of £214.743m, reflecting movements from the original plan, including additional funding, project completions, and budget reprofiling.

The committee was also scheduled to discuss the Report on Treasury Management Strategy 2025-26 Half Year Ended 30 September 2025, which included a review of treasury management activities, capital expenditure, prudential indicators, and the council's investment and borrowing strategies.

Fees and Charges

The committee was scheduled to consider a draft of the schedule of fees and charges proposed for 2026/27. The Fees and Charges Report presented a draft fees and charges framework for review and comment. The Appendix A - Draft Wiltshire Council Fees and Charges Framework outlined the council's approach to setting, reviewing, and managing discretionary fees and charges, aiming to promote financial sustainability, transparency, and equitable service delivery. The Appendix B - Fees Charges 2026-27 listed the proposed fees and charges for various services, including public protection licensing, pest control, heritage, libraries, and leisure.

For example, fees for animal boarding licences were scheduled to be discussed, with the report pack stating that:

Animal Boarding: Home Boarding (Dogs) up to 6 animals - New application per application £155.00 £161.00 £6.00 3.9%

The report pack also noted that there would be increases to fees for licensing sex establishments, and sexual entertainment venues.

The report pack also noted that there would be increases to fees for pest control services, for example:

Pest Control - Rodents for up to 3 visits 3 visits £150.00 £156.00 £6.00 4.0%

The report pack also noted that there would be increases to fees for heritage services, for example:

Heritage - Photocopies A3 black & white per item £1.10 £1.50 £0.40 36.4%

The report pack also noted that there would be increases to fees for library services, for example:

Overdue fine - adult per item, per day £0.22 £0.30 £0.08 36.4%

The report pack also noted that there would be increases to fees for leisure services, for example:

Swim School - 30min class per week (Monthly DD) Adult or Junior £32.50 £33.75 £1.25 3.8%

The report pack also noted that there would be increases to fees for public protection services, for example:

Licensing - dangerous wild animals per licence £340.00 £353.00 £13.00 3.8%

The report pack also noted that there would be increases to fees for highways and transport services, for example:

STANDARD VEHICLE CROSSING APPLICATION - For the creation of a vehicle access/For the extension of a vehicle access per application £295.00 £310.00 £15.00 5.1%

The report pack also noted that there would be increases to fees for public protection services, for example:

Public Protection - Skin Piercing - Premises registration application (single premises ) per application £235.00 £244.00 £9.00 3.8%

The report pack also noted that there would be increases to fees for public protection services, for example:

Public Health funerals charge (where funds in estate) per item £2,657.00 £2,760.00 £103.00 3.9%

Green Tariffs

The committee was scheduled to discuss Full Council Notice of Motion No.25-17: Green Tariffs, following a motion presented at Full Council on 21 October 2025, from Councillor Mike Sankey and Councillor Boaz Barry. The Green Tariffs Council Motion Report provided information for the committee's consideration of the motion, which requested that the cabinet remove any green tariff with immediate effect to save additional annual fees.

The report pack noted that the council has been procuring electricity on a green tariff since 2019, and is under contract until March 2027, and that penalties would be incurred if the contract was terminated.

Other Business

The committee was also scheduled to discuss the financial aspects of the Safety Valve Programme, and to receive a cabinet member update. Finally, the committee was scheduled to review and approve its forward work programme.