The Corporate and Resources Committee convened to discuss and make decisions on a range of strategic and financial matters, including budget monitoring, contract awards, and the adoption of new strategies. The committee approved recommendations concerning budget adjustments for the Cambridge Road Estate, the establishment of a Special Purpose Vehicle for temporary accommodation, and the adoption of the Inclusive Kingston Strategy 2025-29.

Revenue and Capital Budget Monitoring 2025/26

The committee reviewed the Revenue and Capital Budget Monitoring 2025/26 as at Month 6, which reported the forecast outturn positions for 2025/26 as of 30 September 2025. Key points from the report included:

• A General Fund revenue overspend of £3.42m against a budget of £192.48m.
• £6.09m in savings plans were forecast to be delivered, with £3.94m rated as 'Green' or 'Blue', indicating they were on track or already achieved.
• The General Fund capital programme was forecast to underspend by £3.21m in year.
• The Schools budget was forecasting an overspend of £11.06m, leading to an increased accumulated deficit on the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) Adjustment Account.
• The Housing Revenue Account (HRA) was forecasting an adverse variance of £1.57m.

The committee resolved to note the forecast outturn position for the General Fund, Housing Revenue Account, and Schools Budget. They also approved:

• A capital budget of £17.73m, subject to GLA grant funding approval, for the acquisition of 48 properties from Cambridge Road Estate LLP.
• A £20.87 million increase to the CRE Affordable Homes budget, reflecting a top-up grant for Phase 1 of the Cambridge Road Estate project.
• £0.50m budget re-profiling for the CRE Loan.

Temporary Accommodation - Special Purpose Vehicle

The committee approved the formation of a wholly council-owned Special Purpose Vehicle Company Limited by Guarantee (CLG) to support the council in discharging its housing duty and reducing demand for temporary accommodation, as detailed in the Temporary Accommodation - Special Purpose Vehicle SPV report.

The key points of the proposal included:

• Establishing a CLG to buy 150 homes for rent at Local Housing Allowance¹ levels.
• Adding a budget of £63.1m to the general fund capital programme, funded by prudential borrowing², for the purchase of the homes.
• Delegating authority to the Executive Director of Place, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Housing, to approve the acquisition of the 150 properties and their subsequent leasing to the CLG.

The committee also approved the Articles of Association (Annex 2) and the Members Agreement (Annex 3), and confirmed the composition of the Board of Directors for the CLG as the Director of Housing, the Director of Finance, and the Director of Property and Projects. The SPV Full Business Case noted that the Council aimed to form the CLG in January 2026, with the first properties acquired and tenanted by Spring 2026.

Inclusive Kingston Strategy 2025-29 and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Annual Report 2025

The committee approved the Inclusive Kingston Strategy 2025-2029, as detailed in Annex 1 of the report. This strategy outlines the council's commitment to promoting equality, diversity, and inclusion across the borough. The strategy sets out four equality objectives:

• Deeply understanding the needs and experiences of communities and working together to make change.
• Tackling inequality and tailoring approaches to reflect the diverse needs of communities.
• Being a proudly diverse borough which is inclusive, accessible, and safe.
• Continuing to build an inclusive workplace where fairness and equity are at the heart of everything the council does.

The committee also noted the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Annual Report 2025 and the outcomes and closing statements for the Inclusive Kingston Strategy 2021-2025 Action Plan (Annex 1), as well as the annual summary of the council's work in relation to the Armed Forces Covenant. The Engagement Summary Report noted that over 700 people had actively contributed to the total responses that were received between Autumn 2024 and Summer 2025.

Cloud Data Centre Services - Contract Award

The committee approved the award of a contract for Cloud Data Centre Services to Amazon Web Services (AWS) for an initial period of 3 years, with an option of two 12-month extensions. The maximum contract value is detailed in the Exempt Report. This decision was made as a direct call off under the YPO Framework 001126 – Cloud Services, Data Centre Management and Transformation Solutions. The Cloud Data Centre Services Contract Award report noted that the contract value included an element for non-committed expenditure to meet the future needs of the council and provide efficient and effective management of variable usage.

CCTV Upgrade - Contract Award

The committee approved the award of a contract for the supply, installation, and provision of CCTV Integrator work packages, including the relocation of the CCTV Control Room from its current location to Kingsmill Business Park. The contract was awarded to the successful supplier identified in Exempt Annex 1 for a period of nine months, from January 2026 to September 2026.

Timetable of Meetings 2026-27

The committee agreed to recommend to the council the timetable of meetings for the 2026/27 Municipal Year, as set out in Annex 1 of the Timetable of Meetings 2026-27 report. The Corporate Head of Democratic and Electoral Services was authorised to make any necessary amendments to the timetable in consultation with the relevant committee chairs.

Motion Referred to Committee by Council: Committee System versus Leader and Cabinet in Kingston

The committee debated a motion referred from the council on 14 October 2025, regarding the committee system versus the leader and cabinet model in Kingston. The motion, proposed by Councillor James Giles and seconded by Councillor Jamal Chohan, expressed opposition to the government's plans to abolish the committee system and compel councils to adopt a strong leader and cabinet model. The motion was carried unanimously.

Urgent Decision Taken Under Procedure Rule 30 - Cleaning Services for Corporate Sites - Contract Modification

The committee noted a report regarding an urgent decision taken under Procedure Rule 30 concerning the modification of the cleaning services contract for corporate sites. The Executive Director Place, in consultation with the Co-Chairs of Corporate and Resources Committee, approved the modification of the Building Cleaning Services Contract with YBC Cleaning Services Ltd for an additional contract period of 1 year, for a maximum contract value of £5.21m ex VAT (£6.25m inc. VAT).