The Overview and Scrutiny Committee of Barnet Council is scheduled to meet on Thursday 11 December 2025 at Hendon Town Hall. The agenda includes discussion of the council's medium-term financial strategy, updates from task and finish groups, and a review of the cabinet's forward plan.

Here's a closer look at the topics the committee is expected to address:

Business Planning and Financial Strategy

The committee is scheduled to discuss the Business Planning 2026-2031 Medium Term Financial Strategy and 2025-26 Budget Management. The report pack includes a report to be considered by the Cabinet on 9 December 2025, which outlines the financial challenges in developing the Medium Term Financial Strategy 2026-2031. The report details proposals for achieving a balanced budget for 2026/27, including savings and income generation, inflation and council tax assumptions, and funding for service pressures.

The committee will also note options being explored to address the budget gap for 2026/27, including a potential application for Exceptional Financial Support from the government. The report pack notes that any changes resulting from the Provisional Local Government Finance Settlement, expected on 15 December 2025, will be incorporated into the MTFS presented to Cabinet in February 2026.

Task and Finish Group Updates

The committee is expected to receive updates on the progress of various Task and Finish Groups. These groups focus on specific areas of council activity and make recommendations for improvement. The report pack includes updates on the following groups:

• Primary Care (GP) Access Task and Finish Group
• Allotment Governance and Management Task and Finish Group
• Food Security Task and Finish Group
• Barnet Highway Network Task and Finish Group

The report pack includes the Cabinet's response to the Primary Care (GP) Access Task and Finish Group, the Allotment Governance and Management Task and Finish Group, and the Food Security Task and Finish Group. The committee will also review the progress update for the Barnet Highway Network Task and Finish Group, following a six-month period since the Cabinet response to the Task and Finish Group recommendations.

Cabinet Forward Plan

The committee will review the Cabinet Forward Plan (Key Decision Schedule) to identify any items they may wish to scrutinise in advance of decisions being made. This allows the committee to have input on major policies and strategies as they are developed.

Overview and Scrutiny Committee Work Programme

The committee will review its work programme and make any necessary amendments. The work programme outlines the topics the committee will focus on in the coming months.