The Cabinet of Redbridge Council met on Monday 19 January 2026 to discuss a range of important issues, including the detailed budget proposals for 2026/27, amendments to the Allocations Policy, and the extension of the Corporate Voluntary Sector Grants Programme. Key decisions were made regarding the council's financial strategy, housing allocation procedures, and support for local voluntary organisations.

Detailed Budget Proposals 2026/27

The Cabinet reviewed the detailed budget proposals for the upcoming financial year, 2026/27, as part of the process to set a balanced budget. Councillor Vanisha Solanki, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance, presented the report, which outlined new savings proposals totalling £7.253 million for 2026/27, and £42.674 million across the Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) period. These savings are intended to deliver efficiencies and increase income to protect essential services for residents and businesses. The report also detailed the reversal of some previously agreed savings, amounting to £9.467 million for 2026/27 and £18.177 million across the MTFS period. These adjustments reflect the council's adaptation to changing demands and current expectations. The Cabinet was recommended to note government finance settlements, approve the new savings proposals, and approve the savings reversals. The council must set its revenue budget and Council Tax for 2026/27 by 5 March 2026.

Corporate Voluntary Sector Grants Programme Extension

Councillor Namreen Chaudhry, Cabinet Member for Leisure, Culture and Communities, presented a proposal to extend the Corporate Voluntary Sector Grants Programme by 12 months. This extension, from the current three-year programme (2023-26), is intended to allow for the design and launch of a new programme that aligns with the Council's new Corporate Plan and Vision for Redbridge, due to be published in mid-2026. The extension ensures continuity of services provided by commissioned organisations and community groups funded through the programme, which offer essential support to residents. The programme includes the Community Seed Funding (£50,000 per annum for grants up to £3,000) and Commissioned Via Grants (£270,000 per annum for three core organisations). The Cabinet was recommended to extend both the Commissioned via Grant and Community Seed Fund programmes for a further year.

London Councils Grants Scheme - Budget Proposals 2026/27

Councillor Kam Rai, Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Growth and Regeneration, introduced the report on the London Councils Grants Scheme budget proposals for 2026/27. The London Councils Grants Committee administers voluntary sector grants on behalf of London Councils. The proposed expenditure for 2026/27 is £6.734 million, an increase of £2,512 from the previous year's contribution. Redbridge Council's contribution for 2026/27 is set at £0.238 million, an increase of £0.003 million from the 2025/26 base figure. A two-thirds majority of London Boroughs must approve the grants budget; otherwise, the Secretary of State can intervene and set the budget at the 2025/26 level. The Cabinet was recommended to note the budget proposals and agree to Redbridge Council's subscription for 2026/27.

Redbridge Corporate Performance Report Quarter 2 2025/26

Councillor Kam Rai also presented the Redbridge Corporate Performance Report for Quarter 2 of 2025/26. This report details the progress made towards the Council's key priorities as outlined in the Redbridge Plan 2022-2026, covering achievements between July and September 2025. Of the 118 corporate scorecard measures, 64% (57) met their targets this quarter. The report highlighted key achievements across various directorates, including a reduction in rough sleepers, the delivery of new council properties, improvements in planning application timeliness, and significant volunteer hours in parks. However, several measures were flagged as 'Red' due to being more than 10% below target, including the number of households in temporary accommodation, the percentage of children looked after with three or more placements in the previous 12 months, and the timeliness of Freedom of Information (FOI) requests. The Cabinet was recommended to note the performance against key priority measures.

Allocations Policy Amendments

Councillor Saima Ahmed, Cabinet Member for Housing and Homelessness, presented proposed amendments to the Housing Allocations Policy. These amendments aim to comply with recent case law and statutory guidance, increase opportunities to prevent homelessness and reduce the use of temporary accommodation, reduce re-banding requests, enhance transparency, and ensure fairness for working households and gypsy and traveller households. Key changes include enabling households fleeing domestic abuse and care-experienced young people from other local authorities to qualify for the housing register, allowing homeless households to retain a 'reasonable preference' if they secure private rented accommodation, renaming the banding system to reduce confusion, increasing the income threshold for families, and implementing a local lettings plan for gypsy and traveller sites. The Cabinet was recommended to approve and adopt these amendments and delegate authority for minor, non-material changes to the Director of Housing.

Adults Emergency Duty Team Section 75 Agreement

Councillor Mark Santos, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Health, introduced a report seeking approval for a new 5-year Section 75 agreement with North-East London Foundation NHS Trust (NELFT) for the provision of the Adults Emergency Duty Team. This service provides an emergency social care service outside of normal office hours. The agreement, which commenced on 1 April 2025 and ends on 31 March 2030, has a total value of £4,460,319.20, split equally between the four partner boroughs: Barking & Dagenham, Havering, Redbridge, and Waltham Forest, with Havering acting as the lead borough. Redbridge's contribution over the five years is £1,115,079.75. The Cabinet approved the agreement and delegated authority to the Executive Director of People to sign off the terms.

Council Tax Reduction Scheme 2026/27

Councillor Vanisha Solanki, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance, presented the report on the Council Tax Reduction Scheme for 2026/27. The council is required to review its scheme annually and consult on any proposed changes. The report noted the council's commitment to providing financial support through a £1 million hardship scheme, but highlighted the need to review the scheme's affordability and sustainability due to low government funding and increased demand on services. The Cabinet agreed to retain the 2025/26 scheme for 2026/27, apply a 3.8% increase to non-dependent deductions based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI), and continue the £1 million Discretionary Hardship Fund.

Agreement of the SEND and Alternative Provision Priority Action Plan

Councillor Lloyd Duddridge, Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Education, introduced the report on the Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) and Alternative Provision (AP) Priority Action Plan. Following an inspection by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in July 2025, which identified widespread and systematic failures, an action plan was developed with input from over 300 parents, staff, and partners. The plan, submitted to the Department for Education and NHS England in September 2025, focuses on co-production with communities and embedding this approach into Education, Health and Care Plans. The Cabinet agreed the Priority Action Plan and noted the progress made against its delivery as of October 2025.

Property & Assets Staff Reorganisation

Councillor Kam Rai, Leader and Cabinet Member for Growth and Regeneration, presented a proposal for the restructure of the Property & Assets Service within the Place directorate. The aim is to ensure the team has the necessary competencies and capacity to deliver its Service Plan and contribute to the Corporate Plan. The restructure involves renaming the team to Property and Major Programmes to distinguish it from housing-focused assets, creating new roles, deleting vacant or redundant posts, and assimilating existing staff. The report stated there would be a net zero financial impact. The Cabinet approved the proposed restructure and delegated authority for its implementation to the Executive Director of Place, Communities and Enterprise in consultation with the Director of HR.

Re-procurement of Specialist Integrated Sexual Health Services (ISHS)

Councillor Mark Santos, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Health, introduced a report on the re-procurement of Specialist Integrated Sexual Health Services (ISHS). Following a London-wide transformation in 2017, Redbridge has seen improved outcomes and financial savings. The report sought approval to pursue a direct award of contract to Barts Health NHS Trust and Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Trust (BHRUT) under the Provider Selection Regime (PSR) regulations. For Barts Health NHS Trust, a five-year contract with options to extend for up to three additional years is proposed, with an estimated maximum value of £3,964,198. For BHRUT, a five-year contract with options to extend for up to two additional years is proposed, with an estimated maximum value of £7,311,438.54. This approach was recommended due to satisfactory performance of incumbent providers, no significant change in contract value or scope, and the lack of a competitive market for such services. The Cabinet approved the commissioning intentions and the direct award of contracts.