The Environment and Sustainable Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting scheduled for 15 January 2026 was set to cover a range of environmental and community-focused topics. Key discussions were planned around the County Durham Environment Partnership, energy management and resources, and the council's financial outturn and performance reports for the second quarter of the 2025/2026 financial year.

County Durham Environment Partnership

The committee was scheduled to receive an update on the work of the County Durham Environment Partnership. This included a report from the Corporate Director of Neighbourhoods and Environment and a presentation from the Director of Durham Wildlife Trust and Chair of the Partnership. The discussions were expected to cover the Partnership's role, its national and local context, achievements, challenges, and opportunities for collaboration. The Partnership's Plan for 2025-28, which outlines six strategic priorities, was to be reviewed in light of recent changes, including the North East Combined Authority's work programmes and the council's new Council Plan. The Partnership aims to inform, influence and amplify on environmental issues in County Durham through advocacy, community engagement, and a multi-agency approach.

Energy Management and Resources

A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to energy management and resources. The committee was to be informed about current energy management activities, a five-year overview of energy costs, and initiatives aimed at reducing these costs. The report highlighted that Durham County Council is part of the North East Procurement Organisation (NEPO) for purchasing energy and water, with a current spend of £14.5 million on gas and electricity. The report detailed various energy cost reduction programmes, including LED street lighting and building conversions, Building Energy Management Systems (BMS), and the potential for Biochar production. Future projects in development included further LED rollouts, BMS improvements, exploring Power Purchase Agreements for renewable electricity, and investigating heat networks. The report also presented a five-year trend of energy usage and costs, noting that despite reduced consumption, costs have risen significantly due to market volatility and geopolitical factors.

Financial Outturn and Performance Reports

The committee was also scheduled to review the Quarter Two 2025/2026 Forecast of Revenue and Capital Outturn. This report, a joint effort by the Corporate Director of Resources and the Corporate Director of Neighbourhoods and Environment, was to provide details of the forecast outturn budget for service areas within the committee's remit. It was expected to highlight major variances against the budget, based on the position at the end of Quarter 2 (30 September 2025). For Neighbourhoods, a forecast underspend of £4.723 million was anticipated against a revised budget of £112.477 million. Conversely, Culture, Sport & Tourism was forecasting an overspend of £0.136 million against a revised budget of £17.966 million. The report was to detail the reasons for these variances, including factors such as Extended Producer Responsibility Grant Funding, highways maintenance costs, and unrealised savings in the Culture, Sport & Tourism budget.

Additionally, the Quarter Two 2025/26 Performance Management Report from the Chief Executive was to be presented. This report was to outline progress towards the strategic ambitions and objectives set out in the Council Plan 2025-30. The report was structured around dashboards focusing on trends, direction of travel, benchmarking, and performance against targets, framed within the national context. It was expected to highlight strong performance across key strategic ambitions, including Supercharging Our Economy, Building Better Communities, and A Practical Environmental Stewardship, while also identifying areas that require attention. Specific performance indicators related to cultural events, fly-tipping rates, broadband access, waste diversion, and air quality were to be discussed.

Finally, the committee was to review the minutes from the County Durham Environment Partnership Board meeting held on 9 October 2025. These minutes would provide further detail on the Partnership's ongoing work and discussions.