The Cabinet of Leicestershire County Council is scheduled to meet on Tuesday 03 February 2026 to discuss a range of important strategic documents. Key items on the agenda include the Provisional Medium Term Financial Strategy, the School Places Strategy, the Climate Resilience Delivery Plan, and a Statement of Common Ground relating to housing distribution across Leicester and Leicestershire.

Provisional Medium Term Financial Strategy 2026/27 to 2029/30

The Cabinet will consider the provisional Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) for the period 2026/27 to 2029/30. This strategy outlines the council's financial plans for the next four years, aiming to ensure a balanced budget and provide a framework for service planning. The report follows consideration of the draft MTFS by the Cabinet in December 2025 and by Overview and Scrutiny bodies in January 2026, and takes into account the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement received in December 2025. The strategy aligns with the council's Strategic Plan¹ and underpins its delivery. The report notes that the council has faced significant financial challenges due to austerity, increased spending pressures, and inflation, exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic. A supplementary report detailing the final MTFS proposals is being prepared.

School Places Strategy 2026 to 2031

A key discussion point will be the School Places Strategy for 2026 to 2031. This strategy details how the council intends to meet its statutory duty to ensure a sufficient number of high-quality school places across Leicestershire. It outlines the council's approach to planning, commissioning, and funding school places for mainstream education, as well as for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). The report follows a consultation exercise on the draft strategy, which ran from November 2025 to January 2026. Feedback from this consultation has informed the final version of the strategy, and the Cabinet will be asked to approve it. A School Places Delivery Plan will be developed to support its implementation. The strategy acknowledges the significant changes in Leicestershire's educational landscape, including the shift towards a commissioning role for the council, and addresses the increasing demand for SEND provision.

Children and Family Services Departmental Plan 2026-2029

The Cabinet will be asked to approve the Children and Family Services Departmental Plan for 2026 to 2029. This plan sets out the high-level priorities for the department over the next three years, building on the work of the previous plan. It is designed to fulfil statutory duties and provide a framework for the department's vision, planning, commissioning, and service delivery. The plan is aligned with the County Council's Strategic Plan² and aims to contribute to the council's strategic outcomes of Safe and Well and Improved Opportunities . It also aligns with partnership plans, including Leicestershire's Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy. The plan has been informed by ongoing feedback from children, young people, and families, as well as input from various youth councils and parent/carer groups. The Children and Families Overview and Scrutiny Committee considered the draft plan in January 2026 and supported it.

Climate Resilience Delivery Plan

The Cabinet will consider the Climate Resilience Delivery Plan, which has been developed in response to a decision in July 2025 to shift the focus from carbon reduction to climate adaptation and resilience. This plan incorporates actions related to flood mitigation and adapting council services to the impacts of severe weather events. The Delivery Plan includes actions that aim to deliver financial savings, as well as additional social, economic, or environmental benefits. The timeframe for action implementation has been updated to a three-year period to align with the programme of flood mitigation and climate resilience measures approved in October 2025. The plan supports the delivery of the Environment Strategy³ and the County Council's Strategic Plan⁴. The report notes that while the move away from emissions reduction work may present future risks, the plan aims to mitigate the impacts of severe weather on council services and assets.

Leicester and Leicestershire Authorities – Statement of Common Ground relating to Housing Distribution

A significant item for discussion is the Statement of Common Ground (SoCG) relating to housing distribution, prepared by the local authorities within the Leicester and Leicestershire Housing Market Area (HMA). This SoCG has been produced following the publication of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and a new Standard Method for calculating housing needs in December 2024. The SoCG aims to document areas of agreement and disagreement and set out next steps, demonstrating ongoing joint working. This is particularly important for the County Council due to its responsibilities for highways and education, which are critical infrastructure dependencies for housing development. The SoCG will support Blaby District Council, Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council, North West Leicestershire District Council, and Oadby and Wigston Borough Council in submitting their Local Plans by the December 2026 deadline. The report highlights the long track record of effective joint working on cross-boundary matters across Leicester and Leicestershire. The SoCG addresses local housing needs to 2046 under the new Standard Method, unmet need to 2046, and the apportionment of this unmet need. It is supported by evidence from the Updated Housing Distribution Paper. The County Council's support for the SoCG reasserts its commitment to joint working on strategic planning and supports the progress of up-to-date Local Plans across the area.