The Derbyshire County Council meeting scheduled for Wednesday, 11 February 2026, was set to cover a wide range of significant topics, including the council's financial position, future plans, and operational changes. Key discussions were expected to revolve around the revenue budget for 2026-27, capital programme approvals, treasury management, and the adoption of new strategies and policies. The meeting agenda also included provisions for members' questions, public questions, and notices of motion on various issues affecting the county.

Report of the Leader of the Council and Members' Questions

The meeting was scheduled to consider a report from the Leader of the Council, Councillor Alan Graves, and address questions from elected members on its content.

Public Questions

Members of the public were scheduled to have the opportunity to ask questions, with specific questions submitted by Ms M Dwyer to Councillor Joss Barnes, Cabinet Member for Adult Care, regarding patient outcomes and implications for acute admissions.

Reserves Position and Reserves Policy

A report from the Director of Finance was to be presented concerning the council's reserves position and the Reserves Policy. This report was intended to provide an update on current and forecast positions for both General and Earmarked Reserves, and to seek approval for the Reserves Policy itself. The report highlighted that reserves cannot be relied upon to support future years' spending and that any future budget pressures will need to be managed through savings proposals. The current forecast year-end position for the General Reserve as at Quarter 2 (30 September 2025) was £34.864m, which was well above the prudent level of between three and five per cent of net spending. Earmarked Reserves totalling £192.814m were held at 1 April 2025, with £73.157m available to support future spending.

Budget Consultation Results

The council was set to consider the outcomes of its budget consultation exercises to inform decisions on the Revenue Budget for 2026-27. The pre-budget engagement survey, which ran for nine weeks from 6 June 2025 to 10 August 2025, received 2,188 responses. The survey indicated that the most highly supported option for saving money or raising income was 'work with other councils to deliver services jointly' at 68%, while increasing Council Tax was the least supported option, with 77% of respondents disagreeing. Key themes from respondent suggestions included operational efficiency, staffing and workforce management, social services, infrastructure improvement, and asset and property management.

Revenue Budget Report 2026-27

A key decision was scheduled regarding the Revenue Budget for 2026-27. The report highlighted the council's challenging financial position, with continuing demand and cost pressures in Children's Social Care and Education Services, and to a lesser extent in Adult Social Care. The Quarter 3 revenue monitoring forecast for 2025-26 indicated an overspend of £1.612m. The report proposed a 2.9% increase in basic Council Tax and a 2% Adult Social Care precept, totalling a 4.9% increase, which would not trigger a referendum. Significant savings requirements across departments were outlined, totalling £71.328m of new savings proposals for 2026-27.

Capital Programme Approvals, Treasury Management and Capital Strategies for 2026-27

This item involved several reports seeking approval for the Capital Programme, Treasury Management, and Capital Strategies for 2026-27. Recommendations included approving the new Capital Starts Programme, the Planned Asset Maintenance Programme, the Treasury Management Strategy, the Investment Strategy, the Capital Strategy, the Minimum Revenue Provision Statement, and the Flexible Use of Capital Receipts Strategy. The proposed new Capital Starts Programme included new borrowing of £27.535m over the period, with £8.873m required in 2026-27. The Treasury Management Strategy outlined the management of cash flows, borrowing, and investments, while the Investment Strategy focused on managing balances and reserves. The Capital Strategy provided an overview of how capital expenditure and financing contribute to local public services. The Minimum Revenue Provision Statement detailed the calculation for debt repayment, and the Flexible Use of Capital Receipts Strategy outlined the use of capital receipts for qualifying expenditure.

Change to Committee Memberships

A minor change to the Constitution was proposed, specifically to update the list of legislation under which the council's Trading Standards Service can take enforcement action. This was a retrospective notification of an administrative decision made by the Director of Legal and Democratic Services.

Derbyshire Pension Board

The council was asked to approve the reappointment of Susan Ambler as an Employer Representative on the Derbyshire Pension Board for a further term of four years. Mrs Ambler, Chief Financial Officer at the University of Derby, was the sole applicant for the role and had served a previous term.

Elected Member Questions

Several questions were scheduled to be asked by elected members: Councillor E Fordham to Councillor A Graves, Leader of the Council, regarding correspondence with the King and the Leader's differing roles; Councillor N Gourlay to Councillor P Parkin, Chair of the Audit Committee, requesting an update on the external audit for the year ending 31 March 2024; Councillor Snowden to Councillor C Hill, Cabinet Member for Potholes, Highways and Transport, concerning the slow progress of repairs to a damaged bridge on Somersall Lane; and Councillor Snowden to Councillor C Wood, Cabinet Member for Net Zero and Environment, regarding the maintenance of trees on Walton Road in Chesterfield.

Notices of Motion

Two notices of motion were scheduled for consideration:

• Motion 1: Annual Road Condition Report & Forward Works Plan: Proposed by Councillor Wayne Major, this motion called for the production of an Annual Road Condition Report, an interactive online map for residents to view road conditions and planned works, and a published 12-month Forward Proactive Maintenance Plan.
• Motion 2: Asylum Hotels in Derbyshire: Proposed by Councillor Paul Maginnis, this motion urged the Council Leader to write to Derbyshire MPs requesting a clear timeline for the closure of all Asylum Hotels and asking borough and district councils to only meet minimum legislative duties regarding housing asylum seekers without a local connection, rejecting placement in Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) without such a connection.

The meeting was also scheduled to consider elected member questions submitted on 8 October 2025 and 10 December 2025, and public questions submitted on 11 February 2026.