The Place and Resources Overview and Scrutiny Committee met to discuss the council's financial performance, with an estimated £5.9 million overspend for the 2025-26 financial year, primarily driven by significant overspends in adult and children's social care. The committee also reviewed the One West Northamptonshire Plan performance report for Quarter 3 of 2025-26, highlighting concerns about the timeliness of data and the need for clearer performance metrics.

Revenue Monitoring and Medium Term Financial Strategy Update

The committee received an update on the council's financial position for the 2025-26 financial year, which is currently forecasting an overspend of £5.9 million. This figure represents an improvement of £2 million from the provisional outturn position reported previously. The overspend is largely attributed to significant pressures within adult social care (£12.5 million) and children's social care (£16.5 million). These overspends have been partially mitigated by contingency funds, underspends in other services, and various mitigation strategies.

Regarding savings delivery for 2025-26, the council had a requirement of £24.6 million, with a forecast delivery of £20.4 million, equating to 84% delivery. This leaves approximately £4 million in unrealised savings, with about half of this amount being mitigated, resulting in a £2 million hit to the financial position.

The projected £5.9 million overspend will be funded from the council's risk reserve, which will leave £6 million remaining in that reserve. The general balance reserve, standing at approximately £36 million, will remain unaffected. This is the first time the council anticipates ending the financial year with an overspend.

Concerns were raised by councillors regarding the implications of these overspends and the methods used to achieve savings, with questions about how cuts are distributed and whether they impact service delivery in ways that councillors might not wish. The committee also discussed the upcoming financial year 2026-27, noting that the budget setting process for 2027-28 currently shows a projected deficit of £23.4 million.

One West Northamptonshire Plan Performance Report

The committee reviewed the One West Northamptonshire Plan Performance Report for Quarter 3 of 2025-26. A key point of discussion was the timeliness of the data presented, with councillors noting that the report often covered data that was several months old by the time it was reviewed by the committee. This raised concerns about the report's effectiveness in informing current decision-making and performance management.

Under Priority 1 – Productive, Inclusive and Enterprising, discussions touched upon the visitor economy, town centres, and economic growth. While initiatives like the new Tourist Information Point and events in the Market Square were noted, there was a call for more quantifiable measures of success, particularly regarding footfall and the economic impact of these activities. The Connect to Work programme, funded by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), was highlighted as a significant initiative aiming to support individuals facing employment barriers, with specific targets for West Northamptonshire. However, questions were raised about the governance and private sector involvement in this programme.

Priority 2 – Accessible and Connected saw discussions on highway defects, with data showing good performance against repair timescales for Priority 1 and 2 defects. However, councillors noted a discrepancy between the positive data and the public's experience with potholes, particularly in rural areas. The report on electric vehicle charging points indicated an increase in both overall and rapid charging devices, though West Northamptonshire still lagged behind the England average.

Regarding Priority 3 – Thriving Towns and Neighbourhoods, the committee reviewed performance on waste recycling and fly-tipping. While fly-tipping incidents had decreased compared to the previous quarter and year, concerns were raised about the consistency of data collection compared to other councils, and the need for stronger enforcement measures. Library visitor numbers showed an increase compared to the previous year, but a decrease from the preceding quarter. Museum visitor numbers, however, were consistently above target. Councillor Sally Keeble highlighted that public sector assets like museums should play a more significant role in economic regeneration.

Under Priority 4 – More and Better Quality Homes, the committee noted the lack of new council homes built in the quarter, with a cumulative total of 28 for the year. While affordable homes delivery was ongoing, concerns were raised about the pipeline for future housing and meeting the needs of homeless individuals. The processing of planning applications showed improvement, with all major applications decided within agreed timescales, though many had extensions of time.

Priority 5 – Best Place to Grow up generated significant discussion, particularly concerning the Northamptonshire Children's Trust. Councillors expressed deep concern about the persistent overspends within the trust, which have accumulated to over £95 million in the past four years. The committee highlighted the lack of control West Northamptonshire Council has over the trust's finances and decision-making, despite bearing the cost of its overspends. The projected increase in funding for the Children's Trust in 2026-27, coupled with the current year's overspend, was seen as unsustainable and a drain on reserves. The committee agreed to prioritise in-depth scrutiny of the Children's Trust, focusing on its financial sustainability and the reasons behind the escalating costs. Discussions also touched upon early intervention, the complexity of cases, and the potential for joint work with the Children's Scrutiny Committee. Performance on Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) showed improvement, with a significant increase in the percentage of EHCPs completed within the statutory timeframe, though the overall number of EHCPs continues to rise. Exclusions and suspensions in schools were noted as having a spiky trend, with measures in place to address this.

For Priority 6 – Best Place to Live & Age Well, the committee reviewed data on safeguarding enquiries, admissions to residential and nursing care homes, and carer assessments. Performance in safeguarding enquiries was strong, with outcomes largely achieved. Admissions to care homes were noted as being below national averages, indicating a success in enabling people to remain in their own homes. However, concerns were raised about the timeliness of Care Act reviews due to system issues. Performance in smoking cessation and weight management services was below national averages, while opiate drug treatment completions were above the national average.

Under Priority 7 – An Efficient and Enabling Council, the committee discussed customer service satisfaction, which had been impacted by broader council service delivery issues. The proportion of unavoidable contacts to customer services remained high. The committee also reviewed the council tax and business rates collection rates, noting that while they were under target, they showed a slight improvement compared to the previous year. The processing times for Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction Scheme applications had significantly improved following the implementation of a new system.

Annual Report 2025/26 of the Place and Resources Overview and Scrutiny Committee

The committee reviewed and endorsed its draft Annual Report for 2025/26. The report highlighted the committee's work throughout the year, including scrutiny of the budget, performance against the One West Northamptonshire Plan, housing delivery, and the Local Plan communications strategy. It acknowledged the challenges faced by the council, particularly in adult and children's social care, and emphasised the need for further investigation into the root causes of these financial pressures. The report also noted a significant change in the approach to performance scrutiny, with the One West Northamptonshire Plan Performance Report now being presented to all three Overview and Scrutiny committees.

Review of Committee Work Programme

The committee discussed its work programme for the upcoming year. Key items agreed for future focus included:

• A detailed scrutiny of the Northamptonshire Children's Trust, with a particular emphasis on its financial sustainability and escalating costs.
• A review of the budget scrutiny process to identify improvements for future years.
• A discussion on preparedness for winter, following the challenges of the past winter.
• A joint working group with the Adult Social Care, Health and Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee to oversee the Adult Social Care Sustainability Plan.
• The Section 106 Agreements / Community Infrastructure Levy Task and Finish Panel will report back in September, with a verbal update expected in June.

The committee also agreed to include the provisional outturn position for the 2025-26 financial year on its June agenda, following its presentation to Cabinet. The need to scrutinise adult social care budgets was also flagged as a priority.