The County Council convened on Wednesday, 13 May 2026, to elect its Chairman and Vice-Chairman, approve the Youth Justice Plan for 2026-2027, and set the dates for council meetings for the upcoming two years. Significant decisions were also made regarding the review and revision of the Council's Constitution, the appointment of the Leader and Cabinet, and the allocation of committee seats following a recent by-election.

Election of Chairman and Vice-Chairman

Mrs Linda Danks was elected as the Chairman of the Council until the next Annual Meeting. Mrs Linda Broadley was elected as the Vice-Chairman for the same period.

Youth Justice Plan 2026-2027

The Council approved the Youth Justice Strategic Plan for 2026-2027. This plan outlines the priorities for youth justice services in Leicestershire, focusing on improving education, employment, and training outcomes for young people, strengthening health and wellbeing support, enhancing victim support, reinforcing prevention pathways for those at risk of entering the criminal justice system, and ensuring a coordinated response for children at the highest risk of harm, exploitation, or serious violence. The plan acknowledges the ongoing reforms in the youth justice sector and has been structured as a one-year plan to accommodate these changes.

Dates of Council Meetings 2026/27 and 2027/28

The Council approved the schedule of meetings for the next two municipal years. Key dates include budget meetings on 17 February 2027 and 16 February 2028, and Annual Meetings on 12 May 2027 and 17 May 2028. Other scheduled meetings are set for July, September, and December of 2026, 2027, and 2028.

Review and Revision of the Constitution

The Council approved proposed changes to its Constitution. These revisions include:

• Rotation of Scrutiny Commission Chairmanship: Article 6.05 was amended to allow for the annual rotation of the Scrutiny Commission's chairmanship between the leaders of the two main opposition groups, aiming to enhance scrutiny processes.
• Renaming of Overview and Scrutiny Committees: Committee titles were updated to align with recent departmental changes.
• Updated Framework for Constitution Review: Article 15 was revised to clarify the Chief Legal Officer and Monitoring Officer's duty to maintain an up-to-date Constitution, granting them authority to make minor consequential amendments.
• Changes to Committee Remits: The terms of reference for the Corporate Governance Committee and the Constitution Committee were revised. The Constitution Committee is to be replaced by a new Constitution and Ethics Committee, which will combine existing constitutional remits with responsibility for member conduct standards. The Corporate Governance Committee will now approve the Council's Annual Governance Statement.
• Meeting Procedure Rules: Several Standing Orders were amended to refine rules regarding members standing for the Chairman, the receipt of statutory officer reports, the disallowance of questions, the scope and limits of position statements, restrictions on similar motions, and the immediate implementation of changes to meeting procedure rules.
• Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rules: These rules were tidied up, with duplication removed and Rule 2 strengthened to reiterate the Scrutiny Commissioners' role in overseeing other scrutiny committees. Rule 14 on the call-in procedure was revised to clarify when decisions can be referred to the full Council.
• Protocol on Member/Officer Relations: The protocol was updated to place greater emphasis on senior members and officers modelling behaviours, clarify training requirements, strengthen expectations for professional conduct in communications, and establish a clearer process for raising and resolving member-officer conduct concerns.
• Members' Allowances Scheme: A new paragraph was added to reflect regulations allowing members to join the Local Government Pension Scheme.

Appointment of Leader and Cabinet

Mr Dan Harrison was appointed as the Leader of the Council until the next Annual Meeting. It was also noted that Mr Harrison proposed to appoint the following members to serve on the Cabinet: Mr K Crook CC (Deputy Leader), Mr C Abbott CC, Dr J Bloxham CC, Mr H Fowler CC, Mr A Hamilton-Gray CC, Mr P Harrison CC, Mr C Pugsley (Lead Member for Children and Family Services), Mr M Squires CC, and Mr A Tilbury CC.

Political Balance and Allocation of Committee Seats

The Council noted its political balance following the by-election held on 16 April 2026. The allocation of seats on committees subject to political balance arrangements was approved, reflecting the new composition of the Council. The Reform group holds the largest proportion of seats, influencing the distribution across various committees.

Appointment of Members to Scrutiny Commission, Boards and Committees

The membership of the Scrutiny Commission, Boards, and Committees was approved as set out in List '2' attached to the Order Paper. Additionally, the Chairmen and Spokespersons named in List '3A' were approved. The Chief Executive was authorised to make and terminate appointments to various bodies, excluding the Cabinet, in accordance with the wishes of the allocated Political Groups.

Notice of Motion: Northern Ireland Troubles: Legacy, Accountability and Veterans

The Council resolved to write to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland urging that the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill delivers a balanced and rights-compliant legacy framework with clear safeguards for veterans and non-adversarial processes. The Council also resolved to write to the leaders of the main political parties in the House of Lords, emphasising the importance of careful scrutiny of the Bill, and reaffirmed its commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant.

Notice of Motion: Church Lane Bus Route (Whitwick)

The Council noted concerns raised by local residents regarding Arriva's Service 12 operating along Church Lane, Whitwick. It was resolved to request the Director of Environment and Transport to provide a written report to the Growth, Highways, Transport and Waste Overview and Scrutiny Committee within six months, detailing engagement with the bus operator and a review of the service's operation.

Position Statements

The Leader of the Council, Mr Dan Harrison CC, provided a position statement covering a review of the 2025-26 municipal year, priorities for 2026-27, additional investment in adult social care and children's services, road improvements, and Foster Care Fortnight 2026.

Other Decisions

• Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) 2026/27 - 2029/30: The Council approved the MTFS, incorporating the recommended net revenue budget for 2026/27 totalling £616.1m. This included a 2.99% Council Tax increase for 2026/27. An amendment to the original motion was carried, introducing additional investment in public bus subsidies, environmental maintenance, a grit bin discount scheme, and additional resources for gulley cleaning.
• Pay Policy Statement: The County Council's Pay Policy Statement for 2026/27 was approved.
• Changes to Contract Procedure Rules: Revised Contract Procedure Rules were approved.
• SEND Nurseries: A motion was carried stating that the four pre-school nurseries supporting children with Special Educational Needs (Menphys Nurseries, Sketchley Hill, Oasis nursery, and Lift Beacon) should continue to be supported and remain open.

The meeting also included the confirmation of minutes from the previous meeting, declarations of interest, and the report of the Returning Officer regarding a by-election.