Agenda and decisions

To consider the Minutes of the previous meeting.

That the Minutes of the meeting held on the 2 December, 2025 be agreed as a correct record.

That the contents of the update report be received and noted.

(i)                  That the progress on the completion of the Revenue (Appendix 1) and Capital Budgets (Appendix 4), be noted.

(ii)                 That the updated Medium Term Financial Strategy 2026/27 to 2030/31 (Appendix 2), be noted.

(iii)               That the strategy for ensuring a balanced revenue outturn position for 2025/26, be noted.

(iv)               That the calculation of the Council Tax base and the Council Tax increase to be proposed for 2026/27 of 1.99% per Band D equivalent property, be noted.

(v)                That the risk assessment at Appendix 3 and the Section 151 Officer’s recommendation on the level of reserves and contingencies provisionally required to be maintained in 2026/27, be noted.

(vi)               That the draft Capital Strategy (Appendix 5) for 2026/36 be noted.

(vii)             That the draft Treasury Management Strategy (Appendix 6) for 2026/27, be noted.

(viii)            That the draft Investment Strategy (Appendix 7) for 2026/27, be noted.

(ix)               That the draft Commercial Strategy (Appendix 8) for 2026/27, be noted.

(x)                That the updated Asset Management Strategy (Appendix 9) for 2023/28, be noted.

(xi)               That the draft Budget and Council Tax proposals be referred to Finance, Assets and   Performance Scrutiny Committee for comment before the final proposals are considered at Cabinet on 3 February 2026.

That the fees and charges proposed to apply from 1 April 2026, as set out in Appendix 1 and 3, be approved.

(i)                  That the report and notes the activities delivered in 2025 as part of the initial year of the Civic Pride (Empowering Our Communities) initiative, be received.

(ii)                 That the Civic Pride (Empowering Our Communities) Strategy 2025 – 2028 be formally adopted now that consultation has concluded

(iii)               That the additional resource requirements of increasing community engagement activity and target setting and monitoring as set out in the motion which was approved at Full Council on 19^th November 2025, be considered.

(iv)               That this report be referred to the Health, Wellbeing and Environment Scrutiny Committee for consideration

(i)              That Phase 7 of the Borough Tree Planting Strategy be approved for immediate implementation, subject to the final consultation responses, and the Service Director – Neighbourhood Delivery is authorised to seek and accept quotations for the work.

(ii)             That the Service Director – Neighbourhood Delivery be authorised to bid for and accept external grant funding and secure community donations to contribute to the delivery of the Borough Tree Planting Strategy and other related projects.

(iii)           That the new planting sites be designated as Carbon Capture Areas in the Open Space Strategy.

(iv)           That the progress made with the Field in Trust applications for the selected sites, be noted.

That the progress of the delivery plan associated with the Councils Sustainable Environment Strategy be noted, and that the update be referred to a future meeting of the Health Wellbeing and Environment Scrutiny Committee.

(i)              That the Council’s support for the development of the LNRS for Staffordshire be confirmed and respond to the consultation for the draft LNRS with the comments set out in section 2 of this report; and

(ii)             That a model of delivery within a specific plan for the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme, be adopted.

That the use of pEPR funding for the creation of 4 supervisor positions within the Recycling & Waste Service as part of the service expansion to cater for increased housing and to fulfil the requirements of HM Government’s Resources and waste Strategy, be approved.

(i)              That the proposal to re-procure the Financial Well-being and Debt Advice Service, be approved.

(ii)             That the Portfolio Holder for Community Safety and Wellbeing, in consultation with the Service Director – Regulatory Services, be authorised to award the contract arising from the procurement.

(iii)           That a six-month extension to the current contract to maintain this service during the procurement period, be approved.

(i)              That the receipt of a letter from the Minister for Local Government & Homelessness in respect of the invitation for Councils to seek postponement of local authority elections in May 2026, be noted;

(ii)             That it be agreed that elections to Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council will proceed as planned in May 2026;

(iii)           That it be noted that the Leader and Chief Executive will confirm to the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government by 15^th January 2026 that there is no change to the planned elections for May 2026.

That the Forward Plan be received and noted.

To resolve that the public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following reports, because it is likely that there will be disclosure of exempt information as defined in the paragraphs of Part 1 of Schedule 12A (as amended) of the Local Government Act 1972.

That the public be excluded from the meeting during consideration if the

following matter because it is likely that there will be disclosure of exempt

information as defined in paragraphs contained within Part 1 of Schedule 12A

of the Local Government Act, 1972.

That the information contained within the confidential appendix be received and noted.