Public Issues
To receive any public questions, statements or petitions submitted in accordance with the Constitution. Further information on the requirements for submitting these is available to view at the following link:-
https://democracy.bcpcouncil.gov.uk/ieListMeetings.aspx?CommitteeID=151&Info=1&bcr=1
The deadline for the submission of public questions is mid-day on Thursday 29 January 2026 [mid-day 3 clear working days before the meeting].
The deadline for the submission of a statement is mid-day on Tuesday 3 February 2026 [mid-day the working day before the meeting].
The deadline for the submission of a petition is Tuesday 20 January 2026 [10 working days before the meeting].
Minutes:
Public Question from Alex McKinstry on Agenda Item 6 (Council Budget Monitoring 2025/26 at Quarter Three)
I note Recommendation (B) in the Quarter 3 budget monitoring report - "Encourage senior officers, budget holders, and portfolio holders to take all reasonable steps to reduce the forecast overspending the final quarter of the financial year" - and I was wondering therefore why the administration has created a brand new lead member role, "Lead Member for Performance", which I assume involves paying out a special responsibility allowance of £12,200 a year? Why has this role been created now, given the exhortations of retrenchment contained in the Cabinet papers? If you could summarise what this role actually entails - and which portfolio-holders the lead member will be working with, predominantly - that too would be useful, as there has been no press release concerning this role (as of 29 January, the date of submitting this question), and there is no related job description showing on the BCP Council website.
Response by the Leader of the Council, Councillor Millie Earl
Thank you for your question. You are absolutely right to highlight the recommendation in the Quarter 3 budget monitoring report about the need for continued financial discipline in the final quarter of the year. The administration takes that responsibility very seriously, which is precisely why the new Lead Member for Performance role has been created at this moment.
Councillor Dawn Logan was elected last year in the Talbot & Branksome Woods by?election, beating both Reform and the Conservatives—demonstrating once again that only the Liberal Democrats can beat them in this area. Dawn brings with her a wealth of relevant professional experience, including five years working as a consultant for Newton, a firm currently undertaking improvement work with the local health system. Those skills—particularly around data analysis, performance improvement and system change—are extremely valuable, and we are determined that they should not go to waste.
The Lead Member for Performance role has therefore been created to support the Cabinet and senior leadership team in driving better outcomes for residents. The focus is on using data intelligently, improving our performance culture, and ensuring that the council is delivering services efficiently and effectively. This work directly supports the financial challenge set out in the Q3 report: improving performance and improving value for money go hand in hand.
Since her election, Dawn has been working hard to get to know the council in depth. She has already been engaging with scrutiny chairs, directors, and Cabinet members to champion a more data?led approach to decision making. Importantly, this role does not replace or duplicate the scrutiny function—far from it. Instead, it strengthens the organisation’s ability to understand performance issues early, act on them, and support both Cabinet and scrutiny with better information.
The Lead Member for Performance will work across portfolios, but particularly closely with those services where performance data plays a critical role in ensuring good outcomes—for example adult social care and children’s services. In practice, that ... view the full minutes text for item 115