Agenda

To receive any apologies for absence from Councillors.

Councillors are requested to declare any interests on items included in this agenda. Please refer to the workflow on the preceding page for guidance.

Declarations received will be reported at the meeting.

To confirm and sign as a correct record the minutes of the Meeting held on 27 May 2026.

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 18 June 2026 [mid-day 3 clear working days before the meeting].

The deadline for the submission of a statement is mid-day on Tuesday 23 June 2026 [mid-day the working day before the meeting].

The deadline for the submission of a petition is Wednesday 10 June 2026 [10 working days before the meeting].

To consider recommendations from the Overview and Scrutiny committees on items not otherwise included on the Cabinet Agenda.

The report presents the revenue and capital budget outturn, reserves position, dedicated schools grant outturn, housing revenue account, and results of council company and partner organisations for the financial year 2025/26.

The 2025/26 general fund revenue outturn of £4.6m is in line with the quarter three forecast and confirms that demand-led social care services remain the council’s most significant financial challenge. This is particularly within children’s services which overall has overspent by (£9.1m), being 9% of the service’s budget. Planned investment and mitigation for 2026/27 will be critical to improving resilience and bringing these pressures under control.

Pressures across the main service areas were partly offset by underspends in Resources and corporate budgets.

Included in the budget were itemised savings of £9.6m with 91% achieved through service transformation, third party spend reduction, staff savings and raising additional income.

The transformation programmes over the last six years have been crucial in reducing annual ongoing expenditure with cumulative revenue savings of £56m over this period from one off investments of £45m to date.

The accumulated deficit of £180m for the dedicated schools grant at 31 March 2026 remains a significant threat to the council’s financial stability. Expenditure will continue to outstrip funding by an estimated further £200m over the next two financial years. The required SEND reform plan has been developed and if approved, central government could provide an estimated 90% contribution toward this deficit. This would still leave the council with a residual debt to fund of £38m.

Delivery of the £100m general fund capital programme was 60% spent by the year end, largely funded by government grant, with the balance carried forward into future years.

This report:

·       Aims to ensure the council presents a legally balanced 2027/28 budget. 

·       Presents an update to the MTFP

·       Proposes a budget planning process and timeline for key financial reports.

·       Proposes a financial strategy to support the delivery of a robust and financially sustainable budget for the medium term. 

BCP Council adopted ‘A shared vision for Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole 2024-28’ in May 2024. 

The shared vision is the corporate strategy which sets out the council’s vision, priorities and ambitions as well as the principles which underpin the way the council works as it develops and delivers its services. 

Incorporated in the vision is a set of measures of progress for achieving the vision, priorities and ambitions. 

This is the performance monitoring report for Quarter Four 25-26, presenting an update on the progress measures. 

The council’s delivery against its priorities and ambitions can also be monitored through the performance dashboardwhich is available on the council’s website providing up-to-date real time information on the progress measures.

Homelessness continues to be one of the most significant challenges facing Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole. Demand for assistance has risen sharply, driven by rising private rents, household income pressures and increasing complexity of need. In 2024 to 2025, BCP Council determined that 2,767 households needed formal intervention because of their homelessness or threat of homelessness, representing a doubling of demand compared with 2020. Rough sleeping reached a peak of 193 individual people seen over the month of July 2024 before beginning to reduce through targeted outreach, expanded supported housing and strengthened multi agency work.

Alongside these sustained pressures, recent performance shows clear evidence of improvement in key areas. Strengthened prevention activity has increased early intervention, with over 1,100 households supported to avoid homelessness during the past year. Targeted action has also reduced overall reliance on temporary accommodation, with a reduction of around 10% in recent months. Rough sleeping, which peaked in mid?2024, has declined following expanded supported accommodation, enhanced outreach and improved multi?agency coordination, with the most significant reductions seen among people experiencing long?term rough sleeping. In addition, the Council has sustained a position of no families placed in bed and breakfast accommodation for longer than six weeks. These improvements provide a strong foundation for the ambitions set out in the new Strategy, while recognising that demand and system pressures remain high.

The proposed Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2026 to 2031 sets out a long term, evidence based and partnership led plan for reducing homelessness and rough sleeping across the area. The Strategy is fully aligned with national Government priorities on homelessness and rough sleeping, including the emphasis on earlier prevention across public services, national commitments to reduce families and children in Bed & Breakfast, rough sleeping and the monitoring of performance within the Local Outcomes Framework.

Developed through comprehensive review, extensive engagement, consultation and strong lived experience input, the Strategy presents a shared ambition to make homelessness in BCP rare, brief and unrepeated. It reflects updated statutory data, changing system pressures and learning from recent years.

Approval of the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2026–2031 will provide a clear strategic framework for the Council and its partners to prevent homelessness earlier, reduce reliance on unsuitable temporary accommodation, improve multi-agency practice and support people to secure and sustain safe and stable homes. A Delivery Plan, co-produced with partners and people with lived experience, will support implementation and provide ongoing oversight of progress and impact.

This report provides Cabinet with the annual update on progress in delivering the Housing Strategy 2021–2027.  

Over the past year, delivery has continued across all five priorities, with a focus on increasing housing supply, strengthening homelessness prevention, improving housing options, and raising standards of safety and sustainability.  

The report summarises key achievements and highlights the main challenges and risks, including sustained housing demand, market and viability pressures affecting affordable housing delivery, ongoing pressure on temporary accommodation, and the capacity implications of regulatory reform. It also outlines proposed priorities for the year ahead and the intended approach and timetable for developing a new Housing Strategy, recognising that the commitment to meeting future growth needs is expected to remain a core priority and that the Council will need to continue to act as an enabler, partner and facilitator, as well as a direct deliverer of new affordable homes.

The Chief Executive to report on any decisions taken under urgency provisions in accordance with the Constitution.

To consider the latest version of the Cabinet Forward Plan for approval.