Agenda and draft minutes

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.

There were no declarations of interest made on this occasion.

To confirm and sign as a correct record the minutes of the Meeting held on 4 February 2026.

The Leader advised that given the short period since the last meeting of the Cabinet which was held on the 4 February 2026 that the minutes would be deferred for approval at the next meeting on the 4 March 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 5 February 2026 [mid-day 3 clear working days before the meeting].

The deadline for the submission of a statement is mid-day on Tuesday 10 February 2026 [mid-day the working day before the meeting].

The deadline for the submission of a petition is Tuesday 27 January 2026 [10 working days before the meeting].

Public Question from Alex McKinstry on Agenda Item 6 (Budget 2026/27 and Medium-Term Financial Plan)

On 28 December 2025, an article appeared in the local organ of media, stating that the Council "has applied to Government to increase the council tax by 7.4%". This reportedly followed some kind of solicitation from Government concerning council tax flexibility.

According to the budget papers however, the Council applied to Government for "exceptional financial support" on 6 January 2026, and a bullet-point on page 7 suggests this included a request to increase council tax by more than 4.99%.

Given the disparity between the two dates, were these two separate letters / applications?

Can you also furnish us with the substance (and the dates) of any replies received from Government to this correspondence; and finally, will you publish this correspondence as an addendum to the papers for the Budget Council, which meets on 24 February?

Response by the Portfolio Holder for Finance, Councillor Mike Cox

As part of the 2026/27 budget setting process and following the November 2025 Local Government Finance Settlement and Chancellors National Budget, MHCLG wrote on the 1st December to offer EFS.

The council wrote to government accepting the offer on the 5 December 2025. This request, which was just a request to be given the option at that stage, was communicated to all members as part of a budget presentation on 10 December 2025.

The application as part of the formal Exceptional Financial Support process was submitted on 6 January 2026.

A copy of both these documents has been included in the addendum to the Budget report as presented.

Public Question from Ben Smith on Agenda Item 7 (Pokesdown Railway Station)

Will Cabinet honour their obligation and avoid letting down the disabled, residents, tourists and businesses to find a solution and consult before losing this huge investment in Pokesdown?”

Response by the Portfolio Holder for Climate Response, Environment and Energy, Councillor Andy Hadley

Ben, I have personally been very keen to see the lifts in place at Pokesdown, and have met several times with relevant parties at the station, and indeed as you know, with campaigners, hosted at your house.

I am very keen to see better access for all across public transport.The obligation to provide a lift is with the rail operator.

The SWR Franchise of 2017 was explicit that this was to be provided by 2020. MTR/First failed that commitment, and continued to defer, prevaricate and fail, despite interventions from both the previous and current MPs, and the Council.

I looked back at the Overview and Scrutiny and Full Council meetings from 2022. In supporting the need for lifts at this and other stations, I strongly opposed the idea that the then Conservative administration commit this Council to a 50 year debt for us all to bail out the private rail operator, particularly as this does nothing for accessibility at the other 7 stations that serve the BCP area which lack step-free access.

All they had committed to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 130.

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

Cabinet was advised that there were no additional recommendations from the Overview and Scrutiny Committees on items not otherwise indicated on the Cabinet agenda on this occasion.

To set out for Cabinet’s consideration and recommendation to Council the proposed 2026/27 budget and council tax based on.

·     Increasing council tax by 4.99% in 2026/27 in line with the government’s annual referendum threshold which can be broken down into a 2.99% basic increase and a 2% uplift by way of the Adult Social Care (ASC) precept.

·     Implementation of the approved financial strategy including £14m of further savings, efficiencies, and additional income generation.

·     Borrowing a further £95.7m to fund the Special Educational Needs and Disability services revenue expenditure above the level of the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) High Needs grant.

·     Recognition that the council has technically been insolvent from the 1 April 2025 onwards as the accumulated deficit on the DSG is now greater than the total reserves held by the council, with a negative overall general fund position and is only protected by the legislative statutory override that allows the council to ignore this issue to 31 March 2028.

This report also provides the latest Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP) covering the 3-year period to 31 March 2029.

It is also important to recognise that in the absence of government support for historic and accruing DSG deficits, the proposed 2026/27 budget has been drawn up based on the use of £4.8m of previously unearmarked reserves to present a legally balanced budget. This reduces unearmarked to be around 6% which is still above 5% which is widely regarded as a statutory minimum. The Council’s Director of Finance advises that although the estimates used for the purposes of this budget are robust, subject to the list assumptions, the reserves should be considered inadequate based on the level of the DSG deficit and the ongoing risks faced by the council. His advice is to apply any resources announced by government as part of the final 2026/27 local government finance settlement to improve the financial health and sustainability of the council. Specifically, this may or may not include any of the following matters all designed to support the councils forecast £379m DSG deficit on the 31 March 2028.

·       In response to a 6 January 2026 application by the Council for Exceptional Financial Support from the government.

o   Government permission to increase council tax by more than the 4.99% threshold limit.

o   Government permission to capitalise the £10.5m cost of borrowing to finance the DSG deficit in 2026/27.

·       Any government support for historic or accruing DSG deficits.

The Portfolio Holder for Finance presented a report and addendum papers, copies of which had been circulated to each Member and a copy of which appears as Appendix 'A' to these Minutes in the Minute Book.

Cabinet was advised that the report set out for Cabinet’s consideration and recommendation to Council the proposed 2026/27 budget and council tax based on.

·     Increasing council tax by 4.99% in 2026/27 in line with the government’s annual referendum threshold which can be broken down into a 2.99% basic increase and a 2% uplift by way of the Adult Social Care (ASC) precept.

·     Implementation of the approved financial strategy including £14m of further savings, efficiencies, and additional income generation.

·     Borrowing a further £95.7m to fund the Special Educational Needs and Disability services revenue expenditure above the level of the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) High Needs grant.

·     Recognition that the council has technically been insolvent from the 1 April 2025 onwards as the accumulated deficit on the DSG is now greater than the total reserves held by the council, with a negative overall general fund position and is only protected by the legislative statutory override that allows the council to ignore this issue to 31 March 2028.

Further to this Cabinet was informed that the report also provided the latest Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP) covering the 3-year period to 31 March 2029.

In addition Cabinet was advised that it was also important to recognise that in the absence of government support for historic and accruing DSG deficits, the proposed 2026/27 budget has been drawn up based on the use of £4.8m of previously unearmarked reserves to present a legally balanced budget, and that this reduced unearmarked to be around 6% which is still above 5% which is widely regarded as a statutory minimum.

Cabinet was informed that the Council’s Director of Finance advised that although the estimates used for the purposes of this budget are robust, subject to the list assumptions, the reserves should be considered inadequate based on the level of the DSG deficit and the ongoing risks faced by the council.

In relation to this Cabinet was advised that his advice is to apply any resources announced by government as part of the final 2026/27 local government finance settlement to improve the financial health and sustainability of the council, and that specifically, this may or may not include any of the following matters all designed to support the councils forecast £379m DSG deficit on the 31 March 2028.

·       In response to a 6 January 2026 application by the Council for Exceptional Financial Support from the government.

o   Government permission to increase council tax by more than the 4.99% threshold limit.

o   Government permission to capitalise the £10.5m cost of borrowing to finance the DSG deficit in 2026/27.

·       Any government support for historic or accruing DSG deficits.

The Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, Councillor Kate Salmon addressed the Cabinet advising that the Board at their recent meeting had thoroughly debated the item  ...  view the full minutes text for item 132.

On 11 January 2022, the Council approved a contribution of up to £2.6m towards the Pokesdown Railway Station Improvement Project.

The original scope was expected to include replacement, or upgrade of the station building, a new forecourt with interchange facilities, CCTV and help point improvements, seating and shelter improvements in addition to converting the existing lift shafts to passenger use and repairing and painting the footbridge and canopies (all subject to available budget). 

The project has not been delivered, detailed timescales and costs are undetermined, and the expected scope has been reduced to the lifts and canopies over the platforms only. At the same time, the cost of borrowing has increased.

In consideration of the above a recommendation is sought from Cabinet regarding the council commitment to the project.

The Portfolio Holder for Climate Response, Environment and Energy presented a report, a copy of which had been circulated to each Member and a copy of which appears as Appendix 'B' to these Minutes in the Minute Book.

Cabinet was advised that on 11 January 2022, the Council approved a contribution of up to £2.6m towards the Pokesdown Railway Station Improvement Project.

In relation to this Cabinet was informed that the original scope was expected to include replacement, or upgrade of the station building, a new forecourt with interchange facilities, CCTV and help point improvements, seating and shelter improvements in addition to converting the existing lift shafts to passenger use and repairing and painting the footbridge and canopies (all subject to available budget). 

Cabinet was advised that the project had not been delivered, that detailed timescales and costs were undetermined, and that the expected scope had been reduced to the lifts and canopies over the platforms only, and that in addition at the same time, the cost of borrowing has increased.

In relation to this Cabinet was advised that Cabinet consideration of the above and a recommendation was sought from Cabinet regarding the council commitment to the project.

In presenting the report the Portfolio Holder detailed the history of the project and expressed disappointment that the Council was unable to continue with this at this time. Further to this the Portfolio Holder advised that he hoped that funding could still be found in some other form, but highlighted that this wouldn’t be by way of a loan.

Councillor Patrick Canavan addressed the Cabinet as a Ward Member stressing the importance of the project, highlighting that contractors were due to commence work in the summer and urging Cabinet members to reconsider the recommendation and to continue to fund the project.

Councillor Eleanor Connolly addressed the Cabinet as a Ward Member highlighting the benefits of the scheme for BCP residents and the local economy.

Councillor George Farquhar addressed the Cabinet as a Ward Member supporting the comments of the other ward members and appealing to the Cabinet to not pull the funding at this stage and to look for other sources of funding. Further to this Councillor Farquhar expressed thanks to the Portfolio Holder for his continued engagement.

Cabinet discussed the report in detail acknowledging the frustrations expressed by ward members but emphasising the pressures on the budget.

In addition, Cabinet highlighted that the station was not a council asset, and that there were competing pressures on the budget to fund the councils core responsibilities.

Further to this Cabinet highlighted that the plan had changed multiple times, and that whilst this was a difficult position that DDA compliance was the responsibility of the provider.

RECOMMENDED that Cabinet recommends to Council withdrawal of the offer of a £2.6m contribution to the Pokesdown Railway Station Improvements project.

Voting: Unanimous

Portfolio Holder: Climate Response, Environment and Energy

Reason

1.       Approval for the contribution was 4 years ago. The annual repayment for borrowing the contribution has  ...  view the full minutes text for item 133.

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

Cabinet was advised that no urgent decisions had been taken in accordance with the Constitution since the last meeting of the Cabinet.

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

The Leader advised that the latest Cabinet Forward Plan had been published on the Council’s website.