Agenda

To receive any apologies for absence from Councillors.

To receive information on any changes in the membership of the Committee.

Note – When a member of a Committee is unable to attend a meeting of a Committee or Sub-Committee, the relevant Political Group Leader (or their nominated representative) may, by notice to the Monitoring Officer (or their nominated representative) prior to the meeting, appoint a substitute member from within the same Political Group. The contact details on the front of this agenda should be used for notifications.

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 17 November 2025.

The following items were considered by the Board since the last meeting:

·        Council Budget Monitoring 202526 at Quarter Two

This report was taken to Cabinet on 26 November 2025

To note the latest recommendation tracker.

The Overview and Scrutiny (O&S) Board is asked to consider and identify work priorities for publication in a Work Plan.

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 midday 3 clear working days before the meeting.

The deadline for the submission of a statement is midday the working day before the meeting.

The deadline for the submission of a petition is 10 working days before the meeting.

This report presents the consequential and supplementary provisions required to implement the establishment of new town councils for Broadstone, Poole, and Bournemouth, following the Council’s decision of 14 October 2025.

It outlines the arrangements necessary to ensure the new councils are legally compliant and operationally effective from 1 April 2026. Key recommendations include the formation of Shadow Councils from 1 January 2026 to oversee the recruitment of qualified clerks and address pre-implementation matters, and the agreement of anticipated precept amounts for each council, enabling sound financial planning.

The report details the limited transfer of assets, statutory requirements for allotments, and the continuation of certain services under Service Level Agreements to ensure continuity and mitigate risk. These measures are designed to provide a robust framework for the successful transition to new local governance arrangements and to support effective service delivery from inception.

This report:

·       Aims to ensure the council presents a robust legally balanced 2026/27 budget.

·       Highlights the significant amount of uncertainty at this time caused by fluctuations in the predicted outcome of the governments Fair Funding Formula review.

·       Provides an update on the implications of the November local government finance policy statement, alongside the Chancellor’s 26 November National Budget.

·       Presents an update on the latest assumed MTFP position of the council.

·       Includes updates in respect of the existential threat to the council’s financial sustainability caused by the accumulated and growing deficit on the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) as pertaining to the high needs block expenditure on Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND).

Proposes not to change the Local Council Tax Support Scheme (LCTSS) for 2026/27 and therefore to continue with the same scheme the council has operated with since April 2019.