Report attached.

Report Title: Second Quarter of Financial Year 2025/26 Revenue and Capital Monitoring Report

Presented by: Councillor Chris Wilkins (Cabinet Member for Finance)

Cabinet:

2.1       Cabinet noted the revenue monitoring position of the Council as at the end of September 2025 (quarter two of the financial year.) This includes a forecast underspend on the Council’s General Fund of £7.65m (sections 4, 5 and 6), an underspend on the HRA of £2.33m (Section 8) and an overspend of £28m DSG budgets that will bring the overall DSG deficit to £65m (section 9). The consequent impact on the Council’s reserves is set out in section 11).

2.2       Cabinet noted the progress toward the delivery of savings as set out in the Council’s MTFS as at the end of September 2025 (quarter two of the financial year) as set out in section 7

2.3       Cabinet noted the capital monitoring position of the Council as at the end of September 2025 (quarter two of the financial year) as set out in section 12

2.4       Cabinet noted the update in section 10 on the position of the Council’s maintained schools and to delegate to the Director of Starting Well in conjunction with the Strategic Director for Resources and the appropriate Cabinet members the ability to grant a licensed deficit to qualifying schools.