That the Executive:

(1)       Approves the 2025/28 proposed budget strategy, including the 2025/26 draft revenue budget and the 2026/28 MTFS, noting that the draft income and savings proposals are included for the purposes of informing the Executive of the intended consultations which will be undertaken (where necessary and/or required).

(2)       Notes the draft proposal to increase Council Tax by 4.99% in 2025/26 (comprising 2.0% adult social care precept and 2.99% general increase) and by 2.99% (comprising 1% adults social care precept and 1.99% general increase) for the remaining years of the MTFS 2026/28.

(3)       Notes that the draft proposals are subject to various consultation exercises, further analysis of reserves, savings and income including impact assessments, potential future movements in core funding and specific grants, revised costings and robustness assessments and that these proposals will be subject to a future decision making process which will include a referral to the Scrutiny Committee for their consideration.

(4)       Notes the assumptions made in setting the MTFS in Section 4 and the degree of uncertainty as detailed in the report.

(5)       Notes the remaining budget gap for the years 2026/27 to 2027/28 as identified in the report.

(6)       Notes the commentary of the Director of Finance and Systems, the Council’s statutory S151 officer, regarding the financial sustainability of the Council contained in Section 1 of the report.

(7)       Notes that the bidding process for Capital Programme is ongoing and the prioritisation process to be undertaken to compile an affordable capital programme 2025/26 to 2027/28.

(8)       Notes the continued use of flexible use of capital receipts to support in part the cost of the Modernisation Team in developing the Council’s Finance and Change Programme for 2025/26.