Apologies were received from Councillor David Vasmer, Portfolio Holder for Highways and Environment. 

Members are reminded that they must declare their disclosable pecuniary interests and other registrable or non-registrable interests in any matter being considered at the meeting as set out in Appendix B of the Members’ Code of Conduct and consider if they should leave the room prior to the item being considered. Further advice can be sought from the Monitoring Officer in advance of the meeting.

None were declared.

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 5 March 2025.

RESOLVED

That the minutes of the meeting held on 5 March 2025 be confirmed as a correct record.

RESOLVED

That the minutes of the meeting held on 5 March 2025 be confirmed as a correct record.

To receive any questions from members of the public, notice of which has been given in accordance with Procedure Rule 14. Deadline for notification is not later than 12 noon on Thursday 5 June 2025.

Public questions were received from the following:

Mike Streetly with regard to the North West Relief Road

Graham Betts with regard to planning consents for Darwin’s Walk and Bowbrook

John Palmer with regard to costs around continued ownership of the Shirehall

The full questions and responses provided can be found using this link:  Questions and Responses Cabinet 11 June 2025

To receive any questions from Members of the Council. Deadline for notification is not later than 12 noon on Thursday 5 June 2025.

Member questions were received from :

Cllr Kate Halliday, regarding the recent ruling of the Supreme Court and the Equality Act

Cllr Julian Dean, regarding the timescale for implementation of the 20 mph Scheme for Copthorne and Porthill

Cllr Duncan Kerr, regarding a Waste Minimisation Strategy

Cllr Rosemary Dartnall, regarding

Cllr Andy Boddington regarding use of ANPR to prevent driving offences

The full questions and responses provided can be found using this link:  Questions and Responses Cabinet 11 June 2025

The following members asked supplementary questions after receiving the response to their original question:

Cllr Kate Halliday –  has specialist legal advice been sought on this matter and insurers advised of possible claims in relation to discrimination.  The Leader confirmed that no specialist advice had yet been sought or insurers notified but endeavoured to respond to Cllr Halliday outside of the meeting and provide all details of up to date guidance once received, and of any action taken. 

Cllr Julian Dean – was there a timescale around implementation of the speed limit change.  Cllr Wilson Portfolio Holder for Transport and Economic Growth said he would find out from the Assistant Director Infrastructure and report to Cllr Dean.  He expressed his intention to increase transparency around the Infrastructure Board and use of CIL funding going forwards.

Cllr Rosemary Dartnall – would the end of June targets be met.

The Leader said she would be asking for an update on targets and would share this information.

Cllr Andy Boddington – given concerns around road safety and number of deaths in the county in 2024 and 2025 to date, could road safety be prioritised with Vision Zero set as an ambition and lower speed limits implemented where there was local agreement.

The Portfolio Holder for Transport and Economic Growth referred to a motion he had proposed at a Full Council meeting in relation to Vision Zero.  He also reported that he was considering with officers the establishment of a Road Danger Reduction Forum and had written to the Police and Crime Commissioner asking him to revisit road safety data and measures in depth.

The full questions and responses provided can be found using this link:  Questions and Responses Cabinet 11 June 2025

There were no scrutiny items

Lead Member – Councillor Roger Evans, Portfolio Holder for Finance

Lead Officer – James Walton, Executive Director of Resources

RESOLVED:

To agree recommendations A – L set out in the report at 3.2  (pages 3 – 4 Financial Outturn 2024/25 Report)  

Cllr Roger Evans, Portfolio Holder for Finance reported that the budget, agreed upon by Full Council in February 2024, showed an overspend of £34.23 million, 52% of the required savings.  Reasons set out in the report included increased costs in the People's Directorate (14.4% overspend) and the Place Directorate (28% overspend) The Council had managed these overspends by using various reserves, but this had reduced the general reserves to £4.8 million and earmarked reserves to £18.8 million, levels considered well below what was appropriate given local circumstances.

Discussion covered the challenges of managing financial pressures while maintaining essential services, particularly in social care, and the need for realistic budget planning in the context of the need for better funding, particularly for rural authorities.  The Portfolio Holder for Social Care emphasised the commitment of the Cabinet and officers to meeting the challenges of supporting and caring appropriately for an ageing population over a large rural area within a context of underfunding and the intention to campaign widely for a better settlement.

The Deputy Leader referred to work underway with Town and Parish Councils to identify services which might be better delivered more locally. 

The Leader reiterated the intention of the Cabinet to lobby government hard for fairer funding, as it would not be possible to wait for the 2028 review of social care.  She thanked staff for all their hard work to date in delivering services in challenging circumstances. 

RESOLVED:

To agree recommendations A – L set out in the report at 3.2:   

In respect of the revenue budget:

a)  Note that the outturn for overall variance in the year is £34.230m above

budget.

b)  Note that the consequent level of the General Fund Balance is £4.823m.

c)  Note the use of £7.726m of Earmarked Reserves and Provisions and the

resulting level of earmarked reserves of £25.455m (£18.762m if the balances

held by schools are excluded).

d)  Note the £47.194m savings delivery achieved over the year

e)  Note that the combination of earmarked and un-earmarked (General) reserves

of £33.275m is below a level that would be regarded as appropriate, taking into

account local circumstances. The MTFS sets out an agreed plan to restore

these balances to safer levels.

In respect of ringfenced funding:

f)  Note the performance of the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) - £3.124m

(13%) surplus outturn for 2024/25 on £23.054m turnover, and the resulting

level of the HRA reserve of £14.861m.

g)  Note the outturn for the DSG and the consequent level of the DSG reserve.
h)  Note that the level of school balances has decreased by £0.647m, from

£7.340m in 2023/24 to £6.693m, in the financial year.

In respect of the capital programme:

i)  Approve the net budget variations of £1.946m to the 2024/25 capital

programme (in Appendix 9) and the re-profiled 2024/25 capital budget of

£112.640m.

j)  Approve the re-profiled capital budgets of £152.574m for 2025/26, including

slippage of £4.819m from 2024/25, £72.350m for 2026/27 and £45.212m for

2027/28 as detailed in Appendix 13.

k)  Accept  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

Lead Member – Councillor Roger Evans, Portfolio Holder for Finance

Lead Officer – James Walton, Executive Director of Resources

RESOLVED:

a) To note that new borrowing of £101.9m for the General Fund and £19.2m for the HRA has been taken out during quarter 4, in line with the Treasury Management Strategy 2024/25. This is part of the replacement of internal borrowing (using internal balances) with external borrowing (as internal balances reduce).

b) To note the summary of the wider economic environment and the Council’s borrowings and investments set out in Appendix A

c) To note the performance within prudential indicators for quarter 4, 2024/25 (Appendix B)

Cllr Roger Evans, Portfolio Holder for Finance introduced the largely technical update report for Quarter 4.  A report covering the whole year would be presented at the 9 July Cabinet meeting.

RESOLVED:

a) To note that new borrowing of £101.9m for the General Fund and £19.2m for the HRA has been taken out during quarter 4, in line with the Treasury Management Strategy 2024/25. This is part of the replacement of internal borrowing (using internal balances) with external borrowing (as internal balances reduce).

b) To note the summary of the wider economic environment and the Council’s borrowings and investments set out in Appendix A

c) To note the performance within prudential indicators for quarter 4, 2024/25 (Appendix B)

Lead Member – Councillor Rob Wilson, Portfolio Holder for Transport and Economic Growth

Lead Officer – Billy Webster, Service Director - Strategy

RESOLVED:

To note progress to date in achieving the outcomes of The Shropshire Plan (TSP).  

To confirm that the KPIs currently agreed remain the same for 2025/2026 until aligned to the refresh of TSP in 2025/26. 

The Leader introduced the report which evaluated Shropshire's performance against its strategic objectives for the fourth quarter of the financial year 2024-2025. It highlighted the use of the interactive performance dashboard, updated quarterly and including details of key performance indicators (KPIs), trends, and benchmarking against other councils. The report notes that 54 measures were updated, with 53.7% of the 41 newly reported KPIs meeting or exceeding their targets. 

Positive outcomes include increased community service support for adults, lower youth unemployment compared to the West Midlands, and greater renewable energy generation. However, there were significant concerns highlighted, such as underperformance in processing educational healthcare plans within the required timeframe and a decline in recycling rates following the introduction of garden waste charges. The report also emphasised the importance of staff morale and the need to address high turnover and sickness absence rates as changes were implemented to address ongoing financial challenges.

The Portfolio Holder for Social Care and ED answered questions about permanency planning for children who are looked after.

The Leader reported that she had asked that all members be offered training on accessing and using the interactive performance dashboard and that this would be arranged shortly. 

RESOLVED:

To note progress to date in achieving the outcomes of The Shropshire Plan (TSP).  

To confirm that the KPIs currently agreed remain the same for 2025/2026 until aligned to the refresh of The Shropshire Plan in 2025/26. 

Lead Member – Councillor Roger Evans, Portfolio Holder for Finance

Lead Officer – James Walton, Executive Director of Resources

RESOLVED:

3.1. To note that the position set out in the report reflects the best information available after the first 4 weeks of the year and hence considerable uncertainty in these early estimates.

3.2. To note that at the end of Period 1 (30th April 2024), the indicative level of savings delivery is £24.974m (42%), resulting in a projected spend over budget of £13.884m for 2025/26.

3.3. To note the control corridor that the Council will be working to for 2025/26 is as follows: Adverse £39.700m overspend Central £13.884m overspend Favourable £1.422m overspend

3.4. To note the projected General Fund Balance of £0.393m for 31 March 2026 if the projected spend over budget is realised

The Portfolio Holder for Finance introduced the report of the first four weeks of the financial year, which provided an early view of the financial position the Council would be managing in the year ahead.  More would become known as the Period 2 and 3 reports became available.  He referred to the recent budget reallocation alongside a significant reorganisation and the enormous challenge of delivering in year savings of £60m in the face of increasing demand.  All Cabinet Members and budget holders would be asked to scrutinise budgets with urgent steps needed to reduce overspend and improve reserves. 

RESOLVED:

3.1. To note that the position set out in the report reflects the best information available after the first 4 weeks of the year and hence considerable uncertainty in these early estimates.

3.2. To note that at the end of Period 1 (30th April 2024), the indicative level of savings delivery is £24.974m (42%), resulting in a projected spend over budget of £13.884m for 2025/26.

3.3. To note the control corridor that the Council will be working to for 2025/26 is as follows: Adverse £39.700m overspend Central £13.884m overspend Favourable £1.422m overspend

3.4. To note the projected General Fund Balance of £0.393m for 31 March 2026 if the projected spend over budget is realised

Lead Member – Councillor Ruth Houghton, Portfolio Holder for Social Care

Lead Officer – Laura Tyler

RESOLVED

3.1 To approve the introduction of charging for telecare services as outlined in this report with effect from 1st October 2025 on the basis that any financial contribution will be determined by reference to the Council’s Adult Social Care Charging and Financial Assessment Policy for Non-residential Care 2024-25 and;

3.2 To approve that, aligned with good practice, individuals will be supported to maximise income and to access eligible benefits in order to mitigate any adverse financial impact; and;

3.3 To delegate responsibility for implementing the charging structure for telecare services provided by the Council to the Executive Director (DAS) in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Social Care.

The Portfolio Holder for Social Care introduced the proposal to implement a charge for telecare services, designed to help individuals live independently in their own homes.  Shropshire Council had previously provided this service free of charge including to self-funders, this made it an outlier compared to other authorities.  With demand increasing the Council needed to ensure the long-term sustainability of the service. 

A financial assessment would determine ability to pay for services and as part of this support would be provided for individuals to access all eligible benefits.    The proposed weekly charge was a subsidised fee of £3.45 with a subsidised installation charge of £35.00 for new users eligible to pay. 

Group Leaders raised concerns including potential loss of subscribers to the service once the charge was implemented, and impact on vulnerable individuals.  Some Group Leaders expressed the view that the proposal should have been presented for pre-decision scrutiny at an Overview and Scrutiny Committee.  It was suggested that it should still be considered by a Scrutiny Committee before a decision was made to provide further opportunity to consider impact on groups with protected characteristics and ways to mitigate the impacts of charging for a key preventative service.  

The Portfolio Holder acknowledged the importance pre-decision scrutiny but drew attention to the Equality Impact Assessment and full public consultation already undertaken, and the need to implement the charge quickly in the light of financial position the Council was in.  Shropshire Council was an outlier in that it did not charge already, and signposting to benefits, advice, support and reassessment would be prioritised.  If helpful, an implementation plan could be drawn up and shared with all members. 

RESOLVED

3.1 To approve the introduction of charging for telecare services as outlined in this report with effect from 1st October 2025 on the basis that any financial contribution will be determined by reference to the Council’s Adult Social Care Charging and Financial Assessment Policy for Non-residential Care 2024-25 and;

3.2 To approve that, aligned with good practice, individuals will be supported to maximise income and to access eligible benefits in order to mitigate any adverse financial impact; and;

3.3 To delegate responsibility for implementing the charging structure for telecare services provided by the Council to the Executive Director (DAS) in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Social Care.

Lead Member – Councillor Rob Wilson, Portfolio Holder Transport & Economic Growth

Lead Officer – Billy Webster, Service Director – Strategy

REPORT TO FOLLOW

Item withdrawn and will be considered by Council 17 July 2025

Item withdrawn and will be considered by Council 17 July 2025

Lead Member – Councillor David Walker, Portfolio Holder for Planning

Lead Officer – Tim Collard

RESOLVED:

To agree the designation of the proposed Neighbourhood Area identified on the map in Appendix B, covering the Parish of Bayston Hill as an appropriate basis for the development of a Neighbourhood Development Plan and notifies Bayston Hill Parish Council accordingly.

The Portfolio Holder for Planning presented the report seeking approval for the application by Bayston Hill Parish Council to be considered as a Neighbourhood Area for the purposes of preparing a Neighbourhood Development Plan. 

RESOLVED:

To agree the designation of the proposed Neighbourhood Area identified on the map in Appendix B, covering the Parish of Bayston Hill as an appropriate basis for the development of a Neighbourhood Development Plan and notifies Bayston Hill Parish Council accordingly.

To resolve that, in accordance with the provisions of schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 and Paragraph 10.4 [3] of the Council’s Access to Information Rules, the public and press be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following items

RESOLVED:

That in accordance with the provisions of schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 and Paragraph 10.4 [3] of the Council’s Access to Information Rules, the public and press be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following item. 

RESOLVED:

That in accordance with the provisions of schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 and Paragraph 10.4 [3] of the Council’s Access to Information Rules, the public and press be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following item. 

To confirm the exempt minutes of the meeting held on 5 March 2025.

RESOLVED:

That the exempt minutes of the meeting held on 5 March 2025 be confirmed as a correct record.

RESOLVED:

That the exempt minutes of the meeting held on 5 March 2025 be confirmed as a correct record.

To note that the next meeting is scheduled to take place on Wednesday 9 July 2025.

9 July 2025 at 10.30 am.