Committee Report Checklist
Stage 1
Report checklist – responsibility of report owner
|
ITEM |
Yes / No |
Date |
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Councillor engagement / input from Chair prior to briefing |
Y |
07.06.26 – 26.06.26 |
|
Relevant Group Head review |
Y |
23.06.26 |
|
MAT+ review (to have been circulated at least 5 working days before Stage 2) |
Y |
23.06.26 |
|
This item is on the Forward Plan for the relevant committee |
Y |
|
|
Reviewed by |
|
|
|
Finance comments (circulate to Finance) |
AB |
08/07/26 |
|
Risk comments (circulate to Lee O’Neil) |
LO |
19/06/26 |
|
Legal comments (circulate to Legal team) |
LH |
08/07/26 |
|
HR comments (if applicable) |
|
For reports with material financial or legal implications the author should engage with the respective teams at the outset and receive input to their reports prior to asking for MO or s151 comments.
Do not forward to stage 2 unless all the above have been completed.
Stage 2
Report checklist – responsibility of report owner
|
ITEM |
Completed by |
Date rec’d |
|
Monitoring Officer commentary – at least 5 working days before MAT |
L Heron |
08/07/26 |
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S151 Officer commentary – at least 5 working days before MAT |
A.Bozhani |
08/07/26 |
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Commissioner engagement |
L.O’Neil |
|
|
Delete as applicable: |
|
|
|
Comments in S. 7 |
||
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Confirm final report cleared by MAT |
Y |
|
|
Title |
Council Transitional Plan 2026/27 |
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Purpose of the report |
To make a decision |
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Report Author |
Gordon Mitchell, Chief Executive Lee O’Neil, Deputy Chief Executive Sandy Muirhead Group Head Commissioning and Transformation |
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Ward(s) Affected |
All Wards
|
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Exempt |
No |
|
Exemption Reason |
Not applicable |
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Corporate Priority |
Community Addressing Housing Need Resilience Environment Services
|
|
Recommendations
|
Committee is asked to:
To approve the proposed Council Transitional Plan 2026/27 (as outlined in Appendix A).
|
|
Reason for Recommendation |
To ensure that the Council has a focused strategic plan with deliverable actions before transition to a West Surrey unitary authority. |
1. Executive summary of the report (expand detail in Key Issues section below)
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What is the situation |
Why we want to do something |
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• Spelthorne’s Corporate Plan for 2024-28 set out a five-year programme of priorities and actions. However, a range of factors, including Local Government Reorganisation from April 2027 means the Council can no longer deliver all the actions outlined in that plan. • It is therefore necessary to decide where this Council needs to focus its resources in the period leading up to the formation of the West Surrey Council, whilst also delivering the objectives of this Council’s Improvement and Recovery Plan. • A Council Transitional Plan has been developed to ensure the Council’s priorities remain focused, deliverable, and aligned with current financial and organisational constraints. Service Committees have been consulted on this and the amended Plan is being considered by the Corporate Policy and Resources Committee (CPRC) on 13 July with a view to recommending this to Council. |
• The proposed Transitional Plan will ensure the Council can deliver on key areas within its last year as a sovereign authority ensuring our priorities remain focused, deliverable, and aligned with current financial and organisational constraints. |
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This is what we want to do about it |
These are the next steps |
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• Request that Council approves the Council Transitional Plan (‘the Plan’) attached at Appendix A. |
• If approved by Council, implementation of the actions outlined in the Transitional Plan will commence immediately, delivered through an Operational Delivery Plan. |
2. Key issues
2.1 Spelthorne Borough Council adopted its Corporate Plan, ‘Putting our residents at the heart of everything we do’, in February 2024. The five-year Plan covers the period 2024–2028 and sets out a broad programme of actions to support the Council’s corporate priorities.
2.2 Since the adoption of the Corporate Plan, a number of significant developments have affected the Council’s capacity to deliver the full programme of actions. These include the introduction of Best Value Directions, increased demand for certain services, and the implications of Local Government Reorganisation. As a result, the original programme is no longer fully deliverable.
2.3 At its meeting on 26 May 2026, the Corporate Policy and Resources Committee endorsed a draft Transitional Plan for consultation with the Council’s Service Committees. The draft Plan was developed to provide a focused framework for the Council’s remaining period as an independent authority, setting out a realistic and deliverable programme of actions aligned to the original CARES corporate priorities. The Plan also reflects the current operating environment, including the Council’s Improvement and Recovery Plan, while maintaining the delivery of statutory and discretionary services.
2.4 The draft Plan was subsequently considered by all Service Committees, which were invited to provide comments and propose amendments. Committees were advised that any suggested changes would need to be delivered within existing financial and staffing resources. Feedback received through the consultation process was reviewed and, where appropriate, incorporated into the updated Transitional Plan.
2.5 The Corporate Policy and Resources Committee will be considering the updated Transitional Plan attached at Appendix A at its meeting on 13 July 2026 with a view to recommending this for approval by Council. Any material points relating to the Plan resulting from that meeting will be verbally shared with Members during the Council meeting, due to the timing of this report being published in advance of the CPRC meeting.
3. Options appraisal and proposal
3.1 Option 1 (preferred option):
To approve the Council Transitional Plan 2026/27 (Appendix A).
3.2 Option 2
To propose changes to the proposed Transitional Plan.
3.3 Option 3
To propose an alternative approach.
4. Risk implications
4.1 The Council has established a comprehensive governance assurance framework to identify, monitor, and manage the key risks faced by the Council and to give assurance that controls are in place to address any areas of focus, concern and any issues that may arise.
4.2 Time constraints. There is a risk associated with the delivery of the Transitional Plan within the limited timeframe available. This will be managed through an Operational Delivery Plan with a streamlined package of deliverables, aligning resources, and regular performance monitoring and review to ensure progress remains on track.
4.3 Failure to deliver the IRP and comply with the Best Value Directions, could result in further government intervention, loss of autonomy, and reputational damage. This risk is being actively managed through strong programme governance arrangements overseen by the Improvement and Recovery Board, with regular reporting to Members and Commissioners.
4.4 Financial sustainability continues to present a significant risk, particularly in relation to the Council’s ability to achieve required savings and reduce debt. This is mitigated through robust budget management, delivery of the savings outlined in the 2026/27 budget, and regular financial monitoring, with a clear focus on protecting statutory services. In consulting Service Committees, it has been made clear that there any changes made to the Transitional Plan would have to be met within existing financial resources as the budget for 2026/27 has already been set.
4.5 Workforce and capacity constraints also pose a risk to the delivery of corporate priorities. This is being managed through clear prioritisation of activity, workforce planning, targeted use of temporary or specialist resources, and ongoing staff engagement and support. However, this risk may increase as the year unfolds with limited ability to mitigate, so further constraints may be unavoidable.
4.6 Transition to the new West Surrey unitary authority introduces a significant risk to organisational stability and service continuity. This is being mitigated through active participation in the structured West Surrey LGR process, support and training for staff and clear and consistent communications.
4.7 Reputational risks could arise from financial pressures or service performance challenges. These are being mitigated through a commitment to transparent reporting, a proactive communications strategy, and clear demonstration of progress against the IRP and agreed priorities.
5. Financial implications
5.1 The Council continues to operate within a constrained financial environment, shaped by the requirement to comply with the Best Value Directions and deliver the Improvement and Recovery Plan (IRP). This includes a clear expectation to reduce overall debt, strengthen financial management, and achieve agreed savings targets.
5.2 Delivery of the Transitional Plan will need to be achieved within existing approved budgets, which will require strict financial discipline, robust budgetary control, and a continued focus on prioritising essential expenditure. All service areas will be expected to identify efficiencies and minimise non-essential spend to support the Council’s financial sustainability objectives.
5.3 Significant demand-led pressures remain, particularly in relation to temporary accommodation, regulatory services, and community safety activity. These areas are experiencing increased costs, which represent a key risk to the Council’s financial position and will require careful management, ongoing monitoring, and mitigating actions throughout the year.
5.4 The Transitional Plan has been specifically designed to align available resources with a reduced and prioritised set of deliverables. This ensures that activity is focused on statutory services, key resident priorities, and the delivery of the IRP, while avoiding the creation of additional unfunded commitments.
5.5 The requirement to prepare for LGR will also place additional demands on Council resources. These costs will need to be managed within existing budgets wherever possible, alongside any specific funding arrangements that may be made available to support transition activities.
5.6 Overall, the financial approach underpinning the Transitional Plan is prudent and risk-aware, recognising the need to maintain financial stability during a period of significant organisational change. The plan seeks to balance the delivery of essential services with the imperative to improve the Council’s financial resilience and leave a sustainable position for the new West Surrey unitary authority.
6. Legal comments
6.1 Under the Localism Act 2011 the Council has a general power of competence which enables the Council to update the Corporate Plan and adopt the Transitional Plan.
6.2 In developing and implementing the updated Corporate Plan the Council must comply with all applicable statutory duties and powers, most notably Best Value Duty under the Local Government Act 1999 and the Public Sector Equality Duty under the Equality Act 2010.
6.3 Legal Services must be consulted in relation to individual programmes and projects arising from the Transitional Plan to ensure that all decisions are made in accordance with the Council’s Constitution and all applicable legislation.
Corporate implications
7. Commissioners’ comments
7.1 The Commissioners have confirmed that they have no comments.
8. S151 Officer comments
8.1 The S151 Officer confirms that all financial implications have been taken into account. As the report states above, the Transitional Plan is underpinned by the need to ensure medium-term financial sustainability, requiring strict financial discipline.
9. Monitoring Officer comments
9.1 Approval of the Corporate Plan falls within the remit of full Council (Article 4, para 4.1(a) of the Constitution); the proposed Transitional Plan must be presented to and approved by the Council.
10. Procurement comments
10.1 There are no procurement implications arising directly from the recommendations in this report.
10.2 All contracts that may be required for the delivery of the Transitional Plan 2026/27 must comply with the Council’s Contract Standing Orders and all applicable rules and regulations.
11. Equality and Diversity
11.1 The proposed Transitional Plan will ensure that the Council continues to deliver services that cater for all sections of our communities, ensuring that individuals and sections of the community are not excluded.
12. Sustainability/Climate Change Implications
12.1 One of the priorities outlined in the proposed Transitional Plan is ‘Environment’, where planned key actions under this priority area are outlined.
13. Other considerations
13.1 An Operational Delivery Plan has been developed to ensure that the objectives and actions outlined in the Transitional Plan will be delivered and this will be used to inform the individual and team objectives for staff through the Council’s performance management and service planning processes.
14. Timetable for implementation
14.1 If approved by Council, implementation of the actions outlined will commence immediately, delivered through the Operational Delivery Plan.
15. Contact
15.1 Gordon Mitchell – Interim Chief Executive (g.mitchell@spelthorne.gov.uk)
15.2 Lee O’Neil – Deputy Chief Executive (l.o’neil@spelthorne.gov.uk)
15.3 Sandy Muirhead - Group Head Commissioning and Transformation (s.muirhead@spelthorne.gov.uk)
Please submit any material questions to the Committee Chair and Officer Contact by two days in advance of the meeting.
Background papers:
Report and appendices to be considered by CPRC on 13 July 2026:
Report: Updated Transitional Plan 1 - CPRC 13 July.pdf
Appendix A:
Appendix A - Updated Transitional Plan for CPRC 13 July.pdf
Appendix B:
Appendix B - Suggested amendments from Service Committees on proposed Council Transitional Plan.pdf
Appendices:
Appendix A – Proposed Council Transitional Plan 2026/27