Agenda and minutes

To note any apologies for absence from Members.

Apologies were received from Councillor L Crane. Councillor R Vernon was present as substitue.

To provide an opportunity for Members and Officers to declare any disclosable pecuniary interests, other registerable interests, and non-registerable interests in any item on the agenda.

In the interest of openness and transparency, Councillor Gardiner and Councillor Mannion declared that they were non-contributing members of the Cheshire Local Government Pension Fund.

In the interest of openness and transparency, Councillor Gorman declared that he was a Trustee of the Cheshire Pension Fund.

In the interest of openness and transparency, Councillor Clark declared that she was a recipient of the Cheshire Pension Fund.

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the previous meeting held on 12 February 2026.

RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the meeting held on 12 February 2026 be agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

In accordance with paragraph 2.24 of the Committee Procedure Rules and Appendix on Public Speaking, set out in the Constitution, a total period of 15 minutes is allocated for members of the public to put questions to the Committee on any matter relating to this agenda. Each member of the public will be allowed up to two minutes to speak; the Chair will have discretion to vary this where they consider it appropriate.

Members of the public wishing to speak are required to provide notice of this at least three clear working days in advance of the meeting.

Petitions - To receive any petitions which have met the criteria - Petitions Scheme Criteria, and falls within the remit of the Committee. Petition organisers will be allowed up to three minutes to speak.

It was noted that there was one member of the public registered to speak in relation to agenda item 9 (Refreshed Equality Objectives and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy). The Chair confirmed that the speaker, Mr Bunte, had been invited to speak on the item rather than during public speaking.

To consider the report on the Third Financial Review 2025/26.

The committee considered the Third Financial Review (FR3) for 2025/26, which reported a balanced forecast outturn, representing a £2.345m improvement since FR2. The position reflected an £11.798m service overspend, fully offset by an equivalent underspend within central budgets, alongside the planned application of £25.261m in Exceptional Financial Support.

The committee noted key movements within the Corporate Policy Directorate, including the £1.047m projected underspend, mainly arising from vacancy management and ICT/Digital staffing savings. Updates were also provided on transformation programme delivery, capital spending forecasts, reserves, and approved budget change items.

The committee received an update on FR4 which would be reported formally to the Finance Sub Committee in April, key headlines included:

·       Continued improvement in the financial position of the council.

·       Forecasted balanced position – with some significant benefits from the Place Directorate and Digital Services.

·       This had allowed the recreation of the budgeted reserves position of £1m and a planned reduction in the full usage of Exceptional Financial Support (approx. £3m).

The committee welcomed the report and the positive progress made to date, however emphasized the need for continued in?year mitigation and strict financial control.

RESOLVED:

That the Corporate Policy Committee

1.      Note the overall Council’s Financial position as described within the Executive Summary – Council Financial Position.

2.      Note the latest revenue forecast for Corporate Policy Directorate, progress on the delivery of the MTFS approved budget policy change items (Table 3 of the report), the RAG ratings and the actions to be taken to address adverse variances from the approved budget.

3.      Note the overall in-year forecast capital spending for Corporate Policy Directorate of £11.238m against a revised MTFS budget of £12.745m in Tables 4 and 5 of the report.

4.      Note the Capital Budget Reductions as per Table 6 of the report.

5.      Note the available reserves position as per Table 7 of the report.

To consider the report on Pension Pass-Through Agreements.

The committee considered a report on the council’s continued use of Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) pass?through agreements.

The committee noted that such arrangements enabled contractors to pay a fixed employer contribution rate whilst the council retained wider pension funding risks, thereby improving value for money, reducing contract risk premiums, and supporting market competitiveness. The committee noted that pass?through agreements were commonly used for outsourced services such as schools catering and cleaning.

The committee supported the proposed recommendations set out within the report however sought assurance that no individuals would be disadvantaged as a result of the delay in reviewing the policy. Officers highlighted that no significant changes had been proposed, however a formal written response would be provided.

RESOLVED (unanimously):

That the Corporate Policy Committee

1. Approve the use of an LGPS pass-through agreement for contracts for outsourced services as required.

2. Delegate specific authority to the Executive Director of Resources (S151 Officer), in consultation with the Director of Law and Governance (Monitoring Officer), to finalise and enter into future pensions pass-through agreements.

To consider the report which also responds to the Transformation Notice of Motion referred ot the Committee from Full Council in February 2026.

Councillor S Corcoran addressed the committee as a visiting Member and spoke in relation to the financial controls and transparency surrounding the Council’s Transformation Programme, particularly in relation to Phase 2 funding and expenditure with Inner Circle Consulting. Councillor Corcoran queried if the budget envelope for Inner Circle Consulting had exceeded the £3m budget agreed by Full Council in July 2024, and if so, how this had been authorised and why Members had not been sighted on business cases. Councillor Corcoran suggested that this matter should be reviewed by the Audit and Governance Committee. In response, it was confirmed that the council expected to spend £4.9m on the Transformation Programme supported by Inner Circle over a two year period and that part of the Internal Audit work within the Audit Plan for 2025/26 included the financial management arrangements around this and that the Audit and Governance Committee would receive the outcome.

The committee received an update on the Corporate Improvement and Transformation Delivery Plan 2025–27, outlining progress to the end of January 2026. The report confirmed that most improvement priorities were on track, with financial sustainability rated Amber due to ongoing budget pressures. Key updates included the introduction of draft new corporate Key Performance Indicators, progress on major transformation programmes such as within Adult social care, and preparations for transitioning to the Leader and Cabinet governance model in May 2026.

The committee noted that savings associated with transformation activity have been reprofiled within the Medium-Term Financial Strategy, with £12.347m anticipated in 2026/27 and £32m across the four?year planning period. The Committee also noted forecast use of £3.051m from the corporate transformation contingency and £1.065m from the Children’s Services improvement contingency to provide the necessary capacity and expertise to deliver planned changes. It was clarified that, to date, the council had delivered approx. £11m savings in 2025/26.

The committee noted the progress made against the four improvement priorities: financial sustainability, governance and decision?making, leadership and culture change, and improvements to children’s services. Members were informed of strengthened financial management arrangements, the continued development of organisational culture through the People Strategy and staff engagement activity, and positive external feedback on improvements within Children’s Services.

The committee debated the report and its recommendations, including the recommendation to approve in principle the proposed KPIs. It was acknowledged that this needed further work and would be considered by the appropriate Overview and Scrutiny Committee post May 2026. A friendly amendment was accepted by the committee to change recommendation 3 from ‘approve’ to ‘note’.

During the debate an amendment was proposed, seconded and subsequently lost as set out below.

Proposer: Councillor O’Leary

Seconder: Councillor Dean

Proposed amendment to recommendation 7:

That the Corporate Policy Committee note the Notice of Motion on the Transformation Programme (Appendix 8) and agree to the establishment of a Task and Finish Group of 7 Members, to be politically proportionate, with the task of making recommendations to the July meeting of Full Council on options for the future delivery of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 82.

To receive an update on the Strateigc Risk Register.

The committee received the Strategic Risk Register Update to the end of Quarter 3 2025/26, noting that no net risk scores had changed during the period.

The committee noted updates to target scores, including revised targets for Financial Sustainability (SR11), Achieving Climate Change Commitments (SR14), and Capital Projects Management and Delivery (SR15). The committee also noted that the transition to the Leader and Cabinet model (SR16) and Devolution (SR08) were progressing well and expected to be removed from the register following completion.

It was acknowledged that global events could impact the council’s ability to deliver key services and strategic objectives. The situation was evolving and being closely monitored. The committee highlighted the potential impact on council operations such as disruption to capital projects and an increase in refugees arriving in the borough.

A detailed “deep dive” was provided on SR15 (Capital Projects Management and Delivery), as requested at the committee’s November 2025 meeting. The committee queried the FR3 spend v budget 2025-26 for the additional budget spend in Corporate Policy and the low outturn in Children and Families. Officers committed to providing a written response and would like to bring forward an update on Children’s Service Capital Programme to the next meeting of the Children and Families Committee.

RESOLVED:

That the Corporate Policy Committee

1. Note the position of the Council’s Strategic Risk Register to the end of Quarter 3 2025/26 in respect of the content, description, scoring and risk management activity outlined.

2. Note the “deep dive” on SR15 Capital Projects Management and Delivery.

To consider the revised strategy.

Mr Bunte, public speaker, addressed the committee and highlighted cycling as an important means of improving equality and inclusion for people with protected characteristics, particularly age, disability and sex. He stated that young and older residents often relied on cycling for transport, that disabled people faced additional barriers when cycling, and that women remained significantly under?represented among cyclists. Mr Bunte expressed support for Objective 4a, referencing the high proportion of income spent on driving by lower?income households, and welcomed Objective 2a on improving accessibility of council services. Mr Bunte raised concerns that, in Sandbach, interventions for cycling had been limited or detrimental. Mr Bunte cautioned that this trend risked undermining the intentions of the Strategy.

In response, the Chair stated that the council’s aim was always to place equality, diversity and inclusion at the centre of everything, recognising the important role that cycling and other forms of active travel played in improving residents’ wellbeing. The EDI Strategy aligned with the Cheshire East Plan, the Corporate Improvement and Transformation Delivery Plan and the emerging Local Transport Plan to ensure a coherent approach that promoted fair, inclusive and accessible transport options. This included supporting residents and visitors who may not be able to, want to or afford to drive, and encouraging staff to use active travel given the good transport links to main offices in Crewe and Macclesfield. As the Local Transport Plan progresses, the council would continue to consider all protected characteristic groups through equality impact assessments and work closely with the Active Travel Member Champion, Councillor Ben Wye.

The committee considered the refreshed Equality Objectives and the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Strategy 2026–2028 and noted the statutory requirement to review and publish equality objectives every four years. The committee noted the five proposed themes (Inclusive and Diverse Workforce, Accessible Services, Community Engagement, Advancing Equity of Opportunity, and Eliminating Discrimination) developed following targeted engagement and public consultation.

The intention to strengthen equality impact assessment processes and the proposal to include socio?economic status and care?experienced young people as additional protected characteristics were considered and debated by Members. It was highlighted that evidence strongly suggested that the impact of care on an individual stayed with them for the entirety of their life and had a profound effect on all aspect of life chances and it was therefore important that the council recognised this and gave those individuals the best chances possible.

The committee welcomed the report and agreed that this needed to be communicated to the wider organisation so that the changes could be taken into consideration at all levels of decision-making.

RESOLVED (unanimously):

That the Corporate Policy Committee

1. Agree the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy 2026-2028 (Appendix 1) and adopt the themes and objectives for Cheshire East Council.

2. Agree the delivery plan for the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy 2026 2028.

3. Agree to introduce socio-economic and care experienced young people as protected characteristics.

To consider a report on Members’ Allowances.

The committee considered the report of the Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP) on a revised Scheme of Members’ Allowances in preparation for the Council’s transition to a Leader and Cabinet model in May 2026. The report outlined proposed updates to basic allowances, special responsibility allowances and indexation arrangements, based on comparator data and statutory guidance.

The committee supported the recommendation for the uplifts, for the financial years 2024/2025 and 2025/2026 (2.5% and 3.2% respectively), to be applied to basic and special responsibility allowances within the 2023/2024 Scheme of Members’ Allowances, backdated to 1 April 2024. It was queried how many former councillors this would impact and if they would be entitled for the back-pay allowance. Officers committed to providing a written response.

The committee debated key issues arising from the report including subsidence allowances, time commitment remuneration from Members and if the suggested 50% voluntary element was outdated, the importance of reducing barriers to future potential candidates in local elections and ensuring the elected membership of the council was reflective of its local communities.

The committee supported a targeted future review of special responsibility allowances, including those relating to the Cheshire and Warrington Combined Authority and the Chair of the Cheshire Pension Fund Committee. Assurance was provided that the Cheshire and Warrington Combined Authority would seek to remunerate its Members as soon as it had been formally established and its own IRP had considered the matter.

During the debate, an amendment was proposed, seconded and subsequently carried by a majority, as set out below, in order to ensure that the IRP fully considered the council’s move to the Leader/Cabinet decision-making governance model and the significant increase in workload and responsibility for roles such as Portfolio Holders.

Proposed amendment to recommendation 3:

Proposer: Councillor N Mannion

Seconder: Councillor F Wilson

3. A targeted review be conducted, as soon as possible, by the IRP to consider member allowances for Cheshire East Council as a large unitary authority in a Cabinet system from May 2026 and report on the outcome as part of the review of the Leader and Cabinet system scheduled for later this year, and that the IRP also considers allowances for those members appointed to the Cheshire and Warrington Combined Authority and the Cheshire Pension Fund Committee.

RESOLVED (by majority):

That the Corporate Policy Committee recommend that Full Council

1. Agree that the recommendations of the Independent Remuneration Panel, as set out in its report (Appendix 1).

2. Agree the uplifts for the financial years 2024/2025 and 2025/2026 (2.5% and 3.2% respectively) be applied to basic and special responsibility allowances within the 2023/2024 Scheme of Members’ Allowances, backdated to 1 April 2024.

3. Agree that a targeted review be conducted, as soon as possible, by the IRP to consider member allowances for Cheshire East Council as a large unitary authority in a Cabinet system from May 2026 and report on the outcome as part of the review of the Leader and Cabinet system scheduled for later this year, and that the IRP also considers  ...  view the full minutes text for item 85.

To appoint two independent members.

The committee considered a report seeking the appointment of two new independent members to the Independent School Admission Appeals Panel and the Independent Review Panel for Exclusion Reviews. The report set out the requirement to maintain sufficient trained panel members to ensure the council could meet its statutory obligations in relation to school admission appeals and exclusion review hearings.

RESOLVED (unanimously):

That the Corporate Policy Committee

1. Approve the appointment of two individuals to become a member of the Independent School Admission Appeals Panel and Independent Review Panel for Exclusion Reviews.

The reports relating to the remaining items on the agenda have been withheld from public circulation and deposit pursuant to Section 100(B)(2) of the Local Government Act 1972 on the grounds that the matters may be determined with the press and public excluded.

The Committee may decide that the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following items pursuant to Section 100(A)4 of the Local Government Act 1972 on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 2 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 and public interest would not be served in publishing the information.

RESOLVED (unanimously):

That the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the final item on the agenda pursuant to Section 100(A) 3 of the Local Government Act 1972 on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraphs 1 and 2 of the Local Government Act 1972 and the public interest would not be served in publishing the information.

To consider the Part 2 report.

The committee considered the Part 2 report.

RESOLVED:

That the committee agree the recommendations as set out within the Part 2 report.