Agenda and minutes

To confirm the minutes of the meetings held on 20 November 2025 and 11 December 2025.

The minutes for the meeting on 11 December were agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

To disclose any pecuniary, other registrable or non-registrable interests as set out in the adopted Code of Conduct. In making their disclosure councillors are asked to state the agenda item, the nature of the interest and any action they propose to take as part of their declaration.

If required, further advice should be sought from the Monitoring Officer in advance of the meeting.

There were no Declarations of interest

Representatives of town or parish councils and members of the public who live, work, or represent an organisation within the Dorset Council area are welcome to submit either 1 question or 1 statement for each meeting.  You are welcome to attend the meeting in person or via MS Teams to read out your question and to receive the response.   If you submit a statement for the committee this will be circulated to all members of the committee in advance of the meeting as a supplement to the agenda and appended to the minutes for the formal record but will not be read out at the meeting. The first 8 questions and the first 8 statements received from members of the public or organisations for each meeting will be accepted on a first come first served basis in accordance with the deadline set out below.  Further information read Public Participation - Dorset Council

All submissions must be emailed in full to [email protected]  by 8.30am on 19 January 2026

When submitting your question or statement please note that:

•         You can submit 1 question or 1 statement.

•         a question may include a short pre-amble to set the context.

•         It must be a single question and any sub-divided questions will not be permitted.

•         Each question will consist of no more than 450 words, and you will be given up to 3 minutes to present your question.

•         when submitting a question please indicate who the question is for (e.g., the name of the committee or Portfolio Holder)

•         Include your name, address, and contact details.  Only your name will be published but we may need your other details to contact you about your question or statement in advance of the meeting.

•         questions and statements received in line with the council’s rules for public participation will be published as a supplement to the agenda.

•         all questions, statements and responses will be published in full within the minutes of the meeting.

There was no public participation.

To receive questions submitted by councillors.  

Councillors can submit up to two valid questions at each meeting and sub divided questions count towards this total.   Questions and statements received will be published as a supplement to the agenda and all questions, statements and responses will be published in full within the minutes of the meeting. 

The submissions must be emailed in full to [email protected]  by 8.30am on 19 January 2026

Dorset Council Constitution – Procedure Rule 13

No questions from Councillors.

To receive the report form the Corporate director for finance and Section 151 Officer.

The Chair thanked the Corporate Director, Section 151 Officer for their paper and the addition information that had been pulled together in line with the key lines of enquiry from the Place and Resources Scrutiny Committee.

The Corporate Director, Section 151 Officer introduced the Budget and Medium-Term Financial Plan Strategy Report and the wider context that has effected the assumptions that underpin the report. The Cabinet member for finance set out the frustrations with the settlement around fair funding and the issues of rurality and an aging population that create pressures in Dorset. There was clarification around how the funding for the local authority is gathered from Council Tax, Business Rates and Grants.

The Corporate Director, Section 151 Officer provided a summary presentation provided additional information and covered

1.     Progress against 2025/26 savings & consideration of impact on 2026/27 proposals.

2.     3-year trends of budget prediction

3.     Reserves position over time

There was reassurance provided around Our Future Council savings and the activities undertaken during 2025/26 and the savings applied to the 2026/27.

There was discussion on Fees and charges which covered sources of fee-based income such as car parking charges, recycling fees and composting, Moors Valley fees. The conversation also covered the feasibility of the expected revenue projections provided and the balance of fees and revenue generation on service provision.

There was discussion on the vacancy coefficient and posts deleted to realise savings in 2025/26 and 2026/27. Officer vacancies being removed from structures was discussed and additional context provided around a national shortage of qualified planners and the process taken when removing roles from the organisation.

SEND transport was investigated and the discussion covered the changes made over the last couple of years and the approach undertaken. There was clarification sought around the predictions made and how the figures were generated.

A discussion on Household recycling centres and the savings generated from the introduction of the booking system at the 4 sites. The impact of neighbouring counties introducing similar systems and the potential impact of that on the Household Recycling centre demand.

The impact of changes to streetlighting and the procurement of more energy efficient street lighting and the budget considerations in terms of the cost of energy were covered and assurance provided.

The changes to leisure, culture and the arts grant allocation and the impact of that on the provision of services was discussed.

The allocation of costs and pressures in specific areas of the budget and the revenues or savings being shown in another and the merits of changing those to align

Corporate and legal budget discussion

The out of hours service provision was discussed with focus on the pressures from contract changes that have increased the operating costs of out of hours services

There was discussion around the savings to be generated through early digital contact reducing the amount of debt written off.

There was a discussion around changes to the organisational comms approach and the increase in budget provision.

Recommendations

The Place and Resources Scrutiny Committee  ...  view the full minutes text for item 57.

To review the Place and Resources Scrutiny Committee Work Programme.

The committee reviewed the work programme.

To review the Executive arrangement forward plans.

Forward Plans are provided to members of the Place and Resources Scrutiny Committee to review and identify any potential post decision scrutiny to be undertaken, by scheduling items into the work programme to review after a period of implementation.

The Committee reviewed the Executive forward plans.

To consider any items of business which the Chair has had prior notification and considers to be urgent pursuant to section 100B (4) b) of the Local Government Act 1972. The reason for the urgency shall be recorded in the minutes.

There were no urgent items.

To move the exclusion of the press and the public for the following item in view of the likely disclosure of exempt information within the meaning of paragraph x of schedule 12 A to the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended). The public and the press will be asked to leave the meeting whilst the item of business is considered.  

There are no exempt items scheduled for this meeting.

There was no exempt business.