Agenda

If a Councillor has a disclosable pecuniary interest in a particular item, whether or not it is entered in the Authority’s register of interests, or any other significant interest which they consider should be declared in the public interest, they should declare the existence and, unless it is a sensitive interest as defined in the Member Code of Conduct, the nature of the interest at the commencement of the consideration of that item or as soon as it becomes apparent.

At meetings where members of the public are allowed to be in attendance and speak, any Councillor with a disclosable pecuniary interest or other significant interest may also make representations, give evidence or answer questions about the matter. The Councillor must then withdraw immediately from the meeting before the matter is discussed and any vote taken.

Where Members of the public are not allowed to be in attendance and speak, then the Councillor with a disclosable pecuniary interest should withdraw from the meeting whilst the matter is under consideration. Councillors who have declared other significant interests should also withdraw from the meeting if they consider their continued participation in the matter would not be reasonable in the circumstances and may give rise to a perception of a conflict of interest.

Councillors are not obliged to withdraw from the meeting where a dispensation to that effect has been obtained from the Standards Committee.

To approve the minutes of the previous meeting as an accurate record and note any outstanding actions.

An action sheet from the previous meeting is attached for information.

This is the fourth in a series of reports to the Policy and Oversight Board on H&F’s Cost of Living response programme. Together with Appendix 1, it provides an overview of activity from 2022/23 to 2024/25 and outlines the strategy for 2025/26. The report highlights the Council’s continued commitment to supporting residents through economic hardship with a compassionate, data-informed, and financially efficient approach.

This report sets out the findings following a Finance Peer Challenge conducted of the Council in April 2025.

For the Board to discuss the work programme.

To note the dates of future meetings:

·       17 Sept 2025

·       24 Nov 2025

·       4 Feb 2026

·       29 April 2026