Cabinet - Monday 15 December 2025, 7:00pm - Epping Forest District Council webcasts

Cabinet
Monday, 15th December 2025 at 7:00pm 

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  1. Cllr Chris Whitbread
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  1. Vivienne Messenger
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  1. Cllr Raymond Balcombe
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  1. Cllr Roger Baldwin
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  1. Cllr Ken Williamson
  2. Cllr Stephen Murray
  3. Cllr Chris Whitbread
  4. Cllr Ken Williamson
  5. Cllr Chris Whitbread
  6. Cllr Graham Wiskin
  7. Cllr Chris Whitbread
  8. Cllr Ken Williamson
  9. Cllr Chris Whitbread
  10. Cllr Graham Wiskin
  11. Cllr Ken Williamson
  12. Cllr Chris Whitbread
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  1. Cllr Graham Wiskin
  2. Cllr Chris Whitbread
  3. Owen Sparks
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  5. Cllr Stephen Murray
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  7. Owen Sparks
  8. Cllr Stephen Murray
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  1. Cllr Rose Brookes
  2. Cllr Chris Whitbread
  3. James Warwick
  4. Cllr Stephen Murray
  5. Cllr Chris Whitbread
  6. Cllr Jon Whitehouse
  7. Cllr Chris Whitbread
  8. Webcast Finished

Cllr Chris Whitbread - 0:00:00
Members, if I can start by opening up with the webcasting introduction.
This meeting is to be webcast to as usual.
I'd like to remind everyone that this meeting will be filmed live or recorded and uploaded to the internet
and will be capable of repeated viewing.
Therefore, by participating in this meeting, you are consenting to being filmed
and to the possible use of those images and sound recordings.

1 Webcasting Introduction

If any public speakers on MS Teams do not wish to have their image captured,
They should ensure that their video setting throughout the meeting is turned off and set to audio only.
Members, I don't need to remind you, but when you're speaking please turn your microphone on, and when you've finished turn your microphone off.

2 Apologies for Absence

Item 2, apologies for absence.
Vivienne Messenger - 0:01:11
I've had apologies from Councillor Holly Whitbread.
Cllr Chris Whitbread - 0:01:16
Thank you very much and I should imagine from Councillor Kasrisby for possible
lateness but should be here in due course. Members any declarations of

3 Declarations of Interest

interest? No. Any reports from portfolio holders?

5 Reports of Portfolio Holders

Councillor Balcombe. Thank you chair. I'm just pleased to announce that the new
Cllr Raymond Balcombe - 0:01:38
Epping Leisure Centre will officially open its doors on Monday the 12th of
January 26th at 9am. This is an eagerly awaited facility, is situated on Baker's Lane, providing
a modern, state -of -the -art venue for the local community.
The new leisure centre will replace the existing Epping Sports Centre on Hemmell Street by
offering improved amenities and services. It marks a significant upgrade for sports
and leisure provisions in Epping, in addition to its role as a sports and leisure hub, the
new centre will form an integral part of the regeneration project of the town. This development
represents a key step forward in enhancing community facilities and supporting the ongoing
Cllr Chris Whitbread - 0:02:30
of Epping. Thank you very much. Any other members with reports? No? Okay.
Minutes of, sorry,
the minutes of the last meeting.

4 Minutes

No, I didn't.
Minutes of the last meeting,
can I take those as been agreed?
Agreed.
Thank you.

6 Public Questions and Requests to Address the Cabinet

Any public questions or requests to address the cabinet?
None received.

7 Overview and Scrutiny

Then we move on to item seven,
which is the report of overview and scrutiny.
Councillor Baldwin.
Cllr Roger Baldwin - 0:03:01
Thank you, chairman.
Yes.
So, there has not been a meeting of the ONS Committee since the last cabinet meeting.
The main item to report is that we had a briefing on the budget with the combined participation
of the cabinet and the members of the ONS Committee.
We had a full and detailed discussion around spending priorities.
As you know, we have to present a balanced budget in the new year.
And to end, members had a lively and useful discussion,
and I'm sure that this will feed into the item
on the budget in this evening's agenda.
So that's really all I have to say for my report.
Thank you, Councillor Baldwin.
Cllr Chris Whitbread - 0:03:44
It certainly was a helpful meeting,
and we find that engagement very worthwhile
when it comes to shaping what the budget will look like
once we get to it in January, finally,
which is very important to us, obviously.
Members any comments for Councillor Baldwin? There's not much to report there and of course overview and scrutiny is tomorrow evening
And we are trying to get those in sync where the cabinet comes after overview scrutiny, but this is what just one of those anomalies

8 Pay Policy Statement 2026/27

Okay, if we go to the first item which is item eight the council's paid policy statement
This is to be referred up to full council on Thursday evening members. I'll take it
you've had the opportunity to read what is a statutory report. Any questions? No? Okay.
Members, can I agree that that will go to full council on Thursday evening? We then

9 Calendar of Meetings 2026/27

go on to item nine which is the calendar of meetings again an annual report that
we receive and it has gone through the various stages of discussion and I know
you've all had an opportunity to take a look at it in various places members any
questions on the calendar of meetings which again will go to full council on
Thursday. No. Okay. Members, can we take that as been agreed? We then move on to item 10,

10 Infrastructure Funding Statement

the infrastructure funding statement. Councillor Williamson.
Cllr Ken Williamson - 0:05:31
Thank you, leader. This is another statutory annual statement we make. It is literally
the amounts we've received, sorry, not received,
secured under section 106, secured and received
are two different things in this context.
It's all perfectly clear in the report
and so it's an annual thing we have to do.
Thank you.
Members, I'm looking for any comments.
Councillor Murray.
Thank you, Chairman.
Cllr Stephen Murray - 0:06:07
I have got a couple of questions.
I first of all apologise for not being there in person, but we had our Lytons and Rinnorra
and Annika event in Louton, a very large public event, and I always attend and I thought it
was particularly important I attended that this evening as I always do, so that's why
I haven't made it up to the Cabinet.
Yeah, I've just got two questions here and they may have been tucked away somewhere in
the report, but I missed them.
This is good news and I know it's statutory reporting about what we've got.
But I'm also interested in spending what we have obtained in past years and I
have to be just perfectly honest I've been quite parochial here and then I will make another point more general.
I'm interested in money that was secured for works on the Roddon Valley Recreation Ground
that covered not just Loughton but Buckhurst Hill.
interest anyway, but it was good that he attended, but we haven't heard anything since. So,
I am interested in the spending profile of monies that have been allocated and reported
on in previous years. So that's the first question. And then my second question is of
a more general nature. Can I just have a reinsurance, because most of these monies are tied up in
legal agreements about how they are going to be spent with developers and so on. If
they have not been spent by the time Epping Forest disappears, which I think is highly
likely that we won't have spent these monies, can we be assured that somehow they are safeguarded
for the purposes that the report says they have been allocated to and they are not going
that we swallowed up in a new unitary authority
and the money's lost.
So we get the development and the downside.
There are upsides to development of course,
but we lose this money.
So one's very particular,
what about spending the money we've already had?
And I'm particularly interested in the relatively large sum
on the Rodeo Valley and then the general point,
how legally protected are these
when a confined district council disappears?
I think you would agree, Chair,
with both valid questions.
Yep, very good questions.
Councillor Williamson.
Cllr Chris Whitbread - 0:09:10
Cllr Ken Williamson - 0:09:11
Thank you, Chair, as leader.
Thank you, Councillor Murray.
Yeah, I remember the visit to Rodding Valley Recreation.
It was quite a hot day and it must have been some time ago.
And it slipped on my radar, I must admit,
but I will be chasing officers in the morning
to see where we are, what's going on.
I think we've made it absolutely crystal clear
that that money is for Rodeo Valley Recreation and Ground
and nowhere else.
I remember walking around with you
and there's some really good items there
that are gonna improve it for everybody.
On the second point, I think I can give you the reassurance
but there's so much in the changeover.
I'm sure it will not be lost
and that any section 106 money collected by Epping Forest will be spent in Epping Forest.
I think that anything else would just be plain wrong, as I'm sure all the other authorities
will make sure that the money they have in section 106 is also for their own areas.
So I don't know the detail, but we'll be on top of it and make sure that that is always
in our mind.
Thank you.
Thank you for the questions.
Thank you, Councillor Williamson.
Cllr Chris Whitbread - 0:10:22
and Councillor Murray, I think that the key factor here
is that these section 106 agreements in particular
are tied up by a legal agreement.
And therefore we would certainly be seeking
to make sure that it was spent where it's meant to be spent,
which is here in Epping Forest.
And that doesn't change whether we're part
of a larger unitary authority
or we're still a little old Epping Forest.
But good questions.
any other members with questions for Councillor Williamson?
Cllr Graham Wiskin - 0:10:54
Thank you Chairman. One of the items on the schedule is £25 ,000 which has been
spent on air quality mitigation saving off the long -promised clean air zone in
Epping Forest. I have asked before and I'll ask again can we have some
visibility of the reports which these are the findings are based on which says
that we're doing pretty well and we won't need it I would like to see that
there's some assurance there is some genuine activity which we can actually
monitor and review ourselves that's my first question
Cllr Chris Whitbread - 0:11:33
Cllr Ken Williamson - 0:11:36
Thank You Councillor Williamson okay and thank you for the question yeah it's an
ongoing piece of work I believe that we are now at the consultation stage where
where the figures have been or are about to be firmed up.
It's always a moving target, especially when you're consulting outside bodies.
But I think it was Natural England was the last consultation we were going to have before
we could actually publish.
But it is imminent.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Cllr Chris Whitbread - 0:12:07
Councillor Whiskin, you have a further question?
Yes, thank you.
Cllr Graham Wiskin - 0:12:09
The report refers to the infrastructure delivery plan being a live document.
Given there were rumblings about increased housing requirements on top of our local plan,
is there any clues of any potential impacts on our delivery plan and the contents of that
going forward?
is no doubt we'll all suspect those added housing requirements will come to
be a requirement and clearly we will need something better than cycle super
highways which can dominate a lot of the local infrastructure delivery plan
supporting documents.
Cllr Ken Williamson - 0:12:52
Councillor Williamson.
Thank you chair, thank you for the second question.
Yeah I keep saying the infrastructure delivery plan is a live document but it
change. So it's one of those anomalies in life. I did ask this question last week of
officers and it is tied up with our sill implementation because the sill evidence is based on the
infrastructure delivery plan. We are looking at going back to look at it later. When it
When it comes to additional housing,
the answer is we don't know.
We think there's a distinct possibility
that they will try and impose extra numbers on us.
I attended a meeting with the Essex Strategic Area Plan,
I think it is SAP.
And part of that review is that well -connected areas
which are well -connected to trains and trams.
I'm not sure we've got any trams,
but we're well connected train wise
with regard to a lot of Essex.
Yeah, it may well impact us with extra numbers.
And at that stage, we will have to see
what additional infrastructure is required.
We are working on our local plan numbers.
That's given, that's actually happening.
Whatever else happens from government,
we will have to deal with accordingly
as and when we hear about it.
Thank you.
Cllr Chris Whitbread - 0:14:29
Members, any other questions at all?
Okay, in that case,
can I take those recommendations as being agreed?
Agreed.
Thank you very much.
Now members, I'm going to move the agenda around slightly
now because we have the additional item of the MTFP,
which we will take prior to doing
the leisure management contract.
in case we have to go into private session on that particular piece.
So we will move on to the medium -term financial plan,

15 MTFP 2026-27 to 2028-29 Update

which members will have seen.
It came out as a separate agenda item to the main agenda
and is in public session.
So we'll take that item first.
First of all, can I thank the Overview and Scrutiny Committee
when they met on December 2nd,
which has helped to inform some of the decisions that have been made.
There are no easy decisions when it comes to budget making.
Over the years all the savings efficiencies that were the low hanging fruit have been
used up and of course it becomes more and more difficult every time we have to find
savings and efficiencies as we move forward.
At this time this brings us up to date with where we are in the budget making process
and as members know we have to have a balanced budget by the time we come to
the February full council meeting and that is our objective. The challenges we
face are many and we still have the fair funding settlement which we were
expecting by the 18th from what I currently understand and by so by the
end of this week we will have a better idea of how badly off we actually are
after the government's latest...
That's the optimistic, yes.
Optimism has disappeared a long time ago in this process, I'm afraid.
So we'll know where we are.
But can I first of all thank all the officers across the service areas
who have made a terrific effort in finding efficiencies and savings
without impacting on the frontline services that matter so much to our residents.
And that's no easy feat to do.
So we must have a balanced budget by February.
We are in a position where we've managed to reduce
the deficit that we faced initially down to 490 ,000 now.
That has meant some tough decisions
as we've gone through the overview and scrutiny process
and other meetings, including the introduction
of garden waste charges like every other council
across the county and many councils
across the whole country.
It's a standard approach as we've had to end
the commingling of waste, the green waste and food waste
and move forward on that.
It will bring us in line with every other council
across Essex and whilst we don't like to increase charges
to our residents, the cost of doing that has to be covered
and indeed the monies that are raised do not actually cover the full recovery of that situation.
Members, you've all had a list of the savings that have been proposed and where we are on the budget.
You've also had the opportunity to consider the increase in fees and charges that will be proposed for 26 -27.
You've also had the opportunity to look at the housing revenue account and the 30 -year business plan as part of that.
I am happy to take questions and I have a brilliant team of financial people here to
answer questions for you. Members, it is open to you before we come to the recommendations.
Caster Whisky.
Cllr Graham Wiskin - 0:18:26
Could you clarify, the subscription rate for the green bins is currently rumoured to be
about 60 pounds if you subscribe to it.
Can you just reconfirm that I maybe may have misunderstood,
but I thought the idea was that there'd be a surplus
from the green bins, which would go towards topping up
our finances a little bit.
In your previous statement, I think you said
it wouldn't cover the costs.
Is that correct?
Cllr Chris Whitbread - 0:18:58
Councillor Whiskin, you are correct and I am wrong.
So I apologise for that.
Thank you.
Oh, would you like to comment on that?
Owen Sparks - 0:19:05
I think when we come to cabinet, sort of October time, that set out the details, the Greenways charging, and that's what's included in the budget as part of that report.
And that's when I think cabinet agreed that charge and all the details of the subsidy and the costs and the income are set out in that report in detail.
Thank you very much. Any other members?
Cllr Chris Whitbread - 0:19:27
Members, you will see from this report that we are proposing the full council tax increase
at 2 .99%, which has been previously set out.
I think that's important to highlight again, but we've got recommendations before us.
There is more of a process to come.
Councillor Murray.
Yes, thank you, Chairman.
Cllr Stephen Murray - 0:19:50
I want to reference page 36, which is the 26, 27 general fund savings. Are we saying
at this stage that they are definitely going to go ahead? I just wanted to understand where
we are with those proposals. They're not included, Councillor Murray.
Cllr Chris Whitbread - 0:20:16
So they are not included at this stage?
No.
There will still be a further round of scrutiny meetings to go through the budget and finally
agree on the savings.
Okay.
They are not included at this stage?
Mr Sparks, I will let you come in and just give a fuller answer.
Owen Sparks - 0:20:36
Yes, they are not included in the NTFP position as set out at the moment.
Obviously we have discussed it at the briefing session.
We're waiting to release the settlement to see what the council's position,
for that to be will be.
And then obviously members will review where we need to do on the back of that,
which will hopefully be, as the leader said, later this week.
Thank you.
Councillor Murray.
Are we still have any further comments
and sort of situations going on?
Thank you.
Cllr Stephen Murray - 0:21:05
Yeah, it just falls awkwardly.
Cllr Chris Whitbread - 0:21:07
And remember the settlement is even later than usual this year.
I think that's the key factor.
we would normally have expected the autumn statement
probably two weeks earlier than what it actually was.
And of course the settlement figures,
when we saw what came from the autumn statement
didn't tell us a lot at all.
But what we do know with fairer funding is,
it's not going to be kind to us, Councillor Murray.
So we have to really see what that contains,
most importantly.
Okay.
Members, you've got the recommendation set out before you.
I feel that we've been doing the budget very well with lots of collaboration and we'll
continue to do that once we get the final figures in place and be back to people in
January, I should imagine, with the next stage.
Owen Sparks - 0:21:59
I think it just depends what someone looks like. Obviously we'll keep members up today
as the process continues.
Yeah, Mr. Sparks still has full optimism.
Cllr Chris Whitbread - 0:22:06
Okay, members, can I agree the recommendations as they're set out?
Thank you very much.

11 Leisure Management Contract

So we then move on to the leisure contract, which is a change in the way that we handle
the leisure contract, which is on a basis that's been used by councils across the country.
I'm looking for some steer, James, on this one.
Yep, and it just makes sure that we get the most efficient use from the contract.
If we need to go on to appendix one, we will need to go into private session, but we're
happy to try and take any questions outside of that, but our recommendation is that we
follow the new model.
Councillor Brooks.
Right.
Cllr Rose Brookes - 0:22:53
I sort of, I appreciate that there's going to be a saving on that.
When we took over the, when this latest group,
Places Leisure took the contract on in 2017,
I know anecdotally there was still a handful of staff
at Loughton certainly who was still on a very old contract,
but they were put under quite a lot of pressure
to change over to the Places Leisure contract,
which meant, I notice here,
everyone will be employed by them,
Because the swimming teachers, for instance,
were offered a considerably higher rate of pay
on the places leisure contract,
but their terms and conditions for sick pay
and pension and things were not so good.
So I'm just slightly concerned really.
I appreciate that this is the way things are moving
and I knew that the contract would have to be renegotiated
when the Epping new centre was finished.
I had always understood that from the meetings,
but we didn't discuss this at the last Leisure Contract meeting.
Cllr Chris Whitbread - 0:24:10
James, would you like to add anything to that?
James Warwick - 0:24:15
I will seek clarification from our legal advisors,
but my understanding is it won't affect the staff.
The staff arrangement will be that they're still employed
by places for leisure.
So it won't affect their terms and conditions
or any that were former EFDC,
then SLM that have chipped over.
It doesn't impact on them, but I will clarify that.
Thank you.
Councillor Murray.
Cllr Stephen Murray - 0:24:54
Thank you chairman, this is one of the main items I joined in on the infrastructure item.
I've got three questions, I think. I've read the report. I'm not sure I understood every twist and turn of it.
But that's probably because I didn't read it quite quickly. So I have got three questions.
If the officer was pushed into the corner, what would he say are the two main advantages
of this new model?
Second question is, what would he identify as the key differences between the existing
contract model and this new model?
And thirdly, how widespread is this new model in this particular sector?
Thank you.
Cllr Chris Whitbread - 0:25:48
Thank you, Councillor Murray. Before we answer those questions, it may be advisable, I think,
to move into private session, but before we do, with your permission, can I just take
Councillor Whitehouse's question to see if that one doesn't require me to go into private
session? Thank you. Councillor Whitehouse.
Cllr Jon Whitehouse - 0:26:02
Thank you, Chairman. I remember that being a big issue when the original outsourcing
of leisure was done and quite how, and that drove various decisions then, so I can see
why it's significant here. I did want to ask about, it talks about more operational visibility.
It would be helpful to hear a bit more about what that means and what in particular the
Council seeks to influence or achieve by that. And secondly, it talks about balance of risk
being the same as it is at the moment.
I wondered how governance would change
under an agency arrangement,
as opposed to a completely contractual arrangement,
particularly in terms of setting prices
and income targets and so on.
Since we're moving into the commercially sensitive,
Cllr Chris Whitbread - 0:27:00
I think if I move into private session
and we'll take Councillor Murrow's question
and then yours, Councillor Whitehouse, if that's okay.
So members, I'm going to move to the exclusion
of public and press.
So if I read the following statement for your agreement
to consider whether under section 100 in brackets A
in brackets four of the local government act 1972,
the public and press should be excluded from the meeting
for the items of business set out on grounds
that they will involve the likely disclosure
of exempt information as defined in the following paragraphs
of part one of schedule 12A of the act as amended
or are confidential under sections 100A in brackets two.
They are to do with the leisure management contract,
item 14, which is the minutes which were exempted,
and 16 is St. John's Road development.
Members, can I agree to move into private session?
Thank you.
Now, if we go back to Councillor Cressy,
Cllr Raymond Balcombe
District councillor for Rural East ward
Conservative Party
View profile Cllr Raymond Balcombe
Cllr Roger Baldwin
District councillor for Loughton Forest ward
Loughton Residents Association
View profile Cllr Roger Baldwin
Cllr Rose Brookes
District councillor for Buckhurst Hill East and Whitebridge ward
Loughton Residents Association
View profile Cllr Rose Brookes
Vivienne Messenger
Democratic Services Officer
Epping Forest District Council
View profile Vivienne Messenger
Cllr Stephen Murray
District councillor for Loughton Roding ward
Independent
View profile Cllr Stephen Murray
Owen Sparks
Interim Strategic Director / S151 Officer
Epping Forest District Council
View profile Owen Sparks
James Warwick
Service Director - Contracts Partnerships and Procurement
Epping Forest District Council
View profile James Warwick
Cllr Chris Whitbread
District councillor for Roydon and Lower Nazeing ward
Conservative Party
View profile Cllr Chris Whitbread
Cllr Jon Whitehouse
District councillor for Epping East ward
Liberal Democrats
View profile Cllr Jon Whitehouse
Cllr Ken Williamson
District councillor for Buckhurst Hill West ward
Conservative Party
View profile Cllr Ken Williamson
Cllr Graham Wiskin
District councillor for Loughton St John's ward
Loughton Residents Association
View profile Cllr Graham Wiskin