Agenda and minutes

The Chair advised the Council that the meeting was being recorded and streamed

online in accordance with usual practice.

The Council noted the interests previously declared by Members in Agenda item No. 12 – Minutes for Noting.

AGREED that the minutes from the meeting held on 16 December 2025 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

Members of the Council reflected on their memories of the late Lawrence Goff, former District Councillor, Newark Town Councillor and former Mayor of Newark.

The Portfolio Holder for Public Protection and Community Relations informed the Council that the ‘Knife Angel’ sculpture, created by the British Ironwork Centre would be visiting Newark as part of an upcoming UK National Youth Anti-Violence Tour.

The Portfolio Holder for Housing informed the Council that the York Drive Regeneration Scheme had been nominated for Community Engagement in the Pineapple Awards, and ICT had been nominated in the Housing Tech Awards, both within the housing sector.

The Council considered the joint report of the Deputy Chief Executive, Director –Resources and Section 151 Officer and Director – Housing, Health & Wellbeing which set out the proposed income and expenditure on the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) budget for both revenue and capital for the 2026/27 financial year, provided indicative amounts of income and expenditure for the 2027/28 to 2029/30 financial years; and sought approval for rent levels and service charges for 2026/27 (with effect from the first Monday in April 2025) as detailed in Appendices A, B, C and D to the report.

The Cabinet, at their meeting held on 20 January 2026, recommended approval of the HRA budget for 2026/27, with an increase of 4.8% on rents of all properties in the HRA, and service charges as detailed.

AGREED (with 32 for and 1 against) that Council approve:

a)      the HRA budget for 2026/27, as set out in Appendix A to the report;

b)      an increase of 4.8% in the 2026/27 rents of all current HRA tenancies will be applied from 6 April 2026;

c)      the 2026/27 service charges, as set out in Appendix C to the report; and

d)      the Capital Budget set out in Appendix D to the report is committed as expenditure in the Capital Programme for 2026/27 to 2029/30.

(Councillor R Holloway left the meeting prior to the vote on this item).

The Council considered the report of the Deputy Chief Executive, Director – Resources and Section 151 Officer, which provided an update on the Council’s treasury activity and Prudential Indicators for the first half of 2025/26.  This activity was reported to the Audit & Accounts Committee at their meeting held on 10 December 2025.

AGREED (unanimously) that Full Council note the treasury management activity and the Prudential Indicators as detailed in Sections 6 & 7 of the report.

The Council considered the report of the Deputy Chief Executive, Director – Resources and Section 151 Officer, which informed the Council of the audit and accounts activity undertaken by the Audit & Governance Committee between 25 September 2024 and 2 July 2025. The report detailed how the Committee had discharged its responsibilities throughout the year in accordance with the Constitution.

AGREED     (unanimously) that the report be noted.