Agenda Document Pack - Executive Committee - 04/03/2026
South Lanarkshire Council · 4 March 2026
Back to Executive Committee — 4 March 2026 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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Council Offices, Almada Street Hamilton, ML3 0AA Tuesday, 24 February 2026 Dear Councillor Executive Committee The Members listed below are requested to attend a meeting of the above Committee to be held as follows:- Date: Wednesday, 04 March 2026 Time: 10:00 Venue: Hybrid - Committee Room 1, Council Offices, Almada Street, Hamilton, ML3 0AA The business to be considered at the meeting is listed overleaf. Yours sincerely Paul Manning Chief Executive Members Joe Fagan (Chair/ex officio), Gerry Convery (Depute Chair), Alex Allison, John Anderson, Robert Brown, Andy Carmichael, Maureen Chalmers, Ross Clark, Margaret Cooper, Andrea Cowan, Maureen Devlin, Gladys Ferguson-Miller, Elise Frame, Lynsey Hamilton, Susan Kerr, Ross Lambie, Eileen Logan, Katy Loudon, Ian McAllan, Catherine McClymont, Lesley McDonald, Davie McLachlan, Richard Nelson, Norman Rae, Mo Razzaq, Kirsten Robb, John Ross, David Shearer, Margaret B Walker Substitutes Walter Brogan, Poppy Corbett, Margaret Cowie, Celine Handibode, Graeme Horne, Martin Hose, Cal Johnston-Dempsey, Hugh Macdonald, Kenny McCreary, Elaine McDougall, Mark McGeever, Graham Scott, David Watson 1
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BUSINESS 1 Declaration of Interests 2 Minutes of Previous Meeting Minutes of the meeting of the Executive Committee held on 4 February 2026 submitted for approval as a correct record. (Copy attached) 5 - 16 Monitoring Item(s) 3 Revenue Budget Monitoring for Period 11 - 1 April 2025 to 23 January 2026 and Probable Outturn Report dated 10 February 2026 by the Executive Director (Finance and Corporate Resources). (Copy attached) 17 - 24 4 Capital Budget 2025/2026 and Monitoring for Period 11 - 1 April 2025 to 23 January 2026 Report dated 11 February 2026 by the Executive Director (Finance and Corporate Resources). (Copy attached) 25 - 32 5 Update to Funding Report dated 5 February 2026 by the Executive Director (Finance and Corporate Resources). (Copy attached) 33 - 36 Item(s) for Decision 6 Bank Holiday – FIFA 2026 World Cup Report dated 9 February 2026 by the Executive Director (Finance and Corporate Resources). (Copy attached) 37 - 40 7 South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture – Activage Proposals for 2026/2027 to 2028/2029 Report dated 9 February 2026 by the Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources). (Copy attached) 41 - 68 8 Marmot Place Programme – Data Update Report dated 12 February 2026 by the Chief Executive. (Copy attached) 69 - 82 9 Marmot Place Programme - Operational Update Report dated 12 February 2026 by the Chief Executive. (Copy attached) 83 - 90 Item(s) for Noting 10 Review of the Council Plan Report dated 11 February 2026 by the Chief Executive. (Copy attached) 91 - 96 11 Scottish Government National Review (Group-based Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation): Local Engagement Arrangements Report dated 12 February 2026 by the Director, Health and Social Care. (Copy attached) 97 - 102 2
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Urgent Business 12 Urgent Business Any other items of business which the Chair decides are urgent. Exclusion of Press and Public 13 Exclusion of Press and Public It is recommended that the Committee makes the following resolution:- "That, in terms of Section 50A(4) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following item(s) of business on the grounds that it is likely that there will be disclosure of exempt information in terms of Paragraphs 6 and 9 of Part I of Schedule 7A of the Act." Item(s) for Decision 14 Former Bairds Building, Hamilton • Exempt information in terms of Paragraph 6 of Part I of Schedule 7A of the Act • Exempt information in terms of Paragraph 9 of Part I of Schedule 7A of the Act For further information, please contact:- Clerk Name: Tracy Slater Clerk Telephone: 07385 370089 Clerk Email: tracy.slater@southlanarkshire.gov.uk 3
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EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Minutes of meeting held via Confero and in Committee Room 1, Council Offices, Almada Street, Hamilton on 4 February 2026 Chair: Councillor Joe Fagan (ex officio) Councillors Present: Councillor Alex Allison, Councillor John Anderson, Councillor Robert Brown, Councillor Andy Carmichael, Councillor Maureen Chalmers, Councillor Ross Clark, Councillor Gerry Convery (Depute), Councillor Andrea Cowan, Councillor Margaret Cowie (substitute for Councillor Catherine McClymont), Councillor Maureen Devlin, Councillor Gladys Ferguson-Miller, Councillor Lynsey Hamilton, Councillor Celine Handibode (substitute for Councillor Lesley McDonald), Councillor Cal Johnston-Dempsey (substitute for Councillor Elise Frame), Councillor Susan Kerr, Councillor Ross Lambie, Councillor Eileen Logan, Councillor Katy Loudon, Councillor Ian McAllan, Councillor Davie McLachlan, Councillor Richard Nelson, Councillor Norman Rae, Councillor Mo Razzaq, Councillor Kirsten Robb, Councillor John Ross, Councillor David Shearer, Councillor Margaret B Walker Councillors' Apologies: Councillor Margaret Cooper, Councillor Elise Frame, Councillor Catherine McClymont, Councillor Lesley McDonald Attending: Chief Executive’s Service P Manning, Chief Executive; T Little, Head of Communications and Strategy Community and Enterprise Resources K Carr, Executive Director; A Brown, Head of Enterprise and Sustainable Development Education Resources L McRoberts, Executive Director; D Hinshelwood, Interim Head of Education (Support Services and School Estate) Finance and Corporate Resources J Taylor, Executive Director; C Fergusson, Head of Finance (Transactions); K McLeod, Administration Assistant; M Milne, Head of Personnel Services; T Slater, Administration Adviser; I Strachan, Head of Administration and Legal Services Housing and Technical Resources S Gibson, Executive Director; C Jardine, Head of Property Services; G McParland, Property Manager (Assets and Estates) Health and Social Care/Social Work Resources S Sengupta, Director, Health and Social Care; A McCrea, Head of Children and Justice Services 1 Declaration of Interests No interests were declared. 2 Minutes of Previous Meeting The minutes of the meeting of the Executive Committee held on 3 December 2025 were submitted for approval as a correct record. The Committee decided: that the minutes be approved as a correct record. 2 5
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3 Revenue Budget Monitoring for Period 10 - 1 April to 29 December 2025 and Probable Outturn A report dated 8 January 2026 by the Executive Director (Finance and Corporate Resources) was submitted on the overall financial position of the General Fund Revenue Account and the Housing Revenue Account for the period 1 April to 29 December 2025 and the projection for the year to 31 March 2026. The report and associated appendices:- summarised the 2025/2026 Probable Outturn position for the Council’s General Fund Revenue Account to 31 March 2026, including details of proposed transfers to reserves advised that, given the timing of the Local Government Finance Settlement 2025/2026, there was no inclusion on the impact of any revenue grant redeterminations on the 2025/2026 Budget and Probable Outturn provided details of the position on the General Fund Account and the Housing Revenue Account respectively for the period 1 April to 29 December 2025 detailed anticipated spend for the current year proposed funds to be transferred to reserves for future commitments detailed the position, after all proposed transfers to reserves, for known commitments required in the next financial year provided the Housing Revenue Account position The outturn position, after transfers to reserves, resulted in an underspend of £3.579 million. This included proposed transfers to reserves totalling £16.339 million. Part of the underspend within Finance and Corporate Resources included an anticipated Community Grant underspend of £0.040 million. It was proposed that this underspend be used for in-year support to local food banks which supported the Council’s priority of tackling poverty. The position with Adult and Older People Services within Social Work Resources included a £1.762 million commitment in respect of the element of the budget delegated to the Integration Joint Board (IJB). It was proposed that the IJB retain this non-recurring underspend within its reserves earmarked for future costs. In terms of the £3.579 million underspend, it was also proposed that:- £1.000 million be transferred to reserves to allow the Council to provide financial support to contribute towards the response to questions posed by the Marmot initiative £0.040 million be set aside to support the continuation of the Winter Wishes programme within Children and Families Services in 2026/2027 £0.100 million be transferred to reserves for Commercial Feasibility costs £0.400 million be set aside to support the findings of the Third Sector Review to contribute to the external medium grants allocation available for the next 2 years beyond 2026/2027 the remaining underspend of £2.039 million underspend be transferred to reserves for budget considerations in future years The following proposed amendment by Councillor Robb was agreed:- “Allocate £0.300m from the outturn position to match fund three heat networks in Hamilton, Carluke and East Kilbride to outline business case and conduct a feasibility study for one heat network in Cambuslang. Match will be sought from the Scottish Government in the first instance, backed up by the 2024-2026 Renewable Heat Incentive and Feed in Tarriff payments if required. Adjust the outturn and recommendations accordingly.” 6
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The Committee decided: (1) that previously approved transfers to reserves totalling £38.108 million, as detailed in section 4.2 of the report, be noted; (2) that the proposed transfers to reserves totalling £16.339 million, as detailed in section 4.2 and Appendix 2 of the report, be approved; (3) that, including the position across Resources, Corporate Items and Council Tax, and the transfers to reserves, the Council’s outturn underspend of £3.579 million for 2025/2026, as detailed in section 4.3 of the report, be noted; (4) that the proposal that the anticipated underspend of £0.040 million on Community Grants be transferred to food banks, as detailed in section 4.7 of the report, be approved; (5) that the non-recurring underspend of £1.762 million in the delegated budget to the Integration Joint Board (IJB) be retained by the IJB and held in reserves for use in future years, as detailed in section 4.10 of the report; (6) that the proposed use of the £3.579 million underspend for 2025/2026, as set out in section 4.17 of the report, be approved, with the inclusion of the allocation of £0.300 million to match fund 3 heat networks in Hamilton, Carluke and East Kilbride to outline business case and a feasibility study for a heat network in Cambuslang, as outlined in the agreed amendment; and (7) that the projected breakeven position on the Housing Revenue Account for 2025/2026, as detailed in section 6 and Appendix 4 of the report, be noted. [Reference: Minutes of 3 December 2025 (Paragraph 3)] 4 Capital Budget 2025/2026 and Monitoring for Period 10 - 1 April to 29 December 2025 A report dated 8 January 2026 by the Executive Director (Finance and Corporate Resources) was submitted providing an update on the progress of the General Fund Capital Programme and Housing Capital Programme for the period 1 April to 29 December 2025. The revised programme for the General Fund for 2025/2026, as summarised in Appendix 1 to the report, was £67.712 million. This included carry forward projects and previous adjustments approved by this Committee. The forecast for the financial year was £67.712 million and actual spend incurred as at 29 December 2025 totalled £35.036 million. Actual funding received up to 29 December 2025 was £41.194 million. This was detailed in Appendix 2 to the report. Information was provided on:- the proposed allocation of £0.020 million of Local Action Fund monies for Ward 7 – East Kilbride Central South to Darwin Road playpark the allocation of £0.810 million from the Walk Wheel Clyde Trust (formerly SUSTRANS) for improvements along the existing NCN75 Clyde Walkway path and updates to the traffic signal at St Stephen’s Avenue/East Kilbride Road crossing, Rutherglen refurbishment of the first-floor former coffee shop area within Council Headquarters to bring it back into productive use the Leisure and Culture Transformation Fund Programme 7
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The revised Housing Capital Programme for 2025/2026 amounted to £87.740 million. Programme funding for the year also totalled £87.740 million. The funding sources were detailed in Appendix 3 to the report. Budget for the period amounted to £52.315 million and, as at 29 December 2025, £52.315 million had been spent. Spend on the New Build Programme had been impacted by delays in the Scottish Government approval timescales, where some projects had commenced later in the year. Any reduction in spend as a result of this would be offset by an opportunity to accelerate the Housing Investment Programme and any funding not used in 2025/2026 would be carried forward to 2026/2027. The position on the General Fund Capital Programme and the Housing Capital Programme would be monitored by the Financial Resources Scrutiny Forum. In response to a member’s question, officers undertook to look into the delay to External Fabrics and Energy Efficiency projects, specifically in Springhall, and provide the member with an update. The Committee decided: (1) that the position of the General Fund Capital Programme, as detailed in appendices 1 to 2 of the report, and the Housing Capital Programme, as detailed in Appendix 3 of the report, as at 29 December 2025, be noted; (2) that the proposal to allocate £0.020 million of Local Action Fund monies for Ward 7 to the Darwin Road playpark be approved; and (2) that the revised programmes be monitored by the Financial Resources Scrutiny Forum. [Reference: Minutes of 3 December 2025 (Paragraph 4)] 5 Update to Funding A report dated 7 January 2026 by the Executive Director (Finance and Corporate Resources) was submitted on additional funding, totalling £1.159 million, which had been made available to the Council by the Scottish Government and other external sources. The funding had been allocated as follows:- Capital Funding Resource 2025/2026 (£m) Housing and Technical 0.149 Community and Enterprise 0.810 2026/2027 (£m) Community and Enterprise 0.200 Total 1.159 The Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources) responded to a member’s question in relation to an aspect of the report. The Committee decided: that the additional funding totalling £1.159 million, as detailed in Appendix 1 to the report, be noted. [Reference: Minutes of 3 December 2025 (Paragraph 5)] 8
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6 Recommendations Referred by Housing and Technical Resource Committee A report dated 21 January 2026 by the Chief Executive was submitted on recommendations referred to this Committee by the Housing and Technical Resources Committee at its special meeting held on 21 January 2026 in relation to the Housing Revenue and Capital Account Budget 2026/2027. The recommendations were as follows:- that the proposed rent increase of 6.50% to be applied in 2026/2027 to all council houses, Gypsy/Traveller sites, lock-ups and garage sites and the revenue estimate proposals for the Housing Revenue Account (HRA), as detailed in Appendix 1 to the report to the Housing and Technical Resources Committee, be endorsed and referred to the Council for approval that the proposed increase in charges applied for the provision of close cleaning and laundry services of 6.50% in 2026/2027 be endorsed and referred to the Council for approval that the proposal that a 15% premium be added to all new build rent charges that were let either on, or after, 1 April 2026, reflecting the increased energy efficiency measures within those properties and to support the continuing new build programme, as detailed in paragraph 3.6 of the report to the Housing and Technical Resources Committee, be endorsed and referred to the Council for approval that, based on the rent increase of 6.50%, the 2026/2027 Housing Capital Programme of £90.434 million, as detailed in Appendix 2 to the report to the Housing and Technical Resources Committee, be endorsed and referred to the Council for approval The Executive Director (Housing and Technical Resources) wished to record his thanks to the Budget Scrutiny Group and the Tenant Participation Co-ordination Group for their valued input to the process. Officers responded to members’ questions in relation to various aspect of the report. The Committee recommended to the Council: (1) that the proposed rent increase of 6.50% to be applied in 2026/2027 to all council houses, Gypsy/Traveller sites, lock-ups and garage sites and the revenue estimate proposals for the Housing Revenue Account (HRA), as detailed in Appendix 1 to the report to the Housing and Technical Resources Committee, be approved; (2) that the proposed increase in charges applied for the provision of close cleaning and laundry services of 6.50% in 2026/2027 be approved; (3) that the proposal that a 15% premium be added to all new build rent charges that were let either on, or after, 1 April 2026, reflecting the increased energy efficiency measures within those properties and to support the continuing new build programme, as detailed in paragraph 3.6 of the report to the Housing and Technical Resources Committee, be approved; and (4) that, based on the rent increase of 6.50%, the 2026/2027 Housing Capital Programme of £90.434 million, as detailed in Appendix 2 to the report to the Housing and Technical Resources Committee, be approved. [Reference: Minutes of the special meeting of the Housing and Technical Resources Committee of 21 January 2026 (Paragraph 2)] 7 Response to Industrial Market Challenges A report dated 21 January 2026 by the Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources) was submitted on the Council’s response to industrial market challenges. 9
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Information was provided on:- the Scottish Government’s 10-year National Strategy for Economic Transformation the subsequent employment land and property analysis undertaken by Ryden LLP property consultants to understand the employment landscape in South Lanarkshire, which concluded that the following actions should be pursued by the Council:- stimulate the refurbishment of existing industrial stock actively encourage the creation of development ready plots look at where the Council could intervene in the market to ensure a new supply of industrial and office properties explore the potential of Shawfield for a range of uses work being undertaken at Cathcart Road, Rutherglen which had been identified as a suitable location for industrial units work being undertaken in partnership with Clyde Gateway and Scottish Enterprise to deliver offices, laboratory space, incubator and serviced production areas at Shawfield potential additional areas of activity, as outlined in the report A summary of recommended interventions was provided in Appendix 1 to the report. The Head of Enterprise and Sustainable Development responded to a member’s question, and members’ comments in relation to various aspects of the report were noted. The Committee decided: (1) that the summary of the industrial market analysis be noted; and (2) that the proposed interventions, as set out in Appendix 1, be approved. [Reference: Minutes of the Community and Enterprise Resources Committee of 26 November 2024 (Paragraph 2) and Minutes of South Lanarkshire Council of 10 December 2025 (Paragraph 18)] 8 Holy Cross High School – Full Business Case Glasgow City Region City Deal - Larkhall Community Growth Area and St Andrew’s and St Bride’s High School – Full Business Case Glasgow City Region City Deal - East Kilbride Community Growth Area A report dated 21 January 2026 by the Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources) was submitted on:- the Full Business Case (FBC) for the Holy Cross High School element of the Larkhall Community Growth Area (CGA) City Deal project the FBC for the St Andrew’s and St Bride’s High School element of the East Kilbride CGA City Deal project the next steps in progressing the projects The Council was one of 8 local authorities who, with the UK and Scottish Governments, were signatories to the £1.13 billion Glasgow City Region City Deal. The City Deal was made up of 20 key infrastructure projects that were intended to drive economic and inclusive growth across the Glasgow City Region area. The CGAs were one of 4 South Lanarkshire infrastructure projects which comprised a number of individual education, transport and community infrastructure proposals. FBCs had been produced for the Holy Cross High School element of the Larkhall CGA project and the St Andrew’s and St Bride’s High School element of the East Kilbride CGA project. 10
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Information was provided on the proposals, which would provide additional teaching accommodation at both schools. The Executive Summaries of both FBCs were attached as appendices to the report. In response to a member’s request, the Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources) undertook to look at the road safety and congestion issues around Holy Cross High School. The Committee decided: (1) that the Holy Cross High School and St Andrew’s and St Bride’s High School Full Business Cases be approved; and (2) that grant funding be sought in accordance with the City Deal grant distribution process, which required the Business Cases to be submitted for approval to Glasgow City Region Chief Executive’s Group and City Deal Cabinet, as outlined at section 3.7 of the report. [Reference: Minutes of 26 August 2015 (Paragraph 23) and 15 August 2018 (Paragraph 13)] 9 Pride in Place Programme – Hamilton Town Centre A report dated 21 January 2026 by the Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources) was submitted providing an update on the Pride in Place Programme. In September 2025, the UK Government confirmed that 12 local authorities would benefit from Phase 2 of the Pride in Place Programme, including this Council. The Programme aimed to support the most in-need neighbourhoods across the UK by awarding up to £20 million over 10 years for each neighbourhood. Following an application process, one of South Lanarkshire’s 6 applications for Hamilton Town Centre – An Anchor for Hamilton Area had been identified as an area to receive the funding. Information was provided on the next steps in the process and condition of grant which included:- the appoint of an Independent Chair, the process for which was outlined in section 4.3 of the report the establishment of a Neighbourhood Board, the process for which was outlined in section 4.5 of the report the requirement for the Neighbourhood Board to develop a Pride in Place Plan outlining its vision for change over the next 10 years and how the funding would be used Councillor Clark proposed as an amendment that:- recommendation (3) of the report be changed to include all local Ward 17 (Hamilton North and East) councillors in the consultation for appointment of the Independent Chair the proposed composition of the Neighbourhood Board include all Ward 17 councillors the final composition of the Neighbourhood Board be approved in consultation with all Ward 17 councillors Following debate and having sought advice from the Monitoring Officer on the competency of the proposed amendment, the Chair ruled, in terms of Standing Order No 22, that he could accept point one of the proposed amendment, however, points 2 and 3 were not within the Council’s control as this was a UK Government process and those issues would be for the Independent Chair, once appointed, to decide upon. 11
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The Chief Executive gave an assurance that, once the Independent Chair was appointed, he would relay the views of the councillor in relation to the involvement of all Ward 17 members. The Committee decided: (1) that the award of a Pride in Place Programme for Hamilton Town Centre – An Anchor for the Hamilton Area be noted; (2) that the process for the recruitment of an Independent Chair for the Hamilton Town Centre Neighbourhood Board, as set out in section 4.3 of the report, be approved; (3) that authority for the appointment of the Independent Chair be delegated to the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Leader of the Council, local Ward 17 councillors and Imogen Walker MP; and (4) that the process for establishing the Neighbourhood Board be noted. In terms of Standing Order No 14, the Chair adjourned the meeting during this item of business at 11:15am. The meeting reconvened at 11:25am 10 Scottish Government Consultation – The Future of Council Tax in Scotland A report dated 9 January 2026 by the Executive Director (Finance and Corporate Resources) was submitted on the proposed response to the Scottish Government consultation on the future of Council Tax in Scotland. There had been no fundamental change or update to Council Tax since it was introduced over 30 years ago. An independent report from the Institute of Fiscal Studies had been commissioned by the Scottish Government to consider the reform of Council Tax and the potential impacts of revaluation and reform. The report set out the following 4 options for reform:- a pure revaluation, which maintained the current 8-band structure, and placed the same proportion of properties nationally into each band as currently but based instead on up-to- date values a revalued more differentiated 12-band system, which allowed for finer gradation in tax rates across the property value distribution. This included at the very bottom and very top of the property value distribution, slight reduction regressivity a revalued less regressive 12-band system, which went further to reduce the regressivity of the current tax rate structure a revalued less regressive 14-band system, which further differentiated tax bills while, like the previous system, also reduced the regressivity of the current tax rate structure The public consultation took place from 27 October 2025 until 30 January 2026, with the Council being provided with an extension until 4 February 2026 to allow the draft response to be submitted to Committee. The proposed response was attached as Appendix 1 to the report, with the preferred option being the 14-band system, which had the most progressive rates. The Executive Director (Finance and Corporate Resources) responded to a member’s question in relation to an aspect of the report. 12
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The Committee decided: that the draft response to the consultation, attached as Appendix 1 to the report, be approved for submission to the Scottish Government. Councillor Nelson left the meeting during consideration of the above item of business 11 Land and Property Transfers and Disposals A report dated 8 January 2026 by the Executive Director (Housing and Technical Resources) was submitted on proposed actions in respect of land and property transactions. The recommendations had been made in terms of agreed procedures for dealing with surplus land and property. The Committee decided: (1) that the land and property detailed in Appendix A be transferred between Resources; and (2) that the land detailed in Appendix B be declared surplus to Council requirements. 12 Amendment to Membership of Housing and Technical Resources Committee A report dated 14 January 2026 by the Executive Director (Finance and Corporate Resources) was submitted on a proposed change in the membership of the Housing and Technical Resources Committee. Following a request from the SNP Group Leader, it was proposed that Councillor Ferguson-Miller replace Councillor McAllan as a member of the Housing and Technical Resources Committee and that Councillor Donnelly be appointed as a substitute member to fill the vacancy left by Councillor Ferguson-Miller. The Committee decided: (1) that Councillor Ferguson-Miller replace Councillor McAllan as a member of the Housing and Technical Resources Committee; and (2) that Councillor Donnelly be appointed as a substitute member to fill the vacancy left by Councillor Ferguson-Miller. 13 Acquisition of Affordable Homes at New Road, Cambuslang A report dated 23 January 2026 by the Executive Director (Housing and Technical Resources) was submitted seeking approval to acquire 43 homes at New Road, Cambuslang from Realm Homes for inclusion in the Council’s housing stock. At its meeting on 30 November 2022, this Committee approved the Local Housing Strategy 2022 to 2027, which gave a commitment to actively seek opportunities to develop housing across South Lanarkshire to meet housing need and support social and economic growth. The Committee also approved a new affordable housing supply target, aiming to deliver an additional 1,300 homes by 31 March 2027. 13
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Due to a range of factors, this target was unlikely to be achieved, however, the Strategic Housing Investment Plan 2026 to 2031, approved by the Housing and Technical Resources Committee on 17 December 2025, included projects with a total capacity for delivering up to 2,408 affordable homes over the 5-year period to March 2031. Following a Prior Information Notice (PIN) being issued inviting engagement from developers and landowners for the delivery of new affordable housing, Realm Homes submitted a proposal identifying land at New Road, Cambuslang as a potential development site. The proposed development comprised a mix of 2 and 3 bedroom terraced houses, together with 1 and 2 bedroom flats. The costing and financial proposals provided by Realm Homes had been assessed and presented value for money for the Council. It was, therefore, proposed that the Council enter into a Development Agreement with Realm Homes that would allow the construction of 43 affordable homes, subject to the conditions outlined in the report. The Executive Director (Housing and Technical Resources) responded to members’ questions in relation to various aspects of the report. The Committee decided: (1) that the acquisition of 43 completed affordable homes from Realm Homes for a total price of £9,387,735 (which included the cost of land and excluded VAT) at New Road Cambuslang, as part of an offer submitted by Realm Homes in response to a Prior Information Notice issued by the Council for the delivery of affordable housing, be approved; (2) that the Executive Director (Housing and Technical Resources) be given delegated authority to authorise the transactions and instruct Legal Services to conclude transactions in the appropriate manner and in the best interests of the Council, with each individual transaction being in excess of the current £0.200 million acquisition limit under the existing delegated powers arrangements; and (3) to note that the award of a negotiated works contract to Realm Homes for the construction of 43 affordable housing units would be secured in accordance with the Council’s Standing Orders on Contracts. [Reference: Minutes of 30 November 2022 (Paragraphs 6 and 7) and Minutes of the Housing and Technical Resources Committee of 17 December 2025 (Paragraph 9)] 14 South Lanarkshire Public Protection Strategy 2025 to 2028 A joint report dated 6 January 2026 by the Director, Health and Social Care and Executive Directors (Housing and Technical Resources) and (Education Resources) was submitted on the South Lanarkshire Public Protection Strategy 2025 to 2028. Public Protection in South Lanarkshire promoted effective partnership working between the Adult Support and Protection Committee, the Child Protection Committee, Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA), Suicide Prevention, the Alcohol and Drug Partnership, the Violence Against Women and Girls Partnership and the Community Justice Partnership. This was reinforced by the structural arrangements of the Public Protection Chief Officers’ Group. The Strategy, which was attached as Appendix 1 to the report, set out the Public Protection Partnership’s vision ‘to promote multi-agency partnership working which reduced the risk of harm, abuse or exploitation to children, young people, adults and members of the public in our communities’. 14
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Following a member’s request, given the complex and challenging work involved in Public Protection, the Head of Children and Justice Services undertook to arrange future members’ awareness sessions on the different aspects of Public Protection. The Committee decided: that the South Lanarkshire Public Protection Strategy 2025 to 2028 be endorsed. 15 Urgent Business There were no items of urgent business. 15
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Report Agenda Item Report to: Executive Committee Date of Meeting: 4 March 2026 Report by: Executive Director (Finance and Corporate Resources) Subject: Revenue Budget Monitoring for Period 11 - 1 April 2025 to 23 January 2026 and Probable Outturn 1. Purpose of Report 1.1. The purpose of the report is to:- [purpose] advise Committee of the forecast for the year to 31 March 2026 for the Council’s General Fund Revenue Account and Housing Revenue Account, and the actual spend position for the period 1 April 2025 to 23 January 2026 [1purpose] 2. Recommendation(s) 2.1. The Executive Committee is asked to approve the following recommendation(s):- [recs] (1) that the Council’s breakeven probable outturn position, after Transfers to Reserves (section 4), be noted; (2) that the current forecast on the General Fund Revenue Account for 2025/2026 (section 5.1), and the actual spend as at 23 January 2026 (section 5.4 and appendices 1 and 2), be noted; (3) that £0.001 million of Ward 19 Local Action Fund monies be re-allocated to Eddlewood FC (section 5.5), be approved; and (4) that the projected breakeven position on the Housing Revenue Account for 2025/2026, and the actual spend as at 23 January 2026 (section 6 and Appendix 3 of the report), be noted. 3. Background 3.1. This overview report will summarise the previously reported 2025/2026 Probable Outturn position for the Council’s General Revenue Account to 31 March 2026. An Executive Summary is provided in section 4 outlining the detail of the General Fund outturn position including details of proposed transfers to Reserves. An update on the projected outturn for 2025/2026 for both the Council’s General Fund (section 5) and for the Housing Revenue Account (section 6) is also provided. 4. Executive Summary – 2025/2026 General Services Probable Outturn 4.1. As reported previously, the 2025/2026 probable outturn position for the General Fund presented an underspend of £3.579 million. This underspend is after the previously identified / approved Transfers to Reserves (£38.108 million) and the proposed Transfers to Reserves (£16.339 million). 3 17
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4.2. In terms of the £3.579 million, the following was agreed by Committee (Executive, 4 February 2026): that £1.000 million be transferred to reserves to support the Marmot initiative that £0.040 million be set aside to support the continuation of the Winter Wishes programme that £0.100 million be transferred to reserves for Commercial Feasibility costs that £0.400 million be set aside to augment the external medium grants allocation available for the next two years beyond 2026/2027 that £0.300 million be allocated to Heat Network / Decarbonisation projects that the remaining £1.739 million underspend be transferred to reserves for budget considerations in future years 5. 2025/2026 General Services Probable Outturn – Resources and Corporate Lines 5.1. Total Resource Position: The forecast position before and after Transfers to Reserves is shown in appendices 1 and 2. The position presented in Appendix 2 reflects the previously reported probable outturn underspend of £3.579 million as a Transfer to Reserves (section 4.2). This is in line with the probable outturn reported to Executive Committee on 4 February 2026. 5.2. Redeterminations of 2025/2026 Revenue Grant Funding: An update to the Local Government Settlement was received on 30 January 2026. This confirmed previously advised monies for 2025/2026 and also some additional earmarked funding for a number of Council services. The sections below show the detail of the significant new redetermination monies. Local Government Pay Award: The Council’s share (£4.746 million) of the £79.660 million funding nationally for the element of Non-Teachers 2025/2026 pay award over 3%. This budget was anticipated and has been allocated to Corporate Items. Teachers Pay Award: The Council’s share (£1.882 million) of the £29.050 million funding nationally for the part year effect of the element of Teachers 2025/2026 pay award over 3%. This budget was anticipated and has been allocated to Corporate Items. Teacher Induction Scheme: £1.263 million has been provided to fund the cost of additional probationer Teachers in 2025/2026. This budget was anticipated and has been allocated to Education Resources. Scottish Welfare Fund: £0.340 million has been provided to provide more vital support to people in crisis. This will enable the Council to provide more flexible local support through Crisis Grants and Community Care Grants to people in need. This funding is new and has been allocated to Finance and Corporate Resources. Spend will be maximised this financial year and this funding will be used first, before the planned utilisation of previous year funding held in reserves. 5.3. The figures included in appendices 1 and 2 have been updated to reflect these monies. 5.4. The actual spend to 23 January 2026 presents a net surplus position (£64.049 million), which reflects the timing of spend and income only. The forecast outturn after transfers to reserves shows a breakeven position. 18
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5.5. Local Action Fund: The budget for the year includes an allocation of £0.001 million of Local Action Fund monies. The Executive Committee previously agreed this be allocated to Low Waters Lot Community Group. However, as the Group are unable to utilise these funds currently, the local Ward Members (in Ward 19) have agreed that these funds will now be re-allocated to Eddlewood FC. 6. Housing Revenue Account Position 6.1. Appendix 3 also shows the forecast position for the financial year. The Appendix shows a breakeven position for the Housing Revenue Account. 6.2. This breakeven position includes a higher than budgeted Transfer from Reserves (£0.287 million greater than budgeted). The detail is shown in Appendix 3 with variance explanations across subjective categories and includes spend on the new Housing Management system introduced this year. 7. Employee Implications 7.1. None. 8. Financial Implications 8.1. As detailed in sections 4 to 6 of the report. 9. Climate Change, Sustainability and Environmental Implications 9.1. There are no implications for climate change, sustainability or the environment in terms of the information contained in this report. 10. Other Implications 10.1. The main risk associated with the Council’s Revenue Budget is that there is an overspend. The risk has been assessed as low given the detailed budget management applied across the Resources. The risk is managed through four weekly Budget Monitoring Meetings at which any variance is analysed. In addition, this probable outturn exercise ensures early warning for corrective action to be taken where appropriate. 10.2. There are no implications for sustainability in terms of the information contained in this report. 11. Integrated Impact Assessment and Consultation Requirements 11.1. This report does not introduce a new policy, function or strategy or recommend a change to an existing policy, function or strategy and, therefore, no impact assessment is required. 11.2. There is also no requirement to undertake any consultation in terms of the information contained in this report. Jackie Taylor Executive Director (Finance and Corporate Resources) 10 February 2026 Link(s) to Council Values/Priorities/Outcomes Accountable, Effective, Efficient and Transparent 19
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Previous References None List of Background Papers Financial Ledger and budget monitoring results to 23 January 2026 Contact for Further Information If you would like to inspect the background papers or want further information, please contact: Lorraine O'Hagan, Head of Finance (Strategy) Ext: 5637 (Tel: 01698 455637) E-mail: lorraine.o'hagan@southlanarkshire.gov.uk 20
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Note: While the Year to Date Actual at period 11 presents a net surplus position (£64.049m), this is timing only. The forecast outturn before transfers to reserves shows an underspend of £19.918 million. Appendix 1 Before Transfers to Reserves Revised Projected Projected % Note Year to Date Annual Outturn Outturn Actual Budget Variance Resources: £m £m £m £m Community and Enterprise Resources 131.066 129.600 1.466 1.12% 99.127 Facilities Waste and Grounds 79.332 78.242 1.090 1.37% 58.002 Leisure and Culture 20.090 20.126 (0.036) (0.18%) 18.705 Planning and Regulatory Services 5.235 4.257 0.978 18.68% 3.221 Enterprise and Sustainable Development 6.658 7.254 (0.596) (8.95%) 5.928 Roads, Transportation and Fleet 19.751 19.721 0.030 0.15% 13.271 Education Resources 502.596 502.118 0.478 0.10% 407.066 Education 502.596 502.118 0.478 0.10% 407.066 Finance and Corporate Resources 44.456 43.578 0.878 1.97% 45.261 Finance Services - Strategy 2.311 2.339 (0.028) (1.21%) 3.041 Finance Services - Transactions 18.955 18.061 0.894 4.72% 15.669 Audit and Compliance Services 0.363 0.346 0.017 4.68% 0.389 Information Technology Services 8.512 8.615 (0.103) (1.21%) 12.780 Communications and Strategy Services 2.530 2.297 0.233 9.21% 2.235 Administration and Licensing Services 4.985 4.970 0.015 0.30% 4.842 Personnel Services 6.800 6.950 (0.150) (2.21%) 6.305 Housing & Technical Resources 18.941 18.818 0.123 0.65% 16.850 Housing Services 8.249 8.066 0.183 2.22% 8.360 Property Services 10.692 10.752 (0.060) (0.56%) 8.490 Social Work Resources 252.077 247.732 4.345 1.72% 208.425 Performance and Support Services 6.187 5.887 0.300 4.85% 4.531 Children and Families 52.850 50.745 2.105 3.98% 40.515 Adults and Older People 192.159 190.909 1.250 0.65% 163.517 Justice and Substance Misuse 0.881 0.191 0.690 78.32% (0.138) Joint Boards 1.629 1.629 0.000 0.00% 1.378 950.765 943.475 7.290 0.77% 778.107 Revised Projected Projected Year to Date Annual Outturn Outturn Actual Budget Variance Summary: £m £m £m £m Resources Total 950.765 943.475 7.290 0.77% 778.107 CFCR 2.279 2.279 0.000 0.00% 0.000 Loan Charges 37.249 34.790 2.459 6.60% 0.000 Corporate Items (3.824) (13.663) 9.839 (257.30%) 0.272 Loans Fund Review - T/f to Reserves 13.349 13.349 0.000 0.00% 0.000 Teacher Numbers - T/f to Reserves 4.200 4.200 0.000 0.00% 0.000 2025/2026 Investments - T/f to Reserves 13.859 13.859 0.000 0.00% 0.000 Waste and Recycling Services - T/f to Reserves 2.200 2.200 0.000 0.00% 0.000 Budget Strategy - T/f to Reserves 4.500 4.500 0.000 0.00% 0.000 Outturn Underspend - T/f to Reserves 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.00% 0.000 Total Expenditure 1,024.577 1,004.989 19.588 1.91% 778.379 Council Tax 196.599 196.929 0.330 0.17% 166.632 Less: Council Tax Reduction Scheme (24.776) (24.776) 0.000 0.00% (20.964) 171.823 172.153 0.330 0.19% 145.668 General Revenue Grant 452.334 452.334 0.000 0.00% 382.744 Non Domestic Rates 371.110 371.110 0.000 0.00% 314.016 Transfer from Reserves 29.310 29.310 0.000 0.00% 0.000 Total Income 1,024.577 1,024.907 0.330 0.03% 842.428 Net Expenditure 0.000 (19.918) 19.918 0.00% (64.049) Period Ended 23 January 2026 (No.11) Revenue Budget Monitoring Report SOUTH LANARKSHIRE COUNCIL 21
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Note: While the Year to Date Actual at period 11 presents a net surplus position (£64.049m), this is timing only. The forecast outturn after transfers to reserves shows a breakeven position. Appendix 2 After Transfers to Reserves Revised Projected Projected % Note Year to Date Annual Outturn Outturn Actual Budget Variance Resources: £m £m £m £m Community and Enterprise Resources 131.066 130.718 0.348 0.27% 99.127 Facilities Waste and Grounds 79.332 79.010 0.322 0.41% 58.002 Leisure and Culture 20.090 20.126 (0.036) (0.18%) 18.705 Planning and Regulatory Services 5.235 4.397 0.838 16.01% 3.221 Enterprise and Sustainable Development 6.658 7.414 (0.756) (11.35%) 5.928 Roads, Transportation and Fleet 19.751 19.771 (0.020) (0.10%) 13.271 Education Resources 502.596 502.596 0.000 0.00% 407.066 Education 502.596 502.596 0.000 0.00% 407.066 Finance and Corporate Resources 44.456 43.878 0.578 1.30% 45.261 Finance Services - Strategy 2.311 2.343 (0.032) (1.38%) 3.041 Finance Services - Transactions 18.955 18.401 0.554 2.92% 15.669 Audit and Compliance Services 0.363 0.345 0.018 4.96% 0.389 Information Technology Services 8.512 8.614 (0.102) (1.20%) 12.780 Communications and Strategy Services 2.530 2.296 0.234 9.25% 2.235 Administration and Licensing Services 4.985 4.964 0.021 0.42% 4.842 Personnel Services 6.800 6.915 (0.115) (1.69%) 6.305 Housing & Technical Resources 18.941 18.941 0.000 0.00% 16.850 Housing Services 8.249 8.189 0.060 0.73% 8.360 Property Services 10.692 10.752 (0.060) (0.56%) 8.490 Social Work Resources 252.077 252.077 0.000 0.00% 208.425 Performance and Support Services 6.187 5.899 0.288 4.65% 4.531 Children and Families 52.850 53.840 (0.990) (1.87%) 40.515 Adults and Older People 192.159 192.159 0.000 0.00% 163.517 Justice and Substance Misuse 0.881 0.179 0.702 79.68% (0.138) Joint Boards 1.629 1.629 0.000 0.00% 1.378 950.765 949.839 0.926 0.10% 778.107 Revised Projected Projected Year to Date Annual Outturn Outturn Actual Budget Variance Summary: £m £m £m £m Resources Total 950.765 949.839 0.926 0.10% 778.107 CFCR 2.279 2.279 0.000 0.00% 0.000 Loan Charges 37.249 35.148 2.101 5.64% 0.000 Corporate Items (3.824) (4.246) 0.422 (11.04%) 0.272 Loans Fund Review - T/f to Reserves 13.349 13.349 0.000 0.00% 0.000 Teacher Numbers - T/f to Reserves 4.200 4.200 0.000 0.00% 0.000 2025/2026 Investments - T/f to Reserves 13.859 13.859 0.000 0.00% 0.000 Waste and Recycling Services - T/f to Reserves 2.200 2.200 0.000 0.00% 0.000 Budget Strategy - T/f to Reserves 4.500 4.500 0.000 0.00% 0.000 Outturn Underspend - T/f to Reserves 0.000 3.579 (3.579) 0.00% 0.000 Total Expenditure 1,024.577 1,024.707 (0.130) (0.01%) 778.379 Council Tax 196.599 196.729 0.130 0.07% 166.632 Less: Council Tax Reduction Scheme (24.776) (24.776) 0.000 0.00% (20.964) 171.823 171.953 0.130 0.08% 145.668 General Revenue Grant 452.334 452.334 0.000 0.00% 382.744 Non Domestic Rates 371.110 371.110 0.000 0.00% 314.016 Transfer from Reserves 29.310 29.310 0.000 0.00% 0.000 Total Income 1,024.577 1,024.707 0.130 0.01% 842.428 Net Expenditure 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.00% (64.049) SOUTH LANARKSHIRE COUNCIL Revenue Budget Monitoring Report Period Ended 23 January 2026 (No.11) 22
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Variance Explanations 1. Employee Costs The underspend in employee costs is due to vacancies within the service that continue to be actively recruited. 2. Property Costs The forecast underspend is due to the net effect of underspends in void rent loss and ground maintenance charges partially offset by greater than budgeted contract cleaning. 3. Supplies & Services The forecast overspend is mainly due to spend on IT equipment costs this financial year. 4. Administration Costs The forecast underspend is mainly due to lower than anticipated telephone and postage costs in the financial year. 5. Payment to Other Bodies Payments to Other Bodies are overspent due to spend on IT systems this financial year. 6. Income Income is under recovered mainly due to lower than budgeted income from laundry. 23
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Report Agenda Item Report to: Executive Committee Date of Meeting: 4 March 2026 Report by: Executive Director (Finance and Corporate Resources) Subject: Capital Budget 2025/2026 and Monitoring for Period 11 - 1 April 2025 to 23 January 2026 1. Purpose of Report 1.1. The purpose of the report is to:- [purpose] update the Executive Committee of progress on the General Fund Capital Programme and the Housing Capital Programme for the period 1 April 2025 to 23 January 2026 [1purpose] 2. Recommendation(s) 2.1. The Committee is asked to approve the following recommendation(s):- [r (1) that the position of the General Fund Capital Programme (appendices 1 to 2) and the Housing Capital Programme (Appendix 3), as at 23 January 2026, be noted; and (2) that the revised programmes be monitored by the Financial Resources Scrutiny Forum. 3. Background 3.1. The attached statements to this report provide a summarised monitoring position as at 23 January 2026 (period 11). Spending has been split into two separate sections below: General Fund Capital Programme inc. Education, Social Work, Roads and General Services (Section 4) Housing Capital Programme (Section 5) 4. General Fund Capital Programme 4.1. 2025/2026 Budget: The revised programme for the General Fund is £67.712 million (summarised in Appendix 1). This revised programme consists of the base budget plus carry forward projects and adjustments which have been agreed by the Executive Committee up to and including its meeting on 4 February 2026. 4 25
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4.2. Education Resources have been awarded a grant of £0.098 million to cover costs of the detailed design of a ‘state of the art’ modern building for the development of Gaelic language. This is an allocation from the 2025/2026 Scottish Government Gaelic Unit – The An Bothan Project. The award requires no Council match funding and was submitted on the basis that 100% of the funding is sought from the Scottish Government. This is for design only and any build would be subject to Committee approval and a future funding bid. The funding will be received in the 2025/2026 financial year, however, given the timing of the award, this budget will be added to the 2026/2027 programme with any spend achieved in 2025/2026 managed from the funding available. 4.3. The Walk Wheel Cycle Trust (formerly SUSTRANS) has confirmed that South Lanarkshire will receive an additional £0.099 million for resurfacing along the existing NCN 74 Abington to Crawford Quietway. Works are underway to progress this project and maximise spend this financial year, however, given the timing of the award, this budget will be added to the 2026/2027 programme with any spend achieved in 2025/2026 managed from the funding available. 4.4. The overall funding available of £67.712 million to support the programme is detailed in Appendix 2. 4.5. 2025/2026 Forecast: As noted in 4.1, the total capital spending programme for the year is £67.712 million. The forecast spend for the current year is currently £65.962 million, an anticipated net underspend of £1.750 million. 4.6. The anticipated underspend in 2025/2026 is due to 2 projects, as reported previously, East Kilbride Town Centre (£0.800 million) where the demolition costs are lower than anticipated, and Hamilton Junctions (£0.950 million) as works planned for Wellhall Road have been reprogrammed to begin in spring 2026. 4.7. 2025/2026 Actual Position: Actual spend incurred to the 23 January 2026 totals £38.056 million. 4.8. Actual funding received to 23 January 2026 is £46.967 million. This is shown in Appendix 2. Relevant officers will continue to closely monitor the generation of all income including receipts. 5. Housing Programme 5.1. 2025/2026 Budget: Appendix 3 summarises the position on the Housing programme as at 23 January 2026. The total Housing Capital programme for the year is £87.740 million. 5.2. 2025/2026 Forecast: As noted in 5.1, the total capital spending programme for the year is £87.740 million. Current estimates from the Resource have identified an outturn of £85.940 million for the year, an underspend of £1.8 million against the budget of £87.740 million. 5.3. As noted previously, the profile of spend on the New Build programme was affected by delays in securing grant funding and overcoming technical or design issues, where some projects have now commenced later in the year. While there has been good progress with further site starts at Eaglesham View and Cairnswell Avenue as well as accelerated starts for New Road and Almada Street, the previously planned acceleration of the Housing Investment Programme (HIP) spend on External Fabrics and Energy Efficiency projects from 2026/2027 has not materialised as planned. 26
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5.4. Offsetting this, there is an increase in the target number of buy-backs to be achieved between now and 31 March 26. 5.5. This net impact on the forecast is an overall reduction in spend of £1.8 million. 5.6. Any funding not used in 2025/2026 in relation to the new build programme will be carried forward into 2026/2027 to allow completion of the projects. 5.7. In addition, £1.7 million funding has now been confirmed to allow the Council to carry out Single Building Assessments for 28 medium and high-rise buildings across the Council. Due to the timing of the award, expenditure will be incurred in 2026/2027 with funding carried forward into next year’s HRA Capital programme. 5.8. 2025/2026 Actual Position: Spend to 23 January 2026 on the Housing Capital Programme amounts to £56.180 million. 5.9. As at 23 January 2026, £56.180 million of funding had been received. 5.10. Regular monitoring of both the General Fund Programme and the Housing Programme will be carried out in detail by the Financial Resources Scrutiny Forum and reported on a regular basis to the Executive Committee. 6. Employee Implications 6.1. None 7. Climate Change, Sustainability and Environmental Implications 7.1. There are no implications for climate change, sustainability or the environment in terms of the information contained in this report. 8. Other Implications 8.1. The main risk associated with the Council’s Capital Programme is an overspend. The risk has been assessed as low given the detailed project management plans prepared and monitored for each project. The risk of overspend is managed through four weekly Investment management meetings. 9. Integrated Impact Assessment and Consultation Requirements 9.1. This report does not introduce a new policy, function or strategy or recommend a change to existing policy, function, or strategy and, therefore, no impact assessment is required. 9.2. There was also no requirement to undertake any consultation in terms of the information contained in this report. Jackie Taylor Executive Director (Finance and Corporate Resources) 11 February 2026 Link(s) to Council Values/Priorities/Outcomes Accountable, Effective, Efficient and Transparent 27
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Previous References South Lanarkshire Council, 26 February 2025 Executive Committee, 4 February 2026 List of Background Papers Capital Ledger prints to 23 January 2026 Contact for Further Information If you would like to inspect the background papers or want further information, please contact: Lorraine O’Hagan, Head of Finance (Strategy) Ext: 2601(Tel: 01698 452601) E-mail: lorraine.o’hagan@southlanarkshire.gov.uk 28
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APPENDIX 1 SOUTH LANARKSHIRE COUNCIL CAPITAL EXPENDITURE 2025/26 GENERAL FUND PROGRAMME FOR PERIOD 1 APRIL 2025 TO 23 JANUARY 2026 £m Total Base Budget (including carry forward from 2024/2025) 67.712 Proposed Adjustments – Period 11 - Total Revised Budget 67.712 2025/26 Budget Period 11 Proposed Adjustments Revised 2025/26 Budget Resource £m £m £m Community & Enterprise 55.160 - 55.160 Education 5.006 - 5.006 Finance & Corporate 0.645 - 0.645 Housing & Technical 6.564 - 6.564 Social Work 0.337 - 0.337 TOTAL CAPITAL PROGRAMME 67.712 - 67.712 29
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APPENDIX 2 SOUTH LANARKSHIRE COUNCIL CAPITAL EXPENDITURE 2025/26 GENERAL FUND PROGRAMME FOR PERIOD 1 APRIL 2025 TO 23 JANUARY 2026 2025/26 Original Estimate inc C/F 2025/26 Revised Budget 2025/26 Forecast Spend 2025/26 Forecast Variance 2025/26 Actual to 23/01/26 Expenditure £m £m £m £m £m General Fund Programme 64.188 67.712 65.962 1.750 38.056 Income 2025/26 Budget 2025/26 Revised Budget 2025/26 Actual To 23/01/26 £m £m £m Prudential Borrowing 17.192 17.425 0.000 Developers Contributions 1.965 4.679 3.959 Partners 0.450 3.682 1.172 Scottish Government: - Capital Grant 27.467 28.352 33.405 - Vacant & Derelict Land 1.477 1.502 0.994 - Place Based Investment 0.589 0.589 0.602 Levelling Up Fund 7.700 7.200 6.135 Capital Receipts 0.700 0.700 0.700 Specific Reserves 0.038 1.284 0.000 Revenue Contribution 6.610 2.299 0.000 TOTAL FUNDING 64.188 67.712 46.967 30
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APPENDIX 3 SOUTH LANARKSHIRE COUNCIL CAPITAL EXPENDITURE 2025/26 HOUSING PROGRAMME FOR PERIOD 1 APRIL 2025 TO 23 JANUARY 2026 2025/26 Annual Budget 2025/26 Forecast Spend 2025/26 Forecast Variance 2025/26 Actual to 23/01/26 £m £m £m £m Expenditure 2025/26 Budget 87.740 85.940 1.800 56.180 2025/26 Annual Budget 2025/26 Actual to 23/01/26 £m £m Income Capital Receipts - 0.031 Capital Funded from Current Revenue 35.633 25.309 Prudential Borrowing 19.409 12.369 Scottish Government Specific Grant: - Capital Grant 1.652 0.000 - New Build 24.726 15.533 - Open Market Purchase Scheme 6.000 2.651 - Mortgage to Rent 0.120 0.060 Climate Emergency Fund 0.200 0.000 Other Income 0.000 0.227 87.740 56.180 31
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Report Agenda Item Report to: Executive Committee Date of Meeting: 4 March 2026 Report by: Executive Director (Finance and Corporate Resources) Subject: Update to Funding 1. Purpose of Report 1.1. The purpose of the report is to:- [purpose] advise Members of additional funding that has been made available to the Council by the Scottish Government and other external sources since the last report to this Committee (4 February 2026) [1purpose] 2. Recommendation(s) 2.1. The Committee is asked to approve the following recommendation(s):- [recs] (1) that the additional funding totalling £15.016 million, detailed in appendices 1 and 2, be noted. 3. Background 3.1. In year funding can change, and this can be in relation to funding for specific purposes or funding expected and already included in our budget planning. 3.2. Additional funding may either be paid through the General Revenue/Capital Grant mechanism or by the completion of appropriate grant claims. 3.3. Details of the additional funding is attached in appendices 1 and 2 of the report. The report details additional funding that has been reported by Resources as part of the additional resources’ notification process, as well as any additional funding that has increased the Council’s budget by more than £0.100 million. 4. Employee Implications 4.1. None. 5. Financial Implications 5.1. Additional Revenue funding of £8.496 million has been identified for 2025/2026. This was confirmed through Redeterminations of 2025/2026 Revenue Grant Funding as part of the Local Government Settlement received on 30 January 2026. Additional Revenue funding has also been identified for 2026/2027 totalling £4.671. This is detailed in Appendix 1. 5.2. Additional Capital funding of £1.849 million has been identified for 2025/2026. This is detailed in Appendix 2. 5 33
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5.3. Total funding identified in this report is therefore £15.016 million. Resource budgets will be updated to reflect this additional funding. Where appropriate, details of spending plans will be presented to Resource Committees for approval. 6. Climate Change, Sustainability and Environmental Implications 6.1. There are no implications for climate change, sustainability or the environment in terms of the information contained in this report. 7. Other Implications 7.1. There are no other implications in terms of the information contained in this report. 8. Integrated Impact Assessment and Consultation Requirements 8.1. This report does not introduce a new policy, function or strategy or recommend a change to existing policy, function or strategy and, therefore, no impact assessment is required. 8.2. There was also no requirement to undertake any consultation in terms of the information contained in this report. Jackie Taylor Executive Director (Finance and Corporate Resources) 5 February 2026 Link(s) to Council Values/Priorities/Outcomes Accountable, Effective, Efficient and Transparent Previous References None List of Background Papers Additional Funding Grant Awards Contact for Further Information If you would like to inspect the background papers or want further information, please contact: Lorraine O’Hagan, Head of Finance (Strategy) Ext: 5637 (Tel: 01698 455637) E-mail: lorraine.o’hagan@southlanarkshire.gov.uk 34
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Appendix 1 Additional Revenue Funding Resource Description 2025/2026 £m 2026/2027 £m Total £m Method Finance and Corporate Local Government Pay Award As anticipated, the Council has been provided £4.746 million as its share of the £79.660 million funding nationally for the element of Non-Teachers 2025/2026 pay award over 3%. 4.746 - 4.746 Scottish Government Finance and Corporate Teachers Pay Award As anticipated, the Council’s has been provided £1.882 million as its share of the £29.050 million funding nationally for the part year effect of the element of Teachers 2025/2026 pay award over 3%. 1.882 - 1.882 Scottish Government Education Teacher Induction Scheme As anticipated, £1.263 million has been provided to fund the cost of additional probationer Teachers in 2025/2026. 1.263 - 1.263 Scottish Government Finance and Corporate Scottish Welfare Fund A total of £0.340 million has been provided to provide more vital support to people in crisis. This will enable the Council to provide more flexible local support through Crisis Grants and Community Care Grants to people in need. 0.340 - 0.340 Scottish Government Communities and Enterprise Nature Restoration Fund £0.142 million has been provided to facilitate strategic interventions that address environmental obligations and promote diversity. This will be used for tree planting and signage in 2025/2026. 0.142 - 0.142 Scottish Government Finance and Corporate Ukraine Refugees £0.123 million has been provided to fund continued support to Ukrainian Refugee Resettlement and associated services. 0.123 - 0.123 Scottish Government Community and Enterprise No One Left Behind (NOLB) – Employability Funding of £4.671 million provided for delivery of NOLB employability support for the financial year 2026/2027, supporting the vision for economic transformation and tackling child poverty. - 4.671 4.671 Scottish Government TOTAL REVENUE FUNDING 8.496 4.671 13.167 35
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Appendix 2 Additional Capital Funding Resource Description 2025/2026 £m Total £m Method Housing and Technical Cladding Remediation Programme - Single Business Assessments Funding has been made available to allow the Council to carry out Single Building Assessments for 28 medium and high-rise buildings across the Council. Due to the timing of the award, expenditure will be incurred in 2026/2027 with funding carried forward into next year’s HRA Capital programme. 1.652 1.652 Scottish Government Education The An Bothan Project To cover costs of the detailed design of a ‘state of the art’ modern building for the development of Gaelic language. This is an allocation from the 2025/2026 Scottish Government Gaelic Unit – The An Bothan Project. The award requires no Council match funding. This is for design only and any build would be subject to Committee approval and a future funding bid. 0.098 0.098 Scottish Government Community and Enterprise Abington to Crawford Quietway Funding to resurface along the above element of the existing National Cycle Route 74. 0.099 0.099 Walk Wheel Cycle Trust (formerly SUSTRANS) TOTAL CAPITAL FUNDING 1.849 1.849 36
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Report Agenda Item Report to: Executive Committee Date of Meeting: 4 March 2026 Report by: Executive Director (Finance and Corporate Resources) Subject: Bank Holiday – FIFA 2026 World Cup 1. Purpose of Report 1.1. The purpose of the report is to:- [purpose] advise the Executive Committee of the proposed arrangements to enable employees to celebrate Scotland’s first game in the 2026 FIFA World Cup [1purpose] 2. Recommendation(s) 2.1. The Committee is asked to approve the following recommendation(s):- recs] (1) that the granting of an additional fixed annual leave day for employees on Monday 15 June 2026 be approved. [1recs] 3. Background 3.1. Scotland’s opening game against Haiti is on Sunday 14 June 2026 in Boston, with the kick-off due to begin at around 2am UK time. 3.2. An additional bank holiday was confirmed by Royal Proclamation for Monday 15 June 2026 on the request from the Scottish Government. 3.3. The Scottish Government has left the decision for the additional bank holiday provision to individual local authorities. 4. Arrangements 4.1. To enable employees to celebrate the event, which has been the first time Scotland has qualified for the World Cup since 1998, an extra fixed annual leave day on Monday 15 June 2026 would need to be granted. This would mean that non- essential services will have to be reduced, and Council offices closed where possible. The following services will be provided: - Community and Enterprise Resources Waste Roads – Emergency works only Grounds – Bereavement (scheduled burials and cremations only) Essential Staff to support the above Finance and Corporate Resources Emergency Call Handling Planned Ceremonies 6 37
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Housing and Technical Resources Property Services – Emergency Repairs Housing Services – Emergency Homelessness Limited Sheltered Housing and Caretaking Services CCTV Social Work Resources Home Care/Residential Emergency Social Work Services 4.2. Employees required to work on the additional fixed annual leave day to provide essential services would receive appropriate time off, based on their contractual arrangements, to take at another time. This approach is consistent with the last event attracting additional leave across the Council which was the King’s Coronation in 2023. 5. Employee Implications 5.1. Not all employees will be able to take time off on the Monday 15 June 2026, as some services will require a continuation of service delivery. Employees unable to take the day off will have compensatory time off to take at another time. 6. Financial Implications 6.1. The costs associated with backfilling staff to ensure essential services are maintained would be up to a maximum of £300,000. As this is one off spend over a number of service areas, we will look to contain this within existing budgets, however, if there is an opportunity at year end 2025/2026 to set aside funds to cover these costs, this would be recommended to committee at that time. 7 Climate Change, Sustainability and Environmental Implications 7.1 There are no climate change or sustainability implications linked to this report. 8. Other Implications 8.1. There are no other implications arising from this report. 9. Integrated Impact Assessment and Consultation Requirements 9.1. This report does not introduce a new policy, function or strategy or recommend a change to an existing policy, function or strategy and, therefore, no impact assessment is required. 9.2. Consultation regarding the additional bank holiday arrangements have taken place with the Trade Unions. Jackie Taylor Executive Director (Finance and Corporate Resources) 9 February 2026 38
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Link(s) to Council Values/Priorities/Outcomes Excellent employer Focused on people and their needs Previous References None Contact for Further Information If you would like to inspect the background papers or want further information, please contact:- Michelle Milne, Head of Personnel Services Ext: 4330 (Tel: 01698 454330) E-mail: michelle.milne@southlanarkshire.gov.uk 39
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Report Agenda Item Report to: Executive Committee Date of Meeting: 4 March 2026 Report by: Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources) Subject: South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture – Activage Proposals for 2026/2027 to 2028/2029 1. Purpose of Report 1.1. The purpose of the report is to:- present recommendations for amending the concession rate for Activage for 2026/2027 2. Recommendation(s) 2.1. The Committee is asked to approve the following recommendation made by the Board of South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture (SLLC):- (1) that the price of the annual Activage membership is increased from £120.00 to £150.00; and (2) that the price is held at £150.00 for three years. 3. Background 3.1. Like all local authorities, Leisure and Cultural providers across Scotland are facing significant increased pressure on their budgets. The majority are considering, or have implemented, price increases and many have also had to reduce the scope of their services. 3.2. As with South Lanarkshire Council, SLLC is experiencing extraordinary financial pressures due to inflation levels on areas including pay, utilities and contracts combined with the impacts of reducing public sector funding. 3.3. Approval was given at a full Council meeting in June 2021 and further agreed at the SLLC Board meeting in August 2021, that the Board of SLLC have full autonomy to review and set the pricing for all SLLC commercial activities in line with market tolerances and trends. It was agreed that the Council would retain the authority to decide concession pricing, which includes the Activage membership. 3.4. At a Board meeting on 13 November 2025, SLLC approved a recommendation to ask the Council to approve the increase in the price of the Activage membership, in line with SLLC’s proposals to reduce the funding gap. If agreed, the recommendation in this report would enable SLLC to realise £0.243m of additional income, reducing the funding gap by that amount. 7 41
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3.5. Should the concession proposal in this report not be agreed, there would be a requirement for the SLLC Board to approve service reductions, commensurate with the amount of income associated with this concession proposal. This would most likely be in the form of further rationalisation of services. 3.6. The SLLC Board has a legal duty to set a balanced budget similar to that held by elected members in relation to setting a balanced budget for the Council. The scale of the financial pressures faced by SLLC inevitably means that service levels cannot be maintained, and difficult decisions will need to be faced. The challenge requires consideration of a range of measures to mitigate those decisions and the concession scheme change below has been recommended by the SLLC Board to assist with this process. 4. Concession Recommendation – Activage (£0.243m) 4.1. Activage is a universal product that provides South Lanarkshire residents aged 60+ access to leisure facilities including swimming and health suites, East Kilbride Ice Rink, cultural and libraries activities, golf courses and more. (Appendix 1). 4.2. The current cost of the membership for residents aged 60+ is £120 for the full year to be paid in one or two instalments at set points in the year. 4.3. The Activage membership price was increased from £80.25 to £120 (£10 per month) in April 2024 for the start of the 2024/2025 financial year. The price was then retained this financial year. The overall budget target number is 8,089. Membership numbers for Activage has performed extremely well since the start of the financial year following the marketing campaign initiated with the price Activage Memberships to September 2024 and 2025 Month 2024 2025 Decrease/ Increase % April 8,390 8,362 -28 -0.3% May 8,385 8,472 87 1.0% June 8,382 8,652 270 3.2% July 8,393 8,804 411 4.9% August 8,433 8,931 498 5.9% September 8,437 9,116 679 8.0% Average 8,403 8,723 320 3.8% 4.4. SLLC completed a benchmarking exercise which compared Activage to similar local authority 60/65+ fitness products. Appendix 2 outlines the overall pricing position of the Activage product compared to similar and neighbouring authorities. It is noted that the proposed price point of Activage sits favourably when compared to those authorities benchmarked against. 4.5. SLLC undertook a consultation with residents between 16 October and 10 November 2025 in which residents were asked if they believed the product to be value for money. 4.6. A total of 2,466 respondents completed the recent SLLC Residents consultation. 63% of those responding to the statement relating to value for money of Activage either agreed (29%) or strongly agreed (34%) that the membership was value for money (Appendix 3). 42
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4.7. A series of focus groups have taken place involving the Activage members across South Lanarkshire between 19 December 2025 and 30 January 2026, a summary on the feedback from these groups can be found at Appendix 4. 4.8. It is proposed that the increase to the Activage annual membership should rise from £120.00 to £150.00, an increase of £30.00 over the year, or 25%. It is also proposed that the intention is for this charge to remain at this level for the next three financial years and it would continue to see residents have the opportunity to spread the cost over the year (£12.50 per month). This remains lower than the concession rate on a standard fitness membership. 4.9. It is anticipated that the proposal could generate £0.243m of additional income. 5. Next Steps 5.1. Subject to Committee approval implementation of new concession rates would commence from 1 April 2026 for a three year period to 31 March 2029. 5.2. A meeting of the Board of SLLC is due to take place on 5 March 2026. This meeting will consider any further measures required to achieve a balance budget for 2025/2026. 5.3. SLLC is undertaking a marketing campaign extolling Activage benefits in 2025/2026. This will encourage existing and new members to access the wider range of activities on offer and ensure the target audience has the opportunity to discover more about the benefits of which they could be taking advantage. 6. Employee Implications 6.1. There are no employee implications as a result of this report. 7. Financial Implications 7.1. SLLC has an estimated budget gap of £3.518m for 2026/2027 arising from inflationary rises in costs, related pay increases and the ongoing cost of living crisis/economic situation and the pressure this is having on household incomes. 7.2. The Board has a legal duty to set a balanced budget and the recommendations in this report will reduce the budget gap by £0.243m. This set of measures will assist in mitigating the impact on service levels across the entire SLLC operation. 8. Climate Change, Sustainability and Environmental Implications 8.1. There are no climate change, sustainability and environmental implications as a result of this report. 9. Other Implications 9.1. There are no other implications or risks as a result of this report. 10. Integrated Impact Assessment and Consultation Requirements 10.1. An Equalities Impact Assessment has been conducted in relation to the proposals by SLLC which is attached at Appendix 5 to the report. South Lanarkshire Council’s Integrated Impact Assessment will be available in advance of the meeting and can be accessed here. 10.2. Consultation sessions have taken place with residents which has been referenced within the report. 43
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Kevin Carr Executive Director (Community and Enterprise Resources) 9 February 2026 Link(s) to Council Values/Priorities/Outcomes Accountable, effective, efficient and transparent Previous References Executive Committee – 23 June 2021 – Cross Party Working Group Review of South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture (SLLC) – Outcomes Executive Committee – 21 February 2024 - South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture – Activage Proposals for 2024/2025 List of Background Papers None Contact for Further Information If you would like to inspect the background papers or want further information, please contact:- Kevin Carr, Executive Director, Community and Enterprise Resources E-mail: Kevin.Carr@southlanarkshire.gov.uk 44
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Appendix 1 Activage Benefits Activage includes: • 9 swimming pools • 16 fitness gyms • 9 health suites • Racquet sports * • Fitness classes • East Kilbride Ice Rink • Libraries activities • Cultural activities • Golf courses (**terms and conditions apply) * Racquet sports are included in the Health and Fitness membership, which covers the side of the court where the member is playing. Additional charges apply when playing with non- members. For example, for one member plus one non-member the court hire will be half price. We also ask our customers to be mindful to other customers and book courts at a maximum of 2 hours back to back at peak times. ** Six free rounds of golf per year at any of our six golf courses, Monday-Thursday. Additional perks We have added special privileges at no extra cost to enhance your health and fitness journey: • Active Days are exciting inclusive sessions allowing people to try a variety of different sports, activities and services • Culture mornings including anything from charcoal drawing to singing or drumming • Young at Heart Festival offers opportunities to access free music recitals, tea dances, afternoon performances, digital session workshops including how to access useful Apps and much more • Active Wellbeing classes • Walking Football – Alistair McCoist Complex (01355 265696) • Free personalised fitness programme. • Complimentary swimming lesson course as a one-time offer • £20 off a ticket to a performance of your choice (*term and conditions apply) • (*subject to availability and annual offering, only applicable if taken out at Culture venues) • Complimentary one-hour introductory session on researching your family history. • 20% discount at Chatelherault Country Park and Low Parks Museum retail shops. • Seasonal offers (April to September), free pay to play with bowls hire at Hamilton Palace Sports Grounds, (max 2 hours play per visit) • Buy one coffee and get one free per visit at the following venues (excluding weekends): o East Kilbride Arts Centre o Rutherglen Town Hall o Chatelherault Country Park o Low Parks Museum 45
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o Appendix 2 Benchmarking Local Authority Membership name Cost monthly Cost annually What's included SLC Activage £10.00 £120.00 swimming, gyms, health suites, racquet sports, fitness classes, • EK Ice Rink, Libraries activities (an ancestry/family tree search session), Cultural activities (£20 to spend on a show each year when signing up to Activage at a cultural venue), Golf courses (**terms and conditions apply) NLC Active 60 £5.00 (Equivalent) £60.00 gym, fitness classes, swimming, health suites (also says plus more but no detail given) – Annual Price Only Glasgow Life Activclub 60+ Low intensity package £21.00 £252.00 (12 x monthly = £252.00) Don't do a membership specifically for over 60's but an ActivClub membership is focused on low- intensity physical activity from unlimited swimming and fun, easy classes to coach-led sport sessions suitable for all abilities. You can also enjoy using the gym during prescribed session times. £21 per month. Membership pricing is not based on age but they do a concession price of £13 for those on low income meeting the criteria. Scottish Borders Age66+ £28.00 £280.00 (single annual payment) (12 x monthly = £336.00) Gym/Swim/Classes and Online Single annual payment offers 12 months for price of 10 Midlothian Active Golden Years 65+ £33.00 £330.00 (single annual payment) (12 x monthly = £396.00) Swim/gym/health suite/running classes/tennis/bowls/putting (+£34 Joining Fee – offers on joining fee) East 66+ £27.00 £300.00 Gyms, swimming pools and fitness 46
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Renfrewshire (single annual payment) (12 x monthly = £324.00) classes (+£20 joining fee) One Ren - Renfrewshire Signature 65+ £29.85 £299.00 (single annual payment) (12 x monthly = £358.20) Gym/Swim/Classes and Online East Ayrshire 65+ as part of concession, disabled, unemployed, students, carers £20.00 £240.00 (12 x monthly) Gyms/fitness classes/swim/racquet sports Notes – Calculated equivalent price provided where appropriate 47
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Appendix 3 Activage consultation Key points: • In the recent SLLC Residents consultation, held between Thursday 16 October and Monday 10 November 2025, a question was asked on the general sentiment for Activage and its perceived value for money. • 2466 respondents completed the consultation, with 2449 respondents opting to answer the Activage centred question. • Of the 2449 responses, 34% strongly agreed and 29% agreed that the Activage Membership is value for money. • 540 respondents chose to include an additional comment which provided valuable feedback regarding the Activage Membership from local residents. • Included in the recent SLLC Residents consultation, respondents were asked to indicate how they felt about the statement: ‘The Activage Membership is value for money.’ Please indicate how you feel about this statement: The Activage Membership is value for money. • 63% strongly agree/agree 48
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Appendix 4 Activage Focus Groups – Member feedback Lanark Lifestyles – Friday 19 December 2025 at 11am Please note: Lanark sessions were 1:1, whereas remaining sessions were group feedback. The following activities are important to me as part of my Activage membership: Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree Swimming 3 Gym 1 2 Fitness classes 3 Health suite 1 1 Racquet sports 1 1 Running track 1 1 The following additional benefits are important to me as part of my Activage membership: Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree Active days 1 2 Culture mornings 2 Active wellbeing classes 3 Walking football 3 Complimentary swimming lesson course as a one-time offer 2 1 £20 off a ticket to a performance of your choice 2 1 Complimentary one-hour introductory session on researching your family history 1 2 20% discount at Chatelherault Country Park and Low Parks Museum retail shops 1 2 Seasonal offers (April to September) free to play with bowls hire at Hamilton Sports Grounds (max 2 hours play per visit) 1 2 Buy one coffee and get one free per visit at the following venues (excluding weekends) 1 2 49
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Indicate how you feel about the following statements: Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree Activage membership is value for money 3 I would be willing to accept a price increase to my Activage membership 2 1 I am aware of SLLC’s Activage membership and all the activities/benefits included Comments: • Would be interested in active days and culture mornings if offered, and if we offered something in connection to the mausoleum. • Member was not aware of 20% off at parks and coffee discount. • Member felt we had a great offering, and it was well used in Lanark. • Member was complimentary of our staff and they are fantastic. • Member felt fitness classes are accessible and important for coaches so they can do them safely. Instructor helps with technique which is good when doing this outside of classes. • Some members are more affluent, and membership is currently affordable but be wary of others on less income who can’t make it through the door. • Activate membership keeps people mobile and community building for members as a whole in the centre. • Referred through NHS after having a heart attack when in her 50's. Attended club movers initially. Then when retired has attended more and more classes. Attend two things per day at least and has lost over two stone. Feels stronger and active. • Active Days not available in Clydesdale area. Was not aware of all additional benefits and does not use all of them due to location. • Activage is life changing. Unlimited use is amazing value. • Customer pays annually. Recognises some people can't afford £10 per month. • Great value for money if you take full advantage of the activities included in the membership. Great community in Clydesdale area and social aspect really helps too along with physical benefits. 50
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Eastfield Leisure Centre – Monday 12 January at 12.30pm The following activities are important to me as part of my Activage membership: Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree Swimming 6 3 Gym 8 1 Fitness classes 9 Health suite 7 2 Racquet sports 9 Running track 9 The following additional benefits are important to me as part of my Activage membership: Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree Active days 7 2 Culture mornings 6 1 Active wellbeing classes 6 1 Walking football 7 Complimentary swimming lesson course as a one-time offer 7 £20 off a ticket to a performance of your choice 6 Complimentary one-hour introductory session on researching your family history 6 20% discount at Chatelherault Country Park and Low Parks Museum retail shops 6 Seasonal offers (April to September) free to play with bowls hire at Hamilton Sports Grounds (max 2 hours play per visit) 6 Buy one coffee and get one free per visit at the following venues (excluding weekends) 6 Please note: 2-3 people left early due to other commitments. 51
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Indicate how you feel about the following statements: Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree Activage membership is value for money 6 I would be willing to accept a price increase to my Activage membership 1 3 2 I am aware of SLLC’s Activage membership and all the activities/benefits included 6 Comments: • The group fed back they like to use multiple sites with their membership, but not aware of the benefits available to them. Note: Eastfield have a few sites surrounding them which may make travel easier. • The benefits members were mostly unaware of were from our culture side, with the exception of the active days. Note: members may not be aware of active days as we do not offer them in Eastfield. • The group agreed they felt their activage membership is value for money at £10 per month, however they acknowledged that this has been a big jump from £82.50. They do not agree with the principle of their membership going up higher proportionally than other products. • The group also felt that they would agree with a price increase on the condition this were within reason, as a significant increase is likely to put people off. • Members are currently unhappy with the booking system. They acknowledge the membership is good value for money, but it is one of the benefits of being retired. • Members were also unhappy when trying to book their classes at 6am for the following week. They reported connection issues and classes being full. Note: We are looking to change booking time when new system is in place. Classes usually have waiting list at start of week when people mass book, but often classes are not at capacity. • Members were asked how often they visit centres with answers ranging from 1-2 times a week to 4-6 times a week. • Members stressed the social benefits of Activage were important. • Members stressed the addition of a café is important as this will help with social connections and time to relax between classes. • Members were asked how they found out about the Activage members. The majority found out through word of mouth, and three were newcomers to SLLC. 52
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Fairhill Leisure Centre – Tuesday 13 January at 10:45am The following activities are important to me as part of my Activage membership: Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree Swimming 11 Gym 11 Fitness classes 11 Health suite 9 2 Racquet sports 11 Running track 1 2 8 The following additional benefits are important to me as part of my Activage membership: Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree Active days 9 2 Culture mornings 1 10 Active wellbeing classes 9 2 Walking football 11 Complimentary swimming lesson course as a one-time offer 11 £20 off a ticket to a performance of your choice Complimentary one-hour introductory session on researching your family history 10 1 20% discount at Chatelherault Country Park and Low Parks Museum retail shops 11 Seasonal offers (April to September) free to play with bowls hire at Hamilton Sports Grounds (max 2 hours play per visit) 11 Buy one coffee and get one free per visit at the following venues (excluding weekends) 11 Indicate how you feel about the following statements: Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree Activage membership is value for money 11 I would be willing to accept a price increase to my Activage membership 1 10 I am aware of SLLC’s Activage membership and all the activities/benefits included 11 53
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Comments: • The majority of the group felt that while they may not routinely use the swimming pool, it is still an important activity to be included within the membership. There aren’t any swimming facilities at Fairhill, so some travel is required for Members to other locations. • A women’s only session for the health suite would make them feel more comfortable and open to using facilities. • 6am booking was raised as an issue. • The majority of the group felt neutral on the inclusion of the running track as it wasn’t an activity they felt interested in using. However, a few members agreed it was an important activity, and one member felt strongly of the overall benefits that walking/running bring. She was a former track runner and so the sport is important to her. • Some members of the group also highlighted they would like to attend line dancing classes here at Fairhill but at a beginner’s level. The current classes are advanced, and this is something they feel unable to book onto. • Members were agreed/neutral on targeted activities for over 60s but only if these were accessible within their area. • Members were all agreed on the cultural additional benefits but were not aware these were included as part of their membership. • All agreed the Activage Membership is value for money at £10 per month. • The majority of the group disagreed with a price increase and noted they were pleased it remained as is from last year, but the previous year had a significant increase. • The group disagreed that they were aware of all the benefits as included in the membership. This became apparent when we presented the list earlier in the exercise and members were not aware of the cultural activities/discounts on offer. • One member would like fitness classes to be searchable online to see what is on offer nearby. By class/location/type/all? • Annual payments are becoming too expensive, and members are cancelling their direct debit during the winter. Activage members are careful with their money. 54
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Fairhill Leisure Centre – Tuesday 13 January at 12noon The following activities are important to me as part of my Activage membership: Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree Swimming 9 Gym 9 Fitness classes 9 Health suite 9 Racquet sports 3 6 Running track 9 The following additional benefits are important to me as part of my Activage membership: Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree Active days 9 Culture mornings 8 2 Active wellbeing classes 8 1 Walking football 9 Complimentary swimming lesson course as a one-time offer 9 £20 off a ticket to a performance of your choice Complimentary one-hour introductory session on researching your family history 9 20% discount at Chatelherault Country Park and Low Parks Museum retail shops 9 Seasonal offers (April to September) free to play with bowls hire at Hamilton Sports Grounds (max 2 hours play per visit) 6 2 Buy one coffee and get one free per visit at the following venues (excluding weekends) 9 Indicate how you feel about the following statements: Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree Activage membership is value for money 9 I would be willing to accept a price increase to my Activage membership 1 8 I am aware of SLLC’s Activage membership and all the activities/benefits included 9 55
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Comments: • Members agreed with the majority of activities included in the membership; however they felt that racquet sports posed greater dangers for over 60, and therefore less suitable as an activity. • The session disagreed with walking football as an activity. Group were all female but some feedback their husbands do enjoy it. • Members would be interested in over 60 targeted activities (active days, culture mornings, active wellbeing classes) but only if these were available locally. • Members in the second session for Fairhill were neutral on the complimentary swimming lesson course, as they felt it was important for others however they could all swim sufficiently. • Members were not aware of the majority of the additional benefits available to them but did seem interested in them. • 6am booking was raised as an issue. • All agreed that the Activage membership is value for money at £10 per month. • The majority of the group all disagreed with accepting an activage membership increase. One participant noted that her daughter’s private gym membership was expensive and so she felt she could pay more. This was met with some encouragement from the group, but their response remained unchanged. • A Member echoed previous comments from the earlier session that they would be interested in a line dancing class which was more accessible to their level (beginner). The current classes are currently advanced. • The group disagreed that they were aware of all the benefits as included in the membership. This became apparent when we presented the list earlier in the exercise and members were not aware of the cultural activities/discounts on offer. John Wright Sports Centre – Friday 30 January at 11.30am The following activities are important to me as part of my Activage membership: Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree Swimming 7 1 Gym 6 2 Fitness classes 8 Health suite 8 Racquet sports 8 Running track 7 1 56
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The following additional benefits are important to me as part of my Activage membership: Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree Active days 8 Culture mornings 5 3 Active wellbeing classes 8 Walking football 3 5 Complimentary swimming lesson course as a one-time offer 8 £20 off a ticket to a performance of your choice Complimentary one-hour introductory session on researching your family history 7 1 20% discount at Chatelherault Country Park and Low Parks Museum retail shops 8 Seasonal offers (April to September) free to play with bowls hire at Hamilton Sports Grounds (max 2 hours play per visit) 8 Buy one coffee and get one free per visit at the following venues (excluding weekends) 8 Indicate how you feel about the following statements: Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree Activage membership is value for money 7 1 I would be willing to accept a price increase to my Activage membership 5 1 2 I am aware of SLLC’s Activage membership and all the activities/benefits included 8 57
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Comments: • Members agreed the running track is an important benefit for Activage, particularly in the summer which is nice to walk around. • Similarly to other Activage focus group sessions, Members were not aware of some of the additional benefits included in their membership. This group were not aware of the 20% discount at Chatelherault and Low Parks retail shops or complimentary swimming course, and there was a mixed awareness of the buy one get one free coffee offering. • A member of the group commented that there were cultural classes on offer to Activage but this did not extend to culture sites where a charge is added – East Kilbride Art Centre. • Walking football was not an activity this group were interested in but they did believe it to be important, however they made a suggestion to an alternative sport with walking netball. Note: We spoke with operations at site and walking netball used to be on offer however it was removed following injuries sustained to participants. • A request was made for the Active Tuesday class to be bookable on the app. • Members found it frustrating that charges on their account can only be removed by the site who levied them. Note: All staff can remove a charge, and some internal comm/process can be reiterated at FOH meeting to ensure staff help customers at site. • The group stressed the importance of some classes such as line dancing to be on the programme. • The group also commented that the price of the Activage membership had a big jump from £82.50 to £120. This was too big a jump in 2024 and it was felt they were due a break in increasing. • The group were nearly split on their sentiment towards the price increase statement as they felt they had already paid a big increase in previous years, but also acknowledged they pay a smaller amount for a good value product. The 5 members who agreed to this statement only did so on the condition that the increase was within limits and it depends on the price. • The website is not good for finding relevant information. • A Member questioned the recent investment in our gyms and studios when other areas have been left to a poor condition. An example given was the ladies toilets which are broken and usually out of order for maintenance. Note: we explained the difference in funding for the recent transformation project. • The supplied sports equipment are in poor condition and should be renewed. • The active days were met with some mixed feedback. The group overall praised the social benefits of these days and the wider Activage membership. The group enjoyed their Friday Active day which included weights and also racquet sports. 58
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John Wright Sports Centre – Friday 30 January at 12.30pm The following activities are important to me as part of my Activage membership: Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree Swimming 6 Gym 6 Fitness classes 6 Health suite 6 Racquet sports 6 Running track 6 The following additional benefits are important to me as part of my Activage membership: Please note we continued to gain participants as more members arrived for their class. Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree Active days 8 Culture mornings 8 Active wellbeing classes 8 Walking football 9 Complimentary swimming lesson course as a one-time offer 9 £20 off a ticket to a performance of your choice Complimentary one-hour introductory session on researching your family history 9 20% discount at Chatelherault Country Park and Low Parks Museum retail shops 9 Seasonal offers (April to September) free to play with bowls hire at Hamilton Sports Grounds (max 2 hours play per visit) 9 Buy one coffee and get one free per visit at the following venues (excluding weekends) 9 Indicate how you feel about the following statements: Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree Activage membership is value for money 13 1 I would be willing to accept a price increase to my Activage membership 8 7 I am aware of SLLC’s Activage membership and all the activities/benefits included - 59
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Comments: • Members were not aware of the perfect fit product on offer to gain confidence in the gym. • The group echoed comments from the morning session that line dancing is a particular popular class to attend. • A Member also likes to attend other sports for their benefits such as Tai Chi. • The Dollan Aqua Centre’s health suite times are not good for the Activage group. • Tea/coffee and café services are a missed service for the group and now attend a coffee morning on a Monday. • Members shared that classes and culture sessions provided the opportunity to learn new skills with a mix of abilities. • Some members were not aware of the additional benefits including the complimentary swimming course, family history session, 20% discount, bowls session and hire at palace sports grounds. However, all were aware of the buy one get one free coffee offer. • Classes on offer can have additional health benefits such as supporting around dementia. • The 6am booking time and server issues for the app and online systems were raised again. • This group attend the culture day at JWSC, and they shared they have all formed a small community group that they all go walking together in different locations outside of the class. • Similarly to the morning group, this group were divided on their sentiment towards price increases. The 8 who agreed only did so on the condition that any price increases were done within reason. • Member also noted that their response would depend on what the planned increase would be. • The group shared that they would be willing to pay a little more but were worried about agreeing when prices had gone up significantly previously. • One member noted that their pension hasn’t increased. • We were unable to count an exact number of those who agreed/disagreed or felt neutral on if they were aware of all the benefits on offer. Based on the responses given during the additional benefits section of the session, there was a mix of those who knew about the different benefits. • The group requested for some more classes with a varied programme at John Wrights. 60
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EQUALITY IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT Appendix 5 Policy Title Assessment Date 03-02-2026 Saving options 26 – Activage Membership Status Assessment Number DRAFT Lead Officer Name Lead Officer Job Title Martin Cryans Head of Business Development Resource Name Service Name South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture Completed By Recommendation Karen McInally Strategy and Projects Manager Amend Concession rate for Activage 2026/27 Actions Required The EQIA will be passed to CER Executive Committee for consideration along with the overall proposal paper, and if approved, will be implemented during financial year 26/27 Group Members Martin Cryans Head of Business Development Karen McInally Strategy and Projects Manager Kirsty Rodger Customer Engagement Officer Elaine Donaldson Policy Title Amending concession rate for Activage for 2026/27 Aims, objective, purpose and intended outcomes Like all local authorities, Leisure and Cultural providers across Scotland are currently experiencing significant financial pressures. Many have already introduced price increases or reduced the scope of their services to manage escalating budget challenges. In line with these sector‑wide trends, the SLLC Board has approved a recommendation to ask the Council to endorse an increase in the cost of the Activage membership as part of wider efforts to reduce the funding gap forecast for 2026/27. Activage is a universal membership product that offers South Lanarkshire residents aged 60 and over access to a wide range of leisure and cultural facilities. These include swimming pools, health suites, East Kilbride Ice Rink, libraries and cultural activities, as well as access to local golf courses. The central aim of the Activage policy is to support the health and wellbeing of older adults by providing a cost‑effective, varied and accessible programme of activities. The current membership fee is £120 per annum, and it is proposed that this be increased to £150 per annum. This equates to an additional £0.57 per week and continues to represent strong value for money, particularly as the revised price remains lower than that offered by most comparable organisations for similar packages. [Grab your reader’s attention with a great quote from the document or use this space to emphasise a key point. To place this text box anywhere on the page, just drag it.] 7 61
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EQUALITY IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT Appendix 5 There are presently 9,257 members enrolled in the Activage scheme. This assessment therefore considers the potential impact of the proposed increase on both existing members and those who may wish to join the scheme in the future when they reach the age of 60 Who was involved in the development of the policy? SLLC Leadership Team Q1. Who will be affected by the policy? This policy will affect approximately 9257 existing customers and any new customers aged 60 and over who join the scheme, as they will be required to pay an increased annual fee of £150 per annum; this still represents good value and is a lower rate than most other organisations offer for a comparable product. Benchmarking has taken place against seven neighbouring authorities (data below), and this shows our proposed price point is second lowest, with North Lanarkshire being the only authority offering a similar product at a lower price. It is proposed to continue to offer a membership payment plan, consisting of two payments of £75 to be paid within three months of taking out the membership or a monthly direct debit option. Q2. Who will be/has been involved in the consultation process? Consultation with South Lanarkshire residents took place between 16 October and 10 November 2025 with 2466 responses received, of the respondents, 34% Strongly agreed and 29% Agreed the Activage membership was value for money. A series of customer focus groups were held during December 2025 and January 2026 to gather more detailed feedback on the product. These sessions allowed our customer engagement team to meet residents in person and hear directly their views on the proposed price increase and the perceived value of the membership. £150.00 £60.00 £240.00 £280.00 £330.00 £300.00 £358.20 £240.00 £0.00 £50.00 £100.00 £150.00 £200.00 £250.00 £300.00 £350.00 £400.00 Local Authority Activage Price Points 62
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EQUALITY IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT Appendix 5 The focus groups took place around our Senior Active Days and Culture Mornings in each of the four historical SLLC areas: Hamilton, Clydesdale, East Kilbride, Cambuslang and Rutherglen. Members of the Seniors Together partnership were also approached for their members to contribute their views. Across the four customer focus groups, a total of 51 residents participated and provided detailed feedback on the Activage membership offer. Attendees were asked to share their views on key statements relating to value for money and their willingness to accept a potential price increase. Feedback on the value of the membership was overwhelmingly positive, with 96% of participants strongly agreeing that the Activage membership represents good value for money, and the remaining 4% indicating a neutral position. No attendees disagreed with this statement. Views on a potential price increase were more mixed. Just over half of attendees (51%) stated that they would not be willing to accept a price increase to their membership, while 45% strongly agreed or agreed that they would be willing to do so. A small proportion (4%) felt neutral about the proposal. This indicates that, although a significant number of customers recognise value in the membership, there remains some sensitivity around price changes that should be carefully considered as part of decision‑making. Focus group feedback responses. Full report and comments available on request. Activage membership is value for money • 96% of people strongly agreed with this statement • 4% of attendees felt neutral about this statement I would be willing to accept a price increase to my Activage membership • 51% disagreed with this statement • 45% of attended strongly agreed or agreed with this statement • 4% attendees felt neutral about this statement If this proposal is accepted, continual communication with stakeholders will be undertaken to outline the benefits and understand the impact of the change in price. Q3. Please outline any particular needs/barriers which equality groups may have in relation to this policy, what evidence are you using to support this and whether there is any negative impact on particular groups. Age - What Effect/Difference will the Policy have on people? The proposed increase in charges may discourage some older residents from purchasing an Activage membership, and there is a risk that participation among those aged 60 and over could decline as a result. A reduction in attendance or fewer new members joining could negatively affect individual physical and mental wellbeing, particularly for those who rely on regular activity to support mobility, social connection and overall health. For some older adults, the price increase may also create financial barriers that limit their ability to access our facilities and programmes. However, it is unlikely that the proposals will create a disproportionate impact. Our services continue to be accessible to all, and the revised price points remain below those of comparable competitor offerings. By maintaining affordability relative to the 63
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EQUALITY IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT Appendix 5 wider market, the policy aims to minimise adverse effects while ensuring that older residents can continue to benefit from the programme. Age - How Do You Know That? Membership records for Activage indicate that the programme currently has 9,257 members, demonstrating strong engagement among older adults in South Lanarkshire at the current price point. National Records of Scotland (NRS) and local strategic planning documents show that South Lanarkshire’s older population is expected to continue increasing over the long term. In particular, projections highlight that the population aged 65 and over is projected to increase by 28% between now and 2043, reflecting a clear trend toward an ageing demographic profile. EQIA and Fairer Scotland Duty mid-year statistics (April 22) show for those aged 65 plus in the Clydesdale area their proportion was over a tenth greater than in South Lanarkshire as a whole, 22.2% compared to 19.8%. The Hamilton, East Kilbride and Rutherglen and Cambuslang areas all had slightly smaller proportions of those aged 65 plus than in South Lanarkshire: 19.7%, 19.3% and 18.2% respectively. Disability - What Effect/Difference will the Policy have on people? The proposed price increase may result in some individuals living with a disability being unable to afford continued access to our services, potentially leading to cancellations or reduced participation. Evidence consistently shows that disabled people face significant additional and often hidden costs associated with daily living, including higher spending on energy, transport, essential equipment, and support services. These financial pressures, combined with the proposed changes and the ongoing cost‑of‑living crisis, may further restrict the ability of disabled individuals to engage with Activage. Reduced participation may in turn have direct negative effects on both physical and mental wellbeing, particularly for individuals who rely on regular activity to support mobility, resilience, and social connection. The rising cost of living is having a disproportionately negative impact on people with disabilities. Their living costs are typically higher, and many face barriers to full economic participation, particularly in relation to employment opportunities. Welfare benefits provide limited financial support and often do not cover the additional costs associated with disability. As a result, when financial decisions need to be prioritised, some disabled individuals may feel unable to continue with their Activage membership. However, it is unlikely that the proposals will create a disproportionate impact on people with disabilities overall. Our services remain accessible to all, and the proposed price points continue to sit below competitor rates. This helps maintain affordability and ensures that, despite broader economic pressures, individuals living with a disability can continue to access our facilities and benefit from their positive health and wellbeing outcomes. Disability - How Do You Know That? Within South Lanarkshire, there are no comprehensive data sources that provide an exact figure for the number of residents who identify as disabled. However, anecdotal feedback from the South Lanarkshire Disability Partnership indicates that leisure facilities are particularly valued by people with disabilities across the area. Engagement in these facilities is seen as beneficial in helping to reduce social isolation and in supporting improved personal wellbeing. Gender Reassignment - What Effect/Difference will the Policy have on people? This is a proposal to increase the cost of the membership for everyone who falls into the 60 plus age range, therefore, 64
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EQUALITY IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT Appendix 5 It is unlikely that there will be any specific disproportionate impact on people in this equality group in relation to this proposal. Price increase will apply equally to all in this group. Gender Reassignment - How Do You Know That? Activage membership is available to everyone who is in the 60 plus age range regardless of their choice of gender; there is no other qualifying criteria. Currently there is no reliable base line data available in relation to the transgender population in South Lanarkshire, however, the SCIO is taking steps to amend monitoring to include this characteristic. Within South Lanarkshire there are no accurate figures available to show how many people identify as trans or transgender. Marriage & Civil Partnership - What Effect/Difference will the Policy have on people? This is a proposal to increase the cost of the membership for everyone who falls into the 60 plus age range, therefore, it is unlikely that there will be any specific disproportionate impact on people in this equality group in relation to this proposal. Price increase will apply equally to all in this group. Marriage & Civil Partnership - How Do You Know That? Activage membership is available to everyone who is in the 60 plus age range regardless of their marital status; there is no other qualifying criteria. Pregnancy & Maternity - What Effect/Difference will the Policy have on people? This is a proposal to increase the cost of the membership for everyone who falls into the 60 plus age range, therefore, it is unlikely that there will be any specific disproportionate impact on people in this equality group in relation to this proposal. Price increase will apply equally to all in this group. Pregnancy & Maternity - How Do You Know That? Activage membership is available to everyone who is in the 60 plus age range. Race - What Effect/Difference will the Policy have on people? This is a proposal to increase the cost of the membership for everyone who falls into the 60 plus age range, therefore, it is unlikely that there will be any specific disproportionate impact on people in this equality group in relation to this proposal. Price increase will apply equally to all in this group. Race - How Do You Know That? Activage membership is available to everyone who is in the 60 plus age range regardless of their nationality (including citizenship), ethnic or national origins; there is no other qualifying criteria. Religion & Belief - What Effect/Difference will the Policy have on people? This is a proposal to increase the cost of the membership for everyone who falls into the 60 plus age range, therefore, it is unlikely that there will be any specific disproportionate impact on people in this equality group in relation to this proposal. Price increase will apply equally to all in this group. Religion & Belief - How Do You Know That? Activage membership is available to everyone who is in the 60+ age range regardless of their religion or belief; there is no other qualifying criteria. 65
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EQUALITY IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT Appendix 5 Sex (Gender) - What Effect/Difference will the Policy have on people? This is a proposal to increase the cost of the membership for everyone who falls into the 60 plus age range, therefore, it is unlikely that there will be any specific disproportionate impact on people in this equality group in relation to this proposal. Price increase will apply equally to all in this group. Women may be affected more given the current population figures and current uptake of the membership and attendees at our customer focus groups. Sex (Gender) - How Do You Know That? Within South Lanarkshire data shows that 51.9% of the population are female and 48.1% male, additionally, we currently have 5070 female Activage members compared to 4205 male Activage members; therefore, the proposal could have a greater impact on women; however, the Activage membership is available to everyone who is in the 60 plus age range regardless of their gender; there is no other qualifying criteria. Sexual Orientation - What Effect/Difference will the Policy have on people? This is a proposal to increase the cost of the membership for everyone who falls into the 60 plus age range, therefore, it is unlikely that there will be any specific disproportionate impact on people in this equality group in relation to this proposal. Price increase will apply equally to all in this group. Sexual Orientation - How Do You Know That? Activage membership is available to everyone who is in the 60 plus age range regardless of their sexual orientation. Q5. If policy has a negative impact on an equality group, but is still to be implemented, please provide justification for this. It is likely that the proposal to increase the cost of the Activage membership could have an adverse impact on individuals with protected characteristics such as age, disability, and gender. To help mitigate this impact, flexible payment options will be available. Customers may choose to spread the cost of their membership over the year by making two instalments of £75 within the first three months of joining. Alternatively, they can opt to pay by direct debit at a cost of £12.50 per month, providing a more manageable and predictable payment method. These options aim to support continued access for those who may be more vulnerable to financial pressures. Q6. How will the impact of the policy be monitored and reported on an ongoing basis? Customer comments and attendance figures will continue to be monitored on an ongoing basis. Existing performance monitoring arrangements are already in place and will be maintained to ensure a consistent overview of service usage and customer experience. In addition, we will commit to engaging directly with our over‑60 population through the Seniors Together network, enabling us to gather regular feedback and assess the true impact of the price change on older residents. Q7. What is your recommendation for the policy? (1) that the price of the annual Activage membership is increased from £120.00 to £150.00. (2) that the price is held at £150.00 for three years. Reason for introduction 66
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EQUALITY IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT Appendix 5 Our services continue to be accessible to all, and the revised price point remains below those of comparable competitor offerings. By maintaining affordability relative to the wider market, the policy aims to minimise any adverse effects while ensuring that older residents can continue to benefit from the programme. Consultation reports, focus group notes, and benchmarking data can be provided upon request to support further review and decision‑making. 67
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Report Agenda Item Report to: Executive Committee Date of Meeting: 4 March 2026 Report by: Chief Executive Subject: Marmot Place Programme – Data Update 1. Purpose of Report 1.1. The purpose of the report is to: [purpose] inform the Executive Committee of the progress made by the Marmot Place Programme Data Group and outline key messages from the data analysis to date [1purpose] 2. Recommendation(s) 2.1. The Committee is asked to approve the following recommendation(s):- [recs] (1) that the progress of the South Lanarkshire Marmot Data Group and the work completed to date in developing the local evidence base be noted; (2) that the headline findings from the analysis to date, including that there is an overall pattern which demonstrates how people living in more deprived circumstances generally have poorer outcomes, be noted; and (3) that the infographics attached as Appendix 1 and Appendix 2 be approved for wider publication, to illustrate the gaps in outcomes experienced between local communities. [1recs] 3. Background 3.1. Marmot Place is an evidence-based, place approach where partners collaborate to reduce inequalities in a defined ‘place’. The ‘place’ could be a town, a neighbourhood or a whole authority. 3.2. South Lanarkshire Council, in partnership with NHS Lanarkshire and the Community Planning Partnership (CPP), is one of three Scottish areas participating in a national pilot known as the Collaboration for Health Equity in Scotland (CHES). CHES is a two-year partnership (2024 to 2026) between Public Health Scotland (PHS), University College London’s Institute of Health Equity (IHE), led by Professor Sir Michael Marmot, and the three participating places, Aberdeen City, North Ayrshire and South Lanarkshire. 3.3. The Marmot approach is based on proportionate universalism, which in practice means maintaining strong universal services for all residents while targeting additional support and investment to communities and groups experiencing the greatest disadvantage, in order to reduce the gradient (difference) in people’s outcomes. 8 69
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3.4. Health inequalities are the unfair and avoidable differences in health and life chances between communities, with those who live in the more deprived communities experiencing poorer outcomes. The Executive Committee has previously noted the rationale for adopting the Marmot approach in South Lanarkshire, recognising that life outcomes and health inequalities are largely shaped by the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age. 3.5. Reducing inequalities requires action across all partner services, not only health services. The key goals for the programme are to reduce inequalities in life circumstances - and so, ultimately, inequalities in health - by improving outcomes for individuals and families with the greatest need, while maintaining support for all. This will create the conditions that allow individuals and communities to take meaningful control over their own lives, addressing the causes of inequality through prevention and early intervention. 3.6. The CHES programme has three practical phases supported by shared learning throughout: Phase 1 (data and evidence analysis); Phase 2 (system analysis of the local health equity system); and Phase 3 (recommendations and action planning). The South Lanarkshire programme is currently building on Phase 1 outputs and has moved into Phase 2, where the evidence base is being applied to support decision- making and identify priorities for action. 3.7. A further report on the agenda of this meeting of the Executive Committee provides an update on the Marmot Programme for South Lanarkshire. That report outlines progress made and includes recommendations, for approval, in terms of the council’s role going forward. 3.8. To deliver the data and evidence commitments within Phase 1, a South Lanarkshire multi-agency data group was established to collate, analyse and present local and national data to complement the work of the IHE, and to support local prioritisation and action. Membership of the group includes representatives from various council services, partner organisations and data analysts from PHS and the IHE. The group has been working to develop a new approach for analysing local and national data; and an approach for embedding the Marmot principles across the CPP, which includes communications and learning and development. This work includes producing eight local data packs for internal management use which are aligned to the Marmot approach. This work should be complete by April 2026. Data highlights from the packs will be published on the Collaboration for Health Equity (CHES) information pages. 3.9. In June 2025, the Executive Committee approved the proposed prioritisation of the local Marmot Place programme on child poverty and family support in the early years, to maximise learning and impact across the eight Marmot principles, and to align with existing local priorities and reporting arrangements. 3.10. This report provides an update on the Data Working Group’s progress to date and summarises the headline messages emerging from published and publishable data. The intention is to support a shared understanding of inequalities in South Lanarkshire, and to inform the next phase of the Marmot Place programme. 70
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4. National Data Reports 4.1. IHE has published two national CHES reports which provide the national context for local work and highlight why a stronger, locally usable evidence base is required. The first report confirms that although there are areas of improvement, health inequalities in Scotland are widening, with clear gradients by deprivation across life expectancy, healthy life expectancy, and a range of health outcomes. It also highlights limitations in available data, including that much health data is not routinely available below Intermediate Zone level (small, fixed geographic areas used for statistical reporting in Scotland, each of which typically contains between 2,500 and 6,000 residents; there are 82 Intermediate Zones in South Lanarkshire), and that healthcare activity data does not always reflect true level of need in the population. The report concludes that the gap in outcomes between communities is significant but that inequalities can be challenged, and that services and investment should be targeted and scaled to reflect need, both across council areas and within them. 4.2. The second report focuses on inequalities in the factors that shape health, organised around the eight Marmot Principles (see below). It compares patterns across Scotland and looks in more detail at the three participating Marmot Places. It shows that people in more deprived communities experience worse outcomes across all eight areas reviewed. The report highlights persistent inequalities in early years development, child poverty and educational attainment, and the impacts of poor- quality and unaffordable housing. It also presents early analysis suggesting that the current ways of sharing out resources and levels of funding across Scotland are not sufficient to reduce long-standing inequalities and that more work is needed to assess whether support and investment is adequate to change outcomes for the communities with the greatest need. The eight Marmot principles referred to are: Give every child the best start in life; Enable all children, young people and adults to maximise their capabilities and control their lives; Create fair employment and good work for all; Ensure a healthy standard of living for all; Create and develop healthy and sustainable places and communities Strengthen the role and impact of ill health prevention; Tackle discrimination and racism, and their outcomes; and Pursue environmental sustainability and health equity together. 71
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4.3. The diagram at Figure 1 shows Children Living in Poverty in the South Lanarkshire area by levels of social deprivation. Figure 1 : Relative Child Poverty (before Housing Costs) 4.4. In South Lanarkshire the average proportion of children living in poverty (before housing costs) is 14.4%, which is slightly lower than the average in Scotland, 16.3%. Figure 1, which has been extracted from the IHE’s second report shows that nearly half, 38 of 82, of Intermediate Zones have a rate higher than the Scottish average. The highest rate of relative child poverty is in Burnbank Central and Udston, at 31.8%, with the lowest in Bothwell South, at 2.5%. On the graph the average SIMD rank (percent) means the lower the score, the higher the level of deprivation; the dotted line shows the deprivation gradient, which shows that the more deprived areas have much higher child poverty. 5. Local Data Group Update 5.1. The Marmot Place approach is a developmental process that aims to address health inequalities though a systematic and coordinated effort. As part of this work, the Data Group has brought together national and local data and looked at how outcomes are different between more and less deprived communities, using the IHE’s deprivation ranking to make comparisons consistent. This has been commended by the IHE and provides a richer understanding of the areas where local inequalities are experienced the most. 5.2. Early indications from the data analysis shows that there is an overall pattern consistent with a social gradient (the more deprived, the poorer the outcomes are likely to be). However, there are several exceptions which indicate that levels of deprivation alone do not fully explain outcomes. Further work will be carried out to better understand these findings, and they will be interpreted alongside local context and other indicators, including small population effects, rurality, access to services and health care, housing conditions and underlying health risk factors. The group will continue to undertake analysis to test these early findings to provide a more complete overview of local health inequalities in South Lanarkshire. 72
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5.3. Actions which the South Lanarkshire Data Group has undertaken to date include: Completed the initial phase of a partnership data gathering exercise to assess what information is currently available, and at what geographical level. Completed a review of existing local reports and resources and identified several resources that describe inequalities at the South Lanarkshire level. Developed a data prioritisation scoring tool to support consistent selection of indicators across the Marmot Principles. Undertaken a ‘top 5 questions’ consultation to inform the focus of analysis and reporting. Reviewed data reports and background packs produced by other Marmot Places, including Greater Manchester, Leeds, Cheshire and Merseyside, to identify good practice and improve comparability. Continued to work with the National CHES Data Group to identify gaps in data and opportunities to strengthen local analysis. Developed a Next Steps Briefing which was approved by the Marmot Leadership Group and sets out an approach to embedding Marmot across the CPP. Produced an accessible South Lanarkshire Data tool for everyone to use. Worked with the IHE to produce Life Expectancy and Child Poverty maps to show the differences in communities between the South Lanarkshire junctions of the M74 motorway. Work is ongoing to: Complete the eight management data packs based on the Marmot Principles, bringing together data at Intermediate Zone or lower geographies wherever possible. Due to be circulated before April 2026. Produce public data packs based on the Marmot Principles, providing a high-level overview of key data highlights suitable for public reporting. Produce a data report which details the work of the Data Group, summarises what the data has shown, and outlines next steps for the data work programme including evaluation. There are planned awareness raising workshops to support interpretation, verification of the evidence base, and discussion of implications for action. Deliver targeted Marmot workshops, starting with Early Years providers. Support service areas to undertake the deep dives as outlined in the next steps briefing, including evaluation with the aim to embed the approach within systems. 5.4. A key area of work has been the development of a data tool for South Lanarkshire with the support from our CHES colleagues in Aberdeen City. The tool brings together easily accessible data for the South Lanarkshire area from a range of sources including the Census and the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation. The data tool is available for everyone to use on the CPP website. 73
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6. Headline Findings from the Data Analysis 6.1. To improve local understanding of inequalities, the Data Working Group has used Intermediate Zone (IZ) level data where it is available and appropriate to do so. This provides a consistent geography for exploring differences between communities and for comparing outcomes with deprivation measures. Some indicators are not available below local authority level, and in these cases the analysis is presented at the most appropriate published geography. The summary below sets out the key headline messages from the five data packs that have been completed so far. These provide a clear picture of inequalities at a local level, which will be further enhanced as work continues on the three other data packs (see 6.4 below). All findings presented in this report are based on published or publishable data and are summarised at a level suitable for public reporting. 6.2. Data Pack 1: Give every child the best start in life - Child poverty is the most pressing and cross-cutting issue affecting outcomes for children in South Lanarkshire. While South Lanarkshire performs close to, or above, the Scottish average across many Early Years indicators, Council-wide figures conceal substantial variation between communities. Analysis at Intermediate Zone level shows a wide gap in child poverty rates, and clear social gradients (worse outcomes for people who are more deprived) across several Early Years outcomes, reinforcing the need for a targeted, data-informed approach alongside strong universal provision. Work has been undertaken with the IHE to develop a map which shows Child Poverty data at Intermediate Zone level visually, at the various junctions along the M74 South Lanarkshire junctions (see Appendix 1). If approved, this infographic will be used publicly to illustrate the gaps in outcomes involved. Key messages from the analysis to date include: Nearly one in five children in South Lanarkshire lives in poverty, with much higher rates in some communities. Child poverty rates vary widely across Intermediate Zones, with a 29.3 percentage point gap between the lowest area. with 2.5% of children living in poverty, and the highest area, with 31.8%, of children living in poverty. Clear social gradients are evident for several key indicators, including women smoking in pregnancy, maternal obesity, breastfeeding, child dental health, child healthy weight and developmental concerns at 27-30 months, with poorer outcomes in more deprived communities. Child dental health in P1 has improved considerably. However, rates vary widely across South Lanarkshire, with a 48.4 percentage points difference between the lowest and highest areas. The data shows that the highest area with children who have no evidence of dental decay is 100%, and the lowest area is 58.6%. Immunisation uptake of the 6 in 1 immunisation at 24 months remains generally high across South Lanarkshire, slightly above the Scottish average. There is a 10.2 percentage point variation between the highest and lowest areas. The data shows that there are four areas with highest uptake at 100%, while the area with the lowest uptake is 89.8%. In 2023, 43.9% of live births were to families living in the 40% Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) most deprived areas, underlining the importance of services being responsive to improving outcomes for those experiencing inequalities. 74
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6.3. Data Pack 2: Enable all children, young people and adults to maximise their capabilities and have control over their lives. Key messages from the analysis to date include: Primary school attendance rates ranged from 91.1% in the most deprived areas to 95.7% in the least deprived areas. Attendance for secondary school pupils varied by deprivation level, from 83.9% in the most deprived areas to 92.3% in the least deprived areas. 96.9% of school leavers achieved at least one SCQF Level 4 qualification, with a 6.5 percentage point deprivation gap between the most and least deprived areas. 96.6% of school leavers progressed to an initial positive destination. The deprivation gap between the most and least deprived areas was 3.2 percentage points. 6.4. Data Pack 3: Create fair employment and good work for all; Pack 4: Ensure a healthy standard of living for all; and Pack 5: Create and develop healthy and sustainable places and communities. These will be completed by the end of March 2026 and updates on key findings will be presented in a later report. 6.5. Data Pack 6: Strengthen the role and impact of ill health prevention. Key messages from the analysis to date include: Healthy Life expectancy for men has been declining in Scotland since 2014- 2016. South Lanarkshire consistently sits below the Scottish rate. The gap between South Lanarkshire (58.4 years) and Scotland (59.6 years) in 2021- 2023 was 1.2 years. Healthy Life expectancy in Scotland has also declined for women, South Lanarkshire consistently sits below the Scottish rate. The gap between South Lanarkshire (58.5 years) and Scotland (60 years) in 2021-2023 was 1.5 years. Male life expectancy in South Lanarkshire ranges from a low of 68.8 years in the most disadvantaged areas to a high of 84.9 years in the most advantaged, creating an inequality gap of over 16 years. Female life expectancy in South Lanarkshire ranges from a low of 73.2 years in the most disadvantaged areas to a high of 88.5 years in the most advantaged, creating an inequality gap of over 15.3 years. Between 2021-2023, the average bowel screening uptake in South Lanarkshire was 65.1%, slightly below the Scottish average of 66.4%. However, there is a wide variation between Intermediate Zones, with 52.4% in the lowest uptake area to 76.8% in the highest uptake area, a difference of 24.4 percentage points Work has been undertaken with the IHE to develop a map which shows life expectancy data at Intermediate Zone level visually, at the various junctions along the M74 in South Lanarkshire (see Appendix 2). If approved, this infographic will be used publicly to illustrate the gaps in outcomes involved. 75
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6.6.1 Data Pack 7: Tackle racism, discrimination and their outcomes. At present, there is limited routinely published data that can be reported at locality or lower level for South Lanarkshire on experiences of racism, discrimination, or their outcomes. The National CHES programme is seeking, where possible, to strengthen small-area analysis and improve the evidence base, but this is constrained by the availability of robust, publishable datasets. 6.6.2 The IHE CHES Second Report highlights that discrimination can occur across multiple dimensions, including ethnicity and disability, and that discrimination and structural racism damage health and are associated with poorer outcomes in key social determinants of health. The report draws on national survey evidence on adults’ experiences of discrimination and shows that reported discrimination varies across council areas, with only a weak association between experiences of discrimination and area deprivation at council level. 6.7.1 Data Pack 8: Pursue environmental sustainability and health equity together. At present, there is limited routinely published data that can be reported at locality or lower level for several environmental sustainability indicators. Some relevant datasets are only available at council level or are not consistently available for small- area public reporting. The National CHES programme is seeking, where possible, to strengthen small-area analysis and improve the evidence base, but this is constrained by the availability of robust, publishable datasets. 6.7.2 The IHE CHES Second Report highlights that tackling climate change and health inequalities together is essential, so that action to reduce health inequalities does not damage the environment, and action to improve the environment does not worsen health equity. The report notes that the health harms from climate change are expected to affect communities living in the most deprived areas most, and that equity should be considered when designing and implementing green policies so that the worst off do not bear proportionately greater costs. 7. Summary 7.1. This report brings together published national and local data to show a clear link between deprivation and the health and life outcomes experienced by people across South Lanarkshire. 7.2. Overall, people living in more deprived communities are more likely to experience poorer outcomes from early childhood through to later life. This includes higher levels of child poverty, lower school attendance and attainment, poorer health in adulthood, and shorter life expectancy. While outcomes vary between communities, the overall pattern is consistent: as deprivation increases, outcomes generally worsen. These differences are not inevitable. They reflect the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age, and the opportunities available to them. 7.3. The key message from this analysis is that reducing inequality requires joined-up action across services and partners, with strong universal support for all, alongside targeted action focused on communities facing the greatest disadvantage, to narrow the gap and improve outcomes for everyone. 8. Employee Implications 8.1. There are no employee implications associated with this report. 76
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8.2. As the South Lanarkshire Marmot Framework and pilot projects are evaluated and further implemented, there may be employee implications in the future for all council Resources and partner organisations working within the scope of a Marmot Place programme approach. This may involve additional support and training for staff in developing new skills and knowledge required to work to a Marmot approach. In addition, reviews of service models could result in changes to roles and/or approaches to practice. 9. Financial Implications 9.1. Data work has utilised existing employee resources across the Council, and partner organisations. This has also been supplemented by data analysts from Public Health Scotland, and the Institute of Health Equity; and CHES colleagues from Aberdeen City Council. 9.2. The Financial Implications section of the report referenced at 3.7. above includes details of approved funding for the development of the Marmot programme. 10. Climate Change, Sustainability and Environmental Implications 10.1. It is expected that there would be positive environmental impacts to a Marmot Place. As noted at 6.7 above, at present there is limited routinely published data on climate justice that can be reported at locality or lower level for several environmental sustainability indicators. Some relevant datasets are only available at council level or are not consistently available for small-area public reporting. The National CHES programme is seeking, where possible, to strengthen small-area analysis and improve the evidence base, but this is constrained by the availability of robust, publishable datasets. 11. Other Implications 11.1. Due to governance and data sharing agreements, it is not always possible to collect, share and publish data. There is a risk of not acting on the findings from the data. New and different approaches to improve outcomes for those individuals and families experiencing higher levels of inequalities need to be developed. 12. Integrated Impact Assessment and Consultation Requirements 12.1. This report does not introduce a new policy or function, so no Integrated Impact Assessment (IIA) is required at this time. Consultation will be carried out as it is essential that the findings from the data analysis is validated by local people and the professionals/services who support them. 12.2. The Trade Unions will be updated on the content of this report and will be consulted on any proposals that may impact on staff and the normal partnership working approach will be adopted. Paul Manning Chief Executive 12 February 2026 77
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Link(s) to Council Values/Priorities/Outcomes Links to all Council Values/Priorities/Outcomes Previous References Executive Committee of 11 December 2024 Executive Committee of 25 June 2025 List of Background Papers None Contact for Further Information If you would like to inspect the background papers or want further information, please contact:- Carol Stewart, Public Health Consultant, NHS Lanarkshire Tel: 01698 752952 Email: carol.stewart@lanarkshire.scot.nhs.uk Aileen Murray, Community Planning Adviser, South Lanarkshire Council Tel: 0303 123 1017 Email: aileen.murray@southlanarkshire.gov.uk 78
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29.2Rigside – Douglas Water Jct 12 Jct 13 Leadhills – Glespin – Crawfordjohn 34.9 Douglas North Jct 11 20 Lesmahagow North Jct 10 13 Kirkmuirhill South Jct 9 30.3 Ashgill – Shawsburn Jct 8 37 Larkhall Burnhead North Jct 7 31 Hamilton Central North Jct 6 23.3 Bothwell Park Jct 5 0 Clydesmill South Jct 2 40.8 M74 Motorway Junction If you need this information in another language or format, please contact us to discuss how we can best meet your needs. Phone: 0303 123 1015 Email: equalities@southlanarkshire.gov.uk www.southlanarkshire.gov.uk Produced by Communications and Strategy. 068845/Feb26 Jct 13 Jct 12 Jct 11 Jct 10 Jct 9 Jct 8 Jct 7 Jct 6 Jct 5 Jct 2 The Road to Equity Child Poverty (Children living in relatively low-income households) % of Children in area (living in relatively low-income households) of children live in relatively low-income households in South Lanarkshire compared to 20.4% in Scotland 18.4% Source: Department of Work and Pensions (DWP), Stat-Xplore, 2023/24 Appendix 1Draft, subject to change 8 79
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The Road to Equity Life Expectancy for Males and Females in South Lanarkshire (in years) Male Life Expectancy (age in years) Female Life expectancy (age in years) 75.6 81.2Douglas, Coalburn and Rigside Jct 12 Jct 13 Clydesdale South 76.6 N/A Hazelbank and Kirkfieldbank Jct 11 83.6 78.6 Lesmahagow Jct 10 75.6 76.4 Kirkmuirhill and Blackwood Jct 9 78.1 81.7 Strutherhill Jct 8 71.3 77.2 Larkhall Central, Raploch, Millheugh and Burnhead Jct 7 77 80.9 Hamilton Centre and Low Parks Jct 6 75.9 80 Bothwell South Jct 5 85.9 81.2 Farme Cross and Gallowflat Jct 2 73.2 79.4 M74 Motorway Junction If you need this information in another language or format, please contact us to discuss how we can best meet your needs. Phone: 0303 123 1015 Email: equalities@southlanarkshire.gov.uk www.southlanarkshire.gov.uk Produced by Communications and Strategy. 068844/Feb26 Average Male Life Expectancy 2021 in South Lanarkshire is 76.2 years compared to 76.5 years for Scotland Average Female Life Expectancy 2021 in South Lanarkshire is 80.1 years compared to 80.7 years for Scotland Jct 13 Jct 12 Jct 11 Jct 10 Jct 9 Source: Public Health Scotland - National Records Scotland midpoint 2023. Jct 8 Jct 7 Jct 6 Jct 5 Jct 2 Appendix 2Draft, subject to change 8 81
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Report Agenda Item Report to: Executive Committee Date of Meeting: 4 March 2026 Report by: Chief Executive Subject: Marmot Place Programme - Operational Update 1. Purpose of Report 1.1. The purpose of the report is to:- provide an update on progress made on the Marmot Place programme and seek approval for an Early Years Transformation Pilot [purpose] 2. Recommendation(s) 2.1. The Executive Committee is asked to approve the following recommendation(s):- [ (1) that the contents of the report and work undertaken so far be noted; (2) that the proposals for the Council to participate in an Early Years Transformation Pilot with partners, through the Community Planning Partnership, be approved; and (3) that the next steps, outlined in section 6 in terms of developing the programme and taking it forward, be noted. 3. Background 3.1. South Lanarkshire Council is participating in the Collaboration for Health Equity in Scotland (CHES) through the South Lanarkshire Community Planning Partnership (CPP). The detailed background to that work and the Marmot Principles that underpin it are included in an earlier report on the agenda of this meeting of the Executive Committee. 3.2. That earlier report provided the results so far from Phase 1 (Data and Evidence Analysis) of the collaboration in South Lanarkshire. 3.3. To briefly recap, the data report shows that South Lanarkshire now has a strong evidence base demonstrating that poverty influences almost every outcome for children, from health and development in early years to school readiness, including nutrition and access to support services as they grow. Furthermore, the strongest inequalities are evident before school age. 3.4. These findings provide partners with the evidence to understand where, and in what neighbourhoods, outcomes vary most for children’s health and where preventative action is most needed to give every child a best start in life. 3.5. Furthermore, the findings show that using average figures can mask significant inequalities within communities and that service intelligence and local information are an essential element of the data-informed approach that is going to be essential to tackle poverty and reduce health inequalities at a neighbourhood level. 9 83
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3.6. This further report builds on the outcomes of that data analysis by providing elected members with an update on behalf of the multi-partner Marmot Leadership Group, which has provided strategic oversight of the programme. It presents details of proposals to take operational action to test a Marmot, place- based approach in South Lanarkshire. In doing so, it outlines the proposed role and contribution of South Lanarkshire Council. 4. The South Lanarkshire Marmot Place Programme 4.1. The Leadership Group has developed a South Lanarkshire Marmot Framework that contains the characteristics of our local approach. We will apply the framework across our pilot projects, as outlined below: Partners shared vision: Working to reduce health inequalities and to improve healthy life expectancy across South Lanarkshire. We will do this through: Collaborative Leadership Improved poverty evidence base Improved data literacy at operational and management levels Evidence-based decision making Whole Systems planning and working around place Routinely embedding prevention in service design Cultural change and a learning environment Transactional process change: collaborative resourcing prevention spend mapping and budgeting proportionate universalism in service design 4.2. Having considered the results of the data phase, and applying the principles of this framework, the Leadership Group is proposing a range of actions that can be taken to enable local partners and stakeholders to work better together to close the gap in life expectancy caused by health inequalities in South Lanarkshire. These are outlined in three workstreams that are taking place during the CHES two-year programme. Workstream 1: Data and intelligence: Develop and disseminate the evidence base for inequality in South Lanarkshire. Developing the local evidence base. Producing local data tools and pack ensuring poverty information is available and accessible to all for use. Supporting all services and sectors to interrogate their own intelligence by deprivation. Online, open demographic data tool. Learning and workshops for all partners staff and stakeholders. 84
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Workstream 2: Strategic Alignment: Ensure core policies supporting Children and families are working to reduce health inequalities based on the Marmot evidence and seek to improve healthy life expectancy. Community Planning Performance Outcomes Framework development. Refresh of the Integrated Children’s Services Plan. Review of Child Poverty Commitment and Action Plan to reflect learning. Workstream 3: Action Early Years Transformation Pilot. Neighbourhood Planning Review. Prevention Spend and Budgeting Pilot. 4.3. The Data and Intelligence workstream is well progressed and the results so far are contained in the report to committee referenced at 3.1. above. The data provides a starting point to prioritise and plan our response by outlining where more intense, preventive support is most needed, and it will inform actions for collaborative place planning and the joint resourcing of this. 4.4. The Strategic Alignment workstream will see the CPP develop its performance framework by integrating the Population Health Framework and the Marmot Principles into a theory of change for the Community Plan. The Community Plan outcomes will be aligned to the Marmot evidence of poorer outcomes, and the partnership will monitor the impact of actions and interventions. 4.5. This new performance framework will incorporate collaborative place outcomes that we co-design with our Neighbourhood Planning communities. Therefore, a review of Neighbourhood Planning will take the Marmot evidence base into communities to involve residents in supporting the solutions and co-designing preventative services. 4.6. This process will take place over three years and extend beyond the life of the CHES programme. However, given the importance of work to reduce health inequalities and improve outcomes, it is proposed that as an immediate first stage an Early Years Transformation Pilot is undertaken. 4.7. The evidence from the data phase has demonstrated that Burnbank and surrounding communities report the highest level of children living in low-income households who are experiencing deprivation-driven low outcomes. It is therefore proposed that the focus of the Early Years Transformation Pilot should be on Burnbank and neighbouring communities, to include Hillhouse, Whitehill and Udston, with further analysis to be carried out to identify other local communities which also utilise family support services in that area. 4.8. As elected members will be aware, the Council already has a Family Support Hub based in Burnbank, one of a network of four such hubs which provide an early intervention response for pregnant women, babies and young people. In 2025, the family hubs received national recognition through a COSLA Excellence Award in the Tackling Inequalities and Improving Health category. The Early Years Transformation pilot will have the advantage of previous experience and excellent community relationships that already exist in the Burnbank area. 85
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5 The Early Years Transformation Pilot Model 5.1. Research evidence in the area of prevention and early intervention consistently highlights the wide-ranging benefits of investment in the early years. The early years period (pre-birth to five) is a period where the foundations of all later learning, health and wellbeing are established. UNICEF highlights that early childhood investment is critical for improving life expectancy and reducing health inequalities. 5.2. Over the past 30 years there have been various programmes aiming to support investment in early years across the UK. Evidence from the Sure Start initiative highlighted that financial investment and co-location of services in communities with high concentrations of child poverty narrowed inequalities. Studies following the same subjects over longer periods of time indicate that a Sure Start model has the potential to improve health outcomes, child development, attainment and improve family functioning. 5.3. A Sure Start approach is based on focusing investment on neighbourhoods with the highest rates of child poverty and enables universal access to family support services for all families within a geographical area. The model brings together a team of services that often operate separately including early education, health, family support and employability. The integrated model aims to give children a strong start in life and reduce a fragmented service experience. 5.4. In South Lanarkshire, the Marmot Place Programme provides a good opportunity to establish a Sure Start approach to support our early years work. The data provided through the programme will enable decisions around areas of investment and support new working models for services supporting families. 5.5. A multi-agency steering group has been established that will consider the development of our early years family support approach as we proceed with the Early Years Transformation Pilot in Burnbank and surrounding neighbourhoods. 5.6. The steering group will consider current models of early intervention and family support that currently operate through the successful South Lanarkshire Family Support Hub model. This will provide a framework for the development of a place- based approach for early years family support. The work will be centred around our early years settings and will involve the development of a multi-agency place-based approach involving services such as education, social work, health and employability. 5.7. The CHES partnership will support the early years work, hosting a partnership workshop which will analyse our local health equity system and develop actions to improve its outcomes. The workshop will help partners to understand both the enablers and barriers to improving health inequalities in our chosen place. 5.8. The steering group will work with CHES to determine short and long-term outcomes of the early years programme and will report on progress through the Marmot Leadership group, with updates provided to the Executive Committee as appropriate. 6. Summary and Next Steps 6.1. This report has set out plans to use the Marmot approach to deliver on the Partners’ shared vision: Working to reduce health inequalities and to improve healthy life expectancy across South Lanarkshire. This involves use of data to target activities in communities with the greatest health inequalities, including use of proportionate universalism in service design. 86
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6.2. Work will be taken forward as referenced through section 4 above, through the three workstreams established by the Marmot Leadership Group and into the proposed Early Years Transformation Pilot in Burnbank and its surrounding communities. An Action Plan laying out activities, timescales and responsibilities will be developed to outline that work, and to form the basis for future updates that will be reported to the Executive Committee. 6.3. Successful development and implementation of the approach within Burnbank and surrounding communities will inform the next phase of implementation in other communities across South Lanarkshire. Any developments will be taken forward with full discussion and consultation with affected local communities, including co-design of services. 6.4. In addition to the work to develop the programme into other communities, the pilot will inform how services will be developed to provide wider whole family support beyond early years provision. 6.5. As part of the CHES two-year programme, to support a whole system approach to planning and working around place, a business case will be developed to consider the creation of a Transformation Lead Post supported by a small team. Any proposal, including financial implications, will be presented to a future meeting of the Executive Committee for approval. 7. Employee Implications 7.1. There are no employee implications associated with this report at this time. 7.2. As detailed in the background section of the report, the Leadership Group has developed a South Lanarkshire Marmot Framework, which has been applied across the pilot projects. As the pilots are evaluated and the framework further implemented, there may be employee implications in the future as all council Resources working within the scope of a Marmot Place programme approach. This may involve additional support and training for staff in developing new skills and knowledge required to work to a Marmot approach. In addition, reviews of service models could result in changes to roles and/or approaches to practice. 7.3. All partners within the Marmot Place programme are part of a system and would be expected to be open to participating in the programme, examining their current resources and staff and be open to considering adapting these resources to support any proposed changes. 8 Financial Implications 8.1. Funding has been approved by the governing bodies of partners who are involved in the project. 8.2. On 4 February 2026 the Council’s Executive Committee approved that £1.000 million of underspend from the Revenue Budget 2025/2026 would be transferred to reserves to allow the council to provide financial support to contribute towards the response to questions posed by the Marmot initiative. The report noted that this £1.000 million would allow the council to contribute towards the cost of taking forwards activity to progress Marmot findings, including any required staffing and implementation costs. 87
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8.3. In January 2026, NHS Lanarkshire Board agreed to contribute £2.000m over a three- year period to South Lanarkshire CPP to take forward population health actions specifically focused on early years and child poverty to provide practical, evidence- based and collaborative interventions. 8.4. In December 2025, South Lanarkshire Integration Joint Board agreed to invest £2.000 million over three years to support collaborative action with Community Planning partners to focus on child poverty and improve early years outcomes. It is intended that this investment will be aligned to the principles of the South Lanarkshire Marmot Place programme and also the recently agreed Partnership Agreement with the local Third Sector. 8.5. Any further financial implications resulting from the Marmot Place programme will be included in future updates to committee. 9. Climate Change, Sustainability and Environmental Implications 9.1. It is expected there would be positive environmental impacts to a Marmot Place. It is one of the eight principles to address in the programme. 10. Other Implications 10.1. There are risks associated with this report because success depends on factors in a whole system that are outwith the control of the council. Our ability to facilitate collaboration and be systems leaders mitigates this risk. 10.2. The Marmot Principles, which aim to reduce inequality and improve health outcomes for all, would have to be embedded across all of the core functions of the council and its partners. The approach would be transformative but would need to be integral to how the Council and its partners works. This has practical operational considerations for all. 11. Integrated Impact Assessment and Consultation Requirements 11.1. This report does not introduce a new policy or function, so no Integrated Impact Assessment (IIA) or consultation arrangements are required at this time. However, if approved, this report points toward potential changes in policy, function or strategy, which would require IIAs and in some cases potentially consultation. 11.2. The Trade Unions will be updated on the content of this report and will be consulted on any proposals that may impact on staff and the normal partnership working approach will be adopted. Paul Manning Chief Executive 12 February 2026 Links to Council Values/Priorities/Outcomes Links to all Council Values/Priorities/Outcomes 88
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Previous References Executive Committee – 4 February 2026 List of Background Papers None Contact for Further Information If you would like further information, please contact: Lyndsay McRoberts, Executive Director Education South Lanarkshire Council Email: Lyndsay.McRoberts@southlanarkshire.gov.uk Jen Kerr, Community Engagement Manager, South Lanarkshire Council Email: Jennifer.Kerr1@southlanarkshire.gov.uk 89
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Report Agenda Item Report to: Executive Committee Date of Meeting: 4 March 2026 Report by: Chief Executive Subject: Review of the Council Plan 1. Purpose of Report 1.1. The purpose of the report is to:- [purpose] outline the process and timescales for the review of the Council Plan, culminating in the presentation of the Plan, for approval, to the June 2027 meeting of the Council provide details of other strategic plans that are expected to be presented to Council at that meeting, alongside the Council Plan [1purpose] 2. Recommendation(s) 2.1. The Committee is asked to note the following recommendation(s):- [] (1) that the process for developing the new Council Plan, set out in section 5, be noted; (2) that the indicative timetable and key stages, set out in section 6, be noted; and (3) that the list of other strategic documents being prepared for presentation to the new Council, set out in section 8, be noted. 3. Background 3.1. The Council Plan - Connect 2022 to 2027 was approved on 15 June 2022 and set out the Council’s key actions to be delivered over five years, around a long-term vision to improve the lives and prospects of everyone in South Lanarkshire. 3.2. The vision is supported by core values and priorities which influence how we work. These permeate through all levels of the organisation, known as the ‘golden thread’. 3.3. A mid-term review was conducted in 2024 which sharpened the focus of the Plan’s priorities and updated the content to reflect the changing context for the Council’s activities. 3.4. With the Plan approaching the end of its five-year term, it is appropriate to begin preparations for a new Council Plan for the period 2027 to 2032. This new Plan will be developed in time to be presented to the new Council after the local elections, which are scheduled to take place on 6 May 2027. 4. The Council Plan Connect 4.1. The diagram below shows the Council’s “Plan on a page”, which summarises the Council’s vision, values and outcomes as set out in the Council Plan as approved on 15 June 2022. 10 91
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4.2. These core elements of the Council Plan were developed through extensive engagement and consultation, and as such they articulate a clear message about what the Council does for South Lanarkshire and where its priorities lie. 4.3. In addition to the vision, values and outcomes of Connect, the Council Plan contains a number of other elements, which set the outcomes in context and supply key information about how the plan will be delivered, resourced and monitored. 4.4. The Council Plan has the following sections: Who we are and what we do – explains our values and introduces each Resource and what it is responsible for; How we wrote the Plan – explains the engagement behind the Plan and provides context around population, economy, environment, health, community planning and Community Plan; Our vision – articulates the vision underpinning the Plan; Our priorities – identifies People, Planet and Progress as three cross-cutting priorities; Our outcomes – overview of the outcomes which were identified through engagement and consultation; Delivering the Plan – resourcing the Council Plan, performance management arrangements and Public Performance Reporting; The Plan on a Page. 92
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4.5. The operating environment for local government remains challenging and change is occurring in multiple spheres at increasing pace. Developments that the new Council Plan will need to take into account include: financial constraints and implications of the public service reform agenda demand pressures on services cost-of-living pressures faced by communities homelessness crisis Community Wealth Building and the Wellbeing Economy sustainability, climate change and the transition to net zero 4.6. The content of the Plan – and in particular the Council’s priorities and agreed outcomes – will need to be assessed in the light of the diverse pressures, challenges and opportunities facing the Council over the next five years. 4.7. In addition, it is anticipated that the new Council Plan will be significantly influenced by the outcomes of the Marmot pilot that the Council is currently undertaking, with partners, as part of the Collaboration for Health Equity in Scotland (CHES). 4.8. The local CHES pilot is focusing on child and early years poverty, with work underway to provide a suggested place-based approach to developing Family Support Hubs in the areas of greatest need. Progress on this pilot is provided to elected members in two other reports that are part of the agenda of this meeting of the Executive Committee. One provides an update on data gathered and what it is telling us; the other reports more widely on progress and next steps, including a proposal for an Early Years Transformation Pilot. 4.9. The CHES work will continue to be developed throughout 2026 at the same time as the review of the Council Plan is taking place, with the renewed commitment to tackling child poverty and providing the best possible start to life likely to be a common thread through both. 5. Council Plan Review Process and Stages 5.1. The current Council Plan was developed through the most extensive engagement process ever carried out by the Council, canvassing the views of more than 3,300 people and 27 different groups across South Lanarkshire. Information was gathered from many sources, including local community plans, face-to-face discussions, online feedback, feedback from community groups, community events and surveys, to help us understand what mattered most to the people of South Lanarkshire. 5.2. A number of consultation and engagement activities have been carried out by the Council over the last two to three years. These include pieces of work of significant scale, including as part of the work on the Local Development Plan 4 and the council’s annual budget consultation. These will be used to update the Council’s understanding of the issues and concerns that matter to the people and communities of South Lanarkshire, and this analysis will inform subsequent discussions on the key themes and priorities within the new Plan. 5.3. Engagement will also be required with officers of the Council, with stakeholders and with elected members to consider community views in the context of policy imperatives and operational considerations. Engagement activities appropriate to different audiences will be programmed as the Plan progresses. In line with the approach taken for previous Council Plans, elected member briefing sessions will keep councillors informed of progress and provide opportunities for input to the Plan. 93
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5.4. The current Council Plan was also informed by horizon-scanning and data profiling exercises, bringing demographic and socio-economic data into the frame alongside the wider strategic and policy context. This exercise will be repeated for the new Council Plan. 5.5. Following the production of the draft Plan, a full public consultation on the content will be undertaken, allowing the proposed Plan to be tested with communities, partners and other stakeholders. 6. Timescales 6.1. In previous iterations of the Council Plan, the draft Plan has been developed in advance of local government elections. The draft Plan is then submitted to the new Council for approval. 6.2. With the next local government elections scheduled on 6 May 2027, the following timetable gives indicative stages and timescales: Stage Action Timescale Review Engagements Review of recent engagements and consultations to update knowledge of key issues for communities Spring 2026 Research Development of South Lanarkshire Profile and environmental scanning (PESTLE analysis) Spring 2026 Engagement Priority setting events with council and stakeholders Early summer 2026 Writing Outline draft plan developed Summer 2026 Engagement Senior officer event to test priorities September 2026 Engagement Elected Member engagement October 2026 Writing Draft Council Plan 2027-2032 developed and reviewed January - February 2027 Consultation Consultation period on draft Plan Mar/Apr 2027 Engagement Elected Member engagement on draft Plan Mar/Apr 2027 Approval and publication Presented for final approval by the Council June 2027 7. Next Steps and Recommendations 7.1. Desk research and area profiling will be undertaken to build the current picture of South Lanarkshire and its communities which forms a key element of the evidence- base for the new Plan. 7.2. As with previous plans, a cross-Resource group of officers will write the Plan, ensuring input from all services and a consistent approach across the Council. 8. June 2027 Council Meeting 8.1. As indicated in the timeline above, it is proposed that the Council Plan 2027 to 2032 should be presented to the full Council meeting expected to take place in June 2027 – that is, the second meeting of the new Council following the immediate post- election meeting anticipated in mid-May 2027. 94
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8.2. This would follow the precedent set on 15 June 2022, when the current Council Plan was approved. A number of other strategic plans were also presented to that meeting, including the revised South Lanarkshire Community Plan. As that ten-year plan runs to 2032 it will not be part of the agenda in June 2027, but it is anticipated that the agenda will include a number of other strategic plans. These are: Economic Strategy Local Housing Strategy Digital Strategy Financial Strategy Workforce Strategy 9. Employee Implications 9.1. There are no direct employee implications. 10. Financial Implications 10.1. There are no direct financial implications. 11. Other Implications 11.1. None. 12. Integrated Impact Assessment and Consultation Requirements 12.1. This report does not introduce a new policy, function or strategy or recommend a change to an existing policy, function or strategy and, therefore, no impact assessment is required. Paul Manning Chief Executive 11 February 2026 Link(s) to Council Values/Priorities/Outcomes Accountable, effective, efficient and transparent Ambitious, self-aware and improving Previous References South Lanarkshire Council – 15 June 2022 Executive Committee – 30 April 2025 List of Background Papers None Contact for Further Information If you would like to inspect the background papers or want further information, please contact:- Tom Little, Head of Communications and Strategy Ext: 4904 (Tel: 01698.454904) E-mail: Tom.Little@southlanarkshire.gov.uk 95
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Report Agenda Item Report to: Executive Committee Date of Meeting: 4 March 2026 Report by: Director, Health and Social Care Subject: Scottish Government National Review (Group-based Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation): Local Engagement Arrangements 1. Purpose of Report 1.1. The purpose of the report is to:- [purpose] advise on the commencement of the Scottish Government National Review of group-based child sexual abuse and exploitation, including child criminal exploitation, and its statutory basis, scope and timescales describe the governance, coordination and assurance arrangements for South Lanarkshire Council’s engagement with the National Review [1purpose] 2. Recommendation(s) 2.1. The Executive Committee is asked to approve the following recommendation(s):- [recs] (1) that the contents of the report be noted. ([1recs] 3. Background 3.1. In December 2025, Scottish Ministers formally requested an independent National Review into group-based child sexual abuse and exploitation. The Review formally commenced on 9 February 2026. 3.2. The Review is being led by the Care Inspectorate and His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland (HMICS), working jointly with Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) and His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education in Scotland (HMIE). 3.3. The Review is being conducted under Section 115 of the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010 and the Public Services Reform (Joint Inspections) (Scotland) Regulations 2011, providing statutory powers for inspectors to gather and review evidence, including records, across public protection partners. 3.4. The purpose of the Review is to strengthen the national evidence base on the scale and nature of group-based child sexual abuse and exploitation and group-based child criminal exploitation, and to assess how effectively public protection partners work together to prevent, identify and respond to this form of harm. The findings will inform Scottish Ministers’ consideration of whether further national action, including a potential future public inquiry, is required. 11 97
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4. National Review: Scope, Approach and South Lanarkshire Council’s Role Overview and Scope of the National Review 4.1. The Care Inspectorate and partner scrutiny bodies published Information for Partnerships: Overview and Scope in February 2026. The Review will focus on current practice, primarily drawing on evidence from the two years preceding the commencement of the Review, with flexibility to consider earlier information where there is a clear rationale. 4.2. For the purposes of the Review: The term child is used to include children and young people under the age of 18, including those who are now over 18 but were under 18 within the two years preceding the Review. Group-based exploitation is defined as situations where two or more individuals take advantage of a power imbalance to coerce, manipulate or deceive a child into sexual and/or criminal activity, including both in-person and online harm. The Review considers child sexual abuse, child sexual exploitation and child criminal exploitation, as defined within the National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland (2023). 4.3. The Review is structured into three phases: Phase One – Assessment: evaluation of Chief Officers’ Groups’ understanding, governance and oversight of group-based child sexual abuse and exploitation and group-based child criminal exploitation. Phase Two – Assurance: a risk-based and proportionate scrutiny approach to identify strengths and areas for improvement. Phase Three – Improvement: identification of improvement actions, including those requiring a national response. 4.4. Phase one will last approximately six months, with a national report expected in Summer 2026. Phase two and three will follow, with the overall review expected to conclude by Autumn 2027. How South Lanarkshire Council will Play its Part 4.5. As a statutory partner within local child protection and public protection arrangements, South Lanarkshire Council will play an active and constructive role in supporting the National Review through the South Lanarkshire Chief Officers’ Group. The Council’s contribution will focus on openness, learning and continuous improvement, while maintaining a clear and consistent emphasis on safeguarding children and young people. 4.6. Through the Chief Officers’ Group, the Council will: Provide coordinated, timely and transparent information and supporting evidence to the inspection team. Nominate a local coordinator at a sufficiently senior level to act as the single point of contact and to lead the collation of partnership responses. Participate fully in structured engagement with inspectors, including the Chief Officers’ Group interview currently anticipated to take place in June 2026. 98
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4.7. In contributing to the Review, the Council will give focused attention to the following areas, recognising the importance of ongoing reflection, learning and improvement: Strategic leadership, governance and constructive professional challenge. Appropriate approaches to threat assessment, data, intelligence and information- sharing. Early identification, referral and access to protection. Survivor-focused protection, advocacy and support. Workforce capability, confidence and a learning-oriented culture. Effective interfaces between child protection, adult protection and wider public protection arrangements. 4.8. The Council will build on work already being taken forward locally in relation to contextual safeguarding, recognising that risks associated with group-based child sexual abuse, exploitation and criminal exploitation often arise within peer groups, communities, public spaces and online environments. Assurance, Learning and Governance Arrangements 4.9. South Lanarkshire’s public protection system continues to strengthen its collective response to emerging and complex forms of harm affecting children and young people. Existing approaches emphasise: Multi-agency assessment of contextual risk and protective factors beyond the family setting. Information-sharing and joint problem-solving across child protection, youth justice, education, community safety and policing. Proportionate prevention and disruption activity alongside individual child protection responses. Trauma-informed and rights-based practice that centres the experiences of children and young people affected by extra-familial harm. 4.10. These approaches are overseen through established Child Protection Committee and wider Public Protection governance arrangements, providing a strong foundation for engagement with the Review and supporting assurance on prevention, identification and response to emerging group-based harm. 4.11. The South Lanarkshire Chief Officers’ Group provides assurance that contextual safeguarding considerations are actively embedded within local child protection and public protection arrangements. This includes ongoing strengthening oversight of multi-agency responses to extra-familial harm, intelligence-led risk assessment, and proportionate prevention and disruption activity alongside individual child protection planning. 4.12. The Chief Officers’ Group recognises that responding to group-based sexual abuse, exploitation and criminal exploitation requires a whole-system approach. Strong interfaces with youth justice, community safety and serious organised crime partnerships are central to ensuring that risks to children and young people are understood in context and addressed coherently across the wider safeguarding landscape. 99
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4.13. Learning from reviews undertaken elsewhere in the UK highlights the importance of safeguarding approaches that extend beyond the family setting and address risks arising in peer groups, communities, public spaces and online environments. Engagement with the National Review provides an opportunity to reinforce good practice, strengthen collective understanding across partners and support continuous improvement in local safeguarding arrangements. 4.14. Council officers recognise that safeguarding children from sexual abuse and exploitation is a complex and sensitive area of practice. Officers will approach this work with care, balance and professionalism, ensuring that safeguarding responses are evidence-led, proportionate and firmly focused on the safety and wellbeing of children and young people. Officers also recognise that reviews of this nature can identify learning or areas requiring further attention. Any such matters would be addressed through existing child protection and public protection arrangements, in line with statutory responsibilities and established governance processes. 4.15. Elected members have an important role in providing governance, oversight and scrutiny of safeguarding arrangements, and will continue to receive appropriate assurance through established reporting and accountability mechanisms, while operational safeguarding responsibilities remain with statutory officers and multi‑agency partnerships. 5. Employee Implications 5.1. There are no employee implications associated with this report. 6. Financial Implications 6.1. There are no financial implications associated with this report. 7. Climate Change, Sustainability and Environmental Implications 7.1. There are no implications for climate change, sustainability or the environmental implications in terms of the information contained in this report. 8. Other Implications 8.1. The scope of the report and the Council’s engagement with it will contribute to the mitigation of the following risk on the Council corporate risk register:- Meeting Public Protection and legislative duties. 9. Integrated Impact Assessment and Consultation Requirements 9.1. This report does not introduce a new policy, function or strategy or recommend a change to an existing policy, function or strategy and, therefore, no impact assessment is required. 9.2. There was no requirement for the Council to undertake any consultation in terms of the information contained in this report. Professor Soumen Sengupta Director, Health and Social Care 12 February 2026 100
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Link(s) to Council Values/Priorities/Outcomes Our children and young people thrive Caring, connected, sustainable communities Previous References None List of Background Papers Scottish Government: National review of group-based child sexual abuse response (December 2025) https://www.gov.scot/news/national-review-of-group-based-child-sexual-abuse- response/ Information for partnerships: overview and scope https://www.careinspectorate.com/images/Information_for_partnerships_overview_an d_scope.pdf Contact for Further Information If you would like further information, please contact:- Aine McCrea, Head of Children and Justice Services, and Chief Social Work Officer Telephone: 01698 454887 Email: aine.mccrea@southlanarkshire.gov.uk 101
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