Agenda and draft minutes

Apologies were received from Councillor Pemberton and Councillor Mejar Singh who was substituted by Councillor Marian Humphreys and from the following Portfolio Holders:

Councillor Heather Timms (Portfolio Holder Environment, Climate and Culture), Councillor Jan Matecki (Portfolio Holder Transport and Planning) and Councillor Martin Watson (Portfolio Holder for Economy)

None disclosed.

The Chair welcomed Andy Mitchell from the press and notified all present that the meeting was being webcast.

The minutes of the meeting held on 19 June 2024 were confirmed as an accurate record by the Committee.

Councillor Dave Humphreys reminded officers that a response was still pending regarding schools being part of the 20mph speed limit scheme. David Ayton-Hill (Director of Economy and Place) would investigate and report back to members.

There were no other matters arising.

None.

Councillor Fradgley commented on the amount of roadwork being undertaken in Stratford and was seeking some reassurances that these would be completed as soon as possible. David Ayton-Hill advised that Network Management try to apply effective and pragmatic efforts to keep traffic flowing including continual monitoring. There may be emergency works may need to be dealt with.

Councillor Crump (Portfolio Holder for Fire & Rescue and Community Safety) added that road safety falls under this as well, with the aim to reduce road traffic accidents (RTAs) by 50% in 2030.

Councillor Sinclair observed that a majority of the Stratford roadworks were in his division, and wanted to reassure Councillor Fradgley that he was actively involved in trying to keep them on track along with Warwickshire County Council officers and partners.

In response to Councillor Feeney, Shail Chohan (Head of County Highways) advised that the Network Management team and the internal team collaborate to minimise the frequency of road excavations. However, on occasion, emergency works may occur creating unavoidable disruptions.

The economic development update was presented by Isobel Woods, and the following points were covered.

Economic Overview: 

• The County experienced a modest GDP growth of 0.9% compared to the same quarter last year.
• Growth was primarily driven by the services sector, with professional, scientific, and technical activities being the main contributors. Consumer-facing services, including retail, wholesale, and motor trade, saw a 1.4% decline.
• Productivity fell by 0.1%, likely due to temporary supply chain issues and the transition of factories to electric vehicle production.
• The construction sector saw its eleventh consecutive quarter of growth in repair and maintenance. New construction work declined for the sixth straight quarter, although the overall rate of decline was easing.
• The State of Warwickshire dashboard, available to the public, provides further insights into the local economy.

Business and Economy Support: 

Access to Finance

·       Energy Grants: The Access to Finance programme saw a significant uptake of the energy grant, which supported energy audits. Warwickshire had around £1m in grants to award, with a strong pool of applicants This initiative supported energy efficiency and helped the council meet its commitment to be carbon neutral by 2050. The funding was due to expire in December 2024 and members were encouraged to direct businesses to the link in the pack or directly to Isobel Woods if they thought they could benefit from the scheme.

·       The Local Community Enterprise (LCE) Funds: A small loans scheme, delivered through the Coventry and Warwickshire Reinvestment Trust, had lent almost £4 million to 68 businesses, with expectations for it to rise to £5.5 million by March 2025. This scheme had secured £3.3 million in private sector funding, safeguarded 323 jobs, and created 13 new jobs.

Business Support Programmes

Business Growth: 

The Warwickshire Business Growth programme had engaged with over 1,000 businesses in its first six months. Developed in collaboration with District and Borough Councils and funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), the programme offered six specific business support services. One-to-one support had been provided to 180 businesses, safeguarded 203 jobs and helped 137 businesses improve productivity, achieving 258% of the target.

Employability and Skills Support:

Warwickshire Careers and Employment and Skills strategy

A commission is underway to establish the Warwickshire Careers and Employment and Skills strategy, a key area in the Economic Growth Strategy. This would inform the council as it prepared for tier 2 of the devolution deal.

The Warwickshire Supported Employment Service,

Relaunched in February 2023, had reached significant milestones, including accreditation from the British Association of Supported Employment (BASE). The service underwent its first audit in August 2024, receiving high praise for its quality support and positive outcomes.

Members are asked to note other achievements, such as referrals from partners, support for those at risk of redundancy, and a 90% job sustainment rate.

Warwickshire Skills Hub: 

The Warwickshire Skills Hub had supported 639 businesses this year, with almost 150 businesses approaching the service during summer 2024. Members are asked to note the achievements of the Apprenticeship Levy programme, which offered  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3(1)

Joel Enston (Transport Planner, Highways) introduced himself and made the following points from the presented report.

·       In 2020, £2 million from the Capital Investment Fund was secured to enhance the Council’s monitoring and evaluation capabilities, enabling the creation of AI-equipped monitoring sites across major towns. This funding supported the Council’s long-term vision to monitor all major transport schemes within the County.

·       Previously, monitoring larger capital projects was costly and resource intensive. With the new AI framework and Design Guide, it was now recommended to monitor capital schemes one year and five years post-completion. Installing semi-permanent AI monitoring infrastructure was the most efficient and cost-effective method to ensure continuous data collection.

·       Monitoring devices had been installed at key locations, including B4100 Gaydon and A429 Coventry Road. The Design Guide also mandates monitoring for major developer-funded schemes, enabling long-term assessment of their effectiveness.

·       The £2 million funding had allowed the Council to establish a mobile traffic survey team, which began conducting various traffic surveys in 2022, including Automatic Traffic Count, Active Travel, and Classified Turning Count surveys.

·       The Council’s monitoring data needs were met by collecting and storing data from various surveys, which aids future planning and comparison. The team conducted surveys for third parties, generating revenue to support ongoing operations and equipment maintenance.

·       To handle the high volume of survey requests, the Council was procuring a Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) for traffic surveys. This system would enable the Council to conduct various surveys more cost-effectively by allowing multiple companies to participate, ensuring ongoing quality and competitive pricing.

·       Having an in-house survey team reduces survey costs and provides better value for the Council’s budget, while also generating revenue by offering services to other authorities and developers.

·       An in-house survey team reduced site visits by using semi-permanent monitoring devices, which lowers vehicle trips and benefits the environment. Additionally, NOW Wireless AI equipment allowed the Council to monitor carbon impacts and evaluate emissions data to improve air quality.

·       Objectives from the April 2023 report have been actioned or are in progress, including the management of capital scheme monitoring and budgeting for pre- and post-scheme monitoring as per the Design Guide.

In response to the Chair, Joel Enston advised that GDPR was followed at all times, no details were collected just numbers of vehicles and low megapixel cameras were used to capture modes of transport. It was confirmed that any inadvertently collected personal details were obscured.

In reply to Councillor Feeney’s question on A46 Stanks Island, Joel Enston advised that work with project managers was ongoing and phase two needed to be completed before monitoring could commence. Chris Whatcott (Data Manager, Highways), added in regard to Rugby that the cordons were positioned on the outskirts of town, monitoring the entry and exit of vehicles and enabling the determination of their approximate routes. These cordons are linked to other areas around Warwickshire and allow vehicular monitoring from one location to another. It was advised that cordons at Nuneaton and Bedworth  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

The report was introduced by Steve Smith, with the following points covered.

• A consistent level of performance of activity from the council plan with 86% delivered on track.
• Communities set of services were performing at 84% on track, with a few measures not on track.
• There were several difficult overspend areas in the directorate, these were well known and outlined in appendix three.
• There had been large demands on the service area however it was a very good performance considering the current climate.

In response to Councillor Chilvers, Steve Smith advised that strategic influence to planning decisions was an area that needed continual work. The consultation period for the new planning policy framework, soon to be released by the new government, was due to end. This framework will grant Warwickshire County Council (WCC) influence over future housing numbers and land use, and collaboration with local planning authorities. WCC aims to promote economic and housing growth and manage activities like highways development. While the framework will be beneficial, it will need continuous management and face challenges.

Steve also discussed the Sustainable Futures Strategy, focusing on the carbon reduction plan. Multiple bids have been applied for to assist in decarbonising the estate however they are highly oversubscribed. Various strategies are at different stages, including a new fleet strategy, biodiversity initiatives, and tree planting. Moving away from natural gas in all WCC properties will be costly and remains a long-term risk, with future funding being a significant challenge.

In response to Councillor Feeney, Steve Smith noted that some promoted schemes in the county were set aside in favour of other travel modes. This decision is based on viability and affordability, with various transport and infrastructure options, including active travel, competing for priority.

David Ayton-hill added that cycle schemes remained a key priority, and the council was trying to push those forward on multiple fronts. Some schemes had been held up by engineering challenges and some by public consultations.

Steve Smith responded to Councillor Feeney’s flood risk management duties question by advising that flooding is a prominent concern during this time of year and there could be several aspects concerning this. It was suggested that a more detailed briefing note be produced and shared with the committee.

In reply to Councillor Marian Humphreys, Shail Chohan advised that the item was a monthly measure of how much capital funding had been spent with the contractor, Belfour Beatty compared to the total budget for highways maintenance which included delegated budgets.

In response to Councillor Dave Humphreys, Steve Smith explained the overspend and underspend relating to item 4, management of finance on pages 56 and 57. In the absence of portfolio holder members, Steve Smith advised that Home to Scholl transport counted for a majority of the overspend. The council was working within the current national policy however it would be up to portfolio holders on how it would be mitigated.

It was noted that the Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee considered and commented on  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

The committee discussed reports for upcoming meetings and noted its work programme.

The Chair requested any additional items either be raised at this meeting, or the subsequent Chair and Spokes meeting.

None.