Decisions

The Portfolio Holder for Transport and Planning, Councillor Jan Matecki, received the report which outlined a number of proposed improvements to the existing St John’s junction, Warwick, as well as the adjacent service road, additional and improved cycle and pedestrian facilities and general enhancement to the area as a key gateway to the town.

The report explained the need for change, outlined the proposed scheme and consultation that had taken place.  A number of objections to the proposals had been received and these were summarised at section 2.11 onwards in the report. 

Councillor Matecki welcomed Councillor John Holland to the meeting along with officers from the Transport Planning department.

Councillor Holland outlined his concerns which related to these proposals being part of a larger scheme for Warwick Town Centre.  He referred to historical planning conditions relating to the Chase Meadow housing development in Warwick involving a series of S106 agreements and an Air Quality Management Zone put in place by Warwick District Council.

Councillor Holland explained that the planning conditions and legal agreements had been imposed to manage the large volumes of traffic in Warwick and this scheme, and future works, would need to comply with those orders and agreements.  He referred to a previous Cabinet decision which had been consulted on widely and supported unanimously by Warwick Town Council.  He asked for assurance that the works proposed for St Johns would unlock the rest of the scheme.

In response, Councillor Matecki explained that he was not in a position to make assurances about future infrastructure works for Warwick Town Centre.  He advised that there were mechanisms in place should Warwick District Council feel this work was contrary to legal agreements or Air Quality Management Zone.  He then asked Councillor Holland to clarify if he had any objection to the proposals outlined in the report for the St John’s area of Warwick.

Councillor Holland reiterated that he wanted assurances that this work would initiate further planned work for Warwick and that all legal agreements and air quality orders would be complied with.

Councillor Matecki advised that he had shared his thoughts on the wider scheme for Warwick Town Centre previously, and the decision being made today related to the proposed scheme as detailed in the report.

He therefore approved the recommendations as written.

Resolved

That the Portfolio Holder for Transport and Planning gives approval to:

1)    the making of the proposed Warwickshire County Council (District of Warwick) (Civil Enforcement Area) (Waiting Restrictions, On Street Parking Places and Residents’ Parking) (Consolidation) (Variation Q) Order as advertised.

2)    the making of the proposed Warwickshire County Council (Cross Street and St Johns Service Road, Warwick) (One Way Traffic) Order as advertised;

3)    the implementation of road humps and traffic calming (carriageway narrowing) as advertised on St Johns Service Road and The Paddocks, Warwick;

4)    the conversion of existing footways to shared use footways / cycle tracks on A445 Coten End, A429 Coventry Road, A445 Priory Road, A429 Smith Street, A429 St Johns and D4169 St Johns Court, Warwick as advertised;

5)     the upgrading of existing puffin crossings to toucan crossings on A429 Coventry Road, Warwick (at its junction with St Johns) and on A429 St Johns, Warwick (at its junction with A429 Coventry Road / St Johns Court) as advertised; and

6)    the felling of 2 no. street trees located between D4129 St Johns (service road) and A429 St Johns as advertised.

Resolved That the Portfolio Holder for Transport and Planning consents to the making of the Warwick District Council Off-Street Parking Places Order 2025 as supplied by Warwick District Council.

Resolved that the Portfolio Holder for Finance and Property approves the addition to the capital programme of the scheme at Bilton School, Rugby at an estimated cost of £0.250 million to be funded from S106 receipts.

Resolved that the Portfolio Holder for Environment, Climate and Culture approve the commencement of a consultation on the Warwickshire Local Nature Recovery Strategy (Warwickshire LNRS).

Resolved that the Portfolio Holder for Transport and Planning approves that the below named proposed Traffic Regulation Order be made as advertised:

The Warwickshire County Council (Old Gated Road, Chesterton) (Prohibition of Motor Vehicles) Order 2025.

The Portfolio Holder of Transport and Planning requested that the Highways Department engage in discussions with the Parish Council and the local County Councillor regarding the method of road closure.

That Cabinet:

1.     Agrees to a further Partnership Agreement between Warwickshire County Council and Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust for the provision of integrated community mental health and social care services for adults, for a term of 5 years from 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2030; and

2.     Authorises the Executive Director for Social Care and Health to enter into appropriate agreements on terms and conditions acceptable to the Executive Director for Resources as described in the report.

That Cabinet:

1.     Authorises the submission to Government of an Interim Plan for unitary local government for Warwickshire by 21 March 2025 based on the outline set out at Appendix 1 to the report; and

2.     Authorises the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Leader of the Council, to finalise the Interim Plan for submission to Government.

That Cabinet:

1.     Accepts the devolution to the Council from the Government of the Housing and Regeneration functions (including the Homes England Compulsory Purchase powers) pursuant to the Level 2 Devolution Deal which was agreed in March 2024; and

2.     Authorises the Chief Executive to agree the draft Regulations relating to the devolution of the Housing and Regeneration functions (including the Homes England Compulsory Purchase powers) with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) and to consent to the making of the Regulations on behalf of the Council.

That Cabinet

1.     Approves and supports the Coventry and Warwickshire Economic Strategy as set out at Appendix 1 to the report, recognising the shared areas of work which are already underway across the two Local Authority areas;

2.     Reaffirms the Councils commitment to work in partnership with Coventry City Council to support growth and prosperity across the functional economic geography of Coventry and Warwickshire; and

3.     Authorises the Executive Director for Resources to arrange for the publication and promotion of the Strategy.

That Cabinet:

1.     Approves the Coventry and Warwickshire Health Protection Strategy 2025 - 2030 as set out in Appendix 1 to the report; and

2.     Authorises the Director of Public Health in consultation with Executive Director for Social Care and Health and the Portfolio Holder for Adult Social Care and Health to develop and implement a detailed action plan to deliver the Strategy.

That Cabinet:

1.     Supports the proposed use of Warwickshire’s allocation of UK Shared Prosperity Funding (UKSPF) for 2025-26 as set out in the report including the allocation of a proportion of the Communities and Place funding to the District and Borough Councils and extensions to the Council’s existing UKSPF business support and employment and skills programmes;

2.     Authorises the Executive Director for Communities to enter into relevant agreements with the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) on terms and conditions acceptable to the Executive Director for Resources;

3.     Approves the addition of a capital grant worth an expected £0.97 million of UKSPF to the Capital Programme;

4.     Approves the commencement of commissioning activity including any procurement and/ or competitive calls for projects required to deliver the investment priorities of the UKSPF funding; and

5.     Authorises the Executive Director for Communities to allocate the UKSPF funding and such other funding as may be available to deliver the three UKSPF investment priorities and to negotiate, and enter into, all necessary agreements to effect the above recommendations including, but not limited to, Deeds of Collaboration with individual District and Borough Councils and Deeds of Variation with existing service providers on terms and conditions acceptable to the Executive Director for Resources.

That Cabinet

1.     Authorises the Executive Director for Children and Young People to commence a procurement exercise for the provision of SEND Mediation Services; and

2.     Authorises the Executive Director for Children and Young People to enter into relevant contracts for the provision of SEND Mediation Services on terms and conditions acceptable to the Executive Director for Resources.

That Cabinet approves the County Highways ‘Highway Enforcement Policy’, as set out at Appendix 1 to the report.

That Cabinet approves the Council Delivery Plan attached at Appendix 1 to the report.

That Cabinet:

1.     Authorises the Executive Director of Resources, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Finance, to commence a procurement process for the provision of the Council’s financial accounting system; and

2.     Authorises the Executive Director for Resources to enter into all relevant contracts and agreements necessary to implement this decision on terms and conditions acceptable to him.

That Cabinet:

1.     Approves the establishment of specialist resourced provision at Dunnington CofE Primary School and approves the addition to the capital programme of £0.110 million, funded from developer contributions, to deliver the prescribed alterations;

2.     Approves the establishment of specialist resourced provision at Boughton Leigh Infant School and approves the addition to the capital programme of £0.090 million, funded from the High Needs Provision Capital Allocation, to deliver the prescribed alterations;

3.     Approves the addition to the capital programme of £0.071 million to deliver the capital works at Studley St Mary’s CofE Academy, funded from the High Needs Provision Capital Allocation;

4.     Approves the addition to the capital programme of £0.600 million to the capital programme to deliver Disability Access Capital Works to be funded from the High Needs Provision Capital Allocation;

5.     Approves the addition to the capital programme of £0.400 million to the capital programme to deliver safeguarding and security capital works, to be funded from the School Condition Allocation; and

6.     In relation to the schemes covered in the report, authorises the Executive Director for Children and Young People, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Finance and Property, to invite tenders and enter into the appropriate contracts or (where the scheme is school led) to make the necessary funding arrangements for these schemes on terms and conditions considered acceptable to the Executive Director for Resources.

A report was submitted to the Portfolio Holder for Transport and Planning setting out proposals relating to changes to Warwick District CPE Variation 13 - Leamington L6 Residents' Parking Zone.

The Portfolio Holder for Transport and Planning, Councillor Matecki welcome public speakers, Nigel Shanahan, founder and Catherine Callicott, general manager from 1 Mill Street.

Nigel Shanahan addressed the Portfolio Holder stating their support of the report and expressed his relief that common sense has prevailed. He highlighted the 150 plus businesses within the group that form a community of people connecting and emphasized the risks that parking restrictions posed to these businesses, which would have hampered economic development, social impact, and the sense of community. Nigel noted that a small group lobbying for these restrictions could have negatively impacted business, and he sees this decision as a positive move for Leamington Spa.

The Portfolio Holder for Transport and Planning requested a recess to discuss with officers. After a 3 minutes recess, Cllr Matecki addressed the meeting, outlining his concerns with the original consultation and report. He noted that there was not a lot of support for the scheme, include residents. He clarified the changes reflected within the current report and outlined his decision. The Portfolio Holder for Transport and Planning approved the installation of double yellow lines on Clinton Street and requested that part two of the decision be withdrawn rather than deferred. The withdrawn portion of the scheme may be considered and potentially redesigned at such a point that business parking permits are a viable option

Resolved that the Portfolio Holder for Transport and Planning:

1. approves the below named proposed Traffic Regulation Order to be implemented as advertised IN PART with the part approved being;

The Warwickshire County Council (District of Warwick) (Civil Enforcement Area) (Waiting Restrictions, On Street Parking Places & Residents’ Parking) (Consolidation) (Variation No.11) Order 2025

Proposals relating to: No Waiting At Any Time – Clinton Street; and

2. agrees that all other proposals within the scheme be withdrawn rather deferred.