The Warwickshire County Council Cabinet met on Thursday 16 July 2026, approving significant investment in education capital projects and adopting a new Home to School Transport Policy. The Cabinet also initiated procurement processes for future professional services in highways, transport, and infrastructure, and agreed to changes in the age range of Lighthorne Heath Primary School.

Additions to the Education Capital Programme 2026/2027

Cabinet approved the addition of £1.754 million to the capital programme for Southam Primary School, £0.364 million for Southam College, and £0.058 million for Bishops Itchington Primary School. These funds, sourced from developer contributions, will support improvements to early years, primary, and secondary school facilities. Additionally, £0.034 million was approved for Briar Hill Infant School in Leamington Spa to increase places within its SEND resourced provision, funded from the High Needs Capital Allocation. The Executive Director for Children and Young People, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Finance and Property, was authorised to manage the procurement and contractual agreements for these schemes.

Capital Investment Fund - Early Years Provision

The Cabinet recommended to the County Council the addition of £8.232 million to the Capital Programme, funded from the Capital Investment Fund (CIF), to replace 12 outdated nursery buildings and refurbish one other across 14 school sites county-wide. This investment aims to secure safe and sustainable nursery provision, ensuring continuity for over 500 early years places and supporting working families. The project is phased over three years, with an overall contingency of £0.360 million. The CIF Technical Review Panel broadly supported the programme, noting its alignment with local needs and the Council's statutory duty to provide sufficient early years places.

Home to School Transport Policy

Cabinet adopted the new Children's and Young People Travel Assistance Policy, effective from 1 September 2026, replacing the previous Home to School/College Transport Policy. This update aligns with national Department for Education guidance and aims to improve consistency in decision-making and ensure support is targeted appropriately while meeting statutory duties. Key changes include assessing transport eligibility based on the school place offer date, introducing independent travel training for post-16 learners, formalising the use of pick-up and drop-off points, and reviewing safe walking routes annually. While some controversial proposals that could have generated significant savings were dropped following consultation, the revised policy is expected to support the delivery of MTFS savings. The Council reiterated its commitment to meeting all statutory duties related to SEND transport and conducting individual assessments.

Future Provision of Professional Services for Highways, Transport and Infrastructure Post 31.12.2026

Cabinet authorised the Executive Director for Communities, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Transport and Planning, to commence a procurement process for Highways, Transport and Infrastructure Professional Services for a four-year period from 2027. This procurement will adopt a delivery model that best meets the Council's needs and will be undertaken jointly with Coventry City Council and Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council, with WCC acting as the lead authority. The new arrangement will ensure continuity of specialist support for major capital schemes and avoid reliance on repeated bespoke procurements.

Recommendations from Call-in on B4102 Fillongley Road, Fillongley Crossroads Junction CRS

Cabinet approved Option 3 for the Fillongley Crossroads junction, which includes the initial design presented to the community, mitigation of a yellow box marking, and several enhancements. These enhancements include extending the 30mph speed limit on Nuneaton Road, improved approach signage and lining, rumble devices on the Nuneaton Road approach, and widening the carriageway on Coventry Road. These measures aim to mitigate the risk of large vehicles meeting and struggling to pass, and to address community concerns about speed. The Executive Director for Communities, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Transport and Planning, will keep the implementation and design of the scheme under close review. The scheme will be funded by £2.646 million from the HS2/DfT Road Safety Fund, with estimated construction costs of approximately £1 million.

Age Range Change Lighthorne Heath Primary School

Cabinet approved the proposal to change the age range at Lighthorne Heath Primary School from 3–11 years to 4–11 years from 1 September 2026. This change will enable the school to move to a governor-led nursery model, offering greater flexibility in delivery and potentially increasing places and session lengths to meet local demand. The proposal is supported by the school and no objections were received during stakeholder engagement. There are no financial implications for the Council, and environmental benefits are expected through reduced travel needs.

The Future of Warwickshire's Adult Skills

Cabinet approved the Commissioning and Funding Plan for the Adult Skills Fund (ASF) and Free Courses for Jobs (FCFJ), which sets out proposals for utilising the £7.7 million allocated for 2026/27. The plan aligns with the Council's Employment & Skills Strategy and aims to improve employment outcomes, reduce inequalities, and address priority sector skills shortages. The Council will adopt a blended approach to commissioning, using grant awards for statutory institutions and procured contracts for independent training providers. The Executive Director for Communities was authorised to undertake necessary procurement activity. Cabinet also noted the proposals for the utilisation of the Post-16 Capacity Fund, with further reports to follow on capital allocations.

Exempt Items

The Cabinet resolved to exclude the public from the meeting for the consideration of items containing exempt or confidential information, as defined in Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972. These items included the disposal of land at Manor Park School site in Nuneaton, land at Coventry Road in Nuneaton, and a site-specific business case for the Warwickshire Property & Development Group (WPDG).