The Portfolio Holder Decisions/Leader Decisions meeting on 14 June 2024 focused on two main issues: the establishment of a Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) for traffic surveys and the introduction of a fee for schools converting to academies. Both proposals were approved.

Dynamic Purchasing System for Traffic Surveys

The Deputy Leader approved the procurement and establishment of a Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) for Traffic Surveys. This decision allows the Executive Director for Communities to award contracts and enter into necessary legal agreements. The DPS aims to provide better value for money compared to the current procurement framework, which expired on 1 March 2024.

The Council's procurement team recommended a DPS as it allows for new entrants over the contract period, ensuring competitive pricing. The total value of the contract is £2.5 million over six years. The surveys are crucial for supporting transport schemes and highway network changes across Warwickshire, contributing to the Local Transport Plan and other major transport-related documents.

Councillor Peter Butlin, the Portfolio Holder for Transport and Planning, emphasised the importance of these surveys:

Without analysis of traffic and sustainable travel survey data, the Council could not deliver transport-related schemes or make any changes to the highway network.

Charging Schools for Academy Conversions

The Portfolio Holder for Education approved the partial recouping of the Local Authority’s costs related to the academy conversion process by charging a fee of up to £7,750 per converting school. The final charge will be determined by the Executive Director for Children and Young People and reviewed annually. This decision is documented in the SIGNED DECISION Charging schools for academy conversions_v1.

The fee aims to cover the costs incurred by various departments within the Council, including Legal Services, HR, Finance, Project Coordination, and Pensions and Payroll. The Academies Act 2010 allows maintained schools to become academies, and the Council has a statutory duty to comply with this legislation. However, the Council currently receives no funding for this work.

The decision was supported by the Education Services Senior Leadership Team, the Commercial Delivery Group, and the Corporate Board. The introduction of this fee aligns Warwickshire with neighbouring local authorities, seven of which already levy similar charges.

For more details, you can refer to the Charging schools for academy conversions document.