Here is a summary of the items scheduled to be discussed at the Portfolio Holder Decisions meeting. The meeting will cover topics including proposed increases to on-street parking charges, responses to a consultation on the Local Government Pension Scheme, and the establishment of SEND ¹ Resourced Provisions at two schools. Also to be discussed are government grants to fund transport schemes.

Government Grant Funded Transport Schemes

The meeting will include a discussion of a proposal to add two transport schemes to the Capital Programme, funded by a grant from the Active Travel Fund (ATF). Warwickshire Council was awarded £715,887 in capital grant funding from round five of the ATF in November 2024. The funding is ringfenced to support infrastructure that enables greater levels of walking, wheeling and cycling in 2025/26 and 2026/27. The schemes that could be added to the Capital Programme are:

• A428 Rugby Road Binley Woods Cycle Route, £250,000 This scheme would create a new 0.25km cycle route adjacent to the A428 Rugby Road, connecting Binley Woods to cycling infrastructure at the A46 Binley junction and the emerging Coventry cycling network. The scheme involves widening the existing footway between Oakdale Road and the access to the Caffeine Project / Classic Interiors to create a shared footway/cycle track. A priority crossing for pedestrians and cyclists is also planned over the entrance to the Caffeine Project / Classic Interiors.
• B4087 Tachbrook Road, Leamington Spa Walking and Cycling Enhancements, £143,177 This scheme will enhance the existing 0.9km footway/cycle track that connects south Leamington Spa to the railway station and town centre. This will be achieved by improving crossing facilities at five side road/access junctions, to improve safety and continuity for pedestrians and cyclists.

The report pack states that the Active Travel England (ATE) scheme assurance process requires evidence of value for money. The Rugby Road Binley Woods scheme was assessed using the Department for Transport (DfT) Active Modes Appraisal Tool (AMAT), and was assessed as having a BCR of 2.47, which is categorised by DfT as representing 'high' value for money.

Annual On-Street Pay and Display Charge Review

Councillor Jennifer Warren, Portfolio Holder for Transport and Planning, will be asked to approve an increase of on-street charges in Leamington, Warwick, Kenilworth and Stratford Upon Avon from 1 April 2026. This follows a county-wide parking charge benchmarking exercise that considered off-street parking charges applied by the District and Borough Councils, alongside current on-street rates. The report pack states that general guidance from the Department for Transport (DfT) recommends that on-street pay and display pricing is designed to support short-stay use of limited parking capacity within areas of high demand. It is proposed to maintain the existing on-street parking charges in Rugby, based on an hourly on-street rate of £1.40, as the existing rate is sufficient to encourage longer staying parking sessions to the off-street car parks charging £1.00. The proposed increases are:

The report pack notes that in accordance with Section 55 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, any surplus generated from parking income must be reinvested into transport-related purposes.

Consultation on the Establishment of a SEND Resourced Provision

Councillor Wayne Briggs, Portfolio Holder for Education, will be asked to approve the commencement of a consultation exercise on the establishment of a SEND Resourced Provision at Binley Woods Primary School, Coventry, for up to ten primary aged pupils with an Education, Health and Care plan (EHCP) whose primary needs are communication and interaction (C&I). The consultation is proposed to take place between 5 January and 1 February 2026.

Councillor Wayne Briggs will also be asked to approve the commencement of a consultation exercise for a similar SEND Resourced Provision at Brownsover Community School, Rugby, for up to eight primary aged pupils with an Education, Health and Care plan (EHCP) whose primary needs are communication and interaction (C&I). The consultation is proposed to take place between 5 January and 1 February 2026.

The report pack states that local authorities are responsible under section 14 of the Education Act 1996 for ensuring that sufficient schools are available in their area to meet local demand, including specialist provision for pupils with special educational needs. The council aims to ensure that there is sufficient representation of Resourced Provision across all local area schools' consortium networks, providing more opportunities for children to access quality education within their communities. The report pack notes that there are currently 39 established Resourced Provisions across primary and secondary schools in Warwickshire.

Warwickshire Pension Fund Response to the LGPS: Scheme Improvements (access and protections) Consultation

Councillor Stephen Shaw, Portfolio Holder for Finance and Property, will be asked to approve the Warwickshire Pension Fund response to the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS): Scheme improvements (Access and Protections) consultation. The consultation proposes changes to the LGPS regulations in four main areas:

• Normal Pension Age - In 2021, the government announced plans to increase the minimum age at which scheme members could take their pension from 55 to 57, coming into effect in April 2028. The proposals in the consultation set out the protections for members of the LGPS to keep their Protected Pension Age of 55.
• LGPS access for mayors and councillors - The proposed changes to the regulations would allow councillors of County and District Councils to join the LGPS.
• Academies in the LGPS - The government is proposing changes to the rules covering applications by academies for a direction to change administering authority by removing the requirement for Secretary of State consent where criteria set out in regulations are met.
• New Fair Deal - The government is proposing to extend protections set out in the 2013 Fair Deal guidance to LGPS members who are transferred to a new employer when a local government contract is outsourced.

The Fund response largely welcomes the proposals while pointing out areas of concern or requesting detailed guidance in some areas, including the funding source of Councillors membership of the LGPS and the technical challenge of recording the Protected Pension Age protected members. The potential for academies to move Administering Authorities based on lower contribution rates is recognised as a concern in the Funds response. The proposed protection for members of the LGPS involved in an outsourcing arrangement is welcomed.