The Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee of Warwickshire Council met on Wednesday 25 February 2026 to discuss a range of important issues concerning the county's communities. Key topics included an update on economic development, performance reports, transport funding and strategies, and the results of a national survey on highways and transport.

Economic Development Update

Isobel Woods, Head of Economy and Skills, provided an update on Warwickshire's economy, employment, and skills, aligning with the Economic Growth Strategy. The report highlighted a recent rise in unemployment, though claimant counts remained steady. Delivery of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund was reported as on track, with significant support provided to businesses through loans and investment funding. Uncertainty was noted regarding future funding beyond April 2026, with the Local Growth Fund expected to focus on mayoral authorities. Opportunities in film and TV were also outlined, alongside employment programmes and redundancy support for automotive workers.

Quarter 3 Integrated Performance Report 2025/26

Steve Smith, Director of Infrastructure, Planning and Environment, presented the Quarter 3 Integrated Performance Report. This report detailed achievements, areas for improvement, and performance gaps against the Council Plan. The report indicated that 62% of Council Delivery Plan activities within the committee's remit were delivering according to plan, with 19% facing challenges. Key Business Measures showed strong performance in areas like visitor numbers to country parks, but the cost associated with Home to School Transport remained a challenging area. The report also noted that the strategic risk profile had remained static, with three strategic risks reporting as red.

The National Highways and Transport 2025 Survey Results

Richard Fenwick, Director of Highways, presented the results of the 2025 National Highways and Transport (NHT) survey. The survey, which captures public views on highways and transport services, indicated that Warwickshire continues to perform strongly when benchmarked against peer County Councils. Key achievements included maintaining a second-place ranking for Highway Maintenance and significant year-on-year improvements in areas such as keeping drains clear and dealing with potholes and flooding. However, areas for focus were identified, including street lighting indicators and road sign cleanliness, with notable disparities in satisfaction levels across different districts within the county.

Consolidated Local Transport Funding Update

David Ayton-Hill, Director of Transport and Economy, provided an update on the Department for Transport's (DfT) consolidated local transport funding approach for non-mayoral Local Transport Authorities. This new system consolidates various grants into fewer, multi-year settlements, requiring the submission of a Local Transport Delivery Plan (LTDP). Warwickshire's indicative consolidated totals were outlined, with proposed focus areas for the Local Transport Grant including Network Resilience, Public Transport, Road Safety, and Centres & Corridors. The report detailed the timescales for submitting the draft and final LTDPs.

Local Transport Plan Area Strategies Update

Sebastian Burch, Service Manager - Transport Strategy, presented an update on the development of the Local Transport Plan (LTP4) Area Strategies. The North Warwickshire Area Strategy was highlighted as a template for future strategies, outlining local context, objectives, and actions across six subject areas: Active Travel, Public Transport, Motor Vehicles, Freight, Managing Space, and Safer Travel. The report invited comments on the clarity of objectives, the balance of content, and the proposed delivery and monitoring arrangements.

The committee also received updates on the Economic Development Update, and the Communities OSC Work Programme. The report pack also included minutes from previous meetings held on 26 November 2025 and 7 January 2026.