The Warwickshire County Council Cabinet met to discuss the financial framework, additions to the education capital programme, bus service improvements, a developer-funded scheme, domestic abuse support, changes to primary school age ranges, and the modern slavery statement. The cabinet approved recommendations for the financial framework, additions to the education capital programme, the bus service improvement plan, and changes to primary school age ranges. They also approved the recommissioning of the Domestic Abuse Specialist Counselling and Therapy Service (DASCAT) and the updated Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement.

Financial Framework for 2026/27

Councillor Stephen Shaw, Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Finance and Property, presented the report on the financial framework for the 2026-2027 medium-term financial strategy. The report noted the financial context for the 2026-2027 budget and the medium-term financial strategy for 2026 to 2031. The current medium-term financial strategy for 2025-2030 includes £79.6 million in savings and the use of £7 million in reserves. The 2026-2031 medium-term financial strategy refresh builds on this and extends financial planning to 2030-2031.

Key financial and economic risks include inflation, cost of living pressures, demand growth (especially in special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), social care and transport), and national funding reforms for local government. The strategy is guided by seven principles, including assuming a 2% inflation rate from 2026, councils taking the 5% council tax increase available, and a national solution to dedicated school grants deficits by 2028.

Initial modelling suggests that £7.3 million in savings will be needed. Prioritisation is essential due to limited capital funding, especially for school places, and only unavoidable or high-return projects will be approved. The Cabinet agreed to the recommendations.

Councillor George Cowcher raised concerns about the statutory override¹ and how the budget proposals would deal with it. Councillor Shaw responded that the council would continue to look into provisions for the most vulnerable in society.

Additions to the Education Capital Programme 2025/26

Councillor Wayne Briggs, Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Education, presented the report on additions to the Education Capital Programme 2025/26. The report sought the addition of new education projects to the education capital programme. The projects included:

• Oakwood Primary School, Nuneaton
• Shipston High School
• Woodside C of E Primary School in Atherstone
• Kersley Newland Primary Academy in Bedworth

The recommendations were agreed.

Warwickshire Bus Service Improvement Plan

The report sought approval for a programme of capital and revenue-funded measures aligned to the Warwickshire Bus Service Improvement Plan in 2025-26. The council will receive £12.26 million in ring-fenced funding for a two-year period, and will soon receive a further £8.726 million for 2025-26.

An underspend of £3.5 million was reported, primarily due to external issues affecting the bus industry. The Department for Transport (DFT) has agreed that the County Council can put that money back into initiatives like real-time passenger information displays at bus stops, bus priority measures, a pilot multi-bus operator smart card scheme, and bus stop improvements.

Councillor Green attended an event held by Stagecoach Midlands, commemorating the launch of zero-emission all-electric buses in Warwickshire.

The recommendations included:

• The addition of £5.935 million to the capital programme for the Bus Service Improvement Plan capital funding for 2025-26.
• Approval of the programme of capital and revenue funding.
• Continuation of the cross-party works group formed in July 2021 to support the Council working with bus operators.
• Delegation to the Executive Director for Communities to enter into any contract and agreement necessary.

Councillor Phelps spoke in favour of the report, noting that a lot of the money was going to the big cities, so it was good that Warwickshire got what it did.

Councillor David Curtis raised concerns about the lack of equality impact assessments² attached to the report, and how the Cabinet can be assured that they are meeting their obligations under the Equality Act 2010.

Councillor Jonathan Chilvers welcomed the focus on the main spine down the county, from Nuneaton to Stratford-upon-Avon, and suggested looking at bus franchising to get a better deal from bus companies.

The recommendations were agreed.

Developer Funded Scheme - School Lane Junction

The report requested that the Cabinet recommend to Council that £3.904 million is added to the capital programme for works to be carried out in respect to the highways. The scheme will provide improvements and an upgrade of the existing junction to accommodate the traffic volumes resulting from the new development in the area, which includes carriageway widening and conversion of parts of the existing footway into a three-metre-wide shared footway.

Councillor Keith Kondakor raised concerns about spending a vast sum of money around the junction, and asked for a safety review and look at the wider area before approving this.

The Cabinet agreed to the recommendations.

Recommissioning of the Domestic Abuse Specialist Counselling and Therapy Service (DASCAT)

The report sought approval to recommission the Domestic Abuse Specialist Counselling and Therapy Service (DASCAT). The Council has a duty under Section 4 of the Domestic Abuse Act to provide accommodation and support, including counselling and therapy, for adult and child victim-survivors of domestic abuse. The current contract value is £400,000 per annum.

The overarching principles for the recommissioning are a county-wide equitable service for victims and survivors of domestic abuse, and a service that provides a variety of models of support.

Councillor Jonathan Chilvers raised concerns that the service is going to be recommissioned at a lower value than the last round, and asked if the same service will be able to be delivered for less money.

The Cabinet agreed that the recommendations should be put through.

Age Range Change - Primary Schools

The report proposed a change to the age range at Welford-on-Avon Primary School, Wolston St Margaret's Church of England Primary School & Bournebrook Primary School from age 3-7 to age 4-7 from September 2025.

The Cabinet agreed to the recommendations.

Modern Slavery Statement

Councillor Michael Bannister, Portfolio Holder for Customer and Localities, presented the report seeking approval of the County Council's updated Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement for the financial year 2024/25.

Councillor Jonathan Chilvers asked for confirmation that all staff who are in supplier-facing roles were checked in some way to ensure completion takes place, and about the wider environmental social governance (ESG) assessments of subcontractors and suppliers via selection decisions within the county.

The Cabinet agreed to the recommendations.

Exempt Information

The Cabinet then moved on to consider reports containing exempt or confidential information, and the public were excluded from the meeting for the remainder of the items.