Councillor George Finch, Leader of the Council and Portfolio Holder for Children & Families, approved the addition of two Section 106¹ developer-funded schemes to the capital programme. These schemes involve providing real-time information displays at bus stops in Bulkington and accessibility improvements at bus stops in Stretton-on-Dunsmore. Councillor Finch also authorised the Executive Director for Communities to procure and enter into contracts to implement these schemes.

Additions to the Capital Programme

Councillor George Finch agreed to add two schemes to the capital programme, funded by Section 106 agreements:

• Provision of Real Time Information (RTI) displays at a pair of bus stops on Bedworth Road (near the junction with Severn Road) in Bulkington, at an estimated cost of £33,400.
• Minor accessibility improvement works at bus stops on School Road and Brookside in Stretton-on-Dunsmore, at an estimated cost of £22,500.

The Leader also authorised the Executive Director for Communities to procure and enter into any necessary contracts and agreements to implement the schemes.

The decision was made under the delegated power of the Portfolio Holder for Finance and Property to approve additions to the Capital Programme for schemes costing less than £2.0 million, funded from external grants or developer contributions. The schemes are fully funded by developer contributions under Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990² and are not dependent on any funding from Warwickshire County Council resources. Alternative funding is available from the Warwickshire Bus Service Improvement Delivery Plan 2025-26 Programme should costs exceed the Section 106 funding available.

The background information provided in the Public Reports Pack detailed that the planning application for the Bulkington site (Planning Ref No. 036491), submitted to Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council, required the developer to fund bus shelter enhancement works through a Section 106 Agreement. The works will involve installing RTI displays within new bus shelters provided by the developer. The planning application for the Stretton-on-Dunsmore site (Planning Ref No. R17/1767), submitted to Rugby Borough Council, required the developer to provide a bus stop contribution towards improving pedestrian accessibility to bus stops on School Road and Brookside.

The report also noted that:

Highway matters are considered during the planning process and case law has established that the County Council as Highway Authority cannot unreasonably refuse to undertake highway works on grounds that have already been considered as part of the decisions to grant the planning permissions or that the Highway Authority has already agreed to carry out under a s106 agreement.

According to the Financial Implications outlined in the Public Reports Pack, the bus stop enhancement works, with a total estimated cost of £55,900, will be fully funded by the respective Section 106 developer contributions. If the funds are not used for the specified purposes, they will need to be repaid to the developer. In the event of overspend, officers will seek reserves from the £12.349 million Warwickshire Bus Service Improvement Delivery Plan 2025-26 Programme.

The Equalities Impact Assessment (EIA) included in the Public Reports Pack, states that the updated Warwickshire Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) sets out the vision and plan for improving bus services and increasing bus patronage in the local area. The EIA noted that a public engagement exercise showed that 86% of respondents stated that real-time information displays would positively influence their decision to use bus services, and 75% said that an improved waiting environment at bus stops would positively influence their decision to use bus services.

The EIA also considered the impact of the proposals on people who share characteristics protected by the Equality Act 2010. It concluded that the proposals would generally have a positive impact, particularly for elderly and disabled residents, by enhancing the waiting environment and easing the boarding and alighting of buses. The EIA noted that the Section 106 developer contribution sum is insufficient to also fund improvements to vehicle specification, ticketing, and fares, which will need to be delivered separately.

Disposal of Land in Warwick

Councillor George Finch approved the recommendations set out in the exempt report regarding the disposal of land in Warwick. Further details were not available in the public minutes.