Warwickshire County Council's cabinet convened to discuss and make decisions on a range of issues, including a developer-funded highway scheme, proposed changes to home-to-school transport, healthy lifestyle services, and the community safety agreement. The cabinet approved recommendations for all agenda items, each of which will be subject to call-in.

Higham Lane/Peake Avenue Roundabout

Cabinet recommended that the council approve adding £2,110,400 to the capital programme for 2025/26 for a highways improvement scheme at the C11 Higham Lane / Peake Avenue, Nuneaton, middle junction 4-arms roundabout, to be funded by a developer. The scheme is a condition of planning consent granted to Vistry North West Midlands for a mixed-use development.

Councillor Keith Kondakor, the local member, voiced concerns that the roundabout was larger than initially planned and that residents had not had an opportunity to comment on the increased size. He requested a deferral to allow for resident feedback and a review of the roundabout's size.

Councillor Jennifer Warren, Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Transport and Planning, acknowledged the concerns and offered to meet with Councillor Kondakor and officers to discuss the issues before the council makes a final decision.

Home to School Transport Policy Consultation

Cabinet agreed to launch a public consultation on proposed changes to the Warwickshire County Council's Children and Young People's Travel Assistance policy (formerly known as the Home to School Transport policy), with the aim of aligning the policy with new government guidance and achieving a more efficient service.

Councillor Warren stated that home to school transport costs had risen significantly, reaching £46.65m in 2025/26. The proposed changes, summarised in Appendix 3 of the Home to School Transport Policy Consultation document, include:

• Streamlining eligibility assessments to align with the school admissions process.
• Providing transport for post-16 SEND pupils only if they travel more than 3 miles from home, unless their needs prevent them from walking the distance.
• Following national guidance that the presence or absence of street lighting alone should not determine whether a route is classified as unsafe.

Councillor George Finch, Leader of the Council, emphasised that children with special educational needs and disabilities would be at the heart of the consultation.

Councillor Jennifer McAllister raised concerns about the potential impact on SEND nursery-age children and queried the definition of compulsory school age . She also questioned the clarity of the consultation document regarding street lighting and safe routes to school.

Councillor Kondakor highlighted the need for a good public bus transport system.

Officers clarified that the consultation would include a question on each policy change, and that stakeholders would be able to make comments.

Healthy Lifestyle Services

Cabinet authorised the Executive Director for Social Care and Health to begin the procurement process for a Healthy Lifestyle Service, including NHS health checks. The aim is to promote healthier lifestyles and prevent residents from developing long-term conditions.

Councillor Anne-Marie Sonko, Portfolio Holder for Adult Social Care and Health, explained that a service review of the current Fitter Futures Warwickshire service identified that residents could be better supported and that improvements could be made to the integration of the service.

Councillor Sam Jones referred to a study in the Lancet that identified alcohol as the most harmful substance in society and asked why the council was not putting money towards tackling alcoholism. He also asked for a breakdown of how much resource of that NHS health checks goes towards drink for example. Councillor Sonko agreed to investigate current provisions and consider adding specific measures to address alcoholism in the plan.

Councillor David Curtis cited data from Portugal, where decriminalisation of certain drugs had led to a fall in drug-related deaths.

Councillor Kondakor said that every pound spent on getting a healthier Warwickshire population would benefit the whole economy and reduce NHS costs.

Warwickshire Community Safety Agreement 2025-29

Cabinet endorsed the Warwickshire Community Safety Agreement 2025-29 for approval by the council. The agreement sets out how partner agencies will work together to implement shared community safety priorities.

Councillor Dale Bridgewater, Portfolio Holder for Fire and Rescue and Community Safety, explained that the agreement was based on strategic assessments and sets out how partner agencies will work together to implement shared community safety priorities.

Councillor Sarah Boad, Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group, asked for an update on the Crime Awareness Plan. Councillor Finch said that he hoped to announce more detail soon and noted the importance of working with partners such as Neighbourhood Watch and Safeline to ensure that people felt safe in their town centres.

Councillor John Holland, Deputy Leader of the Labour Group, highlighted the importance of working with town and parish councils and reducing overlap in community safety provision.

Councillor Kondakor spoke about the challenges facing community safety, including hate crime and social media, and queried why some counter-measures were not funded from the police budget.

Warwickshire Property & Development Group (WPDG) - Site Specific Business Case

Cabinet approved the recommendations as per the exempt report.