Track the business activity and commercial plans of North Warwickshire Borough Council — identify tender and future spending opportunities before they reach the market, follow cabinet and committee decisions, and understand the council’s priorities, with intelligence extracted from 22 analysed meetings.
Meetings analysed22
Procurement opportunities14
Pressures tracked20
Estimated pipeline value£38m–£40m
Active procurement topics
Over the last 12 months, the most frequently discussed commercial topics in this council's meetings have been Professional Services (24 mentions, easing), Construction & Building Works (21 mentions, easing), IT & Digital (19 mentions, rising) and Corporate & Business Support (11 mentions, rising).
Commercial signals extracted from recent North Warwickshire Borough Council meetings — approvals, budget decisions and early procurement discussions, before a tender is published.
Members approved a £230,000 budget to review and improve the council's IT capability, effectiveness, security and workforce efficiency. Entec SI has been engaged to support the work, which includes a revised ICT strategy, roadmap and foundations business case, plus hardware, software and upskilling. The work is also framed as supporting local government reorganisation.
“Item number eight is the uh reviewing its IT capability and effectiveness in order to improve services to residents and improve workforce efficiency. This work will also help with the council's preparation for local government reorganization. Consultancy firm Entec SI >> Excuse m…”
A 50MW battery energy storage system in the Green Belt was deferred after members raised unresolved concerns about landscape impact, noise, fire risk, cumulative development, wildlife, and the lack of a confirmed grid connection. Although officers and the applicant argued the scheme brought major renewable energy benefits and could be mitigated, the board wanted more evidence before deciding.
“I do have a concern um from a perspective that of course not really picking up on that cumulative um landscape issues with these types of developments. Um and and this is literally just away from the the HS2 site as well. So so I do have a massive concern and the other concern an…”
The board considered the council's position on an employment development near M42 Junction 9 and concluded that the site remained green belt rather than gray belt. Officers said the proposal would be inappropriate development causing harm to openness, landscape character, and agricultural land, and that very special circumstances were not met. Members unanimously moved to refuse, which may shape future industrial land strategy and any revised proposal or appeal evidence.
“"The report concludes that it is green belt and it does not meet the tests of being gray belt and there are harms in terms it is inappropriate and there are harms in terms of openness and conflicts with the purposes."”
The discussion identified three key asks of manufacturers and retailers: offer takeback schemes, improve labelling so consumers know products contain lithium batteries, and design products so batteries can be removed easily for recycling. This was presented as the main upstream change needed to reduce fire risk and recycling costs.
“But shops and manufacturers, what should they do in my view? Well, offer takeback schemes would be good as you've mentioned. That would be great. um improve the laboring of those products so people know there's a battery in them because I'm sat looking at three or four products o…”
The council approved a new North Warwickshire Prosperity Fund with £2 million allocated in the adopted budget for local projects across the borough. The scheme is designed to be flexible, with applicants needing to show alignment with the corporate plan themes, and decisions will be made by a member panel.
“item number 13 is the North Warwickshire Prosperity Fund. You will recall that in the budget adopted by council council last month, one of the main announcements was the creation of 2 million pound fund for projects across the borough. Pleased therefore that this report brings th…”
A major opportunity exists to procure and deliver a new school campus, sports block and associated access/parking works under the Department for Education rebuilding programme. The scheme is grant-funded, keeps the school operational during construction, and includes sustainable design and transport improvements, indicating substantial construction, MEP, drainage and highways-related procurement activity.
“Um the application proposal seeks the comprehensive development of car school. Um it seeks permission for the construction of a new threestory school building, a new sports block, um replacement sports facility including a multi-use gaze area, revised car parking and revised acce…”
The board considered a major outline housing scheme at Dairy House Farm, focusing on access, flooding, and whether the wider reserve site should be master planned before approving phase 3. Members also debated a retrospective gypsy and traveller site on Green Belt land, weighing unmet accommodation need against landscape harm, biodiversity and enforcement concerns. A smaller care-home conversion at Keys Hill was approved after discussion of parking, staffing, safeguarding, and a roof design amendment.
The board focused heavily on governance and control issues, especially the internal audit annual conclusion, slow implementation of audit actions, and the risk register for strategic risks including cyber, health and safety, and local government reorganisation. It also approved or discussed several operational policies and property-related reviews with procurement implications: debt write-off arrangements, sheltered scheme communal rooms, housing fraud controls, HMO policy, and EPC compliance work for commercial assets. The meeting repeatedly highlighted the need for better systems, clearer accountability, and future reports before investment or disposal decisions are made.
The board approved several procurement-relevant initiatives: new pump track and recreation improvements at three sites, appointment of a competent person for 3G pitch construction duties, continuation of the leisure centre redevelopment with a future operator procurement, formal adoption of updated waste and driving policies, and multiple community wellbeing grants. The transcript also highlighted operational pressures around road safety data, temporary leisure provision uptake, waste collection demand, and accessibility issues at the new health hub.
The board approved a major leisure centre build contract with Speller Metcalfe and noted ongoing pre-construction work. It also approved consultation on a new council tax banded discount scheme aimed at reducing administration and improving collection, and agreed £230,000 for an IT capability review and roadmap led with Entec SI. Finally, members approved governance and data protection policy updates, including an annual governance statement and a new complaints process required by the Data Use and Access Act 2025.
The board considered major planning and development matters with clear procurement implications: a Department for Education-funded school rebuild with transport, sports and future-proofing issues; a proposed children’s residential care home driven by sufficiency pressures; a retrospective gypsy and traveller site requiring further legal and site assessment; and a Section 106 package for 283 homes where members debated affordable housing tenure mix, delivery speed, and local priority. The committee also handled a council-owned accessibility ramp scheme and a householder retrospective extension with a rooflight/overlooking dispute, plus a routine council planning item and a delegated affordable-housing decision.
The meeting focused heavily on road safety, including Vision Zero ambitions, average speed cameras, advisory 20 mph limits outside schools, and a major uplift proposed for road safety spending. Members also agreed funding for domestic abuse grab bags, supported community safety partnership planning, and discussed a small housing request for video doorbells or similar devices to support vulnerable residents.