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Worcestershire County Council
Worcestershire County Council operates the Worcestershire Pension Fund, a local government pension scheme (LGPS) administered from County Hall in...
Worcestershire County Council
Worcestershire County Council operates the Worcestershire Pension Fund, a local government pension scheme (LGPS) administered from County Hall in Worcester. Phil Rook serves as the council's Chief Financial Officer and Section 151 Officer, holding statutory responsibility for the proper administration of the fund's financial affairs. The fund has a formal business partnership administering pensions for employees of Herefordshire Council. The fund's investment strategy is executed primarily through LGPS Central, an FCA-regulated asset pooling company it owns jointly with seven other Midlands-based LGPS funds. Through this structure, WCC gains co-investment capabilities and access to mandates across private equity, infrastructure, real estate, and private credit that would be difficult to replicate at an individual fund scale. The council also holds a portfolio of direct property assets within Worcestershire, including Malvern View Farm Buildings, The Pines commercial property in Worcester, and the Belbroughton Smallholdings Estate. The council maintains direct land and property holdings spanning over half a dozen sites, including agricultural land at New Farm in Norton and Churchill Farm Buildings in Castlemorton, alongside mixed-use properties such as the former Abberley Parochial Primary School. The council's civic assets include the Museums Worcestershire Collection and the county's civic regalia and silver, held at County Hall. The fund is a signatory to the UK Stewardship Code 2020, reflecting a formal commitment to responsible investment oversight, engagement, and transparent reporting. This stewardship posture shapes how the fund monitors its external managers, particularly within the pooled LGPS Central mandates where coordinated influence with peer councils strengthens governance outcomes.
General information
Firm type
Operating Fund
Year founded
—
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
Europe
Country
United Kingdom
City
Worcester
Corporate office
County Hall, Worcester, United Kingdom
Principals
Phil Rook
Chief Financial Officer and Section 151 Officer
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at Worcestershire County Council?
The council's Section 151 Officer, Phil Rook, holds statutory responsibility for the financial administration of the Worcestershire Pension Fund. Day-to-day investment management is largely delegated to LGPS Central, the FCA-regulated pooling entity the council co-owns with seven other Midlands authorities. The council's pension committee provides governance oversight and determines the strategic asset allocation.
How does Worcestershire County Council source investment opportunities?
The fund sources investments almost exclusively through LGPS Central, its asset pooling partner. LGPS Central originates, underwrites, and monitors mandates across private equity, infrastructure, real estate, and private credit on behalf of its eight partner funds. The council does not maintain a dedicated in-house direct investment team.
Does Worcestershire County Council invest directly or only through funds?
The council invests primarily through pooled fund structures via LGPS Central. It also holds a direct portfolio of land and property assets within Worcestershire, including agricultural land, commercial property, and mixed-use buildings. The direct portfolio is locally managed and separate from the centralized LGPS Central mandates.
What is LGPS Central and how does it relate to Worcestershire County Council?
LGPS Central is an FCA-regulated asset management company established in 2015 as part of the UK government's LGPS pooling reforms. Worcestershire County Council is one of eight equal-shareholder partner funds, alongside Cheshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, and the West Midlands. The pooling arrangement aims to reduce costs and improve access to private market investments through collective scale.
What is Worcestershire County Council's posture on responsible investment?
The council is a signatory to the UK Stewardship Code 2020, administered by the Financial Reporting Council, committing it to transparent reporting on engagement, voting, and ESG integration. This commitment applies both to its directly held assets and to the mandates executed through LGPS Central, where coordinated stewardship across partner funds strengthens influence with external managers.
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