Agenda, decisions and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Bulmer, Godden and Nimmo-Smith.

The Chairman reported as follows:

Council congratulated and welcomed new County Councillor for the Charlgrove & Watlington Division – Councillor Steve Harrod.

The death of Honorary Alderman Charles Shouler, who was a County Councillor for the Bicester South Division 1989 - 2013, died on 20 March 2013.  Councillors Hudspeth, Brighouse, Patrick and Mrs Fulljames paid tribute to the former County Councillor and Honorary Alderman.   The Council then observed a Minute’s Silence in his memory. 

Members’ attention was drawn to the Governance Review currently being undertaken by the Monitoring Officer.

The Chairman thanked all staff who were involved in the organisation of the Chairman’s Charity Dinner.

To make any changes to the membership of the Cabinet, scrutiny and other committees on the nomination of political groups.

22 Questions with notice were asked.  Details of the questions and answers and the supplementary questions and answers (where asked) will be set out in Annex 1 to the Minutes.

In relation to Question 1 (Question from Councillor Lilly to Councillor Carter) Councillor Carter undertook to provide Councillor Lilly with a written answer detailing what other invest-to-save energy projects were currently being considered.

In relation to Question 19 (Question from Councillor Howson to Councillor Tilley) Councillor Tilley undertook to ask the School’s Forum about the Sparsity Factor.

In relation to Question 21 (Question from Councillor Patrick to Councillor Nimmo Smith) Councillor Hudspeth undertook to provide Councillor Patrick with a copy of the Transport Audit for Witney with a break down of how subsidy was divided.

Report of the Independent Remuneration Panel (CC9).

Consequent on the changes to the Council’s governance arrangements which came into effect following the May 2013 elections, the Independent Remuneration Panel was asked to consider that allowances that should be payable under them.  This involved consideration of:

•        Special Responsibility Allowances (SRAs) - the range of SRAs and potential amendments to certain of them.

•        Leader and Deputy Leader – potential merger of the SRAs available to each of these two posts.

•        Index – review the currently applicable index for members’ allowances which is due to expire at the end of 2014/15.

Council is RECOMMENDED to adopt the recommendations as set out in the Report of the Independent Remuneration Panel.

The Council had before them a report (CC9) which, consequent on the changes to the Council’s governance arrangements which came into effect following the May 2013 elections, considered the matter of allowances that should be payable under them.

Councillor Hudspeth moved and Councillor Rose seconded a motion to move the recommendations as set out in the report CC9 and on the face of the Agenda.

With the agreement of Council, Councillor Pressel withdrew her amendment detailed in Annex 1 to the Schedule of Business.

Following debate, the motion was put to the vote and was agreed by 60 votes to 30.

RESOLVED: (by 60 votes to 30) to adopt the recommendations as set out in the Report of the Independent Remuneration Panel.

Report by the Head of Policy (CC10).

This report and Annex provides Council with the proposed Corporate Plan for 2014/15-2017/18. This is one of the plans and strategies that forms the policy framework and requires full Council approval.

The Performance Scrutiny Committee submitted comments to the Cabinet, who approved the draft on 18 March 2014, subject to some minor amendments to reflect the comments from the scrutiny committee. These amendments are reflected in this draft.

The Cabinet RECOMMENDS Council to approve the Corporate Plan 2014/15-2017/18.

The Council had before them them a report (CC10) which This provided the Council with the proposed Corporate Plan for 2014/15-2017/18. This is one of the plans and strategies that forms the policy framework and requires full Council approval.

The Performance Scrutiny Committee had submitted comments to the Cabinet, who had approved the draft on 18 March 2014, subject to some minor amendments to reflect the comments from the scrutiny committee. These amendments were reflected in the draft. Before the Council

Councillor Chapman moved and Councillor Hudspeth seconded a motion to move the recommendations as set out on the face of the Agenda.

Following debate, the motion was put to the vote and was carried by 46 votes to 16.

RESOLVED:  (by 46 votes to 16) to approve the Corporate Plan 2014/15-2017/18.

Council is RECOMMENDED to receive the report.

The Council had before them the Annual report of the Audit & Governance Scrutiny Committee (CC11).

Councillor Wilmshurst moved and Councillor Mathew seconded a motion to move the recommendation as set out on the face of the Agenda

During debate, Councillor Wilmshurst undertook to provide Councillor Harris with further detail on the internal control actions agreed – referred to on page 5 of the report.

Following debate, the motion was put to the vote and was carried nem con.

RESOLVED: (nem con) to receive the report.

The Council received the report of the Cabinet.

In relation to paragraph 6 (The proposed Home to School Transport Policy) (Question from Councillor Howson) Councillor Tilley undertook to invite group leaders to a meeting to discuss the issue of spare capacity of all schools in Oxfordshire with a view to writing to the Secretary of State to ensure that where a school of any description had spare capacity then that capacity should be offered to the County to reduce unnecessary transport costs arising from the refusal to allow the County access to the school's spare places.

“The recent flooding in our County posed very real and difficult challenges to the people of Oxfordshire.  The efforts and achievements of our staff - and of our communities - in responding to those challenges was an impressive testament both to public service and to community support.  Many people devoted long hours and hard work to keeping people safe and informed.  It represented the best of Oxfordshire. 

Consequently this Council applauds the efforts and achievements of everyone who worked so hard to alleviate the flooding this winter.”

“Council notes :

·              Air pollution has a detrimental effect on health;

·              Traffic is the main source of pollution from NOx and particulates in Oxford and other town centres in Oxfordshire.

Council recognises that transport is essential to enable people to move around the County but also recognises that Oxfordshire County Council has a duty of care to protect the health of its residents.

Council therefore recommends that:

·              The Oxfordshire Health & Wellbeing Board recognises the significance of air quality as an outcome indicator in Oxfordshire, and addresses the issue by including air quality within the Oxfordshire Joint Strategic Needs Assessment;

·              the impact on the health of Oxfordshire residents, from NOx and particulates,  should be considered as new large developments are proposed and new transport strategies developed.  This is immediately relevant in the development of LTP4, the updated Oxford Transport Strategy and the Westgate and Northern Gateway developments;

·              all transport strategies should include an emphasis on the possible use of pollution-free fuels, freight consolidation strategies and alternative transport modes such as cycling to reduce health risks to residents and visitors alike.

Council further asks the Oxfordshire Joint Health Overview & Scrutiny Committee to consider Air Quality and its effects on Health as soon as possible.  

Councillor Fooks moved and Councillor Rooke seconded the following motion:

“Council notes :

·              Air pollution has a detrimental effect on health;

·              Traffic is the main source of pollution from NOx and particulates in Oxford and other town centres in Oxfordshire.

Council recognises that transport is essential to enable people to move around the County but also recognises that Oxfordshire County Council has a duty of care to protect the health of its residents.

Council therefore recommends that:

·              The Oxfordshire Health & Wellbeing Board recognises the significance of air quality as an outcome indicator in Oxfordshire, and addresses the issue by including air quality within the Oxfordshire Joint Strategic Needs Assessment;

·              the impact on the health of Oxfordshire residents, from NOx and particulates,  should be considered as new large developments are proposed and new transport strategies developed.  This is immediately relevant in the development of LTP4, the updated Oxford Transport Strategy and the Westgate and Northern Gateway developments;

·              all transport strategies should include an emphasis on the possible use of pollution-free fuels, freight consolidation strategies and alternative transport modes such as cycling to reduce health risks to residents and visitors alike.

Council further asks the Oxfordshire Joint Health Overview & Scrutiny Committee to consider Air Quality and its effects on Health as soon as possible.  

Following debate, the motion was put to the vote and was carried by 34 votes to 2, with 25 abstentions.

RESOLVED:  Accordingly.

"The floods in January 2014 affected many Oxfordshire households very badly and caused chaos for traffic in many parts of the County. In the City alone they are estimated to have cost the country's economy about £40 million. We are told that it costs 8 times more to deal with the aftermath of flooding than it does to prevent floods, therefore Council:

·              urges the Leader to write to the government, asking them to reach an urgent decision on contributing a substantial sum to the cost of the western conveyance channel/Oxford relief channel;

·              urges our partners and local businesses also to contribute;

·              urges Thames Water to carry out work as soon as possible to prevent or at least reduce the amount of sewage overflow that occurs when the level of the groundwater is high; and

·              urges the Environment Agency and other partners to continue to carry out other projects that will help to retain water further upstream, if this can be done without flooding homes."

Councillor Pressel moved and Councillor Hudspeth seconded the following motion:

"The floods in January 2014 affected many Oxfordshire households very badly and caused chaos for traffic in many parts of the County. In the City alone they are estimated to have cost the country's economy about £40 million. We are told that it costs 8 times more to deal with the aftermath of flooding than it does to prevent floods, therefore Council:

·              urges the Leader to write to the government, asking them to reach an urgent decision on contributing a substantial sum to the cost of the western conveyance channel/Oxford relief channel;

·              urges our partners and local businesses also to contribute;

·              urges Thames Water to carry out work as soon as possible to prevent or at least reduce the amount of sewage overflow that occurs when the level of the groundwater is high; and

·              urges the Environment Agency and other partners to continue to carry out other projects that will help to retain water further upstream, if this can be done without flooding homes."

Following debate, the motion was put to the vote and was carried by 56 votes to 1.

RESOLVED:  Accordingly.

“This Council is concerned at the level of bee colony collapse in the UK and Oxfordshire with a 60% decline over the last 10 Years and the threat to our food supply as bees provide over 80% of crop pollination.  With this in view and taking into account the Councils responsibilities for conserving biodiversity this Council calls on the Secretary of State for the Environment to extend his recent moratorium on the use of neonicotinoids to an outright ban.

.

The Council therefore asks Cabinet to:

(i)             launch a programme that would seek to support and protect bees focused on establishing bee colonies in its green spaces and wild areas with bee friendly plants;

(ii)          establish and fund a ‘Bee Friendly Wildlife Group ‘of officers charged with promoting bee keeping in Oxfordshire.

(iii)         encourage the use of bee hives on municipal land and in the gardens of volunteers and encourage forms of gardening and land use that support pollinating insects. The team should also visit schools to educate children about the relationship between bees and biodiversity and the problems surrounding bee mortality;

(iv)          ask the Bee Friendly Wildlife Group to commit resources to mapping Bee-lines (1) and to act in an advisory agent too local farmers on their crop planting operations. The County could also join with Berkshire and Buckinghamshire and Oxon Wildlife Trust in their Friendly Gardening Awards scheme which includes the category of a ‘nectar bar’ (2).”

The time being 3.40 pm the meeting closed and therefore motions 16 to 20 were considered to be dropped.