Agenda, decisions and minutes

Before inviting the Solicitor of the Council to seek nominations for the office of Chairman of the Council, Councillor Anne Purse (the retiring Chairman) addressed the meeting, reflecting on her year in office, in particular the commemoration of the 1^st Word War, the VE day celebrations and beacon lighting and her Charity Dinner in aid of Thomley Hall.  She thanked members of the Council for their support throughout the year. 

She then went on to thank her sister Edna, who had been her consort for the year and her personal assistants (Sara Lenihan and Lubnor Khalid) for all their help and support during the year.  She then presented Sara Lenihan with flowers as a token of her appreciation and her sister with a consort badge and some flowers.

Councillors Hudspeth, Brighouse, Williams and Webber paid tribute to Councillor Purse, expressing their thanks for her work as Chairman and ambassador for the Council.

The County Solicitor & Monitoring Officer sought nominations for the position of Chairman of the Council.

Councillor Brighouse proposed and Councillor Hudspeth seconded that Councillor John Sanders be elected Chairman of the Council for the 2015/16 Council Year. 

There being no further nominations and no dissent, Councillor John Sanders was declared elected as Chairman for the 2015/16 Council Year. Councillor Sanders then read and signed the statutory Declaration of Acceptance of Office.

Upon signing the declaration, Councillor John Sanders expressed sadness and regret that Former County Councillor Val Smith had not been able to undertake the role of Chairman for the 2015/16 Council Year.

RESOLVED: (unanimously) that Councillor John Sanders be elected Chairman of the Council for the 2015/16 Council Year.

The Chairman called for nominations for the office of Vice-Chairman.  Councillor Hudspeth proposed and Councillor Brighouse seconded that Councillor Michael Waine be elected Vice-Chairman for the 2015/2016 Council Year.  The being no further nominations and no dissent, Councillor Michael Waine was declared elected.  Councillor Waine read and signed the statutory Declaration of Acceptance of Office.

RESOLVED: (unanimously) that Councillor Michael Waine be elected as Vice-Chairman for the 2015/16 Council Year.

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 14 April 2015 (CC1) and to receive information arising from them.

The Minutes of the Meeting held on 14 April 2015 were approved and signed.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Neil Fawcett, Jean Fooks and Zoe Patrick.

The Chairman reported as follows:

·               Council held a Minute’s silence to commemorate the life of former County Councillor Val Smith.  Val had stood down as a county councillor in September 2014 having served the Leys and Lye division since 2005. She was the wife of Oxford East MP Andrew Smith and had been a city councillor for many years prior to becoming a county councillor. She was held in great respect across the political divide and commanded respect among officers and councillors alike. There was great sadness at her passing.  Council’s thoughts were very much with her husband Andrew Smith and her family at this time.

·               Zoe Patrick had decided, for personal health reasons to retire as Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group but would remain on the Council.  Council agreed to send Councillor Patrick a card and flowers and congratulated Councillor Richard Webber who had been duly appointed as the new Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group.

·               Council welcomed newly appointed County Councillor James Mills (Witney West & Bampton Division) and congratulated him on his appointment to the Council.

·               A powerful earthquake had hit Nepal on 25 April. More than 8,000 people had been reported killed and more than 14,000 injured. A second massive earthquake struck on 12 May, killing an additional 65 people. The UN estimated that 8 million people across the country were affected - more than a quarter of the population. Over 700,000 houses had been destroyed or damaged.

An Oxfam Collection Tin would be circulated during the briefing following Council to provide clean water, toilets, hygiene kits, emergency shelter, food and seeds to the millions of people affected by the disaster.  The Chairman urged members to donate.

·               On Friday 8^th May Oxfordshire joined locations across the country in lighting special v-shaped beacons to mark the 70th anniversary of Victory in Europe.  VE Day marked the official end of Second World War hostilities in Europe, following the formal surrender of German forces. It was both an occasion of national celebration and one of sombre reflection for those who lost their lives in the six-year conflict, including 580,406 UK and Commonwealth Forces and 67,073 UK civilians.  It was right that the Council continued to mark this important milestone in the country’s history, and that the sacrifice, courage and determination of those who stood firm was not forgotten.

RETURNING OFFICER REPORT

BY-ELECTION HELD ON 7 MAY 2015

WITNEY WEST & BAMPTON DIVISION

Members are asked to receive the following report from the County Returning Officer on the outcome of the by-election for the Witney West & Bampton Division held on 7 May 2015:

Voting were as follows:

James Francis Mills was accordingly elected County Councillor for the Witney West & Bampton Division.

The Council had before them the report by the Returning Officer setting out the results of the by-election for the Witney West & Bampton Division held on 7 May 2015.

RESOLVED: (nem con) to note that James Francis Mills was accordingly elected County Councillor for the Witney West & Bampton Division.

Report by the Leader of the Council (CC10).(To Follow)

Council is RECOMMENDED to note the delegations made by the Leader of the Council with regard to the functions of the Cabinet.

Councillor Hudspeth moved and Councillor Rose seconded the recommendations set on the face of the Agenda in relation to delegations made by the Leader of the Council with regard to the functions of the Cabinet.

Council noted that waste management and environmental management  was now under the responsibility of the Deputy Leader.

RESOLVED: (nem con) to note the delegations made by the Leader of the Council with regard to the functions of the Cabinet.

Report by the County Solicitor & Monitoring Officer (CC11)

The Council is required by the Local Government & Housing Act 1989 to review the political balance on its committees on an annual basis. The report sets out how the rules operate and seeks approval for adjustments which are necessary to achieve the balance across and within committees to comply with the rules.

In summary the changes necessary are:

(a)       To obtain balance across the scrutiny committees, the Green Group has a seat on the Performance & Scrutiny Committee. There are no unfilled seats;

 (b)      To obtain balance across the other committees of the Council and

overall the Green Group has a seat on the Remuneration Committee and the Conservative Independent Alliance Group have an additional seat on the Planning & Regulation Committee. There are no unfilled seats

The Council is RECOMMENDED:

(a)          to confirm the political balance on committees shown in Annex 2  to the report;

(b)          to appoint to committees the councillors and co-opted members shown in Annex 3, subject to any changes reported in any amended schedule and at the meeting;

The Council was required by the Local Government & Housing Act 1989 to review the political balance on its committees on an annual basis. The Council had before it a report (CC11) together with additional information set out in the Schedule of Business (Annex 3) which set out how the rules operate and sought approval for adjustments which were necessary to achieve the balance across and within committees to comply with the rules.

In summary the changes necessary were:

(a)       to obtain balance across the scrutiny committees, the Green Group had a seat on the Performance & Scrutiny Committee. There were no unfilled seats;

 (b)      to obtain balance across the other committees of the Council and

overall the Green Group had a seat on the Remuneration Committee and the Conservative Independent Alliance Group had an additional seat on the Planning & Regulation Committee. There were no unfilled seats.

Councillor John Sanders moved and Councillor Waine seconded that the recommendations set out on the face of the Agenda and in the report be adopted.

Councillor Webber moved and Councillor Roz Smith seconded that Councillor Councillor Anne Purse be nominated as the standing substitute for Councillor Zoe Patrick on the Oxfordshire County Council Joint Consultative Committee for Uniformed Members of the Fire Service.

The motion was put to the vote and was carried by 56 votes to 1, with 3 abstentions.

RESOLVED: (nem con) to:

(a)          confirm the political balance on committees shown in Annex 2  to the report;

(b)          appoint to committees the councillors and co-opted members shown in Annex 3, subject to Councillor Les Sibley being  in place of Councillor Lynda Atkins on Pension Fund Committee;

(c)          Councillor Anne Purse be nominated as the standing substitute for Councillor Zoe Patrick on the Oxfordshire County Council Joint Consultative Committee for Uniformed Members of the Fire Service.

The report is structured to reflect the activity of the Council’s three scrutiny committees; Performance Scrutiny, Education Scrutiny and Health Overview & Scrutiny and the Cabinet Advisory Groups. The report highlights the work carried out by each Committee to scrutinise service activity and performance as well as Cabinet decisions taken over the past year.

The Audit and Governance Committee has reviewed this report and welcomed the positive impact that the committees have had in the past year. The report has also been reviewed by the Performance Scrutiny Committee.

Council is RECOMMENDED to receive the report.

The Council had before them the Scrutiny Annual Report (CC12) which outlined the activity of the Council’s three scrutiny committees; Performance Scrutiny, Education Scrutiny and Health Overview & Scrutiny and the Cabinet Advisory Groups. The report highlighted the work carried out by each Committee to scrutinise service activity and performance as well as Cabinet decisions taken over the past year.

The Audit and Governance Committee had reviewed this report and welcomed the positive impact that the committees had in the past year. The report had also been reviewed by the Performance Scrutiny Committee.

Councillor Brighouse moved and Councillor Gray seconded that Council receive the Annual Report of the scrutiny committees.

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

RESOLVED: (nem con) to receive the report.

The Annual Report sets out the role of the Audit & Governance Committee and summarises the work that has been undertaken both as a Committee and through the support of the Audit Working Group in 2014.

Council is RECOMMENDED to receive the report.

The Council had before them the Audit & Governance Annual Report (CC13) which set out the role of the Audit & Governance Committee and summarised the work that has been undertaken both as a Committee and through the support of the Audit Working Group in 2014.

Councillor Wilmshurst moved and Councillor Lovatt seconded that Council receive the Annual report of the Audit & Governance Committee.

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

RESOLVED:  (nem con) to receive the report.

Report by the County Solicitor and Monitoring Officer (CC14).

At its Annual Meeting, Council is required to agree the officer scheme of delegation within the Council's Constitution.  The Scheme of Delegation forms Part 7.3 of the Constitution and gives delegated authority to the Chief Executive, directors and to other chief officers whose titles and/or areas of responsibility are set out in Part 2, Article 11 of the Constitution.

This report highlights some minor amendments to the Scheme of Delegation and to Article 11 principally to reflect the service areas of certain Chief Officer posts.

Council is RECOMMENDED to note the amendments to Article 11 and to Part 7.3 of the Constitution and to approve the Scheme of Officer Delegation (Part 7.3) as amended.

At its Annual Meeting, Council is required to agree the officer scheme of delegation within the Council's Constitution.  The Scheme of Delegation forms Part 7.3 of the Constitution and gives delegated authority to the Chief Executive, directors and to other chief officers whose titles and/or areas of responsibility are set out in Part 2, Article 11 of the Constitution.

This report highlighted some minor amendments to the Scheme of Delegation and to Article 11 principally to reflect the service areas of certain Chief Officer posts.

RESOLVED: (on a motion by Councillor John Sanders, seconded by Councillor Waine and carried nem con) to note the amendments to Article 11 and to Part 7.3 of the Constitution and to approve the Scheme of Officer Delegation (Part 7.3) as amended.