Agenda, decisions and minutes

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 12 February 2019 (CC1) and to receive information arising from them.

The Minutes of the Meeting held on 12 February 2019 were approved and signed as an accurate record.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Banfield, Billington and Stratford.

Councillor Arash Fatemian declared a pecuniary  interest in Agenda Item 10 (Independent Remuneration Panel on Members’ Allowances) by virtue of his position as Chairman of HOSC.

Council paid tribute and held a minute’s silence in Memory of Alderman Tony Williamson.

Council noted the appointment of Councillor Lynda Atkins as Military Veterans’ Champion.

Council received the following Petitions and Public address:

Ms Margaret Wareing presented a petition of 220 signatures requesting that the Council provide a safe crossing in the form of a zebra Crossing on Oxford Road, Littlemore for adults and children on the basis that it was a residential with constant heavy traffic due to being the main road into Littlemore and a rat-run for traffic seeking to avoid Heyford Hill Roundabout.

Ms Helen Marshall spoke on behalf of the Council for the Preservation for Rural England (CPRE) against the Oxford-Cambridge Expressway on the basis that CPRE were not satisfied that the environmental harm of the scheme would be outweighed by the benefits, that the priority should be for investment in local sustainable schemes, that the Expressway would cause air and light pollution and that the rate of housing growth proposed with the scheme would impair the rural nature of the County and put a great strain on the County’s resources.  Referring to the lack of Consultation around the project and the seven billion hole in infrastructure in the current plans, she urged the Council to call on Government to hold a parliamentary Select Committee Inquiry, a strategic environmental assessment and a full public consultation.

Ms Sarah Lasenby, spoke against the Oxford-Cambridge Expressway and in support of the Climate Change Motion at Agenda Item 17, highlighting the negative impact of building the Expressway in terms of environment and pollution and in terms of traffic and infrastructure in Oxford City.

Ms Hazel Dawe spoke against the Oxford-Cambridge Expressway on the basis that it would increase traffic, pollution, noise, ill health and worsen climate change.  She believed it would not solve Oxford’s traffic problems but would exacerbate them, would cut through areas of outstanding natural beauty and Green Belt causing degradation to biodiversity and that the carbon emitted to build the project would negate any carbon efforts already made.  She urged the Council to join the City Council in unanimously voting against the proposed Expressway.

Mr David Williams spoke in support of Motion 17 by Councillor Damian Haywood on Climate Change.  He urged Councillors to vote for the motion and accept that there was a Climate Emergency right now.  Over 70 authorities had already declared a Climate Emergency.  He further urged Council to lobby Government who needed to accept that there was a Climate Emergency now and that the current level of action currently undertaken by the Government was not appropriate for the situation we were in now, heading towards a 3 or 4 degree Celsius rise in the earth’s temperature. 

Ms Nell Davies-Small spoke in relation to Motion 17 (Climate Change) urging the Council to take action, questioning why, when so many people had tried to raise this issue, including 15,000 young people in 60 towns and cities getting up and walking out of classrooms, had nobody been heard? Why young people had been openly criticised for marching, why more importance was given to deaths from hate crime than death from climate  ...  view the full minutes text for item 13/19

Council received the following Questions with Notice from Members of the Public:

Mr John Paine, Secretary, Oxfordshire National Pensioners’ Convention Group had given notice of the following question to Councillor Yvonne Constance:

In 2016 OCC announced that, in relation to the Westgate Shopping Centre development – then under construction - it intended to ban bus routes running through Queen Street. At the County Council meeting in July 2016 Oxfordshire NPC Group suggested that OCC first carry out a survey into the possible effects such a ban on buses using Queen Street may have.

OCC refused and subsequently the Department for Transport was not prepared to ratify the OCC scheme banning bus use of Queen Street. Instead the DfT asked OCC to undertake investigations to establish what impact a possible ban on buses using Queen Street would have. Since late 2017 OCC has carried out an extensive data-collecting and monitoring exercise, which covers Queen Street and other central Oxford streets.

Can we now be given a date when the results of that OCC information-gathering will be made public?

Allied to this, how does OCC intend to carry out further public consultation as to how Queen Street will feature in the pattern of bus routes through central Oxford?

Within its COMMUNITIES: TRANSPORT CAPITAL PROGRAMME Oxfordshire County Council has a total allocation of £1,470,000 for Pedestrianisation of Queen Street. About half of this has been spent whilst £734,000 is shown as allocated expenditure in the current 2019/20 financial year.

How, and with whom, does OCC intend to consult on what that Queen Street pedestrianisation work will entail?

Councillor Constance Replied:

Officers plan to report to Cabinet in the summer about the future of Queen Street in the light of analysis of the monitoring of Queen Street and other nearby streets since the Westgate Centre reopened in October 2017. The report will make a recommendation about whether buses should remain in the street and therefore whether it should be pedestrianised.

If it is recommended that buses remain in the street, an experimental TRO would be made for the street which would serve as a formal public consultation for whether buses should be removed on a permanent basis.  Any objections received during this consultation would need to be considered by a council committee before a final decision is made on buses in Queen Street.  The decision that Cabinet makes in the light of the report will determine the level of spend on the Queen Street project.

Supplementary:

When asked whether she would need to get approval from the Department of Transport if the recommendation was that continued bus use of Queen Street should stop, Councillor Constance replied that it would be dependent on an experimental Traffic Regulation Order which fell under the responsibilities of the County Council and therefore she believed it would not need approval from the Department of Transport.

Ms Joanna Gill, Extinction Rebellion had given notice of the following question to Councillor Yvonne Constance:

Do you agree that Climate Change presents such  ...  view the full minutes text for item 14/19

13 questions with Notice were asked.  Details of the questions and answers and supplementary questions and answers will be set out in the annex to the minutes.

In relation to question 1 (Question from Councillor Turnbull to Councillor Lindsay-Gale) Councillor Lindsay-Gale undertook to do all she could to improve the situation of Section 17 Children having access to free school meals.

In relation to question 2 (Question from Councillor Howson to Councillor Constance) Councillor Constance gave an assurance that the Council would be responding to the 16-19 Bursary consultation.

In relation to question 4 (Question from Councillor Howson to Councillor Constance) Councillor Constance undertook to provide Councillor Howson with an answer outlining the next steps of the Cowley Branch line re-opening once it was available in the Autumn.

In relation to question 6 (Question from Councillor Reynolds to Councillor Constance) Councillor Constance undertook to instruct officers to put temporary traffic orders in place in the event of rat running/traffic problems on minor roads as a result of the HS2 construction.

In relation to question 9 (Question from Councillor Bartington to Councillor Hudspeth) Councillor Hudspeth undertook to provide an update on the Shores Green Junction to the localities meeting to be held at the end of April if it is available.

In relation to question 11 (Question from Councillor Pressel to Councillor Constance) Councillor Constance undertook to apply a sense of urgency in export what is learned in Oxford City to other towns as soon as possible and to encourage districts to do all they can now.

In relation to question 12 (Question from Councillor Pressel to Councillor Constance) Councillor Constance undertook to keep members up to date with a quarterly report.

Report of the Cabinet Meetings held on 18 December 2018, 22 January 2019 and 27 February 2019 (CC9).

The Council received the report of the Cabinet.

In relation to paragraph 4 of the report (Question from Councillor Afridi to Councillor Ian Hudspeth) Councillor Hudspeth undertook to ask Councillor Stratford to provide a written answer detailing when there would be an update to all members on the innovation fund for the cohort from the first session last year.

In relation to paragraph 4 of the report (Question from Councillor Turnbull to Councillor Lindsay-Gale) Councillor Lindsay-Gale undertook to write to all members with the timetable for the transformation of Northfield School, the funding application for Didcot and the future plans which are in the SEND efficiency Strategy.

In relation to paragraph 7 of the report (Question from Councillor Johnston to Councillor Constance) Councillor Constance undertook to consider appointing extra consultations if further slippage is threatened to ensure the plans stay on schedule.

In relation to paragraph 8 of the report (Question from Councillor Mathew to Councillor Constance) Councillor Constance undertook to report the progress or delay in the Flood Channel Plan construction and it’s cost to Council.

The Independent Remuneration Panel was asked to consider whether changes should be made to certain aspects of the Scheme of Members’ Allowances and if so what those changes should be.

This report sets out the areas the Panel was asked to consider together with the Panel's recommendations on them.  An annex to the report includes the Panel's full report including the recommendations and their rationale for them. Council is asked to endorse the recommendations.

Council is RECOMMENDED to endorse the following recommendations from the Independent Remuneration Panel for amendments to the Scheme of Allowances and the future operation of the Panel: 

(1)      a Special Responsibility Allowance (SRA) should be paid to the Chairman of Horton Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee and that the allowance should be 75% of the SRA for the Chairman of a (permanent) scrutiny committee;

(2)      an SRA should be paid to an Oxfordshire County Council representative who is Chairman of the Thames Valley Police and Crime Panel equivalent to the allowance for the Chairman of a (permanent) scrutiny committee;

(3)      the uplift for allowances for 2019/20 should be at the same rate as the annually agreed pay award for staff; and

(4)      the Panel should conduct its next review in the autumn of 2019 and it should meet annually after that or whenever structural changes are made;

(5)      the next recruitment process should create a pool of seven panel members.

Councillor Fatemian declared a direct pecuniary Interest and the left the Council Chamber until the debate and vote was concluded.

With the consent of Council, Councillor Gill Sanders moved and Councillor Les Sibley seconded the recommendations, amended at the suggestion of Councillor Howson as shown below in underline and strikethrough:

Council is RECOMMENDED to endorse the following recommendations from the Independent Remuneration Panel for amendments to the Scheme of Allowances and the future operation of the Panel: 

1.         a Special Responsibility Allowance (SRA) should be paid to the Chairman of Horton Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee and that the allowance should be 75% of the SRA for the Chairman of a (permanent) scrutiny committee;

2.         an SRA should be paid to an Oxfordshire County Council representative who is if they are Chairman of the Thames Valley Police and Crime Panel equivalent to the allowance for the Chairman of a (permanent) scrutiny committee;

3.         the uplift for allowances for 2019/20 should be at the same rate as the annually agreed pay award for staff; and

4.         the Panel should conduct its next review in the autumn of 2019 and it should meet annually after that or whenever structural changes are made;

5.         the next recruitment process should create a pool of seven panel members.

Following debate, the recommendations as amended were put to the vote and were agreed nem con.

RESOLVED: (nem con) to endorse the following recommendations from the Independent Remuneration Panel for amendments to the Scheme of Allowances and the future operation of the Panel: 

(1)      a Special Responsibility Allowance (SRA) should be paid to the Chairman of Horton Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee and that the allowance should be 75% of the SRA for the Chairman of a (permanent) scrutiny committee;

(2)      an SRA should be paid to an Oxfordshire County Council representative if they are Chairman of the Thames Valley Police and Crime Panel equivalent to the allowance for the Chairman of a (permanent) scrutiny committee;

(3)      the uplift for allowances for 2019/20 should be at the same rate as the annually agreed pay award for staff; and

(4)      the Panel should conduct its next review in the autumn of 2019 and it should meet annually after that or whenever structural changes are made;

(5)      the next recruitment process should create a pool of seven panel members.

“Most people accept that building more roads creates more traffic. What is certain is that building an Expressway to connect a million new homes, in what will become the country’s first linear conurbation, will definitely bring more traffic. What it will not do is relieve the congestion on the A34. It is obvious that any temporary, short-term relief that might occur on the A34 is being used as a “stalking horse” to railroad through a much bigger project designed to create the UK’s own Silicon Valley in an arc outside the M25 and between our two prominent University cities. This radical experiment, together with all the building that will be needed to pay for it will impact on the local environment, existing infrastructure and the climate, and is deeply concerning for Oxfordshire residents.

Council instructs that the Leader and Cabinet Member for Environment to jointly write to the Minister for Housing, Communities and Local Government – demanding that a full consultation is carried out asking local residents if they want an Expressway and associated construction before any route is considered.

The Leader and Cabinet Member should also ask the Minister whether the million extra houses outlined in the National Infrastructure Commission's vision for housing along the route of the arc are, in addition to, or included in, the 100,000 houses planned for by the Oxfordshire authorities outlined in the growth deal.”

Councillor Tim Bearder sought the approval of Councillor to accept the amendment to his motion.

Following some dissent, Council put the motion to the vote and it was lost by 31 votes to 29. 

Councillor Tim Bearder moved and Councillor Bob Johnston seconded the following Motion:

“Most people accept that building more roads creates more traffic. What is certain is that building an Expressway to connect a million new homes, in what will become the country’s first linear conurbation, will definitely bring more traffic. What it will not do is relieve the congestion on the A34. It is obvious that any temporary, short-term relief that might occur on the A34 is being used as a “stalking horse” to railroad through a much bigger project designed to create the UK’s own Silicon Valley in an arc outside the M25 and between our two prominent University cities. This radical experiment, together with all the building that will be needed to pay for it will impact on the local environment, existing infrastructure and the climate, and is deeply concerning for Oxfordshire residents.

Council instructs that the Leader and Cabinet Member for Environment to jointly write to the Minister for Housing, Communities and Local Government – demanding that a full consultation is carried out asking local residents if they want an Expressway and associated construction before any route is considered.

The Leader and Cabinet Member should also ask the Minister whether the million extra houses outlined in the National Infrastructure Commission's vision for housing along the route of the arc are, in addition to, or included in, the 100,000 houses planned for by the Oxfordshire authorities outlined in the growth deal.”

Councillor John Sanders moved and Councillor Liz Brighouse seconded an amendment as shown in bold italics/strikethrough below:

“Most people accept that building more roads creates causes more traffic. What is certain is that building an Expressway between Oxford and Cambridge to connect a million new homes, in what will become the country’s first linear conurbation, will definitely bring more traffic. What it will not do is relieve the congestion on the A34. It is obvious that any temporary, short-term relief that might occur on the A34 is being used as a “stalking horse” to railroad through a much bigger project designed to create the UK’s own Silicon Valley in an arc outside the M25 and between our two prominent University cities. This radical experiment, together with all the building that will be needed to pay for it will impact on the local environment, existing infrastructure and the climate, and is deeply concerning for Oxfordshire residents.

Council instructs that the Leader and Cabinet Member for Environment to jointly write to the Minister for Housing, Communities and Local Government – demanding that a full consultation is carried out asking local residents if they want an Expressway and associated construction before any route is considered.

The Leader and Cabinet Member should also ask the Minister whether the million extra houses outlined in the National Infrastructure Commission's  ...  view the full minutes text for item 18/19

“This Council opposes the Oxford to Cambridge Expressway project on the grounds that it will not benefit the people of Oxfordshire causing damage to the countryside and unnecessary cost without reducing the impact of traffic in the area and therefore the Council asks the Leader of the Council to Lobby Government to cancel this unnecessary project.”

Councillor John Sanders moved and Councillor Liz Brighouse seconded the following motion:

“This Council opposes the Oxford to Cambridge Expressway project on the grounds that it will not benefit the people of Oxfordshire causing damage to the countryside and unnecessary cost without reducing the impact of traffic in the area and therefore the Council asks the Leader of the Council to Lobby Government to cancel this unnecessary project.”

The Motion was put to the vote and was lost by 31 votes to 29.

“This Council is proud to have been part of the East-West rail partnership that will deliver phase 2 of the programme by 2023, linking Oxford to Milton Keynes. This will remove a large number of freight vehicles from the A34 but the road will still be at capacity in places, with substandard lay-by facilities and poor layout of some junctions.

This Council recognises that more work needs to be done to improve capacity and safety on the A34 to avoid the gridlock that frequently happens, causing problems for businesses, commuters, towns and villages along the route as drivers try to find alternate routes.

This Council calls upon the Cabinet Member for Environment to work with Central Government and its agencies to improve the A34.”

With the consent of Council, Councillor Clarke moved and Councillor Emma Turnbull seconded his motion amended at the suggestion of Councillor Emma Turnbull as shown in bold italics and strikethrough below:

“This Council is proud to have been part of the East-West rail partnership that will deliver phase 2 of the programme by 2023, linking Oxford to Milton Keynes. This will remove a large number of freight vehicles from the A34, but the road will still be at capacity in places, with substandard lay-by facilities and poor layout of some junctions.

This Council recognises that more work needs to be done to improve capacity reduce congestion and pollution and improve safety on the A34 to avoid the gridlock that frequently happens, causing problems for businesses, commuters, towns and villages along the route as drivers try to find alternate routes.

This Council calls upon the Cabinet Member for Environment to work with Central Government and its agencies to improve the A34, by promoting green transport infrastructure, improving public transport networks, strengthening road safety measures, and transferring freight from road to railway”

Councillor Bob Johnston moved and Councillor John Howson seconded an amendment as shown below in bold italics below:

“This Council is proud to have been part of the East-West rail partnership that will deliver phase 2 of the programme by 2023, linking Oxford to Milton Keynes. This will remove a large number of freight vehicles from the A34, but the road will still be at capacity in places, with substandard lay-by facilities and poor layout of some junctions.

This Council recognises that more work needs to be done to improve capacity and safety on the A34 to avoid the gridlock that frequently happens, causing problems for businesses, commuters, towns and villages along the route as drivers try to find alternate routes.

This Council calls upon the Cabinet Member for Environment to work with Central Government and its agencies to improve the A34.and provide alternatives.  These could include the re-opening of the Wantage/Grove station and a feasibility study into the re-opening of the Didcot to Winchester railway line.  the latter would provide the capacity to take much intermodal traffic going from Southampton to the midlands off the A34 altogether.”

Following debate, the amendment was put to the vote and was carried by 30 votes to 29 (the Chairman having exercised her casting vote):

The substantive motion as amended was carried unanimously (58 votes to 0).

RESOLVED: (58 votes to 0)

“This Council is proud to have been part of the East-West rail partnership that will deliver phase 2 of the programme by 2023, linking Oxford to Milton Keynes. This will remove a large number of freight vehicles from the A34, but the road will still be at capacity in places, with substandard lay-by facilities and poor layout of some junctions.

This Council recognises that more work needs to be done to reduce congestion and pollution and improve safety on the A34 to avoid the gridlock that frequently  ...  view the full minutes text for item 20/19

“This Council welcomes the £150 million improvement works to be delivered by March 2023 as part of the Oxfordshire Housing and Growth Deal, which will accelerate the delivery of 6,500 new homes across the county and have a positive impact in providing much-need infrastructure to support these new homes and ensure that they and their communities are sustainable places in which to live and work.

This Council welcomes the excellent work of Cherwell District Council in delivering new homes at a record rate and further welcomes the Oxfordshire Growth Board’s planned improvement works for Tramway and Hennef Way, which will serve to improve traffic circulation in and around Banbury’s bus and train stations, access to and from the M40 to the North of the town centre and support the creation of new homes.

This Council notes the historic problems associated with traffic circulation to the South of Banbury town centre which would be ameliorated by the creation of a J10A to alleviate the flow of traffic from and to the M40 to the South of Banbury town centre and which could assist the creation of further sustainable growth across the broader ‘Banburyshire’ area, if delivered.

This Council calls on the Cabinet Member for Environment to lobby the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Highways England and the Department for Transport with a view to ascertaining what further funding and progress can be made to deliver a J10A and the sustainable growth to which such a project could lead.”

Councillor Eddie Reeves moved and Councillor Arash Fatemian seconded the following Motion:

“This Council welcomes the £150 million improvement works to be delivered by March 2023 as part of the Oxfordshire Housing and Growth Deal, which will accelerate the delivery of 6,500 new homes across the county and have a positive impact in providing much-need infrastructure to support these new homes and ensure that they and their communities are sustainable places in which to live and work.

This Council welcomes the excellent work of Cherwell District Council in delivering new homes at a record rate and further welcomes the Oxfordshire Growth Board’s planned improvement works for Tramway and Hennef Way, which will serve to improve traffic circulation in and around Banbury’s bus and train stations, access to and from the M40 to the North of the town centre and support the creation of new homes.

This Council notes the historic problems associated with traffic circulation to the South of Banbury town centre which would be ameliorated by the creation of a J10A to alleviate the flow of traffic from and to the M40 to the South of Banbury town centre and which could assist the creation of further sustainable growth across the broader ‘Banburyshire’ area, if delivered.

This Council calls on the Cabinet Member for Environment to lobby the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Highways England and the Department for Transport with a view to ascertaining what further funding and progress can be made to deliver a J10A and the sustainable growth to which such a project could lead.”

Following debate, the Motion was put to the vote and was carried by 46 to 0, with 14 abstentions.

“Cherwell District Council and Oxford City Council are phasing in electric vehicles in their Council fleet of vehicles.  Council calls upon the Cabinet Member for Environment including Transport to commission a costed study for the introduction of electric vehicles and the phasing out of diesel vehicles over the next five years.” 

With the consent of Council, Councillor Cherry moved and Councillor Mark Lygo seconded his motion, amended at the suggestion of Councillor Eddie Reeves as shown in bold italics and strikethrough below:

“Oxfordshire County Council along withCherwell District Council and Oxford City Council are phasing in electric vehicles in their Council fleet of vehicles. Council calls upon the Cabinet Member for Environment including Transport to continue commission a costed study for the introduction of electric vehicles and the phasing out of diesel vehicles where practicable over the next five years as soon as possible.” 

Following debate, the Motion as amended was put to the vote and was carried unanimously (59 votes to 0).

RESOLVED: (unanimous)

“Oxfordshire County Council along withCherwell District Council and Oxford City Council are phasing in electric vehicles in their Council fleet of vehicles. Council calls upon the Cabinet Member for Environment including Transport to continue the introduction of electric vehicles and the phasing out of diesel vehicles where practicable as soon as possible.” 

“Recycling delivers multiple environmental and health benefits, including conservation of natural capital, reduction in energy consumption and mitigation of pollutant emissions. The critical role of recycling for sustainable development, is reflected in ambitious targets within the Government 25-Year Environment Plan and Resources and Waste Strategy (Defra, 2018).

In 2017/18, Oxfordshire County Council (OCC) was named the best performing county council disposal authority in England for household waste recycling, with an overall rate of over 57%.  This success reflects OCC's commitment to partnership working with the City and District Councils to continuously improve waste services and protect our natural environment.

However, performance could be further improved, through coordinated action to identify areas for improvement, disseminate best practice and strive for optimal performance. These efforts would aim to improve overall rates and reduce geographical variation across Oxfordshire: 

·                SODC 63%

·                Vale of White Horse 60.4%

·                WODC 59.6%

·                Cherwell 55.6%

·                Oxford City 50.8%

This Council calls on the Cabinet Member for Environment to instigate a programme to achieve this goal through four key objectives:

(a)          Implement closer partnership working between constituent authorities, sharing best practice and working collaboratively to identify barriers and facilitators for improvement.

(b)          Consider the benefits and any disadvantages of standardisation of collection, waste containers, and quality monitoring.

(c)          Explore measures to minimise the environmental impacts of domestic waste. 

(d)          Encourage public engagement initiatives such as clearer labelling to raise awareness and promote behavioural change among residents.”

With the consent of Council, Councillor Bartington Withdrew her Motion on the grounds that it would appear on the July Agenda.

"The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in their October report stated that if the planet wants to avert dangerous climate breakdown, we need to cut emissions in half by 2030, and hit zero by the middle of the century.

Oxfordshire is already doing its bit: we are committed to reducing emissions from our own estate and activities by 3% a year. Unfortunately, our current plans are not enough. The IPCC’s report suggests that the world has just a dozen years left to restrict global warming to 1.5? above pre-industrial levels. Should they increase by 2?,  humanity’s capacity to prevent catastrophic food shortages, floods, droughts, extreme heat and poverty will be severely impaired. Limiting Global Warming to 1.5? may still be possible, but only with ambitious action from national and sub-national authorities, civil society, the private sector, indigenous peoples and local communities. Furthermore, bold climate action can deliver economic benefits in terms of new jobs, economic savings and market opportunities.

Oxfordshire County Council calls on the Leader to:

1.      Declare a ‘Climate Emergency’;

2.      Pledge to make Oxfordshire County Council carbon neutral by 2030, taking into account both production and consumption emissions;

3.      Call on Westminster to provide the powers and resources to make the 2030 target possible;

4.      Continue to work with partners across the county and region to deliver this new goal through all relevant strategies;

5.      Report to Council within six months with the actions the Council will take to address this emergency."

Councillor Hayward sought the permission of Council to amend his motion at the suggestion of Councillor Fatemian.

Following some dissent, the motion to amend was put to the vote and was carried by 44 votes to 14.

With the consent of Council, Councillor Damian Haywood moved and Councillor Bob Johnston seconded his motion amended at the suggestion of Councillor Arash Fatemian as shown in bold italics and strikethrough below:

“The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in their October report stated that if the planet wants to avert dangerous climate breakdown, we need to cut emissions in half by 2030, and hit zero by the middle of the century.

Oxfordshire is already doing its bit: we are committed to reducing emissions from our own estate and activities by 3% a year. Unfortunately, our current plans are not enough. The IPCC’s report suggests that the world has just a dozen years left to restrict global warming to 1.5? above pre-industrial levels. Should they increase by 2?, humanity’s capacity to prevent catastrophic food shortages, floods, droughts, extreme heat and poverty will be severely impaired. Limiting Global Warming to 1.5? may still be possible, but only with ambitious action from national and sub-national authorities, civil society, the private sector, indigenous peoples and local communities. Furthermore, bold climate action can deliver economic benefits in terms of new jobs, economic savings and market opportunities.

Oxfordshire County Council calls on the Leader to:

1.      Declare acknowledge a ‘Climate Emergency and call for action’;

2.      Pledge to make Oxfordshire County Council carbon neutral by 2030, taking into account both production and consumption emissions;

3.      Call on Westminster to provide the powers and resources to make the 2030 target possible;

4.      Continue to work with partners across the county and region to deliver this new goal through all relevant strategies;

5.      Report to Council within six months with the actions the Council will take to address this emergency."

Following debate, the motion as amended was put to the vote and was agreed unanimously (57 votes to 0).

RESOLVED:  (unanimous)

“The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in their October report stated that if the planet wants to avert dangerous climate breakdown, we need to cut emissions in half by 2030, and hit zero by the middle of the century.

Oxfordshire is already doing its bit: we are committed to reducing emissions from our own estate and activities by 3% a year. Unfortunately, our current plans are not enough. The IPCC’s report suggests that the world has just a dozen years left to restrict global warming to 1.5? above pre-industrial levels. Should they increase by 2?, humanity’s capacity to prevent catastrophic food shortages, floods, droughts, extreme heat and poverty will be severely impaired. Limiting Global Warming to 1.5? may still be possible, but only with ambitious action from national and sub-national authorities, civil society, the private sector, indigenous peoples and local communities. Furthermore, bold climate action can deliver economic benefits in terms of new  ...  view the full minutes text for item 24/19

“Climate change is increasingly recognised as the most pressing global challenge humanity faces. Young people, who will face the consequences of inaction, are more concerned than others.

More and more Councils are taking on board the latest report from the UN on the likely impact of Climate Change. The stark conclusion of that report was that the planet has just 11 years to cut carbon emissions in half in order to avert environmental catastrophe. This can only be achieved by setting targets more ambitious and challenging than any set before, and that the argument that “there is nothing we can do about it” must be challenged.

This motion calls on Oxfordshire County Council (OCC) to declare a "Climate Emergency" as has been declared by Oxford City Council and VWHDC including:

1.         The appointment of a Climate Emergency Officer, whose first task would be to devise and co-ordinate a plan for how OCC can make a difference, and whose post would be paid for by savings made within the plan.

2.         The setting of new ambitious targets of zero carbon output by 2030 from all activities over which OCC has some control.

Council should advertise its ambitions with a large public, regularly updated barometer showing the Council’s progress towards its targets.” 

The time being after 4.00 pm, these motions were considered dropped in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 15.1.