Agenda and minutes

Councillor Bill Service substituted for Councillor Keith Strangwood

Councillor Nicholas Turner as a member of Banbury National Farmer’s Union

Councillor David Turner as a member of Culham Site

To approve the minutes (GI01) of the meeting held on 27February 2012 and to note for any matters arising from them.

The minutes of the meeting of 27 February 2012 were approved by the committee.

There were no requests to speak or petition the committee.

10:15

Verbal update on key issues in the Directorate from Huw Jones, Director for Environment & Economy.

Martin Tugwell, Deputy Director for Growth and Infrastructure stated that the Council had signed a single contract for the property and facilities management.  This contract fell under the remit of the Strategy and Partnerships Scrutiny Committee; however the signing of the contract provided an opportunity to reflect on the most appropriate structure for the directorate going forward. The directorate is being restructured to bring together strategy and policy under one deputy director and contract and operations under a second.  The new structure will come into effect on 2 July 2012. 

The Minerals and Waste Development Framework was approved by Council and will be published in early May 2012.

Martin Tugwell explained that the council had a clear legal position on the A4130 and had secured the land necessary to deliver the road.   The council was pursuing the matter through all appropriate legal channels and all responses to the consultation will be given to the inspector as part of the examination of the matter. 

Councillor Bill Service asked for an update on the future of Didcot Power Station.  Martin Tugwell replied that he was unaware of specific plans for the power station beyond 2015 but undertook to provide Councillor Service with an update.  Councillor David Turner spoke in support of concerns that had been raised about the road capacity in Didcot. 

Councillor Greene asked for an update on the matter he had raised at the previous meeting about trains running under railway bridges that are subject to electrification.

Martin Tugwell undertook to provide an update to Councillor Greene on the matter.

Councillor Nicholas Turner asked about the impact of the Energy from Waste Plant being built in Buckinghamshire.   Martin Tugwell agreed to provide Councillor Turner with an update on the matter. Councillor Purse asked about the impact of the incinerator on health and Martin Tugwell reassured her that this was being managed by the Environment Agency.

10:30

The committee will be visiting the Earth Trust Centre, Little Wittenham, Oxon, OX14 4QZ for an opportunity to see the countryside service in practice. Senior officers from the service will give presentations to provide the committee with an overview and introduction to the key activities of the service. Hand-outs accompanying presentations will be available on the day.

The following people will be attending for this item;

Hugh Potter, Countryside Access Team Leader

Camilla Burrow, Director of Thames Valley Environmental Records Centre

Rob Dance, Service Manager – Planning & Regulation

Martin Tugwell, Deputy Director, Growth & Infrastructure

Representative of Chilterns Society

Representative of Forest Wychwood Project

The committee visited the Earth Trust Centre, Little Wittenham, Oxon, OX14 4QZ for an opportunity to see the countryside service in practice.

The committee received a number of presentations on the work of the Countryside Service, the Chilterns Society and the Forest Wychwood Project.

The Countryside Service undertook to circulate the Countryside Service structure chart to members of the committee.

The committee expressed its thanks for the presentations and its support for the work of the Chiltern Society and the Forest Wychwood Project.

The council discussed the difficulties in managing public rights of way on private land and emphasised the importance of working with private landowners.   The committee explored a number of issues in respect of the management of rights of way including the fencing and gating of footpaths; shooting near footpaths; leveraging funding from private landowners and the protection of wildflowers and biodiversity.

The Committee considered work being done to protect and encourage woodland in Oxfordshire.   It was clarified that famers can only succeed in being given grants for woodland if they are planting sufficient trees to qualify for forestry commission funding.  The Woodland Trust is committed to planting and protecting trees and work with local communities to do the same.  There is greater support and engagement for this work in rural areas than in urban and consideration should be given to how best to engage urban communities in open space planning and development. 

The Committee emphasised the importance of open spaces to residents and to Oxfordshire’s economic growth.   The Committee was keen to ensure that open space was considered a core part of the infrastructure of Oxfordshire and supported the work that the service did to map and quantify the value of open spaces in Oxfordshire. 

12:00

The meeting closed at 12.25 pm