Agenda

To approve the minutes of the Annual Meeting held on 12 May 2026 (CC1a) and the Extraordinary Meeting held on 20 May 2026 (CC1b).

To make any changes to the membership of scrutiny and other committees on the nomination of political groups and to note any changes to the Cabinet made by the Leader of the Council.

See item 14 “Committees and Review of Political Balance”.

Members of the public who wish to speak on an item on the agenda at this meeting, or present a petition, can attend the meeting in person or ‘virtually’ through an online connection.

Requests to present a petition must be submitted no later than 9am ten working days before the meeting.

Requests to speak must be submitted no later than 9am three working days before the meeting.

Requests should be submitted to committeesdemocraticservices@oxfordshire.gov.uk

If you are speaking ‘virtually’, you may submit a written statement of your presentation to ensure that if the technology fails, then your views can still be taken into account. A written copy of your statement can be provided no later than 9am on the day of the meeting. Written submissions should be no longer than 1 A4 sheet.

The deadline to submit questions is 9am, five working days before the meeting

Report by the Leader of the Council.

The report, for noting, includes items at the Cabinet meetings on 17 March 2026, 21 April 2026 and 19 May 2026.

Report by the Director of Law and Governance and Monitoring Officer

Within the Council’s Constitution at Part 6.2 paragraph 4 (ix) the scrutiny committees may report annually to full Council on their work. This is given effect through a Scrutiny Annual Report, which is attached to this report as Annex 1.

The Council is RECOMMENDED to receive and note the Scrutiny Annual Report

Report by the Director of Law and Governance and Monitoring Officer

The Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee is under a constitutional duty to prepare an annual report. That report is set out in Annex 1 and documents the breadth and depth of the Committee’s work over the 2025/26 municipal year.  

Council is RECOMMENDED to receive and NOTE the Oxfordshire Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee’s (JHOSC) Annual Report set out in Annex 1. 

Report by the Director of Law and Governance and Monitoring Officer

This report sets out the findings and conclusions of the Constitution Working Group and the Audit and Governance Committee and seeks the approval of Council so that the necessary changes to the Council’s Constitution can be made. The details of which are set out in Appendices 1 and 2 of this report.

Council is RECOMMENDED to:

a)           Approve the proposed amendments to the Council’s Constitution as recommended by the Constitution Working Group and Audit and Governance Committee, as set out Appendix 1, including amendment number 11;

b)           Note the amendments undertaken by the Director of Law and Governance and Monitoring Officer, in accordance with Part 7.2 of the Constitution (Scheme of Delegation to Officers), paragraph 6.4 (t) and considered by the Constitution Working Group and Audit and Governance Committee; as set out in Appendix 2;

c)           Request the Director of Law and Governance and Monitoring Officer to ensure the necessary changes are made; and

d)           Note that a final edit of the Constitution covering layout and grammar will be undertaken prior to publication.

Report by the Director of Law & Governance and Monitoring Officer

The Constitution makes provision for urgent decisions to be made exempt from call-in on the agreement of the Chair of the Council that the decision is urgent.  When this occurs, it must be reported to the next meeting of Council.

Council is RECOMMENDED to note

(a)      the exemption from Call-in of the following decision:

·    Cabinet on 16 June 2026 – SEND Reform Plan

Report by the Director of Law & Governance and Monitoring Officer

Annex 2 to follow.

Council is requested to approve committee appointments based on revised political balance calculations following Councillor Higgins joining the Liberal Democrat group.

Council is RECOMMENDED

a)            To note the review of political balance of committees to reflect the current formation of the political groups as detailed in Annex 1;

b)           To appoint members to the committees of the Council as listed in Annex 2.

MOTIONS WITH NOTICE FROM MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL

WOULD MEMBERS PLEASE NOTE THAT ANY AMENDMENTS TO MOTIONS WITH NOTICE MUST BE PRESENTED TO THE PROPER OFFICER IN WRITING BY 9.00 AM ON THE FRIDAY BEFORE THE MEETING

This Council notes that Motor Neurone Disease (MND) is a rapidly progressing condition. Tragically, a third of people die within a year of diagnosis and half within two years. As the disease progresses, symptoms worsen and people’s needs increase, often unpredictably. 

This Council believes that people living with progressive or terminal conditions like MND deserve to live in safe and accessible homes, with as much independence and quality of life as possible. To the extent that the County Council is involved in ensuring this is the case, we commit to doing so. 

This Council notes that early interventions, as well as being good for individuals and their families, can save taxpayer’s money by enabling people to manage their condition more effectively and reducing the need for critical interventions at a later stage.

This Council therefore resolves to ask the Cabinet Member for Adults to review the County Council’s role in the Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) and report to the People Overview & Scrutiny Committee with:

• How the Council currently delivers its role in the DFG;
• Timeliness over the past three years for the County Council fulfilling its role in the DFG, including assessments and referrals;
• How the Council’s processes could be improved, including the timeliness of assessments and the working relationship with District Councils and other partners;
• Whether the County Council is acting quickly enough to ensure that target timeframes of 55 days for simple adaptations and 130 days for complex adaptations can be met for people living with MND.

Note: The motion, if passed, would constitute the exercise of an executive function in which case it will be referred to the Cabinet together with any advice the Council may wish to give, in accordance with Rule 13.5.1 (i) of the Council Procedure Rules in the Constitution.

Council notes:

1.         Climate impact is the Council’s highest strategic risk.

2.         The Oxfordshire Climate Risk and Vulnerability Assessment (2024) identifies flooding and extreme heat as significant, growing climate risks; driven by warmer, wetter winters, more intense rainfall, prolonged summer heatwaves and increased built-up areas.

3.         Impacts of climate and Nature collapse are acknowledged to be even greater than thought in 2024. They pose an existential threat to humanity. Serious adaptation must become standard operating practice similar to the fiduciary duty to council tax-payers.

The assessment illustrates the need for large-scale space for water storage upstream, to decrease flooding impacts downstream. Urban design is also key - to both prevent localised surface-water flooding, and build temperature resilience, preventing human-made “heat islands” which drive excess residents’ deaths, especially amongst the most vulnerable.

Council notes the success of adaptation measures depends on multi-year, multi-stakeholder and community-based collaborations at appropriate, impactful scale.  Partners (e.g. Environment Agency) have 6-year funding cycles, allowing capacity and capability to develop appropriately – starkly contrasting to the Council’s annual budget-setting process.

Council requests that Cabinet considers:

• Significantly increased investment through the Council’s remaining years’ budget process to accelerate Oxfordshire’s capacity and capability to convene and work at impactful scale, in multi-stakeholder action groups, embedding climate adaptation as standard operational procedure.
• Multiple new councillor-supported, location-specific initiatives, convening, alongside officers and partners, to build resilience capability through collaborative action in:
• Locations to mitigate or adapt to river, groundwater, urban and flash flooding
• Urban neighbourhoods to mitigate heat islands.

Note: The motion, if passed, would constitute the exercise of an executive function in which case it will be referred to the Cabinet together with any advice the Council may wish to give, in accordance with Rule 13.5.1 (i) of the Council Procedure Rules in the Constitution.

This Council:

• Recognises that dangerous parking, on pavements, in cycle lanes, around schools and in many other instances, causes significant danger and inconvenience to many people particularly those with limited mobility.      
• Understands that this is a county wide issue, and many representative groups have worked tirelessly to highlight these issues.
• Recognises the findings from the Government’s consultation, allowing the highway authority to enforce a ban on pavement parking.
• Recognises that a ban on pavement parking needs to be accompanied by the consideration of parking as whole, and by extra budget from Government or else effective enforcement may not be possible.

Council therefore:

1.            Fully endorses the objective to end pavement parking and doing so in a way which suits local needs best.

2.            Commits to supporting the use of civil enforcement powers in a way which enforces this policy effectively in a cost neutral way to the council.

3.            Asks the Cabinet Member for Transport to:

a.    Oversee the introduction of an enforcement mechanism, recognising that different areas will require different solutions.

b.    Ensure that key stakeholders and representative groups of people with restricted mobility be consulted throughout.

c.    Ensure that the Council follows the progress of Government’s latest research exercise into this issue, responding as appropriate.

4.            Asks the Leader of the Council to write to the Minister for Local Transport to request further resources to be able to implement the enforcement mechanism effectively.

Note: The motion, if passed, would constitute the exercise of an executive function in which case it will be referred to the Cabinet together with any advice the Council may wish to give, in accordance with Rule 13.5.1 (i) of the Council Procedure Rules in the Constitution.