Issue - meetings

Cabinet Member: Business & Communications

Forward Plan Ref: 2012/195

Contact: Graham Shaw, Deputy Director for Environment & Economy – Oxfordshire Customer Services Tel: (01865) 816593

Report by Director for Environment & Economy (CA6).

The information contained in the annex is exempt in that it falls within the following prescribed category:

3 – information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information)

It is considered that in this case the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information, in that such disclosure would distort the proper competitive dialogue process between the authority with another party for the purposes described and would prejudice the position of the authority in those negotiations and other negotiations of a similar nature in future.

This report sets out an update of the Better Broadband Programme currently in closed contract negotiations as part of a competitive dialogue process.

Discussions on the programme and progress were recently reported at both the Growth and Infrastructure Scrutiny Committee

(http://mycouncil.oxfordshire.gov.uk/Published/C00000136/M00003301/AI00008696/$Broadbandupdatepaperv2.docx.pdf) as well as the Strategy and Partnerships Scrutiny Committee

(http://mycouncil.oxfordshire.gov.uk/Published/C00000136/M00003301/AI00008696/$Broadbandupdatepaperv2.docx.pdf) in November.

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to

(a)      endorse the progress to date and the Stage 2 Business Case; and

(b)      delegate to the Chief Finance Officer and Director for Environment & Economy in consultation with the Leader the authority to approve the detailed project appraisal.

The information contained in the annex is exempt in that it falls within the following prescribed category:

3 – information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information)

It is considered that in this case the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information, in that such disclosure would distort the proper competitive dialogue process between the authority with another party for the purposes described and would prejudice the position of the authority in those negotiations and other negotiations of a similar nature in future.

Cabinet had before them a report updating on the Better Broadband Programme currently in closed contract negotiations as part of a competitive dialogue process.

Councillor Mark Cherry, Shadow Cabinet Member for Business and Customer Services, spoke in support of the proposals but queried the use of public money being used to advantage a private company. He requested that Labour and Liberal Democrat Councillors be involved in the consultation on the detailed project appraisal. In response Councillor Carter welcomed Councillor Cherry as a new Councillor speaking at Cabinet for the first time. He explained that funding had been agreed some time ago and the programme was ongoing. He was not prepared to review at this stage as it would slow down the implementation which would not be in the public interest.

Following lengthy discussion of the proposals including the proposed timetable and need for delegation to officers to avoid delay it was:

RESOLVED:                        to

(a)       endorse the progress to date and the Stage 2 Business Case; and

(b)       delegate to the Chief Finance Officer and Director for Environment & Economy in consultation with the Leader and the Cabinet Member for Business and Customer Services the authority to approve the detailed project appraisal.

MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC READMITTED TO THE MEETING