Issue - meetings

Cabinet Member: Leader and Local Government, ICT, Business & Customer Services

Forward Plan Ref: 2016/091

Contact: John Courouble, Research Intelligence Manager, Tel: 07968 242072

Report by County Director (CA6).

In early May Oxfordshire County Council appointed Grant Thornton UK LLP to consider how local government could be reorganised to reduce costs, improve service outcomes, support economic growth, enhance local engagement and empowerment, and provide strong and accountable leadership.

This followed the appointment of PwC to conduct a review commissioned by Oxford City Council on behalf of Oxfordshire's Districts into proposals launched by District Leaders in February to restructure local government in Oxfordshire.

This paper enables Cabinet to consider the outcome of the two reports, and inform consideration of the next steps in response to them.

Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to consider the proposals set out in the PwC and GT reports, together with any comments or recommendations following Performance Scrutiny Committee on the 13 Sept, with a view to taking forward the most appropriate proposal for Oxfordshire. 

Recommendations as set out below agreed:

Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:

(a)  Consider the evidence set out in the PwC and GT reports, and the opportunity both reports present to save £100m over five years by moving to a single unitary for Oxfordshire, and the need for local structures within that;

(b)  Having regard to the recommendations of Performance Scrutiny, ask officers to work with stakeholders, including the public, to develop proposals for a single Oxfordshire unitary council, and in particular further explore the proposal set out in the Grant Thornton report known as option 6, whereby local areas within the county could make decisions for their own area, within an overall budget and policy framework set at the strategic level.

In early May Oxfordshire County Council appointed Grant Thornton UK LLP to consider how local government could be reorganised to reduce costs, improve service outcomes, support economic growth, enhance local engagement and empowerment, and provide strong and accountable leadership.

This followed the appointment of PwC to conduct a review commissioned by Oxford City Council on behalf of Oxfordshire's Districts into proposals launched by District Leaders in February to restructure local government in Oxfordshire.

Cabinet considered a report on the outcome of the two reports. Cabinet also had before it a supplementary report that included the outcomes of consideration of the two reports by the Performance Scrutiny Committee on 13 September 2016.

Councillor John Howson, local council for St Margaret’s, referred to the earlier report by Ernst & Young that had identified savings and he commented that had action been taken then, then savings could have been made sooner. He reflected on the 2016/17 budget process and the context of the two current reports. He believed that efforts should be made to make progress as speedily as possible. There was support from town and parish councils for a unitary council with greater local democracy. Oxford City needed the greatest political freedom possible.

Councillor John Christie, Shadow Cabinet Member for Local Government, Business, ICT & Customer Services strongly supported the recommendations contained in the supplementary report. The Labour Group welcomed the publication of the two reports. He commented that both reports argued that the status quo would not deliver the best services and that change was needed. He noted that a single unitary delivered the biggest savings and that any other solution would continue the confusing two tier system and weak decision making. He welcomed the robust delegation to localities. He expressed displeasure at the District Council press release attacking the County Council’s budget management. In calling on all councils to work together he called on district councils to work with the County Council in putting residents first.

Councillor Liz Brighouse, Chairman, Performance Scrutiny Committee, commended the way in which the process was being managed with stakeholder engagement and an opportunity for scrutiny before Cabinet consideration. She detailed the process followed at Performance Scrutiny Committee where all councillors had been invited and had had the opportunity to put a question or speak at the meeting. She noted that PwC had not attended but their report was available. There had been concern during the Performance Scrutiny Committee that even as the meeting went on the District Councils had released a press release. The Committee had considered the reports at length and the conclusions and recommendation were in the papers before Cabinet today. She hoped that there would be serious consideration of the services for the people of Oxfordshire and that this would be at the heart of any decision. She noted that with the Ernst & Young report there were three reports from three of the most renowned companies in the local government field all saying the same thing and it would be foolish to ignore  ...  view the full minutes text for item 74