Issue - meetings

Cabinet Member: Leader of the Council

Forward Plan Ref: 2019/122

Contact: Aron Wisdom – Major Projects Development Lead Tel: 07776 244856

Report by Assistant Director – Planning & Place (CA7).

The information contained in the annexes 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);

and since it is considered that, in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information, in that disclosure would undermine the process to the detriment of the Council’s ability properly to discharge its fiduciary and other duties as a public authority.

Oxfordshire County Council has been successful in securing £218m of funding through the Housing Infrastructure Fund bid for four highway projects within the Didcot Garden Town area. Officers have negotiated a draft Heads of Terms which forms the basis of contract negotiations that, subject to satisfying pre-contract conditions, will release funding to Oxfordshire County Council. Officers are requesting approval to delegate authority to the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Leader of the Council and the Portfolio Holder for Environment, to conclude negotiations and approve the grant determination agreement (contract). Cabinet is also requested to approve the inclusion of all four projects into the Capital Programme with governance at appropriate board/programme level.

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to

(a)          Subject to the confirmation from Homes England that the contract pre-conditions relating to South Oxfordshire District Council’s Local Plan have been met, authorise the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Leader of the Council and the Cabinet Member for Environment to:

(i)      approve any final detailed amendments of the drafted Heads of Terms.

(ii)     approve the grant determination agreement.

(b)          Subject to the satisfactory completion of recommendation (i.) approve the inclusion of all four projects into the Capital Programme and report the governance of these projects at a HIF1 programme level with an overall budget provision of £234m subject to the implementation of the grant determination agreement with Homes England.

(c)          Note the draft Heads of Terms which form the basis for grant determination agreement between Homes England and Oxfordshire County Council for Didcot Garden Town Housing Infrastructure Fund Grant Award.

(d)          Note the Assurance Framework which sets out the background to the Housing Infrastructure Funding process and establishes the approach to reporting and monitoring implementation

Recpmmendations agreed.

The information contained in the annexes 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);

and since it is considered that, in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information, in that disclosure would undermine the process to the detriment of the Council’s ability properly to discharge its fiduciary and other duties as a public authority.

Oxfordshire County Council had been successful in securing £218m of funding through the Housing Infrastructure Fund bid for four highway projects within the Didcot Garden Town area. Officers had negotiated a draft Heads of Terms which formed the basis of contract negotiations that, subject to satisfying pre-contract conditions, will release funding to Oxfordshire County Council. Cabinet considered a report seeking to delegate authority to the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Leader of the Council and the Cabinet Member  for Environment, to conclude negotiations and approve the contract. Cabinet was also requested to approve the inclusion of all four projects into the Capital Programme with governance at appropriate board/programme level.

District Councillor Emily Smith, Leader of the Vale of White Horse District Council, spoke in support of the recommendations to progress with the Didcot Garden Town Housing Infrastructure Fund Bid. Councillor Smith stated that it was in the best interests of the Vale to ensure that the HIF projects go ahead; to protect the Vale district from speculative development and to ensure the infrastructure is in place for local businesses to grow and new businesses to set up within the Science Vale area. Vale had adopted Part 2 of the Local Plan in part because of the threat to the 5 Year Housing Land Supply. If the HIF road and cycle infrastructure projects were cancelled, one of the largest housing sites allocated in part 1 of the Vale’s Local Plan may not be able to go ahead. Vale could lose its housing land supply instantly and be at risk of development by appeal. Councillor Smith added that she had written to government setting out the the nationally significant industries in southern Oxfordshire that would be held back without the HIF funding research and development businesses looking to relocate to the Vale’s two Enterprise Zones, the UK Atomic Energy Authority and Culham Science Centre.

Councillor Smith referred to the uncertainty about the South Oxfordshire Local Plan and the implications this might have. However, the infrastructure was needed, and she asked the County Council to work with her, to do everything possible to ensure the HIF schemes are funded and go ahead. She asked that the two councils continue to work together, and with South Oxfordshire, to ensure government has the assurances it needs to release this funding as soon as possible.

Responding Cabinet Members welcomed Councillor Smith’s support and gave their strong commitment to continued partnership working.

Councillor Robin Bennett, Cabinet  ...  view the full minutes text for item 96