Issue - meetings

Cabinet Member: Deputy Leader with Responsibility for Climate Change, Environment and Future Generations

Forward Plan Ref: 2025/009

Contact: Sean Rooney, Service Lead - Highway Maintenance

sean.rooney@oxfordshire.gov.uk 

Report by Director of Environment and Highways (CA8)

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:

a)             Note the proposal  to undertake a full and thorough consultation, including early engagement with key community groups as set out and presented to Place Scrutiny on the 5^th February 2025 (Place and Overview Scrutiny report: Review of Street Lighting and Illuminated Assets policy framework proposals for part night lighting)

b)             Approve a community led approach to any part-night lighting proposal, through an application made by the town/parish council (if there is one) and the local county councillor, which following this request will include an area specific public consultation.

c)             Request that officers;

                        i.         Keep councillors informed through regular updates on progress of this work, through locality meetings and/or by way of an all-member briefing.

                      ii.         Ensure that there is full engagement from a cross section of users in the update of the Street Lighting Policy and development of Part night lighting regime framework.

                     iii.         Undertake a full, thorough and robust Equalities Impact Assessment for the updated Streetlighting and illuminated assets policy, as well as the Part night lighting framework and during each stage/element of a project.

                     iv.         Bring the proposals to Cabinet in the summer for decision together with any wider changes to the council’s existing Street Lighting and Illuminated Assets policy

Recommendations approved.

Cabinet had before it a report which proposed a response to the motion on part-night lighting that was passed at Council on 10 December 2024.  The report set out the proposed action to be taken and outlined the proposals developed to date following the deferral of original proposal published for the  Cabinet Member Decision Meeting on 14^th November 2024.

Councillor Dr Pete Sudbury, Deputy Leader with Responsibility for Climate Change, Environment and Future Generations, presented the report.  He explained the consultation process that would be progressed involving residents and stakeholders.

During discussion, members welcomed the proposed response and emphasised the importance of knowledge about nighttime behaviour patterns, particularly those of the younger population when considering any changes to street lighting.

Councillor Sudbury moved and Councillor Gant seconded the recommendations, and they were approved.

RESOLVED to:-

a)             note the proposal  to undertake a full and thorough consultation, including early engagement with key community groups as set out and presented to Place Scrutiny on the 5^th February 2025 (Place and Overview Scrutiny report: Review of Street Lighting and Illuminated Assets policy framework proposals for part night lighting)

b)             approve a community led approach to any part-night lighting proposal, through an application made by the town/parish council (if there is one) and the local county councillor, which following this request will include an area specific public consultation.

c)             request that officers;

                        i.         Keep councillors informed through regular updates on progress of this work, through locality meetings and/or by way of an all-member briefing.

                      ii.         Ensure that there is full engagement from a cross section of users in the update of the Street Lighting Policy and development of Part night lighting regime framework.

                     iii.         Undertake a full, thorough and robust Equalities Impact Assessment for the updated Streetlighting and illuminated assets policy, as well as the Part night lighting framework and during each stage/element of a project.

                     iv.         Bring the proposals to Cabinet in the summer for decision together with any wider changes to the council’s existing Street Lighting and Illuminated Assets policy