Agenda, decisions and minutes

An apology was received from Councillor Eddie Reeves.

Councillor Ian Hudspeth, Leader of the Council thanked and paid tribute to the work of Councillor Judith Heathcoat, Deputy Leader of the Council, Councillor Lawrie Stratford, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health and Councillor Mark Gray, Cabinet Member for Local Communities all of whom were standing down from the County Council at the upcoming elections.

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 16 March 2021 (CA3) and to receive information arising from them.

Approved.

The questions received from County Councillors and responses are set out in an Annex to these Minutes.

Councillor Howson thanked Cabinet Members for the way in which they had answered the many questions he had put to them during this administration.

He also thanked Sue Whitehead, Principal Committee Officer, who was retiring, for her work in supporting these meetings. Cabinet Members also thanked  Sue Whitehead for her work.

This Cabinet meeting will be held virtually in order to conform with current guidelines regarding social distancing. Normally requests to speak at this public meeting are required by 9 am on the day preceding the published date of the meeting. However, during the current situation and to facilitate these new arrangements we are asking that requests to speak are submitted by no later than 9am four working days before the meeting i.e. 9 am on [DATE]. Requests to speak should be sent to sue.whitehead@oxfordshire.gov.uk together with 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 9 am 2 working days before the meeting.

Where a meeting is held virtually and the addressee is unable to participate virtually their written submission will be accepted.

Written submissions should be no longer than 1 A4 sheet.

The following requests to address the meeting had been agreed by the

Chairman:

Item 6 – Business Management and Monitoring Report - Councillor Glynis Phillips, Shadow Cabinet Member for Finance

Item 7– Strategic Vision for Oxfordshire - Councillor Damian Haywood, Shadow Cabinet Member for Highways Delivery and Operations

Item 8 – Highway Maintenance Contract Extension - Councillor Damian Haywood, Shadow Cabinet Member for Highways Delivery and Operations

Item 9 – Developing a Strategic Framework for Oxfordshire County Council Libraries and Heritage Services - Councillor Emma Turnbull, Shadow Cabinet Member for Education & Cultural Services

Item 10 – Reprovision of Maltfield House – New Build Children’s Home -Councillor Gill Sanders, Shadow Cabinet Member for Children’s Services.

Cabinet Member: Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Finance

Forward Plan Ref: 2020/155

Contact: Louise Tustian, Head of Insight & Corporate Programmes Tel: 07741 607452/Hannah Doney, Head of Corporate Finance Tel: 07584 174654

Report by Corporate Director Customers & Organisational Development and Director of Finance (CA6).

 This report sets out Oxfordshire County Council’s (OCC’s) progress towards Corporate Plan priorities for 2020/21 – February 2021.

Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to note this month’s business management and monitoring report.

Cabinet considered a report setting out Oxfordshire County Council’s (OCC’s) progress towards Corporate Plan priorities for 2020/21 – February 2021.

Councillor Glynis Phillips, Shadow Cabinet Member for Finance highlighted several areas in the report:

·       On air quality metrics referred to at page 19 of the agenda Councillor Phillips asked that locality meetings be advised of air quality issues in their area, where the air pollution monitors were sited and the specific actions in the designated air quality management areas.

·       Expressed concern over the street lighting LED conversion programme, where the target for conversions for 2021 had not been achieved.

·       Councillor Phillips highlighted that the condition of the highways was rated green when Fix my Street data advised that repairs completed did not meet the target set and noted that nearly a quarter of issues reported fell below the intervention criteria.  She noted that this was a known issue and that the report referred to a number of interventions. Councillor Phillips requested information on the interventions. As a known issue she asked what was being done to reduce the number of inappropriate issues being reported on Fix My Street.

·       In noting that the percentage target for defects posing an immediate or potential risk of injury was met Councillor Phillips suggested that future reports indicate the actual number of defects involved.

·       Referring to page 51 on notification received on ringfenced grant relating to free activities and healthy food for disadvantaged children, Councillor Phillips requested more detail on the allocation of this funding and on how spend would be monitored.

·       Councillor Phillips welcomed the shift in resources to more home care being provided.

·       Councillor Phillips noted that the risk register made no mention of preparation for the County wide Youth Service. The register noted the increase in demand for children’s services and the need to ensure effective arrangements are in place for safeguarding children. A benefit of a County wide youth service is that social workers would be available to support children and their families before crises happen. The preparations should be mentioned in the risk register as a mitigating factor and Councillor Phillips sought assurance that plans were being made to set up this service.

Councillor Constance responded to the concerns raised around the street lighting LED conversion programme. The difficulty in meeting the conversion target was due to a column supply issue. The delivery programme would be caught up in 2021/22. She added that whilst below the target on numbers, the programme was targeted at the units with the highest energy usage and therefore energy saving would profile ahead of target.

Councillor Constance indicated that Councillor Phillips would receive a direct response on her queries on Fix My Street.

Councillor Judith Heathcoat, Deputy Leader of the Council, introduced the risk and performance management elements of the report noting that the Council continued to perform well 16 green, 10 amber with none reported as red. One measure was unable to be reported on as a direct consequence of Covid-19. There had been  ...  view the full minutes text for item 38/21

Cabinet Member: Environment

Forward Plan Ref: 2021/030

Contact: Daw Pettis, Strategic Planning Team Leader Tel: 07771 983395

Report by Corporate Director Communities and Corporate Director Environment & Place (CA7).

As a partner of the Growth Board, the County Council has been part of the commissioning and development of a new Oxfordshire Strategic Vision for Long-Term Sustainable Development. The Growth Board published a draft Vision document for engagement in November which was considered by Cabinet on 15 December. The reports sets out Oxfordshire’s Strategic Vision for agreement.

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:

(a)           Agree the final Oxfordshire’s Strategic Vision for Long Term sustainable Development (attached at Annex 1), noting that it was endorsed by the Oxfordshire Growth Board at its meeting on 22 March.

(b)           Consider agreeing the Vision as the basis for informing future county council plans and strategy development, notably the Local Transport and Connectivity Plan (LTCP), the Oxfordshire Infrastructure Strategy (OXIS) and the future Nature Recovery Network Strategy.

(c)           Note the implications and observations outlined in paragraphs 13 to 25 in this report.

As a partner of the Growth Board, the County Council has been part of the commissioning and development of a new Oxfordshire Strategic Vision for Long-Term Sustainable Development. The Growth Board published a draft Vision document for engagement in November which was considered by Cabinet on 15 December. The report before Cabinet set out Oxfordshire’s Strategic Vision for agreement.

Councillor Damian Haywood, Shadow Cabinet Member for Highways Delivery and Operations welcomed the report many elements of which he liked, including the reference to reducing inequalities and the changes to the narrow definition of growth following feedback. However, he did have several concerns including:

·       the role of the document as it stated that it was not intended to replace specific visions by partner organisations and whether this meant that it could be ignored;

·       how the document fitted in to the national framework and timescales on sustainability/climate goals;

·       when the detail would be coming forward that made the vision specific to Oxfordshire;

·       that whilst understanding that this was a strategic rather than an operational document there was no indication of how the vision was to be achieved; and

·       concern that there had not been enough consultation and engagement to ensure that communities were part of the vision and concern that there were insufficient resources to enable that consultation and engagement to take place.

Councillor Hudspeth, Leader of the Council commented on the background to the development of the Growth Board and that it had been instrumental in the success of bidding to Government for funding on growth and infrastructure. He noted that all the Councils were responsible for their respective planning and transport powers and so the document could not dictate how the vision would be achieved.

Councillor Yvonne Constance, Cabinet Member for Environment (including Transport) moved the recommendations.

Anita Bradley, Director of Law & Governance, responding to a query in relation to paragraph 14 of the report that stated the decision be taken before the pre-election period, confirmed that it was appropriate for the decision to be taken today during the pre-election period.

RESOLVED:           to:

(a)           agree the final Oxfordshire’s Strategic Vision for Long Term sustainable Development (attached at Annex 1), noting that it was endorsed by the Oxfordshire Growth Board at its meeting on 22 March;

(b)           consider agreeing the Vision as the basis for informing future county council plans and strategy development, notably the Local Transport and Connectivity Plan (LTCP), the Oxfordshire Infrastructure Strategy (OXIS) and the future Nature Recovery Network Strategy; and

(c)           note the implications and observations outlined in paragraphs 13 to 25 in this report.

Cabinet Member: Highways Delivery & Operations

Forward Plan Ref: 2021/024

Contact: Roland Gilbert, Contracts Manager – Interim Tel: 07783 879015

Report by Corporate Director for Environment and Place and Corporate Director Commercial Development Assets and Investments (CA8).

The County Council needs to make a decision on whether to grant a two-year extension to its highways contract. This report sets out the options that are available to the Council and recommends an extension is granted, subject to both parties committing to a programme of service improvement, cost reduction and social value enhancement.

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to

(a)  Support an extension to the highway maintenance contract by two years to the end of March 2025.

(b)  Delegate authority for the completion of the extension and associated Framework Alliance Contract (FAC) to the Corporate Director for Environment & Place in consultation with the Corporate Director of Commercial Development, Assets and Investment, and the s151 Officer. 

The County Council needed to decide on whether to grant a two-year extension to its highways contract. The report set out the options that were available to the Council and recommended an extension be granted, subject to both parties committing to a programme of service improvement, cost reduction and social value enhancement.

Councillor Damian Haywood, Shadow Cabinet Member for Highways Delivery and Operations spoke in support of the recommendations

RESOLVED:           to

(a)  support an extension to the highway maintenance contract by two years to the end of March 2025.

(b)  delegate authority for the completion of the extension and associated Framework Alliance Contract (FAC) to the Corporate Director for Environment & Place in consultation with the Corporate Director of Commercial Development, Assets and Investment, and the s151 Officer. 

Cabinet Member: Education & Cultural Services

Forward Plan Ref: 2021/046

Contact: Lesli Good, Assistant Director – Cultural Services Tel: 07930 617798

Report by Corporate Director for Customers and Organisational Development (CA9).

The council’s current library and heritage services provide a network of assets in our local communities and an active and passionate community of volunteers. Our libraries provide a ‘footprint’ in many communities, geographically spread across the county, on which to build and develop responsive library and added value services that explicitly meet local needs. 

There is evidence from other authorities that a clear vision and strategic framework for the planning and delivery of these services can strengthen the contribution they make to wider community outcomes.  As we move out of the pandemic and make plans for economic and community recovery the time is right to improve our strategic ambition and planning for these services.

The report seeks  approval for the development of a clear vision and strategic framework for the planning and delivery of libraries and heritage services to strengthen the contribution they make to wider community outcomes. 

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to

(a)           Agree the purpose for libraries and heritage services set out in para 28 and the development of a strategic framework to enable these services to contribute more effectively to broader community outcomes in line with the council’s statutory duties and strategic vision ‘Thriving Communities for Everyone in Oxfordshire’.

(b)           Ensure the role of the libraries and heritage is widely acknowledged as a significant contributor to economic growth and development in the county and the region by setting out the ambitions and planned outcomes in strategic plans.

(c)           Agree that the development of the strategic framework should be based on detailed understanding of local need and engagement with stakeholders as set out in para 34 to 38.

(d)           Agree to the development of a Member Engagement Plan to build a shared understanding of the contribution of these services to community outcomes.

The council’s current library and heritage services provide a network of assets in our local communities and an active and passionate community of volunteers. Our libraries provide a ‘footprint’ in many communities, geographically spread across the county, on which to build and develop responsive library and added value services that explicitly meet local needs. 

The report sought approval for the development of a clear vision and strategic framework for the planning and delivery of libraries and heritage services to strengthen the contribution they make to wider community outcomes. 

Councillor Emma Turnbull, Shadow Cabinet Member for Education and Cultural Services raised the following queries

·       A recent peer review of the heritage and library services was not mentioned in the report. Councillor Turnbull queried whether it was going to be published and when, and whether its recommendations were included in this service redesign.

·       Councillor Turnbull welcomed the concept of co-production and queried how it would work in practice; how would the volunteers across our library service be involved.

·       The report mentioned the Council’s Inclusion Strategy but did not go into detail. Councillor Turnbull queried how this new service will build diverse inclusive communities.

Councillor Lorraine Lindsay-Gale, Cabinet Member for Education and Cultural Services introduced the contents of the report commenting she was pleased to bring the report as it represented a desire to raise the profile of the services and the important role they play in the lives of Oxfordshire residents.

Councillor Lindsay-Gale commented that there had been a recent LGA Peer Review and their comments had supported the development of a strategy to enable the Council to secure maximum value from its investment in these services to reduce inequality and to support the task of levelling up post pandemic. Their report would be published. Councillor Lindsay-Gale moved the recommendations.

Jane Portman, Interim Consultant Cultural Services responded to the query on co-production recognising that the volunteer workforce was vital and would be part of the co-production work undertaken. Library users would also be engaged and library non-users.

On inclusion, whilst library services are universal and open to everybody, it was also vital to ensure that there were targeted services for particular communities and groups of people. Claire Taylor, Corporate Director, Customers and Organisational Development added that it was important to recognise that in recent times and in the response to recovery from the pandemic going forward there had been a focus on putting inclusion at the heart of what the Council was doing. It was important in the co-production work to reach out to those people who did not currently use the library service and to think about a more local focus and local determination of the service provided to respond to specific needs in individual communities.

Councillor Heathcoat as the former portfolio holder warmly welcomed the report and recommendations although sounding a note of caution in respect of the financial implications taking this forward.

RESOLVED:           to

(a)      agree the purpose for libraries and heritage services set out in para 28  ...  view the full minutes text for item 41/21

Cabinet Member: Children & Family Services

Forward Plan Ref: 2021/041

Contact: Lara Patel, Deputy Director Children’s Services Tel: 07917 534366

Report by Corporate Director of Children’s Services (CA10).

To seek approval of the proposal to change the design specification of the new build children’s home from six to four beds.

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to approve the proposal to change the design specification of the new build children’s home from six to four beds

Cabinet considered a report seeking approval of the proposal to change the design specification of the new build children’s home from six to four beds.

Councillor Gill Sanders, Shadow Cabinet Member for Children and Family Services spoke in support of the proposals for a new children’s home but expressed surprise that it was for a reduced number of placements given the cost of out of county placements. She noted that it was possible to extend later but suggested that it would be sensible to plan and build for 6 placements now. Councillor Sanders noted that the report did not give detailed information on the number of places available in county, the number of places filled and the number of places out of county. She requested that this information be made available for the Guardianship meeting and hoped that the decision could be reconsidered urgently.

Councillor Steve Harrod, Cabinet Member for Children and Family Services referred to the context of the earlier closure of Maltfield House noting that its replacement had already been agreed at an earlier meeting. Today Cabinet was being asked to consider the specific needs of a replacement building. The proposals to reduce the new building from 6 to 4 placements was a result of sound analysis and a refreshed insight of the specific needs of the children we care for.

Councillor Harrod in moving the recommendation thanked Councillor Sanders for her positive and encouraging input as Shadow Cabinet Member. He took on board her request for additional information to the Guardianship for Us Panel meeting.

Cabinet noted that some cabinet members having raised similar concerns over the reduction from 6 to 4 placements had met with Councillor Harrod and Kevin Gordon, Corporate Director, Children’s Services to explore the reasoning for the reduction. They accepted the view of experts that a smaller 4 bed placement was better but had wanted the design to be such that it could be extended at a future date should thinking or requirements change.

Lara Patel, Deputy Director, introduced the contents of the report and detailed the reasons for the recommendation to move to a 4 bed building based on the refreshed needs analysis of children cared for that had been carried out last year.

RESOLVED:   to approve the proposal to change the design specification of the new build children’s home from six to four beds; and

1.          To ensure that the design of the property is future-proofed for wider Council uses.

2.          Council confirms its commitment to high quality residential childcare within the County

Cabinet Member: Leader

Forward Plan Ref: 2020/156

Contact: Sue Whitehead, Principal Committee Officer Tel: 07393 001213

Report by Director of Law & Governance (CA    ).

To report on a quarterly basis any executive decisions taken under the specific powers and functions delegated under the terms of Part 7.1 (Scheme of Delegation to Officers) of the Council’s Constitution – Paragraph 6.3(c)(i).  It is not for Scrutiny call-in.

Cabinet noted the following executive decisions taken under the specific powers and functions delegated under the terms of Part 7.2 (Scheme of Delegation to Officers) of the Council’s Constitution – Paragraph 6.3(c)(i).  It is not for Scrutiny call-in.

Cabinet Member: All

Contact Officer: Sue Whitehead, Principal Committee Officer Tel: 07393 001213

The Cabinet Procedure Rules provide that the business of each meeting at the Cabinet is to include “updating of the Forward Plan and proposals for business to be conducted at the following meeting”.   Items from the Forward Plan for the immediately forthcoming meetings of the Cabinet appear in the Schedule at CA12.  This includes any updated information relating to the business for those meetings that has already been identified for inclusion in the next Forward Plan update.

The Schedule is for noting, but Cabinet Members may also wish to take this opportunity to identify any further changes they would wish to be incorporated in the next Forward Plan update.

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to note the items currently identified for forthcoming meetings.

The Cabinet considered a list of items for the immediately forthcoming meetings of the Cabinet together with changes and additions set out in the schedule of addenda.

RESOLVED:           to note the items currently identified for forthcoming meetings.