Agenda, decisions and minutes

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 9 September 2025 (CC1) and to receive information arising from them.

The minutes of the meeting held on 9 September 2025 were approved.

Apologies were received from Councillors Field-Johnson, Fletcher, Gordon and Leffman.

There were no declarations of interest.

The Chair thanked His Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant, Mrs Marjorie Glasgow, for addressing Council Members before this meeting commenced.

The County had been honoured to have visits from the Prince and Princess of Wales and Princess Royal in October.

A list of events attended by the Chair, Vice-Chair and past chairs since the last Council meeting was attached to the Schedule of Business in Annex 1.

The Chair recalled that on 6 October, the United Kingdom’s Ambassador to the European Union, Lindsay Appleby, came to Oxfordshire to build connections with local firms that he will use to boost investment and trade with the EU. The Ambassador remarked afterwards that it had been the best organised visit he had participated in.  The Chair thanked staff who made that occasion possible.

The Chair noted that November was Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month. International Men’s Day was to be marked in County Hall on 19 November. That day aims to highlight the positive contributions of men to society, raise awareness about men’s health issues, and promote gender equality.

The Chair also thanked everyone who came to the second charity quiz, held on 22 October, which raised £253 for his chosen charities: OXSRAD, Abingdon RDA, and Oxford United in the Community. The Chair's Charity Christmas Quiz will take place in Common Hall from 4 pm on Wednesday, 3 December.

The Chair’s Christmas Carol Service will take place at St Nicholas Church in Marston from 6.30 pm on Monday, 15 December.

Members of the public who wish to speak on an item on the agenda at this meeting, or present a petition, can attend the meeting in person or ‘virtually’ through an online connection. Requests must be submitted no later than 9am three working days before the meeting i.e. 9am on Thursday 30 October 2025. Requests to speak should be sent to committeesdemocraticservices@oxfordshire.gov.uk

If you are speaking ‘virtually’, you may submit 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 9am on the day of the meeting. Written submissions should be no longer than 1 A4 sheet.

The Chair accepted the following requests to present a petition or speak on an item on the agenda:

Petitions

Brenda Boardman ‘Transport Hub at Oxford Rail Station’

Brenda Boardman presented a petition with 1,240 signatures, representing Oxon4Buses, advocating for the inclusion of a bus hub in the redevelopment plans for Oxford rail station.  The petition highlighted that Network Rail's tender for the station redevelopment omitted bus facilities.  The petition called for a bus hub that is physically and visually linked to the rail station, enabling seamless transfer between train and bus for passengers.

Councillor Roberts, Cabinet Member for Place, Environment and Climate Action, welcomed the petition and confirmed the Council’s policy to prioritise active travel modes and bus connections at Oxford Station, with minimal car parking.  Network Rail’s consultant brief now included aspirations for a new transport interchange to enhance bus-rail transition.  Council officers will continue collaborating with Network Rail, Oxford City Council, bus companies, and user groups to ensure the station design reflects the Council’s transport hierarchy and user needs.  Councillor Roberts added that an early meeting with the appointed architect and transport engineers was planned to discuss user group engagement.

Public Address

Item 15 Motion from Councillor Walker

Richard Parnham

Danny Yee

Thaila Carr

Bernadette Evans

Paul Major

Anne Gwinnett

Lydia Jansson

Robin Tucker

Emily Scaysbrook

Geoffrey Sutton

Any speeches provided to the Council are published alongside these minutes.

The deadline to submit questions is 9am, five working days before the meeting i.e. 9am Tuesday 28 October 2025.

Twenty seven questions were asked. The questions, responses and supplementary questions and responses are recorded in an Annex below.

Sixty three questions were asked. The questions, responses and supplementary questions and responses are recorded in an Annex below.

To make any changes to the membership of scrutiny and other committees on the nomination of political groups and to note any changes to the Cabinet made by the Leader of the Council.

Report by the Director of Law & Governance and Monitoring Officer

Council is RECOMMENDED to:

a)           appoint a Member to the current vacant position on the Planning and Regulation Committee;

b)           delegate to all council committees the authority to appoint to its vacant committee seats in accordance with legislation.

Council was asked to consider a report regarding the current vacancy on the Planning and Regulation Committee and also addressing any similar vacancies in the future.

The Liberal Democrat group was entitled to seven of the twelve positions on the Planning and Regulation Committee.  However, only six Members had been appointed by the political group leader leaving one vacancy on the committee.  Under the legislation, it fell to Council to fill the current vacancy.

The report also proposed that Council delegate to all council committees the authority to appoint to its future vacant committee seats in the event that a political group has not expressed its wishes in accordance with the Local Government and Housing Act 1989.

Councillor Lugova moved the recommendations in the report and nominated Councillor Gawrysiak for the vacant position on the Planning and Regulation Committee.  Councillor Worgan seconded the recommendations and the nomination.

The Chair explained that, because Councillor Gawrysiak was not a member of the Liberal Democrat group, Council would also have to approve the resulting variation of the political balance on the Committee with no votes against in accordance with Section 17 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989.  The Chair also clarified that any abstentions on this vote would not count as votes against.

Following discussion, the proposal to appoint Councillor Gawrysiak and vary the political balance on the Committee was put to a vote and approved with 2 abstentions and no votes against.

Recommendation b) was put to a vote and approved unanimously.

RESOLVED (with 2 abstentions and no Member voting against):

·       to appoint Councillor Stefan Gawrysiak to the vacant position on the Planning and Regulation Committee in accordance with the Local Government (Committees and Political Groups) Regulations 1990, Regulation 15;

·       to agree, with no votes against, to vary the political proportionality on the Committee in accordance with Section 17 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989.

RESOLVED (unanimously):

·       to delegate to all council committees the authority to appoint to its vacant committee seats in accordance with legislation if a political group fails to make a nomination.

Report by the Leader of the Council.

This report covers the Cabinet meetings on 10 September 2025, 16 September 2025 and 21 October 2025.

Council received the report of Cabinet covering its meetings for 10 September 2025, 16 September 2025 and 21 October 2025.

On Item 1: Strategic Plan

Councillor Baines asked how the proposals by the administration will be more ambitious than that required and funded by central government in regard to establishing new Best Start Family Hubs.  Councillor Fawcett responded on behalf of the Leader and said he will ask Councillor Leffman to respond in writing and indicated that it was planned to put additional resource into family hubs.

Councillor Phillips asked how it was concluded that the strategic plan was aligned with the residents’ priorities when none of the primary or secondary priorities listed by residents made any reference to being greener. Councillor Fawcett responded that the consultation response was part of the evidence base that was looked at in drawing up the strategic plan and that the mandate for the majority administration was based on climate change and making Oxfordshire greener.

Item 3: Oxford temporary congestion charges

Councillor Pressel asked why there was such a short lead time in the period for the implementation of the congestion charge and why some of the information leaflets were not distributed on time. Councillor Gant responded that the leaflets were delivered very efficiently. The Councillor further responded that it was appropriate to deliver the benefits of this scheme as soon as possible, which is what had been done.

Councillor Baines asked what plans were in place to monitor any modal shift from driving to cycling during the operation of the temporary congestion charge and what steps would be taken if the resultant shift was below the levels required to deliver the target reduction in car journeys. Councillor Gant responded that precise changes from one mode to the other, particularly with cycling and pedestrians, was difficult to measure. He further responded that these schemes did not exist in isolation, and the ambition was to create a better county by making everybody's journeys better.

Councillor Fry asked that with growing evidence of resignations among badly needed school and hospital staff, would the cabinet member give urgent consideration to extending permit exemptions to these workers, if their employers support such exemption, to staunch the outflow of valuable staff. Councillor Gant responded that he would request that the evidence of resignations be provided to him. He further responded that access to Oxford hospital sites was central to the policy, and that one cannot get the benefits unless one supports the policies.

Councillor Graham asked how many applications have been received for exemptions and if he could ensure that officers responded to these exemptions. Councillor Gant responded that the figure was around 63,000 altogether of which around 50,000 were from within Oxford and Oxfordshire. He further said that the officers in customer services do a brilliant job.

Councillor Brighouse asked for discussions to be held with ambulance authorities and various organisations that operate ambulances around the city because it was virtually impossible for many people on the eastern  ...  view the full minutes text for item 86/25

Report by the Director of Public Affairs, Policy and Partnerships

Following the county council elections in May 2025 and the formation of a new administration, a new strategic plan has been developed. The period of this plan will be November 2025 to 1 April 2028.

Council is RECOMMENDED to approve and adopt the Strategic Plan 2025-28.

Council had before it the Strategic Plan which had been developed following the county council elections in May 2025 and the formation of a new administration.  The period of this plan will be November 2025 to 1 April 2028.

The recommendation was moved by Councillor Fawcett, Deputy Leader of the Council, and seconded by Councillor Gaul.

Following discussion, an electronic vote was taken.  The recommendation was approved with 39 votes in favour, 12 against and 12 abstentions.

RESOLVED: to approve and adopt the Strategic Plan 2025-28.

Report by the Executive Director of Resources & Section 151 Officer

In April 2025 Council agreed a number of changes to the Constitution.   As part of that the threshold for a Key Decision for capital expenditure was increased to £2.0m.  Section 5 of the Financial Regulations which sets out the arrangements for Capital expenditure needs to be updated to align with the threshold for a Key Decision. 

Council is RECOMMENDED to approve:

a)           amendments to Section 5 of the Financial Regulations increasing the limit for Cabinet approval for new inclusions and variations to capital schemes from £1.0m to £2.0m to align with the key decision threshold of £2m.

b)           that in exceptional circumstances up to £0.500m funding for exploratory feasibility works can be approved by the Executive Director of Resources and Section 151 Officer (following discussion and recommendation at, and with the support of the Strategic Capital and Commercial Board).

Council considered a report on the Financial Regulations proposing to update Section 5 of the Financial Regulations which sets out the arrangements for capital expenditure and which required updating to align with the threshold for a Key Decision

The recommendations were moved by Councillor Levy and seconded by Councillor Fawcett.

Following discussion, the recommendations were approved with 3 abstentions.

RESOLVED to approve:

a) amendments to Section 5 of the Financial Regulations increasing the limit for Cabinet approval for new inclusions and variations to capital schemes from £1.0m to £2.0m to align with the key decision threshold of £2m.

b) that in exceptional circumstances up to £0.500m funding for exploratory feasibility works can be approved by the Executive Director of Resources and Section 151 Officer (following discussion and recommendation at, and with the support of the Strategic Capital and Commercial Board).

Report by the Director of Children’s Services

The Crime and Disorder Act 1998 sets out the minimum statutory requirements for Youth Justice Services. The statutory aim of the Youth Justice system is to prevent children from offending. Section 39 of the Crime & Disorder Act requires the cooperation of named statutory partners and places a duty on them to cooperate to secure and deliver youth justice services appropriate to the area.

The Council is RECOMMENDED to adopt Oxfordshire’s Annual Youth Justice Plan 2025-2026.

Council had before it a report recommending the adoption of the Youth Justice Annual Plan for 2025/26.  The plan must outline progress against the previous year’s priorities, performance data, set out a plan for the forthcoming year and how the partnership is meeting its statutory responsibilities against the Youth Justice National Standards for Children and the national Key Performance Indicators.

The recommendation was moved by Councillor Gaul and seconded by Councillor Fawcett.

Following discussion, the recommendation was agreed unanimously.

RESOLVED: to adopt Oxfordshire’s Annual Youth Justice Plan 2025-2026.

Report by Director of Law & Governance and Monitoring Officer

The Constitution makes provision for the taking of an urgent decision. Part 8.1 Section 17.3 requires that “the Leader of the Council will submit quarterly reports to the Council on any executive decisions taken in the circumstances set out in Rule 16 (special urgency) in the preceding three months.

Council is RECOMMENDED to note the use of Special Urgency for a Key Decision taken on 1 September 2025 by the Leader of the Council.

Council was asked to note the use of Special Urgency for a Key Decision taken on 1 September 2025 by the Leader of the Council on the funding of Woodeaton Manor Academy.

The report was moved by Councillor Fawcett, Deputy Leader of the Council and seconded by Councillor Levy.

Following discussion, Council noted the report.

Report of the Director of Law & Governance and Monitoring Officer

The calendar of meetings for each civic year, from one Annual Council meeting to the next, is presented to Council for approval.

COUNCIL IS RECOMMENDED to approve the calendar of meetings for the 2026-27 Council year attached to the report as Annex 1.

The calendar of meetings for the 2026/27 civic year, from one Annual Council meeting to the next, was presented to Council for approval.

The recommendation was moved by the Chair who noted that the proposed dates took account of school holidays and that important religious dates for the main religions represented in the UK had also been taken into consideration.

The recommendation was seconded by the Vice-Chair and agreed.

RESOLVED: to approve the calendar of meetings for the 2026-27 Council Year attached to the report as Annex 1.

This Council notes:? 

The strong opposition from some residents, businesses, and key workers to the Oxford Congestion Charge scheme and their ongoing concerns about its impact on the cost of living, local trade, and access to services across Oxford.? 

This Council believes: 

The scheme is unfair, harmful to the local economy, and does not have public support and it's time to end the scheme.? 

This Council therefore resolves to: 

Call on the Leader and Cabinet to immediately end the operation of the Oxford Congestion Charge scheme and ensure no further expansion or reintroduction of similar charging schemes without full public consultation and support. 

Note: The motion, if passed, would constitute the exercise of an executive function in which case it will be referred to the Cabinet together with any advice the Council may wish to give, in accordance with Rule 13.5.1 (i) of the Council Procedure Rules in the Constitution.

The following motion was proposed by Councillor Walker and seconded by Councillor Henwood.

“This Council notes:? 

The strong opposition from some residents, businesses, and key workers to the Oxford Congestion Charge scheme and their ongoing concerns about its impact on the cost of living, local trade, and access to services across Oxford.? 

This Council believes: 

The scheme is unfair, harmful to the local economy, and does not have public support and it's time to end the scheme.? 

This Council therefore resolves to: 

Call on the Leader and Cabinet to immediately end the operation of the Oxford Congestion Charge scheme and ensure no further expansion or reintroduction of similar charging schemes without full public consultation and support.”

Following discussion, Councillor Walker called for a named vote and was supported by at least six other councillors as required under Council Procedure Rule 17.4.1.

The motion was lost with 22 votes in favour, 36 against and 2 abstentions.

Council voted as follows:

For the motion –

Councillors Ashby, Baines, Brighouse, Cherry, Coles, Creed, Crichton, Du, Edosomwan, Evans, Fry, Henwood, Lygo, Malik, Mallon, Phillips, Plumb, Pressel, Robertshaw, Saul, Snowdon and Walker.

Against the motion –

Councillors Barlow, Batstone, Bearder, Brant, Cotter, Edwards, Epps, Fawcett, Filipova-Rivers, Gant, Garnett, Gaul, Gawrysiak, Graham, Greenaway, Gregory, Hanna, Hannaby, Heritage, Higgins, Hingley, Hope-Smith, Jones, Levy, Ley, Lugova, McLauchlan, McLean, Middleton, Overton, Rawlins, Roberts, Smith, Stevens, Thomas and Worgan.

Abstentions:

Councillors Boucher-Giles and Markham.

Council notes that in July 2025 a judicial review upheld the Secretary of State for the Environment’s decision to approve the proposed Thames Water Resources Management Plan which includes the South East Strategic Reservoir Option in Abingdon.  

As a result, Thames Water has to have an Emergency Discharge facility in place including the ability to empty the reservoir at a rate of 1 metre per day, possibly over a period of 3 to 4 weeks. This would put water back into the Thames at a rate of 75 m³/s just south of Abingdon c.3x greater than its normal flow. 

Such a discharge could cause havoc along the Thames, endangering Life, residences, businesses, wildlife and the environment, yet there is no requirement for the reservoir operator to have an emergency plan before building the reservoir, only before filling it. Dealing with the emergency in the wider area will be the responsibility of this Council as the local emergency planning authority along with the emergency services.  

This Council makes clear its deep concern that we could be made responsible by default for safely managing such an emergency, leaving us with impossible decisions about which lives, homes and businesses to save in a crisis situation.  

We therefore call on the Leader to write to the Secretary of State to request clarity on how such an emergency discharge would be managed and to provide a commitment that we will be provided with the resources to do so before any Development Consent Order is considered. 

The time being 4.00 pm, this motion was considered dropped in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 5.2.

Pride in the appearance of the public realm is important to our residents. Clean and well-maintained pavements make people feel good about their neighbourhood, reduce accidents, and prevent more costly problems later. Neglect leads to uneven footways, hazards for those with mobility difficulties, and higher long-term repair bills.

Routine weed clearance on county pavements was part of highways maintenance until 2007/08, when budget cuts removed the programme. Some parishes now commission their own weed spraying and may be using glyphosate, increasingly opposed by residents because of its risks to health, pets, rivers, and biodiversity. Other parishes are now beginning to trial alternative approaches.

Council resolves to:

1. Note the historic withdrawal of routine weed clearance and the resulting concerns about accessibility, safety, and neighbourhood appearance.

2. Recognise the Council’s statutory duty to keep pavements free of hazards, and that neglect increases both risks and costs.

3. Request an officer report with options for re-establishing pavement weed clearance and scheduled maintenance, including alternatives to glyphosate, and how the Council can support towns and parishes to reduce reliance on chemical spraying.

4. Request that the Cabinet Member for Finance, Property and Transformation give due consideration to the findings of this report as part of the next round of budget setting.

Note: The motion, if passed, would constitute the exercise of an executive function in which case it will be referred to the Cabinet together with any advice the Council may wish to give, in accordance with Rule 13.5.1 (i) of the Council Procedure Rules in the Constitution.

The time being 4.00 pm, this motion was considered dropped in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 5.2.

This Council, being deeply concerned by the impact of poor mental health on adults and children in the County, asks the Health and Wellbeing Board to request an appropriate overview and scrutiny committee to investigate and report back on how services provided by Oxford Health and other organisations are tackling this issue. 

Such an investigation needs to address issues of accessibility to services including

• assessment,
• therapeutic support,
• medication,
• emergency interventions such as “sectioning” and
• inpatient beds.

How these inventions, or the lack of them, impact on other public services such as Community Safety, Public Health, Housing, Schools, Fire and Rescue and the Police also needs to be understood. Most of all, poor mental health impacts on individuals, families and communities around the County.  

Council requests that the outcome of the investigation be sent to the appropriate Secretaries of State. 

The time being 4.00 pm, this motion was considered dropped in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 5.2.

Motion to be seconded by Councillor Emma Markham

Council notes that:

• Oxfordshire residents have endured successive crises in recent years: Covid, the cost-of-living emergency, underfunding of public services by successive governments, leaving many residents in precarious situations, creating a climate of uncertainty and fear.
• Research shows that rising inequality fuels support for far-right movements, eroding trust in institutions and creating fertile ground for scapegoating and division.
• Against this backdrop, right-wing media and far-right groups have wrongly blamed migrant communities to further their agendas.
• Extensive research, including the Migration Observatory’s 2024 study, finds that migration contributes positively to the UK economy by expanding the labour force, addressing skill shortages, and supporting productivity and growth, with little evidence of wage suppression for native workers. Migrants’ net fiscal impact is generally positive, with greater contributions in taxes than cost to public services.
• Oxfordshire is proud to be the first County Council of Sanctuary, committed to ensuring that everyone who lives here, whether newly arrived or long settled, is treated fairly.

Council therefore resolves to:

• Recognise the risks to our communities if the disinformation, suspicion, and intolerance disinformation generates go unchallenged, and commit to addressing them wherever they occur.
• Work with partners to ensure the safety and wellbeing of everyone in our communities and that racism is confronted wherever it occurs, in schools, workplaces, and on our streets.
• Request that Cabinet supports the co-production of a community cohesion action plan with key stakeholders in consultation with councillors, including actions to support community-led dialogue and ensure appropriate resourcing is considered during budget setting.

Note: The motion, if passed, would constitute the exercise of an executive function in which case it will be referred to the Cabinet together with any advice the Council may wish to give, in accordance with Rule 13.5.1 (i) of the Council Procedure Rules in the Constitution.

The time being 4.00 pm, this motion was considered dropped in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 5.2.