Agenda item

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

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 Member for Development & Regeneration at South Oxfordshire District Council (SODC) and lead member on HIF referred to recent events in relation to the SODC Local Plan and highlighted the meetings that had taken place. He thanked OCC officers for the considerable efforts they had made. He set out the concerns about the Local Plan relating particularly to the climate emergency and concerns over the green belt. Discussion and a decision on whether to withdraw the Planat their Council meeting had been unable to go ahead when the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government had prevented any further steps being taken. Councillor Bennett noted that with regard to the Thames crossing he was very aware of the lack of infrastructure in the Didcot area. SODC were happy to work with both the County Council and Vale regardless of the housing considerations. They would welcome being part of the Member Design Panel going forward. Councillor Bennett hoped that the Secretary of State would feel there was sufficient grounds to proceed and commended the officer recommendations.

Responding to a question from Councillor Constance on the integral nature of the housing delivery to the infrastructure deal Councillor Bennett referred to the differing roles of the two Councils and that planning was a District Council responsibility. Councillor Bennett added that the SODC view was that government should properly fund infrastructure.

Responding to a question from Councillor Lindsay-Gale over the possibility that SODC actions would jeopardise the good things within the HIF bid Councillor Bennett replied that SODC were unable to influence that. They had been prevented from making a decision by the Secretary of State and the decision sat with him.

Asked by Councillor Hudspeth whether they still wished to withdraw Councillor Bennett replied that it was a decision they should have been able to make. SODC was trying to do the best it could with the situation it found itself in.

In response to a question from Councillor Harrod about the risk to plans for sustainable transport Councillor Bennett stated that sustainability was also about issues such as overall housing numbers and climate change. It was about making sure the number were right.

Councillor Hudspeth thanked Councillor Bennett for coming to explain SODC’s view.

Cabinet supported the recommendations.

RESOLVED:            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; and

(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.