Agenda and decisions

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Andrew Gant and Kate Gregory.

- guidance note below

There were none.

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 21 October 2025 (CA3) and to receive information arising from them.

The minutes of the meeting held on 21 October 2025 were approved as a correct record.

Any county councillor may, by giving notice to the Proper Officer by 9 am three working days before the meeting, ask a question on an item on the agenda.

The number of questions which may be asked by any councillor at any one meeting is limited to two (or one question with notice and a supplementary question at the meeting) and the time for questions will be limited to 30 minutes in total. As with questions at Council, any questions which remain unanswered at the end of this item will receive a written response.

There were none received.

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 to present a petition must be submitted no later than 9am ten working days before the meeting.

Requests to speak must be submitted no later than 9am three working days before the meeting.

Requests should be submitted 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.

12 – OXRAIL 2040: Plan for Rail Strategy

Neale Coleman

Roger Blake

Phil Evans

Ian Baxter

Cllr Andy Graham

There were no appointments to report to this meeting.

Cabinet will receive the following reports:-

Performance and Corporate Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee report on Business Management and Monitoring Report (with a focus on Children, Education and Families)

Place Overview and Scrutiny Committee Reports on

a)    Verge and Vegetation Management

b)    OxRAIL 2040: Plan for Rail Strategy (TO FOLLOW)

Cabinet received the reports and will respond in due course.

Cabinet Member: Children and Young People

Forward Plan Ref: 2025/214

Contact: Lisa Lyons, Director of Children’s Services

Lisa.lyons@oxfordshire.gov.uk

Report by Director of Children’s Services (CA8)

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to agree the response to the motion passed at Council on 9 September 2025

Recommendations approved.

Cabinet Member: Public Health and Inequalities

Forward Plan Ref: 2025/213

Contact: Kate Holburn, Head of Commissioning – Drug and Alcohol (Public Health)

Kate.holburn@oxfordshire.gov.uk

Report by Director of Public Health and Communities (CA9)

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to note the response to the Motion by Councillor Jane Hanna on Healthwatch Oxfordshire at Council on 9September 2025

Recommendations approved.

Cabinet Member: Place, Environment and Climate Action

Forward Plan Ref: 2025/217

Contact: Rachel Townsend, Circular Economy Project Officer

Rachel.townsend@oxfordshire.gov.uk

Report by Director of Environment and Highways (CA10)

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:-

a)    Approve the adoption of the proposed changes to the Household Waste Recycling Centre Waste Acceptance Policy (Annex A).

b)    Delay reduced opening hours and days of operation, for implementation through the new service in 2027.

c)    Approve the introduction of the following new fees and charges commencing from January 2026

o   £5.50 per 1m x 1m volume for asbestos: and

£15 per car visit for out of county customers.

Recommendations approved.

Cabinet Member: Place, Environment and Climate Action

Forward Plan Ref: 2025/180

Contact: Sarah Gilbert, Climate Action Team Leader

Sarah.gilbert@oxfordshire.gov.uk

Report by Director of Economy and Place (CA11)

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to

(a)           Note the need for the purchase of carbon credits to offset the residual emissions in the Carbon Management Plan (CMP) to meet the council’s commitment to become carbon neutral by 2030.

(b)           Note the improved clarity of terminology and use of ‘carbon neutral’ to refer to the council’s 2030 target for estate and operations.

(c)           Adopt the policy outlined in Annex 1 to target high-integrity use of carbon credits that maximise local benefits.

(d)           Note the action plan outlined in Appendix 1 of Annex 1 to enable progress towards acquiring carbon credits and support growing the market for local carbon removal projects.

Recommendations approved.

Cabinet Member: Infrastructure and Development Strategy

Forward Plan Ref: 2025/104

Contact: Pete Brunskill, Rail Development Lead

Pete.brunskill@oxfordshire.gov.uk

Report by Director of Economy and Place (CA12)

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:

(a)           Approve for publication and adopt the OxRAIL 2040: Plan for Rail (the Plan) in Annex 1 to this report (as a daughter document to the Local Transport and Connectivity Plan)

(b)           Delegate to the Director of Economy and Place, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Place, Environment and Climate Action, to make final amendments to the Plan as necessary following meetings of the Place Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting and Cabinet.

Recommendations approved.

With regard to recommendation b, the Cabinet agreed to make the following changes to the plan proposed by Councillor Andy Graham, Leader of West Oxfordshire District Council :-

P37 - "we will continue to develop options for medium- to longer-term mass rapid transit (which may include rail) for this corridor to identify deliverable plans and financing mechanisms for its implementation potentially within this plan period (P3.05)"

P80 text be amended to align with the P37 text and reads: "We will continue to explore the case for a Carterton–Witney–Oxford Mass Rapid Transit system (P3.05), to identify the most suitable solution to enhance public transport access to the west of our County."

Cabinet Member: Leader

Forward Plan Ref: 2025/198

Contact: Susmita Dave, Senior Policy Officer

Susmita.dave@oxfordshire.gov.uk

Report by Director of Public Affairs, Policy and Partnerships (CA13)

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:

Propose an update to the Council’s Constitution (part 8.5, Member Champion Role) to Audit and Governance Committee (26^th November 2025) and agreement at Council (9^th December 2025)

Recommendations approved.

Cabinet Member: Resources and Deputy Leader

Forward Plan Ref: 2025/078

Contact: Chrie Cuthbertson, Director of HR and Cultural Change

Report by Executive Director of Resources and Section 151 Officer (CA14)

Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to note the report.

Recommendations approved.

Cabinet Member: Finance, Property and Transformation

Forward Plan Ref: 2025/034

Contact: Tim Chapple, Treasury Manager

Tim.chapple@oxfordshire.gov.uk

Report by Executive Director of Resources and Section 151 Officer (CA15)

Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to note the council’s treasury management activity for the first half of 2025/26 and recommend Council to note council’s treasury management activity in the first half of 2025/26.

Recommendations approved.

Cabinet Member: Finance, Property and Transformation

Forward Plan Ref: 2025/015

Contact:  Kathy Wilcox, Head of Corporate Finance

Kathy.wilcox@oxfordshire.gov.uk

Report by Executive Director of Resources and Section 151 Officer

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:

a)    Note the report and the starting point for the 2026/27 budget;

b)    Approve a five-year period for the medium-term financial strategy to 2030/31 and ten-year period for the capital programme to 2035/36; and;

c)    Note the budget and business planning process timeline and next steps, including the late announcement of the outcome of the Fair Funding Review 2.0 consultation and the potential impact on funding over the medium term;

d)    Note the requirement for the council to set a sustainable balanced budget for 2026/27 which shows how income will equal spending plans.

Recommendations approved.

Cabinet Member: Finance, Property and Transformation

Forward Plan Ref: 2025/101

Contact: Kathy Wilcox, Head of Corporate Finance

Kathy.wilcox@oxfordshire.gov.uk

Report by Executive Director of Resources and Section 151 Officer (CA17)

The Cabinet is RECOMMEDED to note the report and annexes

Recommendations approved.

Cabinet Member: Finance

Forward Plan Ref: 2025/081

Contact: Natalie Crawford, Capital Programme Manager

Natalie.craeford@oxfordshire.gov.uk

Report by Executive Director of Resources and Section 151 Officer (CA18)

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:

Approve a budget increase of £2.518m from £10.8m to £13.318m to the A4130 Steventon Lights scheme, which is to be funded from a combination of funding sources

Recommendations approved.

Cabinet Member: All

Contact Officer: Chris Reynolds, Senior Democratic Services Officer, chris.reynolds@oxfordshire.gov.uk

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 CA19.  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.

Noted.

Oxfordshire Employment Services

Our People and Culture

Part-night Lighting

Catering and Cleaning

Hire Bikes and Scooters

Oxfordshire Safeguarding Children’s Partnership Annual Report

Noted.