Agenda and draft minutes

To receive any apologies for absence and temporary appointments.

Apologies were received from Cllr Middleton (substitute: Cllr Jones), Cllr Ley (substitute: Cllr Batstone), and Cllr Baines (substitute: Cllr Fry).

Cllr Shiri attended the meeting online as a guest of the Chair.

Apologies were also received from Cllr Leffman, the Leader of the Council, Cllr Fawcett, Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Resources, Cllr Gant, Cabinet Member for Transport Management, and Lorna Baxter, Executive Director of Resources and Section 151 Officer.

See guidance note on the back page.

There were none.

The Committee is recommended to APPROVE the minutes of the meeting held on 18 July 2025 and to receive information arising from them.

The Committee APPROVED the minutes of the meeting held on 18 July 2025 as a true and accurate record.

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 speak must be submitted no later than 9am three working days before the meeting, i.e. 09/09/2025

Requests should be submitted to the Scrutiny Officer at scrutiny@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.

There were none.

The Committee AGREED to change the order of the agenda to accommodate speaker timings: Business Management and Monitoring Report, Visitor Parking Permits, and Oxfordshire Strategic Plan.

Cllr Dan Levy, Cabinet Member for Finance, Property and Transformation, Cllr Sean Gaul, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, Lorna Baxter, Executive Director of Resources and Section 151 Officer, and Lisa Lyons, Director of Children’s Services, have been invited to present a the Business Management Monitoring Report – with a focus on Children’s Services, Education and Families.

The Committee is asked to consider the report and raise any questions, and to AGREE any recommendations it wishes to make to Cabinet arising therefrom.

Cllr Dan Levy, Cabinet Member for Finance, Property and Transformation, Cllr Sean Gaul, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, Lisa Lyons, Director of Children’s Services, and Kathy Wilcox, Head of Corporate Finance and Deputy Section 151 Officer, were invited to present the Business Management Monitoring Report – with a focus on Children’s Services, Education and Families.

The Head of Corporate Finance presented the Business Management and Monitoring Report (BMMR), noting a near break-even position for children's services but a significant overspend on the high needs Dedicated Schools Grant, threatening the Council’s financial resilience. The Director of Children’s Services reported that, despite rising demand, and statutory requirements, the service had reduced overspends, invested in early help and youth support, and was preparing to expand further to address legislative changes and increased needs, especially in special educational needs and disabilities.

The Committee raised the following concerns and questions about the BMMR:

·       Concerning the significant increase in Education Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), whether there was a correlation between low family income and the likelihood of children needing extra educational support, how Oxfordshire compared nationally regarding EHCP rates, and if the local rate of increase matched national trends. The Director of Children’s Services and the Cabinet Member for Children’s Services explained that Oxfordshire had seen a 32% rise in EHCPs, with a high acceptance rate for assessments. They noted some correlation between poverty and increased contact with statutory services, but did not confirm a direct causal link.

The Cabinet Member, and Director, for Children’s Services also stated that Oxfordshire’s EHCP numbers had continued to rise while some other areas had plateaued, and that further research was ongoing in partnership with the Department for Education to better understand the drivers behind these trends.

·       Whether any Oxfordshire schools contained reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) as part of their buildings and enquired about the ongoing costs of providing education for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), specifically what was being done to bring more students back into county provision. In response, The Director of Children’s Services confirmed that, to the best of her knowledge, no Oxfordshire schools had RAAC, citing comprehensive surveys. She also outlined several projects aimed at increasing local SEND provision, including new special school places, enhanced support for mainstream schools, and pilots to help children remain in their communities rather than being educated out of county.

·       About the Council’s plans for allocating new government funding for Best Start provision and whether additional funding would be made available for in-house youth services. The Director of Children’s Services responded that targeted youth provision funding remained ring-fenced, and Oxfordshire had been selected as one of twelve pilot authorities for a youth transformation project, which aimed to develop sustainable youth activities, particularly in rural and isolated communities.

The Director of Children’s Services clarified that the pilot funding could range from £250,000 to £750,000 and would focus on organising and coordinating youth provision rather than capital projects. She also stated that Best Start funding would  ...  view the full minutes text for item 35/25

Cllr Andrew Gant, Cabinet Member for Transport Management, and Paul Fermer, Director of Environment and Highways, have been invited to present an oral update on Parking Permits.

The Committee is asked to consider the report and raise any questions, and to AGREE any recommendations it wishes to make to Cabinet arising therefrom.

Paul Fermer, Director of Environment and Highways, and Phil Whitfield, Head of Network Management, were invited to present an oral update on Parking Permits.

The Director of Environment and Highways provided an overview of Oxfordshire’s digital parking permits, stating that visitor permits have been in use since December 2024 under a contract with Unity5, which may be extended beyond May 2026. He noted technical issues such as system errors and slow performance, highlighting that these involved several components, for which the Council owned some responsibility, and not just Unity5. The Council was working with Unity5 to resolve these issues. The Head of Network Management added that the Council was prioritising solutions and ongoing improvements.

The Committee raised the following questions and concerns about the Parking Permit update:

·       How could the parking permit system could be made simpler, given concerns about the complexity. The Director of Environment and Highways responded that the complexity related to how permits were issued, particularly the number of permits per batch and the complexity of the underlying scheme. He stated that this was a recent realisation and suggested that reviewing the scheme itself, not just the IT system, might help simplify the process.

The Head of Network Management commented that the system’s complexity was partly due to its adaptability to residents’ needs, which presented administrative challenges.

·       The Committee discussed whether the parking permit system’s challenges impacted other market towns in addition to Oxford and the options available for individuals unable to use the online system. The Director of Environment and Highways explained that the same system operated countywide, suggesting that similar issues may occur elsewhere; however, Oxford had more schemes and therefore received additional attention. He clarified that non-digital alternatives are available, including phone support and assistance at libraries.

·       Whether the number of Controlled Parking Zones (CPZs) led to efficiency or complexity, and about issues with residents being unable to check if a parked car’s permit was valid for a specific CPZ. It was noted that the number of CPZs might have created complexity and inefficiency and officers recognised the difficulties residents faced when trying to verify permits online, especially since the system did not specify if a permit was valid for a specific CPZ. The Director of Environment and Highways acknowledged these concerns, explaining that the variety of permits was intended to address unique local situations, but this flexibility had resulted in a more complex system. He suggested that while simplification was possible, it would need to be balanced against the need for local flexibility.

·       Members were concerned by the difficulties carers faced in obtaining permits, the issue of workers’ vans using two-hour parking spots by moving within the same zone, and the notice period required for not extending the parking permit system contract. It was highlighted that carers often struggled with the process, especially when different carers visited, and noted that workers on building projects tended to rotate their vans within the same parking zone, which did not deter long-term parking.

The Director of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 36/25

Cllr Dan Levy, Cabinet Member for Finance, Property and Transformation, and Susannah Wintersgill, Director of Public Affairs and Policy Partnerships, have been invited to present a report on The Oxfordshire Strategic Plan.

The Committee is asked to consider the report and raise any questions, and to AGREE any recommendations it wishes to make to Cabinet arising therefrom.

Cllr Dan Levy, Cabinet Member for Finance, Property and Transformation, Kathy Wilcox, Head of Corporate Finance and Deputy Section 151 Officer, Susannah Wintersgill, Director of Public Affairs, Policy and Partnerships, and Carole Stow, Engagement and Consultation Manager, were invited to present a report on The Oxfordshire Strategic Plan.

The Cabinet Member for Finance, Property and Transformation introduced the draft strategic plan as a replacement for the previous, more complex version, explaining that the new plan aimed to simplify objectives, better align council actions with strategic goals, and improve communication with the public. The Director of Public Affairs, Policy and Partnerships added that the plan focused on three core themes: Greener, Fairer, and Healthier, with clear headline projects shaped by public feedback. It would be accompanied by an outcomes framework that included the new national measures being developed as part of the Local Government Outcomes Framework.

Councillors discussed a number of concerns they had with the strategy, such as public transport, climate planning, gully maintenance, and community banking. The Committee also discussed and questioned the following areas of the strategic plan:

• Seeking clarification on what a network of mobility hubs entailed and how the mobility hubs would function. The Cabinet Member and Officers explained that mobility hubs were intended as locations where people could switch between different modes of transport, such as hiring a bike, changing buses, taking a train, or using a scooter. The discussion also highlighted the practical need for facilities like shelter and toilets at these hubs, and it was suggested that the Place Scrutiny Committee could examine the current status, planning assumptions, and financial implications of mobility hubs.

• Whether the data on climate change impacts, such as excess deaths, could be updated and broadened to include other indicators like hospitalisations and the effects of heat on school performance. It was suggested that addressing these issues could lead to long-term savings for public services. Additionally, it was pointed out that the Council’s approach to flooding focused mainly on drain cleaning and flood wardens, but in some areas, the main issue was rapid water run-off into waterways. It was recommended that the Council’s role in managing run-off should be included as part of its flood prevention strategy.

The Director of Public Affairs, Policy and Partnerships also explained that the Council’s focus was now on both improving response to flooding and building resilience, as such extreme weather events were becoming more frequent. The importance of working closely with partners and preparing for these recurring challenges was emphasised.

• The committee considered the report of engagement activity which was designed to support the development of the Strategic Plan. Members questioned whether the council had engaged with a sufficiently wide range of residents as part of its engagement on the plan and whether face-to-face engagement could be used alongside online methods. Concerns were also expressed about the representativeness of the data, particularly regarding rural areas, pockets of deprivation outside Oxford, and the inclusion of hard-to-reach groups, and the readability of the resident  ...  view the full minutes text for item 37/25

The Committee is recommended to AGREE its work programme for forthcoming meetings, having heard any changes from previous iterations, and taking account of the Cabinet Forward Plan and of the Budget Management Monitoring Report.

The Cabinet Forward Plan can be found here: https://mycouncil.oxfordshire.gov.uk/mgListPlanItems.aspx?PlanId=433&RP=115

The most recent BMMR, submitted to Cabinet in March 2025, can be found here: https://mycouncil.oxfordshire.gov.uk/mgAi.aspx?ID=33404

The Committee discussed future agenda items for their work programme. They agreed to review the performance of Fix My Street, focusing on usage, feedback, accuracy, timeliness, and the recent "cleansing" of old reports, which had caused concern among residents. They also decided to examine the use of AI in customer services, including resident awareness, effectiveness, and impact on response times. Councillor Mallon suggested that local government reorganisation should be a standing item, given its significant implications for council operations and finances. It was noted that local government reorganisation was already scheduled for discussion at the Place Scrutiny Committee, and officers would coordinate to avoid duplication. The Committee confirmed that public health and parking permits would return as agenda items for the December meeting.

The Committee AGREED to the proposed work programme with the addition of BMMR (Public Health), Parking Permits, Fix My Street, AI, and, potentially, LGR – subject to scoping a report which would not conflict with those going to Place Overview and Scrutiny Committee.