Agenda, decisions and minutes

Apologies were received from Cllrs Bearder, Fawcett and Levy.

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 25 February 2025 and to receive information arising from them.

The minutes of the meeting held on 25 February 2025 were approved and signed by the Chair as a correct record.

See guidance note below.

There were none.

Any county councillor may, by giving notice to the Proper Officer by 9 am two working days before the meeting, ask a question on any matter in respect of the Shareholder Committee’s delegated powers.

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.

Questions submitted prior to the agenda being despatched are shown below and will be the subject of a response from the appropriate Committee Member or such other councillor or officer as is determined by the Committee Member, and shall not be the subject of further debate at this meeting.

There were none received.

Members of the public who wish to speak at this meeting can attend the meeting in person or ‘virtually’ through an online connection.

To facilitate ‘hybrid’ meetings we are asking that requests to speak or present a petition are submitted by no later than 9am four working days before the meeting. 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 your views are taken into account. A written copy of your statement can be provided no later than 9am 2 working days before the meeting. Written submissions should be no longer than 1 A4 sheet.

There were none received.

Cabinet Member: Leader

Forward Plan Ref: 2025/048

Contact: Sadie Patamia, Corporate Governance Manager

(Sadie.Patamia@oxfordshire.gov.uk)

Report by Director of Economy and Place (SC6)

The information in this case is exempt in that it falls within the following prescribed categories:

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.

The annexes containing exempt information under the above paragraph is attached.

Annexes to follow.

The Shareholder Committee is RECOMMENDED to:

Support the recommendations of the Enterprise Oxfordshire company board held on 25 March 2025 to:

a)    Approve the Business Plan and Budget for 2025/26 (see Annex 1 and 2 respectively).

RESOLVED: that the public be excluded for the duration of items 6 & 7 since it is likely that if they were present during that item there would be disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part I of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended) and specified below in relation to those items 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.

The Shareholder Committee had before it a report which provided an update on Enterprise Oxfordshire’s first Business Plan (2025/26) and Budget (2025/26 & 2026/27).

The Chief Executive (OxLEP) presented the report and members of the Committee asked several questions about the proposals.

The Shareholder Committee approved the recommendations in the report.

RESOLVED to:

Support the recommendations of the Enterprise Oxfordshire company board held on 25 March 2025 to:

a)    Approve the Business Plan and Budget for 2025/26 (see Annex 1 and 2 respectively).

Cabinet Member: Leader

Forward Plan Ref: 2025/049

Contact: Sadie Patamia, Corporate Governance Manager

Sadie.patamia@oxfordshire.gov.uk

Report by Director of Economy and Place (SC7)

This item will decided upon in item 6 (Approval of Company Reserved Item), relating to the Approval of the 2025/26 & 2026/27 Budget, alongside the 2025/26 Business Plan.

This item was decided upon in item 6 (Approval of Company Reserved Item), relating to the Approval of the 2025/26 & 2026/27 Budget, alongside the 2025/26 Business Plan.

Cabinet Member: Leader

Forward Plan Ref: 2025/045

Contact: Sadie Patamia, Corporate Governance Manager (Sadie.Patamia@oxfordshirelep.com)

Report by Director of Economy and Place (SC8).

The Shareholder Committee is RECOMMENDED to:

Support the recommendations of the Enterprise Oxfordshire company board held on 25 March 2025 to:

·       Approve the Change to Signatories and Financial Scheme of Delegation (see Annex 1)

The report was introduced by Nigel Tipple, Chief Executive (OxLEP).

The Deputy Chair asked if the name on the bank account would change from OxLEP to Oxfordshire Enterprise once the name change was formally agreed. It was explained that trading arrangements were mechanical processes and that the bank account was OxLEP Ltd trading as Enterprise Oxfordshire.

Other changes outlined in the report included that financial regulations would be reviewed in the coming financial year and that financial delegation change tried to be consistent and reflect the County Council’s existing delegation limits.

The Committee thanked officers for their work.

Councillor Leffman moved and Councillor Howson seconded the recommendations, and they were approved.

RESOLVED to:

Support the recommendations of the Enterprise Oxfordshire company board held on 25 March 2025 to:

a)    Approve the Change to Signatories and Financial Scheme of Delegation (see Annex 1)