Minutes:
Mr Sajjad Malik had given written notice of the following question to Councillor Andrew Gant:-
“Can the council explain why the LTN bollards around Temple Cowley have been capped off for weeks?”
The written answer from Councillor Gant was to published in due course.
Mr Richard Parnham had given written notice of the following question to Councillor Andrew Gant:-
“Does the council intend to seek to have pollution monitoring stations re-installed around Marsh Lane / Headley Way, to allow for 2023 baseline data to be captured, ahead of the planned installation of the Marston Ferry Road traffic filter?”
The written answer from Councillor Gant was to be published in due course.
Mr Peter West had given written notice of the following question to Councillor Andrew Gant:-
“In light of the revelations about traffic monitoring at the Enfield LTN legal dispute, can the council confirm whether or not their traffic monitoring sensors can detect traffic travelling across them at 10 miles per hour or less?”
The written answer from Councillor Gant was to be published in due course.
Mr John Skinner had given written notice of the following question to Councillor Andrew Gant:-
“How does Oxfordshire County Council intend to relieve the extra traffic, pollution and bus delays, caused by the East Oxford LTNs, around St Clements during 2023?”
The written answer from Councillor Gant was to be published in due course.
Ms Susanne McIvor had given written notice of the following question to Councillor Calum Miller:-
“This Council has recently proposed the area of land opposite Oxford Parkway Station and known as ‘the Triangle’ as an alternative potential location for Oxford United’s new stadium. Councillor Liz Leffman has stated publicly that the new site (proposed by the Council itself) “improves things because there’s more space between this site and Kidlington and it’s also got additional roads between it and the town”. We cannot understand how this ‘improves things’ at all. The new site – one of the last remaining areas of Green Belt between Oxford and Kidlington – shares many of the same concerns from the local community that apply to Stratfield Brake, as well as being directly adjacent to/part of a 2006 Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act S41 area. It also raises new concerns, particularly for North Oxford residents given the closer proximity of the site to this area. Given such widely shared concerns; the scale of this potential construction project and community impact; and the fact that the Cabinet previously recommended a public engagement exercise before allowing Stratfield Brake to be considered as a site, will the Council undertake that before formal negotiations are approved for the new site, an appropriate public consultation will also be undertaken which is accessible to all local residents; ensures local residents’ views are properly and fairly heard; and designed in such a way to ensure that it does not give unequal weight to OUFC supporters from across the County (and beyond) who will not be impacted by any new stadium on this site in contrast to local residents?”
The written reply from Councillor Miller was to be provided in due course.
Ms Victoria Shepherd had given written notice of the following question to Councillor Duncan Enright:-
“Noting that HIF2 has been withdrawn, and that HIF1 faces similar if not greater risks given its scale, rising interest rates, and construction industry challenges, not to mention opposition from the Environment Agency, and opposition from the 5 most affected Parish Councils, does the Council Leader agree that it would be logical to withdraw current HIF1 plans - contentious, and outdated - to allow time to amend and re-scope the scheme focusing on lower Carbon, more sustainable transport options?”
Councillor Enright replied:-
“The A40 improvements known as HIF2 have not been withdrawn. While the previous HIF2 Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) has now been withdrawn, OCC’s commitment to improving the A40 corridor remains and a revised HIF2 scheme proposal – and refreshed CPO – will be being brought forward in early 2023.
The increased funding for HIF1 was agreed relatively recently - in early 2022 – and while the challenges, especially inflation, are similar across all infrastructure programmes, we are confident that the final scheme will be both affordable and with an increased focus on our priorities such as those mentioned.
The HIF1 programme is planned to enter its Detailed Design phase shortly and this will be a further opportunity to manage costs effectively but also review how it meets OCC’s priorities”
In reply to a supplementary question from Ms Shepherd, Cllr Enright said that he hoped that the mitigations would not be withdrawn from the scheme and thanked the residents of South Oxfordshire for their views expressed.
Mr Gregory O’Broin had given written notice of the following question to Councillor Pete Sudbury:-
“In light of the recent statement by Sinisa Galac of National Highways on carbon emissions for the lower Thames crossing (www.newcivilengineer.com) and this Council’s Climate Emergency Declaration and LTCP policies, does the Council Leader agree that all Capital projects should require and publish an independently verified reconciliation of Capital Carbon emissions for the materials supply chain, transport and construction process calculating the quantity of embodied carbon for each Project using an objective technique such as the “environmentally extended input output” (EE-IOE) methodology as published by Leeds University along with an estimate of Operational carbon emissions so there is solid data for the carbon burden and reductions required to achieve net zero in the transport system by 2050?”
Councillor Sudbury said that the Council did monitor carbon emissions from capital projects with a view to reduction but this was a journey in progress.
In response to a supplementary question from Mr O’Broin, Councillor Sudbury said that the Council’s objective was to achieve net zero Carbon emissions from construction projects but this could only be achieved by offsets.
Ms Judith Harley had given written notice of the following question to Councillor Andrew Gant:-
In order to evaluate whether traffic has "evaporated" inside the East Oxford Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs), do you think it fair and ethical to use roads which have been physically blocked off as part of the East Oxford LTN trial (such as Divinity Road) for evaluation as opposed to adjacent roads where traffic has been diverted?
The written response from Councillor Gant was to be published in due course
Ms Victoria Campbell had given written notice of the following question to Councillor Calum Miller:-
Does the Council believe it is appropriate to be so actively involved in the site selection for a stadium for a privately-owned commercial organisation, particularly when the site suggested by the Council is Green Belt and appears to contradict the Local Plan covering this area?
Councillor Miller replied:-
“Thank you, Ms Campbell, for your question and your sustained interest in Kidlington’s growth and development.
Officers at Oxfordshire County Council (OCC) were approached in 2021 by Oxford United FC (OUFC) with a request to enter negotiations on the lease of land at and adjacent to Stratfield Brake. In March, Cabinet asked officers to enter discussions with OUFC to find out more about their proposals. Cabinet specifically asked that the club consider alternative sites. The club has written to OCC explaining why other sites are not suitable. As part of this dialogue, officers requested that the club narrow the focus of its initial request to consider ‘the Triangle’. This reflected a view that there were considerable challenges relating to the Stratfield Brake site.
OCC officers are not involved in site selection. They are responding to a proposal from OUFC and seeking to establish the facts around that proposal before making a recommendation to the Cabinet on 24 January 2023. A timetable towards the January meeting was published last week. The club has shared with stakeholders information it gave to OCC last month. Planning considerations, including the green belt and local plan, apply to all new development proposals. I would expect the advice from officers to Cabinet to cover these, alongside other considerations relating to OUFC’s proposals.”
In reply to a supplementary question from Ms Campbell, Councillor Miller said that the report to Cabinet would give details of all factors taken into account in consideration of the potential sites.