Agenda and minutes

RESOLVED: (on a motion by Councillor Turner seconded by Councillor Gibbard and carried nem. con.) that Councillor Nimmo-Smith be elected Chairman for the 2010/11 Council Year. 

RESOLVED: (on a motion by Councillor Nimmo-Smith seconded by Councillor Gibbard and carried nem. con.) that Councillor Nicholas P. Turner be elected Deputy Chairman for the 2010/11 Council Year. 

Councillor Turner declared a personal interest in respect of:

Item 7 Oxfordshire County Council Carbon Management - as a dairy farmer;

Item 8 County Council Arrangements for Winter Maintenance of Roads & Footways (Snow Review) - as a farmer and chairman of an NFU group.

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 10 March 2010 (GI5) and to note for information any matters arising on them.

The Minutes of the meeting held on 10 March 2010 (GI5) were approved and signed.

Report by Head of Sustainable Development (GI7).

Contact Officer: Susan Kent, Environment & Climate Change Manager (tel. 01865 815089)

The report provides an overview of what Oxfordshire County Council is doing to hit its carbon reduction targets, and how it is looking to address the new financial and legislative drivers to hit current and future carbon reduction targets. 

10:10 am  Presentation by Susan Kent.

10:20 am  Select Committee question and answer session.

The Scrutiny Committee is invited to:

(a)       note the work conducted by the carbon management programme over the past six months;

(b)       advise on planned work, particularly with regard to:

(1)                                       converting 14,000 street lights to part-night lighting;

(2)                                       developing a Schools Carbon Reduction Strategy;

(c)       appoint a task group to consider further and report back.

The Committee considered a report (GI7) which provided an overview of what Oxfordshire County Council was doing to hit its carbon reduction targets, and how it was looking to address the new financial and legislative drivers to hit current and future carbon reduction targets. 

Ms Kent, Environment & Climate Change Manager gave a presentation on the carbon management targets, progress to date and future work & drivers.  She then responded to questions and comments and invited members to advise  on the planned work (summarised in paragraph (b) below). 

The Committee noted that a report would be brought to scrutiny for comment in the future.

AGREED:  to

(a)       note the work conducted by the carbon management programme over the past six months;

(b)       advise with regard to planned work:

- converting at least 14,000 street lights to part-night lighting within 2 years;

- developing a Schools Carbon Reduction Strategy within 12 months and a draft/interim statement in 6 months and that there should be a strategic cross county method of implementation with consultation but with a method of enforcement;

(c)        appoint a lead member (Councillor N Turner) to liaise with officers on the various areas of the Council’s Carbon Management and report to the Committee on a regular (quarterly) basis; and

(d)       thank Ms Kent for her presentation and work.

11:20 am

Update by Councillor Rodney Rose, Cabinet Member for Transport.  

Contact Officer:  Steve Howell, Head of Transport (tel. 01865 815845)

The Committee is invited to discuss and comment to the Cabinet Member for Transport, and to give further consideration at the next meeting. 

The Committee discussed with Councillor Rose, Cabinet Member for Transport his proposals for a leaflet/publicity on the Council’s duties and arrangements for Winter maintenance of roads and footways. 

Councillor Rose stated that he was giving the Committee early notice of his intention to develop a Snow Leaflet for publication later this year and that he would welcome the views of scrutiny as part of the drafting process.  He circulated a summary (a copy of which is attached to the signed Minutes) of the aims of the proposed Leaflet and outlined the way in which it was being compiled. 

Key points arising during discussion included:

The Committee supported Councillor Rose’s proposals in principle and welcomed the opportunity to comment at this early stage

The leaflet should indicate clearly which agencies were responsible for the various aspects covered, with contact information provided where appropriate

The Committee supported the involvement of relevant others in the leaflet’s preparation

Links with the Council’s web pages were noted; both should be as comprehensive and easy to use as possible

Media coverage was encouraged in order to promote the use of the leaflet and the web pages

The Committee noted that the method of distribution and cost of the leaflet was still to be determined.  

Councillor Rose thanked the scrutiny committee members for their comments at this early stage. 

12 noon

On 10 March 2010 the Scrutiny Committee considered a report of the Local Transport Plan 3 Scrutiny Working Group and the report to Cabinet entitled Local Transport Plan 2011-2030 Draft Policies.  The Committee referred points and queries raised during discussion to the Cabinet Member for Growth & Infrastructure. 

On 16 March 2010 the Cabinet approved policies as the basis for the development of a draft Local Transport Plan and noted the timetable for the completion of the Plan.

Councillor David Nimmo-Smith (for the Working Group) will update the Committee.

The Committee is invited to discuss and comment to the Cabinet Member for Growth & Infrastructure.

Councillor Hudspeth,  Cabinet Member for Growth & Infrastructure and Mr. Howell, Head of Transport updated the Committee on the consultation process on Oxfordshire’s third Local Transport Plan 2011-2030 (LTP3) which would set out the strategy for transport across the County for the next 20 years.  Views were being sought through drop-in events in Oxfordshire and the County Council’s Consultation Portal on what overall scenario the council should follow to develop our future strategies for transport in the County. 

Key points arising during discussion included:

The Committee welcomed the opportunity to comment at this stage

The proposal to encourage as much feedback as possible from individuals, partners, councils and organisations was supported and welcomed

Comments concerning specific matters such as the implications of airport  / rail development, the provision of financial support from others towards the infrastructure and access routes for example to schools and services could be put forward as part of the consultation to inform the final version of the Plan.

AGREED:  to

(a)       appoint Councillor Keith Strangwood to the Working Group; and

(b)       thank Councillor Hudspeth and the Head of Transport for their update on the consultation process. 

12:40 pm

Contact Officer: Ian Walker, Spatial Planning Manager (tel. 01865 815588)

On 10 March 2010 the Scrutiny Committee considered a report to Cabinet entitled Homes & Communities Agency Single Conversation: Local Investment Plan (GI5) and referred points and queries raised during discussion to the Cabinet Member for Growth & Infrastructure.

On 16 March 2010 the Cabinet resolved to delegate to the Head of Sustainable Development in consultation with the Leader of the Council and the  Cabinet Member for Growth & Infrastructure authority to agree to and sign off the final Local Investment Plan. The Cabinet Member for Growth & Infrastructure undertook to update the Growth & Infrastructure Scrutiny Committee as work progressed.

The Committee asked that the final document (the LIP) be brought back for information.  The main document is attached (GI10) and the appendices are available from the contact officer upon request. 

The Committee is invited to note the Cabinet decision and receive an update from the Cabinet Member for Growth & Infrastructure. 

In March this year the Cabinet had considered a report on the work with the Homes and Communities Agency to develop a Local Investment Plan (LIP) and Local Investment Agreement (LIA) for Oxfordshire.

Councillor Hudspeth  updated the Committee on the Oxfordshire Local Investment Plan (GI10), which was a working document.  The LIP had been  signed off by the Oxfordshire local authorities at the end of March and submitted to the Homes & Communities Agency.

The LIA had been prepared to commit the parties (the Homes & Communities Agency) and local authorities) to implementing the LIP. The aim was for the LIA to be signed off by the Spatial Planning and Infrastructure Partnership (SPIP) at the end of June, following consideration by meetings of the Cabinet/Executive of the six Oxfordshire local authorities.

One member expressed concern that page 42 of the Plan (Rural Housing) did not mention Culham Local Liaison Committee’s concern that the South Central Oxfordshire Transport Study (SCOTS) did not include issues around transport to the Culham site.

One member noted that page 22 did not mention that Banbury was an area of deprivation.  

AGREED:      to note the update and thank Councillor Hudspeth.

12:55 pm

The Committee is asked to suggest items from the current Forward Plan on which it may wish to have an opportunity to offer advice to the Cabinet before any decision is taken, together with details of what it thinks could be achieved by looking at any items.

Forward Plan:

no topics from the current Forward Plan were identified for scrutiny.

Future Business:

the Chairman agreed to consider with officers a suggestion that the Committee invite a representative from RAF Brize Norton in relation to the infrastructure around the airfield and to report back to a future meeting.

13:00 pm

Update by Councillor Michael Gibbard. 

Councillor Michael Gibbard, lead member appointed to monitor recommendations from the Finmere Quarry Review updated the Committee as follows:

• there had been 4 planning applications to the County Council and 1 application to the district Council; all had been refused;
• the Planning Inquiry against the refusals was scheduled for September 2010;
• a small amount of waste was going into the site within the rules; there had been no reported odours or complaints from residents.