- Apologies for Absence
- Declarations of Interest
–
see guidance note
- Minutes
To
confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 21 November 2006 (CA3)
and to receive for information any matters arising
therefrom.
- Petitions and Public
Address
(See Addenda)
- Financial Monitoring
Cabinet Member:
Finance
Forward
Plan Ref: 2006/117
Contact:
Stephanie Skivington, Strategic Finance Manager/Mike Petty, Strategic
Financial Planning Manager (01865 815426/815622)
Report by Head
of Finance & Procurement (CA5).
The
financial monitoring report covers the period ended 31 October 2006
for both revenue and capital. Changes to the forecast revenue
outturn are reported against the position at the end of September 2006.
The
consolidated revenue forecast for the year-end shows a balance of £14.028m.
This is made up of £15.324m general balances and a forecast directorate
overspend of £1.296m (excluding the City Schools and after allowing
for the proposed additional contribution to the Older People's Pooled
Budget and the supplementary estimate of £0.800m to Children, Young
People & Families).
Within
Children, Young People and Families the main area of pressure is within
the Early Years and Family Support Service. The supplementary estimate
of £0.800m agreed in November for the agency placement budget in this
service will be reflected in next month's report, the effect of this
will be to reduce the overspend to £1.026m. Within Social & Community
Services income shortfalls continue to create pressures relating to
the underachievement of income targets across the Directorate, together
with a pressure from the write-down of Audio Visual Stock. The Capital
Programme monitoring is attached in Annex 6-6f to the report.
The
Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:
- note
the report;
- RECOMMEND
Council approve the £0.250m permanent virement from Out of County
to Disabled Children’s – agency placements budgets paragraphs
19 and 20.
- approve
the £0.308m permanent virement between staffing budgets in Educational
Effectiveness service within Children Young People & Families
paragraph 31;
- approve
the temporary virement between Social & Community Services
and Children, Young People & Families in respect of service
level agreements as detailed in paragraph 56;
- approve
the write off of debts totalling £0.037m within Social &
Community Services set out in paragraph 77;
- approve
the changes to the Capital Programme set out in paragraph 92
to 98; and
- approve
the allocation of the capital receipt from the sale of Bridge
Bar, Banbury towards the Youth Centre projects set out in paragraph
99.
- Service and Resource
Planning 2007/08 – 2011/12
(See also Addenda)
Cabinet Member:
Finance
Forward
Plan Ref: 2006/139
Contact:
Lorna Baxter, Principal Financial Manager/Mike Petty, Strategic
Financial Planning Manager (01865 816087/815622), Paul Edwards, Corporate
Performance Manager (01865 815307)
Report
by Chief Executive, Director for Resources and Head of Finance &
Procurement (CA6).
This
report is the third in a series informing members on the service and
resource planning process and budget issues for 2007/08 and the medium
term and provides information that will lead to the Council agreeing
a budget requirement and council tax for 2007/08 in February 2007.
The
report includes the review of charges, setting out the proposed charges
where there is local discretion and the expected income to be generated.
The report also provides an update on the service and resource planning
process including a schedule setting out for each Directorate, identified
budget priorities and pressues (which are not currently proposed to
be funded) in the respective service areas and how these could be funded
along with proposed efficiency savings. A schedule setting out pressures
proposed to be funded is also included.
The
report sets out issues relating to government grant funding over the
medium term as well as issues beyond 2007/087 relating to revenue and
capital and includes a review of balances, reserves and strategic measures
over the medium term. Based on the information contained in the report,
the sum available to allocate to unavoidable pressures and political
priorities for 2007/08 and the medium term has been revised.
The
Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:
- note
the report;
- note
those charges prescribed by legislation, and to approve those
charges where there is local discretion as set out in Annex
1, subject to consideration of any comments from Corporate Governance
Scrutiny Committee;
- ask
the Cabinet to endorse the proposed funded pressures set out
in Annex 2 as part of the budget recommendations to Council;
- approve
the use of supported borrowing allocations from 2008/09 onwards
up to the levels included in the MTFP;
- make
use of prudential borrowing for the Review of Property Assets
project if the Business Case presented to Cabinet in January
2007 is approved; and
- ask,
subject to (d) above, the Capital Steering Group to bring forward
recommendations for schemes to be included in the Capital Programme
for 2007/08 to 2009/10.
- Performance Management
Cabinet Member:
Change Management
Forward
Plan Ref: 2006/039
Contact:
Paul Edwards, Corporate Performance Manager (01865 815307)
Report by County
Council Management Team (CA7).
This
quarterly report is for our performance at the end of the second quarter
of 2006/7. The report presents performance against priorities in a balanced
scorecard format, using a traffic light system to show progress within
four blocks: customers, finance, process and people.
Performance
at the end of the first quarter is encouraging, showing green traffic
lights for 85% of indicators where information is available.
The
Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to note the report.
- Establishment Monitoring
Cabinet Member:
Change Management
Forward
Plan Ref: 2006/022
Contact:
Steve Munn, Head of Human Resources (01865 815191)
Report by Head
of Human Resources (CA8).
This
report gives an update on activity since the implementation of the new
Establishment Review and associated Recruitment Approval process on
1 August 2005. It provides detail on the overall objectives of the review
and summarises progress made against the targets which were agreed to
ensure delivery of those objectives. Details of the agreed establishment
figure at 30 June 2006 in terms of Full Time Equivalents is provided,
together with the detailed staffing position at 30 September 2006. These
are shown in the report by Directorate and service area.
The
report also provides information on current activity with specific reference
to the improvements to the process following feedback from managers
and the progress particularly within the Children, Young People and
Families D Directorate. In addition there is information on grant
funded posts and those vacancies which are being covered by agency staff
and at what cost and trend data on teaching and non-teaching numbers
in schools.
The
Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:
- note
the report; and
- confirm
that the Establishment Review continues to meet the Cabinet’s
requirements in reporting and managing staffing numbers.
- Local Government White
Paper – Structural Issues
(See also Addenda)
Cabinet Member:
Leader of the Council
Forward
Plan Ref: 2006/180
Contact:
Stephen Capaldi, Assistant Chief Executive (01865 815466)
Report by Chief
Executive (CA9).
The
Government published its White Paper ‘Strong & Prosperous Communities’
on 26 October 2006 and a new local government bill will be published
shortly to enact the White Paper proposals. Alongside the White Paper
there is an "Invitation to Councils to make proposals for future unitary
structures and to pioneer, as pathfinders, new two tier models". Bids
for unitary status or pathfinders have to be submitted by 25 Jan 2007.
The
White Paper covers a wide range of issues covering governance, partnership,
performance, and community engagement. A summary of the main elements
of the White Paper is contained in Annex 1. The White Paper excludes
coverage of proposals for the future funding of local government because
these issues are being examined by the Lyons Inquiry. However it now
clear that Sir Michael Lyons will not report, as planned, in December.
A
statement from the Leader of the Council (download
as .doc file) will be circulated at the Cabinet meeting.
The Cabinet
is RECOMMENDED to:
- determine
its recommendation to the County Council on unitary bidding
and/or improved two/three tier working; and
- Invite
the Chief Executive to report further to the Cabinet at its
meeting on 16 January 2007.
-
Local Government White
Paper: Governance Proposals for the Oxfordshire Partnership and Local
Area Agreement.
Cabinet Member:
Leader of the Council
Forward
Plan Ref: 2006/129
Contact:
Claire Evans, Strategic Partnership Manager (01865 816077)
Report by Head
of Partnership Working (CA10).
Local
authorities are required to maintain a Local Strategic Partnership of
organisations in the public, community and private sectors to improve
the quality of life of local people through actions on issues which
cannot be resolved by councils working alone. The Local Government White
Paper 2006: Strong and Prosperous Communities, has increased the duties
of councils and elected members to lead Local Strategic Partnerships
and Local Area Agreements.
This
report sets out proposals for the governance of the Oxfordshire Partnership
(the county Local Strategic Partnership, formerly known as the Oxfordshire
Community Partnership) and the Public Service Board (the board within
the partnership framework that manages the Local Area Agreement). The
proposals are set out in Annex 1. All the members of the partnership
- including the police, health and district councils - have been consulted
on the proposals (June to September 2006) which have also been checked
against the requirements in the Local Government White Paper (October
2006) .
The
proposals were adopted by the final meeting of the Oxfordshire Community
Partnership Strategy Group on 7 December 2006 and the new Oxfordshire
Partnership will come into being from January 2007. Members are recommended
to adopt the proposals for the governance of the Oxfordshire Partnership
and Local Area Agreement.
The
Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to adopt the proposals for the governance of
the Oxfordshire Partnership and Local Area Agreement as outlined in
Annex 1 to the report.
- Chipping Norton: Care
Home and Primary Care Facilities
(See also Addenda)
Cabinet Member:
Adult Learning & Cultural Services
Forward
Plan Ref: 2006/154
Contact:
Nick Welch, Head of Service, Planning & Partnership, (01865
815714)
Report by Director
for Social & Community Services, Head of Finance, Head of Legal
Services, Head of Property Services (CA11).
This
report summarises the current position for the proposed development
of a care home and primary care centre for Chipping Norton. There are
two main issues summarised in the report that are preventing the Oxfordshire
Primary Care Trust from agreeing to its purchase of 14 beds in the proposed
new care home. These are the difference in the book and market values
of the present Chipping Norton War Memorial Hospital site and the VAT
status of the 14 intermediate treatment beds that are proposed for the
care home.
These
issues are being worked on by the PCT, and without satisfactory resolution
the PCT is unlikely to be able to agree to the care home and primary
care centre. At the same time the County Council is incurring considerable
extra costs in keeping open the castle View home for older people. The
report proposes a deadline of 31 March 2007 for finalising the agreements.
The
Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to agree that:
- the
County Council confirms its intention to purchase 20 registered
care beds in the proposed care home development in Chipping
Norton subject to the PCT agreeing to purchasing 14 beds in
the development;
- a
further report is brought to a Cabinet meeting in March 2007
on progress in reaching the necessary agreement;
- subject
to any advice or information given in the report to the meeting
of the cabinet in March 2007 the County Council will withdraw
from the scheme if the agreements to purchase the care home
beds by the County Council and the PCT cannot be finalised by
31 March 2007; and,
- if
the application is not approved, to authorise a joint approach
with the PCT to Central Government for an indication as to whether
in this case a relaxation of the accounting rules would be permitted
to enable the scheme to proceed.
- Project Appraisal:
Home for Older People and Extra Care Housing, Bicester
Cabinet Member:
Adult Learning & Cultural Services
Forward
Plan Ref: 2006/187
Contact:
Rod Aitken, Principal Project Officer (01865 815419)
Report by Director
for Resources (CA12).
As
part of the County Council’s Homes for Older People Strategy 19 residential
care homes transferred to the Oxfordshire Care Partnership (OCP) in
December 2001. Not all of the homes that transferred met the National
Minimum Standards for Care Homes and the contract between the County
Council and OCP required the production of a jointly agreed redevelopment
strategy. This was considered and approved by the Executive in December
2002 and included the replacement of the existing Home for Older People
in Bicester (St Edburgs) with a new 60 place Care Home and 20 units
of Extra Care Housing to be built by the Oxfordshire Care Partnership
on a site to be leased from the County Council.
The
Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to
- approve
the project appraisal for a project cost in the range of £1,424,000
- £1,724,000 and to report back to Cabinet if the cost is higher
than this; and,
- to
allocate up to £364,000 in the capital programme to cover the
shortfall between the costs of acquisition and remediation and
the capital receipt.
- Stopping up: Roman
Way and Garsington Road, Oxford
(See also Addenda)
Cabinet Member:
Transport
Forward
Plan Ref: 2006/122
Contact:
John Boyd, Land & Highway Records Manager (01865 815082)
Report by Head
of Transport (CA13) (download as
.pdf file)
BMW has requested
that the County Council apply to the Magistrates Court for an order
under section 116 of the Highways Act 1980 for the stopping up of Roman
Way, Bridleway 75 and a thin section of footway in Garsington Road,
Oxford. As a replacement BMW agreed to provide at their expense a new
footway and cycle track partly on existing highway and partly on their
land.
The
initial informal consultation exercise, undertaken by BMW at officers'
request, has revealed some local objections to the proposal particularly
from the amenity societies. However there was support from one organisation.
Public reaction of this nature was anticipated and as a consequence
it was decided at an early stage the committee resolution would take
the form of a two stage process.
On
20 July 2006 the Transport Implementation Committee approved consultation
with the City Council, who under the law has the right to veto BMW's
request but on 10 October consented to the County Council taking the
application to the Magistrates. This completed the first stage of this
democratic process. The second stage, in the light of the City's approval
is for Cabinet to decide whether to approve an application to the Magistrates.
The
Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to authorise the County Solicitor to make an
application to the Magistrates Court for the stopping-up of the highways
shown on drawing number 786/G170 on the grounds that they are unnecessary
subject to:
- BMW
contractually undertaking to meet all the costs associated with
this process (including any costs awarded against the County
Council by the Magistrates Court if the Application does not
succeed), prior to the making of an application to the Magistrates
Court;
- BMW
entering into an agreement at their expense under sections 38
and 278 of the Highways act 1980 for the construction of the
alternative highway to be constructed and supervised all at
BMW’s expense and completed to the full satisfaction of the
Director for Environment and Economy, prior to the making of
an application to the Magistrates Court;
- BMW
entering into an agreement at their expense that permits permissive
use by pedestrians and cyclists along Roman Way and bridleway
75, shown as A and B on drawing number 786/G170, until the alternative
highway in ‘b’ above is completed, prior to the making of an
application to the Magistrates Court;
- BMW
entering into a Bond (to the satisfaction of the County Solicitor)
as security for the works to be carried out under the section
38/278 agreement prior to the making of an application to the
Magistrates Court; and
- Post 16 SEN Provision
(See also Addenda)
Cabinet Member:
Schools Improvement
Forward
Plan Ref: 2006/179
Contact:
Simon Adams, Assistant Head of Service (01865 810602)
Report by Director
for Children (CA14).
This
report follows Cabinet consideration of provision of Post 16 Special
Education Needs in July 2006 when further consultation and investigation
was authotrised. The report describes the work done by officers of the
Council with the LSC, Headteachers, Colleges and parents to explore
possibilities of improved post16 provision for Special educational Needs
(SEN). The shared principles and commitments which emerged are set out
within the report.
The
responses to the consultation with parents are analysed and attention
is drawn to the wish of parents to have some children educated in schools
post 16. A possible model of provision which could be adopted for September
2007 is described and the funding issues addressed.
The
Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:
- endorse
the development of a more flexible approach to SEN provision
post 16 from 2007 as described in paragraphs 9-15 of the report;
- consider
the financial implications, as set out in the report, as part
of the budget setting process for 2007 and beyond;
- ask
officers from Children, Young People & Families for a Cabinet
report in the autumn of 2007 evaluating the first year’s implementation
of the changes and making recommendations for 2008 onward; and
- ask
officers from Social and Community Services to consider implications
for post 19 provision and to report these to Cabinet.
- South East Fire and
Rescue Service’s Regional Control Centre & Board Member
(See also Addenda)
Cabinet Member:
Community Safety
Forward
Plan Ref: 2006/175, 2006/176
Contact:
Colin Thomas, Community Safety Business Manager (01865 855211)
Report by Director
for Community Safety & Chief Fire Officer (CA15).
The
South East Regional Management Board (SE RMB), at its meeting held on
18 October 2006, received a report on the implementation of the Government’s
Regional Fire Control Centre governance proposals. The SE RMB is required
to establish regional control centres within the National Framework
2006-8, and by 1 January 2007, is required to have in place a local
authority controlled company (LACC) to undertake this work.
Our
legal representatives have been involved in producing draft documentation
through the South East Fire Lawyers Network. The SE RMB has considered,
and recommended for approval, drafts of the Memorandum and Articles
of Association which our legal lead now believes are in a form that
can be approved. An outline of a Members Agreement is also available
for the proposed company, which would be called the South East Fire
and Rescue Control Centre Ltd.
The
Cabinet is requested to consider the documents, determine their acceptability
and decide on their willingness to participate in the formation of the
company and to nominate Elected Members to undertake the role of Director,
representing the Authority on the company Board.
The
Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:
- subject
to (b – f) below, approve the Memorandum of Association and
Articles of Association in the form attached;
- agree
to become a Corporate Member of a Local Authority controlled
company to run the South East Regional Control Centre and participate
in the formation of the company;
- approve
the weighted voting arrangements for members of the Company
and for Directors of the Company;
- note
the framework of the Members’ Agreement;
- nominate
the Cabinet Member responsible for Community Safety as a Director
and authorise that Director, subject to their approval, to nominate
an Alternate Director upon the basis that the Cabinet do not
wish the Council themselves to become a Corporate Director;
- delegate
authority to the Cabinet Member responsible for Community Safety,
as advised by the Chief Fire Officer, to:
- agree
the details, including the formula incorporated in the Members
Agreement document for the recovery of costs; and
- sign
or authorise the signing or sealing of the above documents
on behalf of the Authority and to take any other steps as
necessary in the formation of the Company.
- Forward Plan and Future
Business
(See also Addenda)
