Meeting documents
Cabinet
Tuesday, 16 October 2007
To Members of the Cabinet |
Councillors |
|
|
Keith R Mitchell CBE |
- |
Leader of the Council |
David Robertson |
- |
Deputy Leader of the Council & Cabinet Member for Strategic Transport Policy |
C.H. Shouler |
- |
Cabinet Member for Finance |
John Howell |
- |
Cabinet Member for Change Management |
Louise Chapman |
- |
Cabinet Member for Children, Young People & Families |
Michael Waine |
- |
Cabinet Member for Schools Improvement |
Roger Belson |
- |
Cabinet Member for Sustainable Development |
Jim Couchman |
- |
Cabinet Member for Social & Community Services |
Ian Hudspeth |
- |
Cabinet Member for Transport Implementation |
Mrs J. Heathcoat |
- |
Cabinet Member for Community Safety |
Decisions taken at the meeting
will become effective at the end of the working day on 24 October 2007
unless called in by that date for review by the appropriate Scrutiny Committee.
Copies of this Notice, Agenda and supporting papers are circulated
to all Members of the County Council.
Date of next meeting: 20 November 2007
If you have any special requirements (such as a large print version of these papers or special access facilities) please contact the officer named on the front page, but please give as much notice as possible before the meeting. |
AGENDA
1. Apologies for Absence
2. Declarations of Interest – see guidance note
3. Minutes
To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 18 September 2007 (CA3) and to receive for information any matters arising therefrom.
4. Petitions and Public
Address
(See Addenda)
5. Financial Monitoring
(See also Addenda)
Cabinet Member: Finance
Forward Plan Ref: 2007/111
Contact: Stephanie Skivington, Strategic Finance Manager/Mike Petty, Strategic Financial Planning Manager (01865 815426/815622)
Report by Head of Finance & Procurement (CA5) (download as .doc file) .
(CA5 - Annexes 1 - 5 - download as .xls file)
(CA5 - Annex 6 - download as .xls file)
(CA5 - Draft Capital Programme Tables - download as .pdf file)
The financial monitoring report covers the period ended 31 August 2007 for both revenue and capital. Changes to the forecast revenue outturn are reported against the position at the end of July 2007. The consolidated revenue forecast for the year-end shows a balance of £18.733m. This is made up of £21.524m general balances less a forecast Directorate overspend of £2.297m and the Schools Transport days variation of £0.494m.
Within Children, Young People & Families Directorate the main area of pressure continues to be the Early Years and Family Support Service with a forecast overspend of £1.377m. There has been an increase to the forecast overspend within Agency Placements reported last month, and the figure is now £0.250m. There has been no change to the forecast Asylum Seekers overspend (£0.652m) although significant uncertainty remains over grant income as a result of disputed income arising from data matching issues with the Home Office. The final position is expected to be reported shortly.
Within Social & Community Services Directorate, the forecast revenue overspend now stands at £0.374m, in increase of £0.043m since last month. Movements are reported on Adult Social Care and Business Support and Performance Management.
The Environment & Economy and Resources Directorate is forecasting an overspend of £0.064m, a decrease of £0.025m since July. This change is made up of more substantial movements within Transport.
The Community Safety Directorate is forecasting an overspend of £0.298m, an increase of £0.523m from July. The movement is due to £0.356m of expenditure incurred to the end of august relating to the July floods (£0.207m in the Fire and Rescue Service and £0.149m in Emergency Planning).
The Corporate Core is forecasting an overspend of £0.184m, a £0.016m reduction since July.
The Capital Programme monitoring is attached in Annexes 6a-6f to the report.
The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:
(a) note the report;
(b) approve the virements as set out in Annex 2a (paragraph 30); and
(c) approve the changes to the capital programme as set out in paragraphs 38 to 55.
6. Report on the Performance
of the Property Portfolio
Cabinet Member: Finance
Forward Plan Ref: 2007/215
Contact: Mark Tailby, Property Services (01865 816012)
Report by Head of Property (CA6) (download as .doc file).
To note the contents of the report and agree to undertaking Fitness for Purpose Surveys every three years rather than annually, with a progress report annually.
The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED, subject to consideration of the comments of the Corporate Governance Scrutiny Committee:
(a) to agree to note the report and request that benchmarking information and targets be provided in the Corporate Asset Management Plan for 2008-09.
(b) to agree that fitness for purpose surveys are undertaken every three years instead of annually with an annual assessment of progress.
7. Review of Delegation to Cabinet Members
Cabinet Member: Leader of the Council
Forward Plan Ref: 2007/214
Contact: Tony Cloke, Assistant Head of Service (Democratic) (01865 815314)
Report by Leader of the Council (CA7) (download as .doc file).
This report examines the first 13 months of operation of the discharge of executive functions by way of a general delegation to Cabinet Members and proposes that the current scheme, whereby individual Cabinet Members are enabled to discharge executive functions in their own right, be continued.
In addition, the report examines the first 6 months of operation of the Transport Decisions Committee and, following changes to the portfolios of the relevant Cabinet Members, recommends that the Committee’s functions should no longer be treated as a special case but should be brought into the existing arrangements and discharged by the Cabinet Member for Transport; the Committee is thus proposed to be wound up.
I RECOMMEND that the Cabinet should:
(a) confirm the existing arrangements for the discharge by individual Cabinet Members of executive functions;
(b) wind up the Transport Decisions Committee with effect from 1 November and authorise the discharge of its functions to be exercised by the Cabinet Member for Transport;
(c) authorise the Assistant Head of Service (Democratic) to take all necessary steps to bring the arrangement at (b) into effect from that date, including:
(i) the setting of provisional dates and venues for decision meetings, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Transport and the Director for Environment & Economy; and
(ii) making the arrangements known to other members and to officers;
(d) review the working of the arrangements when they have been in operation for a further year, subject to any detailed adjustments that may appear desirable in the interim.
8. Provision Of Additional Secondary Pupil Places In Bicester
Cabinet Member: Schools Improvement
Forward Plan Ref: 2007/176
Contact: Judith Morris, Head of the Educational Effectiveness Service (01865 810530
Report by Director for Children, Young People & Families (CA8).
This report summarises the findings from the public consultation in Bicester which concluded in July 2007 and recommends a way forward to meet the future demand for secondary school places in the area.
The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:
(a) adopt Option C as the preferred option by which to respond to and meet the future needs for education in Bicester;
(b) instruct officers to carry out further work on feasibility, management and governance for Option C and report back; and
(c) authorise Officers to complete negotiations with developers to secure a sufficient and appropriate site to meet the needs of the selected option and any possible future expansion and report back on the potential implications in terms of timeline and costs of the preferred option.
9. Post 16 Special Educational Needs Provision
Cabinet Member: Schools Improvement
Forward Plan Ref: 2007/205
Contact: Simon Adams, Assistant Head of Service, SEN, Disabilities, Access (01865 810602)
Report by Director for Children, Young People & Families (CA9).
This report provides an update on developments in improving choice and flexibility post 16 SEN provision as requested by Cabinet in December 2006.
It sets out possible options for future consultations indicating the strengths and weaknesses of each. Financial and other implications are provided as well as a possible timetable for 2007/08.
The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:
(a) consult widely on the range of possible options set out in paragraph 13; and,
(b) request a further report on the outcome of the consultation in January 2008.
10. Neighbourhood Action Groups
(NAGs)
(See also Addenda)
Cabinet Member: Community Safety
Forward Plan Ref: 2007/144
Contact: Kath Coldwell, Senior Committee Officer (01865 815902)
Report by Community Safety Scrutiny Committee (CA10) (download as .doc file).
On 2 July the Community Safety Scrutiny Committee conducted a select committee investigation into the County’s Neighbourhood Action Groups (NAGs) which are currently being rolled out across Oxfordshire.
The investigation sought to ascertain how the county’s NAGs work, to consider any potential gaps/weaknesses in their current governance arrangements and to identify how Oxfordshire County Council and county councillors should best engage with NAGs.
The findings outlined in the attached report therefore cover county councillor involvement, governance arrangements, communication, managing demand, disseminating information and sharing best practice, performance monitoring and resources.
The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:
(a) consider the recommendations of the Community Safety Scrutiny Committee regarding how Oxfordshire County Council and County Councillors can best engage with the County’s Neighbourhood Action Groups;
(b) urge the Police Authority to request that there is a full cohort of police resources for NAGs in place to help to ensure that NAGs in Oxfordshire are robustly supported and that there is no downgrading of funding priorities for Neighbourhood Action Groups in future.
11. Partial Review of the South
East Plan – Provision of Caravan Sites for Gypsies and Travellers
(See also Addenda)
Cabinet Member: Sustainable Development
Forward Plan Ref: 2007/194
Contact: Geri Beekmeyer, Principal Planning Officer, (01865 815874)
Report by Head of Sustainable Development (CA11).
The South East England Regional Assembly (SEERA) is undertaking a partial review of the South East Plan covering the provision of caravan pitches for gypsies and travellers. This Council is required, jointly with the district councils, to advise the SEERA on the number of caravan pitches to be provided in each district to 2016. A needs assessment has been completed and draft advice agreed by a Steering Group of members from the County Council and each district council in Oxfordshire. This report seeks endorsement of the advice for submission to SEERA.
The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to endorse the advice in Appendix A for submission to the South East England Regional Assembly.
12. Forward
Plan and Future Business
(See also Addenda)
Cabinet Member: All
Contact Officer: Tony Cloke, Assistant Head of Service (Democratic) (01865 815314)
The Cabinet Procedure Rules provide that the business of each meeting at the Cabinet is to include “updating of the Forward Plan and proposals for business to be conducted at the following meeting”. Items from the Forward Plan for the immediately forthcoming meetings of the Cabinet appear in the Schedule at CA12. This includes any updated information relating to the business for those meetings that has already been identified for inclusion in the next Forward Plan update.
The Schedule is for noting, but Cabinet Members may also wish to take this opportunity to identify any further changes they would wish to be incorporated in the next Forward Plan update.
The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to note the items currently identified for forthcoming meetings.