Meeting documents
Cabinet
Tuesday, 18 March 2008
To Members of the Cabinet |
Councillors |
|
|
Keith R Mitchell CBE |
- |
Leader of the Council |
David Robertson |
- |
Deputy Leader of the Council |
C.H. Shouler |
- |
Cabinet Member for Finance |
John Howell OBE |
- |
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 |
Mrs J. Heathcoat |
- |
Cabinet Member for Community Safety |
The Agenda is attached. Decisions taken at the meeting
will become effective at the end of the working day on 28 March 2008
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: 15 April 2008
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
(Addenda)
1. Apologies for Absence
2. Declarations of Interest – see guidance note
3. Minutes
To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 19 February 2008 (CA3) and to receive for information any matters arising therefrom.
4. Petitions and Public
Address
(See Addenda)
5. Financial Monitoring
Cabinet Member: Finance
Forward Plan Ref: 2007/261
Contact: Lorna Baxter, Strategic Financial Planning Manager (01865 816087)
Report by Assistant Chief Executive & Chief Finance Office (CA5).
The report sets out the Council’s forecast financial position for the 2007/08 financial year based on actuals to the end of January 2008.
The in-year underspend for the Directorates is forecast to be -£1.098m, compared to an overspend of £0.545m reported last month; a change of £1.643m. This forecast excludes the City Schools reorganisation overspend of £1.957m (repayment planned over a number of years) and the Schools Transport days variation of -£0.320m. An underspend is also reported on the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) of -£1.244m.
Supplementary estimates totalling £0.106m are requested in the report associated with costs incurred as a result of the July 2007 and January 2008 floods. When added to the supplementary estimates agreed previously, the cost to this Council of the floods stands at £1.173m.
Taking into account the supplementary estimate of £0.106m for flood related expenditure the forecast in-year underspend becomes -£1.204m, which is -0.4% of the total Directorates’ budget.
After accounting for all known changes, general balances are forecast to be £21.581m at the end of January. This gives an overall consolidated balances forecast for the year-end of £23.105m.
The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:
(a) note the report;
(b) approve the virements as set out in Annex 2a; and
(c) approve the supplementary estimates totalling £0.106m as set out in Annex 2c.
6. Transport Asset Management
Plan and Capital & Revenue Works Programme
(See also Addenda)
Cabinet Member: Transport
Forward Plan Ref: 2007/273
Contact: Kevin Haines, Group Management Policy and Asset Management (01865 815687)
Report
by Head of Transport (CA6)
(CA6 - download as .doc file)
(CA6 - Annex 1 - download as .pdf file)
(CA6 - Annex 2 - download as .xls file)
(CA6 - Annex 3 - download as .doc file)
(CA6 - Annex 4a - download as .xls file)
(CA6 - Annex 4b - download as .pdf file)
(CA6 - Annex 4c - download as .pdf file)
(CA6 - Annex 5a - download as .pdf file)
(CA6 - Annex 5b - download as .doc file)
(CA6 - Annex 6 - download as .xls file)
(CA6 - Annex 7 - download as .doc file)
(CA6 - Annex 8 - download as .xls file)
(CA6 - Annex 9 - download as .doc file).
(CA6 - Annex 10 - download as .doc file)
The report provides an introduction to the Transport Asset Management Plan (TAMP) and summarises the budget, programme and service implications for Highway Maintenance and Transport Improvements as set out in the TAMP for Oxfordshire County Council, summarised at Annex 1 – ‘Maintaining a Vital Asset’.
The TAMP describes the process of asset management and how it is being applied to the management and maintenance of the County’s highway infrastructure to assist forward planning and to make best use of available resources.
Recent changes by Government to the calculation of maintenance capital funding has produced lower allocations than previously indicated. This means that there will be £7 million less capital funding available over the next three years to distribute between carriageways, footways, bridge repairs and drainage improvements. The report contains recommended maintenance programmes for 2008/09 and provisional maintenance programmes for future years, aligned to the indicative levels of funding.
In the Local Transport Plan 2006-2011, a five year programme of Transport Improvements was outlined to fully utilise the settlements allocated to us by Government. Oxfordshire’s status as a floor authority now means that the level of supported borrowing will not be reflected by a corresponding increase in Formula Grant. This means that almost £6.5 million of the indicative settlement to 2011 will no longer be able to be taken up. The Cabinet report sets out a revised Transport Improvements programme for the remaining 3 years of the LTP and identifies the issues of funding.
A Detailed Project Appraisal for the St. Aldates Carriageway Strengthening Scheme is attached as Annex 10 for consideration by the Cabinet.
The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:
(a) approve the overall content of the Oxfordshire County Council Transport Asset Management Plan (TAMP), its strategies and programme and specifically:
(i) approve the details of the 2008/09 Transport Improvements programme and scheme allocations and 2009-11 provisional programme as set out in Annex 3, subject to further clarification during 2008/09;
(ii) approve the use of relevant developer funded contributions to fund works in the 2008/09 Transport Improvements Programme;
(iii) approve the details of the 2008/09 Highway Maintenance programmes and allocations, and 4 year provisional programmes as set out in Annex 4 and Annex 5;
(iv) approve Oxford City Council’s Section 42 estimate for 2008/09 as modified and shown in Column B of Annex 8;
(b) approve the Detailed Project Appraisal attached at Annex 10 (A420 St. Aldates Carriageway Strengthening).
7. New Local Area Agreement
for Oxfordshire (LAA2) 2008-2011
Cabinet Member: Leader and Deputy Leader
Forward Plan Ref: 2008/007
Contact: Paul James, Head of Partnership Working. (01865 816031)
Report by Assistant Chief Executive (Strategy) (CA7).
Oxfordshire County Council is the lead authority responsible for developing the Local Area Agreement with the Government on behalf of the authorities and organisations involved in the Oxfordshire Partnership.
An extensive consultative exercise, starting in April 2007, resulted in the The Oxfordshire Partnership agreeing long-term priorities for the Sustainable Community Strategy – Oxfordshire 2030 (a long term vision for Oxfordshire). Using these priorties as a foundation, the Partnership has prioritised 35 indicators from the new National Indicator Set that could be used to measure improvement against these priorities.
From an initial list of over seventy indicators, the Public Service Board went through a process of review and priortisations and recommended a list of thirty-five indicators at their meeting on 4 March 2008. This list of thirty-five indicators, attached at Annex 1, was recommended to the Oxfordshire Partnership for agreement at their meeting on 7 March 2008. Any amendments proposed by the Oxfordshire Partnership will be detailed in the schedule of addenda.
The Cabinet is asked to consider the list of indicators and initial targets, for submission to the Government Office for the South East (GOSE) as the next phase of the Local Area Agreement process.
The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:
(a) agree the list of 35 indicators recommended by the Oxfordshire Partnership, for submission to GOSE by 31 March 2008; and
(b) consider a further report on progress at the 15 July 2008 meeting of the Cabinet.
8. Sustainable School Travel
Strategy 2008-2011
(See also Addenda)
Cabinet Member: Transport, Children & Young People, Schools Improvement
Forward Plan Ref: 2007/251
Contact: John Disley, Group Manager (Road Safety & Travel Plans) (01865 810460)
Report by Head of Transport (CA8).
The purpose of this report is to explain and summarise the draft Sustainable School Travel Strategy for Oxfordshire (Draft SSTS) and set out how this Council would meet the requirements of this aspect of the Education & Inspections Act 2006.
The report includes a vision for the Strategy and a series of outcomes and targets focused on meeting safety, sustainabilty and financial objectives. The report sets out the four main areas of the strategy and brings together a coordinated and consistent approach to how the Council encourages, supports and delivers safe and sustainable travel to school by all modes of travel. In particular, it looks at how the Council's approach to and funding of bus-based travel for school pupils is considered and managed to meet both financial and sustainability objectives.
The report seeks approval for the draft strategy, to allow it to be published for Stakeholder consultation, and for a final version of the strategy to be agreed and published by summer 2008.
The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to approve the attached draft Sustainable School Travel Strategy for consultation.
9. Expansion of Hanwell Fields Community School, Banbury
Cabinet Member: Schools Improvement
Forward Plan Ref: 2007/278
Contact: John Phipps, Service Manager, Property & Assets (01865 816455)
Report by Director for Children, Young People & Families (CA9).
This report outlines the informal and formal consultation procedure together with the responses and implications in order that a Statutory Notice in the form of a "Prescribed Alteration" in respect of the Expansion by more than 30 pupils and 25% of Hanwell Fields Community school, Banbury may be considered for determination by the Cabinet as ‘decision maker’, or rejected or approved with modification.
Note: As set out under Rule 17(a) of the Scrutiny Procedure Rules, this decision is exempt from Call-In as it is deemed urgent and any delay would seriously prejudice the Council’s interests, in that the Cabinet’s role would be negated by referral to the Schools’ Adjudicator if the decision was not taken within two months of the publication of the Statutory Notice, in this case being 18 January 2008.
The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to either:
(a) reject the proposals; or
(b) approve the proposals; or
(c) approve the proposals with a modification (e.g. the proposal implementation date); or
(d) approve the proposals subject to them meeting a specific condition.
10. Performance Management –
Third Quarter Report of Progress Against Priorities and Targets
Cabinet Member: Leader, Change Management
Forward Plan Ref: 2007/282
Contact: Paul Edwards, Corporate Performance Manager (01865 815307)
Report by County Council Management Team (CA10).
This quarterly report shows our performance against the key targets contained in the Council's Balanced Scorecard at the end of the third quarter of 2007 - 2008.
The report is presented in the new format that was introduced in the first quarter of this year to provide a clear and easily understood summary of areas for concern.
The report identifies performance against each priority target using a traffic light system to show progress within four blocks: Customers, Finance, Process and People.
The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to note the report.
11. Changes to Pension
Regulations – Revised New Look
Local Government Pensions Scheme Regulations 2008
Cabinet Member: Change Management
Forward Plan Ref: 2008/005
Contact: Sue Corrigan, County HR Manager, (01865 810280)
Report by Head of Human Resources & Organisational Development (CA11).
The New Look Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) Regulations 2008 have now been published, to become effective as of April 2008. This report sets out recommendations for the Council’s arrangements to implement and communicate these so far as is known at present. An amendment to the current Retirement Policy Statement is also proposed.
A further report to Cabinet will be necessary when the outstanding information relating to ill health and flexible retirement is available.
The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:
(a) adopt the Pension Policy at Annex 2;
(b) adopt the revised Retirement Policy Statement at Annex 3; and
(c) consider a further report when the remaining Regulations are published.
12. Establishment Review
Cabinet Member: Change Management
Forward Plan Ref: 2007/263
Contact: Steve Munn, Head of Human Resources & Organisational Development (01865 815191)
Report by Head of Human Resources & Organisational Development (CA12).
This report gives an update on activity since the implementation of the 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 31 December 2007 in terms of Full Time Equivalents is provided, together with the detailed staffing position at 31 December 2007. These are shown in the report by directorate and service area.
The report also provides information on current activity and in addition there is information on grant funded posts and those vacancies which are being covered by agency staff and at what cost.
The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:
(a) note the report; and
(b) confirm that the Establishment Review continues to meet requirements in reporting and managing staffing numbers.
13. 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 CA13. 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.