Meeting documents
Cabinet
Tuesday, 16 September 2008
To Members of the Cabinet |
Councillors |
|
|
Keith R Mitchell CBE |
- |
Leader of the Council |
David Robertson |
- |
Deputy Leader of the Council |
Roger Belson |
- |
Cabinet Member for Sustainable Development |
Louise Chapman |
- |
Cabinet Member for Children, Young People & Families |
Jim Couchman |
- |
Cabinet Member for Social & Community Services |
Mrs J. Heathcoat |
- |
Cabinet Member for Community Safety |
Ian Hudspeth |
- |
Cabinet Member for Transport |
C.H. Shouler |
- |
Cabinet Member for Finance |
Melinda Tilley |
- |
Cabinet Member for Place |
Michael Waine |
- |
Cabinet Member for Schools Improvement |
The Agenda is attached. Decisions taken at the meeting
will become effective at the end of the working day on 24 September 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: 21 October 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 15 July 2008 (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: 2008/080
Contact: Lorna Baxter, Assistant Head of Finance (Corporate Finance) (01865 816087)
Report by Assistant Chief Executive &
Chief Finance Office (CA5).
(CA5 - download as .doc file)
(CA5 - Annexes 1-7 - download as .pdf file)
(CA5 - Annex 8 - download as .pdf file)
This report sets out the Council’s forecast financial position for the 2008/09 financial year based on four months of actuals to the end of July 2008. It includes projections for revenue, balances, reserves and capital. The report sets out explanations where the forecast outturn is significantly different from the budget with action plans to recover the position where appropriate.
The in-year overspend for Directorates is forecast to be £1.966m. The year-end forecast of general balances is £19.000m. After taking into account the forecast Directorate outturn, the consolidated revenue balances forecast is £17.034m.
The Assistant Chief Executive & Chief Finance Officer and the Cabinet Member for Finance have now considered the carry forwards from 2007/08. To date £7.494m of underspends have been approved to carry forward for use in 2008/09 and future years. In addition, £4.270m of overspends will automatically be carried forward.
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 £0.315m as set out in Annex 2c.
6. Service &
Resource Planning Report for 2009/10 - 2013/14
(See also Addenda)
Cabinet Member: Leader of the Council, Deputy Leader of the Council
Forward Plan Ref: 2008/114
Contact: Lorna Baxter, Assistant Head of Finance (Corporate Finance) (01865 816087)
Report by Chief Executive, Assistant Chief Executive - Strategy and
Assistant Chief Executive & Chief Finance Officer (CA6)
(CA6 - download as .doc file)
(CA6 - Annex 1 - download as .doc file)
(CA6 - Annex 2 - download as .xls file)
(CA6 - Annex 3 - download as .doc file)
(CA6 - Annex 4 - download as .xls file)
(CA6 - Annex 5 - download as .doc file)
(CA6 - Annex 6 - download as .doc file)
This report is the first in a series on the service and resource planning process for 2009/10 to 2013/14, providing councillors with information on the budget issues for 2009/10 and the medium term. The report provides initial information that will lead to the Council agreeing a budget requirement and council tax for 2009/10 in February 2009.
The report sets out estimated funding and planned expenditure for 2009/10 and the assumptions on which these are based. It outlines the budget issues emerging for 2009/10 and beyond for both revenue and capital expenditure. The report also sets out the proposals from the County Council Management Team for managing the service and resource planning process for 2009/10 including a timetable of events.
The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:
(a) note the report;
(b) approve the Service and Resource Planning Process for 2009/10;
(c) consider spreading available one-off funding for 2009/10 over 2009/10 and 2010/11 and replacing this with available on-going funding from 2011/12; and
(d) approve the draft Capital Strategy as an aid to the planning process.
7. South East Plan
– Proposed Modifications (Consultation On Secretary Of State’s
Proposed Changes)
Cabinet Member: Sustainable Development
Forward Plan Ref: 2008/003
Contact: Geri Beekmeyer, Principal Planning Officer (01865 815874)
Report by Head of Sustainable Development (CA7).
(CA7 - download as .doc file)
(CA7 - Annex 1 - download as .doc file)
(CA7 - Annex 2 - download as .doc file)
The Secretary of State has published Proposed Changes to the South East Plan which is currently out for consultation until 24th OCtober 2008. This report sets out the main changes as they affect Oxfordshire including: the total housing provision proposed across the region and for Oxfordshire, the Strategic Development Area proposed to the south of Oxford and the implications for the Green Belt; changes to the economy chapter and Bicester, and the reservoir, and recommends a response to them.
The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:
(a) endorse the comments in paragraphs 7 to 23 as part of this Council’s response on the Secretary of State’s Proposed Changes;
(b) that the Head of Sustainable Development be authorised to finalise detailed comments on the Proposed Changes in consultation with the Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Sustainable Development; and
(c) the Head of Sustainable Development in consultation with the Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Sustainable Development be authorised to seek to agree a joint response from the local authorities in Oxfordshire on issues where there is common ground.
8. Eco-towns :
Draft Planning Policy Statement and Sustainability Appraisal – Progress Report
Cabinet Member: Sustainable Development
Forward Plan Ref: 2008/157
Contact: Ian Walker, Spatial Planning Manager, (01865 815588)
Report by Head of Sustainable Development (CA8).
Cabinet in June 2008 considered a report on the Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG) consultation on eco-towns, including the proposed eco-town at Weston on the Green – Weston Otmoor – one of 15 potential locations that were being assessed. This report gives an update on the process so far, outlines the next stages of the government’s consideration of the eco-town proposals and recommends a further response to CLG.
The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to endorse the comments in paragraphs 5 to 23 of the report, and reiterate that on the information available would object strongly to the inclusion of the “Weston Otmoor” eco-town proposal in the final list of eco-towns locations, in particular on the grounds that:
(a) the proposal is contrary to the policies in the South East Plan, as proposed by the Secretary of State;
(b) the proposal would have a significantly detrimental impact on the implementation of planned development of Bicester and the promotion of Bicester as a major employment location in northern Central Oxfordshire;
(c) the Council remains unconvinced about the deliverability of the major infrastructure package that underpins the eco-town proposal;
9. Early Years
Capital Plan
Cabinet Member: Children, Young People & Families
Forward Plan Ref: 2008/140
Contact: Marion Evans, Early Education Development Manager (01865 815115)
Report by Director for Children, Young People & Families (CA9).
New capital funding has been made available by the Department of Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) to secure significant investment in early years provision. The funding will be used to support the delivery of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) with the following aims:
To improve the quality of the indoor and outdoor learning environment in early years provision;
To ensure that all children, including disabled children, are able to access indoor and outdoor early years provision;
To enable early years providers to deliver the extension (to 15 hours per week) of the free entitlement for 3 and 4 year old children and to do so flexibly.
Most of the investment will be in the private, voluntary and independent sectors, though expenditure in the maintained sector is not precluded.
The report and annexes outline the Council's approach to using the funding in Oxfordshire and includes our aims, the current context, investment priorities, criteria and timescales.
Links are made to the Children and Young People's Plan, the Primary Capital Programme and the Children's Centres Capital Programme.
The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:
(a) approve the Oxfordshire Early Years Capital Plan 2008 – 2011; and
(b) draw the report and decision to the attention of full Council.
10. Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum Project
Cabinet Member: Social & Community Services
Forward Plan Ref: 2008/149
Contact: Martyn Brown, County Heritage and Arts Officer (01993 814114)
Report by Director for Social & Community Services (CA10).
Following the failure of the bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund in 2007 to extend the Museum Resources Centre at Standlake, negotiations have continued with SOFO to consider other options for housing and displaying their collections. A site at the northern end of The Oxfordshire Museum (TOM) has been identified for possible development for the new museum; feasibility studies are being carried out. The proposed development would greatly enhance the ‘offer’ to the public at TOM. The project will be fully funded by SOFO.
To seek approval in principle for a scheme to lease some land at The Oxfordshire Museum to the Soldiers of Oxfordshire in order that they can build a new museum to house their collections.
The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED:
(a) to approve in principle the location of the SOFO museum within the grounds of the Oxfordshire Museum; and
(b) to instruct officers to draw up a Memorandum of Understanding for the SOFO museum, following completion of the Feasibility Study (Phase II) and conclusion of other detailed negotiations, to be agreed by the Leader and the Cabinet Member for Social and Community Services
11. Fundamental
Service Review of Day Services for Older People
Cabinet Member: Social & Community Services
Forward Plan Ref: 2008/132
Contact: John Jackson, Director for Social & Community Services/Andrew Colling, Project Lead (01865 816041/854493)
Report by Director for Social & Community Services. (CA11).
A Fundamental Service Review (FSR) is a process to review the County Council’s core services. The aim is to improve service delivery and improve efficiency and effectiveness. Reviews use the themes of challenging, comparing, consultation, and competing to help come up with ways to respond to current and future demands.
This report summarises the key findings of a review of day services for older people and seeks approval to the recommendations coming from it.
The Cabinet is recommended to:
(a) explore the provision of a Single Information Service across Oxfordshire with information provision supported by OCC, District/City Council, Health, key Voluntary Organisations, and others;
(b) revamp the image that Day Centres have and consider a separate work-stream to review how we market our services;
(c) redesign its referral processes to ensure local/community group options are explored as an alternative response to assessed needs before arranging services for service users;
(d) continue to increase its Resource Centre provision, ensuring that service developments undertaken by others are considered, and ensuring that a multi-agency Stakeholder Commissioning Group supports the location and service design of each service. The service design should include the provision of rehabilitative services, intermediate care services and support from mental health professionals. Resource Centres should be re-named Well Being Centres;
(e) support/facilitate an increase in the availability of independent (contracted and non-contracted) day centres and lunch clubs;
(f) concentrate service delivery to the core mid-week opening hours of some day centres and explore opportunities to open on a weekend;
(g) develop a strategy to improve the capacity of community support through increases in volunteering;
(h) encourage and influence the development of robust transport services that support access to day services for those service users most vulnerable and less mobile;
(i) implement localised networking/partnership groupings - involving one or two specialist centres supported by a range of other smaller day centres in specified geographical areas;
(j) ensure that day centres/services are able to respond to diverse cultural needs where demand requires such a response;
(k) ensure the provision of IT links in external day centres where the number of days provision per week justify this to assist with signposting/information provision; and
(l) shift the focus of some care management tasks to some IT-enabled Day Centres and explore how Centres can enter and maintain data on SWIFT as part of its routine business to support Care Management processes.
12. Fire and Rescue
Service Contingency Planning
Cabinet Member: Community Safety
Forward Plan Ref: 2008/162
Contact: David Etheridge, Deputy Chief Fire Officer (01865 855206)
Report by Director for Community Safety & Support Services/Chief Fire Officer (CA12).
Fire and Rescue Authorities have a duty under s.7 of the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004 (FRSA 2004), in relation to fire fighting, to “secure the provision of the personnel, services and equipment necessary efficiently to meet all normal requirements”. A similar duty applies under s.8 in respect of road traffic accidents.
Authorities also have a duty under s.2 of the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 (CCA 2004) to plan for emergencies and to maintain plans for the purpose of ensuring, so far as is reasonably practicable, that if an emergency occurs it is able to continue to perform its functions.
In the past FRAs have been afforded the support of the military which formed the basis of contingency planning, however DCLG advised that there would be no provision for appliances or equipment and considerably less military support for the provision of emergency fire crews. Such support can now be considered to be extremely unlikely to be provided.
It was against this back drop that FRAs agreed to work together to secure contractual arrangements with a Service Provider for emergency cover to allow FRAs to discharge their duties in exceptional circumstances such as national disaster, terrorist event, pandemic (Avian Flu, SARS etc) or industrial action.
This project known as Fireguard is now complete with a preffered bidder having been identified (G4S) and all financial costs are now known. FRAs have now been given to the end of September 2008 to report to their FA with a view of reporting on Fireguard including costs and associated risks allowing a decision to be taken in respect of contingencey planning for OF&RS.
The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to accept one of the options set out in the report and direct the Director for Community Safety & Shared Services and Chief Fire Officer to provide costings to meet the 2009/10 budget setting process deadlines, so that an informed decision can be made.
13. Performance
Management: 1st Quarter Progress Report Against Priorities and Targets
Cabinet Member: Leader of the Council, Deputy Leader of the Council
Forward Plan Ref: 2008/078
Contact: Ian Mills, Corporate Risk and Performance Advisor (01865 815676)
Report by County Council Management Team (CA13).
Performance management report on Council's Balanced Scorecard detailing progress against priorities and targets as at Quarter One 2008 - 2009.
There are a number of indicators (12) where information is not available at the end of quarter one. These relate primarily to the new national indicator set where many definitions were only finalised at a late stage.
Performance at this early stage of the year indicates nearly 60% of targets are on track.
The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to note this report.
14. Establishment
Review
Cabinet Member: Deputy Leader of the Council
Forward Plan Ref: 2008/079
Contact: Sue Corrigan, Strategic HR Manager (01865 810280)
Report by Head of Human Resources & Organisational Development (CA14).
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 30 June 2008 in terms of Full Time Equivalents is provided, together with the detailed staffing position at 30 June 2008. 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;
(b) confirm that the Establishment Review continues to meet the Cabinet’s requirements in reporting and managing staffing numbers.
15. Appointments
Cabinet Member: Leader of the Council
Forward Plan Ref: 2008/148
Contact: Geoff Malcolm, Principal Committee Officer, (01865 815904)
Assistant Head of Legal & Democratic Services reports as follows:
Under Section H of the Constitution the Cabinet is responsible for appointments to those outside bodies which have been identified by the Cabinet as "strategic” (the Democracy & Organisation Committee has responsibility for appointments to other outside bodies).
The Council is entitled to three places (and three substitutes) on South East Employers, a strategic outside body. The Cabinet has appointed:
· as member representatives:
Councillor John Howell OBE MP, Councillor Rodney Rose & Councillor David Wilmshurst; and
· as substitutes:
Councillor Timothy Hallchurch MBE, Councillor David Nimmo-Smith and Councillor Melinda Tilley.
A vacant member place has arisen following the resignation of Councillor Howell. A nomination has been received from Councillor David Robertson to be appointed.
It is also proposed that Councillor Rose be appointed as a substitute. If agreed this would create a vacant member place. A nomination has been received for Councillor Nimmo-Smith to be appointed.
The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED: to
(a) appoint two members to the two vacant member places on South East Employers; and
(b) appoint substitutes as necessary arising from the decision at (a) above.
16. Forward
Plan and Future Business
(See also Addenda)
Cabinet Member: All
Contact Officer: Sue Whitehead, Committee Services Manager (01865 810262)
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 CA 16. 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.