- Draft Regional Transport
Strategy
In
June 2002 the South East England Regional Assembly (SEERA) published
for consultation a draft revised Regional Transport Strategy "from crisis
to cutting edge" which will form part of guidance to local authorities
on how their transport and land use policies should assist in addressing
priorities within the region. Members of the Environment Scrutiny Committee
considered the consultation on 2 September and the Executive has incorporated
their comments in formulating a response to SEERA.
The
response agreed by the Executive lays particular emphasis on the failure
of the consultation document to recognise the need to pursue the Multi
Modal Study which had been proposed by the government for the A34, which
is in crisis and heavily congested and of National, European and local
importance. The Executive also highlighted the importance placed by
this Council on the East West Rail Link; the lack of clarity in SEERA’s
proposals for Mobility Management Plans; the dangers of setting congestion
charging policies in the absence of agreement with the appropriate highway
authorities; and the financial implications of some of the draft strategy.
The Executive also agreed to urge SEERA to liaise with other Regional
Assemblies to ensure that Oxfordshire’s interests are taken into account
in the development of Regional Transport Strategies for adjacent regions.
17 September
2002
- Public Service Agreement
(PSA) - See ITEM 2
In
May 2002 the Executive authorised the Chief Executive and the Leader
and Deputy Leader of the Council to draw up the formal submission for
the PSA for negotiation with the Government. The submission eventually
comprised 12 targets, which were the subject of negotiations with relevant
Government Departments. By September the Executive noted that 7 targets
had been agreed with a further 3 expected to achieve agreement within
a matter of days. Negotiations were also continuing with District Councils
to develop and negotiate targets and promote County/District partnership
working in a number of areas of joint involvement.
The
Executive approved the negotiated targets and authorised the Leader
and Deputy Leader of the Council to conclude the PSA with arrangements
for a Ministerial signing ceremony. (This has subsequently been agreed
in principle with the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, and is expected
to take place at some time in December.)
- Charging Policies for
Home Care and Other Non-Residential Social Services
In
February 2002, the Executive authorised consultations to be undertaken
on changes to the Council’s charging scheme in the light of Government
guidance, issued under the title "Fairer Charging Policies for Home
Care and Other Non-Residential Social Services".
The
consultation process identified some support for the proposals although
not all was unqualified. A number of responses expressed concern that
the Council were proposing changes in the way charges were levied at
the same time as reducing the level of services provided. Some respondents
expressed the view that the increases in charges for those recipients
of services who were better off were excessive. However there appeared
to be broad acceptance that the proposals were the only realistic option
given the financial situation facing the Council; in fact for many people
charges will reduce, and the Council has made budgetary provision in
anticipation of this.
The
Executive agreed the implementation of a new charging scheme based on
the consultation proposals set out in the consultation letter, with
exemptions based on the Government’s minimum income levels, but without
introducing charges for carers services pending further investigation.
The Executive has asked officers to report on the impact of the implementation
of the charging scheme in 12 months’ time.
- Race Equality Scheme
The
Executive has approved a draft Race Equality Scheme for publication
and implementation, which complies with guidance from the Commission
for Racial Equality and the requirements of the Race Relations Amendment
Act. The scheme reflects the Government’s response to a number of initiatives
including the Macpherson Report of the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry and
the need for systemic change in the relationships between public authorities
and ethnic minority communities both as service provider and employer.
The Scheme builds on the Council’s established and successful track
record in this field and has drawn on a wide range of experience in
its conception.
A
key aspect is consultation. In addition to a general public consultation
strategy there will be consultations with ethnic minority communities
mainly through the two Racial Equality Councils that exist in the County.
Systems for consultation are in any event well established but will
also follow closely the County Council’s own published guidance on consultation
and CRE guidance, which includes the development of a consultative Reference
Group and ensures that no groups are overlooked.
- Establishment of an Oxfordshire
Local Access Forum
The
Countryside and Rights of Way (CROW) Act 2000 requires local highway
authorities to establish statutory non executive advisory bodies to
be known as local access forums. Focussing on the implementation of
the new right of access to open country and common land, Forums will
provide advice on the improvement of public access to land for open-air
recreation and the enjoyment of the area; the preparation of the new
statutory rights of way improvement plans; and the development of countryside
recreation and access strategies generally.
Each
appointing authority is free to decide how many forums to establish
in its area, either singly or jointly with other appointing authorities,
but following consultation with partners the Executive has approved
the formation of a single local access forum for Oxfordshire, to be
known as the ‘Oxfordshire Countryside Access Forum’.
The
local access forum is required to consist of no fewer than 10 and not
more than 22 members, appointed in accordance with the provisions set
down in the Act and balanced between representatives of users of rights
of way or access land and land management interests. To run the appointments
process the Executive has appointed a Panel consisting of the Executive
Member for Learning & Culture, the Chairman of the Planning &
Regulation Committee (or her nominee), the Leader of the Opposition
(or his nominee) and the Countryside Services Manager and Strategic
Countryside Access Officer.
The
Executive RECOMMEND the Council to agree the inclusion of the Oxfordshire
Countryside Access Forum in the list of strategic outside bodies for
the purpose of appointment of the County Council’s representative on
the Forum in accordance with Section H of the Constitution.
- Cornmarket Street, Oxford
The
Executive has agreed funding within the Transport Capital Programme
to meet the increased predicted outturn costs of the revised scheme
to improve Cornmarket Street introduced after the failure of the granite
block-paving scheme. The City Council’s decision to retain its level
of financial contribution secures a level of co-operation between the
City and County Councils which will enable work to commence in the New
Year with time to talk to interested parties about how the scheme can
proceed to the benefit of traders and shoppers alike.
1 October
2002
- Financial Strategy and
Budget Issues
The
Executive has approved a draft strategy for the development of the 2003/04
budget and capital programme for initial consultation with the Scrutiny
Committees. As part of the process the Executive has asked the Director
for Business Support & County Treasurer to brief Scrutiny Committees
on the scope for economies within the base budget using updated material
prepared earlier in the year, to enable the committees to consider relative
priorities for possible savings in existing budget alongside possible
bids identified as possible additions to the budget. The Executive has
also begun preparations to deal with the consequences of potentially
massive cuts in funds granted from central government to councils across
the South of England. The worst scenario for Oxfordshire County Council
would be a £43 million loss, with an £18 million gain being the best
outcome at the other end of the spectrum.
The
Executive is for the present working on the assumption that the Council
will have to cover a loss in between those two figures, equivalent to
8% on Council tax. This would be in addition to any spending plans which
the Council might wish to agree. The Executive will report further to
the Council at the meeting on 4 February 2003, when it makes recommendations
on the 2003/04 budget in the light of advice from the Scrutiny Committees.
- Corporate Parenting
The
Government’s Quality Protects Initiative has placed responsibility corporately
on all councillors, with regard to children in care, and in particular
for optimising the life chances for these children.
The
Executive has approved proposals to set up a member/officer children’s
panel to ensure that the Council is fulfilling its responsibilities
for the children in its care, including participating in inspections
of Children’s Homes. The Panel will comprise 3 members from each political
group, together with relevant officers from Social Services and Education,
and representatives of Connexions and Primary Care Trust currently leading
on children’s health. It will receive regular reports on a range of
issues relating to children in care and care leavers, and have the authority
to make suggestions for improvement of existing systems.
- Draft Care Homes Redevelopment
Strategy
In
December 2001, the Executive approved the transfer of 19 operational
residential care homes with 797 elderly residents and 784 staff to the
Oxfordshire Care Partnership. Of the 19 homes, 10 did not meet, and
could not effectively be made to meet, the new National Minimum Standards.
The contract between the County Council and the Oxfordshire Care Partnership
contains requirements to produce a jointly agreed redevelopment strategy
for the 10 homes subject to full public consultation.
The
Executive has approved arrangements for the formal consultation on proposals
for the development of new care homes to replace Lincoln House, Banbury;
Blue Mountains, Wallingford; Ladygrove House, Didcot; St. Edburgs, Bicester;
Witan House, Witney; Iffley House, Rose Hill; Orchard House, Sandford-on-Thames;
and Meadowcroft, Thame. The outcome is expected to be reported to the
Executive in December 2002. For three others - Spencer Court, Woodstock;
Castle View, Chipping Norton; and Langston House, Milton-under-Wychwood
– the Executive has instructed officers to carry out full option appraisals
working with the District Council, the local Housing Association, the
PCT’s and other interested parties and has authorised consultation on
the appraisals with a report back to the Executive within six months.
- Guided Transport Express
for Oxfordshire
The
Executive has approved funding towards the development of the Guided
Transport Express (GTE) project which is a proposal to provide Oxford
with guided busways alongside the railway corridor, to allow an express
bus network to connect the city centre to key Park & Ride sites
and surrounding towns (in particular the County’s growth towns). Two
guided busways are proposed, linking Peartree Park & Ride to the
City Centre (the northern guideway) and Redbridge to the City Centre
(the southern guideway). It is envisaged that the two guideways will
meet at Oxpens, where Oxford railway station could potentially be relocated.
The
aim of GTE is to provide very high quality public transport facilitating
direct journeys from surrounding towns into Oxford (without the need
for interchange) and to support growth/vitality of the city (for example
the proposed extension of the Westgate Centre and redevelopment of the
Oxpens area).
- Delegation Arrangements
The
Executive has agreed arrangements in respect of certain operational
matters in order to concentrate more on its strategic priorities. Following
consideration by the Corporate Governance Scrutiny Committee, the Executive
has agreed the setting up of a Transport Implementation Committee comprising
the Executive Members for Transport and Strategic Planning & Waste
Management to consider and determine individual local highway, traffic
and parking matters within the ambit of the transport capital programme
and support for individual public transport services, including area
reviews and service subsidy agreements.
In
line with a recommendation of the Scrutiny Committee the Executive has
specifically agreed that there will be positive notification to the
local member(s) for each division directly affected by the schemes to
be considered under this procedure to enable them to make their views
known to both officers and the Executive Members. Access to the Committee
for both councillors and members of the public will be similar to those
applying to the full Executive, as will the arrangements for call in
for consideration by the relevant Scrutiny Committee (the Environment
Scrutiny Committee in this case.)
15 October
2002
- SSI Inspection of Children’s
Services