Notice of Meeting

Environment & Economy Scrutiny Committee

Wednesday 21 May 2008 at 10.00 a.m.

at County Hall, Oxford

Membership

Chairman – Councillor Colin Lamont

Deputy Chairman – Councillor Patrick Greene

Councillors:	Sushila Dhall	Pete Handley	Steve Hayward
	Terry Joslin	Charles Mathew	David Nimmo-Smith
	Anne Purse	Roz Smith

Notes:            Date of next meeting: 16 July 2008

What does this Committee review or scrutinise?

· Transport; highways;  traffic and parking; road safety; public passenger transport

· Regional planning and local development framework; economic development; waste management; environmental management; archaeology; access to the countryside; tourism

· Conduct of best value reviews as specified in Paragraph 9 of Schedule 2 to the Functions Regulations

· The planning, highways, rights of way and commons/village greens functions of the Planning & Regulation Committee

How can I have my say?

We welcome the views of the community on any issues in relation to the responsibilities of this Committee.  Members of the public may ask to speak for up to 5 minutes on any item on the agenda or may suggest matters which they would like the Committee to look at.  Requests to speak must be submitted to the Committee Services no later than 9 am on the working day before the date of the meeting.

For more information about this Committee please contact:

Chairman                                         -      Councillor Colin Lamont

E.mail: colin.lamont@oxfordshire.gov.uk

Committee Officer                             -      Steven Howell, Tel: (01865) 815463

E.Mail: steven.howell@oxfordshire.gov.uk

Tony Cloke

Assistant Head Legal & Democratic Services                                                               

May 2008

About the County Council

The Oxfordshire County Council is made up of 74 councillors who are democratically elected every four years. The Council provides a range of services to Oxfordshire’s 630,000 residents. These include:

schools	social & health care	· libraries and museums
the fire service	roads	· trading standards
land use	transport planning	· waste management

Each year the Council manages £0.8 billion of public money in providing these services. Most decisions are taken by a Cabinet of 10 Councillors, which makes decisions about service priorities and spending. Some decisions will now be delegated to individual members of the Cabinet.

About Scrutiny

Scrutiny is about:

· Providing a challenge to the Cabinet

· Examining how well the Cabinet and the Authority are performing

· Influencing the Cabinet on decisions that affect local people

· Helping the Cabinet to develop Council policies

· Representing the community in Council decision making

· Promoting joined up working across the authority’s work

Scrutiny is NOT about:

· Making day to day service decisions

· Investigating individual complaints.

Five Scrutiny committees ‘scrutinise’ or review and challenge decisions made by the Cabinet or the appropriate Cabinet Member and help it develop Council policies.  There are Scrutiny Committees for:

· Corporate Governance

· Children’s Services

· Environment & Economy

· Community Safety

· Social & Community Services

There is also a Joint Health Overview & Scrutiny Committee which brings together councillors from the County and the five district councils in Oxfordshire to scrutinise health issues.

What does this Committee do?

The Committee meets up to 6 times a year or more. It develops a work programme, which lists the issues it plans to investigate. These investigations can include whole committee investigations undertaken during the meeting, or reviews by a panel of members doing research and talking to lots of people outside of the meeting.  Once an investigation is completed the Committee provides its advice to the Cabinet, the full Council or other scrutiny committees. Meetings are open to the public and all reports are available to the public unless exempt or confidential, when the items would be considered in closed session.

AGENDA

1. Election of Chairman for the Council Year 2008/09

2. Election of Deputy Chairman for the Council Year 2008/09

3. Apologies for Absence and Temporary Appointments

4. Declarations of Interest – see guidance note

5. Minutes

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 20 February 2008 (EN3) and to note for information any matters arising on them.

Matter arising: at the last meeting, the Committee identified the South East Plan – Proposed Modifications item in the Forward Plan as a topic for scrutiny. This item will now be considered by the Cabinet at their meeting on 16 September 2008.

6. Speaking to or Petitioning the Committee

7. Cycling to Work in Oxfordshire – Draft Review Report

10:15

Background Information:	On 20 February 2008, the Scrutiny Committee met in a ‘select committee’ style question & answer session to hear evidence for the production, via its Lead Members (Councillors Lamont, Greene & Dhall) of a report on Cycling to Work in Oxfordshire
Why has it been included?	The Group’s report is attached (EN7) (download as .pdf file) in order to enable the Committee EITHER to adopt the Review report OR to make any additional points or comments before the final report is submitted to the Cabinet.  (Any additional points will be included in the final report to the Cabinet)
How is the Committee going to deal with it?	This item will be dealt with in a one meeting session.  The Lead Members will introduce the final report, highlighting key findings and recommendations
When are they going to do it?	During this meeting
Who is going to take part in this piece of work?	All members of the Committee Lead members

Work to be done prior to the meeting:	Members are asked to read the draft Review report
Documents Members should bring to the meeting:	None

8. Scrutiny Review: ‘Mitigating and Co-ordinating the Risk of Future Floods’ – Progress Update

10:45

Background Information:	On 31 October 2007 the Committee agreed to include in its Work Programme a Scrutiny Review: ‘Mitigating and Co-ordinating the Risk of Future Floods’ and appointed Councillors Greene, Lamont, Mathew and Purse as the Lead Members. Having collected evidence the Lead Members present their findings to date in the Progress Update report (EN8).
Why has it been included?	To enable the Committee to comment to the Lead Members on the Progress Update report in order to assist with production of the final draft Review Report
How is the Committee going to deal with it?	The Lead Members will introduce the Progress Update, highlighting the key findings to date
When are they going to do it?	During this meeting
Who is going to take part in this piece of work?	All Members of the Committee
Work to be done prior to the meeting:	Members are asked to read the Progress Update report
Documents Members should bring to the meeting:	None

9. Tracking Scrutiny Items

11:15

(a) Budget

The Cabinet Member for Finance has responded on behalf of the Cabinet to the Committee’s comments on the Service & Resource Planning 2008/09-2012/13 process as follows:

On 12 December 2007 the Scrutiny Committee commented to the Cabinet, via the Corporate Governance Scrutiny Committee, as follows: ‘Annex 3 - Transport: to remove the budget pressure ‘Countywide Weed Control’ (£600,000 2008/09-2012/13) and ask Area Engineers (North / South) to undertake weed control at their discretion.’

This pressure was not funded and any weed control undertaken by Area Offices would need to be funded from existing budgets.

(b) A415 Newbridge Thames Crossing

At the last meeting the Committee asked to be updated on this matter.

The Head of Transport will report to the Committee on the current position.

(EN9(b)) 

(c) A40 Downs Road – Junction Improvement

On 24 April 2008 the Cabinet Member for Transport agreed to:

(a) approve the principle of an at-grade roundabout at the A40/Downs Road junction;

(b) authorise officers to progress the scheme to the detailed design stage and to submit a planning application for the scheme, subject to the provision of a satisfactory Environmental Impact Assessment.

10. Forward Plan

12:30

The Committee is asked to suggest items from the current Forward Plan on which it may wish to have an opportunity to offer advice to the Cabinet before any decision is taken.

(Please bring to the meeting the latest copy of the Forward Plan (June to August 2008)).

(Members are asked to contact the Chairman, Deputy Chairman and/or the Committee Officer at least 3 days before the meeting should they wish to raise an item on the Forward Plan for possible consideration).

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