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ITEM EX3

EXECUTIVE – 14 APRIL 2002

EXECUTIVE – 3 APRIL 2002

Minutes of the Meeting commencing at 10.00 am and finishing at 12.15 pm

Present:

The Executive considered the matters, reports and recommendations contained or referred to in the agenda for the meeting and decided as set out below. Except insofar as otherwise specified, the reasons for the decisions are contained in the agenda and reports, copies of which are attached to the signed Minutes.

148/02. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Janet Godden.

149/02. DECLARATION OF INTEREST

Councillor Fawcett declared a personal interest under Item 5 (Treasury Management Strategic Plan 2002/03) insofar as his employer was a major shareholder in Fitch IBCA, who were employed by the County Council to evaluate the credit worthiness of financial institutions.

150/02. MINUTES

The Minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 19 March 2002 were approved and signed.

Minute 120/02 (Budget Monitoring)

Councillor Mitchell advised that the County Treasurer had written to the four Political Group Leaders regarding the ability to find resources. That letter would now be circulated to all members of the Council prior to the adjourned meeting of the Council scheduled for Tuesday, 16 April 2002.

151/02. TREASURY MANAGEMENT STRATEGIC PLAN 2002/03

(Agenda Item 5)

The Executive considered a report (EX5) on Treasury Management Strategy for the coming year.

RESOLVED: to:

1. agree the one addition to the County Council’s approved lending list as set out in Annex 3 to the report;
2. increase the range for fixed interest debt to 75-100%;
3. set £15 million maximum limits for the LloydsTSB, Abbey National and Bank of Scotland Call Accounts.
   
   

152/02. REVIEW OF EDUCATION, SOCIAL SERVICES AND CULTURAL SERVICES

(Agenda Item 6)

The Executive considered a report (EX6) on the review of relationships between Education, Social Services and Cultural Services.

Councillor Fawcett advised that the consensus of the review team had been for a cultural change rather than a structural one but that it had also recognised the need to press ahead with the appointments of new Directors.

RESOLVED: that:

1. in view of (i) the lack of conclusive evidence at this stage of the benefits of separate directorates for children’s services and adult services and (ii) the scale of change already under way in Social Services, the Social Services Directorate should retain its current boundaries for the present;
2. the internal structure of Social Services should be reviewed and the Interim Director put forward proposals designed to:

1. improve co-ordination, both within Social Services and between Social Services and other services;
2. improve effective communication and ease of contact for service users and partners;
3. deliver more integrated services and effective joint working with other County Council services and with partners, based on joint planning and information sharing;
3. the Acting Chief Education Officer should bring forward proposals for reorganising the structure of his directorate with the same aims, and with a view to bringing together under a single Head of Service those functions which support children in need and which require close working links with Social Services;
4. the Acting Chief Education Officer and the Interim Director of Social Services report to the Chief Executive on how they propose to improve efficiency and customer service through more effective joint working;
5. the potential for improved efficiency and effectiveness arising from bringing together (i) Libraries and other cultural services and (ii) Adult and Community Learning under a single management structure should be noted, and further work carried out to quantify these;
6. this further work to be completed by July 2002 should include exploration of the merits of combining Libraries and Adult and Community Learning either (i) within the Education Directorate or (ii) within a new directorate of Community Services;
7. further work be carried out to identify an imaginative new vision and direction for the Library Service and the Adult and Community Learning Service in the 21st century, building on the Best Value Action Plan for the Library Service, and recommendations should be formulated by December 2002.
8. to ask officers to report back to the Executive in a year’s time on lessons to be learnt from the Hertfordshire project.
   
   

153/02. GOVERNMENT WHITE PAPER: "STRONG LOCAL LEADERSHIP – QUALITY PUBLIC SERVICES"

(Agenda Item 7)

The Executive considered a report by the Director for Strategy (EX7) which presented an overview of the Government’s White Paper.

Councillor Hodgson raised the question of Council Tax reform, particularly the inequity of the system for those resident in Band A properties such as mobile home owners.

RESOLVED: (by 6 votes to 1, Councillor Crabbe voting against) to:

1. urge government to regard the White Paper as a first step in the right direction towards a reduction in central government control and deregulation of local government;
2. impress on government that the Comprehensive Spending Review planned for later this year provided an important opportunity to minimise ring-fenced grants and radically increase the proportion of local government funding controlled and raised locally;
3. inform government and the Audit Commission of the need for the Local Government Association to be fully involved in the development and agreement of the national framework for the Comprehensive Performance Assessment, and for this process to command the respect of local government if it was to succeed;
4. invite government to give further consideration to the support to be given to authorities classified as coasting or poor-performing, and the additional opportunities to be made available to striving and high performing authorities.
5. to support measures to help people in lower cost accommodation for example by splitting Council Tax Band A.
   
   

154/02. SUPPORT FOR OLDER PEOPLE BEST VALUE REVIEW

(Agenda Item 8)

The Executive considered the Review and Action Plan (EX8) as endorsed by the Best Value Committee, and the comments thereon of the Social & Health Care Scrutiny Committee.

RESOLVED: to note the outcomes of the Review and the comments of the Scrutiny Committee thereon and approve the identified actions for service improvement.

155/02. JOINT COMMISSIONING LEARNING DISABILITY SERVICE

(Agenda Item 9)

RESOLVED: that consideration of EX9 be deferred to the meeting of the Executive on 17 April 2002.

156/02. RECORDS MANAGEMENT

(Agenda Item 10)

The Executive had before them a report (EX10) which considered shortcomings in the present management of records (information) in the County Council and discussed how they might be addressed.

RESOLVED: to request officers to undertake the work described in paragraph 13 of the report EX10 and draw up recommendations for consideration by the Executive in September 2002.

157/02. ARTS DEVELOPMENT: REVIEW OF COUNTY COUNCIL INVOLVEMENT

(Agenda Item 11)

The Executive considered a report (EX11) which reviewed the impact of the restoration of a funded arts development strategy and proposed a future direction for the County Council in arts development in the County.

RESOLVED:

1. to confirm the existing policy objectives for arts development as set out in paragraph 3 of the report EX11;
2. to agree the approach to three-year rolling grant agreements set out in paragraph 18 of the report EX11;
3. that the possibility of enlarging any of these grants or of extending core-funding to other strategic arts bodies, be considered in the light of the priorities determined by the County Council in setting its policy and budget for 2003/04 and subsequent years;
4. to agree that, while seeking an effective partnership with a successor body to Southern Arts, continuation of a subscription or its equivalent would not yet provide demonstrable value;
5. to agree the objectives in paragraph 21 of the report EX11 as the key priorities for the use of one-off development grants;
6. to approve in principle the setting up jointly with other partners of a company limited by guarantee to achieve the objectives in respect of the Capital of Culture bid and otherwise as set out in paragraph 14 of the report EX11, and authorise the Director of Cultural Services and the Solicitor to the Council, in consultation with the Executive Member for Learning & Culture, to take all necessary action for this purpose;
7. to appoint the Executive Member for Learning & Culture, or such alternative person as he may nominate, to represent the County Council as director of the company when created.
   
   

158/02. TOURISM DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY

(Agenda Item 12)

The Executive considered a report (EX12) which discussed the Southern Tourist Board’s vision for the future development and co-ordination of tourism in Oxfordshire and considered whether the County Council should play a leading role.

Councillor Fawcett referred to the useful comments submitted by the Leaning & Culture Scrutiny Committee, although he did not consider this a high priority for the County Council.

RESOLVED: to:

1. endorse the broad vision for tourism development in Oxfordshire described in the Southern Tourist Board report;
2. seek the views of the Local Strategic Partnership on the vision;
3. commission a one-off forum of tourism related interest groups at which to present the vision and receive views;
4. request officers, following consultation, to present proposals in July 2002 for future action, including any resource implications which will need to be considered as part of the 2003/04 budget-setting process.
   
   

159/02. EDUCATION CAPITAL PROJECTS

(Agenda Item 13)

The Acting Chief Education Officer sought approval of the following Project Appraisals (EX13):

ED560/1 - St Mary’s CE School, Banbury

ED585 - Grimsbury Early Excellence Centre, Banbury

ED584 - Lord Williams’s School, Thame

ED583 - Matthew Arnold School

RESOLVED to approve the Project Appraisals.

160/02. DISCRETIONARY AWARDS

(Agenda Item 14)

The School Standards and Framework Act conferred a revised power on local education authorities to make awards to new students. The Executive considered a report (EX14) which set out three choices:

1. to determine not to take up the power in any circumstances and not make any provision for considering applications;
2. to decide to exercise the power only in respect of certain groups or categories of students; or
3. to decide to exercise the power generally and consider applications from all students – but still in accordance with its policies and eligibility.

In 1999-2000 and 2000-2001 the former Education Committee had offered awards in accordance with (iii) above with funds then available in the Education base budget. In 2001-2002 no financial provision was available and the policy was changed in line with (i) above. The report identified that there was no provision in 2002-2003.

RESOLVED: not to take up the power to make discretionary awards in any circumstances for the 2002-2003 academic year (Option (i)) and not to make any provision for considering applications.

161/02. WASTE MANAGEMENT BEST VALUE REVIEW

(Agenda Item 15)

The Executive considered the Review and Action Plan EX15 as endorsed by the Best Value Committee, and the comments thereon of the Environment Scrutiny Committee.

RESOLVED: to note the outcomes of the Review and the comments of the Scrutiny Committee thereon and approve the identified actions for services improvement.

162/02. OXFORD CENTRAL AREA TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT REVIEW

(Agenda Item 16)

The Executive had before them a report (EX16) which considered comments received on experimental orders introduced following major changes to waiting, loading and access arrangements in June 1999.

RESOLVED: to:

1. authorise officers to promote orders for :-

1. the closure of Keble Road at its junction with Banbury Road to all vehicles excluding cyclists;
2. the relocation and shortening of the loading bay on the south side of High Street, opposite Queens Lane;
3. the prohibition of entry into the slip road leading into Magdalen Street East; and
4. the prohibition of right turns from and left turns into Longwall Street;

subject to any representations or objections being considered by the Director of Environmental Services in consultation with the Executive Member for Transport and local member(s);

2. agree the introduction of an experimental order to permit local buses to turn right from Tidmarsh Lane into Park End Street and to the Order being made permanent subject to any representations or objections being considered by the Director of Environmental Services in consultation with the Executive Member for Transport and local member(s).
   
   

163/02. SPEED MANAGEMENT POLICY

(Agenda Item 17)

The Executive considered a report (EX17) which proposed the development of a hierarchy of roads for rural speed management, specific speed limit proposals and a special management strategy as part of a Road Safety strategy.

RESOLVED: to:

1. approve the development of a hierarchy of roads for speed management, specific speed limit proposals and speed management strategy as set out in paragraphs 3 to 8 of the report EX17, for future consideration by the Executive; and
2. invite the comments of the Environment Scrutiny Committee on these issues in the context of the draft strategy to be produced under (a) above.
   
   

164/02. ABINGDON INTEGRATED TRANSPORT STRATEGY – CYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN FACILITIES

(Agenda Item 18)

The Executive considered a report (EX18) on a proposal for a shared use pedestrian/cycle footway as part of the Abingdon Integrated Transport Strategy.

RESOLVED: to approve the conversion (under Sections 65 and 66 of the Highways Act 1980) of the footway in Audlett Drive from Thames View northwards to Radley Road to shared use footway/cycle track.

165/02. FORWARD PLAN AND FUTURE BUSINESS

(Agenda Item 19)

The Executive considered Schedule (EX19) which identified items of business for the next two meetings.

RESOLVED: to:

1. agree the additions and amendments set out in Schedules 1 - 3 for the purpose of the Forward Plan for the ensuing four months;
2. officers to submit a report to the meeting on 17 April 2002 regarding the appointment of County Council’s representative to SEERA;
3. subject to (a) above, note the items currently identified for forthcoming meetings as set out in Schedule 4.
   
   

166/02. EXEMPT ITEM

RESOLVED: that the public be excluded during the consideration of item 20 E in the Agenda since it was likely that if they were present during that item there would be a disclosure of "exempt" information as described in Part I of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act, 1972 and specified below the item in the Agenda, i.e. information relating to any terms proposed or to be proposed by or to the authority in the course of negotiations for a contract for the acquisition or disposal of property or the supply of goods or services.

PROCEEDINGS FOLLOWING THE WITHDRAWAL OF PRESS AND PUBLIC

167/02. EDUCATION CAPITAL PROJECTS

in the Chair

Date of signing 2002

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