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To Members of the Executive

Notice of a Meeting of the Executive

Wednesday 5 February 2003 at 10.00 am

County Hall, Oxford

Chris Impey
Assistant Chief Executive

Contact officer: Deborah Mitchell (Tel: 01865 815463; E-mail)

Membership

The Agenda follows. Decisions taken at the meeting will become effective at the end of the working day on 13 February 2003 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.

AGENDA

1. Apologies for Absence
   
   
2. Declarations of Interest
   
   
3. Minutes

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 21 and 28 January 2003 (EX3) and to receive for information any matters arising therefrom. (TO FOLLOW)

4. Petitions and Public Address
   
   
5. Revenue and Capital Budget 2003/04 and Medium Term Financial 2004/05 – 2007/08

Executive Member: Leader of the Council
Forward Plan Ref: 2002/185
Contact Officer: Jenny Hydari, Assistant County Treasurer (01865 815401)

It has been announced that the debate in Parliament on the final Local Government Finance Settlement will be on Wednesday 5 February. That is when the figures will be formally approved. Details of the final Settlement are expected to be made available two days earlier, on Monday 3 February. Officers will give an analysis at the meeting of any substantive effects on the budget proposals which have been agreed for submission to the Council for approval.

The Executive is RECOMMENDED to consider, in the light of information to be provided at the meeting on the effects of the final Settlement, what changes (if any) to make to the budget proposals submitted to the Council.

6. Fire Service Dispute

Executive Member: Community Safety
Forward Plan Ref: 2003/21
Contact Officer: John Parry, Chief Fire Officer (01865855205)

The Chief Fire Officer reports as follows:

A further 24 hour strike took place on 22 January. As with the previous periods, the public responded very well to the request for vigilance and the number of calls were significantly reduced. Also noticeable was the reduction in reported false alarms, which showed a lower rate even than surrounding counties during the 24 hours. Occupiers of businesses, colleges and care premises are clearly managing their buildings to good effect. One serious incident occurred which involved a road traffic accident in Didcot. The wholetime crew from Didcot fire station responded and cut the driver free.

The national negotiations have been re-convened and the Chief Fire Officer will provide an oral update at the meeting on any progress and local information.

Subject to any further information that may be reported at the meeting, the Executive is RECOMMENDED to note the position.

7. Secondary Education in the Wantage and Grove Area

Executive Member: Schools
Forward Plan Ref: 2002/232
Contact Officer: Robert Capstick, Principal Education Officer (01865 815155)

Report by Acting Chief Education Officer (EX7).

The report picks up research issues identified at the Executive’s February 2002 meeting, which asked that officers should undertake a review of the problems in operating the present three-site school structure in Wantage; should look into PFI as a funding source; should review research into the effect of secondary school size on performance; and should undertake further exploratory work on options costings.

The report identifies four options: re-modelling existing King Alfred’s building stock to provide two 11-16 units, with a separate sixth form; a single new school (the option favoured by the Governing Body); creation of two separate schools, one serving Wantage, and one Grove; and creation of a "lower" and "upper" school model, on the lines of the structure of Lord Williams’s School, Thame. The report assesses each of these in terms of educational factors, costs and other practical issues (including likely future population growth factors), and identifies a need to sound out local opinion – having regard in particular to the known divergences of view on how future school provision in the area should be arranged and managed.

The Executive is RECOMMENDED to consider the report, and to determine what further work they would like to see undertaken, and in what timeframe.

8. Arts Strategy 2003-2006

• support for an inclusive programme of activity in the County as a Centre of Culture (or the Capital of Culture) leading towards 2008;
• drawing up of a youth arts development strategy, on the basis of further consultation with partners;
• creation of a post (subject to resources being available) of Youth Arts Coordinator;
• maximising opportunities for closer work within a new Learning and Culture Directorate in order to achieve cultural benefits in schools and community learning, through initiatives such as cultural entitlement, Creative Partnerships, and learning communities;
• identifying opportunities for capital investment in arts facilities;
• positive engagement with Southern and South East Arts to pursue a strategic development partnership.

The Executive is RECOMMENDED to:

1. agree the priorities for action in paragraph 18 of the report;
2. support the development of a partnership agreement with Southern and South East Arts in consultation with the Executive Member for Learning & Culture, including the negotiation of a County Council contribution to SSEA within existing budget;
3. note the possible need to consider allocating £70,000 of capital available to the Education Service as a contribution to the development of the Pegasus Theatre;
4. agree the extension of the contract with the County Council’s arts consultant by one year to March 2004.

9. National Cycle Network

The Executive is RECOMMENDED to:

1. note the completion of the Sustrans study into the development and extension of the NCN in Oxfordshire;
2. subject to (c) below, approve the proposals for NCN extensions set out in paragraphs 7 to 11 of Annex 2 and authorise County officers to continue to work with Sustrans on their further development and implementation including any appropriate further consultations;
3. approve a County Council contribution of £150k for 2003/04 towards the improvement of the existing Millennium Routes and the extension of the NCN in Oxfordshire, subject to it being included in the capital programme; and
4. approve the making and submission to the Secretary of State for confirmation (if necessary) of a compulsory purchase order under Part XII of the Highways Act 1980 to acquire the land required for the construction of the first stretch of the Thame to Oxford NCN extension which would be in the southern verge of the A418 between Thame western bypass and the Shabbington Turn, as described in paragraph 9 of Annex 2;
5. authorise the Director of Environmental Services/Director for Environment & Economy to determine the precise extent of land to be acquired for the purpose of (d) above and, together with the Solicitor to the Council, to take all necessary procedural steps in connection with the order, subject to consultation with the Executive Members for Transport and Strategic Planning & Waste Management as to modification or other action in consequence of any unwithdrawn objections to the order.

10. Property Services Best Value Review

Executive Member: Leader of the Council
Forward Plan Ref: 2003/1
Contact Officer: Janet Bolam, Performance Review Adviser (01865 815676)

The Assistant Chief Executive reports as follows: -

On 15 January 2003 the Best Value Committee considered the outcome of the Best Value Review on Property Services and:

1. endorsed the Property Services Review report and Action Plan (BV6) and congratulated the team/staff concerned;
2. noted that the Corporate Governance Scrutiny Committee had received and welcomed the Review report and Action Plans on 10 January 2003;
3. RECOMMENDED the Review and Action Plans to the Executive including the Committee’s support for the bid of £125,000 over two years for implementation of the changes; and
4. agreed to consider a further report in six months.

The Corporate Governance Scrutiny Committee considered the report on 10 January 2003. The Committee noted and welcomed the outcomes of the Review.

Members are asked to bring to the meeting their copies of the Review report circulated with the Corporate Governance and Best Value Committees’ agendas.

The Executive is RECOMMENDED:

1. subject to the identification of any necessary additional resources in the context of the budget process, to approve the identified actions for service improvements;
2. Set up a member/officer working group for the overall strategy management and coordination of the Council’s property in accordance with recommended Service Improvement 1.

11. School Admission Forum

Executive Member: Schools
Forward Plan Ref: 2003/17
Contact Officer: Roy Leach, Senior Education Officer (01865 815693)

Report by Acting Chief Education Officer (EX11).

Under Regulations recently issued by DfES every Local Education Authority must establish an admission forum. These are designed to provide a vehicle for admission authorities and other key interested parties to get together to discuss the effectiveness of local admission arrangements, seek agreements on how to deal with difficult admission issues and advise admission authorities on ways in which their arrangements can be improved. Admission authorities must have regard to any advice given by the forum for their area.

It is for the LEA to determine the membership of the forum, within the parameters set down in the Regulations. These require the core membership to comprise representatives of the LEA, the Church of England and Roman Catholic dioceses, schools, parent governors and the local community. The report sets out specific proposals for membership of the Oxfordshire Admission Forum in the light of views expressed by the existing informal Admission Forum which the Council set up voluntarily in 1999.

The Executive is RECOMMENDED to establish an Oxfordshire Admission Forum constituted as set out in the report.

12. Forward Plan and Future Business
    
    Executive Member: All
    Contact Officer: John Leverton (01865 815314)
    

January 2003

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