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ITEM EX3

EXECUTIVE – 5 FEBRUARY 2003

Minutes of the Meeting commencing at 10.00 am and finishing at 12.35 pm

Present:

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

36/03. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Janet Godden.

37/03. MINUTES

The Minutes of the meeting held on 21 and 28 January 2003 were approved and signed.

38/03. PETITIONS AND PUBLIC ADDRESS

The following requests to address the meeting had been agreed:-

Request from		Agenda Item
Mr Bernard Clarke, Headteacher, King Alfred’s School	) ) ) ) )	7 Secondary Education in the Wantage and Grove Area
Ms Jenny Hannaby, Wantage Town Council
Mrs Pippa Young, Positive Parents
Mr Harold Brew

The addresses on item 7 are recorded at the relevant minute below.

39/03. REVENUE AND CAPITAL BUDGET 2003/04 AND MEDIUM TERM FINANCIAL 2004/05 – 2007/08

(Agenda Item 5)

Ms Hydari reported that the final 2003/04 Local Government Finance Settlement figures had been released on 3 February 2003 and that the only real change which would affect the Executive’s budget proposals agreed for submission to the Council for approval was an increase in the total formula grant of £0.412m.

The Leader of the Council stated that members of the Executive were in agreement that the best use of the increase would be to reduce the rise in Council Tax. This would reflect the many views he had received including those expressed at the Community Workshop.

RESOLVED: to amend the budget proposals submitted to the Council by applying the additional grant income of £412,000 to reducing the rate of Council Tax increase from 13.6% to 13.4%.

40/03. FIRE SERVICE DISPUTE

(Agenda Item 6)

The Executive received an oral report from the Chief Fire Officer on the latest position regarding the current pay dispute between the Fire Brigades Union and the national employers.

He reported that the latest 48 hour strike had finished on Monday morning. There had been 28 incidents during the 48 hour period, all of which had been dealt with effectively. No further strike action had been identified by the Fire Brigades Union. Further negotiations were scheduled for the next four weeks and he hoped that a resolution could be found.

RESOLVED: to note the report.

41/03. SECONDARY EDUCATION IN THE WANTAGE AND GROVE AREA

(Agenda Item 7)

The Executive considered a report (EX7) which identified four options for solving the current problems in operating the present three-site school structure in Wantage: re-modelling the 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); the creation of two separate schools, one serving Wantage, and one Grove; and the creation of a "lower" and "upper" school model, on the lines of the structure of Lord Williams’s School, Thame. The report assessed each of these in terms of educational factors, costs and other practical issues (including likely future population growth factors), and identified 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.

Mr Clarke addressed the Executive on behalf of the Governors and Staff of King Alfred’s in favour of a single site establishment. This would create a centre of excellence that would provide future generations of young people in Grove, Wantage and the surrounding area with the best possible secondary education, whilst building a general learning facility for the community . In response to questions from members he drew attention to the economies of scale that a single school would bring, enabling the development of facilities that a smaller establishment could not provide. He defended the performance of the present school and praised the expertise and dedication of the school's staff.

Ms Hannaby did not believe that there were urgent problems at the existing school and urged the Executive to slow down the consultation process so that all options could be looked at in depth; to undertake a transport/environmental impact study in the area; to look at the impact of the redevelopment of the existing King Alfred's sites; and to involve the community as a whole in coming to a final decision. She believed that real choice for parents was important and her personal view was that option of separate schools for Wantage and Grove was to be preferred.

Mrs Young addressed the Executive on behalf of "Positive Parents" who supported the idea of a single site secondary school for Wantage and Grove as offering the prospect of a world class facility for the community. They felt that a single school could cope more effectively with modern traffic demands, and siting the new school between Wantage and Grove would enable more Grove students to walk or cycle safely to school. There were fears that the creation of two separate schools could result in a spiral of decline if one performed less well than the other.

Mr Brew addressed the Executive in support of an option which had been put forward by the Mayor of Wantage which would involve the creation of separate schools for Wantage and Grove together with a separate sixth form college. He considered that the lack of choice resulting from provision of only one school would change the social make-up of the area and damage its prosperity.

Councillor Moley addressed the Executive as local member for Wantage in favour of the two school option, on the basis that he believed that this option was favoured by most residents in Wantage; that parents would always prefer choice; and that a one site school would have a catastrophic traffic impact on the area. It was important that the whole community should have the opportunity to express their opinion and he welcomed the suggested idea of a public opinion survey.

Councillor Patrick addressed the Executive as local member for Grove in favour of the two school option. She referred to the failure to provide facilities in Grove to match the housing development and the severe transport problems which resulted from so many children needing to attend school in Wantage. She believed that provision of a separate secondary school in Grove was justified irrespective of future housing allocations and that this would provide a sustainable arrangement. She urged the Executive to reject the first and fourth of the listed options on grounds of high cost offering little benefit, and to concentrate of investigation of the two remaining options, for a single new school or two separate schools for Wantage and Grove, although her personal preference was for the latter.

Two written submissions, by the Mayor of Wantage and the Chair of the Governors of King Alfred's School respectively, were tabled at the meeting.

The Executive discussed the merits and disadvantages of the respective options as set out in the report and expressed by the visiting speakers. There appeared to be little justification for pursuing the first or fourth options, but there were strong arguments in favour of both the second and third - for a single new school or for two separate schools for Wantage and Grove. It was considered that King Alfred's School was subject to some present problems but was also achieving success in some areas, and there was no pressing need to implement change in the local secondary school system. Any future action in this respect needed to be considered in the context of the educational development needs of the County as a whole, and the prospects for funding of any substantive change in the Wantage/Grove area. In this regard, it was noted that the prospects for qualification of the options under consideration under existing PFI rules were weak.

The principle of consultation to establish the views of the whole of the local community on the two main identified option was supported, provided that this allowed for views to be expressed on associated aspects such as the nature of sixth form provision, that educational objectives were recognised as paramount and that care was taken to avoid raising undue expectations.

RESOLVED: that:

1. a publicity campaign be undertaken immediately, and completed by September 2003, to provide detailed information on the relative merits of a new single site school in Grove and a two school option based on Wantage and Grove;
2. a survey of public opinion be taken in the area during September 2003 following the publicity campaign;
3. the sources of funding for both options be explored in greater detail during this period with a view to considering the advisability of making a PFI bid in the next round which would seek to secure the best educational solution for Wantage and Grove and that took account of the priorities of the Wantage/Grove communities and of other schools within the county.
   
   

42/03. ARTS STRATEGY 2003-2006

(Agenda Item 8)

The Executive considered a report (EX8) which proposed priorities for arts development in the County for the next three years.

RESOLVED: 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.

Councillor Mitchell left the meeting at this point and Councillor Margaret Godden assumed the chair.


43/03. NATIONAL CYCLE NETWORK

(Agenda Item 9)

The Executive considered a report (EX9) on the Sustrans National Cycle Network routes in Oxfordshire which summarised the findings of a Sustrans study investigating the future development of the routes. Councillor Mrs Ludlow addressed the Executive as local member for Thame. She reported that the Planning Committee of Thame Town Council had discussed the report on 4 February. The Committee confirmed their support for the National Cycle Network as proposed. However, the Committee felt that there was insufficient detail to enable the Town Council to wholeheartedly concur with the section of route outlined in recommendation (d) of the report, until further details were provided of the location of the major road crossings and accesses. Councillor Mrs Ludlow expressed her personal concerns about the potential dangers over this section of the route.

Mr Rossington, in introducing the report, stressed that the concerns of Councillor Mrs Ludlow and the Thame Town Council would be taken into account in the further development of the proposals, which would be subject to further consultation as outlined in recommendation (b) of the report. He confirmed that the Countryside Service would be involved in the consultation process.

RESOLVED:

1. to 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 to the report 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;
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 to the report;
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.

Councillor Mitchell returned to the meeting and resumed the chair.

44/04. PROPERTY SERVICES BEST VALUE REVIEW

(Agenda Item 10)

The Executive considered outcomes of the Review and Action Plan (EX10) as endorsed by the Best Value Committee, and the comments thereon of the Corporate Governance Scrutiny Committee. The Leader of the Council confirmed that it was envisaged that local members would be invited to attend the proposed property management working group when issues affecting their divisions were under discussion.

RESOLVED:

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, on the basis that the group would comprise the Leader of the Council, the Deputy Leader of the Council, the Director for Resources and other appropriate officers and that other members of the Executive would be invited to participate as the occasion demands.
   
   45/03. SCHOOL ADMISSION FORUM

(Agenda Item 11)

The Executive considered a report (EX11) which outlined specific proposals for the setting up of an admission forum 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.

RESOLVED: to establish an Oxfordshire Admission Forum constituted as set out in the report.

46/03. FORWARD PLAN AND FUTURE BUSINESS

(Agenda Item 12)

The Executive considered schedules of proposed additions and amendments for further roll forward of the Forward Plan, together with a list of items for the next two meetings.

RESOLVED: to:

1. agree the additions and amendments set out in Schedules 1 - 3 of the report and in the Schedule of Addenda for the purpose of the Forward Plan for the ensuing four months subject to (b) below and to the item on ICT Strategy (2 April) incorporating the requested report back on progress and development of the Broadband/OCN project;
2. subject to (a) above, note the items currently identified for forthcoming meetings as set out in Schedule 4, subject to an additional item on funding of archaeological investigation on the Prison Site being included in the agenda for the 18 February meeting if the Leader of the Council was satisfied as to the grounds for urgency, or otherwise to his being authorised to add the item to the Forward Plan for the next available meeting in March.

in the Chair

Date of signing 2003

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