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To Members of the Executive

Notice of a Meeting of the Executive

Tuesday 10 June 2003 at 2.00 pm

County Hall, Oxford


Chris Impey
Assistant Chief Executive

Contact officer: Graham Warrington (Tel: 01865 815321; E-mail)

Membership

Councillors

 

 

Keith R Mitchell

-

Leader of the Council

Margaret Godden

-

Deputy Leader of the Council

Tony Crabbe

-

Executive Member for Schools

Neil Fawcett

-

Executive Member for Learning & Culture

David Robertson

-

Executive Member for Transport

Anne Purse

-

Executive Member for Strategic Planning & Waste Management

Janet Godden

-

Executive Member for Children & Young People

Don Seale

-

Executive Member for Community Care & Health

John Farrow

-

Executive Member for Community Safety

The Agenda follows. Decisions taken at the meeting will become effective at the end of the working day on 18 June 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

Addenda

  1. Apologies for Absence

    (See Addenda)

  2. Declarations of Interest

  3. Minutes

    (See also Addenda)

    4. To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 27 May 2003 (EX3) and to receive for information any matters arising therefrom.

  4. Petitions and Public Address

    (See Addenda)

  5. Oxfordshire Structure Plan Review

Executive Member: Strategic Planning & Waste Management
Forward Plan Ref: 2003/057
Contact: Ian Walker, Principal Planning Officer (01865 815588)

Report by Assistant Director – Land Use Planning (EX5).

The Structure Plan Working Group has been considering the content of the draft review of the Structure Plan to 2016. The draft was circulated to all members of the Council prior to the meeting of the Environment Scrutiny Committee meeting on 16 May 2003, together with a draft of the present report, complete with Annexes. The draft update has been prepared in the light of the outcome of consultation on issues that was carried out last year.

Members are asked to bring their copies of the Environment Scrutiny Committee papers to the meeting.

A large number of houses and other development are planned already at Oxford, Banbury, Bicester, Didcot and Witney under the adopted Structure Plan. The Review draft proposes that the main locations for new employment development should be these four towns to encourage a more balanced and diverse range of employment in the towns. After 2011 the draft proposes that the focus for development should move towards the north–south corridor between Bicester, Didcot and Wantage-Grove. Apart from development on sites within the main urban areas significant development, in addition to that proposed in the adopted Structure Plan, is proposed at Bicester and Grove in the period to 2016.

The next stage is the placing of the draft on public deposit, giving members of the public and interested bodies the opportunity to make representations about it. This is a statutory stage, in which the Deposit Draft represents the Council’s formal proposals. It is the advice of the Monitoring Officer that a decision to approve the Deposit Draft may only be made by the full Council. It is the Executive’s responsibility to put forward proposals for approval by the Council, but in doing so must take into account any comments on the part of the Environment Scrutiny Committee.

The Executive is RECOMMENDED:

          1. subject to consideration of the comments of the Environment Scrutiny Committee, to RECOMMEND Council to approve the Oxfordshire Structure Plan Deposit Draft for public deposit for a period of six weeks starting in September 2003, subject to any changes that may be agreed in accordance with (b) below;

          2. to authorise the Director for Environment & Economy to make presentational and minor textual changes to the document prior to public deposit, subject to consultation with the Executive Members for Strategic Planning & Waste Management and Transport; and

          3. authorise the Director for Environment & Economy, in consultation with the Executive Members for Strategic Planning & Waste Management and Transport, to finalise and implement a consultation programme for the deposit stage of the review of the Structure Plan.

  1. Six Term School Year

Executive Member: Schools
Forward Plan Ref: 2003/104
Contact: John Mitchell, Education Officer (01865 815619) Bridget Morton, Principal Admin Officer (01865 815635)

Report by Director for Learning & Culture (EX6).

In the light of work by an Independent Commission on the Organisation of the School Year set up by the LGA, stakeholders have been consulted about the principle of a six term year, and this report outlines the outcome of the consultation. It concludes that whilst there is evident support in Oxfordshire for the principles of and some of the advantages which would flow from the introduction of a six term year, nevertheless there are significant reservations about some aspects of the principle.

The position of our geographical neighbours is still far from certain. This is not perhaps surprising as the six term option does not (yet at least) seem to have taken the rest of England and Wales by storm. It may be prudent therefore not to introduce a six term year in Oxfordshire in 2004/05 but, rather, to monitor the position of our neighbours and in the rest of England and Wales with a view to revisiting the matter early in 2004.

The Executive is RECOMMENDED:

          1. not to introduce a six term year in Oxfordshire for the academic year 2004/05;

          2. to ask officers to monitor the position taken by our geographical neighbours and other authorities in England and Wales and to report back to the Executive early in 2004;

          3. to ask officers to explore the possibility of developing a unified approach with Oxfordshire’s geographical neighbours.

  1. Raising Educational Achievement Best Value Review

    (See also Addenda)

    2. Executive Member: Schools, Children & Young People
    Forward Plan Ref: 2003/003
    Contact: Gillian Tee, Head of Children's Services (01865 815125)

    Report by Director for Learning & Culture (EX7).(download as .doc file)

    On 9 April 2003 the Best Value Committee considered a Review of Achievement in Secondary Schools which focused on strategies to raise achievement at the end of the statutory secondary phase. Work on the review had included extensive comparative data analysis, visits to other LEAs and to schools, both in Oxfordshire and elsewhere, consultation with headteachers, governors, teacher organisations and children and young people.

    The Action Plan is reproduced herewith (EX7). For the full Review report Members are asked to refer to their copy of the report circulated (as BV7) with the agenda for the meeting of the Best Value Committee on 9 April 2003.

    The Best Value Committee:

    1. endorsed the Raising Educational Achievement at Secondary Level Review report and Action Plans;

    2. referred the outcomes of the review to the Learning & Culture Scrutiny Committee for them to make any observations on the review and action plan to the Executive;

    3. RECOMMENDED the Review and Action Plans to the Executive; and

    4. thanked and congratulated the review team for their work and ask for a report in six months.

    The Learning & Culture Scrutiny Committee considered the Review document on 20 May 2003 and welcomed the outcomes of the Review. The Committee’s detailed comments will be reported at this meeting.

    The Executive is RECOMMENDED, subject to consideration of the comments of the Learning & Culture Scrutiny Committee, to approve the Review report and Action Plan for implementation.

  2. Review of Rents and Lease Arrangements for Early Years and Family Support Providers

Executive Member: Children & Young People
Forward Plan Ref: 2003/065
Contact: Annie Davy, Head of Early Years and Childcare (01865 815493); Allyson Milward, Premises Development (01865 428165)

Report by Director for Learning & Culture and Director for Resources (EX8).

The County Council has a long history of encouraging pre-school providers to use school sites and covering the occupation by means of both leases and licences. The current system gives no financial support to voluntary sector providers to join with the County Council in partnership. Voluntary organisations are asked to assist in meeting the County Council’s statutory responsibilities for provision for 3 and 4 year olds or delivery of family support in which they are recognised as equal partners, but in premises terms are treated the same way as providers which do not enter into partnership arrangements. Schools cannot legally subsidise the running costs of a voluntary sector provider on its site but the County Council can consider other benefits conferred by the partnership arrangement in lieu of rent for any County Council owned property.

This report summarises the current arrangements and makes recommendations for their amendment in part to encourage more voluntary sector providers to join with the County Council in partnership arrangements, which form an important element in ‘Learning 3 –5’ and implementation of the foundation stage across the County.

The Executive is RECOMMENDED to:

          1. approve the new arrangements outlined in the report for use of premises in the Council’s ownership by voluntary early years and childcare providers who enter into formal partnership or service level agreements; and

          2. commend the scheme to the Diocesan authorities for voluntary controlled and voluntary aided schools in Oxfordshire.

  1. Mobilisation Policy on Automatic Fire Alarm Signals

    2. Executive Member: Community Safety
    Forward Plan Ref: 2003/090
    Contact: John Hurren, Deputy Chief Fire Officer (01865 855205)

    Report by Director for Community Safety & Chief Fire Officer (EX9).

    The report outlines the progress made to reduce the number of unwanted fire signals responded to by the Fire & Rescue Service. It recommends endorsement of a policy, run as a pilot over the last four months, which has significantly reduced the number of undesired signals whilst improving local fire safety arrangements, lessened the impact on retained personnel and their employers, and provided more opportunities for productive Community Safety work.

    The policy is based on reducing the high number of unnecessary Fire Service responses to automatic fire alarm actuations where these are due to non-fire related accidental reasons or system faults. Research over the last three years confirms that 97-98% of fire alarm actuations are not a result of fires. The policy provides for a response to such signals only once a follow-up call has been received confirming that there is a fire. in numerous. The full attendance appropriate to deal with the incident is despatched without delay when a fire is confirmed by the premises.

    The Executive is RECOMMENDED to endorse the policy of only responding to automatic fire alarm actuations when confirmation is received that there is a fire at the premises, on the basis and subject to the exceptions set out in the report and to any detailed adjustments required by further risk assessments by the Director for Community Safety & Chief Fire Officer.

  2. Village Hall Grants 2003/2004

    3. Executive Member: Learning & Culture
    Forward Plan Ref: 2003/006
    Contact: Nancy Hood, Cultural Services (01865 810292)

    Report by Director for Learning & Culture (EX10).

    The Oxfordshire Rural Community Council (ORCC) administers the County Council’s grant scheme for the improvement of village halls and other community buildings. The Report recommends allocations from the grant fund for 2003/04.

    The Executive is RECOMMENDED to approve the grants proposed in Annex 2 to the report.

  3. Common Hall Café

Executive Member: Deputy Leader of the Council
Forward Plan Ref: 2003/066
Contact: Jackie Hayes, General Manager, County Facilities Management (01865 336366)

Report by the Head of Property and the General Manager, County Facilities Management (EX11).

Since the introduction of the Café service there have been requests from some officers and members for a wider ranging menu including hot food. A specific request has been made by the Employees Joint Consultative Committee and it was agreed that there would be a further consultation process to ascertain views on the current service and the demand for different types of food including hot snacks.

The survey shows that overall there is a good level of satisfaction with the service which is provided from the Common Hall Café. There is no overwhelming demand for a hot snack service. Some respondents specifically stated they were against the sale of hot food.

There are other outlets for a good range of low cost hot food within 2 minutes walk of County Hall. The nearby Department Stores are able to provide economically a hot food service, which is not viable in County Hall.

The sale of hot food is very unlikely to produce any additional net income but would require capital expenditure for which there is no available budget.

The Executive is RECOMMENDED to:

          1. agree that the range of cold snacks currently available in the Common Hall Café be reviewed taking into account comments from the survey of staff and members;

          2. confirm that hot food should not be provided at the Café.

  1. Forward Plan and Future Business

    (See also Addenda)

Executive Member: All
Contact Officer: John Leverton (01865 815314)

The Executive Procedure Rules provide that the business of each meeting of the Executive is to include "updating of the Forward Plan and proposals for business to be conducted at the following meeting".

The publication date of the next Forward Plan, for the period July - October 2003, is 17 June. It will therefore be necessary to determine its content at this meeting. Recommendations for additions and amendments are attached as EX12 - Schedules 1-3. (download as .doc file)

Items from the Forward Plan (as now proposed to be updated) for the next two meetings appear in Schedule 4.

The Executive is RECOMMENDED to:

(a) agree the additions and amendments set out in Schedules 1 - 3 for the purpose of the Forward Plan for the ensuing four months;

(b) subject to (a) above, note the items currently identified for forthcoming meetings as set out in Schedule 4.

May 2003

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