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To Members of the Executive

Notice of a Meeting of the Executive

Tuesday 8 July 2003 at 2.00 pm

County Hall, Oxford

Chris Impey
Assistant Chief Executive

Contact officer: Deborah Mitchell (Tel: 01865 8155463; E-mail)

Membership

The Agenda follows. Decisions taken at the meeting will become effective at the end of the working day on 16 July 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
   
   
2. Declarations of Interest
   
   
3. Minutes

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 10 June 2003 (EX3) and to receive for information any matters arising therefrom.

4. Petitions and Public Address
   
   (See Addenda)
   
5. Provisional Outturn

The Executive is RECOMMENDED to:

1. note the provisional revenue and capital outturn set out in the report;
2. note the programme area carryforwards set out in Annex 1 and approve those which would involve a change in budget head.

6. Financial Monitoring

The Executive is RECOMMENDED to:

1. note the report;
2. approve a supplementary estimate of £292,000 for the external audit fee as set out in paragraph 8;
3. approve a supplementary estimate of £362,000 for the Oxfordshire Community Network as set out in paragraph 9, in place of the similar amount originally to have been funded from balances in 2002/03;
4. approve a supplementary estimate of £110,000 to meet the additional cost of Job Evaluation arising in 2003/04 as set out in paragraph 11;
5. approve the arrangements for dealing with unallocated contingency provision in respect of Social & Health Care and property rates as set out in paragraphs 4 and 14.

7. Capital Strategy, Asset Management Plan and Property Portfolio 2002/03

• Draft Capital Strategy. This is a strategic document setting out the Council’s approach to capital planning and procurement and the management of the capital programme, and underpins how the Council prioritises, evaluates and monitors its capital investment programme. The capital strategy is one of the key components in helping the Council deliver its strategic goals.
• Draft Corporate Asset Management Plan. The purpose of this document is to determine the Council’s current and future asset needs and to ensure that all property assets owned or used by the County Council are properly accounted for and are fully and effectively used to contribute to the Council's objectives and priorities.
• Report on the performance of the Council’s Property Portfolio during 2002/03. This is an annual report which reviews the overall performance and condition of the portfolio, considers how the portfolio meets identified property needs and reviews progress made towards the achievement of targets set for improvements in performance of the portfolio for 2003/2004 (including development of the Council’s Corporate Asset Management Plan) and establishes new targets.
• Draft Business Case and Project Definition for the Review of the Council’s Property Assets. This Review was proposed in the report ‘Maximising Our Resources’ considered by the Executive in April. The purpose of the Business Case and Project Definition is to explain the rationale for the project, what the project will deliver for the County Council and what resources are required to deliver the benefits.

The Executive is RECOMMENDED to:-

1. note the report on performance of the Council’s Property Portfolio;
2. agree the Business Case and Project Definition for the Review of Property Assets;
3. agree the Capital Strategy and the Corporate Asset Management Plan for submission to the Government Office, subject to (d) below and to further appropriate amendment being made to the draft versions in consultation with the Leader of the Council and Deputy Leader of the Council;
4. refer the Capital Strategy to the Corporate Governance Scrutiny Committee for comment in time for consideration by the Executive on 22 July, with a view to making a recommendation on the strategy to the September 2003 Council.

8. Raising Our Performance

1. note and celebrate the progress made in implementing the Raising our Performance Action Plan;
2. note the report on the County Council’s progress submitted by the Improvement & Development Agency and thank the Peer Review team for their constructive advice;
3. endorse the priorities for further improvement at paragraph 9 of the report as a focus for the work of the County Council Management Team and commission a further progress report in 6 months’ time that focuses on these areas;
4. commission a new publication for autumn 2003 that will report on progress with the implementation of Raising our Performance and set renewed challenges for organisational improvement in Oxfordshire County Council.

9. Operation of the County Museums Service – Scrutiny Review

Executive Member: Learning & Culture
Forward Plan Ref: 2002/201
Contact: Matt Bramall and Julian Hehir, Scrutiny Review Officers (01865 815673)

On 20 May 2003 the Learning & Culture Scrutiny Committee received the report of its Lead Member Review Group appointed to carry out review of the operation of the County Museum Service. The Committee agreed the report for submission to the Executive. An executive summary of the report with its recommendations is attached (EX9) (download as .doc file). The full report has already been circulated to Executive Members and a copy has been placed in the Members’ Resource Centre. A copy is also available for public inspection.

Also circulated (EX9 Supplement) is a note of comments forwarded by Councillor Margaret Ferriman, one of the Review Group Members, and also some observations from the County Museums & Heritage Officer.

The Executive is asked to consider and respond to the Learning & Culture Scrutiny Review report and its recommendations.

10. Children’s Centres and Family Centres: Developing a Strategy for Oxfordshire

Executive Member: Children & Young People
Forward Plan Ref: 2003/106
Contact: Annie Davy, Head of Early Years and Childcare (01865 815493)

Report by Director for Learning & Culture (EX10).

This report is in 2 parts. Part 1 concerns recent guidance and funding allocation for the development of children’s centres, and proposals for a strategy for Oxfordshire. We have received notification that Oxfordshire has been allocated indicative sums of approximately £500,00 capital and £350,000 revenue from April 2004, over two years, to develop integrated services in areas of highest disadvantage. DfES has already approved bids from Rose Hill (Littlemore) Sure Start and the Ace Centre Chipping Norton; detailed proposals are now being developed for a children’s centre around new developments at Orchard Fields School Banbury and in Blackbird Leys, Oxford.

Part 2 concerns the County Council’s service level agreement for provision of family centre services in the south of the County, and recommends a tender process for delivery of these services next year. This arises from negotiations about a new service level agreement to cover County Council financial support for centres at Abingdon, Berinsfield and Didcot run by National; Children’s Homes, who gave notice that it could no longer ‘subsidise’ local authority services by contributing its own funds to supplement local authority funds.

The Executive is RECOMMENDED to:

1. approve the outline strategy for children’s centre development outlined in Part 1 of the report;
2. authorise the Director for Learning & Culture to approve detailed schemes for children’s centres in Blackbird Leys and Greater Leys, Oxford, and the Neithrop area in Banbury, following consideration by the Children’s Programme Board and consultation with the Executive Members for Children & Young People and Health & Social Care;
3. approve the proposals set out in the report for inviting tenders for family centres currently managed by NCH in Didcot, Abingdon and Berinsfield, with a view to considering, following consultation with local members, the outcome of the tenders alongside the option of the County Council managing those services.

11. Premium Bus Routes Network

Executive Member: Transport
Forward Plan Ref: 2003/114
Contact: David Taylor (01865 816519)

Report by Director for Environment & Economy (EX11).

Following a consultant’s study, the Executive approved the concept of developing a high quality network of services on the County’s busiest bus routes that could be commercially self-sustaining by 2011, given some capital investment to provide bus priority measures and quality stop infrastructure; and ‘pump priming’ revenue funding for some alignments to bring the frequency of buses on all routes up to a ‘turn up and go’ threshold of four buses per hour. Working in partnership with bus operators it is proposed over a period of 8 years to raise the quality of travel by bus across this network, including improved bus stops, shelters, information, vehicles and bus priority measures.

It is anticipated that Quality Bus Partnerships will be negotiated with operators as the Premium Route network is delivered, on the basis of an overarching agreement regarding common aims and principles, and with specific detailed annexes for each bus corridor.

The report looks briefly at each part of the network and proposes a programme for its development and improvement over the next 3 years.

The Executive is RECOMMENDED to:

1. agree the programme for 2003/04 to 2005/06 as set out in Annex 2, subject to annual review in the light of progress with implementation and the capital allocations available for this purpose as determined by the Executive each Spring;
2. authorise the Head of Roads and Transport, in consultation with the Executive Member for Transport and Strategic Planning & Waste Management, to enter into Quality Partnership agreements with operators on the Premium Routes network as required to meet the agreed programme.

12. Local Transport Plan – Annual Progress Report 2003
    
    (See also Addenda)
    

1. endorse the proposed approach for the preparation of the Annual Progress Report, and in particular the issues of congestion, road safety and targets outlined in the report; and
2. authorise the Director for Environment & Economy, in consultation with the Executive Members for Transport and Strategic Planning & Waste Management, to finalise the Annual Progress Report for submission to the Government by 31 July 2003.

13. Wood Green and Springfield Schools, Witney

Executive Member: Schools
Forward Plan Ref: 2003/105
Contact: Keith Borien, Senior Education Officer (01865 428166)

Report by Director for Learning & Culture (EX13).

The Executive’s approval is sought for project appraisals in respect of schemes estimated to cost in excess of £1m. The first (ED594) is in respect of the latest phase of major building works at Wood Green School arising from new housing developments in north east Witney and the second (ED498/1) relates to developments on the Wood Green School site to accommodate secondary school age pupils of Springfield Special School.

The Executive is RECOMMENDED to approve project appraisals ED498/1 and ED594.

14. Treasury Management Activity 2002/03

Executive Member: Leader of the Council
Forward Plan Ref: 2003/049
Contact: Donna Ross, Financial Manager, Treasury Services (01865 815422)

Report by Head of Finance (EX14).

The CIPFA "Code of Practice for Treasury Management" recommends an annual report on the performance of the treasury management function after the close of the financial year. The report has been written in accordance with this recommendation and reviews the Council’s Treasury Management activity carried out during 2002/03.

Over the five years ended 31 March 2003 the percentage of fixed debt has increased from 79% to 91%. The Council has taken the opportunity over this period of borrowing long term from the Public Works Loan Board at good rates of interest. The Council undertook £8 million of debt restructuring during the year, maintaining its policy of only replacing prematurely repaid debt with loans of a similar maturity period. The restructuring generated a real interest saving of £124,932. In August 2003, the Council transferred £15 million to Alliance Capital, the external fund manager appointed after an extensive tender exercise in the previous financial year. This sum was transferred on the basis of the desirability of diversifying risk and to enhance the investment return on the Council’s cash balances. The transfer of funds to Alliance Capital produced a net increase in investment income of £21,648.

The Executive is RECOMMENDED to note the Council’s Treasury Management activity in 2002/03.

15. Forward Plan and Future Business
    
    (See also Addenda)
    

June 2003

ADDENDA

- Item of Urgent Business: Six Term School Year

4. Petitions and Public Address

Subject	Presenter
Traffic in Mill Street, Oxford	Mrs Frances Melvin 12 Barrett Street, Oxford

Item	Speaker
Item of Urgent Business	Councillor Robert Evans

12. Local Transport Plan – Annual Progress Report 2003

• the Scrutiny Committee welcomed the opportunity to contribute to the Local Transport Plan Working Group;
• the Scrutiny Committee expressed concern at the failure to meet targets on school trips by non-car modes under the better ways to school section of the Local Transport Plan and asked the Executive to consider whether more staff were needed to enable further progress on the Better Ways to School Scheme;
• the Scrutiny Committee expressed concern as some members felt that congestion was indeed a countywide problem.

15. Forward Plan and Future Business

Topic/Decision	Executive Area	Timing
"Sustainable Travel Towns" To consider an invitation from the Department for Transport to local authorities to submit "expressions of interest" in a new national funding programme	Transport	2 September 2003
Supporting People Commissioning Body To agree updated delegation and related arrangements in respect of the Council’s representation on the Oxfordshire Supporting People Commissioning Body	Community Care & Health	2 September 2003
New Primary School, Banbury To consider proposals for a new school on the former Cattle Market site	Learning & Culture	2 September 2003

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