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ITEM EX3

EXECUTIVE – 14 OCTOBER 2003

Minutes of the Meeting commencing at 2.00 pm and finishing at 5.50pm

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 and reports and schedule, copies of which are attached to the signed Minutes.

230/03. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor John Farrow.

231/03. DECLARATION OF INTEREST

Councillors Purse, Mitchell and M Godden declared personal non-prejudicial interests in respect of items 7 (Woodeaton Manor and Iffley Mead Special Schools), 8 (Secondary Education in the Banbury Area) and 17 (Development of John Henry Newman and Windmill Schools, Oxford – Project Appraisals) respectively, by virtue of their position as governors at certain of the schools concerned.

232/03. MINUTES

The Minutes of the meeting held on 30 September 2003 were approved and signed.

233/03. PETITIONS AND PUBLIC ADDRESS

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

Request from	Agenda Item
Julian Bernard, Deputy Head, Drayton School	8 – Secondary Education in the Banbury Area

234/03. OXFORD'S WEST END

(Agenda Item 5)

The Executive considered a report (EX5) which outlined the findings of a three-month initial study into the options and opportunities for a renaissance of the West End of the City.

The report examined the implications of the suggestion that the vision needed to be implemented and driven forward through the establishment of a separate delivery agency, with the possibility of bringing in a development partner for particular key areas. The consultants’ report recommended that this should be done through the creation of a Development Framework, which would need to take into account the key issue of whether or not the Station could be relocated.

Councillor Power, local member for Oxford West, spoke against the recommendations set out in the report, on the basis of lack of local support for the proposals and the cost of consultant’s fees when there was already considerable private sector investment in the area. He further expressed concern regarding the lack of consultation with the local members on proposals within their area.

Councillor Hollingsworth spoke in support of the recommendations. He welcomed the opportunity for partnership working with the County Council and SEEDA and the opportunity for creating local prosperity in Oxford’s West End. He confirmed that the City Executive Board the preceding day had adopted the recommendations in the report now before the Executive.

RESOLVED:

1. to recommend the Council: -

1. to receive the consultants’ report and thank them for their work;
2. to agree, in principle, to support the project of co-ordinating and taking forward a renaissance of the West End of Oxford;
3. to agree specifically at this stage:-

• the commissioning of the Development Framework and feasibility studies in the current financial year;
• the commissioning of further work by officers on the engagement of key project staff and the nature and form of an appropriate delivery agency, with a further joint report on the outcome of that work before agreeing to the engagement of staff or the establishment of any particular agency;
• the production of Supplementary Planning Guidance, at the appropriate time, on the key West End sites to help provide detailed development guidelines as specified in the Second Draft Oxford Local Plan Section 14;

4. on the assumption that SEEDA would contribute one third of the costs, to make financial provision to support the next stage of the project amounting to:

• £60,000 from each Council in 2003/04; and
• £150,000 from each Council in 2004/05;

5. to request the Steering Group to consider and establish appropriate consultative arrangements to include members, representatives of local residents, business organisations, other stakeholders and landowners in the West End;
6. to ask the Steering Group to oversee the project, commission further joint officer work and report back to the Executives of both Councils where appropriate;

b. to note that preliminary European Journal notices would be prepared on a no commitment basis.

235/03. CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS – INCLUSION STRATEGY

(Agenda Item 6)

The Executive considered a report (EX6) which outlined the consultation responses to the proposals on inclusion of children with special educational needs, and proposals for the membership and terms of reference for an SEN Development Partnership Group to co-ordinate further work on the SEN Strategy.

Councillor Crabbe commended Mrs Tee and her team for their work on producing the Strategy.

RESOLVED: to:

1. approve the draft SEN Strategy for consultation;
2. approve the membership and terms of reference for the SEN Partnership and ask officers to make arrangements to convene the SEN Partnership.
   
   

236/03. WOODEATON MANOR AND IFFLEY MEAD SPECIAL SCHOOLS

(Agenda Item 7)

The Executive considered a report (EX7) which outlined the consultation responses on the six options in relation to Woodeaton Manor and Iffley Mead identified in the Member Panel report on the inclusion of children with special educational needs.

RESOLVED: to:

1. note that the response to consultation on the options previously identified for Woodeaton Manor and Iffley Mead had highlighted three clear alternatives favoured by different respondents and confirm that further work should concentrate on those alternatives;
2. ask the Director for Learning & Culture to carry out the further work described in the report in respect of those alternatives and to report back in December on the outcome of this work, with detailed options for formal consultation.
   
   

237/03. SECONDARY EDUCATION IN THE BANBURY AREA

(Agenda Item 8)

In May 2003 the Executive had considered a report, arising from which it had been agreed that feasibility work should be undertaken on a locally generated suggestion for reorganisation (i.e. that Drayton and Blessed George Napier Schools should effectively swap sites, thus permitting the relocated Drayton School to amalgamate with Banbury School on one campus). It now considered a report (EX8) which noted some of the ideas which had emerged from local debate and offered an initial assessment of their potential for promoting higher standards, but also noted some variables which it was felt were not sufficiently controlled at the present time to reach firmer conclusions.

Mr Bernard spoke on behalf of the staff of Drayton School, taking into account views from both parents and governors of the school. He urged the Executive to reject Options A – D and to employ a project team to develop an integrated model including a broader curriculum with a greater emphasis on vocational skills and options for addressing the 14 –19 agenda across the Banbury area, including joint working between the schools, local FE college and local Learning and Skills Council.

RESOLVED:

1. to record that the Executive:

b. to ask officers to:

238/03. DEVELOPING THE FOUNDATION STAGE OF LEARNING IN OXFORDSHIRE – INVESTING IN PRIMARY SCHOOL BUILDING AND FACILITIES

(Agenda Item 9)

The Executive considered a report (EX9) which outlined proposals for investment in early years and childcare provision on primary school sites over the next five to ten years.

In response to a question raised by Councillor Hodgson regarding the possible closure of Stonesfield Nursery, Mr Harmes assured Councillor Hodgson and the Executive that there would be no pre-emptive action to close nurseries.

RESOLVED: to:

1. support in principle the proposal to establish an Early Years Investment Fund for primary school buildings starting in April 2004 and extending over a period of five years in the first instance;
2. consider this proposal further and the preferred method of financing it as part of forthcoming discussions on the Council’s Budget and Capital Programme for 2004/05 and beyond;
3. approve subject to (a) and (b) above the high priority criteria for allocations from the Fund as set out in paragraph 19 of the report;
4. approve the scheme for setting up new Foundation Stage Units from September 2004 as set out in paragraphs 25 to 27.
5. ask officers to report annually in the context of budget preparation on progress towards meeting the identified needs.
   
   

239/03. LIBRARY OPENING HOURS

(Agenda Item 10)

The Executive considered a report (EX10) which outlined proposals to meet the Public Library Standard of 128 aggregate opening hours per thousand population per annum by April 2004.

Councillor Hodgson spoke against the proposed reduction of hours at Charlbury Library. He urged the Executive to reconsider the proposal, particularly in light of the proposed new community centre which would include a larger library. He also referred to similar objections to proposed reductions at Eynsham Library.

Councillor Cooper spoke on behalf of the local people of Woodstock against the proposed reduction of hours at Woodstock Library. He welcomed the enhancement of the mobile service but urged the Executive to reconsider the reduction of hours at the library in Woodstock.

Mr Coggins and Councillor Fawcett, referring to the historical reasons for the existing enhanced opening hours in West Oxfordshire libraries, emphasized that the present proposals sought to achieve a fair distribution across the County.

RESOLVED: to:

1. approve in principle the approach advocated in the report for the second phase of increased opening hours and associated matters, with implementation from February 2005 in consultation with library users;
2. keep the opening of branch libraries in the period between Christmas and the new Year under review;
3. note the financial implications of Phase Two for consideration as part of the budget setting process for 2004/05;
4. approve the Mobile Library Service Charter (Annex 4); and
5. approve the new Criteria for Mobile Library Stops (Annex 5).
   
   

240/03. OPERATION OF THE COUNTY MUSEUMS SERVICE – SCRUTINY REVIEW

(Agenda Item 11)

The Executive considered a report (EX11) which responded to the recommendations made in the Scrutiny Review of the County Museums Service which had been accepted (amended in respect of Recommendation 9) by the Executive on 8 July 2003. The report outlined the proposals and budget implications for implementing the recommendations.

RESOLVED: to:

1. note and (subject to (b) below) endorse the progress made and planned in implementing the Scrutiny Review recommendations;
2. note that further progress on a number of the recommendations from the Scrutiny Review would be subject to allocation of funding in 2004/05 and subsequent years.
   
   

241/03. HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE FINANCIAL ISSUES IN OXFORDSHIRE

(Agenda Item 12)

The Executive had before them a report (EX12) which consided a possible increased County Council contribution to the pooled residential and nursing care budget for the current year under the provisions of Section 28BB of the National Health Service Act 1977, as an effective means of protecting Social & Health Care clients.

The Leader of the Council reported that the Chair of the Social & Health Care Scrutiny Committee had indicated that the Scrutiny Committee would be considering the proposals at its meeting on 29 October 2003.

RESOLVED: to defer decision on this item to 11 November 2003.

242/03. RIGHTS OF WAY IMPROVEMENT PLAN

(Agenda Item 13)

The Executive considered a report (EX13) which outlined a five-stage Action Plan needed to deliver the preparation of Oxfordshire’s Rights of Way Improvement Plan within the context of the published regulations and guidance, the Oxfordshire Plan and the timescale of the Local Transport Plan.

Councillor Hodgson reported on a letter from the Vice-Chair of the Oxfordshire Countryside Access Forum which was critical of the performance of the County Council in maintaining the rights of way network.

RESOLVED: to:

1. approve the five stage process for the preparation of the Oxfordshire Rights of Way Improvement Plan and instruct officers to progress the preparation of the Plan in line with this process;
2. agree the establishment of an informal working group of relevant officers, the Executive Member for Learning & Culture and the Executive Member for Transport, to ensure that the Action Plan was delivered effectively.
   
   

243/03. DRUGS & ALCOHOL: "NOT JUST A QUICK FIX" - SCRUTINY REVIEW

(Agenda Item 14)

The Executive considered a report (EX14) based on the findings of the Lead Member Review Group which had been set up by the Community Safety Scrutiny Committee to carry out this review. The Community Safety Scrutiny Committee had agreed the report, as amended, for submission to the Executive.

Councillor Witcher, on behalf of the Review Group, gave a presentation outlining the findings of the Review.

Members of the Executive thanked the Review Group members for their work on the Review.

RESOLVED:

1. to welcome the Scrutiny Review report and thank the Community Safety Scrutiny Committee and its Review Group for the hard work invested in it, the clarity of its presentation and the substance of its findings and conclusions;
2. to ask officers to proceed with the implementation as soon as practicable of the following recommendations of the Review report:

2 schools to work with the new School Drug Adviser;

11 (subject to (d)7 below) development of a co-ordinated substance misuse strategy; and

13 creation of a local referral guide and manual, subject to enquiry to find whether a suitable model already exists;

3. to ask the members of the Scrutiny Review Group to join with officers and the Executive Members for Schools and Children & Young People in exploring how best to make a co-ordinated approach to schools in response to the following recommendations of the Review report, across the spectrum of pupil support:

d. to refer the following recommendations of the Review report to the Drug & Alcohol Action Team to take lead responsibility:

4 accreditation of drugs education advisers;

7 creation of a Drugs Prevention Coordinator post;

9 production of a communications strategy;

12 establishment of a human resources strategy dealing with training needs; and

14 development of a combined strategy with health and police partners;

and to request a brief progress report by April 2004;

e. not to take any action for the time being on recommendation 8 (audit of need to inform detached youth work deployment), in the light of previous surveys and audits of need and the likelihood that a new survey would not add sufficient new knowledge to justify the time and expense of carrying it out;

f. to note the reference to the Health Overview & Scrutiny Committee (recommendation 15) to advise on anti-smoking issues.

244/03. RECRUITMENT & RETENTION OF TEACHERS AND SUPPORT STAFF – SCRUTINY REVIEW

(Agenda Item 15

The Executive considered a report (EX15) based on the findings of the Lead Member Review Group which had been set up by the Learning & Culture Scrutiny Committee to carry out this review. The Learning & Culture Scrutiny Committee had agreed the report for submission to the Executive.

Members of the Lead Member Review Group, Councillors Robert Evans, Steve Haywood and Jim Moley, gave a joint presentation on the Review.

Members of the Executive thanked the Review Group members for their work on the Review.

RESOLVED: to ask officers to assess the implications of the Review report recommendations and report back, with costings, within two months.

245/03. NEW PRIMARY SCHOOL, CATTLE MARKET, BANBURY – LAND ACQUISITION

(Agenda Item 16)

The Executive considered a report (EX16) which sought approval to proceed with the acquisition of land for the purposes of a new primary school project in Banbury.

Councillor Sandra Mold urged the Executive to give proper consideration to the possibility of amalgamating the new school with Dashwood School.

RESOLVED: to authorise the acquisition of the land for the proposed school on the basis set out in the report.

246/03. DEVELOPMENT OF JOHN HENRY NEWMAN AND WINDMILL SCHOOLS, OXFORD – PROJECT APPRAISALS

(Agenda Item 17)

The Executive considered a report (EX17) which sought approval for project appraisals in respect of cost increases arising from additional works being carried out to these schools to bring them up to standard to serve in the new 2-tier school system in Oxford City.

RESOLVED: to approve project appraised 505/2 and 517/2.

247/03. FORWARD PLAN AND FUTURE BUSINESS

(Agenda Item 18)

The Executive considered schedules of proposed additions and amendments to the Forward Plan together with a list for the next two meetings, revised as set out in the Schedule of Addenda.

RESOLVED to:

1. agree the additions and amendments set out in Schedules 1 - 3 (as revised) for the purpose of the Forward Plan for the ensuing four months;
2. subject to (a) above, note the items currently identified for forthcoming meetings as set out in Schedule 4.

in the Chair

Date of signing 2003

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