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To Members of the Executive

Notice of a Meeting of the Executive

Tuesday 18 May 2004 at 2.00 pm

County Hall, Oxford


Chris Impey
Assistant Chief Executive

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

Membership

Councillors

 

 

Keith R Mitchell

-

Leader of the Council

Dermot Roaf

-

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 Sustainable Development

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 26 May 2004 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

    4. To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 4 May 2004 (EX3) and to receive for information any matters arising therefrom.

  4. Petitions and Public Address

  5. Financial Monitoring

    6. Executive Member: Leader of the Council
    Forward Plan Ref: 2003/228
    Contact: Mike Petty, Principal Financial Manager (01865 815622)

    Report by Head of Finance (EX5).

    This is the penultimate financial monitoring report for 2003/04 and shows the position at the end of March. The report indicates that the Council’s finances are stable overall. The overall forecast for the consolidated balances at the end of year is £5.763m compared to £5.334m reported last time. There is an increase in the overall Service Directorates’ carry forward position of £0.429m. The outturn position on schools’ balances appears to be much better than they had been reporting and will certainly be significantly more than the forecast nil balances.

    The report includes staffing figures for the quarter ending 31 March.

    A full provisional outturn report for revenue and capital will be presented to the 16 June Executive.

    The Executive is RECOMMENDED to note the report.

  6. Raising Our Performance 2

    7. Executive Member: Leader of the Council
    Forward Plan Ref: 2003/240
    Contact: Susan Roberts, Performance & Review Adviser (01865 815425)

    Report by Chief Executive (EX6).

    This is the first progress report to the Executive on the implementation of Raising our Performance 2 - the County Council’s improvement plan. The County Council Management Team is monitoring implementation quarterly, and progress reports are being submitted twice a year to the Executive. The implementation plan contains short, medium and longer term actions. The report shows that good progress is being made in achieving the substance of almost all of the actions. Overall this is an encouraging first report.

    The report draws attention to some areas worthy of particular comment or where further action has proved necessary: good progress has now been made in developing an HR strategy to help us meet the needs of both the Council and its employees; further work is under way to address the need to develop a more corporate approach to employee development and improve manager effectiveness; there is a commitment to improving MIS functionality, and an external review is being commissioned to aid this; action is being taken to rectify weaknesses in accounting procedures and income generation affecting Social & Health Care and an additional success criterion relating to this has been included in the implementation plan.

    The Executive is RECOMMENDED to endorse the progress being made in implementing the Council’s improvement plan.

  7. Capital Programme 2004/05 - 2006/07

Executive Member: Leader of the Council
Forward Plan Ref: 2004/052
Contact: Mike Petty, Principal Financial Manager (01865 815622)

Report by Head of Finance (EX7).

This report sets out the revised estimated financial position on the Capital Programme for 2003/04, updates the Capital Programme for Transport and Learning & Culture in line with recommendations approved by Council in February and the addition of projects approved in January to be added to the programme in 2004/05. The Transport Capital Programme was approved by the Executive on 16 March. This is reflected in a revised capital programme booklet which is circulated with the agenda.

There is a potential funding deficit of £1.4m in 2003/04. It is anticipated that this position can be balanced by slippage in payments on the capital programme as the capital accounts for 2003/04 are finalised. The programme overall is only showing a surplus of £1.7m to the end of 2004/05, and there are insufficient resources available to fund identified Education requirements. The main reason for the shortfall relates to the slippage in capital receipts from 2004/05 to 2005/06. The report proposes that the Capital Programme and Asset Management Steering Group should investigate how this should be dealt with, and also how funding available for Education in future years should be allocated.

The Executive is RECOMMENDED to:

          1. note the report; and

          2. ask the Capital Programme and Asset Management Steering Group:

            1. to consider the funding position on the programme for 2004/05 and bring forward to the Executive in June proposals as to how this position can be resolved;

            2. to consider and bring forward proposals for a provisional allocation of the resources which will be available to Education in a three year capital programme.

  1. Local Area Working

    2. Executive Member: Leader of the Council
    Forward Plan Ref: 2003/209
    Contact: Stephen Capaldi (01865 815466)

    Report by Assistant Chief Executive (EX8).

    This report reviews progress on local area working issues and proposes further action in the context of the decisions of the County Council on 13 January 2004 that joint area forums in South Oxfordshire should continue for 2004/05 and that the opportunity to develop similar arrangements with other districts should be explored

    The report concludes that good progress has been achieved in local partnership working during the last year but that much remains to be done in order to more effectively reflect the needs of local communities in the work of the County Council. With county elections approaching the report suggests that it is not appropriate to adopt a long term strategy, but that we do need to use the next year to experiment with a variety of initiatives and keep abreast of the strategies being adopted elsewhere.

    Equally important is the need to integrate local area working with existing management and political machinery and with other changes taking place over the medium term. The report includes a short and medium term action plan. The County Council Management Team supports these proposals and in particular feels that improvements to customer service and partnership working with town and parish councils should be our priority.

    The Executive is RECOMMENDED to consider whether to:

    (a) recommend the Council to agree in principle to formal County participation in area forums in Oxford City and/or the Vale;

    (b) recommend the Council (in the absence of existing budgetary provision for this purpose) to agree the creation of a Communities Team in the Chief Executive’s Office to undertake the functions described in the report;

    (c) endorse the Five Year Plan at Annex 5 to the report, subject to any amendment required by decisions on (a) and (b) above;

    and to review progress on agreed actions and consider next steps in Summer 2005.

  2. Regional Minerals and Waste Management Strategies

Executive Member: Sustainable Development
Forward Plan Ref: 2004/019
Contact: Peter Day (01865 5544)

Report by Head of Sustainable Development (EX9).

The South East England Regional Assembly (SEERA) has published two sets of Proposed Alterations to Regional Planning Guidance, South East: a Regional Minerals Strategy (RMS); and a Regional Waste Management Strategy (RWMS) for comments to be made to the Secretary of State. A Public Examination into the proposed alterations by an independent Panel is to be held in October. The RMS and RWMS will give guidance to mineral and waste planning authorities on policies for the future supply of minerals and management of waste.

The RMS promotes a ‘natural resource management’ approach to minerals planning. It includes policies for reducing demand for minerals, recycling of previously used materials, and the supply of newly extracted minerals to meet residual need. The RWMS also takes a resource management approach. It includes policies to reduce waste production, increase re-use, recycling and recovery of resources from waste, and reduce the amount of waste disposed by landfill.

The RMS and RWMS generally provide a regional policy framework that will help the development of minerals and waste policy at county level and, subject to some detailed comments, the policies are largely to be welcomed. However, the proposed aggregates apportionment is based on a flawed methodology and places an unfair and unacceptable burden on Oxfordshire and a strong objection should be raised. Objections should also be made to policies in both strategies which would undermine protection of the green belt, and to the increased recycling targets for municipal waste as it is not clear how they relate to national targets and whether they are achievable.

The Executive is RECOMMENDED to:

          1. agree to the report forming the basis of the County Council’s comments to the Secretary of State on the Proposed Alterations to Regional Planning Guidance, South East – Regional Minerals Strategy and Regional Waste Management Strategy, with particular reference to policies for:

            1. aggregates recycling and other waste management facilities in the green belt;

            2. primary aggregates provision (apportionment);

            3. minerals safeguarding;

            4. landfill provision for waste from London;

            5. targets for recycling and composting of municipal waste; and

            6. development plan provision for and safeguarding of waste sites;

          2. in particular, raise strong objection to the aggregates apportionment proposed in Policy M5, on the grounds set out in paragraphs 13 and 14 of the report;

          3. authorise the Director for Environment & Economy to seek participation in the Public Examination, in particular in relation to the aggregates apportionment.

  1. Didcot Area Integrated Transport Strategy

    2. Executive Member: Transport
    Forward Plan Ref: 2004/017A
    Contact: Jacqui Cox, Senior Transport Planner (01865 815713)

    Report by Head of Transport (EX10).

    The Executive on 20 April agreed to defer consideration of the report on the Didcot Area Integrated Transport Strategy to enable the Town Council to respond to the Phase 1 proposals which were presented to that meeting following consideration by the ITS Members Steering Group.

    A letter confirming Didcot Town Council’s position was received on 27 April 2004. In it the Town Council endorsed those recommended proposals of the ITS First Phase that relate to Didcot, while recognising that this is a rolling programme depending on available funding and detailed design and consultation with those directly affected. In the light of this the Executive is recommended now to approve the Phase 1 proposals as submitted from the Members Steering Group.

    The Town Council’s letter also raised concerns about matters not covered by the Phase 1 strategy. A summary of their concerns and officer responses are given in the report.

    The Executive is RECOMMENDED to:

    (a) approve Phase 1 of the Didcot Area Integrated Transport Strategy as summarised in the report to the 20 April meeting of the Executive and as described in detail in Halcrow’s Final Report;

    (b) note the further comments made by Didcot Town Council and endorse the response set out in the report.

  2. Adult Learning Plan 2004/05

    (EX11)

    3. Executive Member: Learning & Culture
    Forward Plan Ref: 2003/214
    Contact: Mari Pritchard, Head of Adult and Community Learning (01865 815153)

    The Director for Learning & Culture reports as follows:-

    The Adult Learning Plan 2004/05 is one of the strategic plans which are subject to approval by full Council following consideration by both the Executive and relevant Scrutiny Committee in accordance with the Budget and Policy Framework Procedure Rules set out in the Constitution. The Executive on 20 April authorised consultation with the Learning & Culture Scrutiny Committee on initial proposals for the Plan based on the outline set out in the report by the Director for Learning & Culture at that meeting, with an invitation to make comments in time for the Executive to consider these at this meeting and make recommendations to Council on 15 June. The advice and comments of the Learning & Culture Scrutiny Committee (which is due to consider the report at its meeting on 11 May) will be reported at the meeting.

    Subject to any comments received from the Learning & Culture Scrutiny Committee, the Executive is RECOMMENDED to RECOMMEND Council to approve the Adult Learning Plan 2004/05 for submission to the Learning & Skills Council.

  3. Scrutiny Review of Drugs and Alcohol Misuse: "Not Just a Quick Fix"

Executive Member: Children & Young People, Schools
Forward Plan Ref: 2003/200
Contact: Monica Hanaway, Head of Youth Service; Shannon Moore, Senior Adviser; Mike Simm, Head of Community Safety (01865 815690/428116/202218)

Report by Director for Learning & Culture and Director for Community Safety (EX12).

The Executive received the report of the Community Safety Scrutiny Committee’s Review of Drugs and Alcohol Misuse on 14 October 2003 and agreed the generality of its recommendations. This report gives a brief outline of progress as requested by the Executive. This appears in the form of an overall action plan, showing aspects where progress is assessed as on target; those which are progressing but need further attention; and those where little progress has been made and are now priorities for attention. Also included is a draft action plan specifically for the newly established Drug Education Team in the Learning & Culture Directorate in the light of feedback from a conference which they organised in March, "Not Just a Quick Fix – the Future of Drug Education in Oxfordshire".

A number of the Scrutiny Review recommendations were referred to the Oxfordshire Drug and Alcohol Action Team (DAAT) whose role is to implement and co-ordinate the Government’s National Drugs Strategy at county level. The recommendations from the Review report were presented to the DAAT Board in November 2003. The response from the DAAT is included in the report and Kurt Moxley, their Director, will be at the meeting and will be able to respond to any questions.

The Executive is RECOMMENDED to:

    1. note the progress made and further actions proposed in the Drug & Alcohol Action Team’s report at Annex 3 and the Action Plans at Annex 4 and 5;

    2. ask officers to keep the Executive Members for Children & Young People, Schools and Community Safety informed of future progress.

  1. Forward Plan and Future Business

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 2004, is 17 June. It will be necessary to determine its content at the meeting on 1 June, but members may wish at the present meeting to identify any changes they would wish to have incorporated in the next update.

In the meantime, a list of items from the Forward Plan for the immediately forthcoming meetings is attached (EX13) (download as .doc file).

The Executive is RECOMMENDED, subject to any changes and/or additional items it would wish to see incorporated in the next Forward Plan, to note the items currently identified for forthcoming meetings.

May 2004

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