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ITEM EX3

EXECUTIVE – 6 JULY 2004

Minutes of the Meeting commencing at 2.00 pm and finishing at 3.55 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.

158/04. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Keith R. Mitchell.

159/04. DECLARATION OF INTEREST

Councillor Neil Fawcett declared a prejudicial interest in Agenda Item 11 in so far as a professional associate had shares in one of the companies specified in the Appendix to the report.

Councillor Janet Godden declared a personal interest in Agenda Item 12 as a Governor of Matthew Arnold School.

160/04. MINUTES

The Minutes of the meeting held on 16 June 2004 were approved and signed.

161/04. ORDER OF BUSINESS

RESOLVED: to vary the order of business as indicated in these Minutes.

162/04. LOCAL GOVERNMENT OFFICES IN CENTRAL OXFORD

1. indicate that option 3(a) was the preferred option for further detailed investigation;
2. agree that a joint rationalisation of Headquarters space should be treated as a preferred element of the West End project;
3. indicate that sharing of civic functions was likely to be acceptable;
4. indicate that sharing of office accommodation was likely to be acceptable.

163/04. DEVELOPMENT OF COUNTYWIDE SPECIAL SCHOOL PROVISION INCLUDING WOODEATON MANOR AND IFFLEY MEAD SCHOOLS

(Agenda Item 6)

the Executive considered a report (EX6) on the statutory consultation agreed on 7 April 2004 in relation to proposals to re-designate Woodeaton Manor school for 40 pupils with emotional and social difficulties including up to 17 residential places and reduce the number of pupils at Northfield school from 80 to 60 places. The Executive also had before it a progress report from Oxford Archaeology on the Woodeaton Manor Conservation Plan commissioned on its behalf, and a formal objection by Woodeaton Parish Meeting in response to the statutory consultation.

Officers reported indicative costs of £168,000 for high priority repair needs at Woodeaton Manor identified by the school condition survey plus £100,000 per annum for repairs and maintenance which would need to be funded jointly by the Council and the school.

Responding to the letter from Woodeaton Parish Meeting, Mrs Tee confirmed that there were expected to be some economies arising from reduction in out-county residential placements and that otherwise the proposals were expected to be cost-neutral, but with a more effective matching of the needs of children with the available facilities.

RESOLVED: to:

(a) note the outcome of the statutory consultation process;

(b) adopt and act upon the recommendations in the Conservation Plan progress report; ask officers to review the funding arrangements for repairs and maintenance of Woodeaton Manor to reflect its special needs; and accept that additional funding would be required if repairs to other Council buildings are not to be excluded from the annual repairs and maintenance programme;

(c) agree to implement the proposals for Woodeaton Manor and Northfield Schools subject, in the event of the objection received not being withdrawn, to approval by the School Organisation Committee.

164/04. CROSS-THAMES TRAVEL

(Agenda Item 10)

On 15 June 2004 Council had adopted a motion by Councillor Peter Skolar in the following amended form: ‘This Council confirms its opposition to any third Thames bridge in the Reading/Chilterns area that would significantly increase car movements in southern Oxfordshire but recognises the need to find, in partnership with other relevant authorities, a solution to the existing bottlenecks. To this end the Council asks the Executive to reconvene the Cross Thames Steering Group (comprising members representing this Council, South Oxfordshire District Council and the neighbouring Berkshire Councils) to consider measures to relieve those bottlenecks.’

The Executive considered a report (EX10) which provided background information on cross-Thames travel issues and detailed the current planning framework.

Councillor Robertson advised that in paragraph 2 of Annex 1 to the report his name should be deleted and that of Councillor Tudor Hughes substituted, as one of the two County Council members on the Steering Group at that time.

Councillor Joslin urged that alternative ways be pursued of dealing with traffic volumes in the Reading area, such as employers’ travel plans, radical mass transit systems such as GTE, and restrictions on lorry movements.

RESOLVED: to press for the reconvening of the Cross Thames Steering Group as a forum for seeking agreement between the authorities on a joint approach towards the relief of cross-Thames travel problems.

165/04. FUTURE OF THE COMBINED HIGHWAY MAINTENANCE CONTRACT AND ARRANGEMENTS FOR PROCURING HIGHWAY CAPITAL WORKS

(Agenda Item 9)

The Executive had before them a report (EX9) which sought approval for a contract strategy to be used as a framework for renegotiating a Combined Maintenance Contract with Isis Accord by April 2006.

Councillor Harper urged that Isis Accord be required to show prominently on their vehicles the fact that they were working on behalf of the County Council. Mr Brown confirmed that there would be a requirement to show the County Council identity clearly.

RESOLVED: to:

1. approve the Contract Strategy set out in paragraphs 25 and 26 of the report and in more detail in Annex A;
2. endorse the extension of the existing contract by negotiation as described in the report, as a preferred option for the future Combined Maintenance Contract;
3. to note the extension of the Isis Accord Contract for one year up to March 2006 to enable time for renegotiation of the contract and if this should fail re-tendering of the contract; and
4. approve the development of a framework contract or contracts to cover works greater than £200K.
   
   

166/04. REPRESENTATION ON STRATEGIC OUTSIDE BODIES - DISTRICT LSPs

(Agenda Item 14)

The Executive considered a list of prospective County Council appointments to the Local Strategic Partnerships of the Oxfordshire District Councils as follows:-

Cherwell Janet Godden
Oxford City Dermot Roaf
South Oxfordshire John Farrow
Vale of White Horse Neil Fawcett
West Oxfordshire David Robertson

RESOLVED: that the five members identified be appointed to represent the County Council on the respective district Local Strategic Partnerships.

167/04. SUBSTANCE MISUSE STRATEGY

(Agenda Item 13)

The Executive gave further consideration arrangements for liaison on the development with the Oxfordshire Drug & Alcohol Action Team of a coordinated Substance Misuse Strategy.

RESOLVED: that the Executive Members for Community Safety and for Children & Young People be requested to oversee the further work arising from the Scrutiny Review of Drugs and Alcohol Misuse and in particular the work carried out by the Oxfordshire Drug & Alcohol Action Team.

168/04. FORWARD PLAN AND FUTURE BUSINESS

(Agenda Item 15)

The Executive considered a schedule (EX15) of items from the Forward Plan listed for the immediately forthcoming meetings of the Executive. Mr Leverton reported that the item listed for 20 July 2004 on the Transport Information Strategy for Bus Services (2004/018) would now be presented to the 7 September 2004 meeting.

RESOLVED: to note the items currently identified for forthcoming meetings.

169/04. LOCAL TRANSPORT PLAN

(Agenda Item 7)

The Executive considered a report (EX7) which outlined the Annual Progress Report to be submitted to the Government Office for the South East, together with the comments of the Environment Scrutiny Committee Panel thereon.

In relation to recommendations (b) and (c) of the report Councillor Joslin supported the preparation of a submission for Marcham Bypass and the adoption of radical solutions for major growth corridors, such as "ultra light rail" or "mini trams", in addition to GTE.

Councillor Power spoke in support of recommendation (c) of the report and highlighted his concerns in relation to transport policies in Oxford which in his view were failing to deliver relief from congestion.

Councillor Robertson expressed his support for the Environment Committee Panel’s advice and in relation to recommendation (vi) asked officers to investigate, with district council colleagues, the possibility of applying planning conditions that would compel companies both to put in place and comply with travel plans.

Mr Mann reported that reinterpretation in the light of advice from the Department for Transport showed that the 0.6% figure quoted in paragraph 14 of the report for increased bus journeys should be increased to 1.4%. Hew confirmed that possible alternatives to full GTE were being examined and the outcome would be reported back in the context of the Transport Networks Review in September.

RESOLVED: to:

1. authorise the Director for Environment & Economy, in consultation with the Executive Members for Transport and Sustainable Development, to finalise the Annual Progress Report for submission to the Government by 30 July 2004;
2. agree that a major scheme bid should be prepared for submission to the Government for the Marcham Bypass as part of the APR submission this year;
3. agree that no submission should be made to the Government for the GTE Scheme at present, and note officers will provide the Executive with an update on the scheme and alternative options in September/October.
   
   

170/04. WITNEY: COGGES LINK ROAD

(Agenda Item 8)

The Executive considered a report (EX8) which set out the findings and conclusions of the recently completed Environmental Impact Assessment of the Witney Cogges Link Road scheme, together with a new project appraisal in respect of the updated Cogges Link scheme.

RESOLVED: to:

1. note the findings and conclusions of the Environmental Impact Assessment;
2. approve the proposed variant of the Cogges Link Scheme, without the link road to Stanton Harcourt Road or its associated roundabout, to be pursued through the planning process for construction as part of the County Council’s Capital Programme;
3. approve the revised Project Appraisal for Cogges Link as set out in Annex 7 to the report;
4. confirm the intention to construct West End Link Stage 2, as identified in the Development Plan, as part of the future transport programme for Witney, as a complementary scheme to Cogges Link.
5. approve the addition of the hatched areas shown on Annex 9 to plots 9, 10 and 11, for acquisition by Compulsory Purchase Order or by agreement.
   
   

171/04. TREASURY MANAGEMENT OUTTURN 2003/04

(Agenda Item 11)

(Councillor Fawcett left the room for the duration of this item).

The Executive considered a report (EX11) on the Council’s Treasury Management activity carried out during 2003/04, which also reviewed the Council’s lending list and made proposals for additions to the list.

RESOLVED: to:

1. note the Council’s Treasury Management activity carried out in 2003/04;
2. approve the credit rating criteria matrices given in Annex 2 to the Appendix to the report as the basis for including banks and building societies on future lending lists from 12 July 2004;
3. agree the introduction of sector and maturity limits as shown in Annex 4 to the Appendix to minimise credit risk to the Authority;
4. authorise the Head of Finance to make amendments to the lending list from time to time in accordance with the principles set out in the Appendix.
   
   

172/04. EDUCATION PROJECT APPRAISALS: MATTHEW ARNOLD SCHOOL, CUMNOR; GREENMERE PRIMARY SCHOOL, DIDCOT

in the Chair

Date of signing 2004

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