Meeting documents

Cabinet
Wednesday, 21 June 2006

CA210606-03

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ITEM CA3

CABINET – 6 JUNE 2006

Minutes of the Meeting commencing at 2.00 pm and finishing at 3:25 pm

Present:

Voting Members:

Councillor Keith R Mitchell – in the chair

Councillor Roger Belson
Councillor Louise Chapman
Councillor Jim Couchman
Councillor John Howell
Councillor Ray Jelf
C
ouncillor David Robertson
Councillor Don Seale

Councillor C.H. Shouler

Councillor Michael Wain

Other Members in Attendance:

Councillor Zoé Patrick (for Agenda Items 6 & 13)
Councillor Jean Fooks (for Agenda Item 9)

Officers:

Whole of meeting: Chief Executive, J. Leverton and M. Bayliss (Chief Executive’s Office).

Part of meeting: S. Capaldi (Chief Executive’s Office); L. Baxter, N. Monaghan, H. Perkins (Resources); I. Walker, B. Yendole (Environment & Economy); R. Leach (Children, Young People & Families); C. Thomas (Community Safety).

The Cabinet 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.

    92/06. DECLARATION OF INTEREST

    Item 8: Draft South East Plan - Housing Distribution

    Councillor Mitchell declared a personal interest, on the grounds that he was the Chairman of the South East England Regional Assembly (SEERA).

    93/06. MINUTES

    The Minutes of the meeting held on 16 May 2006 were approved and signed.

    94/06. REVENUE BUDGET 2006/07

    (Agenda Item 5)

    The Cabinet considered a report (CA5) that set out a number of factors that made it necessary to amend the agreed budget for some Services and Directorates for 2006/07. Accompanying the report was an amended Medium Term Financial Plan 2006/07 – 2010/11, a schedule of the required changes and an amended detailed Revenue Budget 2006/07.

    RESOLVED: to RECOMMEND Council to approve the changes to the agreed budget for 2006/07, the amended detailed budget for 2006/07 and the amended Medium Term Financial Plan 2006/07 – 2010/11.

    95/06. OXFORDSHIRE PLAN – ANNUAL REPORT

    (Agenda Item 6)

    The Cabinet considered the draft Annual Report (CA6) which provided an overview of the previous year and highlighted the Council's achievements and successes.

    Councillor Patrick, speaking as Leader of the Opposition, highlighted several factual and grammatical errors within the draft Annual Report, including a number raised by the Corporate Governance Scrutiny Committee, but recognised that this was due to its still being in draft form. She believed that it would be a considerable challenge for the Cabinet to absorb the major new housing provision into Oxfordshire’s communities.

    The Leader of the Council confirmed that the current document was by way of an early working draft and that the comments from the Corporate Governance Scrutiny Committee would be taken into account in the final draft to be presented to Council.

    RESOLVED: to approve the draft Annual Report as the basis for submission to the Council on 20 June for approval, incorporating the necessary detailed appendices and any presentational and editorial changes agreed by the Leader of the Council and the Chief Executive.

    96/06. PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT

    (Agenda Item 7)

    The Cabinet considered the quarterly report (CA7) that covered performance to date for 2005/06. Councillor Howell welcomed the new format as the way forward for future Performance Management reporting.

    In relation to the PSA efficiency target Mr Capaldi reported that although the outcome depended on performance across all six Oxfordshire authorities, there was a good prospect of at least partial achievement of target.

    RESOLVED: to note the report.

    97/06. SOUTH EAST PLAN

    (Agenda Item 8)

    The Cabinet considered a report (CA8) suggesting a form of response to current consultation on the South East Plan.

    With reference to paragraph 14 of Annex 1 to the report, Councillor Shouler expressed concern over the lack of Government commitment to the financing of affordable housing, potentially prejudicing the provision of other necessary infrastructure in connection with new developments through local planning agreements. It was noted that this point would be pressed at the examination in public if the opportunity arose.

    RESOLVED: to:

    1. endorse the comments in the report and in Annex 1 for submission to the Panel as this Council’s comments on the draft Plan submitted to Government;
    2. express this Council’s wish to attend the forthcoming examination in public - as the principal authority responsible for advising SEERA on the Central Oxfordshire strategy and a key agent in planning, providing and building communities;
    3. authorise the Head of Sustainable Development, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Sustainable Development, to undertake the necessary work in preparation for and appearance at the examination in public.

    98/06. DRAYTON SCHOOL, BANBURY: CREATION OF AN ACADEMY

    (Agenda Item 9)

    The Cabinet considered reports (CA9 and supplement) which summarised the outcome of consultation that had taken place on the proposed closure of Drayton School linked to the opening of an Academy on the site of the School.

    Councillor Fooks, speaking on behalf of the Shadow Cabinet Member for Schools Improvement, expressed her doubts as to whether an Academy at Drayton campus was the correct solution and her concerns regarding the poor response to consultation. She felt there were a great number of uncertainties surrounding the proposals, such as finance, teacher pay and recruitment, admissions arrangements, co-ordination with other County provision and effects on other schools. She welcomed the sponsors’ enthusiasm towards local partnership and hoped that the creation of the Academy would address some of the concerns regarding education provision in Banbury and surrounding areas.

    In response, Councillor Waine reported that meetings between the school and parents had been very well attended and he believed that most of the issues raised had been fully dealt with there. He thanked the Officers involved for their highly professional support at those meetings. He furthermore indicated that parents had been very supportive of the changes taking place and they recognised the radical approach that was needed. He was well aware of the potential impact on Banbury School and confirmed that the Cabinet would continue to work with officers and the school to make the proposals work in the context of the overall commitment to the education system in Oxfordshire.

    RESOLVED:

    1. noting the outcome of the consultation, to proceed with the proposal to close Drayton School, conditional upon the creation of the academy in its place;
    2. to authorise the publication of statutory notices, with the referral of the proposals to the School Organisation Committee should there be any objections;
    3. (without prejudice to the general authorisation agreed by the Cabinet on 6 December 2005) to authorise the Cabinet Member for Schools Improvement to determine that the proposals should be implemented if no objections were received.

    99/06. REGIONAL FIRE & RESCUE CONTROL CENTRES - GOVERNANCE

    (Agenda Item 10)

    The Cabinet considered a report (CA10) proposing a response to the second consultation on governance arrangements for the Regional Fire Control Project undertaken by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister/Department for Communities and Local Government. This proposed response was based on the Government’s view that a Local Authority Company still presented the best option and sought to clarify the remaining areas that required resolution.

    RESOLVED: to:

    1. confirm the previous position put forward on behalf of the Cabinet that a Local Authority Company remained the best option to provide a controlling entity for the Regional Control Centre, subject to demonstration of the ability to discharge the Authority's best value obligations and to the satisfactory resolution of all other outstanding issues, including company structure, business planning and business case, finance, taxation, VAT and other relevant issues;
    2. approve the response to the consultation on regional fire control governance arrangements.

    100/06. FOOD LAW ENFORCEMENT SERVICE PLAN

    (Agenda Item 11)

    The Cabinet considered a report (CA11) on the Food Law Enforcement Service Plan together with a draft Plan.

    RESOLVED: to approve the Food Law Enforcement Service Plan for submission to the Food Standards Agency.

    101/06. CHIPPING NORTON DEPOT

    (Agenda Item 12)

    The Cabinet considered a report (CA12) on the sale of surplus Highways Depot land at Chipping Norton. The report contained details of the bids for the land, the District Council’s advice, the relevant County Council policies, and the recommendation of the Capital Steering Group.

    Mr Monaghan reported that Stockdale Land Limited had now indicated that their bid was on the basis that the access road would be constructed by the developer. Although this made their bid more attractive it did not alter his conclusions and recommendations as set out in the report.

    RESOLVED:

    1. to authorise acceptance of the offer submitted by CETA Limited for the purchase of the former Highways Depot land at Chipping Norton under the provisions of the General Disposal Consent (England) 2003, on the basis outlined in the report, subject to a condition of sale, to the satisfaction of the Head of Property in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Finance, to secure the County Council’s ability to recoup an appropriate amount in consideration of the difference between the commercial value of the land and the actual price paid, in the event of CETA reselling the land;
    2. that the difference between the highest bid for the purchase of the land and the bid from CETA, be deducted from the funds currently reserved to assist with the generation of new employment in Chipping Norton.

    102/06. DELEGATION TO CABINET MEMBERS

    (Agenda Item 13

    The Cabinet considered a report (CA13) whichproposed that individual Cabinet Members should be enabled in future to discharge executive functions in their own right, coupled with a reduction in the number of meetings of the full Cabinet to one per month.

    Councillor Patrick, speaking as Leader of the Opposition, was concerned that the new arrangements might result in changes to the call in process and enquired as to how members would be notified of the timetables for meetings, given that there would now be individual member sessions. She was also concerned as to whether the organisation of irregular meetings could result in items being agreed without due process and jeopardise the established open and democratic system.

    The Leader of the Council assured Councillor Patrick that the same degree of openness and due process as presently existed would be adhered to under the new system. All decisions to be taken would appear in the Forward Plan and be timetabled accordingly. The meetings would retain the same level of accessibility and be subject to the same rights of audience. The Leader also undertook that guidance would be distributed to all councillors regarding the operation of the delegation process when details had been finalised.

    RESOLVED: to:

    1. confirm the arrangements for the discharge by individual Cabinet Members of executive functions to the extent and in the manner set out in the report, to take effect from 1 September 2006, with the Transport Implementation Committee wound up with effect from the same date;
    2. authorise the Head of Democratic Services to take all necessary steps to bring the arrangements into effect from that date, including:
        1. the setting of provisional dates and venues for decision meetings for each Cabinet portfolio, in consultation with the respective Cabinet Members and relevant directors; and
        2. making the arrangements known to other members and to officers;

    3. review the working of the arrangements when they had been in operation for a year, subject to any detailed adjustments that might appear desirable in the interim.

    103/06. APPOINTMENTS

    (Agenda Item 14)

    On 2 May 2006 the Cabinet had reviewed its appointments to Strategic Outside Bodies. The Cabinet’s decisions had subsequently been called in for scrutiny consideration. The Corporate Governance Scrutiny Committee on 1 June had considered the call in and had no material concerns with the Cabinet’s decision, which had therefore become effective from the date of the Scrutiny Committee meeting.

    RESOLVED: to note the position.

    104/06. FORWARD PLAN AND FUTURE BUSINESS

(Agenda Item 15)

The Cabinet considered a list of items from the Forward Plan (CA15) for the immediately forthcoming meetings.

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

in the Chair

Date of signing 2006

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