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:
- 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;
- 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;
- 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:
- 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;
- to authorise
the publication of statutory notices, with the referral of the proposals
to the School Organisation Committee should there be any objections;
- (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:
- 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;
- 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:
- 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;
- 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:
- 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;
- authorise the
Head of Democratic Services to take all necessary steps to bring the
arrangements into effect from that date, including:
- 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
- making the
arrangements known to other members and to officers;
- 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