Return to AgendaITEM CA3
CABINET
MINUTES of the meeting held on 21 April 2009 commencing at 2.00 pm and finishing at 3.45 pm
Present:
Voting Members: Councillor Keith R Mitchell CBE – in the chair
Councillor Roger Belson Councillor Louise Chapman Councillor Jim Couchman Councillor Mrs J. Heathcoat Councillor Melinda Tilley Councillor Ian Hudspeth Councillor David Robertson Councillor C.H. Shouler Councillor Michael Waine
Other Members in Councillor Zoe Patrick (for Agenda Items 6 & 7) Attendance: Councillor Sue Haffenden (for Agenda Item 8) Councillor Val Smith (for Agenda Item 8) Councillor David Turner (for Agenda Item 8)
Officers:
Whole of meeting: Chief Executive, S. Whitehead (Legal & Democratic Services).
Part of meeting:
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.
38/09 MINUTES
The Minutes of the meeting held on 17 March 2009 were approved and signed subject to the following amendments:
Minute 28/09 Delete the words ‘Assistant Chief Executive and’ from paragraph 4 of the preamble.
Minute Nos 29/09 and 35/09 – Reference to Councillor Zoé Patrick to read Councillor Zoé Patrick, Leader of the Opposition and not Leader of the opposition group.
Minute 30/09 – Add the following additional sentence to the preamble:
The Cabinet Member for Community Safety expressed satisfaction that the Cabinet Policy with regard to the inclusion of sprinklers was to be followed and that sprinklers would be provided.
39/09 FINANCIAL MONITORING (Agenda Item 5)
The Cabinet considered a report (CA5) that set out the Council’s forecast financial position for the 2008/09 financial year based on eleven months of actuals to the end of February 2009. It included projections for revenue, balances, reserves and capital. The report set out explanations where the forecast outturn was significantly different from the budget with action plans to recover the position where appropriate.
An in-year overspend for Directorates was now forecast at £0.799m. This position excluded the -£0.800m underspend on the ICT Investment Fund which would be carried forward to 2009/10. The year-end forecast of general balances was £18.571m.
The projected in-year commitment on capital was estimated to be £85.7m (excluding devolved formula capital) compared to the latest capital programme approved by Council in February 2009 of £86.6m. Actual expenditure to the end of February was £61.4m, 72% of projected spend.
The Cabinet Member for Finance referred to the proposed wording in respect of recommendation (b) where the Cabinet was being asked to determine the revised schedule for repayment of the Adult Learning supplementary estimates.
RESOLVED: to:
(a) note the report; (b) to approve the supplementary estimate for Adult Learning of £80,000 and that it be repaid along with the previous supplementary estimate of £101,000 (in total £181,000 including restructuring costs) in the three year period 2010/11 to 2012/13; (c) approve the virements as set out in Annex 2a; and (d) approve the net Supplementary Estimates totalling £1.039m as set out in paragraphs 56 and 57 and Annex 2c.
40/09 DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC HEALTH ANNUAL REPORT (Agenda Item 6)
The Cabinet considered a report (CA6) which was the third Annual Report by the Director of Public Health for Oxfordshire (jointly appointed by the NHS and the County Council). The recommendations were made for all organisations in Oxfordshire and for the public.
It was noted that progress would continue to be monitored in future reports. Long-term success would depend on achieving wide consensus across many organisations.
Councillor Zoé Patrick, Leader of the Opposition referred to the issues of inequalities and educational attainment and the impact of the credit crunch and recession. She agreed with the opinion on page 10 of the report that there had been insufficient progress and supported recommendation 3. In general she had found the report informative and valuable.
The Cabinet Member for Place responded on inequalities that the County Council had a close working relationship with the Primary Care Trust and that there was a great deal of activity going on. Many voluntary organisations were receiving funding to address inequality.
During discussion the Cabinet welcomed the attempt to measure progress but suggested that there be more celebration of the progress achieved.
The Cabinet Member for Children, Young People & Families expressed support for the following suggested amendment to recommendation 2 on page 23 of the report, set out in the schedule of addenda:
Recommendation 2 – ‘Oxfordshire PCT and Oxfordshire County Council should take active steps to merge their commissioning of children’s services, through the Director for Children, Young people & Families and the PCT Director of Commissioning. The ultimate goal should be unification of children’s service commissioning under the umbrella of the Children’s Trust. Concrete progress should be made by March 2010’.
RESOLVED: to RECOMMEND the Council to receive the report as amended and note in particular the general recommendations therein.
41/09 ANNUAL AUDIT AND INSPECTION LETTER (Agenda Item 7)
The Cabinet considered a report (CA7), together with the Annual Audit and Inspection Letter (AAIL) from the Audit Commission which drew on the most recent Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA), the findings and conclusions from the audit of the Council for 2007/08 and from any inspections undertaken since the last Annual Audit and Inspection.
Councillor Zoé Patrick, Leader of the Opposition, highlighted various issues raised in the report and in particular GCSE results, the figures in relation to violent crime and the perceptions around the fear of crime.
During discussion the Cabinet Member for Community Safety emphasised the good news around community safety, pointing in particular to paragraph 45 of the report on the work of Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service. It was noted that the use of resources score had improved from 3 to 4. Tribute was paid to the work of internal audit and Cabinet recorded their thanks for their efforts.
RESOLVED: to receive the Annual Audit and Inspection Letter.
42/09 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LEADERSHIP AND IMPROVING ATTAINMENT IN SCHOOLS (Agenda Item 8)
The Cabinet considered a report by the Children’s Services Scrutiny Committee (CA8) setting out the findings of a review that considered whether anything specific could be done to raise attainment in Oxfordshire’s schools to the level that is expected of them. The report ( the first of four) addressed the subject of how the leadership of a school, including the Governing Body, headteacher, deputy head, supporting management team and the Governing Body, could affect attainment levels. The Cabinet also considered the response of the Cabinet Member for School’s Improvement as set out in the schedule of addenda.
Councillor Sue Haffenden, Lead Member of the Review introduced the report, setting out the background and referring to the delays in the work due to shortages in staff resources. The Review had been a small focussed review that had sought to avoid duplication with officer work that was underway. She referred to the recommendations and in particular highlighted those in relation to the central list of businesses willing to be involved with schools, the concept of federation.
Councillor Val Smith, Review Member, expressed the hope that the three remaining elements of the review could be undertaken.
Councillor David Turner, Shadow Cabinet Member for School’s Improvement referred to a booklet on governorship produced by Martin Pounce and asked that consideration be given to supplying each governing body with a single copy.
The Cabinet Member for Schools Improvement thanked the Lead Member of the Review and fellow review members for their efforts. In response to comments made he noted that federation was being discussed as recommended in recommendation 11; it was not the role of SIP’s to interpret their school’s performance data; and he would take up the question of the booklet with Governor Services.
RESOLVED: to respond to the recommendations of the Children’s Services Scrutiny Committee as set out in the Annex (download as .doc file) to these minutes.
43/09 DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT CONSULTATION ON ECO-TOWNS: NORTH WEST BICESTER AND FINANCIAL VIABILITY STUDY OF THE ECO-TOWNS PROGRAMME (Agenda Item 9)
Cabinet considered a report (CA9) that commented on the NW Bicester proposal and also commented on financial and viability work for the eco-towns programme that was undertaken by Price Waterhouse Coopers (PWC) and others for CLG.
The Cabinet Member for School’s Improvement referred to the provision of infrastructure for the proposals and emphasised a number of elements that were needed: the perimeter road; a clear employment strategy; fast tracking of the business park; sports facilities; a civic centre and the expansion of the 14-19 Centre to include further and foundation courses. The leader stresed that the Cabinet were neither promoting nor opposing the proposals for NW Bicester. The advice in the report was balanced and it was necessary to keep
Councillor Shouler, as a local member for Bicester South expressed concern for four villages: Chesterton, Middleton Stoney, Ardley and Bucknell. There was concern from residents over traffic issues and that the four villages would be coalesced into one.
Following a vote by a show of hands it was:-
RESOLVED: to
(a) endorse the comments set out in paragraphs 14 to 26 of the report and in Annex 4 and to inform the Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG).
(b) delegate to the Head of Sustainable Development in consultation with the Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Sustainable Development, any further detailed comments for submission to the Secretary of State as part of this Council’s response to the consultation on the eco-towns programme.
(Councillor Shouler requested that he be recorded as having voted against the resolution.)
44/09 HIGHWAYS ADOPTION – BUSINESS PROCESS REVIEW AND INFORMAL AGENCY ARRANGEMENTS WITH CHERWELL AND WEST OXFORDSHIRE DISTRICT COUNCILS (Agenda Item 10)
The Cabinet considered a report (CA10) highlighting one of the key recommendations from the Business Process Review (BPR) of the Council's Highway Adoption function, which was completed at the end of 2008. This related to the way in which work in this area was managed and undertaken by the County Council and an end brought to the informal agency arrangements with Cherwell and West Oxfordshire District Councils with regard to some aspects of this work, notably that covered by Section 38 of the Highways Act (Adoption by agreement with developer).
RESOLVED: to:
(a) formally advise Cherwell and West Oxfordshire District Councils that notice is to be given to end the present arrangements for managing and undertaking Highway Adoption functions; and
(b) agree that these responsibilities to be transferred to the County Council following completion of an appropriate notice period, as part of transitional arrangements to be agreed by all three Councils, with this Council’s position to be agreed by the Head of Transport in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Transport.
45/09 FORWARD PLAN AND FUTURE BUSINESS(Agenda Item 11)
The Cabinet considered a list of items (CA11) for the immediately forthcoming meetings of the Cabinet together with changes and additions as set out in the schedule of addenda.
RESOLVED: to note the items currently identified for forthcoming meetings.
................................................................................... in the Chair
Date of signing.................................................................. 2009
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