Return to Items for DecisionDelegated Decisions by Cabinet Member for Transport -22 November 2007Statement of Decision
Review of External Transport Posts
Present:
Also in attendance:
Documentation considered:
A copy is attached to the signed copy of this decision.
Summary of representations in person
Meryl Smith welcomed County and District funding for these posts and the opportunity for partnership working. She referred to recent evidence from consultations on the Sustainable Community Strategy, the Rural Framework and District Rural Strategies that access to services continued to be a key issue in Oxfordshire. SEEDA’s forthcoming Rural Access to Services Programme seemed to be a possible source of funding for projects but not for posts. On the issue of match funding for the transport posts, ORCC had submitted an exploratory application to the Primary Care Trust and subject to endorsement at this meeting an approach could be made to the City Council. ORCC felt it was important to explore a number of sources in addition to the four rural District Councils in view of the funding pressures on all authorities.
Councillor Johnson supported retention of all three posts as vital to supporting rural transport.
Cabinet Member’s Comments
Councillor Hudspeth thanked the ORCC for their comments and support.
Decision
Having regard to the arguments and options set out in the documentation before me, the representations made to me and the further considerations set out above, I confirm my decisions on this matter as follows:
(a) to pay 50% of the total costs of the external transport posts, subject to the district councils collectively meeting the remaining 50% of the total costs;
(b) acordingly to pay Oxfordshire Rural Community Council £76,875.00 per annum (with annual adjustments for inflation), subject to the district councils matching that funding to the same total, to provide for the outputs listed at Annex 2 to the report CMDT10, on the basis that this is likely to be provided through three full-time equivalent posts to be vested with ORCC, for a period of four years from 1 April 2008;
(c) to seek a contribution from Oxford City Council in respect of those functions covered by the current Oxfordshire Transport Co-ordinator;
(d) in the event of district councils not agreeing funding as outlined in the report CMDT10, to ask officers to report back to the Transport Decisions Committee in January 2008; or in the event of subsequent reductions in district council funding in future years to ask officers to similarly report back to the Cabinet Member for Transport for further advice;
(e) to pay up to £8,500 per annum (with annual adjustments for inflation) to ORCC as a delegated fund to be used to pay for the costs associated with providing training for volunteer drivers of community transport services, particularly where these transport services benefit disabled or mobility-impaired people;
(f) to thank Oxfordshire Community & Voluntary Action (OCVA) for their past and present assistance in employing the Oxfordshire Transport Co-ordinator since 1988;
(g) that the Head of Transport draw up a Service Level Agreement with Oxfordshire Rural Community Council covering the job summary, key responsibilities, work programme and output targets expected for the external transport posts and that this should include clauses specifying actions to be taken in the event of subsequent reductions in funding availability; and
(h) to ask officers to continue to liaise regularly with external post-holders, through joint liaison and one-to-one meetings, and to monitor the outputs of the external posts in line with the Service Level Agreement.
Signed ...................................................................... Cabinet Member for Transport
Date ………………………2007
|
||||||||||||