Agenda and minutes

- guidance note opposite

Councillor Michael Waine declared a personal interest in respect of item 11, as a school governor at Cooper School, Bicester.

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 16 February 2010 (CA3) and to receive for information any matters arising therefrom.

The Minutes of the meeting held on 16 February 2010 were approved and signed.

The Minutes of the meeting held on 9 March 2010 were approved and signed subject to the addition of apologies for absence being recorded for Councillors Heathcoat and Robertson.

Any county councillor may, by giving notice to the Proper Officer by 9 am on the working day before the meeting, ask a question on any matter in respect of the Cabinet’s delegated powers.

The number of questions which may be asked by any councillor at any one meeting is limited to two (or one question with notice and a supplementary question at the meeting) and the time for questions will be limited to 30 minutes in total. As with questions at Council, any questions which remain unanswered at the end of this item will receive a written response.

Questions submitted prior to the agenda being despatched are shown below and will be the subject of a response from the appropriate Cabinet Member or such other councillor or officer as is determined by the Cabinet Member, and shall not be the subject of further debate at this meeting. Questions received after the despatch of the agenda, but before the deadline, will be shown on the Schedule of Addenda circulated at the meeting, together with any written response which is available at that time.

Councillor Jean Fooks had given notice of the following question to the Cabinet Member for Schools Improvement:

(1)‘Noting that Lower Wolvercote children will be given priority from September 2011 at Wolvercote School, what steps will he be taking to ensure that there will be sufficient places for all children living in North Oxford to be given a school place at their nearest school or at another within walking distance?’

Councillor Michael Waine replied that he and Roy Leach, Strategic Lead, School Organisation & Planning were meeting parents tonight. He and the Directorate were working in the context of the national picture and in a difficult financial situation. He had looked at the issue of site size and was working hard to find a resolution.

Councillor John Goddardhad given notice of the following question to the Cabinet Member for Schools Improvement:

(2)‘Is the Cabinet Member willing to explore all options available, including use of the school nursery, use of the adjacent Young People's Club and use of an on-site temporary classroom, to ensure that none of the 15 children living in Lower Wolvercote currently not allocated a place at their village school, that is the only reasonably accessible primary school, will be excluded from the school in September 2010?’

Councillor Michael Waine replied that all options were being explored. He was looking for a holistic plan for North Oxford and for Oxford itself. Facing facts there were a number of schools on restricted sites. He had to work within what the County had got.

Supplementary question:

Councillor Goddard asked the Cabinet Member to acknowledge that the access from the Wolvercote School to any other schools was less accessible than from other schools. It was an impossible journey to North Kidlington. He referred to accommodation being available on site and asked that all options be looked at and whether the Cabinet Member would make sure that all children get in.

Councillor Michael Waine replied that he was looking to a happy solution for the parents and the community. He referred to the changes to the admissions code and commented that the changes had only been proposed once this year’s process was already underway. It was not possible to change rules mid way through the process. He noted that not all 16 had chosen the school as their first preference. Eynsham was a second preference for one family. He added that his own daughter had not got her first preference and that any school in the country had to point out that a place in nursery did not carry an automatic place in the primary school.

Councillor Jean Fooks had given notice of the following question to the Cabinet member for Growth and Infrastructure (Referred to Councillor Rodney Rose as the relevant Cabinet Member)

(3)‘The County Council has recently announced that an extra million pounds is being made available to repair roads and pavements damaged by the recent bad weather. A share of this will be going to the City Council, on  ...  view the full minutes text for item 25/10

The following requests to address the meeting had been agreed:

(A)       Petition in respect of Wolvercote Primary School

Mr C. Lang, Hands Across Wolvercote submitted a petition on behalf of the 16 children and their families not given a place at Wolvercote Primary School. He stated that the petition was signed by 600 local residents deeply concerned at the impact on the children and the community. The shock of being excluded from the school was compounded by the distances they were being asked to travel to the schools allocated. He recognised that the rules were changed from next year but that this was little comfort to those affected this year. He felt that there had been a failure to implement the changes in time. He added that Wolvercote Primary School was over subscribed but that Governors had proposed solutions. Finally in stating the view of the petitioners that the proposals were detrimental and that the welfare of the children should come first he hoped that the funding could be found to fund the proposals that had the backing of Governors.

Councillor Michael Waine replied that he was looking forward to meeting with those concerned this evening at a meeting that had already been arranged. Roy Leach, Strategic Lead , School Organisation & Planning had worked extremely hard to find a solution and the rules changes had gone through the proper processes for reviewing the Code for admissions. The changes proposed came into the system once the year process had begun.

He referred to reports in the local press which had been misleading. Oxfordshire was above the national average for meeting preferences but there would always be some parents who got none of their preferences. Other wise there would be excess capacity in the school system which central government was keen to minimise. He accepted that there were hot spots that meant real issues for parents. He referred to the situation in Banbury which was another hot spot. Of 19 cases there 10 had not chosen a Banbury school, 3 made a single preference and 2 a double preference. Parents putting only one preference that could not be met went to the bottom of the list in terms of allocating places. He added that the current allocations were an offer and were not an attempt to tell parents what they should do. There would be a full appraisal after 26 March and he expected that the position could  ...  view the full minutes text for item 26/10

This is the the tenth financial monitoring report for the 2009/10 financial year and covers the period up to the end of January 2010.  It includes projections for revenue, balances, reserves and capital monitoring.

The report sets out explanations where the forecast revenue outturn is significantly different from the budget along with proposals to recover the position where appropriate.

The total in – year Directorate forecast is an overspend of +£4.459m or +1.19% of the latest budget.    After taking into account supplementary estimates requested in this report, those agreed in February but not yet reflected in the forecast plus the supplementary estimate for ICT which requires Council approval in April, the overspend reported this month will reduce to +£1.484m or +0.4% of the budget.

The current position for general balances is set out in Annex 5 and shows a forecast of £10.638m after taking account of agreed and proposed requests for supplementary estimates.  After taking into account the forecast Directorate overspend adjusted for supplementary estimates requested to date the consolidated revenue balances forecast is £9.154m.

The capital monitoring position set out in the report shows forecast expenditure for 2009/10 of £88.4m (excluding schools), a decrease of £1.4m compared to the latest capital programme.

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:

(a)               note the report; and

(b)              approve the supplementary estimate request of £0.425m in relation to winter maintenance in Annex 2f and paragraph 45 and 46.

Cabinet received the tenth financial monitoring report (CA6) for the 2009/10 financial year, covering the period up to the end of January 2010.  It included projections for revenue, balances, reserves and capital monitoring.

The total in – year Directorate forecast was an overspend of +£4.459m or +1.19% of the latest budget.   

The current position for general balances showed a forecast of £10.638m after taking account of agreed and proposed requests for supplementary estimates.  After taking into account the forecast Directorate overspend adjusted for supplementary estimates requested to date the consolidated revenue balances forecast was £9.154m.

Councillor Zoé Patrick referred to the supplementary estimate being requested and queried whether this sum was sufficient in view of the number of pot holes to be mended. Councillor Rose replied that as the snow melted a sum of had been made available to allow reactive repairs but it was always envisaged that more work would be required as the full extent of the damage became known.

The Leader in noting the current position welcomed that the PCT had been able to address their commitment to the pooled budgets. The Cabinet Member for Children, Young People & Families, welcomed Meera Spillett, as the new Director for Children, Young People & Families and commented that she was already taking steps to ensure that the Directorate was close to budget.

RESOLVED:             to:

(a)               note the report; and

(b)       approve the supplementary estimate request of £0.425m in relation to winter maintenance in Annex 2f and paragraph 45 and 46.

Oxfordshire County Council is required to produce a new Local Transport Plan (LTP3) by April 2011.  LTP3 will help shape Oxfordshire over a 20 year horizon rather than 5 years as in previous LTPs.  This will enable the Plan to encompass the 2026 regional planning horizon and also bring the LTP into line with the county’s Sustainable Community Strategy, ‘Oxfordshire 2030’.

The purpose of this report is to outline the progress that is being made in developing the LTP3 and inform members of the results of the consultation that has taken place on the draft policies for inclusion in the Plan.  These policies will form the basis on which a draft Plan will be prepared for public consultation.

It was considered the inclusion within the new Plan of a set of explicit transport policies would significantly increase the value of the new Plan.  These policies would be of value in taking and justifying investment decisions, making responses to external consultation (for instance on government policies and Local Development Frameworks), as support for making recommendations on planning matters and in the preparation of evidence for public inquiries.  Consultation was held in January and February 2010 into a draft set of policies and the results of this consultation will be reported to the meeting.

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to

(a)                     approve the list of policies set out in Annex 2 to this report, as amended in the light of any further changes agreed resulting from comments made by Stakeholders (as identified in the addendum to this report), as the basis for the development of a draft Local Transport Plan;  and

(b)                    note the timetable for the completion of the Plan.

Cabinet considered a report (CA7) that outlined the progress that is being made in developing the new Local Transport Plan (LTP3) and informed members of the results of the consultation that had taken place on the draft policies for inclusion in the Plan.  These policies will form the basis on which a draft Plan will be prepared for public consultation.

Councillor David Turner, Shadow Cabinet Member for Transport, referred to earlier suggestions for schemes and welcomed assurances given by the Cabinet Member that these would be re-assessed as part of the long list of potential schemes. He commented on the policy concerning support for public transport services to hospitals and noted that Councillor Hudspeth had agreed to look into this. He expressed support for the use of Park & Ride facilities for rural bus services during off peak hours. This would enable an improved rural service and reduce congestion in the centre of Oxford. He further commented on individual policies including expressing the wish that South Oxfordshire District Council would become involved with disability transport (D1).

Councillor Hudspeth thanked the Shadow Cabinet Member for his comments many of which he was aware of as a result of the discussions at the Growth & Infrastructure Scrutiny Committee. He stressed that the LTP 3 was a long term policy document and plan. He did not wish to be too prescriptive but to be engaged with as many groups as possible to be aware of their aspirations. He added that all Cabinet Members had received the full policies. With regard to the ‘long list’ of schemes he stressed that there was a health warning over what could be achieved. There was a need to be realistic whilst wishing to capture a true indication of the County’s aspirations.

Cabinet considered the stakeholder comments and subsequent changes set out in the addenda.

RESOLVED:           to

(a)                     approve the list of policies set out in Annex 2 to this report, amended as set out in the addendum to this report, as the basis for the development of a draft Local Transport Plan;  and

(b)                     note the timetable for the completion of the Plan.

This report outlines the ongoing work with the Homes and Communities Agency to develop a Local Investment Plan (LIP) and Local Investment agreement (LIA) for Oxfordshire. The aim is to produce a final LIP signed off by the Oxfordshire local authorities by 31 March 2010.

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to delegate to the Head of Sustainable Development in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Growth & Infrastructure authority to agree to and sign off the final Local Investment Plan.

Cabinet considered a report (CA8) that outlined the ongoing work with the Homes and Communities Agency to develop a Local Investment Plan (LIP) and Local Investment agreement (LIA) for Oxfordshire. The aim was to produce a final LIP signed off by the Oxfordshire local authorities by 31 March 2010.

Councillor Purse, Shadow Cabinet Member for Growth & Infrastructure, congratulated the officers and lead members on a hugely important piece of work. She recognised the tight timescales and accepted the need to delegate the authority to agree the final document. However in view of its significance she asked that members be kept informed by way of Council or at least the Growth & Infrastructure Scrutiny Committee. Councillor Hudspeth added his thanks to officers for bringing the report together in a very short time period. He was happy for the item to come back to the Scrutiny Committee. He proposed that in addition to himself the Leader also be consulted on the final Plan.

Officers drew attention to the comments of the Growth & Infrastructure Scrutiny Committee set out in the addenda and noted that the Plan was a work in progress. The Leader commented on the priorities, feeling that work was needed to better reflect the balance between economy, housing and infrastructure. He queried how much funding would eventually come with the process and emphasised that the priorities should reflect deliverability and effectiveness and not merely geographic spread. He also noted that the pilot was the only one covering a County Council and he would wish the Plan to be recognised as County wide and not restricted to the Central area.

Responding to a query from Councillor Couchman about the links to the 14 localities and 6 priority areas previously agreed, Cabinet was advised that there was representation across the County and work was continuing to develop a relationship with the locality work.

RESOLVED:             to delegate to the Head of Sustainable Development in consultation with the Leader and the Cabinet Member for Growth & Infrastructure authority to agree to and sign off the final Local Investment Plan.

This is a Project Appraisal for one of 2 projects in Oxfordshire to be funded from the first wave of the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) Primary Capital Programme (PCP). The PCP was established to support the transformation of education, including raising standards and improving the life chances and well being of children. The government aim is to renew at least half of all primary school buildings by 2022-23 and to create primary schools that are equipped for 21st-century teaching and learning, and are at the heart of their communities with children's services in reach of every family.

This project will completely replace the existing Wood Farm Primary School, Slade Nursery/Children's Centre and community buildings with a new integrated facility for the two schools and the Children’s Centre as well as providing space to support community use. The new building will be used to provide a range of accessible services supporting children and families in Wood Farm.

The total estimated cost of the project, inclusive of professional fees and client contingency is £11,750,000. This cost will be met from a variety of funding sources, including the Primary Capital Programme. 

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to approve Project Appraisal ED749 for replacement of existing buildings at Wood Farm Primary School and The Slade Nursery School & Children’s Centre, Oxford as part of the Primary Capital Programme.

Cabinet considered a Project Appraisal for one of 2 projects in Oxfordshire to be funded from the first wave of the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) Primary Capital Programme (PCP).

The project would completely replace the existing Wood Farm Primary School, Slade Nursery/Children's Centre and community buildings with a new integrated facility for the two schools and the Children’s Centre as well as providing space to support community use.

Councillor Brighouse, speaking as a local member in support of the project, thanked the Leader and Cabinet Members for Schools Improvement and Children, Young People & Families for their efforts in support of the project. She also thanked officers and staff at the school for their work. She commented that the project was about raising aspirations in the community.

The Cabinet Member for Children, Young People & Families agreed that the scheme was a commitment to raising aspirations in the area. It put a value on the community and said something about the Councils hopes for that community.

Cabinet noted the partnership nature of the project and the Leader added that the Bilateral meetings with Oxford city council had been useful in progressing the scheme.

RESOLVED:  to approve Project Appraisal ED749 for replacement of existing buildings

 at Wood Farm Primary School and The Slade Nursery School & Children’s Centre, Oxford as part of the Primary Capital Programme.

Larkrise Primary School has a published admission number of 45 children. Due to rising numbers across Oxford City, 60 places were allocated to the school for September 2009. The school now has more than 45 children per year from the Foundation to Year 3 inclusive. Primary Care Trust records and the annual census of local children in early years settings show that the demand for primary school places in Oxford is rising, and schools in this area will not have enough room in future years

Larkrise Primary School has been identified as a high priority school through the Primary Capital Programme locality review process, which also recommended that options should be explored to accommodate the rising numbers of statutory age range pupils in the Cowley/Iffley locality. 

This report considers a proposal to increase the admission number from 45 to 60 children, on a permanent basis from September 2010. This will eventually increase the school’s total roll from its current 349 children in Years F-6 (September 2009 pupil census) to a maximum of 420. This expansion has been the subject of an informal consultation in south east Oxford.

A decision is sought as to whether to proceed to issuing a statutory notice to expand the school, in accordance with The Education and Inspections Act 2006 (EIA 2006) and The School Organisation (Prescribed Alterations to Maintained Schools)(England) Regulations 2007 (as amended by The School Organisation and Governance (Amendments)(England) Regulations 2007 which came into force on 21 January 2008).  

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to approve the publication of a statutory notice for the expansion of Larkrise Primary School, Oxford.

Cabinet considered a report (CA10) setting out a proposal to increase the admission number of Larkrise Primary School from 45 to 60 children, on a permanent basis from September 2010. This will eventually increase the school’s total roll from its current 349 children in Years F-6 (September 2009 pupil census) to a maximum of 420.

A decision was sought as to whether to proceed to issuing a statutory notice to expand the school, in accordance with The Education and Inspections Act 2006 (EIA 2006) and The School Organisation (Prescribed Alterations to Maintained Schools)(England) Regulations 2007 (as amended by The School Organisation and Governance (Amendments)(England) Regulations 2007 which came into force on 21 January 2008). 

RESOLVED:            to approve the publication of a statutory notice for the expansion of Larkrise Primary School, Oxford.

This Project Approval Report is for the construction of a new Sixth Form Centre at The Cooper School, Bicester.  Cabinet approved a statutory proposal to extend the age range of The Cooper School to include a new sixth form at its meeting 26 May 2009. The new sixth form is required to be operational from 1 September 2011.

The addition of a Sixth Form at The Cooper School is part of a broader 14 - 19 strategy in Bicester. The Cooper School will continue to work closely with the other secondary school in the town, Bicester Community College, Bardwell Special School and Oxford and Cherwell Valley College to jointly offer a wide range of academic and vocational courses. The addition of a sixth form at The Cooper school will provide an additional educational opportunity in a town which currently offers little choice post-16.

The sixth form centre will be housed in a new purpose built building. To ensure that sufficient accommodation is in place to support the change in age range at the school the project also includes an extension to the school’s science faculty to provide 2 additional science laboratories and alterations to the Design & Technology area to create an engineering workshop. 

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to approve Project Appraisal ED747 for the provision of new Sixth Form Accommodation at Cooper School, Bicester.

Cabinet considered a Project Approval Report for the construction of a new Sixth Form Centre at The Cooper School, Bicester. 

The sixth form centre will be housed in a new purpose built building. To ensure that sufficient accommodation is in place to support the change in age range at the school the project also includes an extension to the school’s science faculty to provide 2 additional science laboratories and alterations to the Design & Technology area to create an engineering workshop. 

The Cabinet Member for Schools Improvement commented that the scheme was a major capital commitment that would deliver the most significant improvement in post 16 education in a generation. It would raise the expectation and aspirations in the area.

Cabinet noted that officers continued to seek funding from the learning & Skills Council. Councillor Hudspeth welcomed the funding from the Department for Communities and Local Government and stated that he would work with Cherwell DC to see if there was any additional funding.

RESOLVED;             to approve Project Appraisal ED747 for the provision of new Sixth Form Accommodation at Cooper School, Bicester.

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The purpose of this report is to update members on progress in producing the Oxford city centre street scene manual: part one, and to seek approval of the manual.  The manual has been jointly produced by Oxford City Council and Oxfordshire County Council, with support from the West End Partnership.  The report also seeks approval for officers to start work on some immediate actions that flow from the manual.

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to

(a)               endorse the Oxford city centre street scene manual: part one as the basis for the design, maintenance and management of streets in Oxford city centre;

(b)              authorise the Head of Transport, in consultation with the Cabinet Members for Growth and Infrastructure and Transport Implementation, to make minor amendments to the document;

(c)               instruct officers to continue to work with Oxford City Council to develop subsequent parts of the manual; and

(d)              instruct officers to work on the proposed immediate actions at Annex Error! Reference source not found. and report to the Cabinet Member for Transport Implementation.

Cabinet considered a report updating them on progress in producing the Oxford city centre street scene manual: part one, and seeking their approval of the manual.  The manual has been jointly produced by Oxford City Council and Oxfordshire County Council, with support from the West End Partnership.  The report also sought approval for officers to start work on some immediate actions that flow from the manual.

Councillor Purse, Shadow Cabinet Member for Growth & Infrastructure, commented that the consultation with groups with sensory impairment was mostly about sight. She raised concerns about the mix of cyclists and pedestrians in terms of people with a hearing problem not being aware that cyclists were near. She hoped that the result of the manual would not be to create a style that dated but one that could be applied to be create a timeless style. She queried what could be done to ensure that the utilities co-ordinated their work with other street works

Councillor Hudspeth responded to the points made commenting that they were working with cycling groups to ensure cyclists acted responsibly. The manual provided a basis to ensure materials complemented each other but he would not wish to see all building the same. Co-ordination of work by the utilities was an ongoing struggle.

The Leader commented that under SS2 – the hierarchy of users - the wording against motorists was unnecessary and should be removed.

RESOLVED:             to

(a)               endorse the Oxford city centre street scene manual: part one as the basis for the design, maintenance and management of streets in Oxford city centre;

(b)              authorise the Head of Transport, in consultation with the Cabinet Members for Growth and Infrastructure and Transport Implementation, to make minor amendments to the document;

(c)               instruct officers to continue to work with Oxford City Council to develop subsequent parts of the manual; and

(d)              instruct officers to work on the proposed immediate actions at Annex 3 and report to the Cabinet Member for Transport.  

This report proposes the projects to be included within the Fire Authority’s Integrated Risk Management (IRMP) Action Plan for the fiscal year 2010-11.  The proposals summarise those areas where the Service’s Strategic Leadership Team believe service improvements should be made.  To meet the requirements of the IRMP process, each proposal is supported by robust evidence, validating both their inclusion and their contribution to improved community safety and/or firefighter safety.  Similarly, each proposal is cognisant of the prevailing economic constraints.

The proposals for the 2010-11 Action Plan are as follows:-

Project 1:      Day crewing review at Abingdon and Didcot Fire Stations.

Project 2:      Special appliance review, including a review of aerial rescue appliances and specialist rescue capability.

Project 3:      Use of operational staff to deliver our obligations under the Fire Safety Order.

Project 4:       Review of our co-responder arrangements with South Central Ambulance Service.

Project 5:      Review prevention and risk reduction.

Project 6:      Operational resilience review.

Project 7:      Further development of the Services approach to the Equality framework for  Local Government.

The above proposals have been subject to a 12 week public consultation period during which stakeholders (internal and external) have had the opportunity to comment and pass observations either through e-mail, OCC Consultation Portal or directly by letter.  In addition to the electronic availability of the proposals, the Cabinet Member for Safer and Stronger Communities and Fire and Rescue Service (FRS) managers held four public meetings; two meetings at Service Headquarters Kidlington and two further meetings, one in Abingdon and one in Didcot.  Overall some 3,000 replies have been received primarily objecting to Project 1 – Day crewing review at Abingdon and Didcot Fire Stations.

The above proposals, if approved by Cabinet, will be included in the final version of the IRMP Action Plan 2010-11.  Each project will be subject to close monitoring and reviewed every quarter through the Project Implementation Team (PIT).  Progress will be reported to the Cabinet Member for Safer and Stronger Communities (SSC) and copied to the chairman of the Safer & Stronger Communities Scrutiny Committee every quarter.

Cabinet considered a report (CA13) that proposed the projects to be included within the Fire Authority’s Integrated Risk Management (IRMP) Action Plan for the fiscal year 2010-11. 

Mr Steve Allen, Chairman of Oxfordshire FBU and a resident of Wantage stated that he was aware of the bigger picture but was speaking to protest about the threat to public safety posed by the proposals. In particular he felt that project 1 put people at risk in Didcot and Abingdon. He also referred to the reduction in Oxford City centre and weekend working.

Councillor John Goddard, Cabinet Member for Safer & Stronger Communities, noted that Oxfordshire enjoyed an efficient and effective Fire Rescue Service. He felt that project 1 would increase the risk for some people in Didcot and Abingdon at some times of the week. He referred to a number of areas, including Harwell, which no longer provided their own cover. He referred to the underlying problem of the difficulty in recruiting and retaining retained fire fighters and queried how this would be tackled in the long term.

Councillor Judith Heathcoat introduced the contents of the report setting out the context for the seven projects, the commitment to continuing the direction of travel of the service and the level of public and service consultation undertaken.

The Deputy Chief Fire Officer added that the projects identified would challenge the way that services were provided. He referred to various reviews all of which had identified a need to put more support into the retained system. He referred in particular to the details of project 1. He gave an assurance that the outcome of the review would be at least the same number of fire engines and fire fighters for the area. The outcome would be a more sustainable retained fire service. It would unlock capacity to deliver fire safety education.

Responding to questions from Cabinet Members the Deputy Chief Fire Officer stated that they had been very open about the project with the intention of evoking debate. They had been open with their workforce and would work to address concerns as best they could.

There was some discussion of the modelling software used that had information for all stations over a number of years. Historical data was captured and used in the model. Date would continue to be captured and would enable the changes to be checked to see they had the desired effect. The Deputy Chief Fire Officer paid tribute to Martin Crapper, who would be retiring shortly and who had done a great deal of the modelling work.

Councillor Louise Chapman in referring to the fantastic job done by fire fighters proposed that Cabinet receive a report back on the changes to see that they were working as expected.

Councillor Heathcoat concluded that they had consulted extensively. The paper set out the concerns. She noted that project 1 had received some positive comments. She acknowledged the response of South Oxfordshire District Council. Finally she paid tribute to the Fire Service  ...  view the full minutes text for item 34/10

To approve the draft of the Oxfordshire Economic Assessment for wider consultation. This consultation will seek the views from partners on how the assessment could be improved.

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to approve the two reports, the first a summary of findings and the second the full economic assessment as the basis for consultation with Oxfordshire Partnership members and others.

Cabinet considered a report seeking approval to the draft of the Oxfordshire Economic Assessment for wider consultation. This consultation will seek the views from partners on how the assessment could be improved.

Councillor Robertson thanked Dave Waller for his work in drawing the Assessment together and commented that it had been developed with advice from SEEDA, District Councils.

RESOLVED:                                                                                    to approve the two reports, the first a summary of findings and the second the full economic assessment as the basis for consultation with Oxfordshire Partnership members and others.

The report shows the council's performance in the four key areas of: customer, projects, finance, and people. Progress against targets is shown by directorate, including a summary of what is going well, what needs to develop, and what requires attention. This is the performance report for Q3 2009/2010.

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to note this report.

Cabinet considered a report (CA15) that showed the council's performance in the four key areas of: customer, projects, finance, and people for Quarter 3 2009/2010.

Councillor Fooks referred to a number of positives in the report including the number of apprentices taken on and the greater number of appraisals being completed on time. She highlighted a number of concerns including safeguarding; children protection plans; lack of staffing resources for climate change adaptation and the teenage conception rate. She also referred to the lack of information on the reduction of carbon levels.

Councillor Robertson responded to the points made, commenting that the records of individual targets developed over a number of years was helpful. Information on climate change was available on the web site. He noted that the increase in the appraisal figures was due to improving the reporting of what was already happening. The Cabinet Member for Children, Young People & Families responded in respect of safeguarding, action plans and teenage conception rates. She noted that there would be a report on safeguarding to the next Corporate Parenting Panel. The cabinet member for Schools Improvement referred to the figures on raising achievement and explained the national context behind the rise in numbers of schools in special measures from one to three.

RESOLVED:                        to note the report.

This report gives an update on activity since the implementation of the  Establishment Review and associated Recruitment Approval process on 1 August 2005. It provides detail on the overall objectives of the review and summarises progress made against the targets which were agreed to ensure delivery of those objectives. Details of the agreed establishment figure at 31 December 2009 in terms of Full Time Equivalents is provided, together with the detailed staffing position at 31 December 2009. These are shown in the report by directorate and service area.

The report also provides information on current activity and in addition there is information on grant funded posts and those vacancies which are being covered by agency staff and at what cost.

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:

(a)          note the report;

(b)          confirm that the Establishment Review continues to meet the Cabinet’s requirements in reporting and managing staffing numbers.  

Cabinet considered a report (CA16) that gave an update on activity since the implementation of the  Establishment Review and associated Recruitment Approval process on 1 August 2005. It provided detail on the overall objectives of the review and summarised progress made against the targets which were agreed to ensure delivery of those objectives. Details of the agreed establishment figure at 31 December 2009 in terms of Full Time Equivalents were provided, together with the detailed staffing position at 31 December 2009. The report also provides information on current activity and in addition there is information on grant funded posts and those vacancies which are being covered by agency staff and at what cost.

RESOLVED:                                           to:

(a)       note the report;

(b)       confirm that the Establishment Review continues to meet the Cabinet’s requirements in reporting and managing staffing numbers.

Cabinet Member: All

Contact Officer: Sue Whitehead, Committee Services Manager (01865 810262)

The Cabinet Procedure Rules provide that the business of each meeting at the Cabinet is to include “updating of the Forward Plan and proposals for business to be conducted at the following meeting”.   Items from the Forward Plan for the immediately forthcoming meetings of the Cabinet appear in the Schedule at CA.  This includes any updated information relating to the business for those meetings that has already been identified for inclusion in the next Forward Plan update.

The Schedule is for noting, but Cabinet Members may also wish to take this opportunity to identify any further changes they would wish to be incorporated in the next Forward Plan update.

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to note the items currently identified for forthcoming meetings.

The Cabinet considered a list of items for the immediately forthcoming meetings of the Cabinet together with changes and additions set out in the schedule of addenda.

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