Agenda, decisions and minutes

Apologies were received from Councillor Neil Fawcett – attending a Local Government Association Fire & Rescue Service Conference.

Councillor Jenny Hannaby participated remotely due to isolating.

Councillor Calum Miller declared a non-pecuniary interest on Item 15 as a coach with Gosford All-Blacks Rugby Club.

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 15 February 2022 (CA3) and to receive information arising from them.

The minutes of the meeting held on 15 February 2022 were approved with two spelling corrections on page 5.

The Chair made the following statement:

Oxfordshire County Council condemns in the strongest terms the actions of the Russian military in Ukraine. The invasion of a sovereign state is an act of war. The deliberate bombing of civilian areas is a war crime. We call on all nations to play their part in bringing this conflict to an end.

Our nation and our county has a proud record of receiving refugees from conflict around the world. In recent years, we have welcomed those from Syria and Afghanistan. The response of the people of Oxfordshire, in common with others across the UK and EU, to the suffering of Ukrainians has been compassionate, generous and remarkable. Oxfordshire County Council stands shoulder to shoulder with the people of Ukraine and will welcome and support those refugees who seek shelter in our county. We call on the Government to accelerate the process of admitting Ukrainian refugees to the UK and to increase the routes available to those fleeing conflict in their home country.

The Council believes that economic activity and financial transactions may support the leadership of the Russian state and fund the war in Ukraine. The Council notes that officers have scrutinised existing contracts for goods and services and provided assurance that none are held with Russian economic entities. We have already requested that any funds held in Russian companies or financial instruments be divested with immediate effect. It welcomes confirmation that the county’s pension fund is similarly divesting of any Russian assets.

The Council recognises the bravery of those who are resisting the invasion in Ukraine and who are opposing the war in Russia. People of both Ukrainian and Russian descent are appalled by the actions of the Russian government and personally affected by the conflict. We call on all residents of Oxfordshire to continue to show compassion, care and tolerance for each other, and we call on the Government to accelerate the process of admitting Ukrainian refugees to the UK and to increase the routes available to those fleeing conflict in their home country.

The questions received from County Councillors and responses are set out in an Annex to these Minutes.

Members of the public who wish to speak at this meeting can attend the meeting in person or ‘virtually’ through an online connection.  In line with current Government advice, those attending the meeting in person are asked to consider wearing a face-covering.

Normally requests to speak at this public meeting are required by 9 am on the day preceding the published date of the meeting. However, during the current situation and to facilitate ‘hybrid’ meetings we are asking that requests to speak are submitted by no later than 9am four working days before the meeting i.e. 9 am on Wednesday 9 March 2022.  Requests to speak should be sent to colm.ocaomhanaigh@oxfordshire.gov.uk .

If you are speaking ‘virtually’, you may submit a written statement of your presentation to ensure that if the technology fails, then your views can still be taken into account. A written copy of your statement can be provided no later than 9 am 2 working days before the meeting. Written submissions should be no longer than 1 A4 sheet.

The Chair had agreed to the following requests to speak:

Item 6: Plant Based Food

Cllr Ian Middleton

Karl Franklin

Linda Newbery

Matilda Gettins

Jimmy Pierson

Cllr David Bartholomew

Cllr Eddie Reeves

Cllr Sally Povolotsky

Cllr Bethia Thomas

Cllr Donna Ford

Item 9: Strategic Plan 2022-2025

Cllr Michael O’Connor

Cllr Donna Ford

Item 13: HIF1 – Amendments to the Grant Determination Agreement

District Cllr David Ruane

District Cllr Emily Smith                                 

District Cllr Sam Casey-Rerhaye

Katherine Foxhall

District Cllr Jo Robb

Antonia Jenkinson

Robin Jones

Nigel Tipple

Parish Cllr Greg O Broin

Parish Cllr Rita Atkinson

Cllr Charlie Hicks

Cllr Freddie van Mierlo

Cllr Richard Webber

Cllr Robin Bennett

Cllr Ian Middleton

Cllr Sally Povolotsky

Item 15: Land at Stratfield Brake

Niall McWilliams

Paul Peros

David Hipkiss

City Cllr Liz Wade

Suzanne McIvor

Cllr Nigel Simpson

Cllr Andrew Gant

Cllr Liam Walker

Cllr Ian Middleton

Cllr Charlie Hicks

Item 19: West Oxfordshire Civil Parking Enforcement

Cllr Andrew Coles

Cllr Andy Graham

Cabinet Member: Corporate Services

Forward Plan Ref: 2022/013

Contact: Vic Kurzeja, Director of Joint Property Team Tel: 07726 307813

Report by Corporate Director Commercial Development, Assets and Investments (CA6).

To action the Council motion.

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to

a)               Ensure that food provided at full Council meetings and all civic events is entirely plant based and, where possible, sustainably and locally sourced.

b)              Endorse a graduated approach to incorporating plant-based options for school meals provided by the council, in partnership with schools who buy this service and in line with School Food Guidelines.

c)               Agree to the development of an Oxfordshire County Council food policy to support the delivery of sustainable food provision and its disposal within the Council.

Cabinet had before it a report setting out some initial measures to enable the council to meet its strategic priorities following an approved motion to Full Council on this matter in December 2021.

Before considering the report, the Chair had agreed to hear a number of speakers.

Councillor Ian Middleton, who proposed the motion to Full Council, responded to complaints that the motion limited free will, noting that climate-focussed limitations on our lives were now commonplace.  Many organisations across the world were now recognising the part that food choice played. There was overwhelming scientific evidence that intensive livestock farming was one of the greatest contributors to global climate change.

The issue had never been about veganism which was a personal choice.  The previous administration unanimously declared a climate change emergency and this was what climate action looked like.  Councillor Middleton described the proposals as a positive outcome for local food producers, helping to inform a long overdue food strategy which prioritised sourcing from local producers.

He was concerned though that the recommendations did not clearly reflect aspects in relation to schools in his original motion and asked Cabinet members to clarify this in their comments.

Karl Franklin asked Cabinet to reject the proposal to serve only plant-based food and instead adopt a sustainable policy to promote balanced diets and help bolster the local economy.  He said that the local agriculture sector can be part of the solution.  By buying locally the Council would support growers, producers, processors, food manufacturers and distributors.

Karl Franklin quoted statistics to show that British beef had half the greenhouse gas emissions compared to the global average and the amount of antibiotics used on British farms had been reduced by over 50%.  He called on the Council to back British farming.

Linda Newbury stated that Councils, schools and organisations must take a lead in demonstrating that food can be both nourishing and sustainable, and that meant a move away from meat as a priority choice.  Farmers demonstrating outside County Hall last month carried placards asking Oxfordshire to support local food and farming. She said that the placard she brought with her carried an identical message.  They were essentially on the same side.

Linda Newbury added that when school caterers shift towards plant-based meals, there will be an overall reduction of cost, but meat will still be served on three days each week which was a legal requirement. This saving can be used to ensure that the meat served is produced locally and sustainably.  She believed that before this there had been no council specification that meat used in school catering should be locally sourced.

Jimmy Pierson, Director of ProVeg UK, a non-profit organisation whose main aim was to increase the health and sustainability of school food in the UK by increasing the quantity and quality of plant-based food in schools.  He noted that if the recommendations were adopted, the Council would be joining many other councils across the country that were embracing the benefits  ...  view the full minutes text for item 31/22

Cabinet Member: Finance

Forward Plan Ref: 2021/184

Contact: Louise Tustian, Head of Insight & Corporate Programme Tel: (01295) 221786 / Kathy Wilcox, Head of Financial Strategy Tel: 07788 302163

Report by Corporate Director Customers, Organisational Development & Resources and Director of Finance (CA7).

This report presents January 2022 performance, risk and finance position for the Council.

Cabinet is RECOMMENDED:     

a)            To note the January business management and monitoring report.

b)           To agree virements set out in Annex C -2b which relate to the Covid-19 costs incurred by the directorates between October 2021 and January 2022.

c)            To note virements set out in Annex C-2c

d)           To note virements for 2022/23 set out in Annex C-2d

e)            To approve the bad debt, write off in Annex C paragraphs 25 (Adult Services) and 84 (CDAI)

f)             To approve the use of the COVID Reserve in paragraphs 29, 35, 79, 85, 91, 94 and the use of the corporate contingency for the estimated cost of the pay award in paragraph 101

g)           To note the Review of Charges 2022/23 set out in Annex C-5

Cabinet received a report for approval presenting the January 2022 performance, risk and finance position for the Council.

Councillor Calum Miller, Cabinet Member for Finance, drew attention to continuing concerns around increased demand on children’s services reflected in the risk register where the top three risks all related to this area.  The other red-rated risks were in demand management in adult services and costs and shortages in the construction sector.

There was an expected underspend on the current year’s budget of £1m.  It was proposed to transfer £3.7m from the Covid reserve leaving £5m in that reserve.  A resolution had recently been reached in nationwide negotiations on the pay agreement and the cost of £2.8m will be taken from the contingency budget.

Councillor Liz Brighouse, Cabinet Member for Children, Education & Young People’s Services gave more details on the risks in that sector.  There was a high rate of referrals of children to mental health services and it was necessary to ensure that the resources were in place, to look at Early Help and how families can be helped to support them.

The Council was tackling the workforce issues by looking to ‘grow’ its own social workers.  The Council was already committed to providing its own homes for children and reduce the need to use private providers out of county.

Councillor Duncan Enright welcomed the fact that Oxfordshire was top of the recycling league despite not hitting its own ambitious targets.  He also welcomed the opening of a joint advice centre in the Central Library with the City Council and hoped similar facilities could be put in place with the district councils.

RESOLVED

a)            To note the January business management and monitoring report.

b)           To agree virements set out in Annex C -2b which relate to the Covid-19 costs incurred by the directorates between October 2021 and January 2022.

c)            To note virements set out in Annex C-2c

d)           To note virements for 2022/23 set out in Annex C-2d

e)            To approve the bad debt, write off in Annex C paragraphs 25 (Adult Services) and 84 (CDAI)

f)             To approve the use of the COVID Reserve in paragraphs 29, 35, 79, 85, 91, 94 and the use of the corporate contingency for the estimated cost of the pay award in paragraph 101

g)           To note the Review of Charges 2022/23 set out in Annex C-5

Cabinet Member: Finance

Forward Plan Ref: 2021/183

Contact: Kathy Wilcox, Head of Financial Strategy Tel: 07788 302163

Report by Director of Finance (CA8).

Financial Report on capital spending against budget allocations, including any necessary capital programme approvals.

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:

a)               Endorse the latest capital monitoring position for 2021/22 set out in Annex 1.

b)              Agree that the following scheme should be added to the capital programme:

·           Sustainable Warmth Fund: £1.187m grant funded project to support the retrofitting of energy efficiency measures in homes in fuel poverty in Oxfordshire.

c)               Agree a contribution of £0.998m, funded by S106 contributions, to the Department for Education (DfE), towards the new Bloxham Grove SEND Free School.

d)              Approve the updated Capital Programme Summary (Annex 2) incorporating the changes set out in this report.

Cabinet had before it the Financial Report on capital spending against budget allocations.

Councillor Calum Miller, Cabinet Member for Finance, highlighted a number of points:

·         There was a reduction of £5.5m in the predicted spend for the current financial year, the majority of which related to rescheduling of infrastructure projects.

·         There was a £2.6m increase in the budget funds for the full ten-year period.

·         Cabinet was asked to approve an allocation from S106 contributions towards the cost increase in the building of a new SEND school in Bloxham.

The Chair put the recommendations.

RESOLVED to:

a)           Endorse the latest capital monitoring position for 2021/22 set out in Annex 1.

b)           Agree that the following scheme should be added to the capital programme:

·                Sustainable Warmth Fund: £1.187m grant funded project to support the retrofitting of energy efficiency measures in homes in fuel poverty in Oxfordshire.

c)           Agree a contribution of £0.998m, funded by S106 contributions, to the Department for Education (DfE), towards the new Bloxham Grove SEND Free School.

d)           Approve the updated Capital Programme Summary (Annex 2) incorporating the changes set out in this report.

Cabinet Member: Cabinet Member for Corporate Services and Cabinet Member for Finance

Forward Plan Ref: 2022/020

Contact: Louise Tustian, Head of Insight & Corporate Programmes Tel: 07741 607452

Report by Corporate Director Customers, Organisational Development & Resources (CA9).

To seek approval of the outcomes framework 2022/23 supporting the Strategic Plan.

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to

a)               Adopt the outcomes framework as set out in annex 2.

b)              Agree the revised reporting schedule as set out in paragraph 9 (table 2).

c)               Note that the measures reflect a combination of pre-existing service measurements and progress measures for the council’s strategic priorities and that as such the framework is a ‘living document’. Additions and amendments will be appropriate from time-to-time reflecting policy development or contextual changes. In the event of any amendments to the framework they will be clearly identified in a Cabinet report setting out the changes and rationale behind them.

d)              Receive and consider any feedback on the outcomes framework from the Performance and Corporate Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee and delegate to the Corporate Director for Customers, Organisational Development and Resources, in consultation with the relevant portfolio holders, the ability to make amendments to the outcomes framework following discussion and feedback.

e)               Request officers prepare a ‘strategy map’ setting out how key thematic and service plans link into the corporate strategy and its priorities, a timeframe during which key policies and strategies will be reviewed, and the identification of new outcome measures resulting from the review.

f)                Note the progress to date developing a public performance portal with a planned go-live in the second quarter of the year. 

Cabinet was asked to approve the Outcomes Framework 2022/23 supporting the Strategic Plan and which represented a high-level overview of the Council’s priorities.

Before considering the item, the Chair had agreed to a number of requests to speak:

Councillor Donna Ford, Shadow Cabinet Member for Corporate Services, criticised the format of the report saying that it was not very user-friendly.  She was concerned that using numerical metrics did not take into account expected population growth.

Councillor Ford noted that counting only new things – for example new kilometres of cycleways – did not take account of any existing kilometres of cycleways that had become unusable.  She asked that statutory services be distinguished from discretionary services so that comparisons could be made with other authorities.  She welcomed the introduction of a ‘one-stop-shop’ public portal where all the data can be accessed by the everyone.

Councillor Michael O’Connor, Deputy Chair, Performance & Corporate Services Overview & Scrutiny Committee, summarized the feedback from the Committee.  They suggested a number of improvements to the layout including identifying the Cabinet Member responsible and having benchmarks against other councils comparable over time.

The Committee asked that the metrics reflect the Council’s priorities and provide a unified picture.  Qualitative measures should be provided where possible.  It was suggested that there should be metrics on complaints and complaints procedures.  The final list of recommendations from the Committee will be sent to the Cabinet Member.

Councillor Glynis Phillips, Cabinet Member for Corporate Services, introduced the report.  Cabinet was asked to note that this was still work in progress with a number of target details still being developed. The Cabinet meeting in July will be the first populated report in this reporting cycle to assess progress.

Alongside the bi-monthly reporting to Cabinet, there will be the annual report in June, quarterly workforce reports, and six-monthly reports on the climate action plan and the Equalities, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy.  There will also be ‘exception reporting’ to alert Cabinet to any significant changes mid reporting cycle.

Councillor Phillips thanked the scrutiny committee for their recommendations and for the time taken to read and comment on this report.  She committed to responding in writing and incorporating the recommendations that she feels will enhance and improve this report.

RESOLVED to:

a)           Adopt the outcomes framework as set out in annex 2.

b)           Agree the revised reporting schedule as set out in paragraph 9 (table 2).

c)           Note that the measures reflect a combination of pre-existing service measurements and progress measures for the council’s strategic priorities and that as such the framework is a ‘living document’. Additions and amendments will be appropriate from time-to-time reflecting policy development or contextual changes. In the event of any amendments to the framework they will be clearly identified in a Cabinet report setting out the changes and rationale behind them.

d)           Receive and consider any feedback on the outcomes framework from the Performance and Corporate Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee and delegate to the Corporate Director for Customers,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 34/22

Cabinet Member: Corporate Services

Forward Plan Ref: 2021/162

Contact: Karen Edwards, Director of Human Resources Tel: 07825 521526

Report by Corporate Director Customers, Organisational Development and Resources (CA10).

Quarterly staffing report providing details of key people numbers and analysis of main changes since the previous report.

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to note the report.

Cabinet was asked to note the quarterly staffing report providing details of key people numbers and analysis of main changes since the previous report.

Councillor Glynis Phillips, Cabinet Member for Corporate Services, summarised the report.  Covid restrictions were now diminishing and the Council was working towards defining the new normal.  The Health & Safety Team were supporting managers to review their risk assessments in line with current guidance.

Work that will inform the approach to agile ways of working will be completed by the end of the month and the next workforce report will include more detail on these developments.  Concerns remained about the number of staff experiencing stress, anxiety and depression but there was a comprehensive employee assistance programme and the team continued to advise staff about what support was available.

Councillor Phillips added that the report included the 2021 Gender Pay Gap Report. As at 31 March 2021, the mean hourly rate for men was £17.35 per hour and for women £17.04 - an improvement on the March 2020 figure where the gap was 53p per hour.  Although 50% of the senior management team, which includes the extended leadership team, were women, this did not reflect the fact that two thirds of the total workforce were women.

Councillor Miller noted the increase in agency spend which remained a concern.  This was driven by labour force pressures particularly in the areas of social workers and Environment & Place.  However, Cabinet was enthusiastic about efforts at the strategic workforce level to pursue innovative ways of recruiting and retaining staff.

RESOLVED to note the report.

Cabinet Member: Leader

Forward Plan Ref: 2021/222

Contact: Robin Rogers, Programme Director, COVID Response Tel: 07789 923206

Report by Interim Chief Executive (CA11).

Effective partnership working across Oxfordshire has been at the heart of the local system response to the COVID-19 pandemic. As the national and local picture improves, system partners have developed a shared framework for Recovery and Renewal (see Annex 1) to move operational partnership working beyond the immediate COVID response phase. This document sets overarching common ambitions for the issues and themes that will be worked on together as organisations and the community learn from the pandemic. It aims to ensure that Oxfordshire is best placed to learn from and recover from the immediate impacts of the pandemic, to support the long-term renewal of communities and places, and enhance our joint impact on national and international challenges.

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:

a)               Adopt the Oxfordshire System Recovery and Renewal Framework, as set out in Annex 1, as the key partnership document guiding joint programme planning beyond the COVID-19 pandemic period;

b)              Delegate final revisions to Oxfordshire System Recovery and Renewal Framework to the Interim Chief Executive, in consultation with the Leader of the Council, as partnership organisations complete their engagement and decision-making processes;

c)               Note the summary of utilisation of COVID Programme grants for the immediate COVID response, as set out in Annex 2.

Cabinet considered a recovery and renewal framework setting overarching common ambitions for system partners for the issues and themes that will be worked on together as organisations and the community learn from the pandemic.

The Chair introduced the report which was based on the assumption that the community was coming out of the pandemic – although infection numbers continued to fluctuate.  The framework was based on learning from the pandemic, including how voluntary and community groups stepped in to play an important role.  It will be shared with the city and district councils and other partners and was aimed at guiding recovery, addressing inequalities that were exacerbated by the pandemic and improving resilience whatever the challenges faced.  For example, following the invasion of Ukraine there could be an influx of refugees.

South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse Councils had already endorsed the aims of the document but had some concerns about its implementation and how the framework would relate to existing frameworks that operate very well.  The Chair invited Cabinet to similarly endorse the aims but allow discussions to continue with partners on the implementation.

Councillor Liz Brighouse, Deputy Leader, emphasised that much of the report dealt with inequalities in the county.  Oxfordshire was one of the wealthiest counties but some in the community did not see the benefits, showing that the so-called ‘trickle-down’ economy did not work.

Councillor Brighouse stressed the importance of working with the colleges and other organisations who have a lot of money to invest to ensure that they invest it in activities that add social value - for example, investing in local young entrepreneurs.  The Council had an important role to play in how the economy worked.

Councillor Calum Miller stated that the framework was attempting to continue the new ways of working and collaborating, that were developed during the pandemic, into business as usual going forward.  He paid tribute to the hard work of Council staff and those working for our system partners that helped people throughout the pandemic.

Councillor Miller added that it was clear that many people would face a new emergency with the cost of living increases known to be coming in on 1 April.  He was confident that the Council would play its part in helping people through this latest emergency.

The Chair put the recommendations on the understanding that this was a working document and that further discussion will take place with the District and City Councils on the implementation.

RESOLVED to:

a)           Adopt the Oxfordshire System Recovery and Renewal Framework, as set out in Annex 1, as the key partnership document guiding joint programme planning beyond the COVID-19 pandemic period;

b)           Delegate final revisions to Oxfordshire System Recovery and Renewal Framework to the Interim Chief Executive, in consultation with the Leader of the Council, as partnership organisations complete their engagement and decision-making processes;

c)           Note the summary of utilisation of COVID Programme grants for the immediate COVID response, as set out in Annex 2.

Cabinet Member: All

Contact Officer: Sue Whitehead, Principal Committee Officer Tel: 07393 001213

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 CA21.  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.

It was agreed to take the Forward Plan item at this point of the meeting.  The Cabinet considered a list of items for the immediately forthcoming meetings of the Cabinet.

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

Cabinet Member: Travel & Development Strategy

Forward Plan Ref: 2022/019

Contact: Dawn Pettis, Strategic Planning Team Leader Tel: 07771 983395

Report by Corporate Director Environment & Place (CA16).

This report provides an update on the Oxfordshire Plan Statement of Community Involvement in response to the recent lifting of coronavirus restrictions.   The statement sets out how we will consult with people and local organisations in the preparation of this plan.

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to note the revised Statement of Community Involvement.

It was agreed to take the Oxfordshire Plan 2050 item at this stage.  This report provided an update on the Statement of Community Involvement in response to the recent lifting of coronavirus restrictions. The statement set out how we will consult with people and local organisations in the preparation of this plan.

Councillor Duncan Enright, Cabinet Member for Travel & Development Strategy, stated that the Plan demonstrated how closely the councils worked together to tackle the challenges of climate change and inequalities.  Agreeing this Statement of Community Involvement was a relatively procedural part of the process and the big debates on housing and growth were yet to come.

Councillor Calum Miller noted that long-term plans such as this can seem quite remote to people and that Members had a role to play in ensuring that there was good engagement from the community and that people understood how this plan could deeply affect their lives.

RESOLVED to note the revised Statement of Community Involvement.

In the event that any Member or Officer wishes to discuss the information set out in Annex C to Agenda Item 13, the Cabinet will be invited to resolve to exclude the public for the consideration of the Annex by passing a resolution in relation in the following terms:

"that the public be excluded during the consideration of the Annex since it is likely that if they were present during that discussion there would be a disclosure of "exempt" information as described in Part I of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act, 1972 and specified below the item in the Agenda".

NOTE: The report does not contain exempt information and is available to the public.

THE ANNEX TO THE ITEM NAMED HAS NOT BEEN MADE PUBLIC AND SHOULD BE REGARDED AS ‘CONFIDENTIAL’ BY MEMBERS AND OFFICERS ENTITLED TO RECEIVE THEM.

It was agreed that there was no requirement to exclude the public as there was no request to discuss the information in the exempt Annex.

Cabinet Member: Travel & Development Strategy

Forward Plan Ref: 2021/221

Contact: Timothy Mann, Senior Project Manager, Tel 07922 848408

Report by Director of Growth & Economy (CA13).

The information in this case is exempt in that it falls within the following prescribed categories:

3. Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information)

and since it is considered that, in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

Annex C containing exempt information under the above paragraph is attached.

To seek approval of the amendment to grant determination agreement (GDA) with Homes England and delegation to officers and to note:

-          progress made and changes to the scheme programme; and

-          requirement for CPO process to follow GDA changes.

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:

a)            Authorise the Corporate Director Environment and Place, in consultation with the Director of Law & Governance, Director of Finance, Cabinet Member for Travel and Development Strategy and Cabinet Member for Finance to enter into an amended Grant Determination Agreement (GDA) with Homes England.

b)           Establish a Cabinet Advisory Group (CAG) or similar working group of cross-party members to oversee the detailed design and development of HIF1.

c)            Authorise the development of a new Didcot area transport strategy and masterplan to meet the corporate priorities and agree to provide appropriate resources to support the development of the plan.

Cabinet was asked to approve of the amendment to the grant determination agreement (GDA) with Homes England and the delegation to officers and to note:

- progress made and changes to the scheme programme; and

- requirement for CPO process to follow GDA changes.

Before considering the report, the Chair had agreed to a number of requests to speak:

Councillor David Ruane, Leader, South Oxfordshire District Council (SODC), stated that he mainly wanted to address paragraph 17 of the report, the ‘Do Nothing’ Option which he maintained was not really an option.  He voted along with the rest of his cabinet to withdraw the Local Plan, knowing full well that this would mean the loss of the HIF funding and the end of this scheme.  However, following the intervention of the Secretary of State, South Oxfordshire now had an adopted Local Plan which contained housing sites which were dependent on the delivery of HIF1.

In North East Didcot much of the site had already been built.  According to traffic surveys 8,300 people already commuted from the Didcot area to Oxford for work. This road, and in particular the additional bridge over the Thames, was required to meet current need.  Arguments will be made that these journeys should be made in a more environmentally friendly way, by bus for example, but even buses needed a clear road to run reliably.

Councillor Ruane added that no Local Plan could withstand the loss of over 8,000 homes from its delivery schedule. In order to maintain housing delivery rates, other sites would have to come forward, sites determined by developers rather than by the council.  There were suggestions to ‘pause and review’ but the timescales on this project were such that to pause was to stop. The suggestion that one can pause and then go back to government with an alternative scheme which they will then finance was not realistic.

District Councillor Emily Smith, Leader, Vale of White Horse District Council, stated that she recognised the difficult situation the Cabinet found itself in with an inherited infrastructure scheme.  However, the HIF scheme was deeply entwined with other plans and commitments, including her main concern, the Vale Local Plan and its ability to demonstrate a 5 Year Housing Land Supply.

The Vale corporate plan was focused on climate action, healthy communities and providing homes that local people can afford to rent and buy. It was already hard to achieve these things within the national planning system but without being able to demonstrate a housing land supply, the council would again have its hands tied behind its back.

Councillor Smith was aware that the County Council had successfully secured some flexibility from government on the timeframe for delivery, which will allow the opportunity to rethink the design of the HIF infrastructure to identify ways of reducing the carbon impact and look again at ways to make this infrastructure more accessible for public transport and active travel.  She asked Cabinet to accept the officers’  ...  view the full minutes text for item 40/22

In the event that any Member or Officer wishes to discuss the information set out in Appendix 2 to Agenda Item 15, the Cabinet will be invited to resolve to exclude the public for the consideration of the Annex by passing a resolution in relation in the following terms:

"that the public be excluded during the consideration of the Appendix since it is likely that if they were present during that discussion there would be a disclosure of "exempt" information as described in Part I of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act, 1972 and specified below the item in the Agenda".

NOTE: The report does not contain exempt information and is available to the public.

APPENDIX 2 TO THE ITEM NAMED HAS NOT BEEN MADE PUBLIC AND SHOULD BE REGARDED AS ‘CONFIDENTIAL’ BY MEMBERS AND OFFICERS ENTITLED TO RECEIVE THEM.

It was agreed that there was no requirement to exclude the public as there was no request to discuss the information in the exempt Annex.

Cabinet Member: Finance

Forward Plan Ref: 2021/242

Contact: Steve Jorden, Corporate Director Commercial Development, Assets and Investment Tel: 07770 867896

Report by Corporate Director - Commercial Development, Assets and Investment (CA15).

The information in this case is exempt in that it falls within the following prescribed categories:

3. Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information)

and since it is considered that, in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information, in that a negotiation is ongoing and would prejudice the position of the authority in the process of that negotiation and the Council’s standing generally in relation to such matters in future, to the detriment of the Council’s ability properly to discharge its fiduciary and other duties as a public authority.

Appendix 2 containing exempt information under the above paragraph is attached.

To report back on the public engagement exercise and make a recommendation on whether to commence formal negotiations for the lease of Council owned land.

1.            The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to

(a)          Authorise Officers to enter into detailed discussions as requested by Oxford United Football Club (OUFC) on the use of Oxfordshire County Council (OCC) owned land for the development of a new football stadium, subject to approval of detailed plans and undertakings and to planning permission.

(b)          Instruct Officers to ensure that any In Principle Agreement resulting from discussions with OUFC satisfies the objectives set out in (2a) below.

(c)          Authorise Officers to explore lease surrender discussions with OCC’s current tenants, and where appropriate with sub-tenants, subject to planning permission.

(d)          Instruct Officers to maintain open dialogue with stakeholders with interests in the project, in particular Cherwell District Council (CDC), the relevant Parish Councils, the community sports clubs who make use of Stratfield Brake, the Woodland Trust and neighbouring landowners.

(e)          Instruct officers to provide regular updates on progress to the Cabinet Member for Property and, as appropriate, Cabinet as a whole.

(f)           Require Officers to bring back to Cabinet for further discussion any detailed proposals that are made, and to bring to Cabinet for decision any In Principle Agreement that may be reached in due course.

2.            If Cabinet decide to proceed it is RECOMMENDED that Cabinet requires that:

a)    Officers ensure that any proposal by OUFC is consistent with the Oxfordshire Fair Deal Alliance’s priorities, by achieving the following objectives for the use of the OCC’s land:

                             I.        maintain a green barrier between Oxford and Kidlington

                            II.        improve access to nature and green spaces

                          III.        enhance facilities for local sports groups and on-going financial support

                          IV.        significantly improve the infrastructure connectivity in this location, improving public transport to reduce the need for car travel in so far as possible, and to improve sustainable transport through increased walking, cycling and rail use

                           V.        develop local employment opportunities in Oxfordshire

                          VI.        increase education and innovation through the provision of a  ...  view the full agenda text for item 42/22

Cabinet received a report on the public engagement exercise it agreed at the January Cabinet meeting and considered recommendations on how to proceed.

The Chair had agreed to requests from a number of speakers:

Niall McWilliams, Managing Director, Oxford United FC, stated that this opportunity was not just about football, it was much wider than that.  It was about providing international class community facilities for the Kidlington area and our county; not just for sport but for music, theatre, drama and education.

Oxford United has been at the heart of the Oxfordshire community for over 127 years - it was arguably our most important community asset. Its custodians wanted to see it thrive for centuries to come.  A new stadium under the control of the club and not a third party, will allow this to happen.

The current licence agreement expires in 2026.  There was no possibility to purchase the current stadium nor extend the licence agreement post 2026.  The club had explored other land options but no other viable alternative sites were available to them.

Niall McWilliams addressed some of the concerns:

·         A Green barrier between Oxford and Kidlington will not only be maintained but enhanced

·         The stadium can be built to net zero carbon principles, with excellent public transport links

·         The club will endeavour to work with all local stakeholders to ensure a sympathetic design

He hoped members would decide to take this important step forward to enable the club to protect the livelihoods of all of those associated with Oxford United - an institution that belonged to the people of Oxfordshire.

Paul Peros, Chairman of the independent supporters’ trust OxVox, stated that the club now had owners with the vision, resources and experience to develop, not only a home for the club, but a hub for the whole county.   The club planned to provide up to 15% positive net carbon gain by partnering with progressive local companies to pioneer the latest green technologies.

He noted that 80% of those who took part in the survey supported leasing the land to Oxford United and OxVox had provided a petition of support signed by well over 5,000 locals. Every local sports club connected to Stratfield Brake actively supports this project and their members alone number in the thousands.

Paul Peros added that the local community deserved the chance to see detailed plans of a project that would provide infrastructure, jobs and vitality to the area. A community hub that would not only free up brownfield space elsewhere in the county for much needed housing, but form part of a strengthened green belt around Kidlington. The club must be allowed to commit its vision and promises to public scrutiny so that informed decisions can be made.

David Hipkiss, Chair of Gosford All Blacks RFC, outlined their support in principle for the relocation of Oxford United to Stratfield Brake.  This was based on the core assumption that they will see the replacement and significant enhancement of the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 42/22

Cabinet Member: Adult Social Care

Forward Plan Ref: 2022/026

Contact: Ian Bottomley, Lead Commissioner, Age Well, 07532 132975

Report by Interim Corporate Director for Adult Services (CA17).

Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and the Council have held a s75 NHS Act 2006 agreement to pool health and social care commissioning budgets since April 2013. This agreement has been extended by contract variation and the latest such variation expires on 31 March 2022.

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to

a)            Approve the agreement of a s75 NHS Act 2006 pooled commissioning budget with Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group from 1 April 2022.

b)           Approve a single, fully integrated Pool Budget and Risk Share for Live Well and Age Well services

c)            Delegate to the Interim Corporate Director of Adult Services in consultation with the Director of Finance (Section 151 Officer) to finalise and sign the agreement

Cabinet was asked to agree an extension to the s75 NHS Act 2006 agreement between Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group (OCCG) and the Council to pool health and social care commissioning budgets, as the latest agreement was to expire on 31 March 2022.

Councillor Jenny Hannaby, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, introduced the report and thanked its author, Ian Bottomley, for an excellent report.  There has been an agreement in place to pool health and social care budgets since 2013.  In 2020/21 the partners developed the Health, Education and Social Care Integrated Commissioning Team.

A joint commissioning executive was put in place in March 2021 to provide strategic direction and accountability and includes senior executives from OCC and OCCG.  The partnership had worked well and Councillor Hannaby had every confidence that it would continue to do so.  She noted that none of the pooled budgets may be spent without all of the partners’ agreement.  She put the recommendations to Cabinet.

RESOLVED to:

a)            Approve the agreement of a s75 NHS Act 2006 pooled commissioning budget with Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group from 1 April 2022.

b)           Approve a single, fully integrated Pool Budget and Risk Share for Live Well and Age Well services

c)            Delegate to the Interim Corporate Director of Adult Services in consultation with the Director of Finance (Section 151 Officer) to finalise and sign the agreement

Cabinet Member: Community Services & Safety

Forward Plan Ref: 2021/120

Contact: Paul Bremble, Group Manager (Strategic Risk & Assurance) Tel: 07990 780805

Report by Chief Fire Officer & Head of Community Safety (CA18).

The 2018 Fire & Rescue services Framework for England requires each Fire and Rescue Authority to produce a publicly available Integrated Risk Management Plan (IRMP). Within Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service (OFRS) we have called this our Community Risk Management Plan (CRMP) to make it more meaningful to the public, the current CRMP is due to expire March 2022.  OFRS have created a new Strategic Community Risk Management Plan that will cover the period from April 2022 to March 2026.

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to approve the CRMP 2022-26 for public release.

Cabinet had before it a new Strategic Community Risk Management Plan to cover the period from April 2022 to March 2026.  Cabinet was asked to approve it for public release.

The Chair introduced the report in the absence of Councillor Neil Fawcett who was attending a Local Government Association conference on Fire & Rescue.  She noted that there had been a 12 week consultation period on the Plan and feedback from that had been included.

As there were no questions on the report, the Chair put the recommendations which were agreed.

RESOLVED to approve the CRMP 2022-26 for public release.

Cabinet Member: Highway Management

Forward Plan Ref: 2021/217

Contact: Keith Stenning, Head of Service – Network Management Tel: 07584 581214

Report by Corporate Director Environment & Place (CA19).

Civil Enforcement powers to manage highway parking and bus lanes is now enforced across the whole of Oxfordshire. The County Council is directly managing this service with the exception of West Oxfordshire where a historic agency agreement is in place.

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to approve notice being given to West Oxfordshire District Council to terminate the s101 Agency Agreement in respect of the management of highway parking enforcement within the district of West Oxfordshire.

Cabinet considered a proposal to terminate the s101 Agency Agreement in respect of the management of highway parking enforcement within the district of West Oxfordshire.

The Chair had agreed to hear a number of speakers before discussing the proposal:

Councillor Andrew Coles, Witney South & Central, was unable to attend but had sent some comments that Councillor Duncan Enright read out.  Staff of West Oxfordshire District Council had not been able to provide the necessary cover particularly at weekends and evenings.  As a bus driver in the area Councillor Coles was very aware of the problems illegal parking caused.  He noted that there was general agreement that there should be no charge for on-street or off-street parking in Witney unless there was widespread support for it from businesses and the general community.

Councillor Andy Graham, Woodstock, welcomed the termination of the agreement which would end confusion in the district over who was responsible for on-street parking.  It will mean that any proposal for permits or charges will be consulted upon in its own right.  It will ensure that West Oxfordshire District Council can retain free parking in its car parks.

The report noted that there was a plan for Woodstock about to be consulted upon.  The town had suffered from a lack of enforcement and the previous administration had ignored the problem.  He noted that the proposal was cost-neutral and he thanked officers and Councillor Bearder for their work in partnership with the local community.

Councillor Tim Bearder, Cabinet Member for Highway Management, introduced the report.  He stated that the proposal would bring West Oxfordshire into line with the rest of the county so that there was greater clarity and consistency.  There would also be improved economies of scale and greater efficiency.

Councillor Bearder confirmed that off-street parking would still be under the control of the district council and that on-street measures would only be considered where there was a community demand for them.

Councillor Enright noted that there was relatively little on-street parking in towns like Witney but a lot of parking infringement.  He emphasised that there was no blame associated with WODC enforcement officers – the problem was with the management of enforcement.

The Chair welcomed the proposals and put the recommendations which were agreed.

RESOLVED to approve notice being given to West Oxfordshire District Council to terminate the s101 Agency Agreement in respect of the management of highway parking enforcement within the district of West Oxfordshire.

Cabinet Member: Climate Change Delivery & Environment

Forward Plan Ref: 2021/239

Contact: Rachel Wileman, Assistant Director Strategic Infrastructure & Planning Tel: 07554 103491 / Lynette Hughes, Principal Planner Tel: 07920 084360

Report by Corporate Director Environment & Place (CA20).

To seek agreement of the content of a response to the consultation draft Water Resources South East Regional Plan.

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:

a)               Consider the content of a response to the consultation on the emerging Water Resources South East regional plan - the draft is Annex 1 to this report.

b)              Delegate the final written response to the Corporate Director for Environment and Place in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Climate Change Delivery and Environment.

Cabinet’s agreement was sought for the content of a response to the consultation draft Water Resources South East (WRSE) Regional Plan.

Councillor Pete Sudbury, Cabinet Member for Climate Change Delivery & Environment, thanked Lynette Hughes for her work on the report and Derek Stork, Chair of GARD (Group Against Reservoir Development), for sense-checking the arguments, though the arguments were those of the Cabinet Member.

He criticised the plan as being developed behind closed doors by WRSE, lacking any independent or democratic scrutiny.  Examining the evidence, the underlying assumptions included a level of population increase that would require the entire growth in England's population to 2060 to occur in the South-East.

Councillor Sudbury believed that the customers will pick up the bill.  There had been no democratic oversight to protect the bill-payer.  He noted that the

Consultation stated that those schemes in the first 15 years were required across all future scenarios. That was absolute predetermination. There was no consultation on the Abingdon reservoir, not long ago rejected after a public inquiry.

Looking at the other options - fixing leaks, recycling and transfers of water from less water-stressed regions - they accounted for nearly 3000Ml while reservoirs accounted for 332Ml.  At least one of the alternatives, Severn-to-Thames transfer, could deliver 5 years earlier than the reservoir.

Councillor Sudbury added that Thames Water wanted to do almost nothing with recycling and spend £1.4 Bn on a reservoir instead.  He believed that would be an abuse of monopoly power and a misuse of the public's money.  The RAPID process, informed by WRSE, was irremediably flawed and highly likely to come out with an answer that was not in the interests of local people or the citizens of the Thames Valley.

The Chair agreed to a request to speak from Councillor Sally Povolotsky.

Councillor Povolotsky, Hendreds & Harwell, stated that the way of life of communities in her area was under huge threat by the privatised water companies putting profits before people.  She listed questions being asked by residents:

·         Why tell GARD, OCC and the Regulators that flooding studies are immature and will be completed later, while telling local developers that extensive studies have been done and flooding is not an issue?

·         After 20 years of planning, do they really have no diagrams of what this reservoir will look like from the local area?

·         Given their inability to even fix leaks, how do we trust them with building a reservoir safely?

·         Given how much sewage was repeatedly discharged from waterworks around Oxford, much of this will end up extracted and in the reservoir.  How will this be treated to make the water safe?

Councillor Povolotsky concluded by saying that none of these questions had been answered and the reservoir must be stopped.  She thanked officers for their work on the excellent response.

The Chair put the recommendations and they were agreed.

RESOLVED to:

a)           Consider the content of a response to the consultation on the emerging Water Resources South East regional plan - the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 46/22