Agenda and decisions

Cabinet - Tuesday, 17 December 2024 2.00 pm

Venue: Room 2&3 - County Hall, New Road, Oxford OX1 1ND. View directions

Contact: Chris Reynolds  Tel: 07542 029441; E-Mail:  chris.reynolds@oxfordshire.gov.uk

Link: video link https://oxon.cc/Cabinet17122024

Items
No. Item

1.

Apologies for Absence

Decision:

There were none received.

2.

Declarations of Interest

- guidance note below

Decision:

There were none.

3.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 427 KB

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 19 November 2024 (CA3) and to receive information arising from them.

Decision:

The minutes of the meeting held on 19 November 2024 were approved as a correct record.

4.

Questions from County Councillors pdf icon PDF 85 KB

Any county councillor may, by giving notice to the Proper Officer by 9 am two working days 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.

Decision:

See annex.

5.

Petitions and Public Address pdf icon PDF 86 KB

Members of the public who wish to speak at this meeting can attend the meeting in person or ‘virtually’ through an online connection. 

 

To facilitate ‘hybrid’ meetings we are asking that requests to speak or present a petition are submitted by no later than 9am four working days before the meeting.  Requests to speak should be sent to committeesdemocraticservices@oxfordshire.gov.uk

 

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

 

Decision:

8 Henley Short Stay Hub Beds

 

Councillor Stefan Gawrysiak

 

9 Beyond Net Zero – Growing the Market for Carbon Dioxide Removals

 

Professor Steve Smith

6.

Appointments

Decision:

There were none to report.

7.

Reports from Scrutiny Committees pdf icon PDF 223 KB

Cabinet will receive the following Scrutiny reports:-

 

Performance and Corporate Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee reports on:-

 

Community Asset Transfer Policy

Commercial Strategy

Budget 2025-26 (any formal recommendations to Cabinet from the PCSOSC meeting on 06 December will be issued as an addendum)

 

 

Additional documents:

Decision:

Cabinet received the reports and will respond in due course.

8.

Henley Short Stay Hub Beds pdf icon PDF 337 KB

Cabinet Member: Adult Social Care

Forward Plan Ref: 2024/346

Contact: Ian Bottomley, Lead Commissioner – Age Well Support (Ian.Bottomley@oxfordshire.gov.uk)

 

Report by Director of Adult Social Care (CA8).

 

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to

 

(a)            Note the history of step-down bed provision in Oxfordshire and to endorse the Home First Discharge to Assess model of care that has been implemented countywide since January 2024

(b)            Note the impact of Home First Discharge to Assess for users, hospital flow and on business efficiency across the County and in the South Oxfordshire area

(c)             Agree that the former Chiltern Court beds are not reinstated for the reasons set out in the paper

(d)            Note the decision of the Secretary of State for Heath not to “call in” the decision to close the Chiltern Court beds

(e)            Note the engagement that has taken place with the public and stakeholders during 2024

(f)              Endorse ongoing engagement with Oxfordshire residents around out of hospital care

 

 

 

Additional documents:

Decision:

Recommendations approved.

9.

Beyond Net Zero - Growing the Market for Carbon Dioxide Removals pdf icon PDF 229 KB

Cabinet Member: Deputy Leader of the Council with Responsibility for Climate Change, Environment and Future Generations

Forward Plan Ref: 2024/330

Contact: Sarah Gilbert, Head of Climate Action (Sarah.Gilbert@oxfordshire.gov.uk)

 

Report by Director of Economy and Place (CA9).

 

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:

 

a)    Note the underdevelopment of the market for Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) technologies, and the risk this creates for meeting net zero.

b)    Support the recommendations to scale the market for CDRs through the council’s policy making and partnership activity, growing both the supply and demand side of the market, subject to funding.

c)    Subject to funding, commit to go ‘Beyond Net Zero’ - extending the council’s current carbon neutral target for the council’s own estate emissions to be ‘beyond zero’, with a target figure to be agreed at a later date.

 

Additional documents:

Decision:

Recommendations approved.

10.

Infrastructure Funding Statement pdf icon PDF 239 KB

Cabinet Member: Infrastructure and Development Strategy

Forward Plan Ref: 2024/322

Contact: Chris Stevenson, Planning Operations Manager (Chris.Stevenson@oxfordshire.gov.uk)

 

Report by Director of Economy and Place (CA10).

 

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to

 

a)    Consider the content of the Infrastructure Funding Statement 2023/24

 

b)    Approve the publication of the report onto the Oxfordshire County Council website

 

c)    Delegate authority to make any minor amendments to the report prior to its publication to the Director of Economy & Place in consultation with the Chief Executive

 

 

 

 

Additional documents:

Decision:

Recommendations approved.

11.

Response to Government Consultation on Remote Attendance and Proxy Voting at Council Meetings pdf icon PDF 254 KB

Cabinet Member: Leader

Forward Plan Ref: 2024/357

Contact: Helen Mitchell, Interim Head of Strategy, Helen.Mitchell@oxfordshire.gov.uk ;Colm Ó Caomhánaigh, Democratic Services Manager, colm.ocaomhanaigh@oxfordshire.gov.uk

 

Report by Director of Public Affairs, Strategy and Partnerships & Director of Law and Governance (CA11)

 

The Chair of the Council has agreed that this item is exempt from Scrutiny call-in.

 

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to agree to the proposed consultation response outlined in Appendix 1.

 

Decision:

Recommendations approved.

12.

Workforce Report and Staffing Data - Quarter 2 - July to September 2024 pdf icon PDF 472 KB

Cabinet Member: Community and Corporate Services

Forward Plan Ref: 2024/336

Contact: Cherie Cuthbertson, Director of HR and Cultural Change

Cherie.cuthbertson@oxfordshire.gov.uk

 

Report of the Executive Director of Resources and Section 151 Officer (CA12)

 

Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to note the report.

 

 

Additional documents:

Decision:

Recommendations approved.

13.

Capital Programme and Monitoring Report - October 2024 pdf icon PDF 494 KB

Cabinet Member: Finance

Forward Plan Ref: 2024/224

Contact: Natalie Crawford, Capital Programme Manager

Natalie.crawford@oxfordshire.gov.uk

 

Report by Executive Director of Resources and Section 151 Officer (CA13)

 

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:

 

Capital Programme

 

a.     Note the capital monitoring position for 2024/25 set out in this report and summarised in Annex 1.

 

b.     Approve the updated Capital Programme at Annex 2 incorporating the changes set out in this report.

 

Budget Changes / Budget Release

 

c.     Note the reduction of £0.5m budget provision from the Defect Liability Programme funded from corporate resources, thereby returning £0.5m to the capital programme which will contribute towards funding for the 2025/26 the capital budget setting process (para 68).

 

Additions to the Capital Programme

 

d.     Approve the inclusion of the William Fletcher CE Primary School (Expansion) scheme in the Capital Programme with an indicative budget of £3.9m to be funded from S106 developer contributions and basic need funding (para 65).

 

e.     Approve the inclusion of a programme of work which will create breathing apparatus and cleaning / decontamination areas across Oxfordshire’s fire stations, with an indicative budget of £1.8m, to be funded from earmarked reserves, agreed by Council in February 2024 (para 66).

 

 

Additional documents:

Decision:

Recommendations approved.

14.

Forward Plan and Future Business pdf icon PDF 292 KB

Cabinet Member: All

Contact Officer: Chris Reynolds, Senior Democratic Services Officer, chris.reynolds@oxfordshire.gov.uk

 

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 CA14.  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.

Additional documents:

Decision:

Noted.

15.

For information only: Cabinet response to Scrutiny item pdf icon PDF 109 KB

Community Wealth Building

Decision:

Noted.