Agenda, decisions and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Bearder, Fawcett and Gregory.

- guidance note below

There were none.

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 25 March 2025 (CA3) and to receive information arising from them

The minutes of the meeting held on 25 March 2025 were approved as a correct record.

Any county councillor may, by giving notice to the Proper Officer by 9 am three working days before the meeting, ask a question on an item on the agenda.

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.

There were none received.

Members of the public who wish to speak on an item on the agenda at this meeting, or present a petition, can attend the meeting in person or ‘virtually’ through an online connection.

Requests to present a petition must be submitted no later than 9am ten working days before the meeting.

Requests to speak must be submitted no later than 9am three working days before the meeting.

Requests should be submitted to committeesdemocraticservices@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 9am on the day of the meeting. Written submissions should be no longer than 1 A4 sheet

There were no requests received.

There were no appointments to report to this meeting.

Cabinet will receive the People Overview and Scrutiny Committee’s report on Co-production in Adult Social Care.

Councillor Kieron Mallon, Chair of the People Overview and Scrutiny Committee, presented the report in Co-production in Adult Social Care.

Cabinet received the report and will respond in due course.

Cabinet Member: Public Health, Inequalities and Community Safety

Forward Plan Ref: 2025/038

Contact: Paul Wilding, Programme Manager

Paul.wilding@oxfordshire.gov.uk

Report by Director of Public Affairs, Policy and Partnerships

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:

a)   approve the support package for 2025/26, as summarised in table 2;

b)    approve the repurposing £85,000 of funding held in the Emergency Welfare Fund reserve to support the Community Wealth Building programme

c)    delegate authority to the Director for Public Affairs, Policy & Partnerships in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Public Health, Inequalities and Community Safety, to approve the deployment of unallocated funds for emerging need, and to amend the programme during the year in response to changing and emerging need, within the overall programme budget

Cabinet had before it a report setting out the intended approach to support those residents who were most negatively impacted by cost-of-living pressures following the government’s announcement of an extension of the Household Support Fund from 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026.

The report also provided the latest position on the impact of cost-of-living pressures and set out highlights from the 2024/25 funding programme.

Councillor Dr Nathan Ley, Cabinet Member for Public Health, Inequalities and Community Safety, presented the report.  Councillor Lay highlighted the main elements of the programme including holiday free school meal support, resident support scheme (crisis payments and local district level funding), and advice services. He also congratulated the cost of living team for their nomination for the best small team of the year at the Local Government Chronicle Awards

During discussion, members referred to the government's plan to publish a child poverty strategy later in the year. The importance of protecting those struggling with the cost of living was emphasised.

RECOMMENDED to:-

a)    approve the support package for 2025/26, as summarised in Table 2

b)    approve the repurposing £85,000 of funding held in the Emergency Welfare Fund reserve to support the Community Wealth Building programme

c)    delegate authority to the Director for Public Affairs, Policy & Partnerships in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Public Health, Inequalities and Community Safety, to approve the deployment of unallocated funds for emerging need, and to amend the programme during the year in response to changing and emerging need, within the overall programme budget

Cabinet Member: Finance

Forward Plan Ref: 2025/011

Contact: Natalie Crawford, Capital Programme Manager

Natalie.crawford@oxfordshire.gov.uk

Report by Executive Director of Resources and Section 151 Officer

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:

a.             approve the addition of a new phase of energy saving measures into the capital programme, at a total cost of £10.360m. The two-year programme will run from 2025-2027 and is to be funded by £10.000m from corporate resources, as approved by Council in February 2025, with the remaining £0.360m to be funded by a successful bid to Phase 4 of the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS4). 

b.             approve the inclusion of phase 2 and 3 of Fire Compartmentation Remedial works into the capital programme, at a cost of £3.700m.  The programme of work is to be funded from £2.000m corporate resources agreed by Council in February 2024 and a further £1.700m agreed by Council in February 2025.

Cabinet had before it which set out change requests requiring Cabinet approval that will be incorporated into the agreed Capital programme and included in the next update to programme in June 2025.  

Councillor Dan Levy, Cabinet Member for Finance, presented the report.  He referred to the two schemes detailed in the report relating to energy saving measures funded through corporate resources and a government decarbonisation scheme and fire safety improvements in council buildings, ensuring compliance with safety regulations. Both initiatives reflected the council's commitment to reducing carbon emissions and maintaining safe facilities.

RESOLVED to:

a)    approve the addition of a new phase of energy saving measures into the capital programme, at a total cost of £10.360m. The two-year programme will run from 2025-2027 and is to be funded by £10.000m from corporate resources, as approved by Council in February 2025, with the remaining £0.360m to be funded by a successful bid to Phase 4 of the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS4). 

b)    approve the inclusion of phase 2 and 3 of Fire Compartmentation Remedial works into the capital programme, at a cost of £3.700m.  The programme of work is to be funded from £2.000m corporate resources agreed by Council in February 2024 and a further £1.700m agreed by Council in February 2025.

There have been no executive decisions taken under delegated powers during the period January to March 2025 to report to this meeting.

There were no executive decisions taken under delegated powers during the period January to March 2025 to report to this meeting.

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 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.

Infrastructure Funding Statement and S.106 Project Review

Cabinet noted the response to the Scrutiny item on Infrastructure Funding Statement and S.106 Project Review.