Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Neil Fawcett and Ben Higgins.

- guidance note below

There were none.

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 24 February 2026 (CA3) and to receive information arising from them.

The minutes of the meeting held on 24 February 2026 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.

 

See attached.

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.

 

 

7 -  Reports from Scrutiny Committees – Road safety

 

Peter Barnett

 

9 - Local Transport Consolidated Funding Settlement - Local Transport Delivery Plan

 

Robin Tucker

Cllr James Fry

 

10 – Movement and Place Plans

 

Paul Finnemore

Robin Tucker

Richard Allen

Cllr Gareth Epps

Cllr James Fry

 

11 – Treasury Management Q3 Performance Report

 

Cllr Brad Baines

 

12 – Business Management and Monitoring Report – Performance and Risk - Q3 2025-26

 

Cllr Brad Baines

 

13 – Update on High Needs Dedicated Schools Grant

 

Cllr Brad Baines

 

14 - Capital Programme Update and Monitoring Report

 

Robin Tucker

Cllr Brad Baines

 

16 – Urgent decision regarding acquisition of property/lease in Oxfordshire

 

Cllr Liz Brighouse

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Councillor Dan Levy has been appointed to the Thames Valley Fire Control Services Joint Committee.

Cabinet will receive the following Scrutiny reports: -

 

Education and Young People Overview and Scrutiny Committee reports on:

 

Local Area Partnership Monitoring and Priority Action Plan

Education Otherwise Than At School (EOTAS) Guidance

 

Place Overview and Scrutiny Committee reports on:

 

Road Safety initiatives in Oxfordshire

Repairing of defects and Superusers

 

 

 

Cabinet received the reports and will respond in due course.

Cabinet Member: Leader

Forward Plan Ref: 2026/063

Non-key decision

Contact: Lauren Rushen, Senior Policy Officer

Lauren.rushen@oxfordshire.gov.uk

 

Report by the Deputy Chief Executive (Section 151 Officer) (CA8)

 

To consider the Council's draft response to the Ministry for Housing, Communities, and Local Government (MHCLG) consultation on local government reorganisation in Oxfordshire.

 

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:

 

(a)           approve the submission of three consultation responses (Annex 1, 2 and 3) to the Ministry for Housing Communities, and Local Government (MHCLG)’s consultation on local government reorganisation (LGR) in Oxfordshire as requested by the Minister of State for Local Government’s letter on 5 February 2026.

 

(b)           Delegate authority to the Deputy Chief Executive and S151 Officer in consultation with the Leader to make any changes to the text/and or formatting of the submissions prior to submission to government whilst not materially affecting the overall content of the responses

 

Recommendations approved.

Cabinet Member: Transport Management

Forward Plan Ref: 2026/006

Key decision

Contact: Hannah Battye, Head of Place Shaping

Hannah.battye@oxfordshire.gov.uk

 

Report by Director of Environment and Highways (CA9)

 

The DfT Local Transport Delivery Plan. This item outlines the proposed programme over the next 4 years.

 

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:

 

a)    approve the Local Transport Delivery Plan and its submission to the Department for Transport; and

 

b)    delegate authority to the Director of Environment & Highways, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Transport Management, to make changes to specific schemes and projects within the agreed programmes outlined in the Local Transport Delivery Plan.

 

Recommendations approved.

Cabinet Member: Place, Environment and Climate Action

Forward Plan Ref: 2025/262

Key decision

Contact: Ashley Hayden, Team Leader (Area Travel Plans)

Ashley.hayden@oxfordshire.gov.uk

 

Report by Director of Environment and Highways (CA10)

 

The Movement and Place (MAP) plans form part 2s of the Local Transport Connectivity Plan. This MAP Plan reflects the Bicester area in the North of the County (Cherwell) with further plans to come forward over the following months.

 

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to: -

 

Approve the adoption and publication of the Bicester and Surrounding Villages Movement and Place Plan (Annex A), and its subsequent supporting documents at A1-A4 (Delivery Plan, proposals map, people postcards, summary of plan).

Recommendations approved.

Cabinet Member: Finance, Property and Transformation

Forward Plan Ref: 2026/060

Non-key decision

Contact: Tim Chapple, Treasury Manager

Tim.chapple@oxfordshire.gov.uk

 

Report by the Deputy Chief Executive (Section 151 Officer) (CA12)

 

Quarterly report on the Council's treasury management activity.

 

Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to note the council’s treasury management activity for the first three quarters of 2025/26.

 

Recommendations approved.

Cabinet Member: Finance, Property and Transformation

Forward Plan Ref: 2025/102

Non-key decision

Contact: Kathy Wilcox, Head of Corporate Finance

Kathy.wilcox@oxfordshire.gov.uk

 

Report by Deputy Chief Executive (Section 151 Officer) (CA13)

 

To note the report and approve the recommendations

 

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:

 

a)    Note the report and annexes.

b)    Approve a supplementary estimate request of £0.9m relating to additional election costs and supplementary estimates of £0.5m for Bicester Motion and £2.2m relating to Woodeaton Manor Special School (Annex D paragraph 23).

c)    Approve the write off of 2 corporate debts totalling £50k (Annex D paragraph 26)

d)    Approve the write off of 12 Adult Social Care contribution debts totalling £270k (Annex D paragraph 29).

e)    Note the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) High Needs Block 2025/26 forecast and accumulated deficit position ((Annex D paragraphs 36 - 40).

f)      Approve the updates to Fees & Charges for Environment & Highways (Annex D – Appendix 5)

 

Recommendations approved.

Cabinet Member: Finance, Property and Transformation

Forward Plan Ref: 2026/052

Key decision

Contact: Jane Billington, Strategic Finance Business Partner

Jane.billington@oxfordshire.gov,uk

 

Report by Deputy Chief Executive (Section 151 Officer) (CA14)

 

Explains the arrangements for funding High Needs Dedicated Schools Grant deficits up to the end of 2025/26 as set out by the Government as part of the Final Local Government Finance Settlement for 2026/27.

Provides an update on the estimated share of the 2025/26 deficit that will need to be funded by the relevant council(s) when the statutory over-ride ends on 1 April 2028.

Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:

 

a)      Note the update on the treatment of High Needs DSG Deficits up to 31 March 2026 set out in the Final Local Government Finance Settlement for 2026/27.

b)      Note the changes to High Needs Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) funding and approve the mid and worst case forecast deficits for 2026/27 (paragraph 21 and Table 1).

c)      Note the funding that is planned to be available to meet the residual element that the council will need to fund following the end of the statutory override.

 

Recommendations approved.

Cabinet Member: Finance, Property and Transformation

Forward Plan Ref: 2026/028

Key decision

Contact: Natalie Crawford, Capital Programme Manager

Natalie.crawford@oxfordshire.gov.uk

 

Report by Deputy Chief Executive (Section 151 Officer) (CA15)

 

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

 

Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:

 

a.    Note the capital monitoring position for 2025/26 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.

 

Additions to the Capital Programme

 

c.     Approve the inclusion of Milton Heights Bridge into the capital programme, with a budget of £8.608m, to be funded from a variety of funding sources.  (see paragraph 65-66)

 

Recommendations approved.

Cabinet Member: Place, Environment and Climate Action

Forward Plan Ref: 2025/057

Non-key decision

Contact: Caroline Coyne, Project Manager (BPSI Team)

Caroline.coyne@oxfordshire.gov.uk

 

Report by Director of Economy and Place (CA11)

 

Oxfordshire County Council’s current household waste recycling centres management contract is in its final extension period and comes to an end on 30th September 2027. A future model for the service delivery is required to be in place and mobilised prior to the expiry of the existing contract. The paper is to approve the preferred model.

 

Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to

 

a)    Approve the preferred approach to the reprovision of the Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) management as set out in paragraphs 5 and 31.

 

b)    Authorise Officers to prepare and commence the procurement of a new 8-year HWRC management contract to start on 1 October 2027 (following a mobilisation period) with options to support flexibility in Local Government Reorganisation (LGR). 

 

c)    Endorse exploration and feasibility of the capital purchase of HWRC plant and equipment during the tender bidding, with a view to having an agreed final revenue and capital cost of the contract at the final tender stage.

 

d)    Delegate the decision to award the contract, and any extension to the Director of Environment and Highways in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Place, Environment and Climate Action.

 

Recommendations approved.

Cabinet Member: Finance, Property and Transformation

Forward Plan Ref: 2026/054

Key decision

Contact: Henry White, Operational Manager, Estates and Investment

Henry.white@oxfordshire.gov.uk

 

Report by Director of Property and Assets (CA16)

 

The information in the annexes to this report in that it falls within the following prescribed category:

 

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.

Recommendations approved.

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 CA17.  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.

Noted.

The Virtual School

Noted.