Agenda, decisions and draft minutes

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 10 December 2024 (CC1) and to receive information arising from them.

The minutes of the meeting held on 10 December 2024 were approved subject to the following amendment:

On page 2 under item 124/24, fourth paragraph, replace ‘a6 6.30pm’ with ‘at 6.30pm’.

Apologies were received from Councillors Banfield and Field-Johnson.

There were no declarations of interest.

Chief Fire Officer and Director of Community Safety, Rob MacDougall, was rewarded for over 25 years of service to public safety with a King’s Fire Service Medal in this year's New Year’s Honours. He was recognised for his exemplary work over the years, in particular his contributions to the Thames Valley Violence Reduction Unit; leadership during times of crisis; ongoing voluntary work; and his commitment to equality and diversity.

The other Oxfordshire recipients of awards in the New Year’s Honours were listed in Annex 1.

The following is a list of events attended by the Chair and Vice-Chair since the December Council meeting:

10/12 – VCH Trust Christmas Lecture, St John’s College, Vice Chair attended

13/12 – Albert Park Singers Concert, Abingdon, Chair attended

14/12 – Lowland Rescue Service, Shiplake, Chair attended

16/12 – OCC Chair’s Carol St Michaels, Abingdon

16/12 – Lord Mayor’s Christmas Reception, Oxford, Vice Chair attended

21/12 – Sheldonian Carols Oxford Bach Choir, Oxford, Chair Attended

22/12 – Lord Mayors Carols, Oxford, Chair attended

23/12 – Oxford Cathedral Carols, Oxford, Chair attended

09/01 – Farming Conference with Princess Royal, Oxford, Chair attended

10/01 – Chair’s charity gala dinner, Oxford

20/01 – Oxford Buildings Trust AGM, County Hall, Chair attended

24/01 – OCC music service Sheldonian, Oxford, Chair attended

27/01 – Holocaust Memorial Day, Oxford, Chair attended

29/01 – Christ Church Civic party, Oxford, Chair attended

29/01 – PA Network, County Hall, Oxford, Chair attended

31/01 – West Oxford Chair’s fundraiser, Woodstock, Chair attended

04/02 – High Sheriff’s Law Lecture, Oxford, Chair attended

The Chair thanked everyone who attended the Carol Service at St Michael’s, Abingdon led by the Bishop of Dorchester at which over £400 was raised.   She also thanked all who came to the gala dinner at the Mercure Hotel in Iffley, as well as those councillors who made a donation despite being unable to attend.  Over £2000 was raised that night for those charities.   The funds raised will go to My Vision Oxfordshire, Parkinsons UK and the Earth Trust.

To make any changes to the membership of scrutiny and other committees on the nomination of political groups and to note any changes to the Cabinet made by the Leader of the Council.

There were no appointments to note.

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 must be submitted no later than 9am one working day before the meeting i.e., 9am on Monday 10 February 2025. 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 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.

Petitions

Jenny Wells presented a petition with around 570 signatures regarding Low Traffic Neighbourhoods on behalf of mobile trades.

Anthony Cheke presented a petition with approximately 1330 signatures regarding visitor permits in Controlled Parking Zones.

Bernadette Evans presented a petition with 14 signatures regarding representation on the Citizens’ Assembly.

Laura Greatrex presented a petition with 22 signatures calling for the widening Hitchcock Way in Didcot.

Item 10 – Budget and Business Planning 2025/26

Gill Bindoff

Richard Drew

Sumukh Kaul

Robin Tucker

Where the texts of speeches have been provided, they are published alongside the minutes.

Report of Director of Human Resources and Cultural Change

The Localism Act 2011 (the Act) requires all councils to agree and publish a pay policy statement every financial year.  In addition, the Code of Recommended Practice for Local Authorities on Data Transparency (updated in 2014) requires that councils publish prescribed information on senior pay, jobs, and organisational structures.

Council is RECOMMENDED to:

a)    Approve and adopt the 2025/26 pay policy statement and agree to its publication on the council website and intranet, as required by The Localism Act 2011 (the Act) and the Code of Practice on Data Transparency.

Council was asked to consider the Pay Policy Statement which, under the Localism Act 2011, the Council is required to agree and publish every financial year.  The statement, attached to the report, had been recommended for approval by the Remuneration Committee at its meeting on 15 January 2025.

The recommendation was moved by Councillor Liz Leffman, Chair of the Remuneration Committee and seconded by Councillor Liz Brighouse, Deputy Chair.

Following discussion an electronic vote was taken.  The recommendation was passed with 58 votes in favour, none against and no abstentions.

Resolved to:

Approve and adopt the 2025/26 pay policy statement and agree to its publication on the council website and intranet, as required by The Localism Act 2011 (the Act) and the Code of Practice on Data Transparency.

Report of the Director of Human Resources and Cultural Change 

The gender pay gap is the difference between the average (mean or median) earnings of men and women across a workforce.  Whilst reporting the council’s gender equality pay gap is a statutory requirement, reporting of the ethnicity pay gap is currently voluntary, and a matter of best practice.

Council is RECOMMENDED to:

a) Note and approve the council’s statutory gender equality pay gap report of 2024 for onward submission to the Gender Pay Gap Service, and making it available to the council’s employees, and on the council's website by 30 March 2025.

b) Note the council’s voluntary ethnicity pay gap report of 2024.

Council had before it a report on the Council’s Gender Pay Gap which is a statutory requirement as well as a report on the Ethnicity Pay Gap which is currently voluntary and a matter of best practice.  The reports had been recommended for approval by the Remuneration Committee at its meeting on 15 January 2025.

The recommendation was moved by Councillor Liz Leffman, Chair of the Remuneration Committee and seconded by Councillor Liz Brighouse, Deputy Chair.

Following discussion an electronic vote was taken.  The recommendation was passed with 56 votes in favour, none against and no abstentions.

RESOLVED to:

a) Note and approve the council’s statutory gender equality pay gap report of 2024 for onward submission to the Gender Pay Gap Service, and making it available to the council’s employees, and on the council's website by 30 March 2025.

b) Note the council’s voluntary ethnicity pay gap report of 2024.

Report by Director of Law & Governance and Monitoring Officer

The Constitution makes provision for urgent decisions to be made exempt from call-in on the agreement of the Chair of the Council.  When this occurs, it must be reported to the next meeting of Council.

Council is RECOMMENDED to note

(a)         the exemptions from Call-in of the following decisions:

·           Cabinet on 17 December 2024 - Oxfordshire County Council response to Government Consultation on Remote Attendance and Proxy Voting at Council Meetings

·           Shareholder Committee (Cabinet Committee) on 17 December 2024 - Changes to the Articles of Association and Board Director Appointments

·           Cabinet on 9 January 2025 - Devolution and Local Government Reorganisation

·           Cabinet Member for Children, Education and Young People’s Services on 21 January 2025 - Formal Approval of Schools Funding Formula 2025/26

Council was asked to note recent urgent decisions which were made exempt from call-in on the agreement of the Chair of the Council.

This report was proposed by Councillor Leffman and seconded by Councillor Sudbury.

Following discussion, Council noted the report.

RESOLVED to note:

a)            the exemptions from Call-in of the following decisions:

(1)      Cabinet on 17 December 2024 - Oxfordshire County Council response to Government Consultation on Remote Attendance and Proxy Voting at Council Meetings

(2)      Shareholder Committee (Cabinet Committee) on 17 December 2024 - Changes to the Articles of Association and Board Director Appointments

(3)      Cabinet on 9 January 2025 - Devolution and Local Government Reorganisation

(4)      Cabinet Member for Children, Education and Young People’s Services on 21 January 2025 - Formal Approval of Schools Funding Formula 2025/26

Report by the Executive Director of Resources and Section 151 Officer

This report is the culmination of the Budget and Business Planning process for 2025/26 to 2027/28. It sets out the Cabinet’s proposed budget for 2025/26, medium term financial plan to 2027/28 and capital programme to 2034/35, together with a number of strategies and policies that the Council is required to approve for the 2025/26 financial year.

The Council is RECOMMENDED to:

a.    have regard to the statutory report of the Executive Director of Resources and Section 151 Officer (at Section 3) in approving recommendations b to d below;

b.    (in respect of the budget and medium term financial strategy – at Section 4) approve:

(1)      the council tax and precept calculations for 2025/26 set out in Section 4.3 and in particular:

(i)           a precept of £533,328,633;

(ii)          a council tax for band D equivalent properties of £1,911.40;

(2)      a budget for 2025/26 as set out in Section 4.4;

(3)      a medium term financial strategy for 2025/26 to 2027/28 as set out in Section 4.1 (which incorporates changes to the existing medium term financial strategy as set out in Section 4.2);

(4)      the Financial Strategy for 2025/26 at Section 4.5;

(5)      the Earmarked Reserves and General Balances Policy Statement 2025/26 at Section 4.6 including

(i)           the Executive Director of Resources and Section 151 Officer’s recommended level of General Balances for 2025/26 (Section 4.6), and

(ii)          the planned level of Earmarked Reserves for 2025/26 to 2027/28 (Section 4.6.1)

c.     (in respect of capital – at Section 5) approve:

(1)      the Capital & Investment Strategy for 2024/25 to 2034/35 including the Prudential Indicators and Minimum Revenue Provision Methodology Statement as set out in Section 5.1;

(2)      a Capital Programme for 2024/25 to 2034/35 as set out in Section 5.4 which includes new capital proposals set out in Section 5.3.

d.    (in respect of treasury management – at Section 5) approve:

(1)      the Treasury Management Strategy Statement and Annual Investment Strategy for 2025/26 at Section 5.2 including the Treasury Management Prudential Indicators and the Specified Investment and Non-Specified Investment Instruments.

(2)      that any further changes required to the 2025/26 strategy be delegated to the Executive Director of Resources and Section 151 Officer in consultation with the Leader of the Council and the Cabinet Member for Finance;

Council had before it the Cabinet’s proposed budget for 2025/26, medium term financial plan to 2027/28 and capital programme to 2034/35, together with a number of strategies and policies that the Council was required to approve for the 2025/26 financial year.

Amendments had been submitted by the Conservative Independent Alliance and by the Labour & Cooperative Group.  The Chair decided to hear the debate on the Cabinet proposals first, followed by the debate on the amendments from the Conservative Independent Alliance and finally the debate on the amendments from the Labour & Cooperative Group.  The Chair proposed that the meeting then be adjourned for discussions between the groups to formulate proposals that would achieve majority support.

The Cabinet recommendations were proposed by Councillor Liz Leffman, Leader of the Council, and seconded by Councillor Dan Levy, Cabinet Member for Finance.  The recommendations were debated.

The amendments in Addenda 1 were proposed by Councillor Eddie Reeves, Leader of the Opposition, and seconded by Councillor David Bartholomew, Shadow Cabinet Member for Finance.  The amendments in Addenda 1 were debated.

The amendments in Addenda 2 were proposed by Councillor Liz Brighouse, Leader of the Labour & Cooperative Group, and seconded by Councillor Brad Baines, the group’s spokesperson on Finance.  The amendments in Addenda 2 were debated.

The Chair proposed an adjournment at 4.50pm and this was agreed.

The meeting resumed at 6.10pm.

A new proposal, with amendments published in a Supplementary Report, was proposed by Councillor Liz Leffman and seconded by Councillor Dan Levy.  The new proposal was debated and put to a vote.

Councillors voting for the proposal (40):

Baines, Bearder, Bennett, Brighouse, Cherry, Coles, Edosomwan, Elphinstone, Enright, Fadlalla, Fawcett, Gant, Gawrysiak, Graham, Gregory, Hanna, Hannaby, Haywood, Hicks, Howson, Johnston, Leffman, Levy, Ley, Lygo, Middleton, van Mierlo, Miller, O’Connor, Phillips, Povolotsky, Pressel, Roberts, Rooke, Rouane, Saul, Smith, Stevens, Sudbury, Thomas.

Councillors voting against the proposal (0)

Councillors abstaining (13):

Ash, Bartholomew, Corkin, Fatemian, Fenton, Ford, Mallon, Reeves, Sibley, Simpson, Snowdon, Waine, Walker.

The proposal as amended was moved by Councillor Leffman, seconded by Councillor Levy and put to a vote.

Councillors voting for the proposal (40):

Baines, Bearder, Bennett, Brighouse, Cherry, Coles, Edosomwan, Elphinstone, Enright, Fadlalla, Fawcett, Gant, Gawrysiak, Graham, Gregory, Hanna, Hannaby, Haywood, Hicks, Howson, Johnston, Leffman, Levy, Ley, Lygo, Middleton, van Mierlo, Miller, O’Connor, Phillips, Povolotsky, Pressel, Roberts, Rooke, Rouane, Saul, Smith, Stevens, Sudbury, Thomas.

Councillors voting against the proposal (0)

Councillors abstaining (13):

Ash, Bartholomew, Corkin, Fatemian, Fenton, Ford, Mallon, Reeves, Sibley, Simpson, Snowdon, Waine, Walker.

The Council is RECOMMENDED to:

a.    have regard to the statutory report of the Executive Director of Resources and Section 151 Officer set out in Section 3.1 alongside Labour & Co-operative Group Section 3.1 in approving recommendations b to d below;

b.    (in respect of the budget and medium term financial strategy – at Section 4) approve the following:

(1)   the council tax and precept calculations for 2025/26 [at Section 4.3] and in particular:

(i)     a precept of £533,328,633;

(ii)   a council tax for  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10/25