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Agenda, decisions and minutes

Venue: Council Chamber - 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/FC17052022

Items
No. Item

34/22

Election of Chair for the 2022/23 Council Year

Minutes:

Before  nominations were invited for the office of Chair of the Council, Councillor John Howson (the retiring Chair) took the opportunity to reflect on his year in office as Chair of the Council, and in particular his civic duties promoting Oxfordshire County Council and meeting a broad spectrum of people across the County. He thanked those who had acted as his consorts and drivers during the year,  and Anita Bradley the Monitoring Officer and Sara Lenihan, his personal assistant for their guidance and support.  He thanked the Vice-Chair (Councillor Pressel) for deputising for him on a number of occasions. He was proud that the Council had raised the flag of Ukraine above County Hall and of the work the Council was doing to support  displaced people from Afghanistan and Ukraine.

 

Councillors Leffman, Brighouse and Reeves paid tribute to the outgoing Chair thanking him for his fairness, hard work, and effort over the year.

 

The Monitoring Officer, Anita Bradley then invited nominations for the office of Chair of the Council for the 2022/23 Council Year

 

Councillor Brighouse moved and Councillor Leffman seconded that Councillor Susanna Pressel be elected as Chair of the Council for the 2022/23 Council Year.

 

There being no other nominations and no dissent, Councillor Pressel was duly declared elected by a show of hands (nem con). Upon election, Councillor Pressel read out and signed the Statutory Declaration of Acceptance of Office

 

RESOLVED: (nem con) that Councillor Susanna Pressel be elected as Chair for the 2022/23 Council Year.

 

(Councillor Susanna Pressel in the Chair)

35/22

Election of Vice-Chair for the 2022/23 Council Year

Minutes:

The Chair called for nominations for the office of Vice-Chair.

 

Councillor Reeves moved and Councillor Ash seconded that Councillor Felix Bloomfield be elected as Vice-Chair of the Council for the 2021/22 Council Year. There being no other nominations and no dissent, Councillor Felix Bloomfield was duly declared elected by a show of hands (nem con) Vice-Chair of the Council for the 2022/23 Council Year. He read out and signed the statutory Declaration of Acceptance of Office.

 

RESOLVED: (nem con) that Councillor Felix Bloomfield be elected Vice-Chair for the 2022/23 Civic Year.

36/22

Apologies for Absence

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Banfield, Corkin, Haywood, Levy, Murphy and Rooke

37/22

Minutes pdf icon PDF 240 KB

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 5 April 2022

 

Minutes:

The minutes of the meeting held on 5 April 2022 were amended as follows:-

 

7/22 Oxfordshire County Council and Cherwell District Council Section 113 Agreement

 

The minute to remove the statement by Cllr Leffman that Cherwell District Council had decided to cease the Section 113 agreement.

 

19/22 Questions with Notice from Members of the Council

 

In relation to question 2 (Cllr Eddie Reeves to Cllr Liz Leffman) Cllr Leffman reiterated that the 4 complaints against the Cabinet member for Highways Management were all on the same issue which had been resolved

 

In relation to question 12 (Cllr Stefan Gawrysiak to Cllr Calum Miller), Cllr Miller said that officers were in the process of providing a full overview of the assets of the County Council and undertook to provide a further written answer on the plans for the repair of various council properties once this review is completed later this year

 

and signed as a correct record.

 

38/22

Report of the Cabinet pdf icon PDF 284 KB

Report of the Cabinet Meeting held on 26 April 2022

Minutes:

Council received the report of the Cabinet

 

In relation to a question from Cllr Bob Johnston, Cllr Pete Sudbury said that the Tree Policy did include climate resilience and UK grown and quarantined trees which were also found in Southern Europe. Trees needed to provide food, timber or natural habitats

 

In relation to a question from Cllr Charlie Hicks,  Cllr Sudbury confirmed that the next policy to be considered would be for verges and footpaths.

 

Cllr Sudbury then updated members on the Council’s response to the current position regarding climate change

 

In relation to questions from Cllr John Howson and Cllr Nick Field-Johnson, Cllr Enright said that a list of which organisations is to be included in the Highways Work Bonds would need to be considered and Cllr Bearder explained the current position on the parishes being considered of 20 mph schemes.  The request for a full schedule of parishes would be considered.

 

 

 

 

39/22

Audit and Governance Annual Report pdf icon PDF 474 KB

Report by the Chair of the Audit & Governance Committee

 

The Annual Report sets out the role of the Audit & Governance Committee and summarises the work that has been undertaken both as a Committee and through the support of the Audit Working Group 2021/22

 

Council is RECOMMENDED to receive the report

Minutes:

Council had before it the Annual Report of the Audit & Governance Committee which summarised the work that had been undertaken both as a Committee and through the support of the Audit Group in 2021/22. Councillor Ros Smith moved and Councillor Brad Baines seconded that the Council receive the report.

 

RESOLVED: (nem con) to receive the report.

40/22

Committees and Review of Political Balance pdf icon PDF 290 KB

Report by the Director of Law & Governance & Monitoring Officer.

 

The Council is required by the Local Government & Housing Act 1989 to review the political balance on its committees on an annual basis.

 

The Council is RECOMMENDED:

 

 

(a)      To note how the rules operate and approve necessary adjustments to achieve the balance across and within Committees to comply with the rules.

 

(b)      To appoint Councillors to the scrutiny and other committees of the Council as required by any changes necessary as a result of applying the proportionality rules, and subject to any changes on the nomination of the political groups.

 

 

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

 

The Council was required by the local Government & Housing Act 1989 to review the political balance on its committees on an annual basis. The Council had before it a report  which set out how the rules operate and sought approval for adjustments which were necessary to achieve the balance across and within committees to comply with the rules. The Council also had before it Annex 2 which set out the political balance on the committees and Annex 3 showing the membership of all committees, together with a number of additional changes set out in the schedule of business for the meeting.

 

Councillor Susanna Pressel moved and Cllr John Howson seconded that the recommendations set out in the report and on the face of the Agenda be adopted.

 

Councillor Leffman informed the Council of the following additional change:-

 

 

Councillor Brighouse informed the Council of the following additional change:-

 

The motion was put to the vote and was carried nem con.

 

RESOLVED: (nem con)

 

(a)  To confirm the political balance on committees shown in Annex 2 to the report;

(b)  To appoint to committees the councillors and co-opted members shown in Annex 3 subject to the changes reported at the Meeting

 

 

 

 

41/22

Committee Dates 2022/23 pdf icon PDF 128 KB

A schedule of meeting dates for the 2022/23 Council Year is attached. These were approved by Council at its meeting on 2 November 2021 and are reproduced here as a reminder to members.

 

Council is recommended to note the dates of meetings for the 2022/23 Council Year

 

Minutes:

Council had before it a schedule of committee dates for the 2022/23 Council Year which had been approved at its meeting on 2 November 2021. The schedule had been drawn up to reflect the various rules regarding frequency of meetings set out in the Council’s Constitution

 

RESOLVED to note the schedule of dates of committees in 2022/23 subject to the following amendments:-

a)    The start time of Council meetings to be 10.30am

b)    The start time of Place Overview and Scrutiny Committee to be 10.00am

 

42/22

Cabinet Membership and Delegation of Cabinet Functions

Report by the Leader of the Council – to be published with the Schedule of Business

 

Council is RECOMMENDED to note the delegations made by the Leader of the Council with regard to the functions of the Cabinet

Minutes:

Under the Council’s constitution, the Leader of the Council was required to

inform the Annual Meeting of the Council of the delegations she had made

in relation to the functions of the cabinet.  Council had before it a report

(appended to the Schedule of Business) which confirmed changes

to the appointments to the Adult Social Care, Community Services and

Safety and Highways Management portfolios

 

     RESOLVED (nem con) to:

 

a)     note the names of the people appointed to the Cabinet by the Leader of the Council for the coming year and their respective portfolios (shown below);

 

Leader –  Liz Leffman

 

Deputy Leader – Liz Brighouse

 

Cabinet Member for:

 

Corporate Services – Glynis Phillips

 

Community Services and Safety – Jenny Hannaby

 

Climate Change Delivery and Environment – Pete Sudbury

 

Travel and Development Strategy – Duncan Enright

 

Highways Management – Andrew Gant

 

Finance – Calum Miller

 

Adult Social Care – Tim Bearder

 

Public Health & Equalities – Mark Lygo

 

b)    note Councillor Eddie Reeves as Leader of the Opposition

 

c)    note that Councillor Donna Ford had been given responsibility for both the Corporate Services and Community Services and Safety portfolios in the Shadow Cabinet

43/22

Dispensations pdf icon PDF 226 KB

Report by Director of Law and Governance

 

This report proposes that Council approve a number of general dispensations under the Localism Act 2011, such dispensations to remain in force for a period of three years, in the interests of good governance and the effective conduct of public affairs. It also recommends that the power to grant individual dispensations be delegated to the Monitoring Officer

 

The Council is RECOMMENDED to

 

a)    approve, under Section 33 of the Localism Act 2011, the general dispensations, listed at paragraph 7 of this report, for all elected and co-opted voting Members of Oxfordshire County Council;

 

b)   agree that those general dispensations should remain in force for a period of three years;

 

c)    agree that the granting of individual dispensations under Section 33 of the Localism Act 2011 and the Code of Conduct be delegated to the Monitoring Officer

 

 

 

 

Minutes:

Council had before it a report proposing a number of general dispensations under the Localism Act 2011, such dispensations to remain in force for a period of three years, in the interests of good governance and the effective conduct of public affairs.

 

Councillor Liz Brighouse moved and Councillor John Howson seconded an amendment proposing the inclusion of school meals and school transport in the list of dispensations.

 

RESOLVED:- (on a motion by Councillor Susanna Pressel and seconded by Councillor Felix Bloomfield and carried nem con) to

 

a)    approve, under Section 33 of the Localism Act 2011, the general dispensations, listed at paragraph 7 of this report, with the addition of school meals and school transport, for all elected and co-opted voting Members of Oxfordshire County Council;

 

b)    agree that those general dispensations should remain in force for a period of three years;

 

c)    agree that the granting of individual dispensations under Section 33 of the Localism Act 2011 and the Code of Conduct be delegated to the Monitoring Officer