Oxfordshire County Council logo

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/FC12072022

Items
No. Item

44/22

Minutes pdf icon PDF 220 KB

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 17 May 2022.

 

Minutes:

The minutes of the meeting held on 17 May 2022 were amended as follows:-

 

34/22 Election of Chair for the 2022/23 Council Year

 

The addition of “(Councillor Susana Pressel in the Chair)” following this minute

 

Replacement of references to Chairman and Vice-Chairman with Chair and Vice-Chair

 

and approved as a correct record

45/22

Apologies for Absence

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Bearder, Field-Johnson, Haywood, Leverton, Roberts and Rooke

 

 

46/22

Official Communications

Minutes:

Council received the following communications:-

 

1             A statement by the Chair on the devoted service by Her Majesty the Queen during her reign spanning 70 years and the celebrations in Oxfordshire for her Platinum Jubilee

 

2             A statement by the Chair on her various engagements in many divisions within the County

 

The Council then paid tribute to the late Councillor David Wilmshurst and observed a minute’s silence in his memory

 

 

47/22

Appointments

To make any changes to the membership of the Cabinet, scrutiny and other committees on the nomination of political groups.

Minutes:

Council noted the following appointments:-

 

Pension Fund Committee

 

Councillor Field-Johnson to replace Councillor Reeves

 

Place Overview and Scrutiny Committee

 

Councillor Fatemian to replace Councillor Murphy

 

Councillor Fenton to replace Councillor Constance

48/22

Petitions and Public Address

Members of the public who wish to speak at this meeting can attend the meeting in person or ‘virtually’ through an online connection. In line with current Government advice, those attending the meeting in person are asked to consider wearing a face covering. Normally requests to speak at this public meeting are required by 9am on the day preceding the published date of the meeting. However, during the current situation and to facilitate ‘hybrid’ meetings we are asking that requests to speak are submitted by no later than 9am four working days before the meeting i.e. 9am on Wednesday 6 July 2022. Requests to speak should be sent to chris.reynolds@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 2 working days before the meeting. Written submissions should be no longer than 1 A4 sheet

Minutes:

Petition

 

Fazal Hussain presented a petition on behalf of LTN Smart Changes Group, requesting the removal of Low Traffic Neighbourhood Schemes in Cowley and East Oxford

 

Public Address

 

Emily Daly, a parish councillor in Lower Heyford, and addressed the Council on the Local Transport and Connectivity Plan.  She referred to the omission of a weight limit as part of the Heyford Park development in the plan. She said the policy to replace a point weight limit with area based limits was not included in the plan.  She expressed concern about the lack of consultation on the change in policy, that it had appeared to be predetermined and did not take into account the views of local parish councils who were best placed to identify and make representations on the local traffic concerns in their neighbourhoods.

 

The Monitoring Officer clarified that was not aware of any policy decisions of this council being predetermined.

 

Mark Goldring addressed the Council on the work of the Asylum Welcome charity, working with asylum seekers and refugees across the county.  He referred, in particular, to the efforts of the Council working with local organisations to support refugees from Afghanistan and Ukraine. He asked that the Council establish a permanent refugee support and co-ordination function

49/22

Questions with Notice from Members of the Council

Minutes:

27 Questions with Notice were asked. Details of the questions and answers and supplementary questions and answers are set out in the Annex to the minutes.

 

In relation to question 1, (Question from Cllr Yvonne Constance to Cllr Andrew Gant), Cllr Gant undertook to provide a written response on

whether Low Traffic Neighbourhoods were proposed in areas covered by Local Cycling and Walking Neighbourhoods

 

In relation to question 5, (Question from Cllr Nathan Ley to Cllr Andrew Gant) Cllr Gant  undertook to provide a written response on developer contributions to the new bus service

50/22

Report of the Cabinet pdf icon PDF 404 KB

Report of the Cabinet meetings held on 24 May and 21 June 2022

Minutes:

Council received the report of the Cabinet

 

In relation to a question from Cllr John Howson, Cllr Liz Brighouse said that it was important to make our SEND system better through improved engagement  from the health sector.

 

In relation to a question from Cllr Ian Corkin, Cllr Liz Brighouse undertook to provide a written response on the number of children from Ukraine waiting for school places and the wating times for those places

 

In relation to a question from Cllr Brad Baines, Cllr Mark Lygo explained that the Council was working with partners on the strategy for the next steps of the food strategy in order to achieve the desired outcomes

 

In relation to a question from Cllr Ian Middleton, Cllr Mark Lygo said that initiatives had been taken to encourage more involvement by schools in the development of the Food Strategy

 

In relation to a question from Cllr Robin Bennett, Cllr Mark Lygo explained ways in which the district councils and other partners would be involved in development of the Food Strategy

 

In relation to a question from Cllr Ian Corkin, Cllr Pete Sudbury undertook to provide a written response to concerns regarding the planning application to restore a destroyed landfill site at Ardley

 

In relation to a question from Cllr David Batholomew, Cllr Calum Miller explained the measures being taken to address the deficit to the High Needs Dedicated Schools Grant fund and that local authorities were working together to lobby central government for more financial support for a measure which he considered had been inadequately funded since it had been introduced.

 

In relation to a question from Cllr Charlie Hicks, Cllr Duncan Enright undertook to speak to officers about the review of LTCP 4

 

In relation to a question from Cllr Robin Bennett. Cllr Pete Sudbury explained the measures being taken to reduce Scope 3 carbon emissions and a report would be submitted to the Cabinet in the autumn

 

In relation to a question from Cllr Roz Smith, Cllr Jenny Hannaby said that she intended to visit all 44 of the county’s libraries and would be looking at the measures needed to improve buildings and services where required

 

 

In relation to a question from Cllr Robin Bennett, Cllr Calum Miller said that the new administration had put in place new capital expenditure controls and steps to deal with inadequately funded schemes inherited from the previous administration.

 

 

 

In relation to a question from Cllr David Bartholomew, Cllr Calum Miller said that it had been disappointing that a proportion of capital funds allocated in the previous financial year had been unspent but that they had been earmarked in the current year and that the administration would ensure continued close scrutiny of the council’s capital expenditure

 

In relation to a question from Cllr David Bartholomew, Cllr Calum Miller undertook to provide a written response on the contradiction between statements in the Treasury Management annual report and the Capital Programme report regarding new borrowing in 2021/22

 

In relation to a question  ...  view the full minutes text for item 50/22

51/22

Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee - Annual Report pdf icon PDF 203 KB

The Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee is under a constitutional duty to prepare an annual report. That report is appended to this paper and it documents the breadth and depth of the Committee’s work over the 2021/22 municipal year.  

 

Council is RECOMMENDED to: -

 

Endorse the Joint Committee’s Annual Report

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Council had before it the annual report of the Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee

 

Under the Health and Social Care Act 2012, Regulation 28(1) of the Local Authority (Public Health, Health and Wellbeing Boards and Health Scrutiny) Regulations 2013 the Council had a duty to “review and scrutinise any matter relating to the planning, provision and operation of the health services in its area”.

 

As part of this overarching duty it had a duty, enshrined in the Council’s Constitution, to report on its activity over the preceding year in the form of an annual report.

 

Cllr Jane Hanna presented the report and answered a number of members’ questions

 

Following debate it was:-

 

RESOLVED (on a motion from Cllr Jane Hanna, seconded by Cllr Nathan Ley and carried nem con) to endorse the Joint Committee’s annual report

 

 

52/22

Governance arrangements relating to termination of the Oxfordshire County Council - Cherwell District Council s.113 Agreement. pdf icon PDF 205 KB

Report TO FOLLOW

 

Following the Joint Shared Services and Personnel Committee meeting on 4 July 2022, the Council will be asked to consider a recommendation to disband the Joint Shared Services and Personnel Committee as from 31 August 2022.

 

 


Minutes:

Council had before it a report recommending the disbandment of the Joint Shared Services and Personnel Committee following the decision to terminate the current s.113 partnership between Oxfordshire County Council and Cherwell District Council

 

RESOLVED (on a motion from Councillor Liz Brighouse and seconded by Cllr Ian Corkin and agreed nem con) to:

 

a)      Approve that the Joint Shared Services and Personnel Committee (JSSP) should be disbanded with effect from 31 August 2022

 

b)      Delegate to the Chief Executive powers to, operate, terminate, extend, or vary the new arrangements with Cherwell District Council

 

c)       Delegate to the Director of Law and Governance to make any resultant changes to the Council’s Constitution to reflect the recommendations in this report 

 

 

53/22

Exempt Items

It is RECOMMENDED that the public be excluded for the duration of the following item  since it is likely that if they were present during these item there would be disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraphs 1, 2 and 3 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended) and specified below in relation to those items 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.

 

THE REPORT AND ANNEXES TO AGENDA ITEM 14 HAVE NOT BEEN MADE PUBLIC AND SHOULD BE REGARDED AS ‘CONFIDENTIAL’ BY MEMBERS AND OFFICERS ENTITLED TO RECEIVE THEM.

 

THIS ALSO MEANS THAT THE CONTENTS SHOULD NOT BE DISCUSSED WITH OTHERS AND NO COPIES SHOULD BE MADE.

 

Minutes:

RESOLVED to exclude the public for the duration of the following item  since it is likely that if they were present during this item there would be disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraphs 1, 2 and 3 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended) and specified below in relation to those items 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.

 

 

54/22

Proposals for Organisational Change Resulting in Proposed Redundancies

Report TO FOLLOW

 

The information contained in the report is exempt in that it falls within the following prescribed categories:

 

1.    Information relating to a particular individual.

2.    Information which is likely to reveal the identity of an individual.

3.    Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information).

 

It is considered that in this case the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information, in that such disclosure would distort the proper process of free negotiations between the authority with another party for the purposes described and would prejudice the position of the authority in those negotiations and other negotiations of a similar nature in future.

 

The Council will be asked to consider detailed recommendations from the Remuneration Committee as set out in the Annexes to the Report.

 

 

Minutes:

Council had before it a report recommending approval of special severance payments arising from a review of the Council’s staffing structures.  In view of statutory guidance issued in May 2022, these payments required the approval of the full Council.

 

Councillor Liz Leffman moved and Councillor Liz Brighouse seconded that the recommendations set out in the report be adopted.

 

Following debate, the Motion was put to the vote and was carried by 36 votes to 0 with 18 abstentions

 

RESOLVED  (by 36 votes to 0, with 18 abstentions) to approve the payments set out in the report, subject to granting reasonable discretion as identified and approved by the Leader of the Council and Interim Chief Executive to make any changes as required.

 

55/22

Local Transport and Connectivity Plan pdf icon PDF 511 KB

Report of the Corporate Director of Environment and Place

 

This report updates Council on the Local Transport and Connectivity Plan (LTCP). It summarises the results of the LTCP consultation and outlines the key changes to the final LTCP. It also includes information about changes to the supporting strategies for Freight and Logistics, Innovation Framework and Active Travel. It is proposed that the content of the documents found in appendixes 2-5 are all adopted by the council

 

Council is RECOMMENDED to

 

a)         Adopt the content of the Local Transport and Connectivity Plan document, and the supporting strategies, as council policy.

b)        Acknowledge the Cabinet resolution on 21 June 2022 to delegate the decision on the final Local Transport and Connectivity Plan document, including graphical format, to the Corporate Director for Environment and Place in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Travel and Development Strategy.

 

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Council had before it a report updating members on the Local Transport and Connectivity Plan (LTCP). Local Transport Plans were statutory documents, required under the Transport Act 2008.   The new Oxfordshire document had been titled the Local Transport and Connectivity Plan (LTCP), to better reflect the strategy both for digital infrastructure and for better connectivity across the whole county.

 

The report summarised the results of the LTCP consultation and outlined the key changes to the final LTCP. It also included information about changes to the supporting strategies for Freight and Logistics, Innovation Framework and Active Travel. It was proposed that the content of the documents found in annexes 2-5 were all adopted by the council

 

Councillor Duncan Enright moved and Councillor Andrew Gant seconded that the recommendations set out in the report be adopted.

 

Following debate it was:-

 

RESOLVED (nem con) to:-

 

a)       Adopt the content of the Local Transport and Connectivity Plan document, and the supporting strategies, as council policy.

b)       Acknowledge the Cabinet resolution on 21 June 2022 to delegate the decision on the final Local Transport and Connectivity Plan document, including graphical format, to the Corporate Director for Environment and Place in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Travel and Development Strategy.

56/22

Motion by Councillor Liam Walker

This council recognises the need to improve public transport in Oxfordshire to reduce emissions, tackle congestion and make sure our bus services are more sustainable.

 

Park and Ride sites are important transport hubs in Oxfordshire helping to reduce the need to drive into Oxford city.

 

 To help meet the commitments as stated above this council calls on both the Leader of the Council and the Cabinet Member for Highways Management to:

 

 · Establish a cross-party task force to explore the viability of making parking at our P&R sites free.

 

· Write to the Leader of Oxford City Council asking for the city council to join this new task force

 

. · Work with public transport providers in Oxfordshire to establish a Park & Ride improvement plan

Minutes:

Councillor Liam Walker moved and Councillor Eddie Reeves seconded the following Motion:-

 

“This council recognises the need to improve public transport in Oxfordshire to reduce emissions, tackle congestion and make sure our bus services are more sustainable.

 

Park and Ride sites are important transport hubs in Oxfordshire helping to reduce the need to drive into Oxford city.

 

 To help meet the commitments as stated above this council calls on both the Leader of the Council and the Cabinet Member for Highways Management to:

 

 · Establish a cross-party task force to explore the viability of making parking at our P&R sites free.

 

· Write to the Leader of Oxford City Council asking for the city council to join this new task force

 

. · Work with public transport providers in Oxfordshire to establish a Park & Ride improvement plan”

 

Councillor Duncan Enright moved and Councillor Andrew Gant seconded the following amendment as shown in bold italics and strikethrough:-

 

This council recognises the need to improve public transport in Oxfordshire to reduce emissions, tackle congestion and make sure our bus services are more sustainable.

 

Park and Ride sites are important transport hubs in Oxfordshire helping to reduce the need to drive into Oxford city.

 

To help meet the commitments as stated above this council calls on both the Leader of the Council and the Cabinet Member for Highways Management to:

 

·        Establish a cross-party task force to explore the viability of making parking at our P&R sites free.

·        Write to the Leader of Oxford City Council asking for the city council to join this new task force .

·        Work with public transport providers in Oxfordshire to establish a Park & Ride improvement plan

 

·        Continue working within the Enhanced Bus Partnership (EHP) to make Park & Ride (P&R) more attractive than driving into the city centre

 

·        Work with the public transport providers, City and District Councils through EHP to plan the future of P&R, including discussing freight consolidation, shared transport, bike and scooter hire, tourist coaches, and high frequency services beyond the city.

 

Following debate, the amendment by Councillor Duncan Enright was put to the vote and carried by 36 votes to 21

 

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 14.1.(vii), Councillor Roz Smith moved and Councillor Pete Sudbury seconded that the question now be put.

 

The substantive motion as amended was then put to the vote and was carried by 34 votes to 7 with 1 abstention.

 

RESOLVED (by 34 votes to 7 with 1 abstention):-

 

This council recognises the need to improve public transport in Oxfordshire to reduce emissions, tackle congestion and make sure our bus services are more sustainable.

 

Park and Ride sites are important transport hubs in Oxfordshire helping to reduce the need to drive into Oxford city.

 

To help meet the commitments as stated above this council calls on both the Leader of the Council and the Cabinet Member for Highways Management to:

 

 

·        Continue working within the Enhanced Bus Partnership (EHP) to make Park & Ride (P&R) more attractive than driving  ...  view the full minutes text for item 56/22

57/22

Motion by Councillor Sally Povolotsky

This Council notes that: 

 

This government has consistently failed to address the imminent cost of living crisis.

April 2022, Ofgem increased the energy price cap by 54%. There is no cap on solid fuel, bottled gas or heating oil.

Oxfordshire households face spiralling costs, with a large percentage not on mains gas, homes reliant on oil and bottled gas face huge costs with no price cap or grants. 

Forecourt’s at £2 per litre, affecting front line workers, logistics, farming and food production. 

 

Energy & fuel rises impact on council's services from school catering to adult and social care. There’s concern about budgeted schemes due to inflation, and availability of personnel and resources. 

 

9 in 10 (88%) adults reported their cost of living had risen over the past month, citing affordability of food and medicines as a major concern. 

 

This Council therefore declares a ‘Cost of Living Emergency’ and calls on the Government to:

Urgently subsidise bus and train travel, to ensure that people can travel for essential education and work. 

 

Urgently review the energy cap regime in order to provide much greater protection to consumers, as other European countries have done.

 

Provide immediate financial support for consumers of heating oil / bottled gas and solid fuels / prepayment meters.

 

Immediately reduce VAT to 17.5%

 

Recognise that Oxfordshire will need urgent additional funds to support homelessness, school transport, social care services, waste disposal, and a plethora of other council functions affected by the increase in prices and inflation. 

 

 

Minutes:

The time being 3.25 pm, this Motion was considered dropped in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 13.5.8

58/22

Motion by Councillor Yvonne Constance

This Council notes that the Leader has acknowledged the challenging market conditions faced by Oxfordshire's excellent meat and dairy farmers

 

This Council further notes that local authorities have an important duty to engage positively and proportionately in public discourse.

 

Given the privileged position in which this Council finds itself and the potentially damaging effects of its motion dated 14 December, this Council resolves to offer locally produced menus at Council-catered events, including meat, dairy and vegan options, or to make alternative provisions for members, staff and attendees to facilitate personal choice.

Minutes:

The time being 3.25 pm, this Motion was considered dropped in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 13.5.8

59/22

Motion by Councillor Eddie Reeves

This Council welcomes the introduction of the new scrutiny model under the current administration. However, it notes that resourcing for full and effective scrutiny are yet to match the welcome scale of the administration’s ambition.

 

This Council resolves to:

 

                                          i.    Ensure that the inconsistencies that exist in committees’ terms of reference are promptly attended to and that the Council’s constitution is duly updated;

 

                                        ii.    Reaffirm the long-established convention that members of a Group nominating to a committee position remain the choice of such nominating Group; and

 

                                       iii.    Seek members’ opinion, irrespective of their position on any such committee as to how well the new system is working informally, reporting into the Leader and Deputy Leader of the Council.

 

Minutes:

The time being 3.25 pm, this Motion was considered dropped in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 13.5.8

60/22

Motion by Councillor Nigel Simpson

Oxfordshire County Council has acknowledged the Climate Change Emergency.

 

A major contributor to excessive CO2 output are unnecessary car journeys. The proposal by Network Rail to shut the vital link between Yarnton and Kidlington by closing the rail crossing at Sandy Lane will result in a significant increase in carbon emissions. Permanent closure would see drivers forced to use Frieze Way or Langford Lane - 8 - resulting in an average extra distance travelled of nearly two miles per journey.

 

Based on current trends this is estimated to result in an extra 4750 miles travelled on weekdays and an additional 3800 at weekends, resulting in 1.5 million unnecessary miles per year.

 

The cost of such surplus miles in money is hundreds of thousands of pounds to residents and businesses who rely on their cars; and extra pollution in the form of many tonnes of carbon emissions, contrary to the Council’s environmental objectives.

 

This would go directly against the council’s ambition to reduce CO2 output generated by transport and very significantly degrade the network of contacts that currently underpins the ancient and vital community nexus around the parishes of Yarnton, Begbroke, Kidlington and Gosford and Water Eaton.

 

This Council calls upon the Leader to urgently write to Network Rail to oppose the proposed closure and further to instruct relevant Cabinet colleague(s) to lobby for this vital link to be maintained with improvements, where possible, especially for cyclists and pedestrians