Agenda, decisions and minutes

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 13 December 2022 and to receive information arising from them.

The minutes of the meeting held on 13 December 2022 were amended as follows:-

The deletion of Cllr Ash from the list of apologies for absence

and approved as a correct record.

Apologies for absence were received from Cllrs Ash, Banfield, Bulmer, Corkin, Edosomwan, Field-Johnson, Gregory & Haywood.

The Chair reported as follows:-

-        Kim James, Head of Learning and School Improvement, received an MBE in the New Year honours list for her work in helping to minimise school closures during the COVID lock downs.

-        Local Energy Oxfordshire (project LEO), withScottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN)won a 'collaborative excellence' award at Utility Week Annual Awards

-        RAF Brize Norton had received a prestigious award, the Firmin Sword of Peace,  that celebrates the most valuable humanitarian contributions by the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force.

-        This was the last meeting of Council that Stephen Chandler would attend in his role as Interim Chief Executive.  The Chair asked that  the Council’s appreciation of Mr Chandler’s work during this period be recorded.  The Leader of the Council, Deputy Leader and Leader of the Opposition also spoke in appreciation of the Interim Chief Executive’s work for the people of Oxfordshire. 

Mr Chandler responded and thanked members for their remarks..

-        Council paid tribute and observed a minute’s silence in memory of to former Cllr Margaret Godden who had served on the County Council from 1985 – 1989 and 1997 – 2005.

Report by the Interim Director of Human Resources and Organisational Development

From 2017, an employer who has a headcount of 250 or more employees on a ‘snapshot date’ must comply with regulations on gender pay gap reporting. Gender pay gap calculations are based on employer payroll data drawn from a specific date each year. This specific date is called the ‘snapshot date’.

The ‘snapshot date’ for Oxfordshire County Council (as with most other public authority employers) is 31 March every year.  The Council must report and publish their gender pay gap information by 30 March of the following year.

The gender pay gap is the difference between the average (mean or median) earnings of men and women across a workforce.

Council are RECOMMENDED to:

·       Consider and approve the Gender Pay Gap report 2022 following approval at Remuneration Committee on 20^th January 2023.

From 2017, an employer who had a headcount of 250 or more employees on a ‘snapshot date’ must comply with regulations on gender pay gap reporting. Gender pay gap calculations are based on employer payroll data drawn from a specific date each year. This specific date is called the ‘snapshot date’.

The ‘snapshot date’ for Oxfordshire County Council (as with most other public authority employers) is 31 March every year.

Council had before it a report on the payroll data for the year ending 31 March 2022.

RESOLVED (on a motion from Councillor Phillips, seconded by Councillor Leffman and approved nem con) to:-

a)    receive the report of the Remuneration Committee.

b)    approve the Gender Pat Gap Report 2022 as set out in the Annex to the report.

Report by the Corporate Director Customers, Organisational Development & Resources

The Strategic Plan is the key element of the Council’s Policy Framework that sets the Council’s strategic priorities, and in turn, influences the Medium Term Financial Strategy.

This report forms part of the suite of information for the Budget and Business Planning process for 2023/24 to 2025/26. As such, the Sections referred to in this report are linked with those set out in the report at agenda item CC10 on Budget and Business Planning 2023/24 to 2025/26.

The proposed updated strategic plan is included at Section 1.  The priorities, commitments and objectives in the strategic plan sit under a long-term vision ‘to lead positive change by working in partnership to make Oxfordshire a greener, fairer and healthier county’.

The Council is RECOMMENDED to:

a.                   adopt the Strategic Plan as set out in Section 1

Council had before it a report setting out the Strategic Plan, a key element of the Council’s Policy Framework that set the Council’s strategic priorities, and in turn, influenced the Medium Term Financial Strategy.

The report formed part of the suite of information for the Budget and Business Planning process for 2023/24 to 2025/26.

Councillor Leffman moved and Councillor Brighouse seconded the Cabinet’s recommendations to adopt the Strategic Plan.

Following debate, the motion was put to the vote and carried by 35 votes to 17.

RESOLVED:- (35 votes to 17) to adopt the Strategic Plan as set out in Section 1 of the report.

Report by the Director of Finance and Corporate Director Customers, Organisational Development & Resources

This report is the culmination of the Budget and Business Planning process for 2023/24 to 2025/26. It sets out the Cabinet’s proposed budget for 2023/24, medium term financial plan to 2025/26 and capital programme to 2032/33, together with a number of strategies and policies that the Council is required to approve for the 2023/24 financial year.

The report is divided into four sections, Section 1, the Strategic Plan is set out at item CC9 on this agenda.

The Council is RECOMMENDED to:

a.     have regard to the statutory report of the Director of Finance (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 2023/24 set out in Section 4.3 and in particular:

(i)              a precept of £466,654,611;

(ii)             a council tax for band D equivalent properties of £1,734.03;

(2)        a budget for 2023/24 as set out in Section 4.4;

(3)        a medium term financial strategy for 2023/24 to 2025/26 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 2023/24 at Section 4.5;

(5)        the Earmarked Reserves and General Balances Policy Statement 2023/24 at Section 4.6 including

(i)              the Chief Finance Officer’s recommended level of General Balances for 2023/24 (Section 4.6), and

(ii)             the planned level of Earmarked Reserves for 2023/24 to 2025/26 (Section 4.6.1)

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

(1)        the Capital & Investment Strategy for 2023/24 to 2032/33 including the Prudential Indicators and Minimum Revenue Provision Methodology Statement as set out in Section 5.1;

(2)        a Capital Programme for 2022/23 to 2032/33 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 2023/24 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 2023/24 strategy be delegated to the Chief Finance Officer in consultation with the Leader of the Council and the Cabinet Member for Finance;

Before the Council were the report and annexes, the Leader of the Council’s statement, the Conservative Independent Alliance Group amendment and the Schedule of Business.

Councillor Leffman moved and Councillor Miller seconded the Cabinet’s recommendations in relation to the revenue budget for 2023/24 and Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) to 2025/26 In moving and seconding the motion, Councillor Leffman and Councillor Miller paid tribute to Lorna Baxter, Kathy Wilcox and the finance team for all their work in preparing the budget.

Councillor Reeves moved and Councillor Bartholomew seconded an amendment to the Council’s budget as set out the additional papers. Councillor Reeves thanked the Director of Finance and her team for their work on the amended budget.

Following debate, the amendment by the Conservative Independent Alliance Group was lost by 36 votes to 18 with no abstentions.

Councillors voting for the amendment (18):

Bartholomew, Bloomfield, Champken-Woods, Constance, Fatemian, Fenton, Ford, Ilott, Leverton, Mallon, Murphy, Reeves, Reynolds, Sibley, Simpson, Snowdon, Waine and Walker.

Councillors voting against the amendment (36):

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

Following debate the Substantive motion was put to the vote carried by 36 votes to 14 with no abstentions.

Councillors voting for the motion (36):

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

Councillors voting against the motion (14):

Bartholomew, Champken-Woods, Constance, Fatemian, Fenton, Ford, Ilott, Leverton, Mallon, Reeves, Sibley, Snowdon, Waine and Walker.

It was accordingly

RESOLVED to:

a.     have regard to the statutory report of the Director of Finance (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 2023/24 set out in Section 4.3 and in particular:

(i)              a precept of £466,654,611;

(ii)             a council tax for band D equivalent properties of £1,734.03;

(2)        a budget for 2023/24 as set out in Section 4.4;

(3)        a medium term financial strategy for 2023/24 to 2025/26 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 2023/24 at Section 4.5;

(5)        the Earmarked Reserves and General Balances Policy Statement 2023/24 at Section 4.6 including

(i)              the Chief Finance Officer’s recommended level of General Balances for 2023/24 (Section 4.6), and

(ii)             the planned level of Earmarked Reserves for 2023/24 to 2025/26 (Section 4.6.1)

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

(1)        the Capital & Investment Strategy for 2023/24 to 2032/33 including the Prudential Indicators and Minimum Revenue Provision Methodology Statement as set out in Section 5.1;

(2)        a Capital Programme for  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6/23