Agenda and decisions

Councillor Felix Bloomfield was elected Chair for the 2023/24 Council Year.

Councillor Alison Rooke was elected Vice-Chair for the 2023/24 Council Year.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Banfield, Corkin, Gant, Ilott, van Mierlo, Walker and Webber.

There were no declarations of interest.

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 28 March 2023 (CC1) and to receive information arising from them.

The minutes of the meeting held on 28 March 2023 were approved and signed as a correct record with the following amendments:

Added to the Attendance: Councillor Trish Elphinstone

Minute 11/23, on Page 3 at the end of the third paragraph:

Insert “Member” before “should resign.”

Minute 13/23, on Page 8 insert after the second paragraph:

“In response to a supplementary question from Mr Parnham, Councillor Gant said that he would provide a  written response giving the date that the Council first became aware that pollution levels on Hollow Way and Oxford Road / Between Towns Road may have been breached, according to provisional city data”.

The Chair announced that for the ninth year in a row, residents in Oxfordshire have topped the table nationally when it comes to recycling, reusing and composting.

Oxfordshire County Council has again been named the best performing county council waste disposal authority in England. In 2021 - 22, residents recycled, reused or composted 58.2 per cent of their household waste, according to the latest government figures.

Members of the public who wish to speak at this meeting can attend the meeting in person or ‘virtually’ through an online connection. 

Requests to speak must be submitted no later than 9am one working day before the meeting i.e., 9am on Monday 15 May 2023.  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 2 working days before the meeting. Written submissions should be no longer than 1 A4 sheet.

Petition

Themis Avraamides presented a petition on buses using narrow streets in Woodstock.

Speaker

Richard Parnham on Item 5 Minutes

Report of the Cabinet meetings held on 28 March 2023 and 18 April 2023.

Council received the report from Cabinet.

Report from 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 in 2022/23.

Council is RECOMMENDED to note the contents of the Annual Report of the Audit & Governance Committee 2022/23.

Recommendations agreed.

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

Council is RECOMMENDED to note the names, addresses and electoral divisions of the people appointed to the Cabinet by the Leader of the Council for the coming year and their respective portfolios.

Council received the report from the Leader of the Council.

The Leader noted one change from the published report: to replace “Equalities” with “Inequalities” in the portfolio title and list of responsibilities.

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

The Council is RECOMMENDED to:

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

b)              appoint Councillors to the scrutiny and other committees of the Council listed in Annex 3 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.

Council noted the revised report and Annexes 2 & 3 and the recommendations were agreed.

Council noted the following appointments notified by the political group leaders:

BOB HOSC:

Cllr Elphinstone to replace Cllr Edosomwan

Corporate Parenting Committee:

Cllr Brighouse and Cllr Lygo appointed

Future Oxfordshire Partnership Scrutiny Panel:

Cllr Hicks to replace Cllr Baines

Horton HOSC:

Cllr Levy has replaced Cllr van Mierlo

People OSC:

Cllr Edosomwan to replace Cllr O’Connor

Performance & Corporate Services OSC:

Cllr Hicks to replace Cllr O’Connor

Place OSC:

Cllr Coles to replace Cllr Baines

Oxfordshire County Council & Teachers' Joint Committee:

Cllr Pressel to replace Cllr Brighouse

Cllr Levy replaces Cllr van Mierlo on BOB HOSC and Horton HOSC

A schedule of meeting dates for the 2023/24 Council Year is attached. These were approved by Council at its meeting on 1 November 2022 and are reproduced here as a reminder to members.

Council is recommended to note the dates of meetings for the 2023/24 Council Year.

Council requested officers to move the date of the February Council meeting from 13 February 2024 to 20 February 2024 to avoid it being held in the school mid-term break, unless any legal problems were identified with such a change.

Report of the Director of Law & Governance and Monitoring Officer

COUNCIL IS RECOMMENDED to approve the Scheme of Delegation as it relates to Council functions including the amendments to Part 7.1 and Part 7.2 of the Council Constitution annexed to this report.

Recommendations agreed.