Agenda, decisions and minutes

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 12 December 2023 (CC1) and to receive information arising from them.

The minutes of the meeting held on 12 December 2023 were approved as a correct record.

Apologies were received from Councillors Champken-Woods, Constance, Leverton and Murphy.

There were no declarations of interest.

Charlotte Stacey, Information Services Manager, was awarded a British Empire Medal in the New Year Honours for her services to the community.

The full list of Oxfordshire residents who received honours is in Annex 1 of the Schedule of Business.

Chair’s events

·       Princess Royal Visit 4^th January the Oxford Farming Conference.

·       Attended Wallingford school assembly to deliver the winner of the Christmas card competition gift.

·       11^th February at the Ashmolean Museum opening the One World Family Festival.

·       20^th February Charity cake sale in the Common Hall, all money will be going to the ten chosen charities.

·       15^th March Chair’s drinks fundraiser evening at County Hall

Invitations received:

·       6^th February Civic Party invitation from Christ Church.

·       11^th February Cherwell District - Chairman’s Sunday lunch and auction

·       15^th February Oxfordshire Scouts and Guides show 2024.

·       18^th February Civic Service for Henley on Thames.

·       18^th February Lunar New Year celebrations at Oxford Town Hall.

·       19^th February The Romanes Lecture.

·       1^st March Lord Mayor of Didcot’s Charity Dinner.

·       7^th March celebration and launch of the Didcot Powerhouse Fund 2023 impact report.

·       13^th March Mamma Mayor – Mayor of Henley’s fundraising dinner

·       16^th March fundraising quiz from the Chair of SODC.

Alan Brown CBE DL, who was county chief executive from 1973-1988, sadly passed away on the 13 December at the age of 95. He leaves a wife, Marie, and two daughters.

Also in December our former Chief Education Officer Sir Tim Brighouse passed way at the age of 83.  Sir Tim served in the role from 1978 to 1989. 

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.

Council approved the following changes to Committees:

Education & Young People Overview & Scrutiny Committee:

Cllr Corkin to replace Cllr Simpson

Place Overview & Scrutiny Committee:

Cllr Simpson to replace Cllr Constance

Council noted a change made by the Leader of the Council to one of the Cabinet positions:

Deputy Leader of the Council, Councillor Pete Sudbury, is now responsible for Climate Change, Environment & Future Generations.  The detailed responsibilities for this portfolio are as follows:

·       climate change mitigation

·       climate adaptation and resilience

·       lead flood authority including Oxford flood alleviation

·       planetary boundaries and circular economy

·       ecology, nature recovery and enhancement

·       future generations

·       minerals strategy, waste disposal and recycling centres

·       Countryside operations and volunteers

·       ecology/archaeology/heritage

·       water strategy including Thames Water (TW) reservoir

·       energy strategy

·       tree strategy

·       highways verge and vegetation management strategy

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 19 February 2024. 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.

The following requests to speak were agreed by the Chair:

Lyndsey Caldwell

Tammy Heavens

Amanda Edwards-Day

Philippa Jackson Gibbons

Edward Hayter

David Henwood

John Center

Bernadette Evans

Richard Parnham

Sharon Jeacock

Claire Brenner

The text of any speeches supplied to the Council are attached to the minutes.

Report of the Executive Director Resources and Section 151 Officer

The Localism Act 2011 (‘the Act’) requires all councils to agree and publish a Pay Policy Statement every financial year. The Act lays down requirements on the content of the statement. This requirement is supplemented by detailed guidance from the Department for Communities and Local Government entitled ‘Openness and Accountability in Local Pay: Guidance under Section 40 of the Localism Act’.

Council is RECOMMENDED to consider and approve the 2024/25 Pay Policy Statement following approval at Remuneration Committee on 17 January 2024.

The Localism Act 2011 (‘the Act’) requires all councils to agree and publish a Pay Policy Statement every financial year.  The statement, attached to the report, had been recommended for approval by the Remuneration Committee at its meeting on 17 January 2024.

The recommendation was moved by Councillor Neil Fawcett, Cabinet Member for Community & Corporate Services, and seconded by Councillor Liz Leffman.

Members of the Remuneration Committee informed Council that there had been agreement at their meeting that, in future reports to Council seeking approval of a salary for a chief officer, it should be stated if a pay rise was likely to be applied in the months following the appointment.

The recommendation was approved unanimously.

RESOLVED to consider and approve the 2024/25 Pay Policy Statement following approval at Remuneration Committee on 17 January 2024. 

Report by the Executive Director of Resources and Section 151 Officer

This report is the culmination of the Budget and Business Planning process for 2024/25 to 2026/27. It sets out the Cabinet’s proposed budget for 2024/25, medium term financial plan to 2026/27 and capital programme to 2033/34, together with a number of strategies and policies that the Council is required to approve for the 2024/25 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 2024/25 set out in Section 4.3 and in particular:

(i)            a precept of £498,633,415;

(ii)          a council tax for band D equivalent properties of £1,820.56;

(2)      a budget for 2024/25 as set out in Section 4.4;

(3)      a medium term financial strategy for 2024/25 to 2026/27 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 2024/25 at Section 4.5;

(5)      the Earmarked Reserves and General Balances Policy Statement 2024/25 at Section 4.6 including

(i)            the Executive Director of Resources and Section 151 Officer’s recommended level of General Balances for 2024/25 (Section 4.6), and

(ii)          the planned level of Earmarked Reserves for 2024/25 to 2026/27 (Section 4.6.1)

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

(1)      the Capital & Investment Strategy for 2024/25 to 2033/34 including the Prudential Indicators and Minimum Revenue Provision Methodology Statement as set out in Section 5.1;

(2)      a Capital Programme for 2023/24 to 2033/34 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 2024/25 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 2024/25 Treasury Management 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 2024/25, medium term financial plan to 2026/27 and capital programme to 2033/34, together with a number of strategies and policies that the Council was required to approve for the 2024/25 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 5.10pm.

The meeting resumed at 7.10pm.

The following Members had left the meeting: Councillors Fadlalla, Haywood, Reynolds and Simpson.

A new proposal, with amendments published in Addenda 4, was proposed by Councillor Liz Leffman and seconded by Councillor Liz Brighouse.  The new proposal was debated and put to a vote.

Councillors voting for the proposal (37):

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

Councillors voting against the proposal (0)

Councillors abstaining (18):

Ash, Bartholomew, Bearder, Bloomfield, Bulmer, Corkin, Fatemian, Fenton, Field-Johnson, Ford, Ilott, Mallon, Povolotsky, Reeves, Sibley, Snowdon, Waine, Walker.

RESOLVED to:

a.    have regard to the statutory report of the Executive Director of Resources and Section 151 Officer set out in Amended 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 2024/25 [at Cabinet Section 4.3] and in particular:

(i)           a precept of £498,633,415;

(ii)          a council tax for band D equivalent properties of £1,820.56;

(2)          a budget for 2024/25 [at Amended Cabinet Section 4.4 which incorporates the changes set out in Labour & Co-operative Group Section 4.2];

(3)          a medium term financial strategy for 2024/25 to 2026/27 [at Amended Cabinet Section 4.1 (which incorporates changes to the existing medium term financial strategy as set out in Cabinet Section 4.2 and amended by Labour & Co-operative Group Section 4.2)];

(4)          the Financial Strategy for 2024/25 [at Cabinet Section 4.5];

(5)          the Earmarked Reserves and General Balances Policy Statement 2024/25  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8/24