Agenda

County Council - Tuesday, 11 February 2025 10.30 am

Venue: Council Chamber - County Hall, New Road, Oxford OX1 1ND. View directions

Contact: Colm Ó Caomhánaigh  Tel: 07393 001096; E-Mail:  colm.ocaomhanaigh@oxfordshire.gov.uk

Link: video link https://oxon.cc/FC11022025

Items
No. Item

1.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 373 KB

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 10 December 2024 (CC1) and to receive information arising from them.

 

2.

Apologies for Absence

3.

Declarations of Interest - see guidance note

Members are reminded that they must declare their interests orally at the meeting and specify (a) the nature of the interest and (b) which items on the agenda are the relevant items. This applies also to items where members have interests by virtue of their membership of a district council in Oxfordshire.

4.

Official Communications

5.

Appointments

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.

 

6.

Petitions and Public Address

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 10 February 2025. 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.

 

7.

Pay Policy Statement 2025 / 26 pdf icon PDF 225 KB

Report of Director of Human Resources and Cultural Change

 

The Localism Act 2011 (the Act) requires all councils to agree and publish a pay policy statement every financial year.  In addition, the Code of Recommended Practice for Local Authorities on Data Transparency (updated in 2014) requires that councils publish prescribed information on senior pay, jobs, and organisational structures.

 

Council is RECOMMENDED to:

 

a)    Approve and adopt the 2025/26 pay policy statement and agree to its publication on the council website and intranet, as required by The Localism Act 2011 (the Act) and the Code of Practice on Data Transparency.

 

 

Additional documents:

8.

Gender Equality and Ethnicity Pay Gap Reports pdf icon PDF 603 KB

Report of the Director of Human Resources and Cultural Change 

 

The gender pay gap is the difference between the average (mean or median) earnings of men and women across a workforce.  Whilst reporting the council’s gender equality pay gap is a statutory requirement, reporting of the ethnicity pay gap is currently voluntary, and a matter of best practice.

 

Council is RECOMMENDED to:

 

a) Note and approve the council’s statutory gender equality pay gap report of 2024 for onward submission to the Gender Pay Gap Service, and making it available to the council’s employees, and on the council's website by 30 March 2025.

 

b) Note the council’s voluntary ethnicity pay gap report of 2024.

 

Additional documents:

9.

The Use of Urgency Provisions pdf icon PDF 219 KB

Report by Director of Law & Governance and Monitoring Officer

 

The Constitution makes provision for urgent decisions to be made exempt from call-in on the agreement of the Chair of the Council.  When this occurs, it must be reported to the next meeting of Council.

 

Council is RECOMMENDED to note

 

(a)         the exemptions from Call-in of the following decisions:

 

·           Cabinet on 17 December 2024 - Oxfordshire County Council response to Government Consultation on Remote Attendance and Proxy Voting at Council Meetings

·           Shareholder Committee (Cabinet Committee) on 17 December 2024 - Changes to the Articles of Association and Board Director Appointments

·           Cabinet on 9 January 2025 - Devolution and Local Government Reorganisation

·           Cabinet Member for Children, Education and Young People’s Services on 21 January 2025 - Formal Approval of Schools Funding Formula 2025/26

 

10.

Budget and Business Planning 2025/26 - 2027/28 pdf icon PDF 229 KB

Report by the Executive Director of Resources and Section 151 Officer

 

This report is the culmination of the Budget and Business Planning process for 2025/26 to 2027/28. It sets out the Cabinet’s proposed budget for 2025/26, medium term financial plan to 2027/28 and capital programme to 2034/35, together with a number of strategies and policies that the Council is required to approve for the 2025/26 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 2025/26 set out in Section 4.3 and in particular:

(i)           a precept of £533,328,633;

(ii)          a council tax for band D equivalent properties of £1,911.40;

(2)      a budget for 2025/26 as set out in Section 4.4;

(3)      a medium term financial strategy for 2025/26 to 2027/28 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 2025/26 at Section 4.5;

(5)      the Earmarked Reserves and General Balances Policy Statement 2025/26 at Section 4.6 including

(i)           the Executive Director of Resources and Section 151 Officer’s recommended level of General Balances for 2025/26 (Section 4.6), and

(ii)          the planned level of Earmarked Reserves for 2025/26 to 2027/28 (Section 4.6.1)

 

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

(1)      the Capital & Investment Strategy for 2024/25 to 2034/35 including the Prudential Indicators and Minimum Revenue Provision Methodology Statement as set out in Section 5.1;

(2)      a Capital Programme for 2024/25 to 2034/35 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 2025/26 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 2025/26 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;

 

Additional documents:

Schedule of Business pdf icon PDF 313 KB

Additional documents: