Agenda and minutes

To receive any apologies for absence and temporary appointments.

There were apologies from Cllr Baines, substituted by Cllr O’Connor, and from Cllr Haywood.

See guidance note on the back page.

Cllr Johnston declared a non-pecuniary interest in agenda item 6. He was also a member of Kennington Parish Council, which owns the building housing the Kennington Library, and the parish actively supports the library.

The Committee is recommended to APPROVE the minutes of the meeting held on 19 July 2024 and to receive information arising from them.

The minutes of the meeting held on 19 July 2024 were AGREED as a true and accurate record.

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

To facilitate ‘hybrid’ meetings we are asking that requests to speak or present a petition are submitted by no later than 9am on 11 November 2024.  Requests to speak should be sent to the Scrutiny Officer at scrutiny@oxfordshire.gov.uk.

If you are speaking ‘virtually’, you may submit a written statement of your presentation to ensure that your views are 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.

There was none.

Cllr Dan Levy, Cabinet Member for Finance, and Ian Dyson, Director of Financial and Commercial Services, were invited to present a report on a Commercial Strategy Update.

The Committee is asked to consider the report and raise any questions, and to AGREE any recommendations it wishes to make to Cabinet arising therefrom.

Cllr Dan Levy, Cabinet Member for Finance, and Ian Dyson, Director of Financial and Commercial Services, were invited to present a report on the Commercial Strategy Update.

Cllr Levy highlighted the necessity for a commercial strategy to shift the County Council's approach towards pursuing appropriate, risk-assessed commercial opportunities to enhance revenue for essential resident services.

The Director of Financial and Commercial Services provided an update on the commercial strategy's implementation, noting the completion of a commercial maturity assessment that indicated a low initial level of commercial thinking, but there was a high willingness to engage with such commercial thinking. The primary areas of focus during the implementation included strategic direction and partnerships, governance and performance management, capability, and visibility and insights. However, progress had been slower than expected due to organisational design changes and complexities in required adjustments.

Members noted the lack of examples for commercial strategies and projects in the report, and questioned what kind of commercial activities and structures the Council could take on under the commercial strategy.

The Director of Financial and Commercial Services explained that the Council could explore various commercial activities, including local authority trading companies, joint ventures, and partnership working. Specific examples mentioned were utilising land and building assets more effectively and exploring opportunities in waste management, such as reuse initiatives at housing waste recycling centres.

The strategy emphasised an outcomes-focused approach, looking at what the Council aimed to achieve and identifying the right partners and delivery models to support those goals. The Council needed to consider the most appropriate delivery models for different activities, which could include trading companies, joint ventures, or partnerships. Collaboration with partners was crucial for achieving the desired outcomes and leveraging opportunities.

It was acknowledged that the Council was not yet at a stage where specific commercial opportunities could be presented due to the need to build the foundational capabilities and improve data and contract management.The strategy emphasised the need to build strong foundations, including improving data management, contract management, and overall commercial acumen within the organisation. This foundational work was essential for enabling the Council to be more commercial and innovative in the future.

Effective contract management was a critical component of the strategy. It involved improving skills, understanding, processes, and reporting to ensure that contracts were managed strategically and delivered value.

It was acknowledged that the report did not offer a clear timescale of commercial thinking examples, but this was reasoned by Officers because of the maturity assessment which emphasised the early stage which the organisation was in. However, concreate examples of the organisations commercial thinking would become clear over the next 12 months.

The Chair questioned whether the example of any other Local Authority was being used as they went about becoming more commercially minded, especially from similar starting point to Oxfordshire.

Coventry Council was highlighted as an example of a local authority that has successfully implemented commercial thinking. The Chief Executive had experience with Coventry Council and was pushing Oxfordshire County Council towards a  ...  view the full minutes text for item 35/24

Cllr Dan Levy, Cabinet Member of Finance, Vic Kurzeja, Director of Property and Assets, Michael Smedley, Head of Estates Asset and Investment, and Emily Urquhart, Policy Officer – Inclusive Economy Lead, were invited to present a report on the Community Asset Transfer Policy and Leases to Voluntary and Community Sector Tenants.

The Committee is asked to consider the report and raise any questions, and to AGREE any recommendations it wishes to make to Cabinet arising therefrom.

Cllr Dan Levy, Cabinet Member of Finance, Vic Kurzeja, Director of Property and Assets, Michael Smedley, Head of Estates Asset and Investment, and Emily Urquhart, Policy Officer – Inclusive Economy Lead, were invited to present a report on the Community Asset Transfer (CAT) Policy and Leases to Voluntary and Community Sector Tenants. Ian Dyson, Director of Financial and Commercial Services, was also present to help answer any questions Members had in relation to the CAT report.

The Cabinet Member introduced the report, noting that the relationship with voluntary groups had become unclear, with property management and support for voluntary groups closely connected. The purpose of the recommendations in the report was to align work being undertaken with the VCS and to support this with updated policies that meet the requirement of community organisations.

Members underscored and reaffirmed the significance of social value, especially in the context of community services such as libraries. It was noted that these services offer substantial benefits to the community, including improvements in reading scores within local schools, which were not easily monetised or quantified.

The discussion emphasised that while financial value was important, the non-monetary advantages provided by community services were crucial and should be factored into decision-making processes. It was proposed that local members should participate in discussions regarding community assets to ensure that the social value and communal benefits were thoroughly understood and considered.

The Director of Property and Assets highlighted the necessity of commercial acumen while also stressing the importance of assessing the social value provided by community services. This balanced perspective ensured that decisions were made with consideration of both financial metrics and the broader impact on the community.

Members inquired about the efficacy of balancing social value and financial metrics, particularly given that the report indicated the 92 leases generated an average of only £3,500 per annum. There was concern among members that such leases might be viewed unfavourably within a commercial strategy.

The Director of Property and Assets stressed that being commercially savvy means more than generating income. It involves leveraging Council's spending and ensuring smart investments. Social value from leases, though not easily monetised, was crucial. Each lease was reviewed for both financial and social benefits, with local councillors involved in evaluations. The focus should be on maximising estate use, ensuring properties were well-utilised for commercial, corporate, or community purposes. The aim was to maintain high occupancy and best use of space.

Members noted that several properties had been listed for an extended period as ready for disposal. Therefore, a clear statement regarding the intended timeline for their disposal was essential to address the concerns about the council sitting on unutilised assets.

Officers confirmed that they focused on effectively using the existing portfolio to meet service demands. Nearly all 13 properties on the vacant property list were assigned specific purposes. It was noted that a number of the sites are being held for future disposal once planning consent has been granted. Although waiting for planning permission was time-consuming,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 36/24

The Committee is recommended to AGREE its work programme for forthcoming meetings, having heard any changes from previous iterations, and taking account of the Cabinet Forward Plan and of the Budget Management Monitoring Report.

The Committee AGREED to the proposed work plan with the following amendments:

• An update on the City Centre Accommodation for December or January, dependent on the offer process, which commenced following the meeting.

Assurances were made that the budget item would take priority, with Members warned to expect a longer meeting than usual in December.

The Scrutiny Manager would also explore the viability of items on the Local Enterprise Partnership integration and any Devolution white paper to come to the April meeting.

The Committee is recommended to NOTE the progress of previous recommendations and actions arising from previous meetings, having raised any questions on the contents.

The action and recommendation tracker was NOTED.

Attached is the Cabinet response to the Performance and Corporate Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee report on the Draft Customer Engagement Strategy. The Committee is asked to NOTE the response.

The Committee NOTED the Cabinet Response to the report on the Draft Customer Engagement Strategy.