Agenda and minutes

The Scrutiny Officer invited the Committee to nominate candidates for the post of Chair for the 2023-24 Council Year.  After a nomination from Cllr Fenton which was seconded by Cllr Fatemian, it was AGREED that Cllr Kieron Mallon be elected as the Chair for the 2023-24 Council Year.

The Chair, Cllr Mallon, invited the Committee to elect the Deputy Chair for the 2023-24 Council Year.  Nominated by Cllr Mallon, and seconded by Cllr Coles, it was AGREED that Cllr Charlie Hicks be elected as the Deputy Chair for the 2023-24 Council Year.

Apologies were received from Cllr van Mierlo (substitute: Cllr David Rouane) and from Cllr Hicks.

Cllr Fatemian and Cllr Fenton apologised that they needed to leave the meeting before it closed.

Cllr Fenton declared a non-pecuniary interest in item 7 in that he was a personal friend of the Police & Crime Commissioner.

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 26 April 2023                   (PLOSC3) and to receive information arising from them.

The Committee is recommended to AGREE the minutes as an accurate record having raised any necessary amendments.

The Committee resolved to AGREE the minutes as an accurate record without amendment.

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 are submitted by no later than 9am four working days before the meeting i.e., 9.00 a.m. on Thursday 22 June 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, your views can still be taken into account. A written copy of your statement can be provided no later than 9.00 a.m. two working days before the meeting. Written submissions should be no longer than one A4 sheet.

Robin Tucker of CoHSAT, the Coalition for Healthy Street and Active Travel in Oxfordshire, addressed the Committee on the impacts of road crime.  He highlighted that the Police and Criminal Justice Plan did not include a section on road crime.  Mr Tucker called for a plan between Oxfordshire County Council and Thames Valley Police on enforcement action in Low Traffic Neighbourhood.  He called for the Committee to assure itself that there was sufficient control relating to numberplate fraud given the increasing use of ANPR.  He also called for third party reporting to be embraced as it had been by other forces.

Danny Yee addressed the Committee on item 8.  He noted that there was a large number of other policies, guidelines, and procedures which needed to be taken account of when considering the revision of the Street Design Guide.  He called for a broad Street Design Guide which was applied across the organisation which incorporated County Council policy and current best practice and for a cultural change too.  He commended Lambeth Borough Council’s Kerbside Strategy to the Committee.

Graham Smith addressed the Committee on item 8.  He explained that he was an urban designer who was supported by the Oxford Civic Society, Cyclox, and the Oxford Pedestrians Association in making his address.  He expressed concern that the concept of the hierarchy of roads was damaging and had caused severe problems for active travel and for public transport.  Mr Smith was concerned that the current Street Design Guide ignored connectivity to local places, active travel, and public transport.  He commended to the Committee the Northamptonshire Place and Movement Guide and Surrey County Council’s Healthy Streets for Surrey.

The Police & Crime Commissioner was asked why the evidence from dashcams and head cameras was not accepted by Thames Valley Police in all cases.  The Commissioner explained that it was dependent on the type of offence but agreed that there was more TVP could do to accept such evidence.

As part of its Crime and Disorder Panel responsibilities under the Crime and Disorder (Overview and Scrutiny) Regulations 2009 the Committee invites Matthew Barber, Police and Crime Commissioner for the Thames Valley, to present.

The Committee is recommended, having considered the report and responses to questions, to AGREE any recommendations arising therefrom.

The Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), Matthew Barber, attended to speak to the progress report.  He began by apologising to the Committee for his inability to join the previous meeting owing to technical difficulties but highlighted that a benefit was that, since then, he had submitted his annual report to the Police and Crime Panel which was also shared with the Committee.

There had been road safety summits around the Thames Valley which had been well attended and there was a document being drafted around road crime.  This would go out to public consultation.

Community Speedwatch was to move into the Citizens in Policing team.  In Dorset, a police officer participated in Community Speedwatch and that seemed to contribute to their success there.  The PCC noted that he was interested in that approach.

Number plate fraud was becoming more sophisticated but there was a new ANPR network which was more powerful and would reduce the success of such fraud.

Thames Valley Police (TVP) could make it easier to submit third party reporting.  The PCC made no further commitment but was considering how this could best be submitted. 

In discussion with the PCC, the Committee noted the following:

·       Safe Drive Stay Alive was a course organised by TVP which worked with schools across the Thames Valley to emphasise the risks of dangerous driving.

·       The majority of those involved in collisions on the A420 between Swindon and Oxford were not a result of excess speed.

·       There was a review in place of stationary speed cameras because analogue cameras cannot be calibrated to recognise 20mph limits.

·       Speed awareness courses were now expected to be attended in person.

·       Whilst it was not the case in some other police forces, the policy at TVP had always been to attend all burglaries.  Publicity that had championed forces now committing to this had given an impression that no forces were doing so previously.

·       Neighbourhood policing had become regarded as unfashionable overtime but it remained a core part of policing.

·       TVP was not immune from conduct issues and, in any large organisation, there was likely to be some misconduct.  Misconduct, including lower-level, should be identified and disciplined.  An audit was to be undertaken regarding vetting.

·       The PCC recognised that officers referred to unauthorised encampments rather than as being illegal but would continue to do so.  Given that they were against the law, he considered illegal encampments a justified expression.  The PCC recognised that there were particular difficulties in Oxfordshire given the lack of transit sites despite the obligation to have them.  Reference was made to crime in the Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller community specifically because it was in the context of crime from those encampments.

·       The Police and Crime Panel did a very good job but, given the Crime & Disorder powers of Local Authorities to scrutinise, there was a lack of clarity regarding their purpose and the interrelationship with Local Authority scrutiny.  The Thames Valley region was made up of three counties and 14 councils; there  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7/23

The Committee invited the Thames Valley Police Crime Prevention Design Advisor to provide advice to it regarding the Council’s Street Design Guide.  He is unable to attend this meeting but has provided his advice in writing.

The Corporate Director of Environment and Place has provided an update to the Committee on the Walking Design Standards and Cycling Design Standards.

Cllr Duncan Enright, Cabinet Member for Travel & Development Strategy, Bill Cotton, Corporate Director for Environment and Place, and Owen Jenkins, Director of Transport and Infrastructure, have been invited to present and to answer the Committee’s questions.

The Committee is recommended, having considered the documentation and responses to questions, to AGREE any recommendations it wishes to make to Cabinet arising therefrom.

The Committee had the written advice of Thames Valley Police’s Crime Prevention Design Advisor which emphasised the importance of developers engaging with the police at the earliest, pre-application stage for all new developments.  The advice provided specific recommendations relating to the current edition of the Street Design Guide.  Thanks were expressed by the Cabinet Member for Travel and Development Strategy and by the Corporate Director for Environment and Place for the comments which would be reviewed.

The Committee noted that a ‘one size fits all’ approach was not appropriate in a county as diverse as Oxfordshire.  It was confirmed that that the Street Design Guide was primarily for developers and that, along with documents such as Local Plans and Local Transport Plans, it was a part of the advice provided and, as guidance, was context-specific.

Members recognised the importance of engaging all stakeholders in the development of such guidance but emphasised that it was important to recognise that their democratic mandate meant that they should be involved from the outset.

The Committee established that the Street Design Guide was due for review in March 2024.  The Committee agreed that a small working group should review the current guide, with officer support, so that recommendations could be made regarding its revision.  The Committee also agreed with the Cabinet Member’s suggestion that an all-member briefing on the Street Design Guide would be useful and that one should be arranged to feed into the work of the working group.

A report by the Corporate Director of Environment and Place on the Household Waste Recycling Strategy and on the public consultation on the strategy. 

Cllr Pete Sudbury, Cabinet Member for Climate Change Delivery and Environment, has been invited to present the report and to answer questions. Bill Cotton, Corporate Director of Environment and Place, Rachel Wileman, Director of Planning, Environment, and Climate Change, Teresa Kirkham, Head of Environment and Circular Economy, Steve Burdis, Group Manager Waste Contracts, Rachel Burns, Waste Strategy Manager, and Caroline Coyne, Principal Officer (Service Improvement) will also attend to answer questions.

The Committee is recommended, having considered the report and responses to questions, to AGREE any recommendations it wishes to make to Cabinet arising therefrom.

Cllr Pete Sudbury, Cabinet Member for Climate Change Delivery and Environment, introduced the report on the draft Household Waste Recycling Strategy which was to be considered by Cabinet in October 2023 and the public consultation which had run between March 2023 and May 2023.  Cllr Sudbury commended the work of the waste team for their enthusiasm, knowledge, and ability. 

Bill Cotton, Corporate Director for Environment and Place, Rachel Burns, Waste Strategy Manager, and Caroline Coyne, Principal Officer (Service Improvement), attended to answer the Committee’s questions.  Officers drew attention to the very positive feedback received during the consultation. 

Members raised questions about the level of engagement reached with 391 responses received against approximately 1 million visits.  It was established that there had been some targeted advertising and wide publicity.  The consultations team had suggested it was a positive response.

The issue of how the Council was working with neighbouring authorities to ensure residents were able to use the most convenient waste recycling centres was raised.  The Council was open to discussions with other authorities but, whilst Oxfordshire did not restrict access to non-residents, others did.  The Committee provided examples of other authorities’ arrangements for permitting non-residents to access their sites and requested that officers investigate options for reciprocal arrangements.  It was also suggested that ANPR technology could be used to determine where visitors to Waste Recycling Centres (WRCs) lived.

The importance of re-use to the strategy was emphasised but the Committee was advised of how much space was required and its expansion was a key part of the strategy.  The Waste Wizard, found at https://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/residents/environment-and-planning/waste-and-recycling/household-waste/recycle-repair-reuse , was recommended as very useful for advice.

The Committee resolved to NOTE the report and requested that officers explored the following:

1.    That the Council should explore how ANPR could be used to monitor usage at Waste Recycling Centres;

2.    That the Council should investigate how reciprocal arrangements could be introduced with neighbouring authorities for the ease of residents;

3.    That the Council should raise awareness of the Waste Wizard and take advice from the Communications team about how to achieve greater engagement with residents;

4.    That the Council should encourage greater advice to be provided at Waste Recycling Centres to residents surrounding re-use.

The action and recommendation tracker is used to monitor the implementation

of previously-agreed actions and recommendations. The Committee is recommendedto NOTE it, having raised any questions on the contents.

This item is to follow and will be issued as an addendum to the main report pack.

The Committee resolved to NOTE the action and recommendation tracker.

Cabinet has made no formal responses to Committee recommendations since the Committee’s last meeting.

The Committee is asked to NOTE this.

The Committee resolved to NOTE that no responses had been received.

The Committee is asked to consider and AGREE the proposed work programme.

The Committee resolved to AGREE its work programme.