Agenda and draft minutes

Apologies were received from Councillor Snowdon.  Councillor Filipova-Rivers participated online.

Please see guidance note

There were no declarations of interest.

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 13 March 2025 and the meeting held on 20 May 2025.

          .

RESOLVED:

a)    That the minutes of the meeting held on 13 March 2025 be approved and signed as an accurate record of the proceedings.

b)    That the minutes of the meeting held on 20 May 2025 be approved and signed as an accurate record of the proceedings.

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 to present a petition must be submitted no later than 9am ten working days before the meeting.

Requests to speak must be submitted no later than 9am three working days before the meeting.

Requests should be submitted 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 Chair agreed to a request to speak from Gill Bindoff.  Ms Bindoff expressed gratitude to new and former Members of the Committee and outlined concerns regarding the draft constitution for the Charitable Incorporated Organisation, requesting a joint meeting with Council officers and the charity lawyer to resolve outstanding issues.

Report by the Director of Law and Governance and Monitoring Officer

It is the duty of registered charities to prepare annual accounts and submit an annual return. The Council is the Trustee of a registered charity and responsibility for compliance with statutory requirements rests ultimately with it.

The Committee is RECOMMENDED to

(a)            Approve the Statement of Financial Activities for the year to 31 March 2025 annexed to this report and

(b)           Authorise a Council officer to submit data from the Statement to the Charity Commission online before midnight on 31 January 2026 so that annual financial reporting obligations are complied with.

The Committee considered a report on the Trust’s financial position and statutory reporting requirements.

The following points were noted:

• A reported deficit of approximately £8,900, largely attributable to expenditure on 33 High Street and legal reports.
• Total Trust assets reported at approximately £302,000, primarily property-based, with the observation that valuations were not fully up to date.
• Accountancy charges by Oxfordshire County Council were offset by an equivalent refund, resulting in no net cost to the Trust.
• The need to submit the annual return to the Charity Commission by 31 January 2026.

No questions were raised by Members on the financial statements.

RESOLVED to:

(a)            Approve the Statement of Financial Activities for the year to 31 March 2025 annexed to this report and

(b)           Authorise a Council officer to submit data from the Statement to the Charity Commission online before midnight on 31 January 2026 so that annual financial reporting obligations are complied with.

To approve the exempt minutes of the meeting held on 13 March 2025.

The information in this case is exempt in that it falls within the following prescribed categories:

1. Information relating to a particular individual

2. Information which is likely to reveal the identity of an individual

3. Information relating to the financial and business affairs of any person (including the authority holding that information); and

5. Information in which a claim to Legal Professional Privilege could be maintained in legal proceedings

and since it is considered that, in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

The report containing exempt information under the above paragraph are attached.

RESOLVED:

That the exempt minutes of the meeting held on 13 March 2025 be approved and signed as an accurate record of the proceedings.