Agenda, decisions and minutes

To elect a Chair of the Shareholder Committee for the 2025/26 Council Year.

The Senior Democratic Services Officer invited nominations for the position of Chair of the Shareholder Committee for the 2025/26 council year. Councillor Fawcett proposed Councillor Leffman and Councillor Hannaby seconded the nomination.

With there being no other nominations, Councillor Leffman was ELECTED Chair of the Shareholder Committee for the 2025/26 council year.

To elect a Deputy Chair for the 2025/26 Council Year.

Having taken the Chair, Councillor Leffman invited nominations for the position of Deputy Chair of the Shareholder Committee for the 2025/26 council year. Councillor Hannaby proposed Councillor Fawcett and Councillor Roberts seconded the nomination.

With there being no other nominations, Councillor Fawcett was ELECTED as Deputy Chair of the Shareholder Committee for the 2025/26 council year.

Apologies were received from Councillors Bearder, Gant, Gaul, Gregory, Higgins and Levy.

See guidance note below.

There were none.

Any county councillor may, by giving notice to the Proper Officer by 9 am two working days before the meeting, ask a question on any matter in respect of the Shareholder Committee’s delegated powers.

The number of questions which may be asked by any councillor at any one meeting is limited to two (or one question with notice and a supplementary question at the meeting) and the time for questions will be limited to 30 minutes in total. As with questions at Council, any questions which remain unanswered at the end of this item will receive a written response.

Questions submitted prior to the agenda being despatched are shown below and will be the subject of a response from the appropriate Committee Member or such other councillor or officer as is determined by the Committee Member, and shall not be the subject of further debate at this meeting.

There were none.

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 four working days before the meeting. 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 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 were none.

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 25 March 2025 to be signed by the Chair as a correct record.

The minutes of the meeting held on 25 March 2025 were approved and signed by the Chair as a correct record.

Cabinet Member: Future Economy and Innovation

Forward Plan Ref: 2025/168

Contact: Sadie Patamia, Corporate Governance Manager – Enterprise Oxfordshire (Sadie.Patamia@oxfordshire.gov.uk)

Report by Director of Economy and Place (SC8).

The Shareholder Committee is RECOMMENDED to:

Support the recommendations of the Enterprise Oxfordshire company board held on 31 July 2025 to:

a)    Approve the Change to Signatories and Financial Scheme of Delegation (see Annex 1)

The Committee had before it a report outlining proposed changes to Enterprise Oxfordshire’s scheme of delegation and bank signatories’ mandate.

Officers presented the report and raised the following points:

-       The bank signatories mandate was required to be updated due to long-term absence and Enterprise Oxfordshire’s Chief Executive (CEO) leaving the role at the end of September. Two other senior officer roles within Enterprise Oxfordshire were proposed as being bank signatories.

-       The financial scheme of delegation needed to be updated along similar lines to allow the continuation of operations.

-       Some of the financial delegation limits were being uplifted in line with the new roles created.

The Committee thanked Nigel Tipple, the outgoing CEO, for his service to Enterprise Oxfordshire and its predecessor organisation, over many years, and wished officers on long-term leave their sympathies and best wishes.

Officers clarified that they felt these proposals would be sufficient for when the CEO departed at the end of September.

The Shareholder Committee thanked officers for their work and agreed to the recommendations in the report.

RESOLVED to:

Support the recommendations of the Enterprise Oxfordshire company board held on 31 July 2025 to:

a)    Approve the Change to Signatories and Financial Scheme of Delegation (see Annex 1)

To decide on a schedule of future meetings.  

The Committee agreed a future schedule of meeting dates, which would take place when they were required, after meetings of the Cabinet.

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

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

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 Exempt Minutes containing exempt information under the above paragraph is attached.

To confirm the exempt minutes of the meeting held on 25 March 2025 to be signed by the Chair as a correct record.

The exempt minutes of the meeting on 25 March 2025 were approved and signed by the Chair as a correct record.