Agenda, decisions and minutes

The following petitions were received:

Request for a New Crossing on Station Lane, Witney

A petition containing 250 signatures with 300 more on line was presented by Dawn McCall from Guideposts, Witney a local learning disabilities charity. Speaking to the petition Ms McCall highlighted the effects of increased development taking place in the area and the resultant levels of traffic on Station Lane, which they saw as a physical barrier to Guideposts connecting more with the community as well as creating immense safety issues for some of their clients when crossing the road. There was unanimous support from local businesses with County Councillor Laura Price in attendance and endorsing the petition.

Mr Tole advised that he was aware of the issues and that coincidentally a survey had been carried out the day before in order to gauge the volume of traffic and crossings made. Although the final figures were not available early indications were that while volumes of traffic were not excessively high some difficulties had been observed for pedestrians when crossing.  Funding would be a problem and although some developer finance was available it would not be enough to cover the costs of a crossing and other funds would need to be found to supplement that. Outlining the process involved he confirmed that realistically even if sufficient finance was found a crossing was unlikely to be provided until after Christmas at best.  The petition would obviously add pressure.

The Cabinet Member thanked the petitioners for presenting the petition which he received and referred to the Director for Environment & Economy to respond

A second petition was received for 30 mph speed limit to improve safety on B4016 Drayton Road, Sutton Courtenay between the Milton Road and the Peep-o-Day Lane cycle path (national cycle route). The petitioners were unable to present in person but it was noted that it contained 330 signatures with more it was understood on-line and 130 separate comments.

Mr Tole advised he was aware of the issues and also separate concerns regarding accidents.

The Cabinet Member acknowledged receipt of the petition which he referred to the Director for Environment & Economy to respond.

Cabinet Member: Environment

Forward Plan Ref: 2015/076

Contact: Owen Jenkins, Service Manager for Highways, Transport & Waste Tel: (01865) 323304

Report by Deputy Director for Environment & Economy (Commercial) (CMDE4).

The report presents objections received in the course of a statutory consultation on proposals to introduce additional waiting restrictions (and amend some existing restrictions) at various locations in Cholsey.

The Cabinet Member for the Environment is RECOMMENDED to approvethe implementation of the advertised proposals, except as set out in the report.

The Cabinet Member for Environment considered (CMDE4) objections received to a statutory consultation on proposals to introduce additional waiting restrictions and amend some existing restrictions at various locations in Cholsey.

Councillor Mark Gray spoke in support of the proposals which were badly needed as increasing amounts of on-street parking had affected buses and access and egress onto private driveways. He advised that residents of West End, currently a residents only zone, were seeking assistance in helping to mitigate against displaced parking through possibly installation of repeater signs.

Mr Tole advised that the proposals had been drawn up in consultation with the parish council and Councillor Gray but that he was recommending that some features of the scheme should be deferred to allow further consideration along with some minor amendments to other elements and although enforcement levels would be limited he was confident that traffic flows would improve. With regard to West End he advised that as a ‘prohibition of driving’ the restriction did not allow for the provision of repeater signing but suggested a way forward might be to review the situation once the other restrictions were in place.

The Cabinet Member advised that he had been involved at length with these proposals and felt they represented a good compromise and so having regard to the arguments and options set out in the documentation before him and the representations above confirmed his decision as follows:

to approve implementation of the advertised proposals, except as set out in the report CMDE4.

Signed……………………………………….

Cabinet Member for Environment

Date of signing……………………………

Forward Plan Ref: 2015/090

Contact: Peter Day, Minerals & Waste Policy Team Leader Tel: (01865) 815544

Report by Deputy Director for Environment & Economy (Strategy & Infrastructure Planning) (CMDE5).

The County Council is required to prepare and publish minerals and waste local plan monitoring reports. This procedural and information requirement has been met by the production each year of a Minerals and Waste Annual Monitoring Report. The Annual Monitoring Report must report on implementation of the Minerals and Waste Development Scheme (the programme for preparation of the Minerals and Waste Local Plan) and on the extent to which local plan policies are being achieved. A draft Oxfordshire Minerals and Waste Annual Monitoring Report 2015 has been prepared, covering the year 1 April 2014 to 31 March 2015.

The draft Annual Monitoring Report 2015 reports on how work on preparation of the revised Minerals and Waste Local Plan: Core Strategy was progressed in relation to the programme in the Council's revised Minerals and Waste Development Scheme, December 2014. It also reports on: production of aggregate minerals; permissions granted for mineral working and landbanks of permitted reserves; production of secondary and recycled aggregates; amounts of waste produced and methods of management; permissions granted for waste management facilities and capacity of facilities. It cross refers to the Council's Local Aggregate Assessment and Waste Needs Assessment, which contain more detailed information and will sit alongside and complement the Annual Monitoring Report. In addition, it reports on work undertaken by the Council to meet the Duty to Cooperate.

The Cabinet Member for Environment is RECOMMENDED:

(a)          to approve the Oxfordshire Minerals and Waste Annual Monitoring Report 2015 in the Annex to this report;

(b)         to authorise the Deputy Director for Environment & Economy (Strategy & Infrastructure Planning) to carry out any necessary final editing of the Minerals and Waste Annual Monitoring Report 2015 for publication on the County Council website.

The Cabinet Member for Environment considered (CMDE5) a draft Oxfordshire Minerals and waste Annual Monitoring Report 2015 covering the year 1 April 2014 to 31 March 2015.

Responding to Councillor Gray Mr Kenneford advised that applications for sites at Clifton Hampden and Cholsey were likely to be considered later in the year and confirmed that applicants were entitled to submit applications prior to approval of the Core Strategy.

Having regard to the information set out in the documentation before him the Cabinet Member confirmed his decision as follows:

(a)          to approve the Oxfordshire Minerals and Waste Annual Monitoring Report 2015 in the Annex to this report;

(b)         to authorise the Deputy Director for Environment & Economy (Strategy & Infrastructure Planning) to carry out any necessary final editing of the Minerals and Waste Annual Monitoring Report 2015 for publication on the County Council website.

Signed ……………………………………..

Cabinet Member for Environment

Date of signing…………………………….

Forward Plan Ref: 2016/027

Contact: Owen Jenkins, Service Manager for Highways, Transport & Waste Tel: (01865) 323304

Report by Deputy Director for Environment & Economy (Commercial) (CMDE6).

Oxfordshire County Council has been asked to become a founding signatory to the Courtauld Commitment 2025 due to our national reputation in waste management.  The Courtauld Commitment 2025 is an ambitious voluntary agreement that brings together a broad range of organisations involved in the food system to make food and drink production and consumption more sustainable. All Oxfordshire authorities have been invited to sign the agreement, and agreed at the Oxfordshire Environment Partnership (OEP) on 11/03/16 to take similar reports to their appropriate decision making committee and to report back to the next OEP meeting on 14 July 2014.

As a Waste Disposal Authority Oxfordshire County Council is responsible for, and pays for the processing of food waste. The district authorities, as the Waste Collection Authorities, all provide facilities for residents to deposit their food waste separately to the residual bin for processing at specialist facilities.

Processing food waste at an Anaerobic Digestion plant is significantly cheaper than sending it (in the residual bin) to landfill or the Energy Recovery Facility at Ardley. Better yet, the prevention of food waste in the first instance would create significant savings, both in collection and processing

The Courtauld Commitment 2025 will help bring together local authority partners with the private sector to help drive further action in this area. It does not commit the council to any additional financial expenditure or considered to raise any legal implications. The Council is already meeting the spirit of the commitment, which is in line with the agreed joint municipal waste management strategy for Oxfordshire so no additional staff time would be needed. 

The Cabinet Member is RECOMMENDED to sign the Courtauld 2025 Commitment Voluntary Agreement

Due to its national reputation in waste management Oxfordshire County Council had been asked to become a founding signatory to the Courtauld Commitment 2025 a voluntary agreement bringing together a broad range of organisations involved in the food system including local authority partners and the private sector to make food and drink production and consumption more sustainable. The report pointed out that as the County Council was already meeting the spirit of the commitment through the joint municipal waste management strategy for Oxfordshire no additional staff time would be needed nor did it commit the council to any additional financial expenditure.

Therefore recognising the increased potential to improve services whist being cost neutral and having regard to the arguments and options set out in the report before him the Cabinet Member confirmed his decision as follows:

to sign the Courtauld 2025 Commitment Voluntary Agreement.

Signed………………………………….

Cabinet Member for Environment

Date of signing………………………..