Agenda item

Cabinet Member: Finance

Forward Plan Ref: 2020/103

Contact: Hannah Doney, Head of Corporate Finance Tel: 07584 174654

Report by Director of Finance (CA9).

This report sets out the latest monitoring position for 2020/21 capital programme based on activity to the end of October 2020 and provides an update on latest ten-year capital programme to 2029/30. 

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:

(a)           approve the updated Capital Programme at Annex 2

(b)           Note the approval made under delegated authority of the Leader of the Council for:

                    i.          Inclusion of £1.4m contribution to Active Travel Programme from OxLEP.

(c)           approve the revised budget provision of £8.4m for the A40 Oxford North (Northern Gateway) scheme, an increase of £2.5m.

(d)           agree the inclusion of the new NE Didcot 2FE Primary School in the capital programme with a budget of £12.9m.

(e)           delegate agreement of Heads of Terms to enable the Council to pass funding to the DfE for the new Grove Airfield Secondary School to the Director of Finance and Director for Property, Investment & Facilities Management in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Finance and Property.

(f)             Agree the inclusion of the Active Travel (Tranche 2) grant of £2.4m into the capital programme

Cabinet considered a report that set out the latest monitoring position for 2020/21 capital programme based on activity to the end of October 2020 and provides an update on latest ten-year capital programme to 2029/30. 

Councillor Glynis Phillips, Shadow Cabinet Member for Finance comme4nted that the report raised a number of issues at a time of intense capital expenditure and a need to liaise with other organisations which is necessary but extremely time consuming; the report advised of co-operation with the Growth Board, academies, district councils, the Local Enterprise Partnership, Department of Education and the Environment Agency among others. It raised the issue of the Council being able to manage effectively all these schemes especially as the value of the4 capital programme continued to increase. Councillor Phillips highlighted paragraph 9 as being particularly worrying as it warned of the risks that the costs associated with a small number of projects in the construction phase are likely to incur additional costs, which may exceed some contingency budgets. There was a lack of detail on this and Councillor Phillips hoped that the next report would provide greater detail and report on the mitigations.

Councillor Phillips referred to the funding that had become available as a result of the Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme being unable to spend its allocation. She hoped that a small amount could be used to provide the crossing on Collinwood Road in Risinghurst where a shovel ready proposal was in place and where funding had been the reason given for the scheme being unable to proceed.

Councillor Phillips commented that there were some excellent schemes in the capital programme, and it was important to ensure sufficient capacity/capability to deliver on them.

Nick Welch, Divinity Road Area Residents Association (DRARA), spoke in support of the Active Travel Programme. Residents living in the DRARA area had been increasingly concerned over many years about the substantially increased levels of traffic using the roads on which we live. In a survey carried out by DRARA 92% of residents who responded favoured the area becoming access only and nearly the same percentage agreed that reducing traffic would significantly improve the quality of their lives. DRARA warmly welcomed the work by officers and councillors on the Emergency Active Travel Fund and congratulated the council on the excellent result. In addition, Mr Welch commented that DRARA welcomed the policy framework that supports the strong presumption that low traffic neighbourhood should be introduced as a trial unless there is evidence that this does not support the wider public good or does not command public support. DRARA believed that their proposal would pass both tests and looked forward to working with you on an effective and comprehensive consultation. Finally, Mr Welch recognised that their and other LTN proposals would fundamentally alter how people will travel, It was important that if they are to be introduced across the City it be as part of a wider set of measures for the management and control of traffic and travel to support the range of low carbon, public health and active travel measures the Council is implementing.

Councillor David Bartholomew, Cabinet Member for Finance, introduced the contents of the report and moved the recommendations. Councillor Bartholomew Highlighted the extension into 2021/22 of the funding passported to District Councils through the affordable housing programme and the associated reduction of 20.8m in the 2020/21 programme.

Councillor Yvonne Constance, Cabinet Member for Environment expressed her appreciation for the comments from Mr Welch about the very great success of the Active Travel funding.

RESOLVED:           to:

(a)  approve the updated Capital Programme at Annex 2;

(b)  note the approval made under delegated authority of the Leader of the Council for:

                                          i.         Inclusion of £1.4m contribution to Active Travel Programme from OxLEP;

(c)  approve the revised budget provision of £8.4m for the A40 Oxford North (Northern Gateway) scheme, an increase of £2.5m;

(d)  agree the inclusion of the new NE Didcot 2FE Primary School in the capital programme with a budget of £12.9m;

(e)  delegate agreement of Heads of Terms to enable the Council to pass funding to the DfE for the new Grove Airfield Secondary School to the Director of Finance and Director for Property, Investment & Facilities Management in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Finance and Property; and

(f)    agree the inclusion of the Active Travel (Tranche 2) grant of £2.4m into the capital programme.