Decisions

Noted.

To update Cabinet on the progress made on the Business Services Transformation programme and a decision to refocus on the delivery of improvements to existing human resources, finance, payroll and procurement functions and processes.

To seek approval for the reallocation of some of the £1.57m funding, which was previously agreed at Cabinet in April 2023 for programme resources to prepare detailed requirements for a transformation and the potential procurement process, to enable the programme of improvements to be undertaken.

Recommendations approved.

Publication of detailed budget pressures and an overview of the approach to savings

Recommendations approved.

The business management reports are part of a suite of performance, risk and budget documents which set out our ambitions, priorities, and financial performance.

Recommendations approved.

To provide a mid-term review of Treasury Management Activity in 2023/24 in accordance with the CIPFA code of practice.

Recommendations approved.

Report on variation to the capital programme for approval (as required).

Recommendations approved.

Framework for the purchasing of residential and nursing home beds on a call off basis for the Council and ICB NHS Continuing Healthcare.

Recommendations approved.

Noted.

There were no reports from Scrutiny Committees at this meeting.

Cabinet noted the following appointments:-

Future Oxfordshire Partnership Infrastructure Advisory Group:

Councillor Judy Roberts as OCC representative.

Councillor Andrew Gant as substitute.

Schools Organisation Stakeholder Group

Councillor Andy Graham to fill a vacancy

12 Business Management and Monitoring Report

Cllr Eddie Reeves

13 Capital Programme Approvals

Robin Tucker

See annex.

The minutes were approved and signed as a correct record by the Chair.

There were none.

None received.

To approve the contract to Partner with a 3^rd party to supply OCC’s enduser devices eg Laptops. As agreed in the 19-24 IT Strategy.

RESOLVED: to award the contract to the winning supplier.

Renewal of licences

Recommendations approved.

Geographic Information Software renewal. Software for all directorates to manage location using Ordnance Survey maps and address data under the government Public Sector Geospatial Agreement used county wide is due for renewal. If the license is not renewed the software will stop working 24.07.2024.

Recommendations approved.

To seek approval to release £1.87m for the acquisition of Barnard Gate Farm (for purchase price and related blight compensation)

Recommendations approved.

Part of the 20 Mph Speed Limit project to promote 20 limits across the county where the community seek them.

The Cabinet Member for Transport Management APPROVED the following proposals as advertised:

a.     20mph speed limits within the parish of Enstone, including the hamlets of: Cleveley, Gagingwell, Lidstone, and Radford, and

b.     30mph speed limits on the southern end of Cox’s Lane, and extended south-westwards on the B4022 to Charlbury.

To determine what speed limit changes should be made following consideration of public consultation responses.

The Cabinet Member for Transport Management APPROVED the introduction of 20mph speed limits in Ashbury and Idstone as advertised

To determine what speed limit changes should be made following consideration of public consultation responses.

The Cabinet Member for Transport Management APPROVED the introduction of 20mph speed limits in Lyneham as amended from the advertised proposals to now exclude the through road in accordance with community wishes.

A decision is sought on a proposed prohibition of motor vehicles.

The Cabinet Member for Transport Management APPROVED the following as advertised:

a.     ‘Prohibition of Motor Vehicles’ gate on the unnamed road running through Little Chesterton at the point of the proposed speed 20mph limit change.

To consider the outcome of formal consultation.

The Cabinet Member for Transport Management APPROVED the following proposals as advertised:

a.     20mph speed limit within Caversfield, and

b.     30mph speed limits on parts of Aunt Ems Lane & Fringford Road.

Consider formal consultation responses.

The Cabinet Member for Transport Management APPROVED the introduction of 20mph speed limits in North Newington as advertised.

Consider formal consultation responses.

The Cabinet Member for Transport Management APPROVED the introduction of 20mph speed limits in Upper Heyford as advertised.

Consider formal consultation responses.

The Cabinet Member for Transport Management APPROVED the introduction of 20mph speed limits in Milton as advertised.

Consider formal consultation responses.

The Cabinet Member for Transport Management DEFERRED the introduction of 20mph speed limits in Tiddington as advertised.

Consider formal consultation responses.

The Cabinet Member for Transport Management APPROVED the introduction of 20mph speed limits in Finstock as advertised.

Consider formal consultation responses.

The Cabinet Member for Transport Management APPROVED the introduction of 20mph speed limits in Leafield as advertised.

Consider formal consultation responses.

The Cabinet Member for Transport Management APPROVED the introduction of 20mph speed limits in Minster Lovell as advertised.

Consider formal consultation responses.

The Cabinet Member for Transport Management APPROVED the introduction of 20mph speed limits in Ramsden as advertised.

To consider outcome of formal consultation.

The Cabinet Member for Transport Management APPROVED the introduction of 20mph speed limits in Tackley as advertised

To seek approval to issue a Task Order for the value of £3.463m (inc VAT) to Milestone Infrastructure Limited in respect of the detailed design and Early Contractor Involvement support services to the A4130 Steventon Lights Integrated Transport Corridor Scheme

Recommendations approved.

Delegate authority to the Corporate Director of Environment & Place in consultation with the Director of Finance and the Head of Legal Services & Deputy Monitoring Officer to approve the County Council awarding two contracts (NEC4 PSC Option A and NEC4 ECC Option C, including secondary Option X22) to Balfour Beatty Group Limited in respect of the design and build of the A34 Lodge Hill Interchange scheme

Recommendations approved.

EXEMPT SESSION

The Committee RESOLVED that from this point onward the public will be excluded, and public webcast stopped for the duration of item 5 since it is likely that if they were present during those items there would be disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part I of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended) and specified below in relation to those items.

The information contained in the report 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 or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information).

It is considered that in this case the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information, in that such disclosure would distort the proper process of free negotiations between the authority with another party for the purposes described and would prejudice the position of the authority in those negotiations and other negotiations of a similar nature in future.

Members conducted interviews.

RESOLVED: to recommend an appointment to the position of Director of Children’s Services.

The Committee considered a report that the Council is required to produce on the gender pay gap. Calculations were based on employer payroll data drawn from a specific date each year.

Paul Tallant, HR Manager – Reward, summarised the report and the next steps.

Members raised a number of issues that the officers responded to as follows:

·       There were new management training schemes in place to help reduce the gender gap in representation at Extended Leadership Team level which stood at 50:50 compared to the 2:1 majority of women across the Council.

·       The figures included apprentices on full pay but not staff from maintained schools.

·       Part-time staff had equal access to education and training.

It was agreed that officers will provide a briefing on the various measures being taken to help those on more junior grades to progress in the organisation.

RESOLVED to:

·       Receive the report

·       Recommend the Gender Pay Gap report for 2023 for approval by Full Council.

Paul Tallant summarised the Ethnicity Pay Gap Report.  This was not a report the Council was required to produce but was provided for transparency.

Members asked if the briefing already requested could include measures to improve the ethnic diversity in staff as the statistics indicated that only 10% of Council staff were non-white, while the proportion in the population of Oxfordshire is 23.2%.  A further breakdown of ethnicity data by gender was also requested.

RESOLVED to receive the report for information purposes.

The motion was passed unanimously (56 in favour, 0 against, 0 abstentions).

Council approved the appointments to committees listed in Annex 1 and the following additional appointments notified at the meeting:

Corporate Parenting Committee: appointment of Councillor Jane Hanna

Horton Joint Health Overview & Scrutiny Committee: appointment of Councillor Freddie van Mierlo and Councillor Jenny Hannaby

Remuneration Committee: Councillor John Howson to replace Councillor Alison Rooke