Decisions

To provide a mid-term review of Treasury Management Activity in 2021/22 in accordance with the CIPFA code of practice.

Recommendations agreed

To note the update.

Recommendations agreed

It was noted that the Cabinet Member Decisions for Highway Management that had been moved to 16 December were being ‘brought forward’ not ‘deferred’.

The COVID Lessons Learnt Review should be listed as 18 January 2022 Cabinet meeting and not ‘to be confirmed’.

Approved with the addition of Councillor David Bartholomew to the list of Other Councillors Attending.

To seek approval on preferred design option and start of CPO process.

Recommendations agreed

To note and seek agreement of the report.

Recommendations agreed as amended:

a)               To note the September/Quarter two business management and monitoring report excluding Annexes D & E.

b)               To note virements set out in Annex C-2c

To seek approval on preferred design option and start of CPO process.

Recommendations agreed

Oxfordshire has applied to central government for a grant of £3.37M  from the Sustainable Warmth Fund. This money will provide energy-saving home retrofit measures for those most in need and unable to pay. 

To seek approval for delegation to officers of the legal and financial administration of the award.

Recommendations agreed

To seek approval of the Local Aggregates Assessment.

Recommendations agreed

The Motion was carried by 52 votes to 0 (Unanimously).

The time being after 3.30 pm, this Motion was considered dropped in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 13.5.8.

The time being after 3.30 pm, this Motion was considered dropped in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 13.5.8.

The time being after 3.30 pm, this Motion was considered dropped in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 13.5.8.

The Motion was carried Unanimously (by a show of hands).

The Motion was carried by 51 votes to 0 (Unanimously).

The Motion Without Notice by Councillor Eddie Reeves to withdraw his Motion (CPR 14.1(v)) was lost by 28 votes to 21, with 1 abstention.

The Amendment by Councillor Brad Baines as shown below in bold italics and strikethrough was carried by 32 votes to 18, with 1 abstention.

“This Council supports the work undertaken by members and officers in developing an ambitious Libraries and Heritage Services Strategy. both under the previous administration and the present one. 

This Council recognises the funding challenges that face local authorities in their provision of such services, which long predate the current Government and whose services may sometimes be characterised by an era of local government that has long since disappeared. regrets that Library Services across England have been devastated by over a decade of savage cuts by Government to local councils. National funding for libraries has fallen by almost £300 million since 2010, forcing the closure of over 800 libraries in England. 

This Council recognises that libraries form the heart of local communities and that further cuts to Local Government only undermine this Council’s ability to ensure our Library Service can deliver for those who need and benefit from libraries the most.  

Given the importance of developer contributions for the provision of, and realisation of improvements to, such vital services, this Council calls on the Cabinet Member for Community Services to establish a Cabinet Advisory Group engage directly with members to ensure inter alia that the Council’s strategy is: 

i.             properly funded; 

ii.          sensibly delivered against agreed key performance indicators; and 

iii.         cognisant of the need to have the right libraries in the right places, rather than those in which they have historically been    placed. 

Without prejudice to itsthis work, such a CAG members could also advise the Leader and relevant Cabinet Member on: 

i.            parts of the county and the country in which libraries have facilitated or hosted joint services, thereby increasing use of public libraries; and 

ii.          the wealth and scope of College, University and other private library facilities that exist in Oxfordshire with a view to investigating the possibility of making such facilities – whether wholly or in part – more readily available to residents. and, more particularly, adult learners, consistent with the Government’s Lifelong Learning Guarantee.” 

The substantive Motion as amended was carried by 31 votes to 19, with 1 abstention.

The Motion was carried by 48 votes to 0 (Unanimously).

Recommendations approved nem con.

Council approved Recommendation 5 by 36 votes to 0, with 16 abstentions

Council approved Recommendation 1 by 22 votes to 12, with 19 abstentions (recorded vote set out in the minutes).

Accordingly, recommendations 2, 3 and 4 fell.

Council received the report of the Cabinet.

In relation to paragraphs 3 and 4 of the report (Question from Councillor Bob Johnston to Councillor Pete Sudbury) Councillor Sudbury gave an assurance that if further slippage occurred on the Minerals and Waste Core Strategy or the Minerals and Waste Development Scheme, he would undertake to bring in additional resource to ensure the projects stayed on course.

In relation to paragraph 3 of the report (Question from Councillor Geoff Saul to Councillor Pete Sudbury) Councillor Sudbury undertook to provide a written answer outlining what actions the Council could take to encourage the production of recycled and secondary aggregates.

In relation to paragraph 5 of the report (Question from Councillor Nick Field-Johnson to Councillor Pete Sudbury) Councillor Sudbury undertook to take forward to the Cabinet the suggestion, in light of the continued dumping of raw sewage into rivers and the sea, that the Cabinet pass a resolution that Oxfordshire County Council was not only against the policy but would actively encourage local MPs to pass legislation to prevent the practice continuing.

In relation to paragraph 9 of the report (Question from Councillor Brad Baines to Councillor Duncan Enright) Councillor Enright undertook to join Councillor Baines and other members on a cycle ride around Oxfordshire and other parts of the Country to look at the current state of the Active Travel Infrastructure and look at best practice around the Country.

In relation to paragraph 15 of the report (Question from Councillor Freddie Van Mierlo to Councillor Duncan Enright) Councillor Enright undertook to review and provide Councillor Van Mierlo with a written answer to confirm whether there would be a segregated cycle path on the Watlington Relief Road and to include Councillor Van Mierlo in any consultations on the issue.

In relation to paragraph 16 of the report (Question from Councillor Ian Corkin to Councillor Jenny Hannaby) Councillor Hannaby undertook to provide Councillor Corkin with a written answer to confirm how many default Social Care assessments had been issued and what was being done to stop the practice.

23 questions with Notice were asked.  Details of the questions and answers and supplementary questions and answers will be set out in the Annex to the minutes.

In relation to question 3 (Question from Yvonne Constance to Councillor Tim Bearder) Councillor Bearder undertook to provide a written answer on the when parish councils had to apply and what funds parishes needed to find in relation to Civil Parking Enforcement.

In relation to question 19 (Question from Nick Leverton to Councillor Mark Lygo) Councillor Lygo undertook to provide Councillor Leverton with a written answer detailing whether there had been any investigation into why South Oxfordshire and Vale appeared to have a higher level of Covid to other areas in the County.

In relation to question 23 (Question from Andrew Gant to Councillor Duncan Enright) Councillor Enright gave an assurance to share the results of timescales for delivery of the individual elements of the Connecting Oxford Project with Members at the earliest possible opportunity.

There were none.

Council received the following petition:

A Petition from Mr Bjorn Watson requesting that the Council commit to providing any extra funds that may be needed for Shrivenham school to ensure that it is built to a minimum of BREEAM Excellent standard (or equivalent) in order to represent best practice in construction performance, put sustainability and wellbeing first, and to make a clear and demonstrable investment in the future of the County’s children.

Council noted the following appointments:

Audit & Governance

Councillor Ted Fenton to replace Councillor Eddie Reeves.

Joint Health Overview & Scrutiny Committee

Councillor Nick Leverton to replace Councillor Arash Fatemian.

Councillor Damian Haywood to replace Councillor Charlie Hicks

Council held a ‘moment of reflection’ and paid tribute to the late David Amess MP who had been killed while undertaking his role as an MP in his Constituency.

The Council AGREED to vary the order of business to take Agenda Item 18 (Motion by Councillor Webber on the proposed Reservoir in Oxfordshire) prior to Agenda Item 12 due to the fact that the Motion was time sensitive.  It was further AGREED that the Motion would be moved and seconded and put to the vote without debate.

Council noted that Oxfordshire Fire & Rescue Service were holding an ‘open afternoon’ at Rewley Road, Oxford on 14 December 2021.

There were none.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Coles, Fatemian, Fenton, Graham, Murphy, Paule, Sibley, Smith and Waine.

Councillor Alison Rooke – Dispensation granted 14/9/21.

Approved and signed as an accurate record of the Meeting.

Approved (Unanimously).

There were none.

There were none.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Coles, Graham, Fatemian, Fenton, Murphy, Paule, Sibley, Smith and Waine.

Councillor Alison Rooke (dispensation granted on 14/9/21)