Councillor Thomas proposed his submitted motion as set out in the agenda and briefing note, and accepted the amendment set out in the briefing note proposed by Councillor Rowley.

Councillor Simmons seconded the amended motion.

Councillor Wade, seconded by Councillor Gant, proposed an amended version of her submitted amendment:

To retain the section:

This Council therefore agrees to …… target of zero rough sleeping on the streets of Oxford ……… and in pursuit of that target will:

1.         Explore flexible options to accommodate or support the homeless

2.         Call for a national strategy to support those who fall outside the safety net of ‘local connection’.

3.         Draw up a list of minimum requirements to meet the needs of rough sleepers e.g. showers, storage facilities, provision of clothing.

4.         Ensure adequate sleeping accommodation to include the winter months as well as ‘severe weather’ provision.

5.         Establish criteria upon which, in an extreme situation, a Community Protection Notice could be issued. This to require written authorisation by the Legal Department and by the Head of Service.

noting that as with other such commitments, this target will need to be further defined and refined, timings developed, and a work programme agreed as part of the strategy refresh.

After debate and on being put to the vote, the amendment above was agreed.

After debate and on being put to the vote, the amended motion as set out below was agreed.

Council resolved to adopt the following motion, as proposed and including the amendments agreed as set out in the briefing note and above:

This Council has adopted many aspirational social and environmental targets to demonstrate its long-term commitment to continuous improvement and a desire to be recognised as "a world-class city".

Meeting these targets is a challenge, requiring new policies to be developed, new investments to be made and a nationally favourable legislative framework to be in place.

Nonetheless, they provide a clear direction of travel, demonstrate leadership and a clear statement of a measurable endpoint.

This Council believes that to help frame the ‘big conversation’ around the Council’s homelessness strategy refresh a similar bold commitment is required concerning rough sleeping.

The Housing and Homelessness Strategy sets the objective of "preventing and ending rough sleeping", and at last November's City Conversation we made a joint commitment with our partners to the principle that "no-one should be forced to sleep rough on the streets of Oxford."

This Council therefore agrees to formally reaffirm its target of zero rough sleeping on the streets of Oxford, excluding those who voluntarily elect to sleep rough

and in pursuit of that target will:

1.            Explore flexible options to accommodate or support the homeless

2.            Call for a national strategy to support those who fall outside the safety net of ‘local connection’.

3.            Draw up a list of minimum requirements to meet the needs of rough sleepers e.g. showers, storage facilities, provision of clothing.

4.            Ensure adequate sleeping accommodation to include the winter months as well as ‘severe weather’ provision.

5.            Establish criteria upon which, in an extreme situation, a Community Protection Notice could be issued. This to require written authorisation by the Legal Department and by the Head of Service.

We also reaffirm that rough sleeping is gravely damaging to physical and mental health, has a dramatic impact on life expectancy, and we will continue to do our utmost to engage all rough sleepers with the services that can help them.

As with other such commitments, this target will need to be further defined and refined, timings developed, an action plan agreed and a monitoring process established.