Resolved to elect Councillor Altaf Khan as Chair of the Committee for the Council year 2012/2013.

Resolved to elect Councillor Lloyd-Shogbesan as Vice Chair of the Committee for the Council Year 2012/13

Apologies were received from Councillor Jim Campbell.

Members are asked to declare any interests they may have on items contained in this agenda.

In answer to a question from Councillor Jones about planning committees and the subject of the Councillor Call for Action (CCA) Michael Crofton Briggs (Head of City Development) indicated that he understood that members were free to discuss the topic provided that they did not declare a firm position on the St Clements car park development.

Noted.

Contact Officer: Pat Jones (Principal Scrutiny Officer), Tel 01865 252191, phjones@oxford.gov.uk

The Head of Law and Governance submitted a report (previously circulated, now appended) detailing a Councillor Call for Action (CCA) submitted by Councillor Dick Wolff.

Pat Jones (Principle Scrutiny Officer) presented the report to the Committee and explained the background.  The Committee had to hear the representation from Councillor Wolff, and then it had several courses of action open to it.  It could:-

·                    Decide to do nothing.

·                    Call for further information or take evidence to inform their view.  To be clear the committee cannot instruct officers but can ask to see information the Council has.

·                    Form an opinion at the meeting and pass this to officers.  This opinion does not have to be acted upon but the committee can require a response.

·                    Form an opinion and pass this to the planning committee responsible for the decision.  They in turn will decide if this is material to their considerations.

·                    Report to Council or the City Executive Board should the committee believe there to be a systemic failure.  Views do not have to be acted upon but the committee can require a response.   

Councillor Wolff was invited to present his call for action.

Councillor Wolff’s case.

Subject: The sale of St Clement’s Car Park by the City Council and the subsequent planning proposal for the redevelopment of the site.

Councillor Wolff’s main concerns were:-

1. The City Council is the landowner, and as a public body should give consideration to and balance the social and economic well being of its communities in the management and disposal of its assets.  There are economic considerations in the disposal of this land which should be identified and evaluated.  Mitigation measures should be suggested for any negative consequences identified. 

2. He emphasised that it was the business of the City Council to be concerned about the vibrancy and life of East Oxford, but the current processes seemed to load this concern onto local traders. It was possible that the redevelopment of the car park would have an economic impact, possibly even a devastating one The same economic considerations are material to the planning application to redevelop because of the value of this commercial area to the diversity of the City.  The Planning committee needs to understand these issues and the effectiveness of mitigation measures. When it makes its decision.

The solution proposed by Councillor Wolff was that an Economic Impact study be commissioned by the Council and made available at the point of decision making on the planning application.

Ward Councillor responses.

Councillor Clack

Asked if this question was specifically about St Clements, of if it could be applied generally across the City? If it is specifically St Clements, how does that fit with the planning process, and is it relevant?

What would be the status of any economic impact study? Would it undermine the planning process?

Would it be better for the Committee to think more broadly – that is, how can we support local businesses generally in these difficult economic times?

Councillor Jones

There is  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

Contact Officer: Pat Jones (Principal Scrutiny Officer), Tel 01865 252191, phjones@oxford.gov.uk

The Head of Law and Governance submitted a report (previously circulated, now appended) concerning the Committee’s work programme for the Council year 2012/2013. Pat Jones presented the report and the draft Work Programme to the Committee and explained the background to it.

She outlined the ways in which the Committee worked and explained the resources that were available to it.

The Committee expressed the following interests:-

• Role and duties of the Communities and Neighbourhoods team;
• Assistance for small businesses (arising from the earlier CCA);
• Role of Community associations;
• Finishing work  on Area Forums (begun in the last Council year);
• Finishing work on helping young people into employment or training (also started in the last Council year);
• Standing panels for housing issues and educational attainment;
• Examination of the Customer Contact Strategy;
• Exploring local celebratory events (for example the Cowley road Carnival);
• Enfranchisement and empowerment.

It was agreed to have 3, rather than 4, formal committee meetings, in order to allow more work to take place within panels and review groups.

The following items and lead members were agreed:-

Minutes of the meeting held on 2^nd April 2012 attached

Resolved to confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 2^nd April 2012, with one amendment: the addition of Councillor Altaf Khan as present at the meeting.

The following dates have been scheduled for meetings of this Committee:-

Monday 15^th October

Monday 3^rd December

Monday 4^th February 2013

Monday 15^th April 2013.

The Committee is asked to agree its starting time. Last year meetings started at 6pm.

Resolved:-

(1)   To note the dates of meetings for the rest of the Council year;

(2)   That the Principle Scrutiny Officer and Democratic Services Officer would consider the dates and recommend one the be removed as previously agreed – this was likely to be the 3^rd December meeting.