Agenda and minutes

Agenda and minutes

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Speaking at a Council or Committee meeting

Venue: Council Chamber, Town Hall

Contact: Jennifer Thompson, Committee and Members Services Officer 

Items
No. Item

57.

Apologies for absence

Minutes:

Councillors Royce and Turner submitted apologies.

58.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 156 KB

Minutes of the ordinary meeting of Council held on 29 September 2014.

Minutes:

Council agreed to approve the minutes of the ordinary meeting held on 29 September 2014 as a true and correct record.

59.

Declarations of Interests

Minutes:

There were no declarations.

60.

Appointment to Committees

The Head of Law and Governance will submit a report inviting Council to make appointments to committees following two by-elections on 27November. This report will be circulated with the briefing note.

Minutes:

Council agreed to appoint:

 

-       Councillor Rowley to the Standards Committee;

 

-       Councillor Smith to the Scrutiny Committee;

 

-       Councillor Henwood to the Licensing and Gambling Acts Committee;

 

and confirmed the appointment of Councillor Henwood to the Planning Review Committee.

61.

Announcements

Announcements by:

(1)          The Lord Mayor

(2)          The Sheriff

(3)          The Leader of the Council

(4)          The Chief Executive, Chief Finance Officer, Monitoring Officer

Minutes:

The Lord Mayor welcomed the newly elected councillors, Linda Smith and Sian Taylor, to the Council.

 

He announced that former councillor Stuart McCready had recently died. Councillor Fooks paid tribute to Mr McCready’s service to the Council, and members stood for a minutes’ silence in his memory.

 

The Lord Mayor announced;

-       visits from the four twin city mayors or their representatives for the Remembrance Day services;

-       he had the honour of meeting HRH Princess Anne when she visited Oxfordshire Youth Offending Service

-       a recent multi-faith meeting and service, very well attended by faith and non-faith communities, to show solidarity against extremism.

 

The Leader of the Council announced:

-       the Low Carbon Hub share offer was oversubscribed and the projects would go ahead;

-       he would take up the issue of power cuts and their impact on vulnerable people with the energy companies, as there had been several recently;

-       awards from Institute of Rating, Revenues and

-       Valuation awards: the welfare reform team won the Excellence in Partnership Working award and a silver in the Excellence in Staff Development category;

-       it would be helpful to have shadow portfolio holders for the Crime and Communities portfolio;

-       he would invite health partners to take forward the initiatives suggested by the parliamentary group, sent to mark World Aids Day, to tackle HIV rates in the city.

62.

Public addresses and questions that relate to matters for decision at this meeting

Public addresses and questions to the Leader or other Board member received in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 11.10 and 11.11.

 

The full text of any address or question must be received by the Head of Law and Governance by 5.00 pm on Tuesday 25 November 2014.

 

Full details of addresses submitted by the deadline will be provided in the briefing note. Full details of questions submitted by the deadline, and written responses where available, will be provided in the briefing note.

Minutes:

There were no addresses or questions.

63.

Asset Management Plan Refresh 2014-15 pdf icon PDF 82 KB

The Regeneration and Major Projects Manager has submitted a report which seeks approval for the adoption of the Asset Management Plan Refresh 2014-15.

 

The relevant minutes of the City Executive Board meeting on 15 October 2014 are attached later in this agenda.

 

Council is recommended to adopt the Asset Management Plan Refresh 2014- 2015.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Councillor Goddard joined the meeting.

 

Council had before it a report recommending the adoption of the Asset Management Plan Refresh 2014-15, and the relevant minutes of the City Executive Board meeting on 15 October 2014.

 

Councillor Price moved the report.

 

Council agreed to adopt the Asset Management Plan Refresh 2014- 2015.

64.

Westgate and Community Infrastructure Levy pdf icon PDF 161 KB

The Head of City Development has submitted a report which considers a proposed financial contribution to the Westgate Alliance towards the public realm works associated with the Westgate development.

 

The relevant minutes of the City Executive Board meeting on 15 October are attached later in this agenda.

 

Council is recommended to apply Community Infrastructure Levy receipts to the value of £1,134,000 in two phases of £567,000 each (50% in Q1 2016/17 and 50% in Q1 2017/18) in order to fund public realm works that fall outside the site covered by the planning application for the Westgate redevelopment scheme.

Minutes:

Councillors Brown and Sanders joined the meeting.

 

Council had before it a report recommending a proposed financial contribution to the Westgate Alliance towards the public realm works associated with the Westgate development, and the relevant minutes of the City Executive Board meeting on 19 November 2014.

 

Councillor Price moved the report.

 

Council agreed to apply Community Infrastructure Levy receipts to the value of £1,134,000 in two phases of £567,000 each (50% in Q1 2016/17 and 50% in Q1 2017/18) in order to fund public realm works that fall outside the site covered by the planning application for the Westgate redevelopment scheme.

65.

Review of polling districts and polling places 2014 pdf icon PDF 104 KB

The Head of Law and Governance has submitted a report asking Council to approve the schedule of polling districts and polling places (shown at Appendix A) for the administrative area of the City Council as required by the Electoral Administration Act 2006.

 

Council is recommended to:

 

1. approve the Schedule of polling districts and polling places as in Appendix B, subject to recommendation 2;

 

2. ask the Returning Officer to investigate the alternative polling stations suggested and notify political groups if suitable alternatives can be found;

 

3. authorise the Returning Officer to make changes to polling stations in emergencies in order to ensure the effective conduct of any elections.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Council considered a report setting out the schedule of polling districts and polling places (shown at Appendix B) for the administrative area of the City Council as required by the Electoral Administration Act 2006.

 

Councillor Simmons moved the report.

 

Council agreed to:

 

1.    approve the Schedule of polling districts and polling places as in Appendix B, subject to recommendation 2;

 

2.    ask the Returning Officer to investigate the alternative polling stations suggested and notify political groups if suitable alternatives can be found; and

 

3.    authorise the Returning Officer to make changes to polling stations in emergencies in order to ensure the effective conduct of any elections.

66.

Councillors' Allowances - Report of the Independent Remuneration Panel pdf icon PDF 105 KB

The Head of Law and Governance has submitted a report presenting the recommendations of the Council’s Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP).

 

Council is recommended to:

 

1.         agree that Members’ Basic Allowances (and therefore Members’ Special Responsibility Allowances (SRAs)) from 2015/16 onwards are set at a level which compounds the 1% interest that has been available for the last two financial years, but with no backdating, making the Basic Allowance from April 2015 onwards £4,809;

2.         agree that the new Members’ Allowances Scheme should allow for indexation of Councillors’ Allowances in line with the local staff pay deal for the following four years;

3.         agree that the Basic Allowance will now cover subsistence, some travel, broadband and incidental costs which are currently claimed separately and that Councillors will no longer be able to claim for those other costs other than travel outside the City within a scheme of duties as set out in paragraphs 32-35 of the IRP’s report;

4.         agree that the ‘maximum of two special responsibility allowances per councillor’ rule be retained, but that SRAs for Civic Office Holders will not be included in this rule;

5.         to agree to adjust the positions that attract a Special Responsibility Allowance (SRA) to reflect contemporary demands and to include the Civic Office Holders in line with the recommendations at paragraphs 28 (i) – (x)

6.         to agree the following levels of SRA:-

Leader - 3 x Basic Allowance                                               (£14,427)

Deputy Leader – 1 x Basic Allowance                                (£4,809)

Lord Mayor –1 x Basic Allowance                                       (£4,809)

Deputy Lord Mayor – 0.25 x Basic Allowance                   (£1,202)

Sheriff - 0.25 x Basic Allowance                                         (£1,202)

Board Members with Particular Responsibilities – 1.5 x Basic Allowance

(£7,213)

Board Members without particular Responsibilities – 0.5 x Basic Allowance                                                                            (£2,404)

Chair of Audit & Governance Committee – 0.25 x Basic Allowance

(£1,202)

Chair of Planning Committee – 1 x Basic Allowance      (£4,809)

Chair of Scrutiny Committee – 1 x Basic Allowance       (£4,809)

Chair of Scrutiny Panel – 0.25 x Basic Allowance          (£1,202)

(Panel must meet at least 5 times to qualify. A maximum of 2 SRAs will be available (£2,404) to be shared by the Chairs of the qualifying Standing Panels)

Opposition Group Leader – 1 x Basic Allowance                         (£4,809)

to be shared between the Group Leaders equally.

7.         agree that the carer’s allowances for children and adults be on the basis of full cost recovery subject to a maximum of £1000 per councillor per year in line with paragraphs 37 – 39 of the IRP’s report;

8.         that a mechanism be put in place for dealing with special circumstances in relation to Dependent Carers’ Allowances, perhaps the Committee and Members’ Services Manager and one other officer;

9.         agree that there will be no allowances paid to co-optees other than incidental expenses;

10.      agree that where a member of Council is also a member of another Council, that member may not receive allowances from more than one Council in respect of the same duties;

11.      agree that where  ...  view the full agenda text for item 66.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Councillor Humberstone joined the meeting.

 

Council had before it a report presenting the recommendations of the Council’s Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP) and the full report of the IRP.

 

Councillor Price moved the recommendations as set out in the report with an amendment to recommendation 7 to provide for carer’s allowances to be reimbursed only when these were paid at or above the Oxford Living Wage. Councillor Fooks seconded this.

 

Councillor Hollick moved an amendment to recommendation 6 (special responsibility allowances) to give:

-       Leader’s SRA 2.5 x basic allowance

-       Deputy Leader’s SRA 0.5 x basic allowance.

This was seconded but lost on being put to the vote.

 

After debate and on being put to the vote, the recommendations in the report with the amendment proposed by Councillor Price were carried unanimously.

 

Council agreed the recommendations as set out in the officer’s report with an amendment to recommendation 7:

 

1.         Members’ Basic Allowances (and therefore Members’ Special Responsibility Allowances (SRAs)) from 2015/16 onwards are set at a level which compounds the 1% interest that has been available for the last two financial years, but with no backdating, making the Basic Allowance from April 2015 onwards £4,809;

2.         the new Members’ Allowances Scheme should allow for indexation of Councillors’ Allowances in line with the local staff pay deal for the following four years;

3.         the Basic Allowance will now cover subsistence, some travel, broadband and incidental costs which are currently claimed separately and that Councillors will no longer be able to claim for those other costs other than travel outside the City within a scheme of duties as set out in paragraphs 32-35 of the IRP’s report;

4.         the ‘maximum of two special responsibility allowances per councillor’ rule be retained, but that SRAs for Civic Office Holders will not be included in this rule;

5.         to adjust the positions that attract a Special Responsibility Allowance (SRA) to reflect contemporary demands and to include the Civic Office Holders in line with the recommendations at paragraphs 28 (i) – (x)

6.         set levels of SRA :-

Leader

3 x Basic

£14,427

Deputy Leader

1 x Basic

£4,809

Lord Mayor

1 x Basic

£4,809

Deputy Lord Mayor

0.25 x Basic

£1,202

Sheriff

0.25 x Basic

£1,202

Board Members with particular responsibilities

1.5 x Basic

£7,213

Board Members without particular responsibilities

0.5 x Basic

£2,404

Chair of Audit & Governance Committee

0.25 x Basic

£1,202

Chair of Planning Committee

1 x Basic

£4,809

Chair of Scrutiny Committee

1 x Basic

£4,809

Chair of Scrutiny Panel

0.25 x Basic

£1,202

Panel must meet at least 5 times to qualify. A maximum of 2 SRAs will be available (£2,404) to be shared by the Chairs of the qualifying Standing Panels

Opposition Group Leader

1 x Basic

£4,809

to be shared between the Group Leaders equally

 

7.         the carer’s allowances for children and adults be on the basis of full cost recovery subject to a maximum of £1000 per councillor per year in line with paragraphs 37  ...  view the full minutes text for item 66.

67.

Council and Committee programme May 2015 to May 2016 pdf icon PDF 84 KB

The Head of Law and Governance has submitted a report asking Council to agree a programme of Council and Committee meetings for the 2015/16 council year (May 2015 to May 2016 inclusive).

 

Council is recommended to:

 

1.    approve the programme of Council and Committee meetings attached at Appendix 1 for the council year 2015/16; and

2.    delegate the setting of dates for the Standards Committee to the Head of Law and Governance, in consultation with the Chair.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Council had before it a report setting out the draft programme of meetings for the 2015/16 council year and an amended programme circulated in the briefing note.

 

Councillor Price moved the report.

 

Council agreed to:

 

1.    approve the programme of Council and Committee meetings attached to the briefing note for the council year 2015/16; and

 

2.    delegate the setting of dates for the Standards Committee to the Head of Law and Governance, in consultation with the Chair.

68.

City Executive Board Minutes pdf icon PDF 58 KB

Minutes of the meeting held on 15 October 2014.

 

Minutes of the meeting held on 19 November 2014.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Council had before it the minutes of the City Executive Board meetings of 15 October and 19 November.

 

On Minute 68, Councillor Fooks asked whether any further improvements could be made to cycling and pedestrian spaces at Frideswide Square.

Councillor Price outlined the proposals.

 

On Minute 83, Councillor Hollick asked that the wider risks of encouraging people to purchase property be discussed and fully considered.

Councillor Price responded that a range of investments were available in the treasury management strategy and the wider risks were evaluated.

69.

Questions on Notice from Members of Council

Questions on notice received in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 11.9(b)

 

Questions may be asked of the Lord Mayor, a Member of the City Executive Board or a Chair of a Committee.

 

The full text of questions must be received by the Head of Law and Governance by no later than 1.00pm on Monday 24November 2014.

 

Full details of all questions, and written responses where available, will be provided in the briefing note.

Minutes:

Questions were asked of the Board members and Leader and responses given.

 

Board member for Sports, Events and Parks, Councillor Lygo

1.    From Councillor Wilkinson

At Council on 14 July, the Board Member announced there would be a joint event held at the end of September when at least four new flower meadows would be created across the City. Please could the Board Member give a brief progress report on this and outline the action plans and timescales for each of the flower meadows?

 

Written response

Work undertaken to improve the biodiversity in the city’s parks includes:

      The Kidneys planting schemes (undertaken by the Friends Group)

      Cutteslowe Park - we have left large areas of grass to go long this year, next year we will cultivate these areas and add more wild flowers seeds.

      Blackbird Leys – we are introducing wild flower areas.

      Hinksey Park – new wild flower areas are now in place.

 

We have also introduced wild flower beds at Florence, Bury Knowle and Cutteslowe Parks.

 

A number of meetings have also been undertaken with partners to look at how we can best use the city’s parks to encourage bees; actions from these meetings include bee hotels being constructed in some of the city’s parks.

 

Board member for Leisure Contract and Community Partnership Grants, Councillor Rowley

2.    From Councillor Wilkinson

The Council announced recently that the Blackbird Leys pool's wood chip boiler would be fuelled with waste wood from its Parks operations. Can the Board Member please confirm:

 

(a) the quantity of waste wood generated from its Parks operations per annum over each of the last 3 years

 

(b) the amount of waste wood it estimates will be needed to fuel the Pool each year?

 

Written response

(a) We generate approximately 500 tonnes each year; further work is being undertaken to see how much of this is suitable for use in a biomass boiler.

 

(b) Approximately 151 tonnes per year; this needs to be good quality dried wood chip.

 

Supplementary question

If there is insufficient good quality wood chip from parks, what is the contingency?

 

Response

Roughly 75% of wood chip should be useable and the boiler can use a wide range of material qualities. Officers will be asked to respond with more detail.

 

Board member for Culture and Communities, Councillor Simm

3.    From Councillor Simmons

Given the unacceptable levels of food poverty in Oxford, will the portfolio holder join me in helping to support and promote the event being run by the youth volunteering charity vInspired in Oxford on 7 December to both raise awareness of the issue of food poverty and collect non-perishable food items for our local foodbanks?

 

Written response

I welcome the fact that Councillor Simmons has raised this important issue.

 

I never thought that I would live to see the day when individuals and families had to rely on charitable handouts from food banks In order to survive. To me this is resonant of the 1930s and soup  ...  view the full minutes text for item 69.

70.

Public addresses and questions that do not relate to matters for decision at this Council meeting pdf icon PDF 48 KB

Public addresses and questions to the Leader or other Board member received in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 11.10 and 11.11.

 

The full text of any address or question must be received by the Head of Law and Governance by 5.00 pm on Tuesday 25 November 2014.

 

Full details of addresses submitted by the deadline will be provided in the briefing note. Full details of questions submitted by the deadline, and written responses where available, will be provided in the briefing note.

Minutes:

Richard Carpenter, Club Secretary, Oxford City Stars Ice Hockey Club, addressed Council. The text of his address is attached to the minutes.

 

Nigel Gibson representing Save Temple Cowley Pools - A successful social enterprise in East Oxford, addressed Council. The text of his address is attached to the minutes.

 

Jane Alexander addressed Council. The text of her address (The Community Interest Company Bid Proposal offers best value to Oxford people) is attached to the minutes.

 

Councillor Rowley responded to Nigel Gibson and Jane Alexander. He assured members that all of the applications for the Temple Cowley Pools site had been impartially assessed by council officers and external consultants on the same basis to secure best value on quality and price for the people of Oxford. He wanted the commercial and community interest company submission to be assessed on a par with the commercial submissions without its suffering avoidable by comparison due to lack of preparation. To further this goal officers provided additional support to the group and extended the deadline for the community interest company submission beyond the six months provided in law and the group is invited to put their case to the Executive Board to make sure the decision made is based on the fullest possible information and appreciation of all the bids that will be before us.

 

Sistke Boeles submitted a question to the Leader of the Council but did not attend to ask this.

 

James Rowland submitted a question to the Leader of the Council but did not attend to ask this.

 

The text of the questions and written responses supplied after the meeting is attached to the minutes.

71.

Outside organisation/Committee Chair reports and questions pdf icon PDF 206 KB

(a)          Members who are Council representatives on external bodies or Chairs of Council Committees who consider that a significant decision or event has taken place, will give notice to the Head of Law and Governance by 1.00 pm on Thursday 25 September 2014 to present a written or oral report on the event or the significant decision and how it may influence future events.

 

(b)          Each ordinary meeting of Council shall receive a written report concerning the work of one of the partnerships on which the Council is represented.

 

On behalf of Councillor Pricethe Head of Policy, Communications and Culture has submitted the Annual Report on Oxfordshire Partnerships produced for the Oxford Strategic Partnership by the County Council in October 2014.

 

(c)          The programme of reporting will be:

 

·                     Community Safety – February 2015

·                     Environmental and Waste – April 2015

 

Council is invited to comment on and note the submitted report.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Councillor Price moved the report.

 

Council noted the Annual Report on Oxfordshire Partnerships produced for the Oxford Strategic Partnership by the County Council in October 2014 without comment.

72.

Scrutiny Committee Briefing pdf icon PDF 167 KB

The Chair of the Scrutiny Committee has submitted a report which updates Council on the activities of scrutiny and other non-executive Councillors since the last meeting of Council.

 

Council is invited to comment on and note the report.

Minutes:

Council had before it the report of the Scrutiny Committee Chair.

 

Councillor Simmons moved the report; thanked Councillor Hayes for chairing the last committee meeting, Councillor Hollick for chairing the Housing Panel, and Councillor Coulter for chairing the Inequalities Panel; and encouraged members to get involved in the committee’s work.

 

Council noted the report without comment.

73.

Motions on Notice pdf icon PDF 23 KB

Motions received in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 11.16.

 

The full text of motions received by the Head of Law and Governance by the deadline of 1.00pm on Wednesday 19 November 2014, and as amended by the proposer, is attached to this agenda.

 

Substantive amendments to these motions must be received by the Head of Law and Governance by no later than 1.00pm on Friday 28 November.

 

Full details of motions submitted by the deadline are attached and the briefing note will contain any substantive amendments submitted before its publication.

Minutes:

Council had before it four motions on notice and amendments submitted in accordance with Council procedure rule 11.16, and reached decisions as set out below.

 

(1)  Making Oxford a Social Enterprise City

 

Councillor Wolff proposed his submitted motion, accepting the amendment proposed by Councillor Price in writing.

 

This Council welcomes the announcement that Oxfordshire has become the UK’s first Social Enterprise County and congratulates the Oxfordshire Social Enterprise Partnership (OSEP), an innovative new partnership set up by Oxford Brookes University, the University of Oxford and Student Hubs to foster and support social enterprise locally.

 

This Council recognises the value of Social Enterprises to the Council and the local economy and aspires to join other cities in becoming one of the UK’s first Social Enterprise Cities.

 

Council notes with pleasure the support that the Economic Development team and the OSP Economic Development Steering group have already given to OSEP, and the close working relationship that has been developed. To take the relationship further, and to support the aspirations of the Partnership, Council recommends that the following areas of work should be pursued;

 

-       The creation of Social Enterprise Zones

-       The purchasing by the Council and its contractor of goods and services in such a way as to maximise social value under the Social Value Act

-       Funding opportunities for social enterprises

-       Methods of stimulating and supporting social enterprise initiatives in the city region

 

Council would welcome a policy review paper on social enterprise in the city for OSP and Scrutiny discussion.

 

Council accepted this amended motion. Councillor Price seconded this.

 

On being put to the vote, Council agreed to adopt the amended motion as set out above.

 

(2)  Personalised tax summaries

 

Councillor Paule proposed her submitted motion and Councillor Clack seconded this.

 

This council believes that Chancellor George Osborne's tax summary offering a personalised breakdown of where taxpayers’ money is going is deliberately misleading and aims to support punitive Conservative economic policy. In particular, the items included under welfare - such as pensions, including MP's pensions - aim to create unfounded anxieties about welfare spending (in fact, JSA spending is less than 0.6% of tax revenues). This data is sent out by HMRC which should be a politically neutral body. This is not only a waste of public funds but a blatant abuse of government powers. We condemn this policy and ask the council leader to write to the Treasury expressing our concerns.

 

Following debate and voting, Council agreed to adopt the motion as set out above.

 

(3)  Improving safety for cyclists

 

Councillor Gant proposed his submitted motion as set out in the Council agenda, accepting the amendment proposed by Councillor Price in writing.

 

Council notes with great concern the recent accidents involving cyclists and lorries in Oxford.

 

Council believes that accidents could be reduced by requiring lorries to have safety equipment, to the industry-led standard supported by the Mayor of London in December 2013.

 

Council notes that it adopted a motion some two years ago which endorsed the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 73.

74.

Matters exempt from publication

If Council wishes to exclude the press and the public from the meeting during consideration of any aspects of the preceding agenda items it will be necessary for Council to pass a resolution in accordance with the provisions of Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 specifying the grounds on which their presence could involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as described in specific paragraphs of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act if and so long as, in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

 

(The Access to Information Procedure Rules – Section 15 of the Council’s Constitution – sets out the conditions under which the public can be excluded from meetings of the Council)

 

Minutes:

None.