Delivery of the Seacourt Park and Ride extension project approved by Cabinet on 12 June 2019.

To approve a virement to provide additional budget for £220k in respect of the Seacourt Park and Ride extension project from the underspend on the Grey fleet budget as the overall project budget was showing a shortfall.

To provide specialist advice to inform future options for the Port Meadow moorings .

The decision is to appoint consultants to provide specialist advice through the undertaking of a feasibility study to help inform future options for the moorings.

Following a tendering exercise, a preferred supplier has been chosen – Rothen Group, which is an expert in delivering waterways engineering and marina construction. 

To enable the first phase of the re-opening of Fusion facilities.

Previously the council agreed a package of support to Fusion Lifestyles to maintain the contract during the period that leisure facilities are required to remain closed in line with corona virus regulations.

This additional support enables the first phase of the re-opening of facilities which will have reduced revenue due to additional social distancing rules and lower anticipated usage.

This support enables Hinksey Outdoor Pool to open and Ferry Leisure centre dry side until October and then full opening of Ferry at that point.

Appointment of a management surveyor to protect and maximise the Council’s commercial interests.

To commit expenditure of £75k from the £199k budget to cover consultancy fees and a temporary management surveyor

An opportunity has arisen that would allow the Council to benefit from its freehold interest in the former Boswells department store.

The decision has been taken to fund the appointment of a management surveyor to join the asset management team for 6 months to release capacity to work on this opportunity along with the consultancy fees which will be incurred. This is essential to protect and maximise the Council’s commercial interests. This will also release resource to enable to management of transactional work relating to long leasehold properties.

To update remote meeting protocol.

To revise the Protocol for Remote Meetings to make a number of amendments aimed at ensuring the Protocol remains in step with current practice. The revisions provide additional clarity in respect of the duties of the host, recordings of meetings, use of the Chat function to assist with the administration of the meeting, the naming regime for Members and Officers and what may happen in the event of technical difficulties.

The Head of Law and Governance consulted with the cross-party Remote Meetings Member Reference Group before revising the Protocol and there was general agreement with the changes proposed.

The revised Protocol for Remote Meetings is version 2.0.

To install  130 cycle parking spaces at Seacourt, Redbridge and Peartree Park and Ride.

As part of efforts to reopen the city following Covid 19, the City Council is working with Oxfordshire County Council on emergency measure to allow for social distancing and for use of sustainable modes of transport including walking, cycling and public transport.

In the lead up to reopening the city a range of transport measure were implemented at short notice.

This decision relates to the installation of 130 cycle parking spaces at Seacourt, Redbridge and Peartree Park and Ride. These spaces were installed to allow increased rates of cycling from park and rides to final destinations, while the use of public transport is discouraged.

Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) funding to be used to fund this. This scheme has been confirmed as being eligible for CIL as it relates to infrastructure that will have a strategic benefit in the reopening of the city centre as well as being aligned to the longer term transport strategy in terms of reducing car travel into the city and utilising the park & rides as a key opportunity to get people onto cycles and buses.

Total cost: £10,900.

To enable preparation of Oxford Station Masterplan.

To award contract to lead consultant Atkins for the Station Masterplan following a competitive procurement process on the Homes England Multi Disciplinary Framework.

A report to agree appointments to charities, trusts, community associations and other organisations for the 2023/24 Council year.

The Head of Law and Governance had submitted a report to agree appointments to charities, trusts, community associations and other organisations for the 2020/21 Council Year.

Cabinet resolved to:

1.       Approve appointments to charities, trusts, community associations and other organisations as shown in Appendices 1A – 1D; and note the appointments to partnerships as detailed in Appendix 1E;

2.       Note the guidance for appointees as detailed in Appendix 2;

3.       Agree to remove Council of Ruskin College from the list of charities, trusts, community associations and other organisations as detailed in the report; and

4.       Delegate authority to the Head of Law and Governance, in consultation with the Leader of the Council, and where appropriate with other group leaders, to make any changes to appointments to Outside Bodies as may be required during the course of the Council year 2020/21.

The Assistant Chief Executive had submitted a report to  seek approval for the 2019-2020 Annual Update  on the Corporate Plan 2016-20.

The Chair introduce the report which set out what the Council had achieved against the targets set out in the Corporate Plan 2016-20.  Notwithstanding that these objectives had been set some 4 years previously some important milestones had been reached, in relation to, among others: the economy;  the Covered Market;  and housing in relation to which 75 units at Barton Park had now been handed over to the Council.

The Chair said that Cabinet had agreed to Scrutiny Committee’s recommendations on this report. 

Cabinet resolved to:

1.    Approve the Annual Update on the Corporate Plan 2016-20, as set out in Appendix  1; and

2.    Delegate authority to the Assistant Chief Executive to make minor textual/formatting changes to the Annual Update Report in advance of publication.

The Head of Financial Services had submitted a report to update members on the estimated financial impact of the Coronavirus together with agreement upon mitigating actions.

Councillor Ed Turner, Cabinet Member for Finance & Asset Management introduced the report. The effects of Covid-19 on the Council’s finances were profound. He drew attention to the anticipated deficits over the next 4 financial years. The  Council had sought to protect frontline services by safeguarding income streams and it was precisely those income streams which were adversely affected by Covid-19. Income projections were therefore having to be revised in a wide range of areas.

It was necessary to take careful stock of the present position. The extent of support from central government was minimal as a  proportion of the additional costs incurred to date and there was uncertainty about the extent of future support. It would be necessary, also, to take stock once the immediate crisis was over of the position of, for example, the property and leisure sectors. The Council was adopting a two pronged approach, first pausing non-essential expenditure which will generate in year savings to mitigate the deficit which will accrue. Secondly, the Medium Term Financial Strategy will be reshaped, with work on it starting much earlier in the financial year than hitherto. This will inevitably involve some difficult choices and would, as always, be the subject  of public consultation. The focus however will remain on delivering against the Council’s values, including among others,  safeguarding frontline services; narrowing the gap between rich and poor; and avoiding compulsory redundancies. He concluded by paying tribute to the significant contribution of officers in the Finance Team at this challenging time.

Cabinet resolved to:

1.         Agree the mitigating actions proposed against the financial impact of the coronavirus;

2.         Note the additional spend commitments taken under Executive Emergency powers to commit further expenditure in 2020-21 in the order of £1.5 million as detailed in paragraph 11-12; and 

3.         Agree the strategy of a transfer from reserves by the Head of Financial Services to cover the estimated increased net expenditure in 2020-21 followed by a budget re-set for 2021-22 and beyond.