The Head of Regeneration and Economy has submitted a report which updates Council on the work of the Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership Ltd (OxLEP), the over-arching local partnership promoting economic growth and shaping the strategic direction of the Oxfordshire economy.

Recommendation: that Council revolves to:

1.    Note the report of the Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership Ltd

Councillor Hollingsworth introduced the report, explaining that the organisation was undergoing significant reorganisation, which had caused the delay in bringing forward the report. He stated that there was typically an annual report which was submitted, the last one was in March, and although they wanted to bring it forward earlier, the reorganisation delayed this process. The LEP was transitioning into an upper-tier authority under the Oxford County Council, which took some time to finalise. He mentioned that the transition will be completed by the end of March this year. This update served to inform Councillors on the progress, and Councillor Hollingsworth opened the floor to questions.

Councillor Miles pointed out the absence of disaggregated data, emphasising the importance of diversity when discussing the economic empowerment of different groups. She noted that the City Council values diversity, and as representatives of Scrutiny, they’ve raised concerns about the need for better collection and reporting of disaggregated data. She expressed hope that data on economic participation rates, apprenticeships and other relevant factors would be broken down based on key characteristics. She asked whether there were any insights on this but reiterated the importance of having such data to inform future actions.

Councillor Hollingsworth acknowledged the comments and assured that it would be passed along to the relevant leaders and officers for further consideration.

The Council resolved to note the report of the Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership Ltd.