The Director of Law, Governance and Strategy (Monitoring Officer) and the Transition Director have submitted a report to update Council on the work of the Oxford Strategic Partnership, 2024 to 2025.

Recommendation: Council resolves to:

1.    Note the update outside organisation report on the work of the Oxford Strategic Partnership, 2024 to 2025.

The Director of Law, Governance and Strategy (Monitoring Officer) and the Transition Director have submitted a report to update Council on the work of the Oxford Strategic Partnership, 2024 to 2025. 

Councillor Brown introduced the report and thanked those officers who had contributed. Council understood that partnership's priorities are regularly reviewed to ensure work is as effective as possible and the report summarised work within the last year; examples were provided. 

Councillor Miles noted that a small budget is assigned this workstream and asked what the money is used for specifically. Councillor Brown noted the budget covered necessary secretariat costs. Councillor Miles queried how many days work this equated to; Councillor Brown committed to offering a more detailed written response.  

Councillor Fouweather asked where the OSP fits alongside the Greater Oxford Development Corporation, and whether the Leader agreed that it demonstrates bureaucratic overload. Councillor Brown noted that all the parallel bodies mentioned are important and hold different responsibilities and aims which sometimes positively overlap; a summary of each was delivered. 

Councillor Mundy, in reference to point 49 of the report and Zero Carbon Oxford, asked whether a positive example is being set for how the local authorities can support decarbonisation. Councillor Brown confirmed that current work does set a positive example and referred to examples connected to local leisure centres and the council’s housing stock. 

Council noted the update report.