Cllr Simmons, Chair of the Scrutiny Committee explained the Scrutiny Committee’s recommendations:

• that new housing developments should be close to jobs and sustainable transport links.
• that the housing strategy was good but would like a broader remit/scope to look at right to buy and empty homes.
• that in future the Growth Board provide written documentation as it is difficult to scrutinise without paperwork.

The City Executive Board resolved to AGREE:

That the City Council’s representative on the Oxfordshire Growth Board conveys the following suggestions to the Board and reports back to Scrutiny:

1. That the Growth Board takes a more holistic approach to sustainability, ensuring that it is a key consideration in all planning and development activities. 

2. That the Growth Board considers whether it can and should have a wider brief in order to achieve greater benefits from collective working.  This could include having scope to promote innovative ways of delivering new affordable housing, and further joint lobbying to Government.

3. That all reports to the Growth Board are available in document form.

Contact Officer: Paul Staines

Tel: 01993 861695

Email: paul.staines@westoxon.gov.uk

The Committee considered the paperwork (previously circulated, now appended) of the minutes of the Oxfordshire Growth Board.

Paul Staines, Programme Manager for the Oxfordshire Growth Board outlined the terms of reference of the Board and its priorities. The Growth Board was formed to oversee the economic development and growth programmes outlined in the City Deal.

The Growth Board works alongside local authorities to understand the needs of housing in their authority, the Board commissioned a study into housing need and then it is up to individual councils to determine where and how that need is met.  The Board is was not a planning authority and was not responsible for putting concepts into practice. Dealing with empty properties was not the responsibility of the Growth Board but the individual councils.

Cllr Price explained that in regards to transport infrastructure each authority must bid to the board to get projects funded. The City received funding for the Oxpens and Northern Gateway projects. The work centred on road infrastructure as Council’s had more opportunity to bid for road infrastructure than they did for rail.

The Board is encouraging more joint working between the Oxfordshire authorities to deal with cross boundary issues such as housing and infrastructure. 

The Committee made the following comments:

Request for written Growth Board reports  next time – rather than just the minutes

A broader remit is needed on SHMA with a focus on urgent delivery of affordable housing.

There is a lack of emphasis on sustainable transport links -too much focus on roads and not enough on rail.

More information on Park n Ride.

The Executive Director of City Regeneration and Housing has submitted a report which details the terms of reference of the Oxfordshire Growth Board and to make an appointment to it.

Officer Recommendations: That City Executive Board:

1. Approves the City Council becoming a member of the Oxfordshire Growth Joint Board and the draft Terms of Reference appended to this report.

2. Appoints the Leader of the Council as the City Council’s representative on the Board and any other Executive Member as substitute, to be determined by the Leader of the Council.

The Head of Executive Director of City Regeneration and Housing submitted a report (previously circulated, now appended) which detailed the terms of reference of the Oxfordshire Growth Board and to make an appointment to it.

Cllr Price, Executive Board Member for Corporate Strategy, Economic Development and Planning presented the report. He explained that the Board would be a joint committee under the Local Government Act 1972 and would therefore comply with all meeting requirements of the act (like any other council committee) and would be open to the public. Not all partners have equal status; the local authorities have full voting rights while the University and other partners are non-voting representatives.  Oxford University is heavily engaged in the partnership while other partners are less so.

Cllr Simmons, Chair of Scrutiny Committee outlined Scrutiny’s concerns around getting timely access to the Growth Board’s agendas so that effective scrutiny work could be done.

The Chief Executive said that West Oxfordshire District Council is clerking the meetings of the Growth Board and will be publishing the agendas and minutes on their website. He would ask for a list of proposed meeting dates to be presented to members and for a link to the Growth Board’s agendas to be added to the Council’s website.

Cllr Tanner congratulated Cllr Price and the officers on the work done.  He asked how transparent the Board was going to be. It was agreed that keeping all members informed of Growth Board decisions was critical to enabling proper scrutiny.

Cllr Brown asked for a members’ briefing on how the Growth Board fits with other partnership bodies and how members could stay informed and engage with decisions being made.

The City Executive Board resolved to:

1. Approve the City Council becoming a member of the Oxfordshire Growth Joint Board and the draft Terms of Reference appended to this report.

2. Appoint the Leader of the Council as the City Council’s representative on the Board and any other Executive Member as substitute, to be determined by the Leader of the Council.