Councillors Lygo and Turner.

Board Members are asked to declare any personal or personal prejudicial interests they may have in any of the following agenda items.  Guidance is contained at the end of these agenda pages.

The following declarations of interest of the type mentioned were made by the councillors referred to below:-

Councillor Smith – personal interest – homelessness grants insofar as any grants were for the benefit of the Night Shelter – Council appointee to various related outside bodies – minute xx refers

When the chair agrees, questions from the public for up to 15 minutes – these must be about the items for decision at the meeting (excluding the minutes) and must have been given to the Head of Law and Governance by 9.30am two clear working days before the meeting (email executiveboard@oxford.gov.uk or telephone the person named as staff contact).  No supplementary questions or questioning will be permitted.  Questions by the public will be taken as read and, when the Chair agrees, be responded to at the meeting.

As provided for in Constitution Procedure Rule 12.7 questions from members of the public were received, taken as read and answers given. The questions and answers are attached to the signed copy of the minutes.

The following scrutiny committee reports have been submitted to this meeting:-

(1)   Select Committee Report on Public Health

(2) Corporate Plan Targets (agenda item 16 refers)

Two Scrutiny reports (previously circulated, now appended) as follows were submitted:-

(1)   Scrutiny Select Committee report on public health

(2)   Scrutiny report on Corporate Plan targets (minute 97 refers)

Resolved, on the Scrutiny Select Committee report on public health:-

(1)    To endorse each of the recommendations of the Select Committee, namely:-

(a) To support the expansion of the “Tweenager” project (costings to be explored further) initially in regeneration areas across the City, utilising Community Centres as well as Leisure Centres wherever possible, and that this be linked to the budget proposal for a 3 year post to deliver greater use of Oxford City Council facilities by schools;

         (b) To actively and financially support a further extension of outreach work and free taster sessions by Fusion within Community Centres and other community facilities, including the provision of information on leisure and well-being initiatives and further to explore concessions at leisure centres for those people who wished to progress further following a taster session;

      (c)  To agree the principle of supporting communities to help themselves and to explore further through the Council’s partnerships the possible establishment of a community health project run by a local community for the benefit of that local community;

(2)          To invite the Select Committee to draw up an action plan containing timescales for taking forward the recommendations;

(3)  To thank all of the officers and councillors who had been involved in the project to date.

The Board approved for consultation a draft Housing Strategy for the period 2012-2015 in December 2011.  This report looks at the outcome of that consultation.  The report recommends the Board to recommend Council to adopt the Housing Strategy into the Policy Framework.  The report recommends the Board (subject to the adoption by Council of the Strategy) to approve an associated Action Plan to deliver the Strategy.

The Head of Housing and Communities submitted a report (previously circulated, now appended).

Resolved:-

(1)    To RECOMMEND Council to adopt into the Council’s Policy Framework the Housing Strategy for 2012-2015 that forms Appendix 2 to the report;

(2)    Subject to the adoption by Council of the Housing Strategy, to approve the Housing Strategy Action Plan for 2012-2015 that forms Appendix 3 to the report to deliver the Strategy.

This report explains risk based verification in the context of the assessment of new housing benefit and Council Tax benefit claims.  The report recommends the Board to adopt the process of risk based verification for housing benefit and Council Tax benefit claims in accordance with the policy the report describes.

The Head of Customer Services submitted a report (previously circulated, now appended).

Resolved to adopt the process of risk based verification for housing benefit and Council Tax benefit claims in accordance with the policy the report describes.

This report explains that the Council has been awarded in excess of £1 million Government grant for preventing homelessness, and that it has a homelessness grants budget of just under £500,000 for the same purpose.  The budgets are for allocation to organisations involved in the field of homelessness prevention.  The report recommends the allocation of the budget sums and the retention of a sum for future allocation.

The Head of Housing and Communities submitted a report (previously circulated, now appended).

Resolved:-

(1) To RECOMMEND Council to allocate the Communities and Local Government’s Homelessness Directorate grant and to decide in the Board’s own right to allocate the Council’s budget for the purpose of meeting the Council’s homelessness objectives as follows:-

Communities and Local Government’s Homelessness Directorate grant

(a) Street Services and Reconnection Team (Broadway Homelessness and Support) - £235,000

(b) Reconnection and Referral Co-ordinator (Under 25s) (in the process of assigning it to a provider) - £37,245

(c) Reconnection Rent (O’Hanlon House) - £512

(d) Six subsidised Beds for Under 25s (Simon House) - £4,243

(e) Six subsidised Beds for Under 25s (Lucy Faithful House) - £4,179

(f) Mental Health Practitioner at Luther Street – £25,000

(g) Two Education, Training and Employment Workers (Aspire) - £60,519

(h) One specialist Alcohol Worker (O’Hanlon House) - £8,555

(i) One Multiple Needs Hostel worker (Elmore Community Services) - £40,757

(j) Service Broker – Big Issue Foundation - £25,000

(k) Homelessness Liaison Police Officer (for two years with an operating budget of £5,000 for each year) - £90,000

(l) Elmore Team ASB Services - £8,690

(m) Additional Home Choice Gold Top-up - £20,000

(n) Continuation of Enhanced Options - £50,000

(o) Fraud Investigation - £80,000

(p) Supplementing Discretionary Housing Payments - £100,000

City Council’s Homelessness Grants budget

     (a) O’Hanlon House Day Centre – homeless hostel for 25+, jointly commissioned with Supporting People - £133,432

     (b) One Foot Forward – homeless hostel for 16-25 year olds, jointly commissioned with Supporting People  - £42,992

(c) Elmore Community Services – Complex Needs Floating Support Service for clients in Oxford City Council temporary and permanent stock - £40,757

(d) Elmore Community Services, Anti Social Behaviour Service – £11,310

(e) The Gatehouse – café for the homeless - £9,502

(f) Steppin’ Stone – day centre providing emergency provision and meaningful activity - £55,000

(g) Simon House Hostel – provision of respite beds at an abstinence based hostel - £11,596

(h) Emmaus Oxford Furniture Store – recycling store attached to the   Emmaus Community £25,000   

(i)  Aspire Oxfordshire – social enterprise providing work opportunities for homeless and ex-homeless people - £112,690

(2) That the Head of Housing and Communities be given delegated authority to allocate the £252,300 unallocated balance of the Communities and Local Government grant money and to make changes if necessary to the allocations of the City Council’s homelessness grants budget.

This report is the one that is presented to the Board each year and that:-

(a)   asks the Board to note the performance against last year’s lettings plan;

(b) recommends the Board to recommend Council to agree the lettings plan for the forthcoming year (2012/13 for this plan).

The Head of Housing and Communities submitted a report (previously circulated, now appended).

Resolved:-

(1)   To RECOMMEND Council to agree the Housing Lettings Plan for 2012/13 as set out in Appendix 2 to the report;

(2)   To note performance against the Housing Lettings Plan for 2011/12 as set out in Appendix 1 to the report;

(3)   To ask the Strategic Director, City Regeneration and the Head of Housing and Communities to brief Oxford’s MPs on the effect of Government housing policies on housing need in Oxford, and so to advise those local organisations offering housing advice.

The Board approved for consultation a draft Playing Pitches Strategy in December 2011.  This report looks at the outcome of that consultation.  The report recommends the Board to recommend Council to adopt the Playing Pitches Strategy into the Policy Framework. 

The Head of Leisure and Parks submitted a report (previously circulated, now appended).

Resolved to approve the Playing Pitches and Outdoor Sports Strategy that forms Appendix 4 to the report for immediate implementation.

Council adopted a three year Culture Strategy in September 2009.  This report recommends consultation upon a further three year Strategy.

The Head of Policy, Culture and Communications submitted a report (previously circulated, now appended).

Resolved:-

(1)   To approve for consultation in the way and to the timescale referred to in paragraphs 11 and 12 of the report the draft Culture Strategy appended to the report;

(2) To record the Council’s thanks to Laura Worsfold, Culture Team Leader who had recently left the Council’s employ and who had played an instrumental part in the draft Strategy now before the Board and who had developed arts and culture partnerships to mutual benefit.

This report asks the Board to endorse Fusion Lifestyle’s annual service plan for the management of the Council’s leisure facilities for 2012/13.

The Head of Leisure and Parks submitted a report (previously circulated, now appended).

Resolved:-

(1)   To endorse Fusion Lifestyle’s 2012/13 Service Plan for the management of the Council’s leisure facilities as set out in Appendix 2 to the report;

(2) In relation to paragraph 3.1 of the report, and the standard references to 5% increases in participation for various target groups, to ask the Head of Leisure and Parks to establish benchmarks for participation by those groups in order that the Council could gauge progress against informed targets.

The Board adopted an environmental development enforcement policy in April 2008. This report reviews the policy and recommends adoption of an updated policy in the light of changes to legislation and statutory advice.

The Head of Environmental Development submitted a report (previously circulated, now appended).

Resolved to approve the Environmental Development Enforcement Policy that forms Appendix 1 to the report for immediate implementation.

This report responds to the Government’s consultation document on the ‘Green Deal’.  At a national level the UK needs to become more energy efficient to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions.  At a local level the Green Deal will enable households and businesses to improve the energy efficiency of their properties.  The report explains how the Green Deal could be taken forward in Oxford and recommends that the Council:-

(a)    Takes a partnership approach to the implementation of the Green Deal;

(b)    Works with partners to form what is styled Green Deal Plus arrangements;

(c)    Authorises officers to make grants available from Green Deal funding in the Council’s budget in line with the criteria set out in the report.

The Executive Director, City Services submitted a report (previously circulated, now appended).

Resolved:-

(1)   That the Council should take a partnership approach to the implementation of the Green Deal and work with partners to form what Green Deal Plus arrangements for the reasons referred to in paragraph 3.5 of the report;

(2)   To authorise officers to make grants available from Green Deal funding in the Council’s budget in line with the criteria set out in paragraph 3.7.1 of the report.

This report recommends the letting of Ramsay House, 10 St Ebbe’s Street, recently occupied by the Council.  It also recommends the Board to recommend Council to vary the Budget to include £300,000 for refurbishment of the cooling system (that is becoming outdated) at the premises, thereby increasing the value of the building.  

The Head of Corporate Assets submitted a report (previously circulated, now appended).

In relation to paragraphs 8-12 of the report the Executive  Director, City Services reported that the £300,000 capital budget for the replacement comfort cooling system could be met from planned maintenance and that there was therefore no need for the Board to make a capital bid to Council.

Resolved to:-

(1)   Agree to the proposed letting of the second floor of Ramsay House, 10 St Ebbe’s Street to Natural Motion Limited on the terms contained in the not for publication appendix to the report and otherwise on terms and conditions to be approved by the Head of Corporate Assets:

(2)   Grant authority to the Head of Corporate Assets to vary the proposed tenant terms provided the transaction continued to represent best consideration;

(3)   Agree that the £300,000 cost of a replacement comfort cooling system be met from the planned maintenance programme.

This report proposes amendments to the Council’s Local Development Scheme in respect of the timetables for the Barton Area Action Plan, the Sites and Housing Development Plan document, the Northern Gateway Area Action Plan, the Community Infrastructure Levy charging schedule and the Section 106 and Affordable Housing Supplementary Planning document.

The Head of City Development submitted a report (previously circulated, now appended).

Resolved to :-

(1)  Approve the amendments to the Oxford Local Development Scheme 2011-14 for submission to the Secretary of State as referred to in 6 – 13 of the report;

(2)  Agree that the Local Development Scheme 2011-14 (as amended) will take effect four weeks after submission unless the Secretary of State intervenes and requests more time or more work to be done;

(3)   Authorise the Head of City Development to make any necessary editorial corrections to the document prior to submission to the Secretary of State.

This report proposes Corporate Plan targets for 2012-2016 and asks the Board to recommend them to Council.

The Head of Business Improvement and the Head of Policy, Culture and Communications submitted a report (previously circulated, now appended).

Resolved:-

(1)   To RECOMMEND Council to agree the proposed Corporate Plan targets for 2012-2016 as set out in Appendix 1 to the report amended as follows:-

(a)   Amended target wording – Improve the percentage of Council tenants satisfied with our landlord services to 90% in 2014/15 – amended targets - 2012/13-85% - 2013/14-88% - 2014/15-90% - 2015/16-90%

(b)   Target wording – Improve satisfaction with our neighbourhoods by 1% every year – amended targets – 2012/13-88% - 2013/14-89% - 2014/15-90% - 2015/16-91%

(c)   Amended target wording – Reduce the amount of residual household waste collected per household per annum and sent to landfill to 430kg in 2014/15 – amended targets – 2012/13-450kg – 2013/14-89% - 2014/15-430kg – 2015/16-to be comfirmed

(2)   In relation to the recommendations in the Scrutiny Committee report, to decide as follows:-

(a)   Recommendation 1 – agreed but with a higher target for apprenticeships

(b)   Recommendation 2 – agreed

(c)   Recommendation 3 – agreed

(d)   Recommendation 4 – agreed insofar as deletion of the target was concerned and to consider what target, if any, might replace it

(e)   Recommendation 5 – agreed

(f)     Recommendation 6 – not agreed because the target was considered to be sufficiently realistic

(g)   Recommendation 7 – agreed

(h)   Recommendation 8 – agreed

(i)     Recommendation 9 – agreed that the structure of the Talkback survey needed to be refreshed

(j)      Recommendation 10 – agreed insofar as deletion of the target was concerned but not to set a revised target at this stage

(k)   Recommendation 11 –changes agreed but not in the way recommended by Scrutiny

(l)      Recommendation 12 – not agreed because the target was considered to be realistic

(m) Recommendation 13 – agreed

(n)   Recommendation 14 – agreed

(o)   Recommendation 15 – agreed

(p)   Recommendation 16 – agreed

(q)   Recommendation 17 – not agreed because the target was considered to be realistic

(r)      Recommendation 18 – not agreed at this stage but to record that a target would be appropriate for consideration once the Council’s educational attainment work programme was more fully formed

(s)   Recommendation 19 - not agreed at this stage but to record that a target would be appropriate for consideration once the Council’s youth services work programme was more fully formed

This report proposes changes to the Council’s Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act procedure.  The recommendations for change, following the annual external inspection of policies and procedures, are set out in paragraph 2 and the revised procedure takes these recommendations on board.

The Head of Law and Governance submitted a report (previously circulated, now appended).

Resolved to:-

(1)    Approve the appointment of the Head of Law and Governance as the Council’s Senior Responsible Officer for the purposes of the regulation of investigatory powers under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act;

(2)    Authorise the Head of Law and Governance to appoint a co-ordinating officer for the purposes of the regulation of investigatory powers under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act;

(3)    Note the Council’s amended Regulation of Investigatory Powers policy document as set out in the Appendix to the report.

This item is included on the agenda to give members the opportunity to raise issues on the Forward Plan or update the Board about future agenda items.

Nothing was raised under this item.

Minutes of the meeting held on 8^th February 2012

The minutes of the meeting held on 8^th February were approved as a correct record.

If the Board wishes to exclude the press and the public from the meeting during consideration of any of the items on the exempt from publication part of the agenda, it will be necessary for the Board to pass a resolution in accordance with the provisions of Paragraph 21(1)(b) of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2000 on the grounds that their presence could involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as described in specific paragraphs of Schedule I2A of the Local Government Act 1972.

The Board may maintain the exemption 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.

Resolved to exclude the press and public from the meeting during consideration of the items in the exempt from publication part of the agenda in accordance with the provisions in Paragraph 21(1)(b) of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (England) Regulations 2000 on the grounds that their presence could involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as described in specific paragraphs of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 and that, in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighed the public interest in disclosing the information.

Summary of business transacted by the Board after passing the resolution contained in minute 110

The Board received and noted the contents of not for publication appendix to the report on the letting of Ramsay House, 10 St Ebbe’s Street (minute 111 refers). It agreed to the letting of the premises to Natural Motion Limited.

Resolved to note the contents of the not for publication appendix to the report on the letting of Ramsay House, 10 St Ebbe’s Street (minute 104 refers) and to agree to the letting of the premises to Natural Motion Limited.