Apologies were received from Councillors Price, Seamons and Smith.

Members are asked to declare any disclosable pecuniary interests that they may have in the items listed on the agenda. Guidance is set out at the end of the agenda pages.

No declarations of interest were received

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 on a day so that there are at least 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.

None.

The following scrutiny committee reports may be submitted to this meeting:-

• Governance Review
• Economic Growth Strategy Action Plan

None

The attached report seeks approval for the Draft Affordable Housing and Planning Obligations Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) for public consultation.

It is recommended that City Executive Board:-

(1)   Approves the Draft Affordable Housing and Planning Obligations Supplementary Planning Document for public consultation;

(2)   Approves the Draft Affordable Housing and Planning Obligations Supplementary Planning Document as a material consideration in determining planning applications;

(3)   Authorises the Head of City Development to make any necessary editorial corrections to the document prior to publication.

The Head of City Development submitted a report (previously circulated, now appended) concerning the Draft Affordable Housing and Planning Obligations Supplementary Planning Document (SPD). Adrian Roche presented the report to the Board and provided some further background and context.

A further amendment (italics) to the SPD, as a matter of clarification, was submitted as follows:-

“Large housing sites (capacity for 10+ homes)

2.13. Where a site has capacity for 10 dwellings or more, Policy HP3 of the Sites and Housing Plan will apply. Policy HP3 requires on site provision of affordable housing. Applications are to be determined in accordance with the development unless material considerations indicate otherwise. Exceptionally there may be proper planning reasons justifying a departure from HP3 on the basis that those planning reasons constitute material considerations indicating otherwise. In those circumstances the Council will ensure that there is no net reduction in affordable housing provided – i.e. provision on an alternative site is in addition to any affordable housing ordinarily required on that site. It is, however, to be stressed that determination of an application in such a manner would be a departure from HP3

2.14    When applying Policy HP3 to the tenure split, including the cascade approach where triggered, the applicant will be expected to round up the number of affordable units overall, and social rented units, to the nearest whole number.”

Adrian Roche explained that the amendment set out above would only come into play in exceptional circumstances. The SPD was in any case going out for consultation.

The Board considered the report and proposed amendment and confirmed that it was committed to affordable housing onsite, as part of a mixed community, and that the aim was to maximise the number of affordable units that could be delivered. It noted that the SPD provided guidance that was useful when going into either an appeal of negotiations.

Resolved to:-

(1)    Approve the Draft Affordable Housing and Planning Obligations SPD as amended above for public consultation;

(2)    Approve the Draft Affordable Housing and Planning Obligations SPD as amended as a material consideration in determining planning applications;

(3)    Authorise the Head of City development to make any necessary editorial corrections to the document prior to publication;

(4)    Ask officers to investigate means by which the Council could strengthen its commitment to onsite provision.

The attached report presents the recommended new percentage targets for the allocation of social housing in 2013/14.

City Executive Board is asked to:-

(1)   Note the performance against the Annual Lettings Plan in Appendix 1 for 2012/2013 (1^st April 2012 to 31^st January 2013);

(2)   Recommend the proposed Annual Lettings Plan for 2013/2014 detailed in Appendix 2 for approval by Council.

The Head of Housing submitted a report (previously circulated, now appended) concerning the Annual Lettings Plan - Allocation Percentages 2013/2014.  Tom Porter presented the report to the Board and provided some additional background and context. The Chief Executive added that the City Council was already struggling to house homeless families within the City, and that the private rented sector had become a mainstream deliverer of housing for those people who at one time would have been buying properties. This was crowding out the private rented sector and putting pressure upon the Council as it sought to place people in homes in Oxford.

The Board considered the report and resolved to:-

(1)   Note the performance against the Annual Lettings Plan in Appendix 1 for 2012/13 (April 1^st 2012 to 31^st January 2013);

(2)   Recommend the proposed Annual Lettings Plan in Appendix 2 for 2013/2014 for approval by Council.

The attached report seeks delegated authority for officers to accept the most economically advantageous tender for the provision of an independent housing advice service.

City Executive Board is recommended to grant delegated authority to the Executive Director to accept the tender that is most economically advantageous to the authority; with the approval of the Executive Board member for Housing.

The Head of Housing submitted a report (previously circulated, now appended) concerning the Independent Housing Advice Service – Tender Selection – Delegation to Officers.  Jeremy Thomas clarified that the tender would be accepted on the basis that it is most economically advantageous to the Council balancing both quality and cost.

The Board considered the report and resolved to grant delegated authority to the Executive Director to accept the tender that is most economically advantageous to the authority, with the approval of the Executive Lead Member for Housing.

Oxford City Council has been awarded £957,040 Preventing Homelessness Grant from the Department of Communities and Local Government’s (DCLG) Homelessness Directorate for inclusion in its budget allocation for 2013-2014. This is in addition to the Council’s own homelessness grant budget of £442,279.

This report outlines the allocation of both the Preventing Homelessness Grant funding and the Council’s homelessness grant budget to a variety of voluntary sector agencies, with the purpose of meeting the objectives of the Homelessness Strategy

City Executive Board is asked to recommend the allocation of the Preventing Homelessness Grants for 2013/2014 as outlined in the report.

The Head of Housing Services submitted a report (previously circulated, now appended) concerning the Rough Sleeping and Homelessness Grant Allocations. Nerys Parry presented the report to the Board and provided some further background and context.

The Board considered the report, observed that it was helpful and informative, and that it was pleased to see that homelessness grant allocations were not being eroded.

Resolved to:-

(1)    Recommend that allocation of the Preventing Homelessness Grant for 2013/14 as laid out in the report;

(2)    Recommend the allocation of Oxford City Council’s homelessness grant budget for 2013/14 as laid out in the report;

(3)    Delegate authority to the Head of Housing Services, in consultation with the Board member, to allocate the balance of the Preventing Homelessness Grant (£11,352) and any amendments to the homelessness grants budget.

Executive Lead Member: Councillor Turner

Report of the Head of City Development (attached).

The attached report presents the recommendations from the Oxford Economic Growth Strategy recently agreed and adopted by the Oxford Strategic Partnership, and outlines those proposed actions, to assist the OSP, to be led and delivered by Oxford City Council

City Executive Board is recommended to approve the City Council Action Plan in response to the Oxford Economic Growth Strategy, commissioned and agreed by the Oxford Strategic Partnership.

The Head of City development submitted a report (previously circulated, now appended) concerning the Economic Development and Growth Strategy refresh consultation.  David Edwards presented this report to the |Board and provided some additional background and context.

Councillor Jean Fooks addressed the Board on this subject.

The Board considered the report and commended officers for their work on it. The Oxford Strategic Partnership was thanked for its work as well.

Resolved to:-

(1)    Endorse the Oxford Economic Growth Strategy as commissioned and agreed by the Oxford Strategic partnership;

(2)    Approve the City Council Action Plan in response to it.

The report proposes changes to the Council’s governance arrangements and improvements to procedures to be followed at Council meetings.

The Head of Law and Governance submitted a report (previously circulated, now appended) concerning the Governance Review. Jeremy Thomas presented the report to the Board and provides some further background and context to it. A list of updated recommendations and Council procedures was circulated at the meeting.

Councillor Ed Turner reminded the Board that this would be a recommendation to Council, which would take the final decision on the matter.

Councillor Jean Fooks addressed the Board on this matter.

The Board considered the report and commended Group Leaders of all parties for their work on it. There was consensus on many aspects of the review.  It noted that any changes would take effect from the start of the new Council year in May, and would be reviewed after a year. The Board also thanked Jeremy Thomas and Bill Reed for their valuable contribution.

The Board resolved that the recommendations in the report (as amended in relation to scrutiny and certain of the proposed Council procedures) be agreed for presentation to Council on 22^nd April 2013 in an updated report following this meeting.

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 21^st March 2013 attached.

The minutes of the meeting held on 21^st March 2013 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

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.

None