Councillors Price and Timbs.

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.

No declarations of interest were made.

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 on the front of the agenda).  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.

Written questions with answers were distributed at the start of the meeting. These are appended to the minutes.

The Value and Performance Scrutiny Committee submitted a report (previously circulated, now appended) making recommendations concerning the Trading Strategy report (minute 35 refers).

Resolved to thank the Committee for its input and accept the recommendations in the report.

To set out proposals for changes to the management of the Council’s three Park and Ride sites in a way that meets the requirements of the City Council’s Medium Term Financial Strategy.

The Executive Director for City Services submitted a report (previously circulated, now appended) setting out proposals for changes to the management of the Council’s three Park and Ride sites in a way that met the requirements of the City Council’s Medium Term Financial Strategy.

Councillor Turner confirmed the view of many Councillors that it was regrettable but unavoidable to reintroduce charging at the City’s three park and ride sites. The charge, he added, was being proposed to cover the City council’s running costs of the sites and would not be a method of income generation.

The Board was addressed by Councillor Fooks who referred the issues of partnership working between the City and County Councils.

Resolved

(1)   That taking into account the requirements of the Council’s Medium Term Financial Strategy and the savings provided by different working arrangements to agree that a parking charge of £1.50 per day should be introduced at the Redbridge, Seacourt and Pear tree Park and Ride Sites within the City of Oxford;

(2)   To note that the necessary steps were being taken to make a variation Order to give effect to the changes in the method of payment as set out in paragraphs 10 and 11 of the report and to season tickets and other concessions that might be agreed by the Director for City Services in consultation with the Board Member; and

(3)   To RECOMMEND Council to agree a capital budget in the order of £264,000 for the purchase of equipment required to operate the service, financed from Section 106 receipts.

To set out the Council’s treasury management activity for 2010/2011, together with its achievement against prudential indicator targets for 2010/2011.

The Head of Finance submitted a report (previously circulated, now appended) setting out the Council’s treasury management activity for 2010/11, together with its achievement against prudential indicator targets for 2010/11.

Resolved to note the Treasury Management Annual Report for 2010/11.

To report on the position for Finance, Performance and Risk during the first quarter of the financial year.

The Head of Finance and the Head of Business Improvement submitted reports (previously circulated, now appended) reporting on the position for Finance, Performance and Risk during the first quarter of the financial year.

Resolved to note the current position on finance, corporate performance measures and risk for the first quarter of 2011/12.

To approve a three-year programme for the preparation of various planning documents that will form part of the City Council’s Local Development Framework.

The Head of City Development submitted a report (previously circulated, now appended) seeking approval for a three-year programme for the preparation of various planning documents that would form part of the City Council’s Local Development Framework.

The Planning Policy Manager reported that since the agenda had been published brief comments from the Planning Inspectorate and West Oxfordshire District Council had been received but these did not alter the recommendations in the report.

Resolved to:-

(1)   Approve the Oxford Local Development Scheme 2011-14 for submission to the Secretary of State;

(2)   Agree that the Local Development Scheme 2011-14 would take effect four weeks after submission unless the Secretary of State intervened and requested more time or more work to be done; and

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

To approve the request for additional Discretionary Housing Payment funding, and to approve the new Discretionary Housing Payments Policy.

The Head of Customer Services submitted a report (previously circulated, now appended) requesting additional Discretionary Housing Payment funding, and to approval of the new Discretionary Housing Payments Policy.

Resolved to:-

(1)   Provide £34,000 from the Homeless Contingency Budget as funding for Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP), allowing the Council to spend the maximum amount on DHP permitted by regulations and ensuring that the maximum number of tenancies can be sustained;

(2)   Adopt the changes in the Council’s DHP policy outlined in Section 4 of the report and particularly paragraph 4.4 and to agree the amended policy as set out in Appendix 1 to the report;

(3)   Delegate authority to amend the policy during the year, in order to keep DHP spend within permitted limits, to the Head of Customer Services in conjunction with the Portfolio Holder for Customer Services and the Head of Housing and Communities;

(4)   Keep the DHP function within the Benefits Service;

(5)   Ensure the Department of Work and Pensions was informed about the requirement for Oxford to overspend its DHP Grant.

To seek approval to progress phase two leisure centre improvement works.

There is a not for publication appendix to this item.

The Head of Leisure and Parks submitted a report (previously circulated, now appended) seeking approval to progress Phase two leisure centre improvement works.

Resolved to:-

1)     Grant project approval to Phase two of the leisure centre improvement works;

2)     Approve the business case for Phase two;

3)     To RECOMMEND Council that a capital budget in the order of £700,000 for the cost of the works be included in the Council’s capital programme funded by prudential borrowing and to note that the revenue costs of financing would be financed from the reduction in the management costs of the Leisure Management Contract referred to in the report;

4)     Approve the commencement of preparatory works; and

5)     Delegate authority to the Executive Director for City Services to award the contract for the works.

To provide an update on the approach proposed to take forward the proposal contained in the Council 2012 Strategy that the Council seeks to optimise income.

The Executive Director for City Services submitted a report (previously circulated, now appended) providing an update on the approach proposed to take forward the proposal contained in the Council 2012 Strategy that the Council sought to optimise income.

Also submitted was a report of the Value and Performance Scrutiny Committee (previously circulated, now appended).

Resolved to:-

1)     Approve the overall framework for charging third parties for discretionary services as outlined in this report;

2)     Approve the overall framework for the supply of goods and services to other public bodies as outlined in this report;

3)     Delegate the decision on whether to enter into arrangements with private sector bodies under which the Council would charge for services provided within or outside the City to the relevant director, provided that the value of such arrangements does not exceed £100,000.

4)     Delegate the decision on whether to enter into arrangements with other public bodies under which the Council would provide goods and/or services to such other public bodies within or outside the city to the relevant director, provided that the value of such arrangements does not exceed £100,000.

5)     To agree the recommendations of the Value and Performance Scrutiny Committee namely:-

(a)   Should the Council wish to go beyond the arrangements already in existence to reconsider the governance arrangements proposed within the strategy.

(b)   When considering the use of spare capacity to undertake trading activities the relative options, risks and returns need to be fully documented in order to make an informed decision.

(c)   To provide a report in years time showing:

-           The services sold or traded

-           The amount of money raised

-           The effects of this within our budget identifying specifically, if possible, where this has allowed us to reduce the costs of services within our budget

To inform members of monitoring information returned by Community and Voluntary Organisations awarded a grant in 2010/2011.

The Head of Housing and Communities submitted a report (previously circulated, now appended) that presented monitoring information returned by community and voluntary organisations awarded a grant in 2010/2011.

Resolved to note 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 22 June 2011 and the special meeting held on 21 July 2011.

The minutes of the meeting held on 22 June 2011 and the special meeting held on 21 July 2011 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.

Without going into confidential session, the Board received and noted the contents of a not for publication appendix to the report at item 10 (minute 34 refers).