None

Board Members are asked to declare any personal or personal prejudicial interests they may have in any of the following agenda items.  Guidance on this under the new standards regime will be sent to members.

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 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.

One question with answer, as follows, was distributed at the start of the meeting:-

Question from Mr Mark Pitt:-

“The cycle plan before the CEB for approval (Item 12) is a very welcome initiative to make better use of cycle routes in the city.

I am however very concerned that there is no recognition, or allowance for, preservation or improvement of the last remaining green lanes in the city, particularly in the Conservation Areas of Headington Hill (Cuckoo Lane) and Old Headington (Stoke Place, Cuckoo Lane) and their associated greenery.

What assurances can the CEB give that everything possible will be done to preserve and enhance their green characters, preserve the last green lanes in the NE Area (Cuckoo Lane, Stoke Place) by, where necessary, sensitive surfacing, and avoidance of brash urban and visually insensitive signage?

Can you give an assurance that Conservation Groups, Officers and residents will be extensively consulted before any changes are made?”

Answer from the Board Member, City Development:-

“The Oxford Cycle City Plan provides a list of cycle schemes and initiatives that the City Council wishes to take forward, together with a framework for prioritising schemes within financial constraints. It is not a detailed implementation plan.  Schemes taken forward will be subject to such a level of public consultation as resources allow, and appropriate to the works involved, in accordance with the City Council’s commitment to public engagement.
 
As the Cycle Plan is not a detailed implementation plan, it does not explicitly consider the environmental constraints and opportunities that may arise for some schemes.  However the Council will be mindful of such matters, taking into account the views of local people, in determining (or recommending) scheme details and materials.

There are currently no proposals for changes to be made to Cuckoo Lane or Stoke Place as part of the Oxford Cycle City Plan.  Changes are proposed to Stoke Place as part of implementing the Barton Area Action Plan, hence will be considered separately, within the context of the Old Headington Conservation Area Appraisal."

Scrutiny committee reports on these subjects may be submitted to this meeting:-

v     Treasury Management Performance

v     Provisional Budget Outturn

v     Corporate Performance

v     *****

Two Scrutiny reports were circulated, on minute items 6 and 9.  They are referred to in those minutes.

This report seeks approval for the Community Infrastructure Levy Preliminary Draft Charging Schedule.  This is a first stage towards introducing a new system to secure funding from new development towards local infrastructure provision.

The report asks the Board to approve the Preliminary Draft Schedule for consultation and to authorise the Head of City Development to make necessary editorial corrections to the document before publication.

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

Resolved:-

(1)   To approve the Community Infrastructure Levy Preliminary Draft Charging Schedule for consultation and to record that that consultation should be as full as possible including at least the means set out in the first paragraph 24 of the report;

(2)To authorise the Head of City Development to make any necessary editorial corrections to the document before consultation commenced.

This report presents the financial outturn for the year ending 31^st March 2012.  It recommends the Board to:-

v     Note the financial outturn for 2011-12 of £25.3 million which is £0.5 million favourable to the approved budget for 2011/12;

v     Approve the transfer of the £0.5m surplus to Earmarked Reserve for funding Capital;

v     Approve transfers to the General Fund and HRA Working Balances of £0.8 million and £0.6 million respectively;

v     Approve the carry forward requests as detailed in Appendix B to the report.

The Head of Finance submitted a report (previously circulated, now appended).  The Chair of the Value and Performance Scrutiny Committee submitted a report (previously circulated, now appended) containing scrutiny comments on the periodic report.

Resolved to:-

(1) Note the financial outturn for 2011-12 of £25.3 million which was £0.5 million favourable compared to the approved budget for 2011/12;

(2) Approve the transfer of the £0.5m surplus to Earmarked Reserve for funding Capital subject to further discussion in the Autumn in the context of the review of the Medium Term Financial Strategy;

(3) Approve transfers to the General Fund and HRA Working Balances of £0.8 million and £0.6 million respectively;

(4) Approve the carry forward requests as detailed in Appendix B to the report;

(5)   Note partnership payments to staff as detailed in paragraphs 37-40 of the report;

(6) To note advise given by the Executive Director, Organisational Development and Corporate Services on recruitment (paragraph 7 of the Scrutiny report refers) and to ask Executive Directors to consider the effects of delays in recruitment on services and plans in terms of planning work programme delivery.

This report provides the Board with outturn details for Corporate Plan performance targets for 2011/12 along with a wider perspective on performance achievements within the context of the Council’s Performance Improvement Framework.

The report recommends the Board to note progress and improvement made against targets.

The Head of Business Improvement and Technology submitted a report (previously circulated, now appended).  Councillor Fooks addressed the meeting.

Resolved:-

(1)   To note progress made against the Corporate Plan targets for 2011/12   and performance improvements made as a result of the Council’s commitment to deliver efficient and effective services;

(2)   To ask that on CD002 (Council as business friendly) officers should explore seeking responses not only from the top 20 employees but from small and medium size employers also;

(3)   On HCOO2 (Holiday activity programme) to ask the Executive Director, City Services to let all members have details of Summer activities for young people in their Wards;

(4)   To express the Board’s appreciation for the achievements under:-

(a)   households in temporary accommodation – paragraph 4.2 (Housing and Communities) refers;

(b)   office footprint reduction paragraph 4.2 ((Corporate Assets) refers;

(c)   sickness absence reduction – paragraph 4.2 (People and Equalities) refers.

This report asks the Board to note details on both corporate and service risks as at the end of quarter 4, 31^st March 2012.

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

Resolved to note the contents of the report.

This report sets out the Council’s treasury management activity and performance for 2011/2012. It also sets out a proposed revision to the Treasury Investment Strategy for 2012/2013 -2015/2016 which will be recommended to Council in July.

The Board is being recommended to:-

v     Note the Treasury Management Annual Report for 2011/2012, as set out in sections 1 – 48 of the report;

v     Recommend to Council changes to the Treasury Investment Strategy as referred to in sections 49 – 54 of the report.

The Executive Director, Organisational Development and Corporate Services submitted a report (previously circulated, now appended).   The Chair of the Value and Performance Scrutiny Committee submitted a report (previously circulated, now appended) containing scrutiny comments on the Treasury Management report.

Resolved:-

(1)   Note the Treasury Management Annual Report for 2011/12 as set out in sections 1 - 48 of the report;

(2)   RECOMMEND Council to agree the changes to the Treasury Investment Strategy as referred to in sections 49-51 of the report;

(3)   To keep under review the effects of right to buy on the Housing Revenue Account Business Plan and to ask the Executive Director, Organisational Development and Corporate Services to report in the Autumn in the context of the Medium Term Financial Strategy review on the effects on the HRA Business Plan of right to buy take-up.

This report recommends the Board to appoint a supplier for the provision of electrical materials and to award a contract to a particular company.

The Head of Business Improvement and Technology submitted a report (previously circulated, now appended).

Resolved to appoint a supplier for the provision of electrical materials and to award a contract for the supply of such materials for the period 1 August 2012 – 31 December 2015 to Eyre and Elliston Ltd.

This report, in essence, seeks approval to add more electric vehicles to the Council’s existing fleet.  The Board is being recommended to:-

v     Approve the use of more electrically driven vehicles in the council’s vehicle fleet, where viable and cost effective;

v     Recommend to Council for inclusion of the additional budget in the Council’s capital programme highlighted in paragraph 9, funded from the savings in running expenses over the life of the asset (as shown in Table 3, Paragraph 22) as part of the spend to save initiative.

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

Resolved to:-

(1) Approve the use of more electrically driven vehicles in the council’s vehicle fleet, where viable and cost effective;

(2) RECOMMEND Council to include the additional budget highlighted in paragraph 9 in the Council’s capital programme, funded from the savings in running expenses over the life of the asset (as shown in Table 3 of the report) as part of the spend to save initiative.

This report asks the Board to endorse the Oxford City Cycle Plan. It also recommends the Board to:-

v     Authorise the Head of City Development, in consultation with the Board Member, to allocate capital and revenue funding for Oxford Cycle City to schemes and initiatives that align with the Oxford Cycle City Plan;

v     Authorise the Head of City Development, in consultation with the Board Member, to make changes to the Oxford Cycle City Plan as and when appropriate, in response to ongoing dialogue with stakeholders.

The Head of City Development submitted a report (previously circulated, now appended).  Councillor Jones addressed the meeting.

Resolved:-

(1)  To authorise the Head of City Development in consultation with the Board Member, City Development:-

(a)  To allocate capital and revenue funding for Oxford Cycle City to schemes and initiatives that align with the Oxford Cycle City Plan;

(b)   To make changes to the Oxford Cycle City Plan as and when appropriate, in response to ongoing dialogue with stakeholders;

(2)  To thank Matthew Bates (City Development) for his work on the Plan.

Lead Member – Councillor Turner

Report of the Head of Corporate Property

This report seeks authority to enter into a sale of the Council’s freehold interest, subject to the existing leases in Harcourt House, Marston Road.  The report also proposes that the Council takes a lease of a site owned by the purchaser and located on Marston Road, to provide car parking on a temporary basis to support the development of St Clement’s car park.

There is a not for publication annex to this report.

This report was withdrawn by the Leader for further work to be done on it and for submission then to single member decision later in the month.

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 meetings held on 4^th and 23^rd April 2012

The minutes of the meetings held on 4^th and 23^rd April 2012 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.

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 16

The Board noted that the not for publication appendix to the report at minute had been withdrawn.

Not for publication annex to the report at agenda item13.

(Not for publication – Paragraph 3, Schedule 12A Local Government Act 1972 – information about someone’s finances or business.  The public interest in maintaining the exemption is in order not to compromise land/property disposal.)

This not for publication appendix to the report at minute 16 was withdrawn by the Leader for further work to be done on it and for submission then to single member decision later in the month.