Minutes of the ordinary meeting of Council on 10 October 2011.

Council resolved to approve the minutes of the ordinary meeting held on 10 October 2011.

The Lord Mayor following a request asked Council if it would agree to the order of business being changed so that the following agenda items were taken earlier in the proceedings:

Agenda item 19 – Horse Drawn Carriages – Making of Byelaws

Agenda item 20 – Designation of Streets for Street Trading

Agenda item 21 – Sites and Housing Development Plan Document (DPD) – Proposed submission Document

Agenda item 22 – Barton Area Action Plan – Proposed Submission Draft

Agenda item 23 – Setting of the Council Tax Base 2012/13

Council agreed to change the order of business.

Councillors declared interests as follows:

(1)       Councillor Van Coulter declared a personal interest in agenda item 9 (Addresses by the public – Address 5 from Professor Audrey Mullender, Principal of Ruskin College – Sites and Housing DPD and the Barton Area Action Plan) as he was graduate and continuing resident of Ruskin College.  He left the meeting when the address took place.  (Minute 62 refers).

(2)       Councillor Mohammed Altaf-Khan declared a personal interest in agenda item 9 (Addresses by the public – Address 5 from Professor Audrey Mullender, Principal of Ruskin College – Sites and Housing DPD and the Barton Area Action Plan) as he was a former student of Ruskin College.  (Minute 62 refers).

(3)       Councillor Susanna Pressel declared a personal interest in agenda item 9 (Addresses by the public – Address 5 from Professor Audrey Mullender, Principal of Ruskin College – Sites and Housing DPD and the Barton Area Action Plan) as she was a City Council appointed representative on Ruskin College.  (Minute 62 refers).

(4)       Councillor Mike Rowley declared a personal interest in agenda item 9 (Addresses by the public – Address 5 from Professor Audrey Mullender, Principal of Ruskin College – Sites and Housing DPD and the Barton Area Action Plan) as he was a former student of Ruskin College.  (Minute 62 refers).

(5)       Councillor Clark Brundin declared a personal interest in agenda item 9 (Addresses by the public – Address 5 from Professor Audrey Mullender, Principal of Ruskin College – Sites and Housing DPD and the Barton Area Action Plan) as he was a City Council appointed representative on Ruskin College.  (Minutes 62 refers).

(6)       Councillor Mary Clarkson declared a personal interest in agenda item 9 (Addresses by the public – Address 5 from Professor Audrey Mullender, Principal of Ruskin College – Sites and Housing DPD and the Barton Area Action Plan) as she lived close to Ruskin Fields.  (Minute 62 refers).

(7)       Councillor Sajjad Malik declared a personal interest in agenda item 17 (Motions on Notice – Motion (5) Business Rate Concessions) as he owned a business in Oxford.  (Minute 77 refers).

(8)       Councillor Nuala Young declared a personal interest in agenda item 17 (Motions on Notice – Motion 6 – Language Schools) as she had in the past given language tours.  (Minute 77 refers).

(9)       Councillor Mark Mills declared a personal interest in agenda item 17 (Motions on Notice – Motion (8) Health and Care Bill) as his parents were both employees of the National Health Service.  (Minute 77 refers).

(10)     Councillor Beverley Hazell declared a personal interest in agenda item 17 (Motions on Notice – Motion (8) Health and Care Bill) as her husband was an employee of the National Health Service.  (Minute 77 refers).

(11)     Councillor Ben Lloyd-Shogbesan declared a personal interest in agenda item 17 (Motions on Notice – Motion (8) Health and Care Bill) as he was an employee of the National Health Service.  (Minute 77 refers).

12)      Councillor  ...  view the full minutes text for item 55.

No apologies were received from Councillors for the meeting held on 19^th December 2011.

None made.

(1)       The Lord Mayor will announce that Sam Timms, former City Councillor for the Marston Ward from 1992 to 2000 passed away.  A minute’s silence will be held as a mark of respect.

(2)       The Lord Mayor will announce that His Honour Judge Harold Wilson passed away on Saturday 5 November.  Judge Wilson was a circuit judge from 1981 to 2001, resident judge for the Oxford Crown Court from 1993 to 2001 and Honorary Recorder between 1993 and 2001.  A minute’s silence will be held as a mark of respect.

(3)       The Lord Mayor will welcome the new City Poet, Kate Clanchy, who will address the meeting.

(1)       Remembrance

Council stood for a minutes silence in remembrance of Sam Timms, former City Councillor for the former Marston Ward from 1992 to 2000, who had recently passed away, and for his Honour Judge Harold Wilson, the former circuit Judge from 1981 to 2011, the resident Judge from 1993 to 2001 and Honorary Recorder between 1993 and 2001.

(2)       City Poet – Kate Clanchy

The Lord Mayor welcomed Kate Clanchy, the new City Poet to the meeting and presented her with a bound book of poems and a specially commissioned broach by Sophie Roseman.

Kate Clanchy said that she had been the City Poet since July 2011 and during this time had visited schools and worked with young people to make a poem tree which was used at the Christmas Light Night.  She was also being invited back by the schools to do further work with the young people.  With regard to adults she had worked with the Marston Poets Group and the Kidlington Festival.  An exhibition in the Story Museum was being developed on other worlds and how other worlds came to Oxford.  She added that her role was not just to encourage poetry but to encourage reading and writing.

The Sheriff informed Council that she had recently watched the Oxford Lions football team which had only been established in March 2011 at a 5-a-side football match between Bath which the Oxford Lions won 7-6.  She said that the club had 100 members both young children and adults and received no financial support from the City Council.

None made.

None made.

To hear addresses from members of the public in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 11.8 for which the required notice (1.00pm on Thursday 15^th December 2011) and the full wording of the address has been given to the Head of Law and Governance.

Councillor Van Coulter declared a personal interest in Address  5 from Professor Audrey Mullender, Principal of Ruskin College – Sites and Housing DPD and the Barton Area Action Plan) as he was a graduate and continuing resident of Ruskin College.  He left the meeting when the address took place. 

Councillor Mohammed Altaf-Khan declared a personal interest in Address 5 from Professor Audrey Mullender, Principal of Ruskin College – Sites and Housing DPD and the Barton Area Action Plan) as he was a former student of Ruskin College.

Councillor Susanna Pressel declared a personal interest in Address 5 from Professor Audrey Mullender, Principal of Ruskin College – Sites and Housing DPD and the Barton Area Action Plan) as she was a City Council appointed representative on Ruskin College.

Councillor Mike Rowley declared a personal interest in Address 5 from Professor Audrey Mullender, Principal of Ruskin College – Sites and Housing DPD and the Barton Area Action Plan) as he was a former student of Ruskin College.

Councillor Clark Brundin declared a personal interest in Address 5 from Professor Audrey Mullender, Principal of Ruskin College – Sites and Housing DPD and the Barton Area Action Plan) as he was a City Council appointed representative on Ruskin College.

Councillor Mary Clarkson declared a personal interest in Address 5 from Professor Audrey Mullender, Principal of Ruskin College – Sites and Housing DPD and the Barton Area Action Plan) as she lived close to Ruskin Fields.

Council received 16 requests to address Council (texts of the addresses are appended to these minutes) as follows:

Addresses made in person

(1)       Dene Stansall, Animal Aid – Objection to the proposal to licence a horse-drawn carriage on a designated route in the City centre.

(2)       Niels Paige – Supporting the making of byelaws for horse drawn carriages.

(3)       Doug Robinson – The link road from Northway to New Barton

(4)       Veronica Hurst, Zoe Trail, Clive Hurst – Barton Area Action Plan – In support of Officers recommendations.

(5)       Professor Audrey Mullender, Principal of Ruskin College – Sites and Housing DPD and the Barton Area Action Plan

(6)       Richard English – Sites and Housing DPD

(7)       Jim Smith – Motorcycles and the Oxford Transport Strategy.

(8)       Nigel Gibson – Cutting public services in East Oxford – A Petition

(9)       William Clark – Blackbird Leys Park Town Green application.

(10)     Jane Alexander – Oxford City Council Councillors.

Addresses provided via a written statement

(11)     Mark Pitt – Barton AAP – Barton and Ruskin – Chalk and Cheese- Written statement.

(12)     Peter Shaw – Transforming the A40 Ring Road – Written statement.

(13)     Clive Hurst and Veronica Hurst – Objection to Transforming the A40 Ring Road – Written statement.

(14)     Ed Chipperfield - Forthcoming HMO Licensing Policy – Written Statement.

(15)     Sarah Milliken, Oxford City Committee of the CPRE – Sites and Housing DPD – Written statement.

(16)     Justine Hubbocks, Falcon Close Residents’ Association – Comments about  ...  view the full minutes text for item 62.

To hear questions from the public in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 11.9 to the Leader or other Board Members of the City Executive Board for which the required notice (1.00pm on Thursday 15^th December 2011) and the full wording of the question has been given to the Head of Law and Governance and to hear responses from those Members.

Three questions were submitted by Members of the public, however due to the time limit allowed for addresses to Council and questions from members of the public being reached, the following questions would receive a written response and the response would be addend to the minutes for information.

(1)       Question to the Board Member, City Development (Councillor Colin Cook) from Sietske Boeles 

            Current and future student accommodation units

How confident is the City Council about the soundness of  the evidence base for the calculation of the number of current and future student units for Oxford Brookes University by excluding the accommodation needs for those students who live in Oxford but are based at either the  Wheatley or Harcourt Hill campus. Have sufficient sites been identified to meet the accommodation needs for those fulltime OBU students who are based at Harcourt and Wheatley campuses but live in Oxford? . 

The calculation for the current and future (till 2026) need of Oxford Brookes University’s student accommodation is based on the  number of full time OBU students based in Oxford and seems to exclude the 5000 or so full time  students  based outside Oxford’s  administrative  boundaries such as those  studying at Harcourt Hill and the Wheatley campus. Presumably the accommodation needs of these students have been excluded because the City Council has no planning controls in relation to developments in other district councils.

Oxford Core Strategy Examination Document C/M5/7 says on page 3 (appended):

Oxford Brookes University-number of students 2006/7

Oxford Brookes University fulltime students           12.690

Full time students based in Oxford                       7,075

Units of student accommodation                          3,742

Students living outside provided accommodation  3,425

(shortfall 425)

Percentage of students in provided accommodation   53% 

Source AMR 07/08

On the basis of these figures the impact of the cumulative annual growth of 1% in full time students at OBU, based in Oxford, over the remaining plan period would be an increase of 1,472 students and when the shortfall of student accommodation at 2006/7 (425) is added that indicates that at the projected growth of OBU they will need to provide 1,897 more units of accommodation by 2026. Sites seem therefore to have been  identified  for students based in Oxford only.

OBU has confirmed that substantial numbers of students who are based at Harcourt Hill and Wheatley live in Oxford both in provided accommodation as in the private sector.  How are the accommodation needs of these students going to be met? 

Written response provided after the meeting as follows:

The question asks about the accommodation needs of Oxford Brookes University students who live in Oxford but are based at either the Wheatley or Harcourt Hill campuses.  It is acknowledged that many students who are based at these campuses may live within Oxford City.  The figures which Oxford Brookes has provided to the City Council in recent years for the Annual Monitoring Report are based on a postcode analysis of all students who live within Oxford City.  These figures are ‘campus blind’, i.e. they  ...  view the full minutes text for item 63.

Council had before it the following (previously circulated, now appended):

(a)       Minute extract and recommendation from the City Executive Board of 7 December 2011;

(b)       Report of the Head of Environmental Development.

Councillor John Tanner (Board Member, Cleaner, Greener Oxford) seconded by Councillor Bob Price, moved and spoke to the City Executive Board’s recommendation.

Following a debate, Council resolved to adopt the Sustainability Strategy as part of the Council’s Policy Framework.

City Executive Board decisions (Minutes)

(1)       Minutes of the meeting held on 7^th December 2011 will be circulated separately prior to the meeting.

Single Executive Member decisions (Minutes)

(1)       Minutes of the Single Executive Member Decision meeting (Board Member – Housing Needs) held on 5^th October 2011.

(2)       Minutes of the Single Executive Member Decision meeting (Board Member – Corporate Governance and Strategic Partnerships) held on 13^th October 2011.

(3)       Minutes of the Single Executive Member Decision meeting (Board Member – Corporate Governance and Strategic Partnerships) held on 27^th October 2011.

(4)       Minutes of the Single Executive Member Decision meeting (Board Member – Housing Needs) held on 3^rd November 2011.

(5)       Minutes of the Single Executive Member Decision meeting (Board Member – Finance and Efficiency) held on 4^th November 2011.

(6)       Minutes of the Single Executive Member Decision meeting (Board Member – City Development) held on 10^th November 2011.

(7)       Minutes of the Single Executive Member Decision meeting (Board Member – Finance and Efficiency) held on 29^th November 2011.

(8)       Minutes of the Single Executive Member Decision meeting (Board Member – Finance and Efficiency) held on 2^nd December 2011.

Council had before it (previously circulated, now appended)

City Executive Board decisions (Minutes)

(1)       Unconfirmed Minutes of the meeting held on 7^th December 2011

(a)       Councillor Wilkinson said given that there was a budget proposal to vacate and dispose of the Bury Knowle House office accommodation in 2013/14, she asked if the Leader of the Council could give an assurance that the Administration had no long-term aspiration to discontinue leasing the ground floor of that building to the County Council for the provision of core library services in Headington and the North East of the City. (Minute 46)

In response Councillor Price said that he was happy for the library to remain in the building.

(c)        Councillor Fooks asked with regard to minute 66 (ICT Strategy) if the wording could be modified to make it more understandable.  In response Councillor Price said that he had raised this and while everyone needed to read the information, the wording could have been better.

Single Executive Member decisions (Minutes)

(1)       Minutes for the Single Executive Member Decision meeting (Board Member – Housing Needs) held on 5^th October 2011.

(2)       Minutes of the Single Executive Member Decision meeting (Board Member – Corporate Governance and Strategic Partnerships) held on 13^th October 2011.

(3)       Minutes of the Single Executive Member Decision meeting (Board Member – Corporate Governance and Strategic Partnerships) held on 27^th October 2011.

(4)       Minutes of the Single Executive Member Decision meeting (Board Member – Housing Needs) held on 3^rd November 2011.

(5)       Minutes of the Single Executive Member Decision meeting (Board Member – Finance and Efficiency) held on 4^th November 2011.

(6)       Minutes of the Single Executive Member Decision meeting (Board Member – City Development) held on 10^th November 2011.

(7)       Minutes of the Single Executive Member Decision meeting (Board Member – Finance and Efficiency) held on 29^th November 2011.

(8)       Minutes of the Single Executive Member Decision meeting (Board Member – Finance and Efficiency) held on 2^nd December 2011.

The Head of Environmental Development has submitted a report which recommends Council to make Byelaws to control licensed Horse Drawn Carriages.

Council is recommended to make the Byelaws and authorise the Head of Law and Governance and the Head of Environmental Development to carry out the necessary statutory procedures.

The Head of Environmental Development submitted a report (previously circulated, now appended) which recommended Council to make Byelaws to control licensed Horse Drawn Carriages.

Councillor Nuala Young declared a personal interest as she was involved in the tourist trade.

Councillor Mohammed Abbasi declared a personal interest as he was involved in the Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing trade.

Councillor Shah Jahan Khan declared a personal interest as he was involved in the Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing trade.

Councillor Sajjad Malik declared a personal interest as he was involved in the Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing trade.

Councillor Mohammed Altaf-Khan declared a personal interest as he was involved in the Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing trade.

Council resolved not to authorise the Head of Law and Governance and the Head of Environmental Development to carry out the necessary statutory procedures to make Byelaws for the control of licensed horse drawn carriages.

The Head of Environmental Development has submitted a report which seeks approval of the Designation of Streets for Street Trading.

Council is asked to designate all streets within the Oxford City Council trading boundary as Consent Streets for the purposes of the Street Trading Scheme with effect from 1^st February 2012.

The Head of Environmental Development submitted a report (previously circulated, now appended) which sought approval for the Designation of Streets for Street Trading.

Council resolved to designate all streets within the Oxford City Council trading boundary as Consent Streets for the purposes of the Street Trading Scheme with effect from 1^st February 2012.

The Head of City Development has submitted a report which seeks the approval of Council to publish the Proposed Submission Sites and Housing Development Plan Document (DPD) for public consultation and, subject to the outcome of consultation, submit the draft DPD to the Secretary of State for formal examination.

Council is asked:

(1)       To approve the Proposed Submission Sites and Housing DPD (Appendix 3) and the proposed changes to the Proposals Map (Appendix 4) for public consultation for a period of 6 weeks in early 2012;

(2)       To authorise the Head of City Development, in consultation with the Executive Lead Member, to make any necessary editorial corrections to the document, Sustainability Appraisals and Habitat Regulations Assessment, and to agree the final wording and designed versions of these documents before formal publication;

(3)       To approve the Proposed Submission Sites and Housing DPD as a material consideration in determining planning applications;

(4)       To approve all the supporting documentation that includes the Sustainability Appraisal, Habitats Regulation Assessment, Equalities Impact Assessment, and Pre-Options and Preferred Options Consultation Report (listed in Appendix 1);

(5)       That, following public consultation, to authorise the Head of City Development in consultation with the Executive Lead Member to make any minor changes to the document deemed necessary as a result of public consultation, and then to formally submit the Sites and Housing DPD to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government for public examination.

The Head of City Development submitted a report (previously circulated, now appended) which sought the approval of Council to publish the Proposed Submission Sites and Housing Development Plan Document (DPD) for public consultation and, subject to the outcome of the consultation, to submit the draft DPD to the Secretary of State for formal examination.

Councillor Cook moved the report.

Councillor Nuala Young, seconded by Councillor Stuart Craft moved amendments to the recommendations to include the following:

(1)       To include in the recommendations the following:

            Bartlemas Nursery School

We consider that this site is important to the sense of isolation of the Bartlemas Conservation Area. We think a very smallscale day-time community use as day nursery, creche or day care centre for the elderly would be appropriate, with any proposed building being constrained to low rise, i.e. no higher than the present roof height of the Nursery, building and with the same footprint. This would protect the setting of this very special site and of the listed buildings in it.

            East Oxford Bowls Club

We consider this gap in the frontage to be an important feature of this part of Oxford. The SR2 designation should be confirmed across the whole of the site – bowling green and pavilion – for a suitable day-time recreational community use whilst securing the security of the allotments.  Any proposed associated recreational use buildings must be low impact and single storey to ensure the integrity of the BCA and the setting of the listed buildings.

(2)       St. Clements Car Park – Policy SP52

In the first line, insert the words “low scale” before the word “residential” and “in keeping with the Conservation Area” after “accommodation”

Delete the words “or student” before “accommodation” and before “provision” in the penultimate lines, insert the words “either on site or local”.

(3)       Union Street Car Park Policy SP59

Insert the words “facing Chapel Street and at the same height as buildings on Chapel Street” after “accommodation” in the 1^st line, and “either on site or local” before “temporary” in the penultimate line.

Following a debate, Council voted and the amendments were not adopted.

Councillor David Rundle, seconded by Councillor Ruth Wilkinson moved three amendments as follows:

(1)       Under HP16 to add at the end the following words “Any car-free development will be required to include a prominent notice as part of its design announcing its car-free status”

(2)       Under SP23 and SP38 – (Noting it is also relevant for hospital sites) in relation to bus access to change the word “through” to the word “into”

(3)       Under SP41 to delete all of the words in the second sentence.

Following a debate, Council voted and the amendments were not adopted.

Councillor John Goddard seconded by Councillor Mark Mills moved the following amendments:

To delete the whole of the first sentence and the whole of point (a) and the letter “b” and all the words after the word “facilities” so that the amended Policy HP7 would read as follows:  ...  view the full minutes text for item 68.

The Head of City Development has submitted a report.  Following consultation on the Preferred Options for the Barton Area Action Plan (AAP) in the summer of 2011, draft planning policies have been prepared to guide development of the land at Barton. The policies are set out in the Proposed Submission Barton AAP.  This report seeks approval of Council to publish the Proposed Submission Barton AAP for public consultation early in 2012 and, subject to the outcome of the consultation, submit the draft AAP to the Secretary of State for formal examination.

Council is asked:

(1)       To approve the Proposed Submission Barton AAP and the proposed changes to the Oxford Proposals Map for public consultation for a period of 6 weeks in early 2012, subject to the satisfactory completion of the current transport and drainage modelling studies;

(2)       To approve the supporting documentation listed in Annex 2, ie. Sustainability Appraisal, Habitats Regulation Assessment, Equalities Impact Assessment and Pre-Options and Preferred Options consultation reports;

(3)       To authorise the Head of City Development, in consultation with the Executive Lead Member, to make any necessary editorial corrections to the document, Sustainability Appraisal and Habitat Regulations Assessment, and to agree the final wording and designed version before publication for public consultation;

(4)       To approve the Proposed Submission Barton AAP as a material consideration in determining planning applications;

(5)       That following public consultation, authorise the Head of City Development, in consultation with the Executive Lead Member, to make any minor changes to the document deemed necessary as a result of public consultation, and then to formally submit the Barton AAP to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government for public examination.

The Head of City Development submitted a report (previously circulated, now appended) which following consultation on the Preferred Options for the Barton Area Action Plan (AAP) in the summer of 2011, draft planning policies had been prepared to guide development of the land at Barton.  The policies were set out in the Proposed Submission Barton AAP and this report sought approval of Council to publish the Proposed Submission Barton AAP for public consultation early in 2012 and subject to the outcome the consultation, to submit the draft AAP to the Secretary of State for formal examination.

Councillor Cook moved the report.

Councillor Rundle seconded by Councillor Altaf-Khan moved amendments as follows:

(1)       Under BA1 – In the first sentence, end first paragraph at ‘traffic speeds’ and delete the whole of the second and third paragraphs.

(2)       Under BA6 – In the first paragraph, delete the whole of the second sentence and in the second paragraph delete the word ‘private’

(3)       Under BA6 add a new fourth paragraph with the following words ‘it is inevitable that there will be some increase in traffic from the present entrance to Barton from the Green Road roundabout and measures will be investigated to improve access into Barton at that roundabout’

(4)       Under BA9 – after the second sentence add the words ‘within the limits set by the financial viability of the project, all efforts will be made to provide affordable housing above that minimum level’.

Councillor Rowley seconded by Councillor Cook moved an amendment to Councillor Rundle’s third amendment as follows:

To add a fourth paragraph with the following words ‘'Measures will be investigated to improve access to and from Barton via the Headington Roundabout'

Following a debate, Council voted and Councillor Rundle’s first, second, third and fourth amendments were not adopted, but Councillor Rowley’s amendment was.

Council resolved:

(a)       To approve, subject to the additional amendment by councillor Rowley to Policy BA6, the Proposed Submission Barton AAP and the proposed changes to the Oxford Proposals May for public consultation for a period for 6 weeks in early 2012, subject to the satisfactory completion of the current transport and drainage modelling studies;

(b)       To approve the supporting documentation listed in Annex 2, i.e. Sustainability Appraisal, Habitats Regulation Assessment, Equalities Impact Assessment and Pre-Options and Preferred Options consultation reports;

(c)        To authorise the Head of City Development, in consultation with the Executive Lead Member, to make any necessary editorial corrections to the document, Sustainability Appraisal and Habitat Regulations Assessment and to agree the final wording and designed version before publication for public consultation;

(d)       To approve the Proposed Submission Barton AAP as a material consideration in determining planning applications;

(e)       That following public consultation, to authorise the Head of City Development, in consultation with the Executive Lead Member, to make any minor changes to the document deemed necessary as a result of public consultation, and then to formally submit the Barton AAP to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government for public  ...  view the full minutes text for item 69.

The Head of Finance has submitted a report the purpose of which is to set the “Council Tax Base” for 2012/13 as required by Section 33 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 and the Local Authorities (Calculation of Council Tax Base) Regulations 1992 (as amended).

Council is asked:

(a)       To approve that the 2012/13 Council Tax Base for the City Council’s area as a whole is set at £47,134 (calculation shown in Appendix 1 of the report)

(b)       To approve that the projected level of collection is set at 98%

(c)        That the following tax bases for each of the Parishes, and for the Unparished area of the City (calculations shown in Appendix 2 of the report) be set as follows:

            Unparished Area of the City                        38,634

            Littlemore Parish                                             1,943

            Old Marston Parish                                         1,308

            Risinghurst and Sandhills Parish                  1,526

            Blackbird Leys Parish                                    3,723

            City Council Total                                      47,134

The Head of Finance submitted a report (previously circulated, now appended) the purpose of which was to set the Council Tax Base for 2012/13 as required by Section 33 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 and the Local Authorities (Calculation of Council Tax Base) Regulations 1992 (as amended).

Council resolved:

(a)       To approve that the 2012/13 Council Tax Base for the City Council’s area as a whole be set at £47,134;

(b)       To approve the projected level of collection be set at 98%;

(c)        That the following bases for each of the Parishes, and for the unparished areas of the City be set as follows:

            Unparished Area of the City            38,634

            Littlemore Parish                               1,943

            Old Marston Parish                           1,308

            Risinghurst & Sandhills Parish        1,526

            Blackbird Leys Parish                      3,723

            City Council total                            47,134

With the consent of Council, the Lord Mayor adjourned the meeting at 10.37pm to be reconvened at a future date to allow for the remaining business on the agenda to be completed.

The Lord Mayor (Councillor Benjamin), The Deputy Lord Mayor (Councillor Armitage), the Sheriff (Councillor Fooks), Councillors Abbasi, Altaf-Khan, Bance, Baxter, Brett, Brown, Brundin, Campbell, Clarkson, Cook, Coulter, Craft, Darke, Goddard, Gotch, Hazell, Humberstone, Shah Khan, Lloyd-Shogbesan, Lygo, Malik, Mills, Morton, Pressel, Price, Rowley, Sanders, Seamons, Sinclair, smith, Tanner, Timbs, Van Nooijen, Wilkinson, Williams, Wolff and Young.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Jones, Keen, McCready, McManners, Royce, Rundle and Turner.

None.

This item was deferred when Council adjourned on 19^th December 2011 and was dealt with at the reconvened meeting on 16^th January 2012.

Councillor Brown, Chair of the Value and Performance Scrutiny Committee said that the Committee had been very busy considering the Benefits Fundamental Review, the Asset Management Framework and the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) 30 Year Business Plan.  These issues were being taken through Panel work and by holding single meeting issues as was the case with the Asset Management Framework.  He added that the Budget Panel had so far met 12 times and was likely to meet a further 12 times before it made its conclusions.  He welcomed the cross party collaborative nature of the work and thanked officers at all level of the organisation for their constructive participation.

Councillor Campbell, Chair of the Communities and Partnerships Scrutiny Committee said that there was a perceived weakness that people did not know what scrutiny did, however despite very limited resources of less than 2 full time officers, they worked very hard to make scrutiny a success.  He said that the Housing Panel was looking at the Housing Strategy and the impact of new legislation.  There had been two single issue meetings on public health issues and regeneration.  He added that the Committee had also produced a draft report on the Council Council’s Education Strategy.

Questions on notice under Council Procedure Rule 11.10(b) may be asked of the Lord Mayor, a Member of the City Executive Board or the Chair of a Committee.

Questions on notice must, by the Constitution, be notified to the Head of Law and Governance by no later that 9.30am on Friday 16^th December 2011.

Full details of any questions for which the required notice has been given will be circulated to Members of Council before the meeting.

(a)       Questions notified in time for replies to have been provided before this Council meeting.

1.         Question to the Board Member, Stronger Communities (Councillor Antonia Bance) from David Williams

Youth Service provision in Oxford

Would the Portfolio Holder agree that now the County Council has decided to dramatically reduce the Youth Service in Oxford it is time for the City to take a lead and offer to transfer the service to City control at least within the boarders of the City Wards.  Would she not also agree that the City would make a far better sponsor and manager of this vital service to the young people of Oxford than the County Council, which has treated it with disrespect and neglect over the years?

Answer: The councillor is correct in noting that the county council no longer provides a standalone youth service. Support for young people is now delivered through the two Early Intervention Hubs in the city, based at Union Street and Littlemore, which have a much wider remit than just youth work. Whilst this council welcomes the greater integration of the other support functions for vulnerable children, young people and families that the restructure has brought, the reduction in youth work provision is at odds with the aspirations of our communities and this council.

The city council already runs a substantial youth programme - both through our Positive Futures and holiday activities programmes, and through our sports development and leisure work. This programme, started by the Labour administration of 2002-6 and continued ever since, is certainly one of the most substantial run by a district council in the country, and is something we are very proud of. In the last year, more than 1400 young people took part in our Positive Futures or holiday programming, and we devote more than £150,000 per year to this work (plus £88,000 from external sources for our Positive Futures targeted schemes). This council has recently agreed proposals to enable our services to raise additional funding to expand the service for young people in the city by trading and taking on additional contracts in other areas.

The councillor will also have noted that the administration's budget proposals include a significant increase in funding for both youth activities and educational achievement activities - another area that the county council has failed to prioritise. The youth activities funding – proposed to be at £240,000 per year for three years – will enable an expanded open access youth offer to young people in the city, both in areas of high deprivation and in some areas that have recently lost county council youth funding. This work will be co-ordinated with the county council’s provision, but will be run independently by the city council and our partners, supporting voluntary organisations in the city and winning matched funding where possible. We look forward to the councillor and his colleagues supporting these budget proposals at the council’s budget-setting meeting.

The administration has decided to pursue this route and provide  ...  view the full minutes text for item 74.

Statements on Notice under Council Procedure Rule 11.10(b) may be made.  Statements do not need to be directed to a specific Councillor.

Statements on notice must, by the Constitution, be notified to the Head of Law and Governance by no later that 9.30am on Friday 16^th December 2011.

Full details of any statements for which the required notice has been given will be circulated to Members of Council before the meeting.

Councillor Joe McManners submitted the following Statement On Notice:

On the Coalition Government’s ‘Under occupying’ clause (11) of the Welfare Reform Bill.

Lord Mayor, colleagues and members of the public I would like to draw Council’s attention to a particularly unjust and problematic clause of the Coalition Government’s Welfare Reform Bill.

This is the so called ‘bedroom tax’ for social tenants set to be introduced in April 2013. If passed, it would implement a docking of Housing Benefit for Social Housing tenants.

The clause would change the rules so that a tenant who was deemed to have a spare room would lose around on average £13 a week of Housing Benefit. The rules would be made stricter, so that, for example, a family would have their benefit docked if there were two teenage daughters not sharing a room. Or a couple where one is just under the pensionable age who have 2 rooms.

It is estimated it would affect 670,000 households in the country.

This is not only unfair, as is in affect it financially penalises the worst off by forcing them to move or to cut their household budgets.  It is also poorly conceived, as in all likelihood those moving would either go into the private rental sector with higher rents so adding to the cost, or rent arrears will increase, putting pressure on us as a council.

It is also impractical as tenants would be expected to have the lower benefit rate applied immediately. So perhaps their 18 year old son moves for a job but then loses it, his parents would be expected to move the day after he leaves. This inflexible, punative plan is exactly the sort of muddled, unjust policy that we as a council should be protecting our tenants from.

Lord Best (a cross bencher) has successfully moved an amendment to remove this draconian clause, this will be passed back to the Commons where if the Liberal Democrat party oppose it, it will not happen. However, it seems likely the Government will reinstate the clause. Since it is not Lib Dem policy or in the Coalition agreement this should be rejected.

I will ask the Leader of the Council to write to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and all Lib Dem MPs to ask them to withdraw this clause, and call on MPs to maintain the amendment.

I invite the Leaders of the other groups on the council to co-sign the letters.

None.

No petitions were submitted for debate.

Council Procedure Rule 11.14 refers.  The Motions (listed in the order received) that have been notified to the Head of Law and Governance by the deadline of 1.00pm on Wednesday 7^th December 2011 are attached to this agenda.

Council had before it 14 Motions on Notice and reached decisions as follows:

(1)       Means tests for Councillors – (Proposer – Councillor Stuart Craft, seconded by Councillor Nuala Young)

This Council agrees that Councillors with an annual household income exceeding £75,000 have no need to claim their allowance and that this money would be better spent in the interests of the City’s Council Tax payers.

With this in mind, Council agrees to set up a Committee to decide the details of a system of means testing for City Councillors in order to remove the allowance from those councillors with annual incomes exceeding £75,000.

Council requests that those Councillors currently falling into this category voluntarily give up their allowance until a formal system is introduced.

Council also agrees to request that City Councillors who are also County Councillors put forward a motion to the same ends to the County Council.

Following a debate, Council voted and the Motion was not adopted

(2)       Resignation of the City Council Leader – (Proposer – Councillor Stuart Craft)

Oxford City Council has engaged in transactions resulting in public land being sold to the benefit of Oxford Brookes University.   Council has also decided a major planning application by Brookes that received a large amount of opposition from local residents.

Council understands that it would be perfectly reasonable for members of the public to conclude that the Leader of Oxford City Council, Bob Price, has a conflict of interest when dealing with Oxford Brookes as he is a Director at the university.

With this in mind Council agrees, to remove the Leader from office as provided for in paragraph 1.4(c) of the Constitution.

            The Motion fell as there was no seconder.

(3)       Temple Cowley and Blackbird Leys Pools – (Proposer – Councillor Stuart Craft seconded by Councillor David Williams)

If the current plans for a new swimming pool at Blackbird Leys were to go ahead, the land at Temple Cowley along with playing fields (and mature trees) in Blackbird Leys will be lost – probably forever.

As councillors we are entrusted to safeguard the City’s assets for future generations.

With this in mind, this Council asks the Executive to put plans for a new swimming pool at Blackbird Leys on hold until:

(a)      An alternative source of funding becomes available other than the proposed funds from the sale of Temple Cowley Pool.

(b)      An alternative site for the new pool, which does not encroach on existing playing fields or have a negative effect on neighbouring residents’ lives, is found.

            Following a debate, Council voted and the Motion was not adopted

(4)       Oxford Transport Strategy and Motorcycles – (Proposer – Councillor Stuart Craft seconded by Councillor Dick Wolff)

Oxfordshire County Council’s Transport Strategy fails to address the benefits of motorcycle use as an alternative to the car.  

Motorcycles can be a cheap alternative to cars for commuters who live off the main bus routes.  Motorcycles take up less road space than cars  ...  view the full minutes text for item 77.

This item was deferred when Council adjourned and will be considered when Council reconvenes at a future date. (Minute 71 refers).

If Council wishes to exclude the press and the public from the meeting during consideration of any aspects of the preceding agenda items it will be necessary for Council to pass a resolution in accordance with the provisions of Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 specifying the grounds on which their presence could involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as described in specific paragraphs of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act 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.

(The Access to Information Procedure Rules – Section 15 of the Council’s Constitution – sets out the conditions under which the public can be excluded from meetings of the Council).