No minutes had been submitted as this item had been dealt with at the meeting of Council held on 18^th February 2013.

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

None declared.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Tony Brett, Mary Clarkson, John Goddard, Michael Gotch, Mick Haines, Joe McManners, Mark Mills, Helen O’Hara, Mike Rowley, Gwynneth Royce, Val Smith, John Tanner and Oscar Van Nooijen.

No appointments were made.

The Lord Mayor informed Council of the recent death of Fred Ingram former City Councillor, Lord Mayor (1973/74), Deputy Lord Mayor (1971/72), Sheriff (1982/83) and Alderman (1967-74).

Council stood for a minutes silence as a mark of respect.

No announcements were made.

The Leader made the following announcements:

(1)       Wished to pay tribute to Fred Ingram and highlighted that apart from his service on the City Council, he was also was a founding member of the form OAP’s Club in Gloucester Green which he also helped manage for many years.

(2)       The nominations to Civic Posts for the Council Year 2013/14:

            Lord Mayor – Councillor Dee Sinclair

            Deputy Lord Mayor – Councillor Tony Brett

            Sheriff – Councillor Mohammed Niaz Abbasi

(3)       The City Deal which Oxford had been successful in achieving was progressing apace and that a formal meeting with the Cabinet Office would be taking place in early March 2013.  Council would continue to receive regular updates.

No announcements were 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 21^st February 2013) and the full wording of the address has been given to the Head of Law and Governance.

Council received (previously circulated, now appended) three addresses to Council from members of the public. 

(1)       William Clark – Managing the family budget

(2)       Nigel Gibson – Temple Cowley Pools Petition

(3)       Jane Alexander – Temple Cowley Pools and recycling

To hear questions from the public in accordance with the Council Procedure Rule 11.9 to the Leader or other Members of the City Executive Board for which the required notice (1.00pm on Thursday 21^st February 2013) 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 as follows:

(1)       Question to the Board Member, Leisure (Councillor Van Coulter) from Nigel Gibson

            Action following submission of petition

At the last Council meeting, a petition with 1,666 signatures concerning university building in Roger Dudman way and the view across Port Meadow was rightly supported by Council, who immediately responded by instituting an enquiry, and now, we hear, discussions with the University to remedy the situation. Why did Council not respond with similar speed and decisiveness when a 12,000 signature petition to keep Temple Cowley Pools open, affecting the health and well-being of thousands of people across Oxford, was presented to council?

Response: The Council takes all petitions seriously.  Having considered and debated the matter, Council then resolved to take action, weighing the views in the petition with all the other factors that must be taken into account.

(2)       Question to the Board Member, Leisure (Councillor Van Coulter) from Sarah Lasenby

            Fusion Leisure Contract

At the last Full Council meeting a question was asked by Nigel Gibson concerning the payments to Fusion Lifestyle as the information then available did not add up. But the answer given did not answer this question in anyway as far as I could see. This really shocked me as the Council has a policy to make information publicly open and transparent. In this case it did not happen.

I am confused; did the Councillor or whoever constructed the answer for him, not agree with the policy of openness or with the Contract or what?  Please could I have an answer to the question this time? Can you please publish a breakdown by Leisure Centre and by year of the payments to Fusion Lifestyle up to the end of this financial year?  You show the totals and I should be grateful if you could show how these are made up.

Response: At the commencement of the leisure facilities contract with Fusion Lifestyles, an annual fee was agreed for the running of leisure facilities in the City.  This payment is a maximum guaranteed payment for the whole contract and it is not reliant upon the performance of any particular leisure centre.  The payment is not broken down by centre.  Therefore it is not possible to show the payments by centres as there is not one.  In order to make comparisons of operations for the development of facilities the Council has estimated the net costs of the Temple Cowley Pools and the Blackbird Leys Pool.  The Council has been open and transparent about these estimates.

(3)       Question to the Leader of the Council (Councillor Bob Price) from Jane Alexander

            Ethical Procurement            

At the last Full Council meeting, there was a motion proposed by Councillor Hollick that was out of time for debate. It asked Council to enforce an ethical procurement approach by not using suppliers operating tax avoidance schemes. Will the Leader of the Council endorse this approach, and instruct the Chief Executive to cancel the contract with  ...  view the full minutes text for item 128.

The Head of Housing has submitted a report, the purpose of which is to consider the revised Homelessness Strategy and Action Plan 2013-18 following consultation and to review policy following the commencement of additional powers related to the Council fulfilling its duties by securing a private sector tenancy for statutory homeless households.

This report was submitted to the City Executive Board on 13^th February 2013. An extract from the minutes of this meeting is attached.

Council is asked to:

(1)       Approve Homelessness Strategy and Action Plan 2013 to 2018;   

(2)       Note the commencement of additional powers introduced by virtue of the Localism Act 2011 related to the Council fulfilling its duties by securing a private sector tenancy for statutory homeless households;

(3)       approve the policy as outlined in Appendix D as Council policy;

(4)       Delegate authority to the Head of Housing to implement the policy together with any minor changes that may come forward due to any subsequent revisions or clarifications to Government guidance and any ensuing case law.

Council had before it the report of the Head of Housing together with a minute extract from the City Executive Board held on 13^th February 2013. (All documents previously circulated, now appended).

Councillor Scott Seamons moved the report.

Following a debate, Council agreed:

(a)       To approve the Homelessness Strategy and Action Plan 2013 to 2018;

(b)       To note the commencement of additional powers introduced by virtue of the Localism Act 2011 related to the Council fulfilling its duties by securing a private sector tenancy for statutory homeless households;

(c)        To approve the policy as outlined in Appendix D of the report as Council Policy;

(d)       To delegate authority to the Head of Housing to implement the policy together with any minor changes that may come forward due to any subsequent revisions or clarifications to Government guidance and any ensuing case law.

This item has a limit of 15 minutes.

City Executive Board decisions (Minutes)

(1)       Minutes of the meeting held on 19^th December 2012.

(2)       Minutes of the meeting held on 13^th February 2013.

Single Executive Member decisions (Minutes)

(1)       Minutes of the Single Member Decision Meeting (Board Member, Finance and Efficiency) held on 25^th January 2013.

Council had before it minutes (previously circulated, now appended) of the City Executive Board and Single Executive Member meetings held since the last meeting of Full Council.

(a)       City Executive Board Decisions – 19^th December 2012 (Minutes)

            No questions were raised and Council noted the minutes.

            City Executive Board Decisions – 13^th February 2013 (Minutes)

(1)               Minute 89 – Community Grant Allocations for 2013/2014.

Councillor Simmons was unhappy that the Cowley Road Carnival had not been included.  He asked what the current position was with the £50k social inclusion grant which had not been released and suggested that it should apply to the organisations who had not been successful in the grants process.

In response Councillor Curran said that some of the grant applications received had met the criteria for funding and some had not.  He added some of those that were unsuccessful would receive grants from the Youth Ambition fund.

Councillor Jones asked for confirmation that the application forms for the Social Inclusion funding were available.

In response Councillor Price said that the criteria had been established, but the forms were not yet available.  Regarding comments from Councillors concerning the Cowley Road Carnival he said that the organisers had been in discussion with Council Officers from the Events Team on a service level agreement and funding options.

(2)               Minute 90 – Housing Allocations Scheme – Consultation Draft – Councillor Hollick asked if the Council had to have such restrictive conditions on tenants concerning the bedroom tax.  In response Councillor Seamons said that the Council would not put people into accommodation they could not afford. 

Councillor Turner said that he was uncomfortable with the changes being forced upon the Council and was unhappy that the Government continued to press forward the changes and putting people into these difficult situations.

(3)               Minute 92 – Green Spaces Strategy – Consultation Outcome – Councillor Rundle asked if this was a strategy and if it was why it had not come to Council.  In response Jeremy Thomas, Head of Law and Governance informed Council that it did not form part of the policy framework and so did not require adoption by Council.  He added that there was an overarching Leisure Strategy which would be coming to Council for adoption and the Green Spaces Strategy sat under this Leisure Strategy.

Councillor Benjamin welcomed the list of consultees and suggested that maybe some should have been consulted on the Roger Dudman Way development.

Councillor Fooks said that it was important to look after the green spaces in the City, but she still had concerns over the countryside aspect of the strategy.

(4)               Minute 93 – City Deal – Councillor Williams said that previous experience had taught him that the Government comes in on initiatives such as this and starts to change things.  He stressed that the Council should keep control of the whole process.

In response Councillor Price said that the City Deal was a partnership and the Council did not have the locus  ...  view the full minutes text for item 130.

No recommendations or reports from the Scrutiny or other Committees were submitted.

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 22^nd February 2013.

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

(1)       Question to the Board Member, Young People, Education and Community Development (Councillor Steve Curran) from Councillor Jean Fooks

Youth Ambition Fund

Could you give Council a report on how the £240k ‘Youth Ambition’ fund has been spent this financial year?

Response: To develop a sustainable programme that makes a real difference to young people’s lives we are taking a strategic approach. Initial steps have been to work with Anna Wright (Educational Advisor) to develop an up to date understanding of needs. This work is being supported through the Local Government Association’s ‘Roots to Success’ programme which provides free consultancy support to improve services for young people.  We have also worked with partners to attain a better understanding of what is already being delivered and understand opportunities for more joined up work. This work has provided the information to develop a Youth Ambition Strategy which will come to the City Executive Board on the 10^th April.

Coupled with this we have also launched our youth ambition grants which will see £50,000 per year awarded to voluntary and community groups. We will increasingly support these groups to build their capacity and help them attain funding from other sources. We have also launched a free access session at Blackbird Leys Leisure Centre and continued sessions at Wood Farm and Court Place Farm that would have otherwise not been funded. We are also sponsoring the Youth Awards which take place on the 21^st February. To resource this work we have recruited two people who will help to deliver the programme.

This leaves just over £100,000 which we intend to roll over into the new financial year for match funding bids; one such bid has just been submitted to Sport England.

Councillor Fooks in a supplementary question asked for more information on the new recruits, Councillor Curran agreed to supply this to Councillor Fooks. 

(2)       Question to the Board Member, Cleaner, Greener Oxford (Councillor John Tanner) from Councillor Jean Fooks

Payment for garden waste bags

I see that the Administration is proposing to save £20k by insisting that residents pay by direct debit for garden waste bags. This is blatantly discriminatory and unfair. Will you confirm that the saving can be made by offering a direct debit facility but continuing to accept cash or cheques, as well as debit card transactions, in future?

Response: although we will encourage direct debits it will still be possible to pay by cash or cheque.

Statements on Notice under Council Procedure Rule 11.10(b) may be made.  Statements do not need to be directed to the 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 22^nd February 2013.

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

No statements on notice from Members of Council were submitted.

There were no petitions to consider and 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 13^th February 2013 are attached to this agenda.

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

(1)       Winter fuel poverty – (Proposer Councillor Anne-Marie Canning, seconder Councillor Van Coulter)

The Council notes:

1.         Already 1 in 4 households in the UK are in fuel poverty, meaning they need to spend more than 10% of their income on keeping their homes warm. Average bills over £1,247 per annum.  The problem is likely to get worse, with 1 in 3 households projected to be in fuel poverty by 2016. Council notes that this will affect thousands of households in Oxford.

2.         The main reasons for this crisis are that gas, oil and coal prices are high, and the UK’s homes are some of the most energy inefficient in Europe – leaking heat from their doors, walls and windows.

3.         Cold homes are damaging the health of vulnerable members of society, including children, older people and people with disabilities. Diseases such as asthma are made worse, and people are more likely to have strokes and heart attacks. Illnesses caused by cold homes cost the NHS nearly one billion pounds each year.

4.         Over the next 15 years the Government will raise an average of £4 billion every year in carbon taxes through the European Emissions Trading Scheme and the Carbon Floor Price. Recycling this revenue back into households could bring 9 out of 10 homes out of fuel poverty, lower people’s bills, cut carbon emissions and create jobs.

The Council therefore resolves to:

1.         Council encourages the City Executive Board to focus upon reducing fuel poverty in Oxford by any means possible and to develop fuel poverty action plan.

2.         Support the Energy Bill Revolution campaign calling for the Government to recycle revenues from carbon taxes into improving the energy efficiency of UK homes.

Councillor Jean Fooks seconded by Councillor Graham Jones moved an amendment:

To add a third point as follows:

3.         Ask the Chief Executive to write to the city’s MPs asking them to support all measures, including encouraging households to make use of the Green Deal where appropriate, to improve the energy efficiency of UK homes.

The mover of the substantive Motion, Councillor Anne-Marie Canning accepted the amendment and following a debate Council voted and the amended Motion was adopted as follows:

The Council notes:

1.         Already 1 in 4 households in the UK are in fuel poverty, meaning they need to spend more than 10% of their income on keeping their homes warm. Average bills over £1,247 per annum.  The problem is likely to get worse, with 1 in 3 households projected to be in fuel poverty by 2016. Council notes that this will affect thousands of households in Oxford.

2.         The main reasons for this crisis are that gas, oil and coal prices are high, and the UK’s homes are some of the most energy inefficient in Europe – leaking heat from their doors, walls and windows.

3.         Cold homes are damaging the health of vulnerable  ...  view the full minutes text for item 135.

Councillor Fooks with regard to the Local Enterprise Partnership asked why the funding issue of the lighting at the Cutteslowe roundabout had not been reported. 

In response Councillor Price said that this had been news to him and was speculative, but he did confirm that the A34 bid had been put forward.

Councillor Williams said that this agenda item was open to all Councillor to questions those on other organisation.  He said that the Scrutiny and Wellbeing Board had a City Council representative on it and that rather than Members having to ask for a report back, representatives should do this as part of the norm.  Councillors were not being kept informed on important issues.

In response, Councillor Price said that this issue would be considered as part of the Governance Review currently underway.

The Head of Law and Governance/Monitoring Officer has submitted a report, the purpose of which is to align the Council’s financial definition of a key decision with the financial limits for officer approvals of projects and acceptance of contracts.

Council is asked to approve the change in the Constitution so that the definition of a key decision in financial terms is increased to £500,000 to align with project approval and contract acceptance figures in the Constitution, and to authorise the Monitoring Officer to make the necessary constitutional changes.

The Head of Law and Governance/Monitoring Officer submitted a report (previously circulated, now appended) the purpose of which was to align the Councils financial definition of a key decision with the financial limits for officer approvals of projects and acceptance of contracts.

Council agreed that the definition of a key decision in financial terms be increased to £500,000 to align with project approval and contract acceptance figures in the Constitution, and to authorise the Monitoring Officer to make the necessary constitutional changes.

The Head of Law and Governance has submitted a report which seeks approval of the revised schedule of polling districts and polling places (appendix A of the report) for the administrative area of the City Council as required by the Electoral Administration Act 2006, following the review of Oxfordshire County Council division boundaries.

Council is asked to:

(a)       Approve the schedule of polling districts and polling places as in Appendix A of the report;

(b)       Reaffirm its decision to give the Returning Officer the delegated power to make changes to polling stations in emergencies.

The Head of Law and Governance submitted a report (previously circulated, now appended) which sought approval of the revised schedule of polling districts and polling places for the administrative area of the City Council as required by the Electoral Administration Act 2006, following the review of Oxfordshire County Council division boundaries.

Council agreed:

(a)       To approve the schedule of polling districts and polling places as detailed in the report;

(b)       To reaffirm its decision to give the Returning Officer the delegated power to make changes to polling stations in emergencies.

The Head of Finance has submitted a report to set out the necessary calculations to enable Council to set the 2013/14 Council Tax for Oxford City, in accordance with the Local Government Finance Acts, 1988 and 1992, as amended by The Localism Act 2011. 

Council is asked:

(a)       To approve for 2013-14:

1.         The City Council’s precept and Council Tax requirement of £11,228,070 (inclusive of Parish Precepts). Net of the Parish Precepts, the figure is £11,073,898.

2.         The average Band D Council Tax figure (excluding Parishes) of £268.19 a 1.99% increase on the 2012/13 figure of £262.96. Including Parish Precepts the figure is £271.93, a 1.83% increase on the 2012/13 figure of £267.05 (see paragraph 13 of the report).

3.         The contribution of £10,000 to the Parish of Old Marston in recognition of the additional expenditure that the Parish incurs as a consequence of maintaining the cemetery (see paragraphs 20 and 21 of the report). 

4.         The amount of £480,238 to be treated as Special Expenses (see paragraph 24 of the report).

5.         The Band D Council Taxes for the various areas of the City (excluding the Police and County Council’s additions) as follows:-

                        Littlemore                                  £286.32

                        Old Marston                              £296.33

                        Risinghurst and Sandhills        £284.37

                        Blackbird Leys                         £265.50

                        Unparished Area                      £270.39

These figures include the Parish Precepts and special expensing amounts as appropriate on top of the City-wide Council Tax of £256.56.

(b)       To note:

6.         Oxfordshire County Council’s precept and Band D Council Tax as set out in paragraph 27 of the report;

7.         The Police and Crime Commissioner for the Thames Valley’s precept and Band D Council Tax as set out in paragraph 28 of the report, and

8.         The overall average Band D equivalent Council Tax of £1,614.14 including Parish Precepts.

The Head of Finance submitted a report (previously circulated, now appended) which set out the necessary calculations to enable Council to set the 2013/14 Council Tax for Oxford City, in accordance with the Local Government Finance Acts, 1988 and 1992, as amended by the Localism Act 2011.

Council agreed:

(a)       To approve for 2013-14:

(1)       The City Council’s precept and Council Tax requirement of £11,228,070 (inclusive of Parish Precepts). Net of the Parish Precepts, the figure is £11,073,898.

(2)       The average Band D Council Tax figure (excluding Parishes) of £268.19 a 1.99% increase on the 2012/13 figure of £262.96. Including Parish Precepts the figure is £271.93, a 1.83% increase on the 2012/13 figure of £267.05 (paragraph 13 of the Officer report).

(3)       The contribution of £10,000 to the Parish of Old Marston in recognition of the additional expenditure that the Parish incurs as a consequence of maintaining the cemetery (paragraphs 20 and 21 of the Officer report). 

(4)       The amount of £480,238 to be treated as Special Expenses (paragraph 24 of the Officer report).

(5)       The Band D Council Taxes for the various areas of the City (excluding the Police and County Council’s additions) as follows:-

                        Littlemore £286.32

                        Old Marston £296.33

                        Risinghurst and Sandhills £284.37

                        Blackbird Leys £265.50

                        Unparished Area £270.39

These figures include the Parish Precepts and special expensing amounts as appropriate on top of the City-wide Council Tax of £256.56.

(b)       To note:

(6)       Oxfordshire County Council’s precept and Band D Council Tax as set out in paragraph 27 of the Officers report.

(7)       The Police and Crime Commissioner for the Thames Valley’s precept and Band D Council Tax as set out in paragraph 28 of the Officers report, and

(8)       The overall average Band D equivalent Council Tax of £1,614.14 including Parish Precepts.