Council stood for a minute’s silence in memory of former Lord Mayor Bill Buckingham whose funeral was held on 10 July 2017.

Minute 20:  Safeguarding Report 2017/18

Councillors Abassi and Malik (as licenced taxi drivers) and Councillor Altaf-Khan (as a past licensed taxi driver) left the chamber for the duration of this item.

Minutes of the ordinary meeting of Council held on 24 April 2017 and 15 May 2017.

Council is asked to approve these minutes as a correct record.

Council agreed to approve the minutes of 24 April 2017 and 15 May 2017 as a true and correct record of these meetings and that the Lord Mayor should sign these as such.

No changes have been notified. Any proposed changes will be circulated with the briefing note.

There were no appointments to Committees.

Announcements by:

1.    The Lord Mayor

2.    The Sheriff

3.    The Leader of the Council (who may with the permission of the Lord Mayor invite other councillors to make announcements)

4.    The Chief Executive, Chief Finance Officer, Monitoring Officer

The Lord Mayor announced:

·         Highlights of the visit of the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall to the covered market.

·         That she had attended Seafarers UK’s 100th Annual Meeting at Mansion House

·         The success of the events held in Oxford to celebrate 70 years of friendship with the people of Bonn

·         That she had attended the Grand Iftar at the Asian Cultural Centre

·         That she had met with her chosen charities

·         That the Srebenica Memorial Service had been held at the Town Hall on 11 July and that she hoped that this would become an annual event.

·         That she had unveiled the first of a series of new signs proclaiming Oxford as a cycling city which would be installed on all 11 roads entering the city centre.

She thanked the Deputy Lord Mayor and Sheriff for their support and said that between them they had managed to cover a significant number of engagements.

The Sheriff announced that he had led the annual inspection of Port Meadow.

The Leader announced the appointment of Simon Howick as the Managing Director of the LATCo.

The Leader asked the Lord Mayor’s permission for Councillor Rowley, Board Member Housing to make an announcement.

On behalf of Council, Councillor Rowley expressed the shock and sorrow of the City Council at the loss of lives in the Grenfell Tower tragedy.  He said that it was a time for politics and economics to fall silent and that it was the duty of local authorities to prevent another tragedy. He said that he wanted to reassure residents that the City Council had worked closely with experts from Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service to review the fire safety arrangements in the tower blocks in the city and to ensure that they were safe.  He said that fire crew and Council officers were a visible presence in the tower blocks and he had personally attended to public meetings in Blackbird Leys.  He also confirmed that the costs of necessary replacement works would not be passed on to tenants.  The City Council would take no further action until the results of the national safety tests were available.  The City Council would seek to recover those costs from central government on the basis of their initial commitment to fund such measures.

There were no other announcements.

Public addresses and questions to the Leader or other Board member received in accordance with Council Procedure Rules 11.11, 11.12, and 11.13 relating to matters for decision in Part 1 of this agenda.

Request to speak accompanied by the full text of the address or question must be received by the Acting Head of Law and Governance by 5.00 pm on Friday 14 July 2017.

The briefing note will contain the text of addresses and questions submitted by the deadline, and written responses where available.

A total of 45 minutes is available for both public speaking items. Responses are included in this time. Up to five minutes is available for each public address and up to three minutes for each question.

There were no public speakers in this section.

he Head of Planning, Sustainable Development and Regulatory Services submitted a report to the City Executive Board on 20 June 2017 presenting the Headington Neighbourhood Plan for adoption so that it can become part of the Oxford Development Plan.

The City Executive Board agreed the recommendations as set out in the report and in the minutes of the meeting attached later in this agenda.

Councillor Hollingsworth, Board Member for Planning and Regulatory Services, will move the recommendations.

Recommendation: The City Executive Board recommends Council to resolve to adopt the Headington Neighbourhood Plan as part of the Council’s development plan for the Headington neighbourhood area.

Council considered a report of the Head of Planning, Sustainable Development and Regulatory Services (previously submitted to the City Executive Board on 20 June 2017) presenting the Headington Neighbourhood Plan for adoption so that it can become part of the Oxford Development Plan.

Councillor Hollingsworth, Board Member for Planning and Regulatory Services, moved the recommendation.

Councillors requested clarification on how CIL would now be allocated and spent in the area covered by the Plan.

Council recorded its thanks to the work of members of the Neighbourhood Forum and to officers of the City Council in bringing the plan to fruition.

Council resolved to adopt the Headington Neighbourhood Plan as part of the Council’s development plan for the Headington neighbourhood area.

TheHeads of Financial Services and Business Improvement submitted a report to the City Executive Board on 20 June which details the Council’s finances, risk and performance at the end of the financial year 2016/17.

The City Executive Board agreed the recommendations as set out in the report and in the minutes of the meeting attached later in this agenda.

Only the relevant sections for Council decision are included in this agenda: complete papers can be found in the City Executive Board agenda.

Councillor Turner, Board Member for Finance and Asset Management will move the recommendations.

Recommendations: The City Executive Board recommends Council to resolve to:

1.    establish General Fund budgetary provision of £745k in respect of the new bids shown in the report and Appendix D;

2.    establish an HRA budgetary provision of £300k in respect of the new bids shown in the report and Appendix D.

Council considered a report from theHeads of Financial Services and Business Improvement detailing the Council’s finances, risk and performance at the end of the financial year 2016/17 and making new requests for funding (previously submitted to the City Executive Board meeting on 20 June 2017).

Councillor Turner, Board Member for Finance and Asset Management presented the report and moved the recommendations.

Councillor Tidball spoke detailing the expenditure proposals to address health inequalities.

Councillors asked a number of questions and made statements about the carry-forward requests and new projects listed in the report and appendices before reaching their decision.

Council resolved to:

1.    establish General Fund budgetary provision of £745k in respect of the new bids shown in the report and Appendix D;

2.    establish an HRA budgetary provision of £300k in respect of the new bids shown in the report and Appendix D.

The Executive Director for Sustainable City submitted to the City Executive Board meeting on 18 July 2017 a progress report on the establishment of the Local Authority Trading Company. The full list of recommendations and documents are available on that agenda.

The decision of the City Executive Board will be reported at this meeting.

Councillor Turner, Board Member for Finance, Asset Management will move the recommendations.

Recommendations: Subject to the decision at the meeting on 18 July 2017, the City Executive Board recommends Council to resolve to:

agree to a further loan of a sum up to £200k to the LATCo companies, on State-Aid compliant terms, to enable the LATCo companies to fund their set up costs and to delegate to the Councils section 151 officer, in consultation with the Interim Chief Executive and Council Leader,  authority to approve spending of this money on other related matters.

Council considered a report from the Executive Director for Sustainable City (previously submitted to the City Executive Board meeting on 18 July 2017) detailing progress on the establishment of the Local Authority Trading Company.

Councillor Turner, Board Member for Finance, Asset Management reported that the City Executive Board had agreed the recommendations in the report and moved the recommendations for Council’s consideration.

Councillor Price, Leader, seconded the recommendations.

Council resolved, subject to confirmation of the City Executive Board decision on 18 July 2017, to:

1.    agree a further loan of a sum up to £200k to the LATCo companies, on State-Aid compliant terms, to enable the LATCo companies to fund their set up costs; and

2.    delegate to the Councils section 151 officer, in consultation with the Interim Chief Executive and Council Leader, authority to approve spending of this money on other related matters.

The Assistant Chief Executive submitted a report to the City Executive Board on 20 June which reported on the progress made on the Oxford City Council’s Safeguarding Action Plan 2016/17.

The City Executive Board agreed the recommendations as set out in the report and in the minutes of the meeting attached later in this agenda.

There are no decisions for Council.

Councillor Tidball, Board Member for Young People, Schools and and Public Health, and Councillor Hayes, Board Member for Community Safety, will present the report.

Recommendations: Council is asked to note the report.

Councillors Abbasi and Mailk left the meeting for the duration of this item as the report made reference to one of their current or previous disclosable pecuniary interests. Councillor Altaf Khan did not have to leave as he did not have a current disclosable pecuniary interest to declare but chose to do so in response to a query from Cllr Hayes.

Councillors recorded their thanks to Val Johnson, Policy & Partnership Team Leader, for her hard work on this and on the many other projects over the years and wished her well in retirement.

Councillor Hayes, Board Member Community Safety, presented the report.

Council resolved to note the report.  

The Acting Head of Law and Governance has submitted a report asking Council to authorise the Monitoring Officer to extend the terms of office of the council’s independent persons for code of conduct matters for a further two years.                                                                             

Councillor Price, the Leader of the Council will move the recommendations.

Recommendation: Council is recommended to authorise the Monitoring Officer to extend the terms of office of the Council’s four Independent Persons for code of conduct matters for a further two years.

Councillors Abbasi, Altaf-Khan and Mailk returned to the meeting.

Council considered a report from the Acting Head of Law and Governance (submitted on behalf of the Leader of the Council) asking Council to authorise the Monitoring Officer to extend the terms of office of the council’s independent persons for code of conduct matters for a further two years.                                                                          

Council resolved to authorise the Monitoring Officer to extend the terms of office of the Council’s four Independent Persons for code of conduct matters for a further two years.

The Acting Head of Law and Governance has submitted a report asking Council to consider the proposal to create an additional (non-statutory) Deputy Leader post and to ask the Independent Remuneration Panel to consider the level of allowance that it should attract.

Councillor Price, the Leader of the Council will move the recommendations.

Recommendations: Council is recommended to:

1.  note the Leader’s proposal to appoint one of the City Executive Board members as an additional (non- statutory) Deputy Leader; and

2.  request the Acting Head of Law & Governance to form and convene a meeting of the Independent Remuneration Panel to consider the addition of a Special Responsibility Allowance in the Members’ Allowance Scheme for a non-statutory Deputy Leader.

Council considered a report from the Acting Head of Law and Governance (submitted on behalf of the Leader of the Council) asking Council to consider the proposal to create an additional (non-statutory) Deputy Leader post and to ask the Independent Remuneration Panel to consider the level of allowance that it should attract.

Councillor Price, Leader of the Council, presented the report and asked Council to consider the inclusion of an additional recommendation to introduce changes to the scheme to provide for maternity, paternity, parental and caring responsibility leave for all councillors.

After debate and voting on the second recommendations in two parts,

Council resolved to agree to:

1.     note the Leader’s proposal to appoint one of the City Executive Board members as an additional (non- statutory) Deputy Leader; and

2.     request the Acting Head of Law & Governance to form and convene a meeting of the Independent Remuneration Panel to

a.    consider the addition of a Special Responsibility Allowance in the Members’ Allowance Scheme for a non-statutory Deputy Leader; and

b.    consider changes to the scheme to provide for maternity, paternity, parental and caring responsibility leave.

This item has a time limit of 15 minutes.

Councillors may ask the Board Members questions about matters in these minutes:

Questions asked of the Board Members on these minutes and their responses are listed below.

·         Minute 173 – Fusion Lifestyle Annual Service Plan

Councillor Wade asked whether the Board Member remained confident that Fusion Lifestyle would achieve its targets.

Councillor Smith, Board Member Leisure, Parks and Sport, said that she was confident that Fusion Lifestyle would meet its targets.

·         Minute 172a – Scrutiny Report on the Local Financial Impacts of Brexit

Councillor Simmons asked which Economic Steering Group was mentioned.

The Leader said that it was one of the Oxfordshire Partnership sub-groups.

Council had before it the minutes of the City Executive Board meeting of 15 June 2017 but asked no questions.

Questions asked of the Board Members on these minutes and their responses are listed below.

·         Minute 24 – Oxford Lottery

Councillor Thomas asked what measures were being taken to ensure the ticket purchases were not coming disproportionately from the lowest income sections of the community.

The Leader undertook to provide a written response.

Questions on notice from councillors received in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 11.10(b).

Questions on notice may be asked of the Lord Mayor, a Member of the City Executive Board or a Chair of a Committee. One supplementary question may be asked at the meeting.

The full text of questions must be received by the Head of Law and Governance by no later than 1.00pm on 13 July 2017.

The briefing note will contain all questions submitted by the deadline, and written responses where available.

37 written questions on notice were submitted. These, written responses, and 19 supplementary questions and responses are set out in the supplement to these minutes.

Public addresses and questions to the Leader or other Board member received in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 11.11, 11.12 and 11.13 and not related to matters for decision in Part 1 of this agenda.

Request to speak accompanied by the full text of the address or question must be received by the Acting Head of Law and Governance by 5.00 pm on Friday 14 July 2017.

The briefing note will contain the text of addresses and questions submitted by the deadline, and written responses where available.

A total of 45 minutes is available for both public speaking items. Responses are included in this time. Up to five minutes is available for each public address and up to three minutes for each question.

Five speakers addressed Council.

The full text of these speeches and question; responses from the Board Members in writing before the meeting; and summaries of any verbal responses given at the meeting are in the supplement.

1.      Shaista Aziz and Dr Hojjat Ramzy addressed Council on the Motion on reducing hate crime

2.      Hassan Sabrie, Chair East Oxford United Football Club addressed Council on the work of the Club and its need for financial support

3.      Artwell  addressed Council on community facilities in Barton

4.      Judith Harley addressed Council on the need for a replacement for Temple Cowley Pool

The Lord Mayor thanked those speaking.

This item has a 15 minute time limit in total.

The head petitioner will speak to Council for a maximum of 5 minutes at the start of this item.

Council is asked to consider a petition meeting the criteria for debate under the Council’s petitions scheme in line with the procedure for large petitions.

The full text of the petition is contained in the accompanying report of the Acting Head of Law and Governance.

The petition proposes:

We urge you, the City and County Council, to work together to keep Florence Park Children's Centre as a community asset and open to all. Florence Park Children's Centre is a much loved local resource for children and families in our beautiful local park. It is currently standing empty. We ask you to support the local initiative for The Oasis – a not-for-profit plan which includes a nature-orientated childcare nursery, healthy café and drop in space that is managed by local people. The vision is for 'A place where people can meet, work, eat, create, and play with nature in mind and wellbeing at heart'. This initiative will ensure that all profit from the Centre is ploughed back into the community.

This is the petition motion.

If a Councillor wishes to put a substantive motion/recommendation on a petition that differs from the proposal in the petition then they must submit this by 10.00am on the working day before the full Council meeting. These are then published in the Council briefing note. Any amendments to these must be submitted by 11.00am on the day of the meeting.

Council is recommended to:

·         hear the head petitioner for the petition;

·         debate the proposal to the Council contained within the petition and any motions submitted by councillors; and

·         decide the action it wishes to take.

Council considered a petition meeting the criteria for debate under the Council’s petitions scheme in line with the procedure for large petitions.

Council heard an address from Anne Thorne, the head petitioner. She spoke about the need to keep the centre open to provide community services.  She asked Council to support the ASPIRE partnership’s proposal for the Oasis Centre which was based on a social enterprise model.

Councillor Tidball proposed that the petition be noted and read a statement (previously circulated with the agenda briefing note) which detailed the latest position regarding the future of the Florence Park Children’s Centre.

Council agreed to note the petition and refer the matter to the City Executive Board.

1.    On behalf of Councillor Tidball,the Assistant Chief Executive has submitted the Partnership Report on the Oxfordshire Children’s Trust.

 Council is invited to comment on and note the submitted report.

2.    Each ordinary meeting of Council shall normally receive a written report concerning the work of one of the partnerships on which the Council is represented.

The programme of reporting at future meetings will be:

3.    As set out in procedure rule 11.15, Members who are Council representatives on external bodies or Chairs of Council Committees who consider that a significant decision or event has taken place, may give notice to the Head of Law and Governance by 1.00 pm on 18 July 2017 that they will present a written or oral report on the event or the significant decision and how it may influence future events. Written reports will be circulated with the briefing note.

Council had before it a report from the Assistant Chief Executive (submitted on behalf of the Board Member, Young People, Schools and Public Health) outlining the work of the Oxfordshire Children’s Trust.

Councillor Tidball moved the report.

Council noted the report without comment.

The Chair of the Scrutiny Committee has submitted a report which updates Council on the activities of scrutiny and other non-executive Councillors and the implementation of recommendations since the last meeting of Council.

Council is invited to comment on and note the report.

Council had before it the report of the Scrutiny Committee Chair.

Councillor Gant moved the report and thanked the Board Members for their positive engagement with the work of the Committee and the Scrutiny Officer and Committee Services Officer for their support.

Council resolved to note the report without comment.

This item has a time limit of 60 minutes.

The full text of motions received by the Head of Law and Governance in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 11.17 by the deadline of 1.00pm on 10 July 2017 is below. Motions will be taken in turn from the Green, Labour and Liberal Democrat groups in that order.

Substantive amendments to these motions must be sent by councillors to the Head of Law and Governance by no later than 10.00am on 19 July 2017 so that they may be circulated with the briefing note.

Minor technical or limited wording amendments may be submitted during the meeting but must be written down and circulated.

Council is asked to consider the following motions:

a)     Support a Fair Voting System

b)     Tackling hate crime

c)     Air quality in the city centre

d)     Seacourt Park and Ride Extension

e)     Oxford Cycling Safety

f)      Fair employment: voluntary charter “Dying to Work”

Council had before it six motions on notice and amendments submitted in accordance with Council procedure rule 11.17 and published with the agenda and briefing note, and reached decisions as set out below.

At the start of this agenda item the Lord Mayor sought Council’s agreement to change the order of the motions to consider Oxford Cycling Safety before Seacourt Park and Ride.  Council agreed this request.

Council adopted motions as set out in these minutes:

a.    Support a Fair Voting System.

b.    Tackling Hate Crime.

c.    Oxford Cycling Safety.

Three motions were not taken as the time for debate had elapsed:

d.    Air quality in the city centre.

e.    Seacourt Park and Ride extension.

f.     Fair employment: voluntary charter “Dying to Work”

Proposed by Councillor Brandt, seconded by Councillor Simmons

 Green member motion

This Council believes that a parliament which more accurately reflects the views of the nation, enabling people to feel that their votes count, is more likely to develop an economic, social and environmental agenda that benefits Oxford’s residents.

Furthermore, Council recognises that a robust democracy must include a fair voting system and that nobody should be disenfranchised because of where they live.

Following the recent general election, this Council agrees that the 'First Past the Post' voting system:

1.    has again failed to live up to its reputation to provide strong and stable government;

2.    has again yielded a wildly disproportionate allocation of seats with, for example, the Democratic Unionist Party gaining 10 seats from 292,316 votes compared with 12 seats from 2.4 million votes for the Liberal Democrats;

3.    has spectacularly failed to match votes to seats with 27,930 votes required to elect one MP from the Scottish National Party compared with 525,371 votes to elect one Green Party MP, thus rendering some people with more valuable votes than others.

This Council:

1.    applauds the many groups and organisations campaigning for fair votes including the Electoral Reform Society, Make Votes Matter, the Labour Campaign for Electoral Reform [1] and Liberal Democrats for Electoral Reform.

2.    notes that the Single Transferable Vote system is already used for local elections in Scotland and in both Northern Irish local elections and the Northern Ireland Assembly while proportional electoral systems are used to elect the devolved parliaments and assemblies in Scotland, Wales and London.

This Council therefore:

1.     calls for the introduction of a proportional voting system for local elections in England and Wales;

2.     calls on the Leader of the Council to send a copy of this motion to Oxford’s two MPs as well as to the Leaders of all political parties represented in the UK Parliament.

[1] The Labour Campaign for Elector Reform in 2017 published The Many, Not the Few – Proportional Representation and Labour in the 21st Century, which states 76% of Labour voters are committed to changing to PR and 5% are against.

Councillor Brandt proposed her submitted motion as set out in the briefing note, seconded by Councillor Simmons.

Councillor Gant proposed the amendment submitted by Councillor Wade as set out in the briefing note; Councillor Altaf-Khan seconded the amendment.

Council debated the motion and the amendment.

Council, after motions to suspend the relevant standing orders were moved, seconded and agreed, voted on the submitted amendment in 3 parts as detailed below:

2a)    calls for District and City Councils to be given the power to introduce a system of their own choosing; and

2b)    for Oxford City Council to introduce a proportional system; and

3)      calls for the franchise to be extended to sixteen and seventeen year olds, which would recognize the growing political awareness of this demographic – 1.5 million people nationwide.

Council agreed to amend the motion to remove parts 2a) and 2b) and to add part 3).

Council, after motions to suspend the relevant standing orders were moved, seconded and agreed, then voted on the amended motion in two parts:

1)    calls for the introduction of a proportional voting system for local elections in England and Wales; and

2)    calls for the franchise to be extended to sixteen and seventeen year olds, which would recognize the growing political awareness of this demographic – 1.5 million people nationwide; and

3)    calls on the Leader of the Council to send a copy of this motion to Oxford’s two MPs as well as to the Leaders of all political parties represented in the UK Parliament. 

Council agreed to amend the motion to remove part 1) and to retain parts 2) and 3).

Council resolved to adopt the following motion:

This Council believes that a parliament which more accurately reflects the views of the nation, enabling people to feel that their votes count, is more likely to develop an economic, social and environmental agenda that benefits Oxford’s residents.

Furthermore, Council recognises that a robust democracy must include a fair voting system and that nobody should be disenfranchised because of where they live.

Following the recent general election, this Council agrees that the 'First Past the Post' voting system:

1.    has again failed to live up to its reputation to provide strong and stable government;

2.    has again yielded a wildly disproportionate allocation of seats with, for example, the Democratic Unionist Party gaining 10 seats from 292,316 votes compared with 12 seats from 2.4 million votes for the Liberal Democrats;

3.    has spectacularly failed to match votes to seats with 27,930 votes required to elect one MP from the Scottish National Party compared with 525,371 votes to elect one Green Party MP, thus rendering some people with more valuable votes than others.

This Council:

1.      applauds the many groups and organisations campaigning for fair votes including the Electoral Reform Society, Make Votes Matter, the Labour Campaign for Electoral Reform [1] and Liberal Democrats for Electoral Reform.

2.      notes that the Single Transferable Vote system is already used for local elections in Scotland and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 28a

Proposed by Councillor Hayes

Labour member motion

We all have the right to be treated without discrimination. Council is gravely concerned with reports of a significant increase in racially motivated crimes in Oxford, and across the country, in the year since the referendum vote to leave the European Union. Regardless of how anyone voted in that referendum, all acts of hatred are unacceptable. Council takes pride in Oxford’s diversity and community cohesion and condemns all acts of racism, xenophobia, and homophobia.

The overwhelming response of Oxford’s citizens to these events has been to condemn them. Communities across Oxford have joined together to stress our common values of tolerance and unity.

This Council is committed to working with all our partners to challenge prejudice and intimidation, and will always take incidents of hate crime extremely seriously. We are also committed to ensuring that every person living and working in Oxford can feel that they are valued members of the community. Our city welcomes people from all over the world, in particular those EU nationals who are concerned about their rights and futures in the face of the British Government’s drive to a hard Brexit.

Council notes with concern that the longest prison sentence that a court can give for homophobic, transphobic or disability common assault is six months. This prison sentence length is a quarter of the two-year maximum for race and faith common assault. Council regrets that some groups should be seen as more worthy of protection than others, and is concerned that a hierarchy of hate crime undermines may victim confidence in the law.

Council urges everybody to report hate crime to the police if they experience or witness it. Reporting hate crime when it happens will help to stop it happening to somebody else. Without knowing that hate crime has been taking place, the police and other bodies cannot help to keep our communities safe. Reporting hate crime helps the police and those bodies to have a clear picture of the level of hate crime in Oxford and make the right decisions to stop it happening again.

This Council asks the Leader of Oxford City Council:

1.    to write to the Prime Minister with a request for an independent review of hate crime legislation, including measures to tackle online hatred and abuse.

2.    to invite the Police and Crime Commissioner for the Thames Valley region to personally update Oxford City councillors on the practical measures that are being taken to fight hate crime, including overcoming possible barriers to reporting hate crime.

3.    to also make this update available to the public.

This Council asks the City Executive Board:

1.    to work with local organisations to raise awareness of hate crime and how to report it, starting this year.

Councillor Hayes proposed his submitted motion as set out in the briefing note.  He said that he would accept the amendment proposed by Councillor Thomas set out in the briefing note.

Councillor Azad seconded the amended motion.

After debate and on being put to the vote, the amended motion was declared carried.

Council agreed the following motion as amended:

We all have the right to be treated without discrimination. Council is gravely concerned with reports of a significant increase in racially motivated crimes in Oxford, and across the country, in the year since the referendum vote to leave the European Union. Regardless of how anyone voted in that referendum, all acts of hatred are unacceptable. Council takes pride in Oxford’s diversity and community cohesion and condemns all acts of racism, xenophobia, and homophobia.

The overwhelming response of Oxford’s citizens to these events has been to condemn them. Communities across Oxford have joined together to stress our common values of tolerance and unity.

This Council is committed to working with all our partners to challenge prejudice and intimidation, and will always take incidents of hate crime extremely seriously. We are also committed to ensuring that every person living and working in Oxford can feel that they are valued members of the community. Our city welcomes people from all over the world, in particular those EU nationals who are concerned about their rights and futures in the face of the British Government’s drive to a hard Brexit.

Council notes with concern that the longest prison sentence that a court can give for homophobic, transphobic or disability common assault is six months. This prison sentence length is a quarter of the two-year maximum for race and faith common assault. Council regrets that some groups should be seen as more worthy of protection than others, and is concerned that a hierarchy of hate crime undermines many victim’s confidence in the law.

Council urges everybody to report hate crime to the police if they experience or witness it. Reporting hate crime when it happens will help to stop it happening to somebody else. Without knowing that hate crime has been taking place, the police and other bodies cannot help to keep our communities safe. Reporting hate crime helps the police and those bodies to have a clear picture of the level of hate crime in Oxford and make the right decisions to stop it happening again.

This Council asks the Leader of Oxford City Council:

1.      to write to the Prime Minister with a request for an independent review of hate crime legislation, including measures to tackle online hatred and abuse.

2.      to invite the Police and Crime Commissioner for the Thames Valley region to personally update Oxford City councillors on the practical measures that are being taken to fight hate crime, including overcoming possible barriers to reporting hate crime.

3.      to also make this update available to the public.

This Council asks the City Executive Board:

1.      to work with local organisations  ...  view the full minutes text for item 28b

Proposed by Councillor Upton, seconded by Councillor Wolff

Labour member motion

Council notes with great sadness the death of cyclist Claudia Comberti on a road in our city earlier this year.

We recognise the huge benefits that increased cycling rates would have for our city, in terms of reduced pollution and congestion, increased levels of physical activity, and equality of access. To achieve this we need to make cycling safer.

Council notes with concern that, to date, Oxfordshire County Council has failed to access a single penny of funding to which it is entitled from the national cycling safety “Bikeability“ fund.

Council supports the City’s on-going commitment to encouraging cycling and promoting safety, and welcomes the recent initiative to declare itself a “Cycling City”. 

In the spirit of this commitment, we therefore call on:

1.    the Leader of the City Council to write to the Leader of the County Council to ask that the County Council applies for the maximum level of funding it is entitled to from the Bikeability fund, and commits to ensure a fair portion is spent in the city.

2.    the City Executive Board to commit to facilitating this spending if necessary.

3.    the Leader of the City Council to ask the County Council to send us their 10-year plan for improving the cycling infrastructure in Oxford to make it a safer place to bike for everyone.

With the agreement of Council the order of proceedings was varied and this motion was considered before the motion at Minute 29d.

Councillor Upton proposed her submitted motion set out in the briefing note.  She said that she would accept the amendment set out in the briefing note proposed by Councillor Wade.

Councillor Wolff seconded the amended motion.

On being put to the vote, the amended motion was declared carried.

Council resolved to agree the following motion:

Council notes with great sadness the death of cyclist Claudia Comberti on a road in our city earlier this year.

We recognise the huge benefits that increased cycling rates would have for our city, in terms of reduced pollution and congestion, increased levels of physical activity, and equality of access. To achieve this we need to make cycling safer.

Council notes with concern that, to date, Oxfordshire County Council has failed to access a single penny of funding to which it is entitled from the national cycling safety “Bikeability” fund.

Council notes the Department for Transport’s ‘Local Cycling and Walking infrastructure Plan Guidance’ (LCWIP) and specifically that the DfT invites Local Authorities to make use of the DfT’s technical support for developing plans, for integrating them into local policies and strategies, and for making the economic case for investment.

Council supports the City’s on-going commitment to encouraging cycling and promoting safety, and welcomes the recent initiative to declare itself a “Cycling City”. 

In the spirit of this commitment, we therefore call on:

1.      the Leader of the City Council to write to the Leader of the County Council to ask that the County Council applies for the maximum level of funding it is entitled to from the Bikeability fund, and commits to ensure a fair portion is spent in the city.

2.      the City Executive Board to take full advantage of the Department for Transport’s LCWIP guidance.

3.      the City Executive Board to commit to facilitating this spending if necessary.

4.      the Leader of the City Council to ask the County Council to send us their 10-year plan for improving the cycling infrastructure in Oxford to make it a safer place to bike for everyone.

Proposed by Councillor Wade

Liberal Democrat member motion

This Council notes:

1)    the County’s proposals for an experimental Queen Street pedestrianisation plan and associated transport improvements

2)    the NICE guideline published 30 June 2017 on Air Pollution which makes, inter alia, the following recommendation: “when ‘plan making’ … county, district and unitary authorities … consider …avoiding the creation of street and building configurations (such as deep street canyons) that encourage pollution to build up where people spend time.”

This Council is concerned that this pedestrianisation project, on which ‘Oxfordshire County Council is working closely with the Westgate Oxford Alliance’, has not properly taken into account the effect on Air Quality in St Aldates, The High St and Cornmarket, of new bus routes, bus lay over bays and a changed taxi rank.

This Council is committed to improving Air Quality in Oxford and therefore calls upon the City Executive Board to ask officers:

1.    to set up additional air quality monitoring stations in Queen Street, Cornmarket (south end) and The High Street (west end) to aid evaluation of environmental impact throughout the ‘experimental’ period

2.    to provide figures for air quality pollution in St Aldates and The High Street over the last 12 months for comparison purposes with results from existing and additional air quality monitoring stations over the next 18 months.

This motion was not taken as the allowed time had elapsed.

Proposed by Councillor Simmons, seconded by Councillor Thomas

Green member motion

Council notes the decision at the last budget to spend approximately £4m in extending Seacourt Park & Ride.

In line with our duty to consider social value, Council notes that the opportunity social costs of the £4m expenditure for the extension of the Seacourt Park & Ride has not yet been tested. Neither has the impact or need for the extension been assessed as part of a comprehensive transport demand study.

This Council therefore calls on the City Executive Board to withhold any further work on the proposed Seacourt extension until:

a)     completing a transport demand study to determine the need and impact of the planned Seacourt P&R extension.

b)     assessing the relative social impacts of foregoing the Seacourt P&R extension and instead investing in affordable housing, green energy and community facilities.

This motion was not taken as the allowed time had elapsed.

Proposed by Councillor Wilkinson

Liberal Democrat member motion

This Council seeks to provide support and guidance to all its employees. In its Fair Employment Statement published in October 2016, the Rights and Responsibilities section makes it clear that:

“Every employee and potential employee has the right to be treated with dignity and respect and not to be discriminated against, victimised, bullied or harassed or to be treated less favourably than any other on any basis of any protected characteristic.”

It is acknowledged that unforeseen events can affect the lives of council workers, and that it is important that the Council does all that it can to maintain the dignity of staff who have been diagnosed with a terminal illness.

Council notes that the TUC’s Dying to Work campaign includes a voluntary charter for employers to sign which sets out an agreed way in which their employees will be supported, protected and guided through their employment, following a terminal diagnosis.

The charter states the following:

·         We recognise that terminal illness requires support and understanding and not additional and avoidable stress and worry.

·         Terminally ill workers will be secure in the knowledge that we will support them following their diagnosis and we recognise that, safe and reasonable work can help maintain dignity, offer a valuable distraction and can be therapeutic in itself.

·         We will provide our employees with the security of work, peace of mind and the right to choose the best course of action for themselves and their families which helps them through this challenging period with dignity and without undue financial loss.

Council notes that a significant number of other city councils have signed up to this charter including Birmingham, Leicester, Liverpool and Sheffield.

This Council supports the TUC’s Dying to Work campaign so that all employees battling terminal illness have adequate employment protection and have their death in service benefits protected for the loved ones they leave behind.

Council therefore asks that Oxford City Council signs the Dying to Work voluntary charter to show its on-going commitment to supporting rights and responsibilities towards its staff and to bring back to Council any consequential changes to policy.

It further requests that the City Council informs Oxfordshire County Council and the other district councils in Oxfordshire of its actions so that they may consider whether to follow its example.

This motion was not taken as the allowed time had elapsed.