Watch the film of the Council meeting

Minute 50 (a): Councillor Turner left the room and took no part in the debate or decision on this item as it concerned matters relevant to his secondment to The Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Minute 50 (d): Councillor Brown declared that, while the motion did not affect her disclosable pecuniary interest as an employee of the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust, to avoid any appearance of impropriety she would leave the chamber and take no part in the debate.

Minute 50 (d): Councillor Tarver stated for the record that although he was an employee of the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust, his role did not encompass parking and he did not use the parking facilities and so he had no declarable interest. He would remain in the chamber and take part in the debate.

Minutes of the ordinary meeting of Council held on 22 July 2019.

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

Council agreed to approve as a true and correct record the minutes of the ordinary meeting held on 22 July 2019.

The Head of Law and Governance has not been notified of any resignations from committees or changes of membership requested by group leaders.

Any proposed changes will be circulated with the briefing note.

There were no changes to committee memberships.

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 his main civic events since the Annual Council meeting, including attending the St Giles Fair.

He reminded councillors of Remembrance Sunday events on 10 November 2019.

The Lord Mayor asked the City Rector, Rev Anthony Buckley, to speak about his work in the city.

The Sheriff announced the events he had attended, including the annual cattle round up on Port Meadow and the National Association of City & Town Sheriffs of England & Wales AGM held in Oxford.

The Leader of the Council announced that she would attend the South Oxfordshire District Council meeting to speak about the impact on the city and wider county should they agree their Cabinet’s recommendations on their Local Plan.

The Chief Executive notified Council of the arrangements on 14 October for the funeral at Christchurch of PC Andrew Harper, killed while on duty in August 2019.

Public addresses and questions to the Leader or other Cabinet member received in accordance with Council Procedure Rules 11.12, 11.13, and 11.14 relating to matters for decision in Part 1 of this agenda.

The request to speak accompanied by the full text of the address or question must be received by the Head of Law and Governance by 5.00 pm on Tuesday 1 October 2019.

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 addresses or questions.

The Head of Housing has submitted a report to seek approval to increase the capital budget envelope for the Floyds Row project; to delegate authority to commission further capital works; and to commission the service contract to operate services from this new project to Cabinet on 3 October 2019.

Cabinet’s decision will be reported to Council.

Councillor Linda Smith, Cabinet Member for Leisure and Housing, will present the report.

Recommendations: Cabinet recommends that Council:

1.    revise the capital budget for this project, to take the capital envelope of the project to £1,892,300, including contingencies, as outlined in Appendix 3 Option A, increasing the budget by £1,134k. Noting grant funding already secured of £275k capital funding from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), and £100k from Public Health England, which will reduce the funding requirement from the Council’s 2019/20 capital programme accordingly, and noting that additional external funding contributions are being progressed from a variety of sources, including the MHCLG; Oxfordshire District and County Councils; the Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group and other charitable sources;

2.    make budget provision for the gross revenue costs of providing Floyds Row in the sum of £1.069 million in 2019-20 funded by grants and contributions.

Councillors Corais and Gotch arrived during this item.

Council considered a report of the Head of Housing submitted to Cabinet on 3 October 2019 seeking approval to increase the capital budget envelope for the Floyds Row project; to delegate authority to commission further capital works; and to commission the service contract to operate services from this new project.

Councillor Linda Smith, the Cabinet Member for Leisure and Housing, presented the report and answered questions. She moved the recommendations, which were agreed on being seconded and put to the vote.

Council resolved to:

1.    revise the capital budget for this project, to take the capital envelope of the project to £1,892,300, including contingencies, as outlined in Appendix 3 Option A, increasing the budget by £1,134k. (Noting grant funding already secured of £275k capital funding from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), and £100k from Public Health England, which will reduce the funding requirement from the Council’s 2019/20 capital programme accordingly, and noting that additional external funding contributions are being progressed from a variety of sources, including the MHCLG; Oxfordshire District and County Councils; the Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group and other charitable sources); and

2.    make budget provision for the gross revenue costs of providing Floyds Row in the sum of £1.069 million in 2019-20 funded by grants and contributions.

The Head of Regulatory Services and Community Safety submitted a report on responses to the public consultation on the Street Trading Policy review 2019 and the proposed Street Trading Policy, to take effect from 1 April 2020, to the General Purposes Licensing Committee on 18 September2019.

The Committee resolved to accept the recommendations in the report and to approve the Street Trading Policy. The report is attached and the minutes of this meeting are available  here.

Councillor Clarkson, the Chair of the Committee, will present the report.

Recommendation: the General Purposes Licensing Committee recommends that Council adopt the Street Trading Policy 2019 attached as Appendix B to the report.

Council considered a report of the Head of Regulatory Services and Community Safety to the General Purposes Licensing Committee on 18 September2019 setting out the proposed Street Trading Policy, to take effect from 1 April 2020.

Councillor Clarkson, the Chair of the Committee, presented the report and moved the recommendations, which were agreed on being seconded and put to the vote.

Council resolved to adopt the Street Trading Policy 2019 attached as Appendix B to the report.

The Monitoring Officer has submitted a report asking Council to approve the appointment of the council’s independent persons.

Councillor Aziz, the Chair of the Standards Committee, will present the details of the proposed appointments.

Recommendation: Council is recommended to

1.    approve the appointment of the council’s independent persons for a term of five years to 31 October 2024 and

2.    delegate authority to the Monitoring Officer to make the necessary arrangements.

Council considered a report of the Monitoring Officer asking Council to approve the appointment of the council’s independent persons.

Council noted that due to the availability of applicants and suitable interview dates, it had not been possible to complete all the interviews before this meeting. A recommendation as to suitable appointments could not be made until these were completed.

Consequently, new recommendations had been circulated to councillors in the briefing note.

As the Committee Chair was not present, Councillor Pressel, the Vice-Chair of the Standards Committee, presented and moved these new recommendations, which were agreed on being seconded and put to the vote.

Council resolved to extend the term of the current independent persons by a further month to 30 November 2019 to allow the recruitment process to conclude, and to consider the outcome and recommendations at its next meeting.

This item has a time limit of 15 minutes.

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

Council had before it the minutes of Cabinet meetings of 11 September 2019.

Minute 58:

Councillor Wolff asked how much had been written off in total as a result of the Icelandic banking crash in 2008.

Nigel Kennedy, S151 officer, reported the sum written off was £170k from an initial investment of between £4.5m (figures confirmed after the meeting.

Questions on notice from councillors received in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 11.11(b).

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

The full text of questions must have been received by the Head of Law and Governance by no later than 1.00pm on Wednesday 25 September 2019.

All questions submitted by the deadline are published as a supplement with the agenda.

This will be replaced by the full briefing note giving the questions and written responses where available.

40 written questions were asked of the Cabinet members and Leader, and these and written responses were published before the meeting.

These along with summaries of the supplementary questions and responses asked and given at the meeting are set out in the printed pack of these minutes.

1.    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.

Submitted to this meeting on behalf of the Cabinet Member for Zero Carbon Oxford: report on theOxfordshire Environment Partnership accompanied by report and appendices for Cabinet on 11 September 2019.

2.    The programme of reporting at future meetings is proposed to be:

25 Nov 2019                         Oxfordshire Health and Wellbeing Board

Oxfordshire Health Improvement Board

27 Jan 2020             Oxfordshire Partnerships – covering the smaller partnerships, and larger partnerships not covered in this year.

30 March 2020         Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership

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 Thursday 3 October 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.

With Council’s consent this item was taken before the break.

Council had before it the report of the Cabinet Member for Zero Carbon Oxford on the work of the Oxfordshire Environment Partnership including the report to Cabinet and the Oxfordshire’s Resources and Waste Strategy for Oxfordshire 2018-2023.

Councillor Hayes introduced the report and answered questions.

He drew Council’s attention to the reasons and the proposed arrangements for re-instating the Oxfordshire Waste Partnership. Most Oxfordshire Councils were of the view that waste management and recycling was a key part of reducing the impact on the environment and climate. The Oxfordshire’s Resources and Waste Strategy for Oxfordshire 2018-2023, adopted by Cabinet, had been prepared to improve waste management in response to the Climate Emergency.

Council noted the report.

Public addresses and questions to the Leader or other Cabinet member received in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 11.12, 11.13 and 11.14 and not related to matters for decision in Part 1 of this agenda.

The request to speak accompanied by the full text of the address or question must be received by the Head of Law and Governance by 5.00 pm on Tuesday 1 October 2019.

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.

Councillors Goddard, McManners and Linda Smith left at the start of this item. Councillors Iley-Williamson and Turner arrived after the break and for the start of this item.

There were four addresses and one question to Council.

1.    South Oxfordshire District Councillor Alexandrine Kantor gave a speech in support of Motion (a) Supporting EU nationals.

2.    Zile Huma gave a speech about the humanitarian crises in Jammu and Kashmir.

3.    Henry Owen from the Community Action Groups Project gave a speech in support of Motion (c ) Community Wealth.

4.    Judith Harley asked a question about Oxford Direct Services review of its property portfolio and its plans to vacate the Cowley Marsh depot.

5.    Judith Harley gave a speech supporting retaining the William Morris Sports Field as a sports field.

The full text of these speeches read as submitted; responses from the Cabinet members in writing before the meeting; and summaries of any verbal responses given at the meeting are set out in the printed pack of these minutes.

The Chair of the Scrutiny Committee will update Council on the activities of scrutiny and the implementation of recommendations since the last meeting of Council.

Report attached: Scrutiny Committee work plan October 2019

Report to be circulated with the briefing note: 2018/19 Annual Report of Oxford City Council’s Scrutiny Committee

(to be agreed at the Scrutiny Committee meeting on 1 October)

Council is invited to comment on and note the work plan and the annual report.

With Council’s consent this item was taken before the break.

The Chair of the Scrutiny Committee updated Council on the committee’s work plan for the year ahead. He also presented the committee’ annual report for 2018/19, noting that this would be finalised and published on the council’s website.

Council noted the committee’s work plan for 2019/20 and the annual report for 2018/19.

This item has a time limit of 60 minutes.

Motions received by the Head of Law and Governance in accordance with Council Procedure Rules by the deadline of 1.00pm on Wednesday 25 September 2019 are listed below.

Motions will be taken in turn from the Liberal Democrat, Green, Labour groups, then from an independent member, 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 Friday 4 October 2019 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)  Supporting EU nationals  (proposed by Councillor Gant)

(b)  Responding to the youth-led climate strikes (proposed by Councillor Wolff, seconded by Councillor Henwood)

(c)  Community Wealth (proposed by Councillor Howlett, seconded by Councillor Turner)

(d)  John Radcliffe Hospital Parking (proposed by Councillor Haines, seconded by Councillor Harris)

(e)  Expanding Car Free Day (proposed by Councillor Wolff, seconded by Councillor Simmons)

(f)   Multilateral Nuclear disarmament (proposed by Councillor Tanner, seconded by Councillor Rush)

(g)  Support second EU membership referendum (proposed by Councillor Henwood, seconded by Councillor Wolff)

Council had before it six motions on notice submitted in accordance with Council procedure rules and reached decisions as set out below.

Council resolved to adopt the following motions as set out in these minutes:

a)    Supporting EU nationals

b)    Responding to the youth-led climate strikes

c)    Community Wealth

d)    John Radcliffe Hospital Parking

The following motions were not taken as the time allocated for debate had elapsed:

e)    Expanding Car Free Days

f)     Multilateral nuclear disarmament

g)    Support second EU membership referendum

Proposed by Councillor Gant

Liberal Democrat member motion

Council notes that EU nationals are part of our shared communities. They are our husbands, wives, parents, friends and colleagues. They are an integral part of a vibrant and thriving Oxfordshire.

Since 2016 EU nationals were promised again and again that "there will be no change for EU citizens already lawfully resident in the UK and […] will be treated no less favourably as they are at present”.

After three years of living in limbo, their homes and livelihoods are yet again being threatened by the further uncertainty brought about by the prospect of an even more chaotic no-deal Brexit.

According to the Home Office’s June statistics, only a third of EU nationals have applied for the Settled Status and 42% of them have been granted the inferior Pre-Settled status leading them to reapply for the Settled status later on. There is no possibility to know how many EU nationals need to apply, leaving vulnerable and unaware EU nationals left at risk of becoming unlawful residents at the mercy of the Home Office’s Hostile Environment. Lack of clarity regarding differentiating between EU citizens arriving before and after the UK’s exit from the EU will likely lead to discrimination in the labour market and will prevent many from accessing the services that they are entitled to.

Another Windrush-like scandal is unfolding right before the eyes of this Council and we mustn’t be passive observers to it.

Therefore, the Council asks that:

1.    Officers undertake an urgent review of how a disorderly exit from the EU is likely to affect EU nationals accessing services provided by the Council (licensing, benefits etc)

2.    Officers report on how the Council can mitigate adverse impacts on the rights of EU nationals (including but not limited to advising on what the Council can do to help landlords and employers to be trained on immigration status and therefore avoid potential discrimination against EU nationals)

3.    The Leader of the Council writes to the Home Secretary to ask that the current European Settlement Scheme is clarified by:

• Providing a clear deadline for application to the EUSS in case of no-deal exit from the EU.
• Providing those with settled status with physical proof that can be used to access services.
• Confirming that there will be no changes to the rights of settled EU citizens that they currently have by ratifying the Immigration Bill as primary legislation before the exit day
• Replacing the current European Settlement scheme with a registration scheme without a deadline where EU citizens are considered legally settled by default and can request a proof of immigration status only when they are asked to demonstrate it.

Councillor Turner left the meeting for the debate and decision on this motion.

Councillor Garden, seconded by Councillor Gotch, proposed the submitted motion as set out in the agenda and briefing note.

After debate and on being put to the vote the motion was agreed.

Council resolved to adopt the following motion:

Council notes that EU nationals are part of our shared communities. They are our husbands, wives, parents, friends and colleagues. They are an integral part of a vibrant and thriving Oxfordshire.

Since 2016 EU nationals were promised again and again that "there will be no change for EU citizens already lawfully resident in the UK and […] will be treated no less favourably as they are at present”.

After three years of living in limbo, their homes and livelihoods are yet again being threatened by the further uncertainty brought about by the prospect of an even more chaotic no-deal Brexit.

According to the Home Office’s June statistics, only a third of EU nationals have applied for the Settled Status and 42% of them have been granted the inferior Pre-Settled status leading them to reapply for the Settled status later on. There is no possibility to know how many EU nationals need to apply, leaving vulnerable and unaware EU nationals left at risk of becoming unlawful residents at the mercy of the Home Office’s Hostile Environment. Lack of clarity regarding differentiating between EU citizens arriving before and after the UK’s exit from the EU will likely lead to discrimination in the labour market and will prevent many from accessing the services that they are entitled to.

Another Windrush-like scandal is unfolding right before the eyes of this Council and we mustn’t be passive observers to it.

Therefore, the Council asks that:

1.            Officers undertake an urgent review of how a disorderly exit from the EU is likely to affect EU nationals accessing services provided by the Council (licensing, benefits etc).

2.            Officers report on how the Council can mitigate adverse impacts on the rights of EU nationals (including but not limited to advising on what the Council can do to help landlords and employers to be trained on immigration status and therefore avoid potential discrimination against EU nationals).

3.            The Leader of the Council writes to the Home Secretary to ask that the current European Settlement Scheme is clarified by:

a.    Providing a clear deadline for application to the EUSS in case of no-deal exit from the EU.

b.    Providing those with settled status with physical proof that can be used to access services.

c.    Confirming that there will be no changes to the rights of settled EU citizens that they currently have by ratifying the Immigration Bill as primary legislation before the exit day.

d.    Replacing the current European Settlement scheme with a registration scheme without a deadline where EU citizens are considered legally settled by default and can request a proof of immigration status only when they are asked to demonstrate it.

Proposed by Councillor Wolff, seconded by Councillor Henwood

Green member motion

Council welcomes and supports the youth-led climate strikes that took place in September around the world. The march in Oxford on 20 September was one of the largest gatherings in the City's history and enjoyed cross-party support. Council wishes to place on record its support for the climate strikers and our admiration for their commitment and determination.

Council has already recognised the climate emergency and established a Citizen's Assembly, which is on-going, to engage residents in the inevitable de-carbonisation of our economy that must happen over the next few decades. 

Council therefore asks the Cabinet to work with Scrutiny to establish and properly resource a Climate Emergency standing panel that will both take forward any recommendations arising from the Citizen's Assembly, review existing policies in the light of the declared Climate Emergency and support the development of new carbon mitigation and reduction policies where necessary.

Council also asks the Leader to write to Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Education & Cultural Services, to request that she contacts Oxford's schools setting out our support for the youth strikers and our request that absenteeism from school to attend climate strikes is treated leniently.

Councillor Turner re-joined the meeting.

Council had before it the original text of the motion proposed by Councillor Wolff (set out in the agenda and briefing note) and amendments proposed by Councillors Gant, Hayes, and Upton (set out in the briefing note).

Councillor Wolff drafted a new text for the motion as set out below. This incorporated elements of the original motion and two of the three amendments in the briefing note. This was tabled for all councillors to consider.

Councillor Wolff, seconded by Councillor Henwood, proposed this new text for their submitted motion as set out below.

Councillors Hayes and Gant withdrew their amendments.

Councillor Upton, seconded by Councillor Simm, proposed her amendment to the new text of the motion. After debate and on being put to the vote the amendment was declared lost.

After debate and on being put to the vote the motion as set out below (as revised and tabled at the meeting) was agreed.

Council resolved to adopt the following motion:

Council welcomes and supports the youth-led climate strikes that took place in September around the world. The march in Oxford on 20th September was one of the largest gatherings in the City's history and enjoyed cross-party support. Council wishes to place on record its support for the climate strikers and our admiration for their commitment and determination.

Council has already recognised the climate emergency and established a Citizen's Assembly, which is on-going, to engage residents in the inevitable de-carbonisation of our economy that must happen over the next few decades. 

Council notes that the Scrutiny function is independent and can and does give serious and detailed attention to selecting matters to consider, and that Council as a whole cannot and does not wish to influence that process. Council also notes that resource for panels and other functions is set as part of the budget process.

Council also notes and welcomes initiatives taken by a number of councils recently, and encourages further close co-operation and learning from best practice.

Council therefore asks the Cabinet to:

1.    Establish a Climate Advisory Group to support all-member engagement to build on the aims of the Citizens’ Assembly; to engage the public in the issue; and bring recommendations to the Cabinet on how best to use its powers of control and influence to meet the Climate Emergency across the City Council and the city of Oxford; noting  that this does not pre-empt the outcome of the Citizen’s Assembly;

2.    Ask officers to report back to Cabinet on the financial and constitutional issues.

Council also asks the Leader to write to Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Education & Cultural Services, to request that she contacts Oxford's schools setting out our support for the youth strikers and our request that absenteeism from school to attend climate strikes is treated leniently.

Proposed by Councillor Howlett, seconded by Councillor Turner

Labour member motion

Council notes:

·         That Oxford City Council was the first UK local authority to pay a Living Wage, pays the Oxford Living Wage, spends around 50% with small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), spends over 70% with local suppliers, and operates a higher level of support for the local voluntary sector than that of many other districts.  It has agreed to include a social value element in non-OJEU procurement activity and apply the Green Public Procurement Policy, and it has appointed a Co-operatives Champion.

·         That the Community Wealth Building (CWB) model has had success in Preston in uniting the city’s key employers and procurers (known as ‘anchor institutions’) to reorganise their supply chains and identify where they could buy goods and services locally, showing what can be achieved by effective local leadership.

·         While Oxford’s economy is relatively buoyant, high levels of inequality and concentrations of poverty make a focus on adding social value crucial for our city.

Council believes:

·         That there is potential for our City Council to work alongside  other ‘anchor institutions’ in Oxford in using our spending powers to forge a local economy that shares wealth and power more equally and puts environmental sustainability at its heart, and this work is making good progress under the Inclusive Employer Task Group strand of the Oxford Strategic Partnership.

·         There are clear benefits to co-operation and substantial growth in the sector provides a true alternative to business as usual.

Council resolves to:

·         Explore with leading Oxford employers how they can together target our significant procurement spend to achieve social and environmental goals, and monitor its impact.

·         Work to ensure that public spend in Oxford maximises the achievement of social value, including in the activity of City Council-owned companies.

·         Request an update report from the relevant officer to Cabinet and Council within six months of this meeting.

Councillor Howlett, seconded by Councillor Turner, proposed the submitted motion as set out in the agenda and briefing note.

After debate and on being put to the vote the motion was agreed.

Council resolved to adopt the following motion:

Council notes:

·         That Oxford City Council was the first UK local authority to pay a Living Wage, pays the Oxford Living Wage, spends around 50% with small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), spends over 70% with local suppliers, and operates a higher level of support for the local voluntary sector than that of many other districts.  It has agreed to include a social value element in non-OJEU procurement activity and apply the Green Public Procurement Policy, and it has appointed a Co-operatives Champion.

·         That the Community Wealth Building (CWB) model has had success in Preston in uniting the city’s key employers and procurers (known as ‘anchor institutions’) to reorganise their supply chains and identify where they could buy goods and services locally, showing what can be achieved by effective local leadership.

·         While Oxford’s economy is relatively buoyant, high levels of inequality and concentrations of poverty make a focus on adding social value crucial for our city.

Council believes:

·         That there is potential for our City Council to work alongside  other ‘anchor institutions’ in Oxford in using our spending powers to forge a local economy that shares wealth and power more equally and puts environmental sustainability at its heart, and this work is making good progress under the Inclusive Employer Task Group strand of the Oxford Strategic Partnership.

·         There are clear benefits to co-operation and substantial growth in the sector provides a true alternative to business as usual.

Council resolves to:

·         Explore with leading Oxford employers how they can together target our significant procurement spend to achieve social and environmental goals, and monitor its impact.

·         Work to ensure that public spend in Oxford maximises the achievement of social value, including in the activity of City Council-owned companies.

·         Request an update report from the relevant officer to Cabinet and Council within six months of this meeting.

Proposed by Councillor Haines, seconded by Councillor Harris

Independent member motion

(Note: the Monitoring Officer has requested that an advice note on this motion is circulated with the Briefing Note)

Motion:

Council resolves to, in due course, undertake a review of the approach to car parking at the John Radcliffe hospital, in particular to review the guidelines regarding car parking capacity so as to allow for increased parking at the site or nearby

including

• to review the planning policy guidelines regarding car parking at the John Radcliffe hospital as part of a review of future planning polices in the Local Plan and/or
• as part of a comprehensive masterplan for the John Radcliffe hospital, and/or
• to promote a comprehensive review of the approach to parking at the John Radcliffe hospital as part of the Local transport strategy 5.

Reason:

It is grossly unfair on people who are sick and the friends and family of those wanting to urgently visit people in hospital to allow the current situation to continue.

An increase in parking capacity would:

• Reduce the congestion on local roads, freeing up the road network to other traffic including buses and ambulances;
• Reduce the pollution  inhaled by cyclists, pedestrians and local residents from vehicles queuing with engines running;
• Reduce lost time and missed appointments which cost the heath service a fortune;
• Make it easier for staff to access the hospital, helping to reduce staff shortages;
• Potentially increase parking revenue for the hospital trust from additional vehicle parking.

I hope this motion can be carried to allow us to resolve this long standing issue for now and in to the future, and to alleviate some of the problems that the public so clearly and desperately need resolving.

Councillor Brown, having declared a disclosable pecuniary interest, left the meeting for the debate and decision on this motion. Councillors Bely-Summers, Cook, and Lygo left the meeting at this point.

With Council’s agreement the Lord Mayor extended the time for debating motions to the end of this debate and vote.

Councillor Haines proposed his submitted motion, accepting the amendment proposed by Councillor Hollingsworth as set out in the briefing note. This was seconded by Councillor Harris.

After debate and on being put to the vote the motion as amended was agreed.

Council resolved to adopt the following motion:

Motion:

Council resolves to continue to work with the management of Oxford University Hospitals Trust as a matter of urgency to help them to undertake a review of the approach to sustainable transport at all the Trust’s sites including the John Radcliffe hospital, including a review of the Trust’s approach to the allocation of car parking capacity so as to allow for an increased proportion of parking at the sites for the disabled, patients and visitors, and for the operational needs of critical medical staff as part of a comprehensive masterplan for all the Trust’s sites in Headington including the John Radcliffe hospital, to promote a sustainable approach to transport to those sites as part of the Local Transport Strategy 5.

Reason:

It is grossly unfair on people who are sick and the friends and family of those wanting to urgently visit people in hospital to allow the current situation to continue. A comprehensive shift to more sustainable transport approaches would:

·         Reduce the congestion on local roads, freeing up the road network to other traffic including buses and ambulances;

·         Reduce the pollution inhaled by cyclists, pedestrians and local residents from vehicles queuing with engines running;

·         Reduce lost time and missed appointments which cost the health service a fortune;

·         Make it easier for staff to access the hospital, helping to reduce staff shortages;

I hope this motion can be carried to allow us to resolve this long standing issue for now and in to the future, and to alleviate some of the problems that the public so clearly and desperately need resolving.

Proposed by Councillor Wolff, seconded by Councillor Simmons

Green member motion

Council notes the success, despite the bad weather, of Oxford's first World Car Free Day on Sunday 22 September which closed off Broad Street to cars. Council notes the recent decisions by local Government in London, Edinburgh, Norwich and others to introduce more regular (in some cases monthly) ‘car free’ days covering one or more streets in urban areas and around schools.

Council notes (as set out by the organisation London Car Free Days) that car free days provide many benefits:

1. improved air quality
2. enhanced enjoyment of historic settings and improved visitor experience.
3. increased footfall and dwell times for local commerce.
4. raised ambition for further pedestrian-priority city streets and secondary centres.
5. encouragement for people to discover the pleasures of walking and cycling.
6. an opportunity for local authorities and other organisations to experiment with, and monitor the impact of, street closures as pilots for wider or more regular schemes.

Council therefore offers its support for the creation of regular Car Free Days in Oxford as part of its longer term plans for the City Centre, and other parts of the City, noting that this is also aligned with our ambitions to reduce the City's carbon footprint. 

Council therefore asks the Portfolio Holder for Planning and Sustainable Transport to liaise with the County Council and relevant community organisations with the goal of establishing regular Car Free Days in Oxford.

This motion was not taken as the time allowed for debate had finished.

Proposed by Councillor Tanner, seconded by Councillor Rush

Labour member motion

Oxford City Council has worked with other Nuclear Free Local Authorities (NFLA) for over three decades to promote multilateral nuclear disarmament.

Oxford City Council is particularly concerned about the huge cost to the taxpayer of nuclear weapons, the risk posed by the regular transport of nuclear weapons on Oxfordshire’s roads and the continued threat of nuclear war.

The Council welcomes the International Treaty to Prohibit Nuclear Weapons (TPNW).  Around two thirds (122) of United Nations members states have agreed the TPNW. 

Council regrets that the governments of existing nuclear weapon states, including the United Kingdom, refuse to support the treaty.

Oxford City Council calls on the U.K. Government to lead a global effort prevent nuclear war by:

• Renouncing the options of using nuclear weapons first;
• Cancelling the replacement of Trident nuclear weapons with enhanced weapons;
• Actively pursuing verifiable agreements among nuclear-armed countries to reduce, and then eliminate, their nuclear arsenals.

Oxford City Council asks the Chief Executive to write to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the U.K. Government and Oxford’s MPs to inform them of this resolution and urge them to take appropriate action.

This motion was not taken as the time allowed for debate had finished.

Proposed by Councillor Henwood, seconded by Councillor Wolff

Independent member motion

Council

1)    strongly condemns the politically-motivated proroguing of Parliament  - to stifle debate on Brexit - which left Oxford voters disenfranchised.

2)    recognises the divisions on Brexit - both within the City and Country - and wishes to re-state its support for a second referendum ⁽¹⁾ (now with Remain on the ballot paper) as the preferred way of resolving the current uncertainty

3)    stands in support of EU nationals who work or reside in the City - many of whom still face an uncertain future and commits to doing everything it can to assist them.

Council therefore

• requests the Leader to write to the City's MPs, now they have returned to Parliament, to campaign for a second referendum; and
• asks the Leader to help publicise information on the Europa Welcome service. 

(1) Motions on notice 23 July 2018 - Supporting a People's Vote on the final Brexit deal

This motion was not taken as the time allowed for debate had finished.