None.

Group Leaders may inform Council of any changes to their group’s allocation to seats on Council and joint committees.    

Cllr Brown, Leader of the Council, informed Council that:

the Council’s representative on the Oxfordshire Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee was now Cllr Nala Hartley.

Announcements relevant to matters on the agenda by:

1.               The Lord Mayor

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

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

The Lord Mayor invited the City Rector, Revd Anthony Buckley, to address Council. Revd Buckley congratulated new and returning councillors on their election.

Cllr Brown, Leader of the Council, reminded Council on behalf of the Group Leaders that in order to minimise the numbers attending, members of Council were encouraged to be absent once the required number for a quorum was met. This was solely because members were mindful of the continuing COVID pandemic and subsequent restrictions.

The Chief Executive reported receipt of notice of the formation of a new political group comprising Cllrs Malik and Haines and named the Independent Group. A report on group allocations to committees, taking account of the new group, would be brought to the July Council meeting.

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

Up to five minutes is available for each public address and up to three minutes for each question. Questions must be less than 200 words.

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 17 June 2021.

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 public speaking. Responses are included in this time.

There were no addresses or questions.

The Head of Planning Services submitted a report to Cabinet on 16 June 2021 proposing that Cabinet recommend to Council that the Wolvercote Neighbourhood Plan be “made”.

The Wolvercote Neighbourhood Plan 2019-2034 (referendum version), the version to be made, is attached as Appendix 1 of the Cabinet report.

A referendum held on 6 May 2021 and the result affirmed approved of the Wolvercote Neighbourhood Plan. Once approved at referendum, the Plan forms part of the statutory development plan and should be used to assess planning applications in the Wolvercote Neighbourhood Area.

The decision of Cabinet will be reported at the meeting.

Recommendations: Subject to the decision of Cabinet, Council is recommended to resolve:

1.        that the Wolvercote Neighbourhood Plan be “made”; and

2.        that the Head of Planning Services, after consultation with the Cabinet Member for Planning and Housing Delivery, be authorised to make any necessary editorial corrections to the Wolvercote Neighbourhood Plan prior to final publication. This will include a final desktop published version of the Wolvercote Neighbourhood Plan.

Council had before it the report of the Head of Planning Services to Cabinet on 16 June 2021 and the Wolvercote Neighbourhood Plan 2019-2034.

Cllr Hollingsworth, Cabinet Member for Planning and Housing Delivery, introduced the report which proposed the making of the third neighbourhood plan in the City.

He said this had been prepared by the Wolvercote Neighbourhood Forum, subject to independent examination and subsequently modified in line with recommendations made to ensure it was both sound and congruent with the policies in the Oxford Local Plan and the National Planning Policy Framework.

The Plan was put to a referendum on 6 May 2021 (postponed from May 2020 due to the pandemic) and the result confirmed the majority of those voting wanted: Oxford City Council to use the neighbourhood plan for Wolvercote to help it decide planning applications in the neighbourhood area.

Cllr Hollingsworth and the two ward councillors (Cllrs Goddard and Wade) thanked the Neighbourhood Forum steering group and those involved in the Plan’s preparation for their hard work and resolve in seeing this thorough the long process to adoption. They paid tribute to the group’s exemplary work, and engagement with the community, and to council officers who assisted.

Cllr Hollingsworth, seconded by Cllr Goddard, proposed the recommendations as agreed by Cabinet, which were agreed on being put to the vote.

Council resolved:

1.     that the Wolvercote Neighbourhood Plan be “made”; and

2.     that the Head of Planning Services, after consultation with the Cabinet Member for Planning and Housing Delivery, be authorised to make any necessary editorial corrections to the Wolvercote Neighbourhood Plan prior to final publication. This will include a final desktop published version of the Wolvercote Neighbourhood Plan.