There were no declarations of interest.

Minutes of the ordinary meeting of Council held on 18 July 2022.

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

Council agreed to approve the minutes of the ordinary meeting held on 18 July 2022 as a true and correct record.

The Head of Law and Governance has been notified of resignations from committees and changes of membership requested by group leaders.

Council is asked to make the following appointments to committees.

·       Standards Committee - Councillor Rehman to stand down and Councillor Diggins to replace him.

·       Following the resignation of Councillor Marie Tidball, there is currently a vacancy on the Scrutiny Committee. The announcement on this appointment will be made following the by-election on 29 September 2022.

Any further proposed changes will be circulated with the briefing note or notified at the meeting.

Council agreed to appoint with immediate effect:

·         Standards Committee  - Councillor Diggins to replace Councillor Rehman.

·         Scrutiny Committee – Councillor Railton to the vacant seat.

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

Council held a minute’s silence in respect of the recent death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

The Lord Mayor advised Council of the Proclamation of King Charles III in Oxford and the events leading up to the event.

Cllr Pressel joined the meeting.

The City Rector addressed Council on a busy week in September, which included St Giles Fair, and the Proclamation of King Charles III, and highlighted the pleasure of working alongside all those involved from both the City and County Council in that week.

The Sheriff gave thanks to the Civic Team led by David Hawkins for their hard work with the above events and asked Council to give the team a round of applause. He gave a further thank you to Julian Cooper, Port Meadow Ranger, for his support with the recent cattle round-up at Port Meadow.

The Lord Mayor, on agreement of the Group Leaders, invited Cllr Malik to address the Council on the recent catastrophic floods in Pakistan. Cllr Malik advised that, with the help of people in Pakistan, the local Mosque and the community, he had raised over £18,000 and would be travelling to Pakistan on 07 October 2022 at his own expense to support the humanitarian efforts.

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 Tuesday 27 September 2022.

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.

There were no addresses or questions.

The Oxford City Council Safeguarding Report 2020/21 is presented to Council for information following submission to Cabinet on 13 July 2022, and reports on progress made on the Oxford City Council’s Safeguarding Action Plan 2021/22, also attached.

The Cabinet minutes dated 13 July 2022 are available here.

Recommendation: Council is recommended to note the report, which incorporates changes to reflect the recommendation of the Scrutiny Committee which was accepted by the Cabinet.

Council received the report from the Head of Corporate Strategy, presented for information following submission to Cabinet on 13 July 2022, reporting on the progress made on Oxford City Council’s Safeguarding Action Plan for 2021/22.

Cllr Upton, Cabinet Member for Health and Transport, introduced the report.

Council noted the report, which incorporated changes to reflect the recommendation of the Scrutiny Committee which was accepted by the Cabinet.

The Head of Corporate Property submitted a report to Cabinet on 10 August 2022 seeking approval for the Asset Management Strategy 2021 – 2031.  The Strategy will provide an ongoing framework for the management of the Council’s property assets.

The Cabinet minutes are available at item 13a.

Councillor Ed Turner, Deputy Leader (Statutory) – Finance and Asset Management will present the report and present the Cabinet’s recommendations.

Recommendations: Cabinet recommends that Council resolves to:

1.    Adopt the Asset Management Strategy 2021 – 2031.

2.    Delegate to the Executive Director (Development) in consultation with the Deputy Leader (Statutory) – Finance and Asset Management authority to make minor amendments to the Strategy; and

3.    Delegate to the Executive Director (Development) in consultation with the Deputy Leader (Statutory) – Finance and Asset Management authority to make ongoing changes to the Asset Management Action Plan.

Council considered a report from the Head of Corporate Property seeking adoption of the Asset Management Strategy 2021-2031 which would provide an ongoing framework for the management of the Council’s assets.

Cllr Brown, Leader of the Council, introduced the report, noting that some minor formatting errors had been corrected since its publication, then proposed the recommendations and answered questions.

The recommendation was agreed on being seconded by Cllr Munkonge, Cabinet Member for Leisure and Parks and put to the vote.

Council resolved to:

1.    Adopt the Asset Management Strategy 2021-2031.

2.    Delegate to the Executive Director (Development) in consultation with the Deputy Leader (Statutory) – Finance and Asset Management authority to make minor amendments to the Strategy; and

3.    Delegate to the Executive Director (Development) in consultation with the Deputy Leader (Statutory) – Finance and Asset Management authority to make ongoing changes to the Asset Management Action Plan.

The Head of Financial Services submitted a report to Cabinet on 14 September 2022 updating Members on the financial outturn for the year ending 31 March 2022.

The Cabinet minutes are available at item 13b.

Councillor Ed Turner, Deputy Leader (Statutory) – Finance and Asset Management, will present the report and present the Cabinet’s recommendations.

Recommendations: Cabinet recommends that Council resolves to:

1.    Approve the fees and charges for Law and Governance which were omitted from the final Council Budget report in February 2022, as per Appendix E and detailed in paragraph 5;

2.    Approve an additional budget of £153k to be added to Bullingdon Community Centre capital scheme as detailed in paragraph 4.

Council considered a report from the Head of Financial Services updating Members on the financial outturn for the year ending 31 March 2022.

Cllr Brown, Leader of the Council, introduced the report, proposed the recommendations and answered questions.

Cllrs L Smith and Goddard joined the meeting.

The recommendations were agreed on being seconded by Cllr Munkonge, Cabinet Member for Leisure and Parks and put to the vote.

Council resolved to:

1.    Approve the fees and charges for Law and Governance which were omitted from the final Council Budget report in February 2022, as per Appendix E and detailed in paragraph 5;

2.    Approve an additional budget of £153k to be added to Bullingdon Community Centre capital scheme as detailed in paragraph 4.

The Head of Law and Governance has submitted a report recommending that the power to modify or revoke hazardous substances consents under section 14(2) of the Hazardous Substances Act 1990 be delegated to the Head of Planning Services and the Constitution be amended accordingly.

Recommendation: Council is recommended to:

1.    Amend paragraph 5.3 of the Constitution to delegate the power to revoke or modify hazardous substances consents under section 14(2) of the Hazardous Substances Act 1990 and to take all associated actions thereafter to secure the revocation or modification of those consents to the Head of Planning Services.

Council considered a report from the Head of Law and Governance recommending that the power to modify or revoke hazardous substances consents under section 14(2) of the Hazardous Substances Act 1990 be delegated to the Head of Planning Services and the Constitution amended accordingly.

Cllr Hollingsworth, Cabinet Member for Planning and Housing Delivery, introduced the report, proposed the recommendation and answered questions.

The recommendation was agreed on being seconded by Cllr Munkonge, Cabinet Member for Leisure and Parks, and put to the vote.

Council resolved to:

Amend paragraph 5.3 of the Constitution to delegate the power to revoke or modify hazardous substances consents under section 14(2) of the Hazardous Substances Act 1990 and to take all associated actions thereafter to secure the revocation or modification of those consents to the Head of Planning Services.

The Head of Law and Governance has submitted a report to update Council on key decisions taken in cases of special urgency since July 2021.

Recommendation: that Council notes the urgent key decisions taken in cases of special urgency as set out in the report.

Council had before it a report from the Head of Law and Governance updating Council on key decisions taken in cases of special urgency since July 2021, of which there were none.

Cllr Brown, Leader of the Council introduced the report.

Council noted the urgent key decisions taken in cases of special urgency as set out in the report.

The Head of Law and Governance has submitted a report to Council to explain the background to the Members’ Allowance Scheme and to seek delegated authority for the appointment of an Independent Remuneration Panel to consider a new Members’ Allowance Scheme.  The Panel will recommend the proposed Scheme to Council in early 2023 for adoption.

Recommendation: that Council delegate authority to the Head of Law and Governance to make appointments to the Council’s Independent Remuneration Panel as needed, in consultation with the Leader of the Council, up to the end of the four year period when the replacement Members’ Allowance Scheme will expire (March 2027).

Council considered a report from the Head of Law and Governance seeking delegated authority for the appointment of an Independent Remuneration Panel to consider a new Members’ Allowance Scheme, which would be presented to Council in early 2023 for adoption.

Cllr Brown, Leader of the Council, presented the report and proposed the recommendation.

The recommendation was agreed on being seconded by Cllr Munkonge, Cabinet Member for Leisure and Parks and put to the vote.

Council resolved to:

Delegate authority to the Head of Law and Governance to make appointments to the Council’s Independent Remuneration Panel as needed, in consultation with the Leader of the Council, up to the end of the four year period when the replacement Members’ Allowance Scheme will expire (March 2027).

This item has a time limit of 15 minutes.

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

There were no questions on the minutes of the 10 August 2022 Cabinet meeting.

Minute 55 – The Regulation of Short Let Accommodation

In response to a question from Cllr Smowton, Cllr L Smith, Cabinet Member for Housing advised that unfortunately the Council’s powers on short let accommodation were limited and the Council had recently responded to a Government consultation stating it would welcome powers to licence and regulate short let accommodation, but currently it had no licensing powers. She added that the Council had planning enforcement powers, but taking action in relation to short let accommodation was not straightforward and was carried out on a case by case basis. She said that being registered for business rates was one of many sources of information that the Council could draw on when considering planning enforcement action against short let accommodation.

Minute 58 – Council Tax Reduction Scheme for 2023/24

In response to a question from Cllr Smowton, Cllr Brown, Leader of the Council advised that current budgetary pressures meant that the Council needed to keep all options open and consult on everything that it might need to do in order to balance the budget. She confirmed that all potential options would be consulted on during the consultation process.

Cllr Turner joined 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 21 September 2022.

These, and written responses where available, will be published in the briefing note.

Cllrs Arshad and Rehman joined the meeting.

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

These along with summaries of the 12 supplementary questions and responses asked and given at the meeting are set out in the minutes pack.

Council agreed to consider items 16, 17 and 19 next on the agenda before the 30min break and then return to the agenda as listed.

As set out in the Constitution at procedure rule 11.16, 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 Thursday 29 September 2022 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.

Councillor Diko Walcott, Cabinet Member for Safer Communities will present the report which updates the Council on the work of the Future Oxfordshire Partnership (formerly the Oxfordshire Growth Board)

Council is invited to comment on and note the report.

Cllr Diggins joined the meeting.

Council considered the report by the Head of Corporate Strategy updating the Council on the work of the Future Oxfordshire Partnership (formerly the Oxfordshire Growth Board).

Cllr Brown, Leader of the Council, introduced the report and answered questions.  Cllr Hollingsworth, Cabinet Member for Planning and Housing Delivery clarified comments regarding the requirement of a bridge for the development of the Osney Mead site, as set out in adoption of the 2008 West End Area Action Plan.

Council noted the report.

The Chair of the Scrutiny Committee has submitted a report which updates Council on the activities of scrutiny 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.

Cllr Smowton, Chair of the Scrutiny Committee, introduced the report and formally welcomed Richard Doney as the new Scrutiny Officer in post.

Cllr Hollingsworth thanked the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Scrutiny Committee for the Committee’s effective challenge to the Oxford Local Plan 2040 at their last meeting of 06 September 2022, which was welcomed and constructive.

Council noted the report.

Appendix 1 to this item includes exempt information pursuant to Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972. If Council wishes to discuss matters relating to the information set out in Appendix 1 to the report, it will be necessary for the Council to pass a resolution to exclude the press and public from the meeting (as set out at agenda item 19).

The Executive Director (Corporate Resources) submitted a report to Cabinet on 14 September 2022 seeking authority to let the whole of St Aldate’s Chambers and enter into contracts and carry out associated works to vacate the building and consolidate staff office accommodation in the Town Hall.

The minutes are available at item 13b.

Councillor Ed Turner, Deputy Leader (Statutory) – Finance and Asset Management and Councillor Nigel Chapman, Cabinet Member for Citizen Focused Services will present the report and present the Cabinet’s recommendations.

Recommendations: Cabinet recommends that Council resolves to:

1.    Approve a contingency budget of £300,000.

Council had before it a report from the Executive Director (Corporate Resources) seeking approval of a contingency budget of £300,000.  

The report included an exempt appendix and Council agreed to consider this item in public session, without making reference to the exempt information contained within the appendix.

Cllr Chapman, Cabinet Member for Citizen Focused Services introduced the report, proposed the recommendation and answered questions. 

Cllrs Nala-Hartley and Djafari-Marbini joined the meeting.

In response to comments raised by Cllr Malik, Cllr Chapman advised that the Council benefited from a more holistic Customer Service experience by working with other agencies in other Council venues, and that face to face contact satisfaction had been reported at 95%.

In response to comments raised by both Cllrs Corais and Landell-Mills, collaborative work had taken place with staff and the Unions to ensure staff safety and wellbeing were paramount in considering and carrying out the relocation.

The recommendation was agreed on being seconded by Cllr Turner, Deputy Leader (Statutory) – Finance and Asset Management and put to the vote.

Council resolved to:

Approve a contingency budget of £300,000.

The meeting broke for 30min at the conclusion of this item.

This item will be taken at or shortly after 7.00pm

Public addresses and questions to the Leader or other Cabinet member received in accordance with Council Procedure Rules in the Constitution and not 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 Tuesday 27 September 2022.

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 limit.

Council had received one address, set out in full in the briefing and supplementary papers to the agenda.

The Lord Mayor advised that with his permission, following a request from the addressee, the address had been withdrawn from the meeting. Council therefore heard no public addresses or questions.

This item has a time limit of 60 minutes.

Motions received by the Head of Law and Governance in accordance with the rules in Section 11 of the Constitution by the deadline of 1.00pm on Wednesday 21 September 2022are listed below.

Cross party motions are taken first. Motions will then be taken in turn from the Green Group, Labour Group, Liberal Democrat Group, 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 30 September 2022so 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)    Declaring an ecological emergency (proposed by Cllr Pegg, seconded by Cllr Kerr)

b)    Tackling and Preventing Child Poverty (proposed by Cllr Djafari-Marbini)

c)    Providing funding for ‘Warm Spaces’ in the winter (proposed by Cllr Sandelson, seconded by Cllr Goddard)

d)    Fixing Oxford’s water (proposed by Cllr Jarvis, seconded by Cllr Muddiman)

e)    To Bring Back Water into Public Ownership (proposed by Cllr Hunt, seconded by Cllr Bely-Summers)

f)      Campsfield House (proposed by Cllr Gant)

g)    Plant-based Food and Sustainable Farming (proposed by Cllr Dunne, seconded by Cllr Hollingsworth)

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

Motions agreed as set out below:

a)    Declaring an ecological emergency (proposed by Cllr Jarvis, seconded by Cllr Kerr) [amendment 1 proposed by Cllr Hunt, seconded by Cllr Thomas] [amendment 2 proposed by Cllr Thomas, seconded by Cllr Hayes]

b)    Tackling and preventing child poverty (proposed by Cllr Djafari-Marbini, seconded by Cllr Nala-Hartley) [amendment proposed by Cllr Smowton, seconded by Cllr Landell-Mills]

Motions not taken as the time allocated for debate had finished:

c)    Providing funding for ‘Warm Spaces’ in the winter (proposed by Cllr Sandelson, seconded by Cllr Goddard) [amendment proposed by Cllr Brown]

d)    Fixing Oxford’s water (proposed by Cllr Jarvis, seconded by Cllr Muddiman)

e)    To bring back water into public ownership (proposed by Cllr Hunt, seconded by Cllr Bely-Summers)

f)      Campsfield House (proposed by Cllr Gant)

g)    Plant-based food and sustainable farming (proposed by Cllr Dunne, seconded by Cllr Hollingsworth)

Green Group member motion

Globally and in the UK we are in the midst of an ecological emergency. Nature is declining faster than at any time in our history - 41% of UK species have seen populations decrease since 1970, with 15% of British species currently at risk of extinction^[1]. These changes are being exacerbated by climate change, which is hindering nature’s ability to mitigate due to warming temperatures and increasingly volatile weather. We must take action, right now, if we are to save our wildlife and protect the planet.

This council resolves to:

1. Declare that we are experiencing an ecological emergency, recognising that:
   1. Nature is declining faster than at any previous time and urgent action must be taken to reverse this trend
   2. A thriving natural environment underpins a healthy, prosperous society
   3. The nature and climate crises are intrinsically linked, and we cannot tackle one without taking action on the other
2. Call on Cabinet to ensure nature’s recovery is embedded at the heart of all strategic plans, policy areas and decision-making processes
3. Request that the Head of Corporate Strategy submits a report to Cabinet setting out options to develop and agree on an evidence-based strategy and action plan to tackle the ecological emergency and report on the progress made, to sit alongside and connect to the Zero Carbon Oxford Action Plan, the previous Biodiversity Action Plan, and the Urban Forest Strategy, as well as linking to Oxfordshire-level plans like the Local Nature Recovery Strategy.
   1. The action plan must include ambitious targets and strategic goals to restore nature in Oxford, such as:
      1. Committing to protect 30% of land owned or managed by the City Council for nature by 2030, in line with national and international commitments to biodiversity^[2].
      2. Promoting, expanding and maintaining a Nature Recovery Network in Oxford.
      3. Ensuring everyone living in Oxford has doorstep access to nature
      4. Commit to tackling the climate and ecological emergencies together by investing in local nature-based solutions to climate change.
      5. A commitment to annually report on progress on the action plan to Scrutiny Committee

4.    Work with local communities and organisations to achieve nature’s recovery, particularly engaging with disadvantaged and underrepresented groups in Oxford.

Cllr Jarvis, seconded by Cllr Kerr, proposed the submitted motion as set out in the agenda and briefing note.

Cllr Hunt, seconded by Cllr Thomas, proposed the amendment as set out in the briefing note.

Cllr Thomas proposed a second amendment submitted in accordance with the provisions set out in Oxford City Council’s Constitution Part 11.18(f) which states that; ‘Minor technical or limited wording amendments may be submitted during the meeting but must be written down and circulated’.  Copies of the second amendment were circulated at the meeting and a copy is set out in the minute pack.

Council debated the motion and amendment. Following debate, and on being put to the vote, the amended motion was agreed.

Council debated the amended motion, as amended.  Following debate, and on being put to the vote, the amended motion, as amended was agreed.

On being put to the vote the amended motion, as amended was then agreed.

Council resolved to adopt the following motion:

Addressing ecological emergency

Globally and in the UK we are in the midst of an ecological emergency. Nature is declining faster than at any time in our history - 41% of UK species have seen populations decrease since 1970, with 15% of British species currently at risk of extinction^[1]. These changes are being exacerbated by climate change, which is hindering nature’s ability to mitigate due to warming temperatures and increasingly volatile weather. We must take action, right now, if we are to save our wildlife and protect the planet.

This Council notes that the establishment of an Oxfordshire Nature Recovery Network was a key policy objective of the Oxfordshire 2050 Plan.

This council resolves to:

1. Reaffirm our commitment to addressing ecological emergency, recognising that:
   1. Nature is declining faster than at any previous time and urgent action must be taken to reverse this trend
   2. A thriving natural environment underpins a healthy, prosperous society
   3. The nature and climate crises are intrinsically linked, and we cannot tackle one without taking action on the other
2. Call on Cabinet to ensure nature’s recovery is embedded at the heart of all strategic plans, policy areas and decision-making processes
3. Request that the Head of Corporate Strategy submits a report to Cabinet setting out options to develop and agree on an evidence-based strategy and action plan to tackle the ecological emergency and report on the progress made, to sit alongside and connect to the Zero Carbon Oxford Action Plan, the previous Biodiversity Action Plan, and the Urban Forest Strategy, as well as linking to Oxfordshire-level plans like the Local Nature Recovery Strategy.
   1. The action plan must include ambitious targets and strategic goals to restore nature in Oxford, such as:
      1. Committing to protecting and enhancing the biodiversity of land owned or managed by the City Council through conserving habitats for nature across our parks and nature reserves, ensuring that community green spaces are safeguarded for future generations and adopting a tree-first policy.
      2. Promoting, expanding and maintaining a Nature Recovery Network in Oxford as part of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 47a

Labour Group member motion

Child poverty in Oxford is sadly persistent and has been through the decades. In 2019, 29% of children in Oxford lived below the poverty line, approximately 9 children in every class of 30, a horrendously high figure given the city and country’s prosperity. The majority (70% nationally) of these children live in working families where unaffordable housing and low wage poor quality jobs have now combined with the cost of living crisis to make life miserable. The data is even more stark amongst racialised minorities and families living with disabilities.

It is almost impossible to list exhaustively the negative consequences on children of growing up in poverty. Poorer health outcomes, lower educational attainment and earnings, and higher entrapment in the criminal justice system are pervasive themes which resonate into adulthood and cause life-long scarring and stigmatisation. The stigma of poverty is one of many compelling reasons for universal and “cash first” approaches favoured by most local and national experts in the field.

The struggles which accompany not having sufficient resources to engage in society on the same basis as everybody else though are of concern right now, and require an immediate response. In the words of Baroness Lister of Burtersett, Honorary President of Child Poverty Action Group children should be valued and cared for as “beings” rather than “becomings”.

It is striking that in the discourse around poverty the voice of children and families living in poverty is often missing. There are some notable exceptions to this which reveal devastating testimony such as “Poverty feels like a tangled web that you can never escape” (ATD Fourth World - Oxford University) and: “makes me feel sad when mum says we haven’t got much money but I’m OK with it and have to support my mum” (Milton Keynes Child Poverty Commission).

Despite the national constraints, our Council has taken a number of positive steps over many years to tackle inequalities in the city without which the situation would have been much worse. These include an ambitious housing strategy, a comprehensive Council Tax Reduction scheme and Discretionary Housing Payments, sustained support for the city’s advice centres and work on the Oxford Living Wage.

Council resolves to:

1.    Request that the Head of Corporate Strategy submit a report to Cabinet with options to:

a.    Implement the Socio-economic Duty within all Council policies over the next eighteen months; and

b.    Encourage partnership institutions, including Oxford University, to adopt the Socio-economic Duty.

2.    Request that the Head of Communities submit a report to Cabinet with options to:

a.    Develop a Child Poverty Strategy (noting the work done at the Scrutiny Committee) over the next eighteen months informed by the voices of young people affected.

b.    Implement more immediate actions such as:

                          i.         Donation of devices to Getting Oxfordshire Online

                         ii.         Considering how parents and carers in or at risk of destitution (including those with no recourse to public funds) can access support via "food first” and “cash first”  ...  view the full agenda text for item 47b

Cllr Djafari-Marbini, seconded by Cllr Nala-Hartley, proposed the submitted motion as set out in the agenda and briefing note.

Cllr Smowton, seconded by Cllr Landell-Mills, proposed the amendment as set out in the briefing note.

Cllr Turner stated that he was a Council-appointed representative on the Rose Hill and Donington Advice Centre. This was not a pecuniary interest and he was not required to preclude himself from the debate; he made the declaration for reasons of transparency.

Council debated the motion and amendment.  Following debate, and on being put to the vote, the amendment was not agreed.

Council debated the original motion.  Following debate, and on being put to the vote, the original motion was agreed.

Council resolved to adopt the following motion:

Child poverty in Oxford is sadly persistent and has been through the decades. In 2019, 29% of children in Oxford lived below the poverty line, approximately 9 children in every class of 30, a horrendously high figure given the city and country’s prosperity. The majority (70% nationally) of these children live in working families where unaffordable housing and low wage poor quality jobs have now combined with the cost of living crisis to make life miserable. The data is even more stark amongst racialised minorities and families living with disabilities.

It is almost impossible to list exhaustively the negative consequences on children of growing up in poverty. Poorer health outcomes, lower educational attainment and earnings, and higher entrapment in the criminal justice system are pervasive themes which resonate into adulthood and cause life-long scarring and stigmatisation. The stigma of poverty is one of many compelling reasons for universal and “cash first” approaches favoured by most local and national experts in the field.

The struggles which accompany not having sufficient resources to engage in society on the same basis as everybody else though are of concern right now, and require an immediate response. In the words of Baroness Lister of Burtersett, Honorary President of Child Poverty Action Group children should be valued and cared for as “beings” rather than “becomings”.

It is striking that in the discourse around poverty the voice of children and families living in poverty is often missing. There are some notable exceptions to this which reveal devastating testimony such as “Poverty feels like a tangled web that you can never escape” (ATD Fourth World - Oxford University) and: “makes me feel sad when mum says we haven’t got much money but I’m OK with it and have to support my mum” (Milton Keynes Child Poverty Commission).

Despite the national constraints, our Council has taken a number of positive steps over many years to tackle inequalities in the city without which the situation would have been much worse. These include an ambitious housing strategy, a comprehensive Council Tax Reduction scheme and Discretionary Housing Payments, sustained support for the city’s advice centres and work on the Oxford Living Wage.

Council resolves to:

1.    Request that the Head of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 47b

Liberal Democrat Group member motion

This Council is proud of the financial and officer support it has given during the covid epidemic. However, rising energy and utility costs coupled with the highest inflation in years, means that many of our residents — the elderly, infirm or parents with children — may have to decide whether to ‘Eat or Heat’.

On 14.07.22 Metro quotes Don’t Pay UK: up to 6.3m households won’t be able to afford their energy bills*.

This Council

(a) Notes that many councils, charities and communities around the UK are addressing this rising concern:  e.g.

(i) On 11.07.22 money-saving expert Martin Lewis tweeted: “I wonder if this winter we’ll need ‘warm banks’ the equivalent of food banks where people who can’t afford heating are invited to spend their days at no cost with heating (e.g. libraries, public buildings)?”

In reply, Marvin Rees, Mayor of Bristol, tweeted: “the sad reality is we have been actively organising a citywide network of warm places (we call them ‘Welcoming Places’) for Bristol. We plan to have them set up by Sept, ready to open in Oct.”

(ii) In early 2022, Bungay Community Support, a Suffolk group, set up ‘warm rooms’ for people to use over the winter – to help those struggling to afford energy prices and to help combat loneliness in the community**.

(iii) On 25.08.22, Isobel Hunter, CEO of Libraries Connected, called for libraries to be warm refuges for those in fuel poverty, and sought a relatively small investment to boost support programmes such as holiday activity and food programmes, digital assistance and debt advice surgeries: “Over 80% of library leaders expect an increase in people using libraries to keep warm this winter.” ***

(iv) In Aug 2022, Birmingham City Council confirmed they will map out potential buildings where people struggling with energy bills can go to keep warm ****

(b) Believes that our priority is to ensure that Oxford residents don’t have to choose whether to ‘Eat or Heat’. On 8.09.22 our website stated: “The council is looking at opportunities to work with community groups, public buildings and public event organisers to build a network of warm spaces and free activities across the city through this winter.’

(c) Resolves to:

·       Request that the Executive Director (Communities and People) submits a report to Cabinet with options to consider:

o   How to encourage the provision of ‘Warm Spaces’ accessible to all by working with church, charity and community groups.

o   The provision of funding to heat and maintain these spaces including, where necessary, basic kitchen facilities for supply of hot soup, drinks and snacks.

·       Request the Leader of the Council to write to the Rt Hon Simon Clarke MP, Secretary of State DLUHC:

o   With the Council’s resolution; and

o   Calling on the UK Government to provide Councils with additional funding to meet energy costs, in particular for community ‘warm spaces.’

·       Acknowledge the statement that Oxfordshire County Council made on this issue***** and support the County Council rollout of  ...  view the full agenda text for item 47c

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

Green Group member motion

Council notes

1. On August 24, Thames Water introduced a hosepipe ban following the driest July on record.
2. Across England and Wales, 3 billion litres of water are lost to leaks in the water system every single day
3. According to analysis by the GMB union, Thames Water’s infrastructure allows 635 million litres of water to leak out of the system every single day - equivalent to leaving a hosepipe on for 73 years.^[1]
4. Failure to fix leaks has had a major impact on public infrastructure in Oxford - including the flooding of the Littlemore underpass for several weeks.
5. There has been a long delay in replacing the water pipe occupying the east bound cycle lane on Osney Bridge, which has endangered cyclists using Botley Road.

6. Between 2017 and 2021, Thames Water has accrued £32.4 million of fines over 11 separate incidents of water pollution - including a £4 million fine for sewage pumped into Oxford’s waterways. ^[2]
7. Since privatisation in 1989, shareholders of water companies have pocketed over £72bn in dividends. ^[3] Thames Water paid out £392 million in profit to shareholders between 2013 and 2017. ^[4]         

Council believes

1. Thames Water is currently failing to deliver an adequate public service, is failing to invest in infrastructure, and has caused extensive environmental damage - all while putting the burden of water saving onto residents.
2. Serious questions have been raised as to Thames Water’s performance - questions to which the public need answers. More accountability for the company is therefore necessary.
3. Going forward, the country’s illogical privatisation of water must be reversed. Water is a basic need, a natural monopoly and a vital public service. Privatisation provides all the wrong incentives for running a water supply, and it should be returned to public hands, with democratic oversight. 

Council resolves

1. To request that the Cabinet Member for Leisure and Parks requests that Thames Water’s CEO Sarah Bentley attend a meeting open to all Councillors to ask questions on the company’s performance.
2. To request that the Cabinet Member for Leisure and Parks writes to the water regulator - Ofwat - expressing the concerns laid out in this motion and requesting action be taken to redress it.
3. To request that the Cabinet Member for Leisure and Parks writes to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Ranil Jayawardena, and the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Jacob Rees Mogg informing them of the Council’s view that the country’s water system should be taken into public ownership.
4. To lobby government ministers on an ongoing basis to tackle the issues raised in this motion, and for a publicly owned water system.

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

Labour Group member motion

This Council notes that:

This summer children from Oxford travelled to the seaside to swim in the sea. At the beach these children were greeted by notices telling them not to swim in the sea because of contaminated water. They came home and unpacked their bags. These seaside towns, like Oxford, rely on tourism for their income. These children had their holidays blighted by a decision made in 1989 to privatise our water.

When the Conservative Party privatised our water, they didn’t just give private companies a right to operate, they sold off the water industry’s assets and infrastructure. England is the only country in the world to have privatised its water. Scottish water is publicly owned. Welsh Water is a not for profit. Here in Oxford we have no choice but to use Thames Water. Thames Water is partly owned by investors from the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, China and Australia.

This summer has seen unprecedented volumes of sewage entering our rivers and seas. In the six years since the decision was made to leave the EU, sewage has been dumped into our waterways for an estimated 9.5 million hours. Instead of spending money on infrastructure to tackle sewage and leaks, the water companies, including Thames Water, prioritise their shareholders. Privatisation of water means shareholders receive £2 billion a year on average. Our bills have gone up by 40% in real terms since privatisation. Investment has gone down 15%. Water companies are leaking away 2.4 billion litres of water a day (up to a quarter of their supply) Only 14 percent of English rivers are considered to have good ecological status. We rely on Ofwat and the under-funded Environment Agency to regulate, but fines are not enough. Since 2017 Thames Water has been fined £32.4 million for 11 cases of water pollution. In comparison, publicly owned Scottish Water has spent £72 more per household per year (35% more) than the English water companies.

Water is a human right, and privatisation has failed. Labour voted to stop raw sewage being dumped into British rivers and coastal waters.

This Council resolves to support all efforts to bring back water into public ownership at the first opportunity. Only by bringing back water into public ownership can we guarantee the health and safety of Oxford’s residents, of Oxford’s cherished waterways, wildlife and the future of our water supplies.

The Council calls on the Leader of the Council to write to MPs Anneliese Dodds and Layla Moran requesting they see that executives from Thames Water are summoned before Parliament to account for their mismanagement of our water and their abrogation of responsibilities at a time when water is in increasingly short supply.

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

Liberal Democrat Group member motion

The Home Office announcement of its intention to reopen Campsfield House Immigration Detention Centre in Kidlington ignores local and national feeling on the treatment of refugees. It’s also a cruel, ineffective, and costly backwards step for this government, for our country and for the people of Kidlington, Yarnton and Begbroke.

In the years before its closure in 2018, Campsfield House was used to detain nearly 30,000 migrants. During that time there were weekly demonstrations, protests, hunger strikes, two suicides, escapes and scores of legal challenges. It was finally closed following a damning inquiry into conditions.

The UK is ranked 20th in terms of asylum applications processed, and 19th for applications accepted. Two thirds of UK asylum seekers’ claims are turned down, the highest refusal rate in Europe, with 41% of those decisions overturned on appeal.

Instead of criminalising people fleeing war, oppression and persecution, who have already suffered at the hands of people traffickers, the government should focus on achieving its own targets to deal with asylum claims promptly and fairly.

This Council therefore condemns the re-opening of Campsfield House and asks the Leader to write to the Home Secretary calling for:

·       The cancellation of the reopening of Campsfield House as a detention centre.

·       The creation of safe havens and more legal routes to apply for asylum in the UK.

·       The prioritisation of prompt and fair processing of asylum claims whilst introducing appropriate safeguards to allow asylum seekers to live and work in our communities in the meantime.

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

Labour Group member motion

Council notes that:

• The global scientific consensus is that humans have heated the climate at a rate that is unprecedented, and we are heading towards mass extinction not just for ourselves but of entire eco systems if we do not change our actions today.¹

·       Oxford City Council is committed to reducing its impact on the environment and to becoming carbon neutral by 2030.²

·       We have a duty as leaders in the city to empower the local community to make changes that can mitigate climate catastrophe and help preserve the vitality of our planet for future generations.

·       The UK's agriculture produces 10% of the country's greenhouse gas emissions and makes up 70% of land use. Modern agricultural practices are a central driver for habitat and biodiversity loss and the UK is one of the world’s most nature-depleted countries.³

·       In the UK we eat twice as much meat and dairy as the global average which is not sustainable as there is not enough land in the world to meet this demand without destroying our natural world.⁴

·       Plant-based sources of protein have much smaller carbon footprints than animal-based ones, even when comparing locally raised meat to imported plant foods.

·       Farm animals across Europe are producing more emissions than cars and vans combined.⁵

·       Our relationship to food is still an overlooked factor to the climate crisis yet it is the quickest and cheapest step to help tackle the climate crisis if we reduce our meat intake.

·       The necessary change to confront the climate crisis needs to tackle existing inequalities in society while acting urgently.

·       One of the few ways of reducing emissions that potentially saves people money is by consuming less meat which can be done immediately.

·       To protect and enrich jobs in Oxford, we should work closely with local farmers and plant-based food organisations to move to more sustainable farming methods and local produce that promotes plant-based food.

Council agrees to:

·       Request that the Cabinet Member for Health and Transport:

o   Works with local farmers to support, promote, and encourage their move to create more sustainable plant-based produce.

o   Recognises the benefit of sourcing food locally from producers who follow sustainable principles.

·       Request that the Executive Director (Communities and People) submits a report to Cabinet with options to form a plant-based localised free food service by funding community groups who are already doing this work to transform Oxford into a more environmentally sustainable economy which will also tackle food poverty. 

·       Follow Oxfordshire County Council’s lead by ensuring that food provided for internal councillor events are entirely plant-based and food provided at all council catered events and meetings include plant-based options, preferably using ingredients sourced from local food surplus organisations.⁶

·       Call on Cabinet to request that the Council’s Climate Action Plan be updated to state that all catering provided at Council events and functions from November 2022 will have plant-based options.

·       Call on the Shareholder group to work with all Council run companies to  ...  view the full agenda text for item 47g

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