Council is recommended to agree

1.     to extend the terms of office of the

Lord Mayor Councillor Craig Simmons;

Deputy Lord Mayor Councillor Mohammed Altaf-Khan; and

Sheriff Councillor Steve Goddard

to the start of the Council meeting on 30 November 2020; and

2.     to appoint, with the decision taking effect from the start of the Council meeting on 30 November 2020 (or at the end of that day should the scheduled Council meeting not take place on that date),

Councillor Mark Lygo as Lord Mayor;

Councillor Steve Goddard as Deputy Lord Mayor; and

Councillor Dick Wolff as Sheriff

with the intention that they similarly serve an 18 month term, subject to their re-election as councillors and a vote confirming their election at the Annual Meeting of Council in May 2021.

Council resolved to

1.     extend the terms of office of the

• Lord Mayor Councillor Craig Simmons;
• Deputy Lord Mayor Councillor Mohammed Altaf-Khan; and
• Sheriff Councillor Steve Goddard

to the start of the Council meeting on 30 November 2020; and

2.     appoint, with the decision taking effect from the start of the Council meeting on 30 November 2020 (or at the end of that day should the scheduled Council meeting not take place on that date),

• Councillor Mark Lygo as Lord Mayor;
• Councillor Steve Goddard as Deputy Lord Mayor; and
• Councillor Dick Wolff as Sheriff

with the intention that they similarly serve an 18 month term, subject to their re-election as councillors and a vote confirming their election at the Annual Meeting of Council in May 2021.

There were no declarations.

Announcements by:

1.     The Lord Mayor

2.     The Chief Executive

The Lord Mayor, Cllr Simmons, made a number of announcements.

He led Council in thanking the City Council staff for continuing to deliver front line services through the lockdown as a result of the COVID19 pandemic.

He reported briefly on his fundraising dinner (£2600 raised); an 8 day rail trip to Oxford’s European twin cities (Wroclaw, Leiden, Bonn) in late February; the many kind messages from the twin towns in support of the city during the COVID19 outbreak; cancelled events but a growing number of online events.

At the Lord Mayor’s invitation, the City Rector, Rev Anthony Buckley, addressed councillors.

The Lord Mayor, Cllrs Turner, Malik, Azad, Altaf Khan and Aziz paid tribute to retired councillor Sabir-Hussain Mirza who had died on 23 April, and spoke about his life and his contribution to the city.

The Chief Executive updated councillors on the Council’s response to the COVID19 pandemic and 8 week lockdown, and the major changes to the council’s processes and planning that had been made in these weeks, including support in the community, emergency planning, communications, and the move to online meetings. He thanked staff for their work and response to challenges in these difficult circumstances. He reported that the council’s procedures and Constitution had now reverted from the emergency arrangements back to the normal arrangements.

Council will recall that on 15 May 2018 Councillor Brown was elected as Leader of the Council for a term of office ending on the day of the Annual Council meeting in 2020 (following all-out elections scheduled in May 2020). The term of office of the Leader ordinarily continues until the end of her term of office as a councillor (see Section 1.4 of the Constitution), now extended to May 2021 following the postponement of the scheduled elections.

Council is asked to note that Councillor Brown’s term is extended and she remains as Leader until the day of the Annual Council meeting in 2021.

Cllr Djafari-Marbini joined the meeting during this item.

Council noted that Councillor Brown remained as Leader of the Council for a term of office ending on the day of the annual council meeting in 2021.

Council will receive and note a report from the Leader, Councillor Brown, on:

1.      the appointment of the deputy Leader of the Council;

2.      the appointment of up to 8 additional members of the Cabinet;

3.      the responsibilities of the Leader, Deputy Leader, and other Cabinet Members;

4.      the Council’s representative on the Oxfordshire Growth Board;

5.      the Council’s representatives (and substitutes if any) on the Oxfordshire Growth Board’s three advisory sub-groups:

o    Oxfordshire Plan 2050

o    Affordable Housing

o    Infrastructure

6.      the appointment of Shareholders for:

o      Oxford City Housing Limited (comprising OCH Ltd; OCH (Development) Ltd, OCH (Investment) Ltd;

o      Oxford West End Development Ltd

o      Oxford Direct Services (comprising ODS Ltd; ODS (Trading) Ltd)

7.      the Executive Scheme of Delegation as set out in the Section 4 of the Council’s Constitution; and

8.      any other matters

The Constitution is available on the Council’s website

The Leader of the Council gave her report. She noted the truly exceptional circumstances and changes over the last three months as the COVID19 pandemic took hold, and its impact on council and on the city. She paid tribute to council staff who had led the changes to service delivery and the community work; and to the astonishing and heart-warming response to the crisis from communities across the city. She thanked all the key workers across all sectors keeping healthcare and services running. Looking forward there were challenges in the ongoing health crisis; supporting an economic recovery; supporting communities and businesses; maintaining increased cycling and walking.

She would retain her responsibility for economic development and regeneration and for partnerships.

She reported her appointment of the Deputy Leader and her Cabinet, and also on a number of appointments as set out below.

She would arrange for circulation of portfolio responsibilities separately.

The Leader of the Council confirmed there were no changes to the Executive Scheme of Delegation as set out in the Section 4 of the Council’s Constitution.

The Head of Law and Governance has submitted a report asking Council to appoint committees and the members serving on those committees for the Council year 2020-21 in accordance with the provisions of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 (Section 15) and other relevant legislation.

Appendix 3 will be circulated in the Briefing Note published the day before the meeting, and any outstanding nominations to committee seats may be announced, or agreed, as appropriate at the meeting.

Recommendations: Council is recommended to:

1.     Approve the structure of the Council committees, as defined within the Council’s constitution and set out in Appendix 1: Committee structure;

2.     Approve the methods, calculations and conventions used in determining political representation on committees as outlined in the report and set out in Appendix 2: Political proportionalities on Council committees 2020-21;

3.     Approve the appointment of nominated members to committees in accordance with the requirements of political proportionality and the nominations made by political groups, as set out in Appendix 3: Committee nominations 2020-21;

4.     Agree that all members of Council will form the pool of members able to observe on appeals and some grievances panels;

5.     Appoint three non-executive members to the Oxfordshire Growth Board Scrutiny Panel (see Appendix 3: Committee nominations 2020-21);

6.     Appoint one non-executive member to the Joint Oxfordshire Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee (see Appendix 3: Committee nominations 2020-21).

Council had before it the report of the Head of Law and Governance setting out the appointments to committees, and separately published appendices setting out the political balance calculations, and the nominations by each group to committee places.

Council resolved to:

1.    Approve the structure of the Council committees, as defined within the Council’s constitution and set out in Appendix 1: Committee structure;

2.    Approve the methods, calculations and conventions used in determining political representation on committees as outlined in the report and set out in Revised Appendix 2: Political proportionalities on Council committees 2020-21; and

3.    Approve the appointment of nominated members to committees in accordance with the requirements of political proportionality and the nominations made by political groups, as set out in Appendix 3: Committee nominations 2020-21 reproduced below;

4.    Agree that all members of Council will form the pool of members able to observe on appeals and some grievances panels;

5.    Appoint three non-executive members to the Oxfordshire Growth Board Scrutiny Panel as shown below;

6.    Appoint one non-executive member to the Joint Oxfordshire Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee as shown below.

The Chief Executive recommends Council to agree the Council’s scheme of delegation for its responsibilities set out in Section 5 of the Council’s Constitution as agreed on 27 January 2020, with the amendments published on 3 April 2020 to take account of emergency changes made by the Chief Executive in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Constitution is available on the Council’s website

Council noted the decision of the Chief Executive published that afternoon to revert back to the Council's normal constitutional arrangements so that the business continuity version of the Constitution is no longer in force and the Council is again operating under the Constitution as agreed by Council on 27 January 2020.

Council resolved to agreethe Council’s Scheme of Delegation for its responsibilities set out in Section 5 of the Council’s Constitution as agreed on 27 January 2020.

Council is asked to agree the protocol for the operation of remote meetings as set out in the paper on this agenda (report and protocol to follow).

Cllr Malik left the meeting during this item.

Council considered the report of the Head of Law and Governance setting out a protocol for the smooth running of remote meetings.

Council resolved to confirm the protocol for the operation of remote meetings as set out in the decision taken by the Chief Executive and in the Appendix to the report. 

Council is asked to note the report setting out the decisions made by the Chief Executive using his emergency powers since the 23 March 2020.

Council considered the report setting out the decisions made by the Chief Executive using his emergency powers since 23 March 2020 and two further decisions made on 14 May and 20 May 2020.

The Chief Executive explained that it would have been possible to delay the decision on the Headington Community Governance Review (CGR) to a future Council meeting. At the time it was deemed prudent to make the decision as there was uncertainty around holding any meetings, and because this brought forward the end of the required time period before a new request for a CGR could be considered.

Council noted the decisions taken.

The Executive Director Development submitted a report to Cabinet on 11 March recommending acceptance of capital infrastructure funds and to delegate authority to officers to enter in contractual Funding Agreements with Oxfordshire County Council, in order to deliver two city infrastructure schemes set out within the Oxfordshire Housing and Growth Deal.

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

Recommendations: Cabinet recommends that Council resolves to:

1.     Accept £7m in the Oxfordshire Housing and Growth Deal Funds from Oxfordshire County Council for the delivery of city-based infrastructure schemes;

2.     Approve an initial £300,000 feasibility study allocation from the capital programme for 2020-21, for Osney Mead to Oxpens Bridge, financed by available external funds; and

3.     Approve the £1m capital budget for city cycling schemes at Cuckoo Lane, Marsh Lane, Marston Road & Boundary Brook, Oxford, financed by Oxfordshire Housing and Growth Deal Funding.

Council considered a report to Cabinet on 11 March recommending acceptance of capital infrastructure funds and to delegate authority to officers to enter in contractual Funding Agreements with Oxfordshire County Council, in order to deliver two city infrastructure schemes set out within the Oxfordshire Housing and Growth Deal.

Councillor Brown, Leader of the Council, presented the report, answered questions, and moved the recommendations. These were agreed on being seconded and put to the vote.

Council resolved to:

1.     Accept £7m in the Oxfordshire Housing and Growth Deal Funds from Oxfordshire County Council for the delivery of city-based infrastructure schemes;

2.     Approve an initial £300,000 feasibility study allocation from the capital programme for 2020-21, for Osney Mead to Oxpens Bridge, financed by available external funds; and

3.     Approve the £1m capital budget for city cycling schemes at Cuckoo Lane, Marsh Lane, Marston Road & Boundary Brook, Oxford, financed by Oxfordshire Housing and Growth Deal Funding.