Apologies were received from Councillors Shah Jahan Khan, Sajjid Malik, Michele Paule, Gwynneth Royce and Val Smith.

Council wished to send its best wishes to Val Smith for a speedy recovery from her current illness.

None declared.

Minutes of the ordinary meeting of Council held on 25^th November 2013.

Council agreed to approve the minutes of the ordinary meeting of Council held on 25^th November 2013.

No appointments to Committees were made.

Announcements by:

(1)          The Lord Mayor

(2)          The Sheriff

(3)          The Leader of the Council

(4)          The Chief Executive, Chief Finance Officer, Monitoring Officer

The Lord Mayor, Councillor Dee Sinclair made the following announcements:

(1)          Death of Bill Baker who had been a Labour Councillor for the South and then Iffley Fields Ward on the City Council between May 1986 and May 2006, when he retired from the Council.  He had also been the Leader of the Council from 1993 to 1996, Deputy Leader between 2002 and 2004 and held each Civic Office, namely Sheriff, Deputy Lord Mayor and Lord Mayor.  He had worked in the car factory and was a trades unionist.

The Council’s flag will be flown at half-mast on Monday 10^th February 2014, the day of his funeral.

Councillors Bob Price, Elise Benjamin and Jim Campbell spoke of Bill Baker’s time on the City Council and his support for the City, his constituents and community.

Council stood for a minutes silence in memory of Bill Baker.

(2)          Death of Tony Stockford who had been a Labour Councillor for the former Blackbird Leys Ward on the City Council between May 1992 and 2001.  He had also been an Oxfordshire County Councillor from November 1988 to May 2001 for the former Blackbird Leys Division.  He had retired from both Councils in July 2001.

Councillors Steven Curran, Elise Benjamin and Jean Fooks spoke of Tony Stockford’s time on the City, County and Parish Councils and his support for Oxford and especially his work for young people.

Council stood for a minutes silence in memory of Tony Stockford.

(3)          The following honours were awarded to residents of Oxford in the New Year Honours list:

MBE – Karen Hewlett. Tutor of the Department for Continuing Education, University of Oxford.  For services to building academic and cultural understanding between the UK and Russia and for her work in establishing the friendship links with PERM.

CBE – Peter Bennett Jones – For services to the entertainment industry and to charity, particularly through Comic Relief where he was Chair for 25 years.

OBE – Martin Peter Knopps – For services to Oxfam, where he was a former counsellor.

MBE – David Attlee Norman – Chair of the Governing Executive, Ruskin College – Services to adult education.

MBE – Marios Papadopoulous – Founder of Oxford Philomusica.

BME – Michele Clare Crawford – For services to young people and to charity in Oxford.

(4)          Thanked the following for their work and support during the recent floods in Oxford:

Oxford City Council

Environment Agency

Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service

County Council Emergency Planning, Highways and Social Services

Thames Valley Police

Volunteers, friends and neighbours

Thames Water had also commented that the partnership working in Oxford between the different bodies was the best in the country.

The Leader of the Council, Councillor Bob Price made the following announcements:

(1)          Nominations for the Civic Post Holders for 2014/15:

Lord Mayor – Councillor Mohammed Niaz Abbasi

Deputy Lord Mayor – Councillor Craig Simmons

Sheriff – Councillor Rae Humberstone

(2)          The City Deal agreement between local partners and national government was signed last  ...  view the full minutes text for item 79.

Public addresses and questions received in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 11.10 and 11.11. The full text of any address or question must be received by the Head of Law and Governance by 5.00pm on Tuesday 28^th January 2014.

Full details of addresses and questions submitted by the deadline will be provided separately prior to the meeting.

Paula Maddison, Corporate Relationship Co-ordinator for Oxfordshire Mind, addressed Council.  The full text of her address is appended to these minutes.

In accordance with Procedure Rule 11.10(g) the address was considered with agenda item 14(1) Motions on Notice – City Council Champion of Mental Health Issues (minutes 88 refers).

The Returning Officer has submitted a report which seeks an amendment to the delegated authority for the Returning Officer to approve the scale of fees for elections held in the City.

Council is asked to agree to amend the delegated power of the Returning Officer to agree election fees to allow him to alter those fees where any payment to an individual would fall below the prevailing Oxford Living Wage.

The Returning Officer submitted a report (previously circulated, now appended) which sought an amendment to the delegated authority for the Returning Officer to approve the scale of fees for elections held in the City.

Council agreed to amend the delegated power of the Returning Officer to agree elections fees to allow him to alter those fees where any payment to an individual would fall below the prevailing Oxford Living Wage.

(1)          Minutes of the meeting held on 11^th December 2013.

(2)          Minutes of the meeting held on 22^nd January 2014.

Council had before it minutes of the City Executive Board as follows:

(a)          11^th December 2013

(b)          22^nd January 2014

City Executive Board – 11^th December 2013

(a)          Minute 106(3) – Budget and Medium Term Financial Strategy 2014/15 to 2017/18 and 2014/15 Budget – Councillor Sam Hollick asked how the Administration could justify raising the average rent by 5.42%.

In response Councillor Bob Price said that the Councils policy was to follow the Rent Equivalent Scheme and this had been built into the Housing Revenue Account Forward Plan which had been approved by Council.

(b)          Minute 108 – Air Quality Action Plan – Consultation outcome and adoption – Councillor Jean Fooks asked if a system of compliancy had been devised. 

In response Councillor John Tanner confirmed that a system was in place.

(c)          Minute 108 – Air Quality Action Plan – Consultation outcome and adoption – Councillor John Goddard raised concerns on the pollution figures around Cutteslowe and Wolvercote.

In response Councillor John Tanner said that some of the figures were not good and the County Council was aware of this.  With regard to the area around Wolvercote, he said that checks were made for NOX pollution from time to time and these figures were published on the website.  He agreed to ask Officers to provide Councillor Goddard with details.

(d)          Minutes 110 – Community Engagement Plan 2014-17 – Draft for consultation – Councillor Craig Simmons said that this consultation had taken place over the Christmas and New Year period and asked if there was an update on the number of responses available.

In response Councillor Bob Price said he would speak with Officers and forward the information to Councillor Simmons.

City Executive Board – 22^nd January 2014

(e)          Minute 121 – Northern Gateway Area Action Plan (AAP) – Options document – Councillor Jean Fooks asked for clarification on the work place parking proposals.  She added that the Northern Gateway was a large site and not enough time had been given to developing this plan.  A great deal of consultation was required as there were many implications for the local people and surrounding area and as such the AAP needed to do its job fully.

In response Councillor Colin Cook said that he would provide a response following the meeting which would be circulated to all Members.  He further added that the AAP had a programme timetable of 18 months and that only a Councillor of Councillor Fooks length of service, with experience of the occasionally glacial rate of progress of local government, would consider an 18 month timetable as; "rushed".  Councillor Cook said he considered 18 months as a reasonable length of time for the work involved.

The following response was provided after the meeting:

The current version of the Northern Gateway AAP Options Document sets out the following car parking options:

Operation of car parking:

(Note: these options are not necessarily mutually exclusive; the final choice of management approach  ...  view the full minutes text for item 82.

Questions on notice under Council Procedure Rule 11.9(b) may be asked of Lord Mayor, a Member of the City Executive Board or the Chair of Committee.

Questions on notice must, by the Constitution be notified to the Head of Law and Governance by no later than 1.00pm on Monday 27^th January 2014.

Full details of any questions and responses will be provided separately prior to the meeting.

(1)          Question to the Board Member, City Development (Councillor Colin Cook) from Councillor Ruth Wilkinson

External wall insulation planning permission

Residents have asked whether planning permission is required for external wall insulation and under what conditions, as they wish to reduce energy and save money in their solid wall houses, but feel the responses they have been given by the City Council have been inconsistent.  Please can Councillor Cook supply the number of applications that have been made for each of the last four years and indicate how many have been given permission?

Response: Where a property is already rendered (or partially so), the replacement of the existing render with external insulation will NOT normally require planning permission, being “permitted development” afforded by Class A Part 1 Schedule 2 of the GPDO. 

Where a property is not already rendered, planning permission WILL BE required in view of condition A.3(a) of Class A which requires that “the materials used in any exterior work (other than materials used in the construction of a conservatory) shall be of a similar appearance to those used in the construction of the exterior of the existing dwellinghouse”. 

Dwelling houses located within a Conservation Area are also covered by the restriction in A.2(a) which states that development is NOT permitted by Class A if it consists of or includes “the cladding of any part of the exterior of the dwelling house with stone, artificial stone, pebble dash, render, timber, plastic or tiles”

Although, again, if such a property’s exterior is already rendered planning permission for its replacement, provided that the new render’s appearance was similar to that being replaced, would not be required.

Number of applications received:

2013: 8 applications (one refused).  Insulation of 36 properties approved (27 Council owned, 4 Housing Association owned).

2012: 3 applications (one to vary a condition to allow external insulation).  All approved (5 properties including 3 x flats).

2011:  No applications.

2010:  1 application (approved). 1 property.

Additionally, there were several “Permitted Development checks” submitted over this 4 year period, some of which led to applications for planning permission being submitted. The advice given in these has been consistent.

(2)          Question to the Board Member, Cleaner, Greener Oxford (Councillor John Tanner) from Councillor Graham Jones

Freight Consolidation Scheme

Would the Board Member please brief Council on progress towards a Freight Consolidation?

Response: The City Council is jointly progressing the commissioning of a freight consolidation study with the County Council to ensure the most appropriate option for consolidation is developed for Oxford.

The brief for this study is currently being finalised and subject to approval by the County and City Council prior to release. Additional work streams to address freight related emissions are being progressed through work on Air Quality, in line with the recently adopted Air Quality Action Plan.

Councillor Graham Jones in a supplementary question asked if it was desirable for the scheme to be open in time for the new Westgate.  In response Councillor John  ...  view the full minutes text for item 83.

Public addresses and questions received in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 11.10 and 11.11. The full text of any address or question must be received by the Head of Law and Governance by 5.00pm on Tuesday 28^th January 2014.

Full details of the addresses and questions submitted by the deadline will be provided separately prior to the meeting.

Addresses

(1)          Chaka Artwell – Oxford Voice

(2)          Alasdair de Voil – Concerning abuse/conflict of interest: Visit Oxfordshire

Councillor Colin Cook, Board Member, City Development responded to the address by stating that he understood that Mr de Voil had already raised these and similar matters in correspondence both directly with the City Council and through his Member of Parliament.  A written response will be sent to Mr de Voil on these matters in the near future.

(3)          Nigel Gibson – Why Oxford City Council could and should deliver the services the people of Oxford want and need

Councillor Mike Rowley, Board Member, Leisure Services provided the following response prior to the meeting:

The Council’s website contains detailed answers to these points which have already been provided to Mr Gibson.

http://www.oxford.gov.uk/PageRender/decLP/ConsultationonLeisureFacilities.htm

To assist members I have summarised a few key points:

The new pool costs are just over £9 million, not the stated £13 million. The £9 million figure is made up of the professional fees and constructions costs.

Temple Cowley Pools costs the council in excess of £500,000 per year.  The table shown in Mr Gibson’s address to council shows the estimated management fee but excludes utilities and repair and maintenance costs. Both these costs are very high at the two centres that are being replaced by the new pool at Blackbird Leys.

The management fee paid to Fusion Lifestyles is the combined net fee for all the centres. The ice rink and Ferry Centre generate a surplus which is then offset against the cost of the other centres, of which temple Cowley is by far the most costly.

Whist Fusion are responsible for maintenance at the newer centres, the council continues to be responsible for the maintenance costs at the older sites with higher risk of failure (Temple Cowley, Blackbird Leys Pool, the Ice Rink and Hinksey outdoor pool). This is because the cost of transferring that risk to Fusion Lifestyles is prohibitively high.

The £150,000 management fee for the new pool is inclusive of all utilities and maintenance costs.

The business case and feasibility study were developed with the support of Mace. Mace are an highly respected international consultancy and construction firm who have stood by their advice throughout intense scrutiny over recent years.

Questions

(1)          Question to the Board Member, City Development (Councillor Colin Cook) from Sietske Boeles

Oxford University Old Road Campus buildings

Recently Oxford University occupied two new bio medical research buildings at the Oxford University Old Road Campus. These are the Kennedy Institute for Rheumatology, and Research Facilities building for the Nuffield Orthopaedic Department.

Oxford University was permitted to move into the buildings despite not meeting the requirements of the Core Strategy Policy CS 25 

“That  no increase in academic floor space is allowed if there are more than 3,000 students outside of accommodation provided by the relevant University ”. (1)

Every year the Universities are required to submit figures where  ...  view the full minutes text for item 84.

None submitted for consideration.

No petitions had been previously submitted for consideration at this meeting.

(a)          Members who are Council representatives on external bodies or Chairs of Council Committees who consider that a significant decision or event has taken place, will give notice to the Head of Law and Governance by 1.00 pm on Thursday 30^th January 2014 to present a written or oral report on the event or the significant decision and how it may influence future events.

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

            Oxford Safer Communities Partnership

The Head of Environmental Development has submitted a report on behalf of Councillor Pat Kennedy, Board Member, Education, Crime and Community Safety, which informs Members of the work of the Oxford Safer Communities Partnership.

            Council is asked to comment on and note the report.

(a)          The Oxford Safer Communities Partnership

The Head of Environmental Development submitted a report (previously circulated, now appended) on behalf of the Board Member for Education, Crime and Community Safety, Councillor Pat Kennedy.  The report informed Council of the work of the Oxford Safer Communities Partnership.

Councillor Pat Kennedy introduced the report.

Councillors Graham Jones thanked Councillor Kennedy for her involvement in saving the Neighbourhood Action Groups (NAGS) in the City.  Councillor Craig Simmons asked though what was happening with the NAGS in other parts of the City and also the Student Warden Scheme.

In response Councillor Kennedy said that the Student Warden Scheme had been expanded to include the University of Oxford with eight Wardens.  She added that people had welcomed the initiative and had commented how things had improved.  She acknowledged that more could be done, and wished to thank Oxford Brookes University for their work in establishing the scheme.  With regard to the NAGS she said that there had been difficulty in appointing an Officer in Thames Valley Police to be responsible for the NAGS, but this had now been resolved with a new appointment.

Councillor Sam Hollick commented that there were a large number of priorities, but was there a root cause that was preventing the reduction of inequality.  In response Councillor Kennedy said that it was not the role for the Safer Communities Board to cover inequality in the broader sense.

Councillor John Goddard asked if the funding was adequate and secure and what influence had the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) have on this.  In response Councillor Kennedy said that the PCC had reduced the grant by 11% as part of the generally reduction in funding.  He had visited the City and was keen to work in partnership.  She added that the PCC had set a budget with an increase of 1.99% and that if this was to be reduced by central Government to 1.5% as reported, then the shortfall would be taken from reserves.

In response to further questions concerning Community Response Teams and CCTV, Councillor Kennedy said that the Community Response Teams worked closely with the Police especially on mental health issues.  Regarding CCTV, each scheme was funded differently, however discussions continued on how they were funded.

(b)          Statement from Councillor Oscar Van Nooijen – Chair – West Area Planning Committee

Councillor Van Nooijen said that the West Area Planning Committee had requested that he update Council on the current position if the Roger Dudman Way issue.  He said that since the last time he had reported, the independent review had taken place and reported back.  He thanked Councillors John Goddard and Elise Benjamin for their work and support on the cross party group that had been set up for the review purpose.  Many recommendations had been made and all had been endorsed by the West Area Planning Committee and a report on their implementation would follow.

Councillor Elise Benjamin said that good progress had been made and that the review report  ...  view the full minutes text for item 86.

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

Council is asked to comment on and note the report.

The Chair of the Scrutiny Committee submitted a report (previously circulated, now appended) which updated Council on the activities of Scrutiny and other non-Executive Councillors since the previous meeting of Council.

Councillor Mark Mills moved the report.

Council agreed to note the report.

Council Procedure Rule 11.16 refers.

Motions received by the Head of Law and Governance by the deadline of 1.00pm on Wednesday 22^nd January 2014 are attached to this agenda.

Council had before it eight Motions on Notice and reached decisions as follows:

(1)       City Council Champion of Mental Health Issues – (Proposed by Councillor Ed Turner)

            Labour Group Member - Motion on Notice

This Council supports the work of MIND and the Mental Health Foundation and asks the City Executive Board to consider appointing a member of council to be a champion of mental health issues in much the same way as we have an older people's champion.

Council acknowledges it is not directly responsible for healthcare provision but believes it nonetheless has an important role to play.  Council requests the City Executive Board to play a full role in the Health and Well Being Board and other partnership forums to maximise support for mental health work, and also to ensure its work providing and funding advice services is accessible to people with mental health problems.

Council believes councillors can support the wellbeing of people in their areas through both casework and their strategic role within the council.  Council welcomes the practical steps set out by Mind and the Mental Health Foundation, whose new report, Building Resilient Communities, that can be taken to promote wellbeing, build resilience and help to prevent mental health problems – including steps that can be taken by Councillors.

Councillor Ruth Wilkinson seconded by Councillor Jean Fooks moved the following amendment:

To add at the end of the Motion the following:

Furthermore, Council wishes to meet best employer practice regarding mental health, and to encourage a commitment from all front line contractors and existing and prospective employers to follow its lead. Council requests that the Chief Executive signs MIND’s Charter for Employers who are Positive About Mental Health on behalf of Oxford City Council. It also requests that the Chief Executive writes to his counterparts at the County Council, Oxford Brookes University and the University of Oxford to invite their organisations to follow the City Council's lead as a Mindful Employer to sign up to the Charter too.

The mover of the substantive Motion (Councillor Ed Turner) accepted the amendment and following a debate, Council voted and the Motion as amended by Councillor Ruth Wilkinson was adopted as follows:

This Council supports the work of MIND and the Mental Health Foundation and asks the City Executive Board to consider appointing a member of Council to be a

Champion of Mental Health Issues in much the same way as we have an Older People's Champion.

Council acknowledges it is not directly responsible for healthcare provision but believes it nonetheless has an important role to play.  Council requests the City Executive Board to play a full role in the Health and Well Being Board and other partnership forums to maximise support for mental health work, and also to ensure its work providing and funding advice services is accessible to people with mental health problems.

Council believes councillors can support the wellbeing of people in their areas through both casework and their strategic role within the council.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 88.

If Council wishes to exclude the press and the public from the meeting during consideration of any aspects of the preceding agenda items it will be necessary for Council to pass a resolution in accordance with the provisions of Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 specifying the grounds on which their presence could involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as described in specific paragraphs of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act if and so long as, in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

(The Access to Information Procedure Rules – Section 15 of the Council’s Constitution – sets out the conditions under which the public can be excluded from meetings of the Council

Not required.