There were no declarations of interest made.

The Chair announced that Cllr Malik had resigned from the Committee, and that a new Committee member would be appointed at the Council meeting in November.

Minutes from 8 October 2024

Recommendation: That the minutes of the meeting held on 8 October 2024 be APPROVED as a true and accurate record.

The Committee resolved to approve the minutes of the meeting held on 8 October 2024 as a true and accurate record.

The Committee agreed to consider items 8, 7 and 9 next on the agenda, followed by items 5, 6 and 10.

A briefing note for this item will be circulated as a supplement, following the publication of the agenda.

Mish Tullar, Head of Corporate Strategy introduced the report providing an update on the Council’s engagement with Thames Water, noting two consecutive years of poor water quality and the Environment Agency's ongoing work to investigate pollution sources in detail. It was noted that the proposed Oxford River Action Plan would be informed by the EA’s findings, with action pending to address water quality concerns.

Cllr Corais joined the meeting.

Cllr Anna Railton, Cabinet Member for Zero Carbon Oxford was also in attendance to answer questions.

Cllr Ottino queried clarity of responsibilities between the Council and the Environment Agency, particularly regarding maintenance gaps. The Head of Corporate Strategy clarified that some flowing water bodies like brooks fall under the Council’s responsibility rather than Thames Water’s, though the laws on repair and ownership are somewhat unclear. He added that, while the ODS maintained gutters and roadsides on behalf of the County Council to mitigate fluvial flooding risks, options were limited during heavy rainfall.

Cllr Jarvis highlighted the value of regular meetings with Thames Water in addressing concerns. The Head of Corporate Strategy agreed, noting that current discussions focused on treatment works and recent executive changes at Thames Water, with improved engagement from government and EA officials. He mentioned that while broader member involvement had not been part of these talks, this could be considered in the future.

Cllr Henwood raised concerns about road runoff water, specifically mentioning Heyford Lane and asked if future mitigation was possible. It was clarified that this responsibility likely fell to the Highways Authority rather than the City Council.

Cllr Miles questioned the Council’s role in addressing domestic misconnections contributing to river pollution, particularly within Council-owned and housing association properties. The Head of Corporate Strategy responded that he was not aware of any Council enforcement responsibility. Cllr Miles suggested using Council influence to convene stakeholders on these impacts.

Cllr Henwood further queried the path of storm runoff from roads. The Head of Corporate Strategy noted that runoff was directed to various points, with some discharging into watercourses. Cllr Railton added that identifying pollutant sources in watercourses was an evolving but unresolved issue.

Cllr Miles asked about research or actions that could address domestic misconnections, seeking clarity on current or potential measures. Cllr Ottino questioned whether landlords would be liable for costs or if the Council would bear them.

Cllr Hunt raised the need for enhanced river water testing to support future Council action plans. Cllr Railton cautioned that while the Council may request testing, results were not guaranteed. It was explained that the Environment Agency, as required by DEFRA, was conducting a detailed study to identify pollutant sources, and once available, this data would guide the Council’s water quality efforts.

Cllr Mundy expressed concern about Thames Water’s financial stability and suggested the need for a contingency plan if the company ceases operations. It was assured that DEFRA and OFWAT have protocols in place to maintain operations in such a scenario.

The Committee noted the importance of planning  ...  view the full minutes text for item 41.

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 the Scrutiny Committee wishes to discuss matters relating to the information set out in Appendix 1 to the report, it will be necessary for the Scrutiny Committee to pass a resolution to exclude the press and public from the meeting (as set out at agenda item 9).

At its meeting on 16 January 2024, the Committee consider a report concerning the Leisure Services Contract Award. This report updates the Committee on the mobilisation of the leisure contract and client function arrangements in line with the recommendations from Scrutiny Committee that were approved at Cabinet on 24 January 2024.

The Committee is asked to consider the report and agree ant recommendations.

Cllr Chewe Munkonge, Cabinet Member for a Healthy Oxford, and Hagan Lewisman, Active Communities Manager, introduced the report, highlighting the Council's effective management of its contracts and the success of this particular partnership. He mentioned that the Council had been working closely with More Leisure to achieve positive outcomes that met the Council's goals and expectations. This partnership also provided valuable lessons to inform future improvements in contract management.

James Baughan, Leisure and Active Wellbeing Manager, and Nigel Kennedy, Head of Finance Services, were also present to answer questions.

Cllr Ottino queried the improvements made to leisure centres since the supplier change. The Active Communities Manager explained that an improvement roadmap was in place, addressing legacy issues from the previous supplier that would take time to resolve. The Leisure and Active Wellbeing Manager added that an upgrade programme was planned over the next 18 months, focusing on ventilation improvements and retrofitting the changing rooms. He also highlighted ongoing efforts to strengthen recruitment, including filling the Active Communities position.

Cllr Hunt commented positively on the size of the Barton gym but raised concerns about the condition of some facilities under the new provider, particularly the state of the changing rooms. She suggested focusing on securing year-round use of the lido by utilising the existing water heat pump to warm the outdoor pool. The Active Communities Manager acknowledged ongoing discussions regarding the lido’s business case and funding, noting that the Council was consulting with providers across the country to learn from other lido projects.

Cllr Hunt also highlighted the need for improved ventilation in all sports facilities and pools, especially in light of COVID-related concerns over air quality. Cllr Munkonge concluded by noting that More Leisure had gone above and beyond in their efforts to support these facility improvements.

The Committee acknowledged and welcomed the new practice of a dedicated

officer responsible for overseeing facility conditions and ensuring issues are picked up on a more timely manner.

The Committee resolved to make the following recommendation on the report to

Cabinet:

1. That the Council requests Officers to explore a business case for the availability and year-round access to the lido, utilising the existing water source heat pump to support sustainable operations.
2. That the Council ensures enhanced ventilation is included in any retrofitting or renovations of the leisure centre changing facilities, with a specific focus on health and safety.
3. That the Council establishes a process for a six-monthly review of the leisure supplier’s finances, with update reports provided to the Finance and Performance Panel for ongoing review and oversight.

If the Committee wishes to exclude the press and the public from the meeting during consideration of any aspects of the preceding or following agenda items it will be necessary for the Committee 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).

The Committee resolved that under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of Appendix 1 to the ‘Leisure Update’ report, and the ‘OX Place - OCH(I)L Recovery Plan’ on the grounds that their presence would involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as described in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act.

The Committee asked questions in relation to the information contained in Appendix 1 to the report.

Cllr Munkonge, Hagan Lewisman, James Baughan and Nigel Kennedy left the meeting and did not return.

This item includes exempt information pursuant to Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972. It will be necessary for the Committee to pass a resolution to exclude the press and public from the meeting during consideration of this item (as set out at agenda item 9).

The Shareholder and Joint Venture Group, at its meeting on 6 November 2024, will consider a report from the OX Place relating to the Oxford City Housing (Investment) Limited Recover Plan.

Helen Horne, Managing Director (OX Place) has been invited to present the report and answer questions from the perspective of the Housing Companies.

Cllr Nigel Chapman, Cabinet Member for Citizen Focused Services and Council Companies, and Emma Jackman, Head of Law and Governance (Monitoring Officer) have been invited to present the report and answer questions from the perspective of the Council as Shareholder.

The Committee is asked to consider the report and agree any recommendations.

The Committee discussed matters relating to information contained in the exempt report.

The Work Plan is driven to a very large extent by the Cabinet Forward Plan. The Scrutiny Committee agrees its priorities for items coming onto the Forward Plan, which then form part of its Work Plan.

The Committee is recommended to confirm its agreement to the Work Plan, or agree any amendments as required.

The Committee agreed the Work Plan.

At its meeting on 16 October 2024, Cabinet considered the following reports from Scrutiny and made responses to the recommendations:

·       Annual Air Quality Status Report

·       ZCOP Expansion Plans

Since the Scrutiny Committee’s previous meeting on 8 October 2024, the following Panels have met:

·       Housing and Homelessness Panel (10 October 2024)

The Committee is asked to:

1.     Note Cabinet’s responses to its recommendations.

2.     Note any updates from Panel meetings.

The Committee noted that on 16 October 2024, Cabinet considered recommendations related to 2 reports, responses to which had been included in the agenda pack:

•                  Annual Air Quality Status Report

•                  ZCOP Partnership Expansion

The Committee also noted that the Housing and Homelessness Panel met on 10 October to discuss two reports from the Head of Housing Services:  Temporary Accommodation and Homelessness Update and the Housing Complaint Handling Annual Report 2023/24. The Panel had wide ranging discussions however no formal recommendations were made.

Scrutiny Committee

·       02 December 2024

·       14 January 2025

·       29 January 2025

·       03 March 2025

·       01 April 2025

Standing Panels

Housing & Homelessness: 7 November 2024; 27 November 2024 (extraordinary); 06 March 2025

Finance & Performance: 4 December 2022; 15 January 2025; 7 April 2025

Climate & Environment: 20 November 2024; 26 February 2025; 27 March 2025

All meetings start at 6.00 pm.

The Committee was informed that an extraordinary meeting had been scheduled for 18 November 2024. In addition, it was noted that the meeting scheduled for 1 April 2025 would be rescheduled to 26 March 2025 in observance of the Festival of Eid.

The Committee noted the dates of future meetings.