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The Scrutiny Committee met on 26 March 2025 and the Climate and Environment Panel met on 27 March 2025.  The report and recommendations from these meetings are published as supplement.

• Anti-Social Behaviour Policy Update
• Urgent Key Decisions End-of-Year Update
• Energy Efficiency Update
• Carbon Offsetting (Local Carbon Oxford) Update

Councillor Miles presented the reports from Scrutiny Committee.

The Scrutiny Committee met on 26 March 2025 and reviewed the Anti-Social Behaviour Policy Update and the Urgent Key Decisions End-of-Year Update. The Climate and Environment Panel met on 27 March 2025 and reviewed the Energy Efficiency Update, the Carbon Offsetting (Local Carbon Oxford) Update, and the Zero Carbon Industrial Decarbonisation Update.

Councillor Miles presented the Scrutiny Committee’s discussions and recommendations relating to the the Anti-Social Behaviour Policy Update.

• Recommendation 1: That the Anti-Social Behaviour Policy incorporate a clause referencing the principles of 'Safe by Design' in public spaces, and ensure its application in the planning of new public spaces and redesign of existing locations identified as hotpots for anti-social behaviour
• Recommendation 2: That Council explore approaches to pavement parking as a form of ASB, for example identifying any multi-agency approaches to combat such problems trialled in designated areas by other local authorities, and assess the feasibility of implementing similar measures locally, noting the potential need for cross-agency collaboration in enforcement and policy development.

Councillor Arshad responded and noted that Cabinet had accepted the first recommendation and had partially accepted the second recommendation. Councillor Arshad said that the first recommendation represented a key priority area of work for the Council. She said that she had written a letter to the County Council regarding the pavement parking issue and that they would continue to work with the County Council and the police to address these concerns.

Councillor Miles presented the Scrutiny Committee’s discussions and recommendation regarding the Urgent Key Decisions End-of-Year Update.

• That an end-of-year summary update on Urgent Key Decisions is provided to the Scrutiny Committee, at the discretion of the Scrutiny Chair, in the next municipal year, enabling the Committee to assess whether the mitigations implemented have effectively addressed the high frequency of these decisions.

Councillor Brown responded and noted that the Chair of Scrutiny would continue to be informed of all urgent key decisions as they arise. She said that they would review this matter as they move through the year and decide if further work was needed in this area. 

Councillor Miles presented the Climate and Environment Panel’s discussions and recommendations regarding the Energy Efficiency Update, the Carbon Offsetting (Local Carbon Oxford) Update, and the Zero Carbon Industrial Decarbonisation Update.

• Recommendation 1: A brief assessment of the heat mapping exercise as part of the District Heating Network across the city of Oxford, and to confirm when the data would be available.
• Recommendation 2: Explore the properties in Oxford that have already installed air source heat pumps (i.e commercial properties, private landlords, private properties).

• Recommendation 3: Update for Local Carbon Oxford project to be provided for the Panel at a later date.

Councillor Miles noted that the Panel had made no recommendations on the Zero Carbon Industrial Decarbonisation Update.

Councillor Railton responded and stated that Cabinet had agreed the first recommendation in full, had partially agreed the second recommendation, and had agreed the third recommendation in full.

Councillor Brown thanked  ...  view the full minutes text for item 157.

The Director of Property and Assets had submitted a report to Cabinet to seek approval to renew the lease of the car park at Oxpens Road.

Cabinet is recommended to:

1.    Approve entering into a new lease with OxWED LLP for the Car Park at Oxpens Road; and

2.    Delegate authority to the Deputy Chief Executive – City and Citizens’ Services in consultation with the Deputy Leader (Statutory) – Finance and Asset Management, the Director of Law, Governance and Strategy and the Group Finance Director to agree the final terms and enter into the lease.

The Director of Property and Assets had submitted a report to Cabinetto seek approval to renew the lease of the car park at Oxpens Road.

Councillor Turner presented the report and said that the carpark is currently running and being managed by the Council. He said that they would like to enter into a new updated lease with OxWED, which would provide continued provision for the facility and income for the Council.

Cabinet resolved to:

1. Approve entering into a new lease with OxWED LLP for the Car Park at Oxpens Road; and
2. Delegate authority to the Deputy Chief Executive – City and Citizens’ Services in consultation with the Deputy Leader (Statutory) – Finance and Asset Management, the Director of Law, Governance and Strategy and the Group Finance Director to agree the final terms and enter into the lease.

The Director of Planning and Regulation submitted a report to Cabinet to request that Cabinet endorse the examination of Littlemore Neighbourhood Plan.

Cabinet is recommended to:

1.    Proceed with the neighbourhood plan process by submitting the consultation responses and the draft plan for independent examination

2.    Delegate to Director of Planning & Regulation to proceed to referendum following receipt of the examiners report, including any modifications or amendments the Examiner recommends.

The Director of Planning and Regulation had submitted a report to Cabinet to request that Cabinet endorse the examination of the Littlemore Neighbourhood Plan.

Councillor Upton virtually presented the report. She said that the report set out how they approached the creation of a Littlemore Neighbourhood Plan. She said that the draft plan had gone out to consultation, and that following the Cabinet meeting they would submit the draft plan to an independent inspector. Councillor Upton outlined the remaining steps for the neighbourhood plan, for it to progress to a referendum vote.

Cabinet resolved to:

1. Proceed with the neighbourhood plan process by submitting the consultation responses and the draft plan for independent examination
2. Delegate to Director of Planning & Regulation to proceed to referendum following receipt of the examiners report, including any modifications or amendments the Examiner recommends.

The Director of Law, Governance and Strategy (Monitoring Officer) submitted a report to Cabinet to request that Cabinet agree the lists of annual flag flying and bell ringing commitmentsand tonote theOxford CityCouncil Protocol for Flag Flying and Bell Ringing.

Cabinet is recommended to:

1.    Agree the List of Annual Flag Flying Commitments attached at Appendices 1A and 1B to this report;

2.    Note the List of Annual Bell Ringing Commitments attached at Appendix 2 to this report; and

3.    Note the Oxford City Council Protocol for Flag Flying and Bell Ringing set out in Appendix 3 to this report.

The Director of Law, Governance and Strategy (Monitoring Officer) had submitted a report to Cabinet to request that Cabinet agree the lists of annual flag flying and bell ringing commitments and to note the Oxford City Council Protocol for Flag Flying and Bell Ringing.

Councillor Brown presented the report. She said that there were a few changes to the agreed list of flags. They had added two additional flag flying requests. Councillor Brown said that one was the Windrush flag to be flown in June and the Black history flag to be flown throughout October for Black History Month.

Cabinet resolved to:

1.    Agree the List of Annual Flag Flying Commitments attached at Appendices 1A and 1B to this report;

2.    Note the List of Annual Bell Ringing Commitments attached at Appendix 2 to this report; and

3.    Note the Oxford City Council Protocol for Flag Flying and Bell Ringing set out in Appendix 3 to this report.

The Head of People submitted a report to request that Cabinet approves re-procurement arrangements for Recruitment Agencies to supply temporary, contract and permanent workforce.

Cabinet is recommended to:

1.    Approve the re-procurement of agencies to supply temporary, contract and permanent workforce with an approximate value of £2.5m per annum a minimum of 4 years.

2.    Delegate authority to the Head of People, in consultation with the Group Finance Director (Section 151 Officer):

a.    determine the format of the procurement and contract structure; and

b.    award the subsequent contracts following completion of the procurement exercise.  

The Head of People had submitted a report to request that Cabinet approves re-procurement arrangements for Recruitment Agencies to supply temporary, contract and permanent workforce.

Melissa Hope, Organisational Development Manager, presented the report. She said that they are looking for approval to re-procure for their recruitment agencies. She said that they were also seeking delegation for authority to award the contracts.

Cabinet resolved to:

1. Approve the re-procurement of agencies to supply temporary, contract and permanent workforce with an approximate value of £2.5m per annum a minimum of 4 years.
2. Delegate authority to the Head of People, in consultation with the Group Finance Director (Section 151 Officer):
   1. determine the format of the procurement and contract structure; and
   2. award the subsequent contracts following completion of the procurement exercise.  

Recommendation: That Cabinet resolves to approve the minutes of the meetings held on 12 March and 19 March 2025 as true and accurate records.

Cabinet resolved to approve the minutes of the meetings held on 12 March and 19 March 2025 as true and accurate records.

Meetings are scheduled for the following dates:

All meetings start at 6.00.

Cabinet noted the dates of future meetings.

If Cabinet wishes to exclude the press and the public from the meeting during consideration of any of the items on the exempt from publication part of the agenda, it will be necessary for Cabinet to pass a resolution in accordance with the provisions of Paragraph 4(2)(b) of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012 on the grounds that their presence could involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as described in specific paragraphs of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972.

Cabinet may maintain the exemption 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.