There were no declarations of interest.

The Group is asked to consider any comments and/or recommendations from the Companies’ Scrutiny Panel on matters not on the agenda.

Representatives of the Companies’ Scrutiny Panel may also comment on substantive items.

There were no recommendations from the Companies Scrutiny Panel tabled under this agenda item, but members of the Companies Scrutiny Panel contributed to the discussion on all agenda items as minuted.

The Council’s Head of Law and Governance has submitted a report seeking approval for changes in the Council’s appointments to the boards of its companies and joint ventures.

Recommendations: That the Shareholder and Joint Venture Group resolves to:

1.    Appoint Peter Matthew as one of the Council appointed Directors on the OCHL, OCH(D)L and OCH(I)L (“Housing Group” or “OX Place”) Boards;

2.    Appoint Jane Winfield as a Council appointed Director on the OxWED LLP Board, replacing Caroline Green;

3.    Note the appointment of Peter Matthew as Client to ODSL and ODSTL, replacing Stephen Gabriel;

4.    Note the Advisors to Shareholders for matters relating to the business of companies as:

·         ODSL and ODSTL – Tom Hook & Peter Matthew

·         Housing Group – Peter Matthew & Tom Bridgman

·         Barton Oxford LLP – Carolyn Ploszynski

·         OxWED LLP – Tom Bridgman

·         SOSV LLP – Tom Bridgman

·         All – Nigel Kennedy & Rhian Davies

The Shareholder and Joint Venture Group considered a report from the Head of Law and Governance which sought approval for changes in the Council’s appointments to the boards of its companies and joint ventures.

The Shareholder and Joint Venture Group resolved to:

1.    Appoint Peter Matthew as one of the Council appointed Directors on the OCHL, OCH(D)L and OCH(I)L (“Housing Group” or “OX Place”) Boards;

2.    Appoint Jane Winfield as a Council appointed Director on the OxWED LLP Board, replacing Caroline Green;

3.    Note the appointment of Peter Matthew as Client to ODSL and ODSTL, replacing Stephen Gabriel;

4.    Note the Advisors to Shareholders for matters relating to the business of companies as:

·       ODSL and ODSTL – Tom Hook and Peter Matthew

·       Housing Group – Peter Matthew and Tom Bridgman

·       Barton Oxford LLP – Carolyn Ploszynski

·       OxWED LLP – Tom Bridgman

·       SOSV LLP – Tom Bridgman

·       All – Nigel Kennedy and Rhian Davies

The Council’s representatives on the Limited Liability Partnership (LLP)

and supporting officers:

·         Ian Brooke, Director

·         Carolyn Ploszynski, Director

·         Jane Winfield, Director

·         Sarah Knight, Head of Development (Housing Services)

The following Barton LLP representatives were present for this item:

·       Sarah Knight, Head of Development (Housing Services)

·       Jane Winfield, Director

Purpose of the report:

This report provides an update into the activities of Barton Oxford LLP (BOLLP) over the past quarter.

Recommendation:

That the Shareholder and Joint Venture Group resolves to note the contents of the report.

The Shareholder and Joint Venture Group considered a report which provided an update into the activities of Barton Oxford LLP (BOLLP) over the last quarter.  Sarah Knight, Head of Development (Housing Services) and Jane Winfield, Director of BOLLP, responded to questions from the Group as follows:

·         As part of the planning application for the third phase of development, there were to be commercial units.  Some initial information had been provided at the most recent BICEP meeting about likely tenants which included a large food retailer and possibly a boutique shop, and that information was therefore in the public domain, however no further information had since been released and identification of potential lettings remained commercially sensitive information.

·         The Option Agreement was in place which Dorchester were only likely to call on if they developed the scheme.  Financial contributions used to make a contribution towards the service charge for residents would be for a limited period, and was currently being determined.

·         The ‘Hillside Case’ had created a potential planning risk because Barton 3B could be considered a ‘drop in’ application following advice received from solicitors and planning consultants.  The response to this was being worked through.

The Group raised concerns that any additional development of pathways and cycle routes on any Council housing development would be picked up by additional charges to tenants/owners as part of their maintenance charges. 

The Shareholder and Joint Venture Group resolved to note the contents of the report.

If the SJVG 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 the SJVG 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.

The SJVG 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.

The Shareholder and Joint Venture Group passed a resolution in accordance with the provisions of Paragraph 4(2)(b) of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012 to exclude the press and members of the public on the grounds that Oxford City Council, Town Hall, St Aldate’s, Oxford OX1 1BX, their presence could involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as described in specific paragraphs of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972.

The following OX Place representatives and supporting officers are

expected to attend for this item:

·         Helen Horne, Managing Director, OX Place

·         Sarah Knight, Head of Development

·         Kerry Kyriacou, Chair of OX Place

·         David Watt, Strategic Finance Manager

·         Michelle Chidgey, Head of Sales & Marketing

·         Peter Matthew, Director (subject to appointment at item 4)

·         Jane Winfield, Director

·         Lindsay Cane, Company Secretary

The following OX Place representatives were present for this item:

·       Helen Horne, Managing Director, OX Place

·       Sarah Knight, Head of Development (Housing Services)

·       Kerry Kyriacou, Chair of OX Place

·       David Watt, Finance Business Partner, OX Place

·       Lindsay Cane, Company Secretary

·       Jane Winfield, Director

The Shareholder and Joint Venture Group received a verbal update from Kerry Kyriacou, Chair of OX Place, which set out the format and content of the following reports to be discussed in a private session.

Purpose of the report:

To update the Shareholder on the day-to-day actions and progress since the previous OX Place Shareholder and Joint Venture Group meeting.

Recommendation:

That the Shareholder and Joint Venture Group resolves to note the contents of the report.

The Shareholder and Joint Venture Group received a report from Helen Horne, Managing Director of OX Place, which updated the Shareholder on the day-to-day actions and progress since the previous OX Place Shareholder and Joint Venture Group meeting, and answered questions from those members of the SJVG and Companies’ Scrutiny Panel present at the meeting in private session.

The Shareholder and Joint Venture Group resolved to note the contents of the report.

Purpose of the report:

To update the Shareholder on the actions agreed by the Board in response to the RSM Governance Review completed in February 2023.

Recommendation:

That the Shareholder and Joint Venture Group resolves to note the actions suggested by Board in response to the Governance Review.

The Shareholder and Joint Venture Group considered a report which provided an update on the actions agreed by the Board in response to the RSM Governance Review completed in February 2023.

Helen Horne, Managing Director of OX Place, Kerry Kyriacou, Chair of OX Place and Tom Bridgman, Executive Director (Development) and Council Advisor to the Board, answered questions from those members of the SJVG and Companies’ Scrutiny Panel present at the meeting in private session.

The Shareholder and Joint Venture Group resolved to note the actions suggested by the Board in response to the Governance Review.

Purpose of the report:

To update the Shareholder as to the mechanisms the Board has put in place to identify, rank, monitor and control risks at Strategic, Executive and Operational levels.

Recommendation:

That the Shareholder and Joint Venture Group resolves to note and comment on the Risk Register, taking account of the Board’s comments included in the report.

The Shareholder and Joint Venture Group considered a report which provided an update as to the mechanisms the Board has put in place to identify, rank, monitor and control risks at Strategic, Executive and Operational levels.

The Shareholder and Joint Venture Group resolved to note and comment on the Risk Register, taking account of the Board’s comments including in the report.

Purpose of the report:

To provide the estimated 2022/23 financial performance position for each entity within the OX Place group in relation to its development and investment activity.

Recommendation:

That the Shareholder and Joint Venture Group resolves to note the contents of the report and associated appendices.

The Shareholder and Joint Venture Group considered a report which provided the estimated 2022/23 financial performance position for each entity within the OX Place group in relation to its development and investment activity.

Helen Horne, Managing Director of OX Place and David Watt, Finance Business Partner answered questions from those members of the SJVG and Companies’ Scrutiny Panel present at the meeting in private session.

The Shareholder and Joint Venture Group resolved to note the contents of the report and associated appendices.

Recommendation: to approve the public and private minutes of the Shareholder and Joint Venture Group meeting on 1 March 2023as a true and correct record.

The Shareholder and Joint Venture Group received the public and private minutes of the meeting of 1 March 2023 and resolved to agree these as a true and accurate record of the meeting.