To hear tributes and observe a minute’s silence in memory of former Lord Mayors or serving councillors or serving senior officers who have died.

Minutes of the ordinary meeting of Council held on 24 March 2025 and the annual meeting of Council on 15 May 2025.

Council is asked to approve the minutes as a correct record.

Any proposed changes will be circulated with the briefing note.

Announcements by:

1.     The Lord Mayor

2.     The Sheriff

3.     The Leader of the Council (who may with the permission of the Lord Mayor invite other councillors to make announcements)

4.     The Chief Executive, Chief Finance Officer, Monitoring Officer

Public addresses and questions to the Leader or other Cabinet member received in accordance with Council Procedure Rules in the Constitution relating to matters for decision in Part 1 of this agenda.

Up to five minutes is available for each public address and up to three minutes for each question. Questions must be less than 200 words.

The request to speak accompanied by the full text of the address or question must be received by the Director of Law, Governance and Strategy by 5.00 pm on Tuesday, 8 July 2025.

The briefing note will contain the text of addresses and questions submitted by the deadline, and written responses where available.

A total of 45 minutes is available for both public speaking items. Responses are included in this time.

The Head of People has submitted a report regarding the Positive Action Policy. Cabinet considered the report and recommended to Council on 18 June 2025.

Recommendation: For Council to resolve to:

1. Approve the Positive Action Policy for publication and use

The Director of Planning and Regulation has submitted a report regarding the changes to the Community Infrastructure Levy, and for Council to approve of amended Charging Schedule. Cabinet considered the report and recommended to Council on 18 June 2025.

Recommendation: For Council to resolve to:

1.    Adopt the CIL Charging Schedule in line with the recommendation of the independent examiner as set out in Appendix 1;

2.    Approve the date on which the amended tariffs will come into effect.

3.    Delegate authority to the Director of Planning and Regulatory to make any necessary further minor changes to the documents or any minor change to the implementation date for the new CIL rates.

The Director of Law, Governance and Strategy has submitted a report recommending Council appoint six Independent Persons to assist with supporting the Monitoring Officer with the Standards Process. The Standards Committee considered the report and recommended to Council on 3 July 2025.

Recommendation: That Council resolves to:

Authorise the Monitoring Officer to re-appoint Chris Ballinger and Andrew Mills-Hicks and to appoint Eric Feltin, Lois Lezemore, Ala Soualhi and Dr. Bushra Almunir Yousef as the Council’s Independent Persons for a five-year term. 

The Director of Law, Governance and Strategy has submitted a report which updates Council on key decisions taken in cases of special urgency since March 2025.

Recommendation: That Council resolves to:

1.    Note the urgent key decision taken in cases of special urgency as set out in the report

The Director of Law, Governance and Strategy has submitted a report to seek approval to the updated Committee procedures in the relevant sections of the Constitution and further amendments to the Constitution.

Recommendation: That Council resolves to:

1.    Approve the updates to the Constitution, as listed in Appendix 1;

2.    Delegate authority to the Monitoring Officer to make any other consequential amendments to the Constitution to reflect the changes in appendix 1 to the extent that they have not been identified in the above, provided such changes are purely required as a direct consequence.

The Head of People has submitted a report which asks Council to approve the pay policy.

Recommendation: That Council resolves to:

1.    Agree the pay policy

This item has a time limit of 15 minutes.

Councillors may ask the Cabinet Members questions about matters in these minutes:

To be circulated with the Briefing Paper.

To be circulated with the Briefing Paper.

To be circulated with the Briefing Paper.

Questions on notice from councillors received in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 11.11(b).

Questions on notice may be asked of the Lord Mayor, a Member of the Cabinet or a Chair of a Committee. One supplementary question may be asked at the meeting.

The full text of questions must have been received by the Director of Law, Governance and Strategy by no later than 1.00pm on Wednesday, 2 July 2025.

These, and written responses where available, will be published in the briefing note.

This item will be taken at or shortly after 7.00pm

Public addresses and questions to the Leader or other Cabinet member received in accordance with Council Procedure Rules in the Constitution and not relating to matters for decision in Part 1 of this agenda.

Up to five minutes is available for each public address and up to three minutes for each question. Questions must be less than 200 words.

The request to speak accompanied by the full text of the address or question must be received by the Director of Law, Governance and Strategy by 5.00 pm on Tuesday, 8 July 2025.

The briefing note will contain the text of addresses and questions submitted by the deadline, and written responses where available.

A total of 45 minutes is available for both public speaking items. Responses

As set out in the Constitution at procedure rule 11.16, Members who are Council representatives on external bodies or Chairs of Council Committees who consider that a significant decision or event has taken place, may give notice to the Director of Law, Governance and Strategy by 1.00 pm Wednesday, 9 July 2025 that they will present a written or oral report on the event or the significant decision and how it may influence future events. Written reports will be circulated with the briefing note.

Council is invited to comment on and note the report.

The Director of Law, Governance and Strategy has submitted a report to provide the annual report on the work of the Oxfordshire Health and Wellbeing/ Health Improvement Board.

Recommendation: That Council resolves to:

Note the annual update report of the work the City Council does to support the Oxfordshire Health & Wellbeing Board and the Health Improvement Board

The Chair of the Scrutiny Committee has submitted a report to Council, providing a summary of the Scrutiny function during the 2024/2025 municipal year.

Councillor Katherine Miles, Chair of the Scrutiny Committee 2024-2025, will present the report.

Recommendation: That Council resolves to note the update report.

Report will be published in the Briefing Note.

The Chair of the Scrutiny Committee has submitted a report which updates Council on the activities of scrutiny and the implementation of recommendations since March 2025.

Recommendation: That Council resolves to note the update report.

Report will be published in the Briefing Note.

This item has a time limit of 60 minutes.

Motions received by the Director of Law, Governance and Strategy in accordance with the rules in Section 11 of the Constitution by the deadline of 1.00pm on Wednesday, 2 July 2025 are listed below.

Cross party motions are taken first. Motions will then be taken in turn from the Labour Group, Liberal Democrat Group, Green Group, Independent Oxford Alliance Group, Oxford Community Independent Group, Oxford Independent Group and Real Independent Group in that order.

Substantive amendments to these motions must be sent by councillors to the Director of Law, Governance and Strategy by no later than 10.00am on Friday, 11 July 2025 so that they may be circulated with the briefing note.

Minor technical or limited wording amendments may be submitted during the meeting but must be written down and circulated.

Council is asked to consider the following motions:

a)    Oppose the County Council Congestion Charge Scheme (Proposed by Councillor James Taylor, Seconded by Councillor Asima Qayyum)

b)    Ban Smartphones in Oxford Schools (Proposed by Councillor Katherine Miles, Seconded by Councillor Andrew Gant)

c)    Protecting trans peoples’ access to services (Proposed by Councillor Alex Powell, Seconded by Councillor Chris Jarvis)

d)    Keep Oxfordshire’s street lights on (Proposed by Councillor Susan Brown, Seconded by Councillor Lubna Arshad)

e)    Environmental Protections in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill (Proposed by Councillor Andrew Gant, Seconded by Councillor Chris Smowton)

Labour Group Motion

This council resolves to express its opposition to the congestion charge scheme proposed by the county council.

Liberal Democrats Group Motion

This Council calls for restrictions on the use of smartphones in all primary and secondary schools for children up to the age of 16 years within Oxford

MP Josh MacAlister’s Safer Phones Bill^[1] has been watered down to exclude the ban on smartphones in schools. He reports, “It’s time to address the negative effects of excessive screen time and social media use on children’s health, sleep and learning. Parents are crying out for legislation to support them in keeping their children safe from online harm. Gen Z themselves regret how long they spend on social media”.

Gillian McDermott Head of Cutteslowe Primary School points to Jonathan Haidt’s The Anxious Generation,^[2] showing overwhelmingly the harm done to children through excessive use of smartphones. The author examined what happened to young people in the early 2010s that triggered the surge of anxiety and depression, social isolation and cyber-bullying and academic disengagement from 2012 which in some cases have contributed to self harm and death since then.

The LibDem MP Max Wilkinson^[3] says regulations are far behind reality and technology. Barnardos^[4] say that the average teenager is spending up to five hours a day on social media. Ofcom research^[5] found that 71% of children aged between 5 and 15 used a smartphone to get online in 2023. 75% of parents had concerns related to content inappropriate for their children’s age. 73% was adult or sexual content.

Eric Schmit^[6] the ex-boss of Google and Alphabet emphasised the use of smartphones can be safe but need to be moderated. “Why,” he asks, “would we run such a large uncontrolled experiment on the most important people in the world, which is the next generation?”

The council recognises that digital devices (e.g. a tablet, camera or video recorder) may be permitted for certain academic activities or research but should be provided by the school if required for learning. Moreover, students with specific learning needs may be permitted to use a digital device without social media access as a support tool.

Finally, this Council recognises that many parents in our city have signed up to the parent pact for a Smart-Phone Free Childhood – a collective agreement to delay getting kids smartphones until at least 14, and social media 16.

This Council:

1. Supports the principles of a Smartphone Free Childhood
2. Regrets that Josh McAlister’s Bill has been watered down.
3. Notes that Secretaries of State for Education have favoured mandatory limits on mobile phone use in schools over the last fifteen years.
4. Asks the Leader to write to the Secretary of State for Education urging support for the original intentions of the McAlister Bill.
5. Asks the Leader to write to all schools in the city to offer the council’s support and encouragement to continue to develop policies addressing concerns related to smartphone and social media use in schools.
6. Ask the Leader of the Council to look into whether the City Council can do this and implement as possible.  ...  view the full agenda text for item 17b

Green Group Motion

Council notes:

1.  Whilst the Council accepts the interpretation of the courts which are now law, the wider principles of the November 2021 motion still apply and still reflect this Council’s beliefs.^[1]

2.  That motion stated: “Trans women are women. Trans men are men. Non-binary people are non-binary.” 

3.  It continued by saying: “Our aspiration is for Oxford to be a safe, welcoming and inclusive city for everyone, no matter their gender identity.”

4.  Since the passing of the motion, the Supreme Court has issued a ruling on the definition of the protected characteristic of sex as set out in the Equality Act.^[2]

Council believes: 

1.  The principles of the November 2021 motion still apply and still reflect this Council’s beliefs. 

2.  Since the November 2021 motion was passed by this council, trans and non-binary people have been subjected to a manufactured moral panic which seeks to demonise their very existence and undermine their rights. 

3.  Overly simplistic approaches to understanding sex, gender and sexuality can undermine the rights not only of trans and non-binary people, but also those of gender non-conforming cisgender people. 

4.  Trans and non-binary residents of our city deserve reassurance that they will not be discriminated against in the provision of council services. 

Council resolves: 

1.  To request the leader of the council writes to the Minister for Women and Equalities calling for the government to introduce new legislation which protects trans rights and access to services. 

2.  To request the leader of the council writes to the Equality and Human Rights Commission calling for it to ensure that the Code of Practice it issues in relation to the Supreme Court ruling does not lead to trans and non-binary people facing discrimination or harassment in service provision. 

3.  To request that the leader of the council publicly sets out how the city council intends to ensure that its provision - including public toilets, community centres, housing and homelessness services and leisure provision remain trans inclusive. 

4.  To request that the leader of the Council and the Cabinet Members for Healthy Fairer Oxford, for Planning and Culture and for Citizen Focused Services undertake to work with both council bodies and local businesses to ensure that the rights and dignity of trans and non-binary residents of Oxford are supported to the maximum extent permitted by law in the delivery of services. 

5.  To request that the Cabinet member for Healthy Fairer Oxford write to the director of More Leisure publicly stating the councils support for an inclusive approach to accessing facilities and encourage More Leisure to ensure that they continue to provide services which are, to the maximum extent permissible by law, appropriate to the self-identification of Oxford residents.

Labour Group Motion

Council notes:? 

• Well-lit streets are a key component to our community’s safety, security, and well-being.? 

• According to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, an approximate 40% of all vehicle collisions occur at night time. Residents in nearby Warwickshire?and Northamptonshire, where street lights have been off for some years in the early hours, have reported feeling less safe at night due to the change.? 

• Proposals to switch off Oxfordshire's street lights at 11pm?were originally proposed by the then Liberal Democrat and Green Party-led Oxfordshire County Council with some exceptions as detailed here.? If this had been implemented, the?decision would have been carried out with just a week’s?notice being given to the general public, and with no opportunity for them to make their views heard. 

• Fortunately public outrage from this council and others stopped that from happening? 

• The county council now talks about communities having the option to request 'part-night lighting' which it defines as switching them off between 12 midnight and 5.30am in urban areas. 

Council believes: 

• Every resident in Oxford has the right to feel safe in their community.? 

• Darkened streets create an environment that fosters antisocial behaviour and crime, putting our most vulnerable residents at increased risk. 

• The County Council’s proposals would have a detrimental and disproportionate impact on women and girls, as well as all those who work unsocial hours including those in the NHS, hospitality, and retail, carers, cyclists, and pedestrians.? 

• These proposals also disregard public safety concerns raised in tackling Violence Against Women and Girls, ignoring both actual and perceived risks. 

• Particularly in urban areas, people will be heading home from a night out or to and from work during this period. 

• During these hours there are fewer people around and many will already feel more vulnerable. 

Council resolves: 

• To ask the City Council cabinet to adopt a position to oppose any proposal by the County Council to turn street lights off at 12midnight in Oxford 
• To call on the Leader of the City Council to write to the Leader of the County Council requesting them not to rush through this half-baked, dangerous, and divisive proposal for the sake of financial expediency.
• To share the concerns raised by local communities, Thames Valley Police, Anneliese Dodds MP, Sean Woodcock MP, and the whole of the Labour Party across Oxfordshire, who have spoken out against these proposals.

Liberal Democrats Group Motion

Council notes that the Planning and Infrastructure Bill^[1] will, if passed, significantly change the way this council makes planning decisions. Council believes these changes will curtail local democratic oversight and reduce environmental protections. 

Clause 51 gives the Secretary of State powers to decide which applications are heard at committee, and to dictate the size and composition of planning committees. 

Part 3 removes the requirement for developers to undertake an environmental impact assessment and deliver mitigation on a site-specific basis. Instead, clauses 66 to 75 provide for a “nature restoration levy”, allocated at national level by Natural England (called “cash to trash”^[2] by the RSPB). 

This council believes these measures go entirely against the spirit of effective local decision-making and evidence-based environmental protection.  

Council agrees with the Office for Environmental Protection: 

In our considered view, the bill would have the effect of reducing the level of environmental protection provided for by existing environmental law. As drafted, the provisions are a regression.^[3] 

Council also agrees with the 32 environmental organisations^[4] and 81 environmentalists and academics who publicly criticised the bill, calling for a “Pause to bad law”.^[5]

Council also agrees with Labour MP Chris Hinchcliff, who pointed out that “profit maximisation” is the biggest barrier to development, not “clear processes that uphold democracy and nature”.^[6]

This Bill will damage Oxford and Oxfordshire permanently, and will not build a single extra house. 

Council asks the Leader to write to Oxford’s MPs communicating these concerns, and asking them to oppose these elements in the bill.

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)

Additional information, councillors’ questions, public addresses and amendments to motions are published in a supplementary briefing note. The agenda and briefing note should be read together.

The Briefing Note is published as a supplement to the agenda. It is available on the Friday before the meeting and can be accessed along with the agenda on the council’s website.