The Scrutiny Committee met on 3 March 2025. The Climate and Environment Panel met on 26 February 2025, and the Housing and Homelessness Panel met on 6 March 2025.  The report and recommendations from the Committee and its Panels are published as supplement.

·       Oxford City Council Annual Business Plan 2025 – 2026

·       Allocation of Preventing Homelessness Budget 2025/26

·       Adult Exploitation and Modern Slavery

·       Net-Zero Masterplan

·       Update and Overview of the Work of the Waste Review

·       Heat Networks and Zoning

·       Selective Licensing Implementation Update – Year 2

·       Housing Ombudsman Complaint Handling Code Self-Assessment

Councillor Miles presented the reports from Scrutiny Committee.  

The Scrutiny Committee met on 3 March 2025, and they considered reports relating to agenda items 9 and 10 and the Adult Exploitation and Modern Slavery Report. The Climate and Environment Panel met on 26 February 2025, and the Housing and Homelessness Panel met on 6 March 2025.

Councillor Miles presented the Scrutiny Committee’s discussions relating to the Oxford City Council Annual Business Plan 2025 – 2026.

·       Recommendation 1: That Cabinet ensures locality-based support for business in Oxford, outside the city centre, focuses on the commercial centres as defined in the Local Plan; and that efforts be made to collaborate with businesses that, while not formally designated as commercial centres, provide essential services to local residents within walking distance of certain residential areas.

·       Recommendation 2: That the reference to the creation of an Accommodation Business Improvement District in the Oxford City Council Annual Business Plan Priorities 2025-2026 be revised to clearly indicate that its establishment is contingent on the decision of the businesses involved, and not the Council.

Councillor Hollingsworth responded and noted that Cabinet had agreed the recommendations from Scrutiny.

Councillor Miles presented the Scrutiny Committee’s discussions regarding the update report on Adult Exploitation and Modern Slavery.

·       Recommendation 1: That Cabinet assesses the sustainability of funding in advance of the next budget setting round to ensure continued support for the role and ongoing work on adult exploitation, should external funding become unavailable.

Cabinet noted that these recommendations had been accepted.

Councillor Miles presented the Climate and Environment Panel’s discussions concerning the Net-Zero Masterplan. She congratulated the work that had been done already in this area.

·       Recommendation 1: The Sustainability team to invite Councillors to visit an exemplary Net Zero New Build, as part of the Council housing stock to see provisions for Net Zero.

Councillor Miles presented the Climate and Environment Panel’s discussions concerning the Update and Overview of the Work of the Waste Review.

·       Recommendation 1: For Oxford City Council (Finance and Waste teams) to conduct some research to explore cost recovery from student landlords, related to waste services as a result of the densification of student properties and challenges of waste management.

Councillor Miles presented the Climate and Environment Panel’s discussions concerning the Heat Networks and Zoning.

·       Recommendation 1: For Oxford City Council to explore heat decarbonisation mapping exercise to support the work of Heat Networks.

Councillor Railton responded and noted that these recommendations had been accepted by Cabinet.

Councillor Miles presented the Housing and Homelessness Panel discussions concerning the Selective Licensing Implementation Update – Year 2.

·       Recommendation 1: For Officers to collate data from proactive visits to review the Housing Stock in the private rented sector in Oxford.

·       Recommendation 2: For Officers to prioritise the importance of the media campaign and to engage with tenants’ unions and organisations, and to track the engagement to review the success of the campaign.

Councillor Miles presented the Housing and Homelessness Panel discussions concerning the Housing Ombudsman Complaint Handling Code Self-Assessment. She thanked all of the officers and Councillors for this work on this matter.

·       Recommendation 1: For the Officers, as part of on-going review of Housing’s complaint handling process, to further reflect on how often the reports are brought to Cabinet or other suitable governing bodies e.g. the Tenant and Leaseholder Board.

Councillor Smith responded and noted that the recommendations had been accepted by Cabinet.