Browse Council plans

The Forward Plan

The Forward Plan gives information about all decisions the Cabinet (formerly the City Executive Board) is expected to take and significant decisions to be made by Council or other Council committees over the forthcoming four-month period. It also contains information beyond this in draft form about decisions of significance to be taken in the forthcoming year.

What is a Key decision?

A key decision is an executive decision which is likely:-

• To result in the council incurring expenditure of more than £500,000 or
• To be significant in terms of its effects on communities living or working in an area comprising of two or more wards.

A key decision, except in special or urgent circumstances, cannot be taken unless it has appeared in the Forward Plan for 28 days before the decision is made.

Private meetings

Some or all, of the information supporting decisions in the Forward Plan may be taken at a meeting not open in part, or in whole to the press or public. Items that contain confidential information that will be excluded from the public are marked in this plan and the reason for doing so given.

If you object to an item being taken in private, or if you wish to make representations about any matter listed in the Forward Plan, then please contact Committee and Members Services at least 7 working days before the decision is due to be made. This can be done by contacting

Committee and Members Services
St Aldate’s Chambers
St Aldate’s
Oxford OX1 1DS

01865 252230
cabinetreports@oxford.gov.ukk

Inspection of documents

Reports to be submitted to the decision-maker and background papers to those reports are available for inspection at the Council offices and will appear on our website http://www.oxford.gov.uk 5 working days prior to the date on which the decision is due to be made.

The Council’s decision-making process

The agenda papers for Cabinet meetings are available five working days before the meeting on the council website.

Further information about the Council’s decision making process can be found in the Council’s Constitution, which can be inspected at the Council’s offices or online at http://www.oxford.gov.uk

The Scrutiny Work Plan

The Scrutiny Committee agrees a work plan every year detailing selected issues that affect Oxford or its inhabitants. The work plan is based on suggestions received from all elected members and senior council officers. Members of the public can also contribute topics for inclusion in the scrutiny work plan by completing and submitting our suggestion form.

The following criteria may be used by the Scrutiny Committee to evaluate and prioritise suggested topics:

• Is the issue controversial / of significant public interest?
• Is it an area of high expenditure?
• Is it an essential service / corporate priority?
• Can Scrutiny influence and add value?

Some topics will be considered at Scrutiny Committee meetings and others will be delegated to two standing panels. Items for more detailed review will be considered by time-limited review groups.

The Committee will review the Council’s Forward Plan at each meeting and decide which executive decisions it wishes to comment on before the decision is made.