Growth Board response to recommendations of the Growth Board Scrutiny Panel

Recommendations made on 17^th November 2020

The Growth Board is requested to provide a draft response to the recommendations of the Scrutiny Panel, to be published as a supplement collectively with the Scrutiny Panel’s report, for decision at its meeting on 24 November 2020.

Recommendation	Agree?	Comment
Recommendation 1. That the Growth Board clarify what plans have been made with the Environment Agency to assess the flood risk in rural areas such as Chalgrove, as a part of the Local Natural Capital Plan.	Yes	As the lead organisation for this work, the Environment Agency were contacted to provide further information, and they provided the following response: “As part of our project to create a LNCP we have not done any mapping of flood risk ourselves and where this has been considered within our work we have utilised the Environment Agency’s existing flood risk mapping and so nothing we produce would override what it is already in place. In terms of our report into the assessment of risk and pressures within the Arc, because of the geographical size of the area, we have only been able to do a high level strategic look at these different aspects. This report is currently being finalised (and will be added to our website (www.oxcamlncp.org) by early February) but we use the flood risk section to highlight the number of properties within the Arc at risk of flooding and briefly cover the different factors, such as urbanisation and land use change that could affect the level of flood risk within the Arc in the future. This does not include any specific assessment of flood risk in rural areas and we do not plan to do any detailed work like this. The risk and pressure report will provide a strategic look at the potential risks faced by the Arc but it would not override any of the work done by Local Authorities or the Environment Agency.”
Recommendation 2. That the Growth Board ensure the Economic Recovery Plan does not seek to build back in the same way and instead looks to build back in a way that is inclusive of all areas such as climate change, manufacturing and international tourism.	Yes	The Economic Recovery Plan (ERP) is being led by OxLEP in partnership with a range if Oxfordshire Partners including local authorities. We recognise that the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic necessitates a fresh look at how our local economy operates and where support is most needed. The Board supports the view that the ERP should take account of the challenges presented by climate change, and that the work should consider how the recovery of key industries can be supported. We anticipate a further update on the Economic Recovery Plan at a Growth Board meeting early in 2021.
Recommendation 3. That the Growth Board in the letter to the Secretary of State recommend that there be a national standard for Zero-Carbon housing which reflects the Net Zero-Carbon Buildings Framework Definition as outlined by the UK Green Building Council.	In part	The Growth Board recognises that there are numerous definitions of Zero Carbon homes of which the UKGBC definition is one, and that a nationally recognised definition could be helpful in bringing clarity to the issue. The Board also recognises that the development of such a definition would require detailed consideration and consultation so that the robustness and implications can be properly considered by all local authorities and other stakeholders before being applied.  This can be reflected in our letter to the Secretary of State.
Recommendation 4. That the Growth Board endorse and support Oxfordshire Inclusive Economy summary report findings but also i. clarifies what are the Early Years Education initiatives (pg.5, para 3 of summary report) in order to boost education in Oxfordshire? ii. recommend it looks into matters of eliminating child poverty in Oxfordshire. iii. recommend it looks into building local industries in certain economies around Oxfordshire that have been overlooked and underutilised such as Motorsport.	Yes	The specific reference to early years education initiatives relates to initiatives such as ‘Growing Young Minds; a new Oxfordshire Community Fund initiative aimed at investing in early years education in family homes to avoid the attainment gap that creates disadvantage for many young learners. Since the report was written, this specific initiative has gone on to secure funding More details are available at: https://oxfordshire.org/project/growing-minds/ The Inclusive Economy Commission for Oxfordshire has not yet been established. The report to the Growth Board on 24 November recommends support for its establishment. Once a funding route has been identified, and it has been set up, the Board will pass on recommendations ‘ii’ and ‘iii’ for the Commission’s consideration.