Future Oxfordshire Partnership response to recommendations of the Partnership Scrutiny Panel made on

20 March 2023

 

The Future Oxfordshire Partnership is requested to provide a response to the recommendations of the Scrutiny Panel for decision at its meeting on 13 March 2023.

 

Recommendation

Comment

 Pathways to Zero Carbon Oxfordshire Joint Action Plan (agenda Item: 5)

 

The Scrutiny Panel was pleased to consider the Net Zero Route Map and Joint Action Plan, which it felt, represented a significant step forward towards the delivery of a zero carbon Oxfordshire. Members were very appreciative of the considerable amount of complex work undertaken by officers and City Science in developing this important plan. Nevertheless, there were a number of areas where the Panel felt that the Route Map and Joint Action Plan could be strengthened further to address both what it felt were a number of omissions, and areas where clarifications were required within the City Science report.

 

The Panel recommended to the Future Oxfordshire Partnership that:

 

1.     The report and Net Zero Route Map and Action Plan be noted.

 

2.     The proposed joint actions and recommended prioritisations as set out in the report be endorsed to form a programme of work reporting to the Partnership subject to:

 

  1. The addition of a workstream to examine and establish the evidence base for additional measures to reduce private car use. This should include development of an approach to making decisions on capital infrastructure, road building and traffic demand management policies that in addition to the encouragement of behavioural change include potential fiscal measures. (It is suggested that The Future of Road Investment in Wales report commissioned by the Welsh Government advising it on current road projects and how to consider future projects could provide a possible example for elements of this).

 

  1. Increased consideration and inclusion of Scope 3 emissions within the route map and action plan to ensure indirect emissions are managed. Given the urgent nature of the climate emergency and need to consider all possible ways to the reduce carbon emissions.

 

  1. Re-examination of the potential contributions of wind and hydro forms of carbon free energy generation. This is so as to not place an over reliance on solar energy generation. The use of previously developed land for solar generation, (for example through solar canopies above carparks) to be encouraged over previously undeveloped land.

 

  1. There be a re-examination of the benefits of e-cargo bikes in addition to the focus on electric vans in order to support efforts to reduce emissions generated from ‘last mile’ deliveries.

 

  1. The development of a transport hierarchy that gives greater priority to delivery of EV infrastructure that can be used to support the expansion of shared EV use, for example through a network of car clubs, over private EV infrastructure, and that public EV charging infrastructure also includes provision for e-bikes.

 

  1. Greater recognition that:

 

                                          i.    trips undertaken by motorcycle tend to be lower total mileage with a proportionally smaller level of emissions. Motorcycles are part of the solution, not the problem.

                                        ii.    emissions from motorcycles should be regarded as a separate heading from cars. Motorcycles are not two wheeled cars.

 

  1. That as part of the development of a Strategic Active Travel Network, specific KPIs around the total length of new cycleways and other measures to encourage Active Travel be introduced in addition to a KPI relating to the total length of footpaths delivered.

 

  1. That City Science be asked to recheck and clarify the wording of paragraphs and tables relating to the alignment of Transport Route Map targets with the most recent version of the Local Transport and the Connectivity Plan, (para 3.3.2) in light of concerns by the Panel that there were inconsistencies in the figures given.

 

  1. That the report acknowledges the opportunity of removing HGV traffic by encouraging more rail freight, and passenger rail transportation (e.g. East / West Rail).

 

3.     The governance and reporting proposals set out in the report be endorsed subject to the implementation of a quarterly reporting cycle, rather than a six monthly reporting cycle.

 

4.     The Partnership endorse the development of a briefing open to members of the Partnership, members of the Scrutiny Panel, members of the advisory group and supporting officers around the potential contribution of Doughnut Economics to the delivery of reduced emissions and a sustainable economy in support of the objectives of PaZCO and the Oxfordshire Strategic Vision.

 

Oxfordshire Housing and Growth Deal Financial Report: Update at the end of Quarter 3 2022/23 (agenda Item 7)

 

The Panel noted the advice of officers that sufficient contingency provision had been made for inflation within the Housing from Infrastructure Programme as endorsed by the Partnership in September 2022 but requested that officers confirm the date of inflation indexes used so as to provide reassurance to the Partnership that the level of contingency remained sufficient in light of current circumstances and rising capital costs.

 

5.     That the Future Oxfordshire Partnership in noting the financial update as of quarter three satisfy itself on the level of contingency within the HfI programme.

 

OXLEP – Oxfordshire’s Visitor Economy (agenda Item 8)

 

The panel noted the update on progress related to the Visitor Economy Renaissance Programme (VERP) and the future landscape of the Visitor Economy.

  1. That the Future Oxfordshire Partnership in noting the forthcoming VERP Vision and Destination Management Plan for Oxfordshire request that the vision and plan includes a focus on: 
    1. approaches to managing the flow of tourist coaches into and out of key tourist destinations, and the provision of appropriate layover parking for coaches.
    2. approaches to communicate to tourists about transportation options to and from destinations including the use of park and rides; and
    3. an explicit focus to facilitate an active travel-based visitor economy through the promotion and creation of a network of bike repair stations, e-bike charging points, and bike parking at key tourist destinations for leisure cyclists.

 

On Oxfordshire Strategic Economic Plan (agenda item 9)

 

The panel noted the update on the emerging Strategic Economic Plan for Oxfordshire and acknowledged calls for public consultation by the public speakers.

 

  1. That the Future Oxfordshire Partnership in noting the update, recommend that in its development, there is acknowledgment of the cross-cutting contribution of ecosystems services and biodiversity to the economy within Oxfordshire. The economic plan needs to be driven by climate change considerations and the loss of biodiversity.

 

On the Infrastructure Advisory Group (IAG) Update (agenda item 10a)

 

The panel supported the recommendations from the IAG to the FOP. In addition, the group noted a recent development related to the FOP Scrutiny panel’s earlier recommendation to co-opt an active travel representative on the group, that is Active Travel England has just published its capability rating for active travel and Oxfordshire ranked of 2 out of a total of 4.

 

  1. That the FOP recommends that the IAG take up the offer of support by Active Travel England to help Oxfordshire to improve this rating.