Issue - meetings

To consider the head of partnership and insight’s report. 

Cabinet considered the head of partnership and insight’s report on the governance of Didcot Garden Town.  The report sought agreement to new governance arrangements, including a new advisory board and three new sounding boards for the local community groups/residents, for local businesses and for parish councils within the ‘area of influence’.  The report also sought the prioritisation of projects and the allocation of capacity funding. 

The Cabinet member for partnership and insight proposed the recommendations set out in the report.  However, Cabinet expressed concern at the lack of community engagement in the proposed new governance arrangements. 

Cabinet members requested that improved community engagement activities began for Didcot Garden Town, but that consideration was given to as much inclusiveness as possible in the Didcot Garden Town project.  This should allow the public and the local community to have an input to shaping the future of their area.  This community engagement should involve young people, vulnerable groups, hard-to-reach groups, community groups, all parish councils in the ‘area of influence’, local businesses/chamber of commerce, and any groups/organisations reflecting the environmental agenda.  Cabinet also requested officers to prepare a timeline for events, leading to decision-making by this council and South Oxfordshire District Council. 

Cabinet agreed to defer consideration of the Didcot Garden Town revised governance arrangements, the allocation of capacity funding and the prioritisation of projects, to allow the Joint Scrutiny Committee to consider these and comment back to Cabinet. 

Cabinet noted that South Oxfordshire’s Cabinet was also due to consider the same report on 1 August.  Officers were asked to advise South Oxfordshire of this Cabinet’s decisions before that meeting took place. 

RESOLVED: to

(a)      defer consideration of the Didcot Garden Town revised governance arrangements, the allocation of capacity funding and the prioritisation of projects, to allow the Joint Scrutiny Committee to consider and comment back to Cabinet on the proposals set out in the head of partnership and insight’s report to Cabinet on 12 July 2019;

(b)      request that improved community engagement activities begin for Didcot Garden Town, and that consideration is given to as much inclusiveness as possible in the Didcot Garden Town project to allow the public and the local community to have an input to shaping the future of their area, including: young people, vulnerable groups, hard-to-reach groups, community groups, all parish councils in the ‘area of influence’, local businesses/chamber of commerce, and any groups/organisations reflecting the environmental agenda;

(c)       request officers to prepare a timeline for events, leading to decision-making by this council and South Oxfordshire District Council;

(d)      advise South Oxfordshire District Council’s Cabinet of this Cabinet’s views.