Agenda and minutes

To receive opening announcements from the chair.

Chair opened the meeting and welcomed those attending. The chair provided an update on the Centre for Governance and Scrutiny (CfGS) scrutiny review report that members received in early summer. Chair explained that the report would be given to the new Head of Legal and Democratic / Monitoring Officer when he starts in October, noting that scrutiny chairs looked forward to welcoming him. After this, work will continue and the chair thanked the Head of Corporate Services and Deputy Chief Executive for Transformation and Operations, who were progressing this by finding a suitable opportunity for members to discuss this report.

Chair highlighted that the VOWHDC Scrutiny Committee had provided comments and questions on a report on the future of the Future Oxfordshire Partnership (FOP) over the summer via an informal meeting where comments were collated and sent to the Council Leader, who had requested that members give their views. This topic would be going to Joint Scrutiny Committee on 30 September and the chair encouraged members of separate scrutiny committees to join this discussion (to watch or register to speak), considering their contributions over the summer.

To record apologies for absence and the attendance of substitute members. 

Apologies were received from Councillors Debby Hallett and Oliver Forder. Councillors Kiera Bentley and Emily Smith were welcomed, both present as the respective substitute members of the committee.

To consider the Scrutiny Committee minutes of the meeting held on 11 June 2024. If agreed to be a correct record, the chair will sign them as such.

The committee considered the Scrutiny Committee minutes of the meeting held on 11 June 2024. There was a discussion about minuting of confidential items and the difference between public and confidential versions, which members have access to.

Resolved:

The committee agreed the minutes as a correct record, the chair would sign them as such.

To receive declarations of disclosable pecuniary interests, other registrable interests and non-registrable interests or any conflicts of interest in respect of items on the agenda for this meeting. 

None.

To receive notification of any matters which the chair determines should be considered as urgent business and the special circumstances which have made the matters urgent.

None.

To receive any questions or statements from members of the public that have registered to speak. 

None.

To review the attached scrutiny work schedule. Please note, although the dates are confirmed, the items under consideration are subject to being withdrawn, added to or rearranged without further notice.

The committee reviewed the work programme. Chair gave thanks to Councillor Emily Smith for the joint work on scoping a housing delivery strategy item (in her role at Joint Audit and Governance Committee). This would come to a future scrutiny committee and had been sent to officers.

The new Corporate Plan item had moved to early next year, as officers had to focus on the Joint Local Plan over the coming months.

Scrutiny Committee considered a Cabinet report with recommendations to Cabinet and Council on the Local Plan Part 2 review. The item was introduced by the Cabinet member for Policy and Programmes. This was related to the VOWHDC current Local Plan and was a review of Part Two (LPP2), which was a statutory duty. It was not regarding the developing Joint Local Plan (JLP). Members were welcomed to ask questions of the Cabinet member. The officers supporting the item were the Planning Policy Team Leader, who was online. The Head of Policy and Programmes was in the meeting room.

It was explained that the review was a requirement and that the forming of a Joint Local Plan (which was at an advanced stage) would have many updated and improved policies - 2 policies in LPP2 were being carried forward in the JLP; 5 policies were being deleted; and 50 policies were being replaced. Members asked questions about the deleted policies and wanted clarification. Members were assured that the JLP would bring updated policies and sooner, than if the LPP2 was reviewed again at this stage.

The Cabinet member explained in response to questioning that if the JLP was not accepted at examination, the council would probably be asked to make modifications to the JLP. We were obligated to do the LPP2 review now. JLP would help us to have up-to-date policies sooner. If the JLP did not pass examination, officers would then review existing plans. The appendix to the report was the LPP2 review documents. Members were assured that there were not any known risks to this in the nine months before the JLP.

It was confirmed that the councils had more up to date plans than many other authorities. The work of the review took into account the context of an advanced JLP. The methodology of the review considered this, focussing on the difference between LPP2 and the JLP preferred options version that was consulted on with the public. The review identified and compared policies of the LPP2 and the JLP in order to achieve up to date policies.

Specific policies were queried:  

·       CP15C (reference page 26) was deleted - through development management process, a Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) was not required. A member raised a local issue - Grove had an allocation of 400 to 600 homes and needed the SPD. The Cabinet member offered a written response to Councillor Batstone. The Team Leader added that this was a factual statement – it would not be in JLP in the form it was in, yet it could be scrutinised at a later stage. Members were encouraged to speak to such issues as Full Council in October.

·       CP14A – Thames strategic storage reservoir – the Secretary of State had approved the management plan. Members expressed the need for local councillors to be able to input into this and make sure it was managed appropriately.

·       CB8B – Dalton Barracks strategic location - a member asked was there a risk of increasing  ...  view the full minutes text for item Sc57

To consider whether to exclude members of the press and public from the meeting for the following items of business under Section 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 as amended on the grounds that:

(i)     It is likely that there will be disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A, and

(ii)    the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

Not required.

Not required