Agenda and minutes

Venue: The Ridgeway, The Beacon, Portway, Wantage, OX12 9BY

Contact: Steven Corrigan, Democratic Services Manager 01235 422526 Email: steven.corrigan@southandvale.gov.uk 

Items
No. Item

44.

Apologies for absence

To receive apologies for absence.

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were submitted on behalf of councillors Katie Finch and Mohinder Kainth.

 

 

45.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 141 KB

To adopt and sign as a correct record the council minutes of the meeting held on 12 October 2016 (attached). 

Minutes:

RESOLVED: to approve the minutes of the meeting held on 12 October 2016 as a correct recordand agree that the Chairman sign them as such.

 

46.

Declarations of interest

To receive any declarations of disclosable pecuniary interests in respect of items on the agenda for this meeting.  

Minutes:

In respect of agenda item 11 – Vale Local Plan 2031: Part 1, Councillors Dudley Hoddinott and Bob Johnston made statements that they are members of the Church of St Peter and St Paul in Botley affected by the Local Plan.

47.

Chairman's announcements

To receive any announcements from the chairman.  

Minutes:

The Chairman provided housekeeping information. He thanked those who attended his Awards Dinner and those councillors who had represented the council at Cenotaphs across the district on Remembrance Sunday. He acknowledged the significant contribution made by residents, parish councils, community groups and the council’s staff in preparing the Local Plan which Council would consider later in the meeting.

48.

Statements, petitions and questions from the public relating to matters affecting council.

Any statements, petitions and questions from the public under standing order 32 will be made or presented at the meeting.

 

Minutes:

A.   Anne Morgan-Smith, representing Sutton Courtenay Action, made a statement and presented a petition raising concerns about the cumulative impact of development, both commercial and residential, on the village of Sutton Courtenay.   

 

On behalf of the group she congratulated the council on gaining clearance for the Local Plan and welcomed the firmer control on planning development this will provide. In particular, she welcomed the end of speculative developments across the Vale. She called on the council to address some of the perceived anomalies that had arisen and take a holistic view across the district on the cumulative impact of all the developments and find ways to address them.

 

She referred to a recent march by approximately 150 villagers from Sutton Courtenay to the council offices to highlight the difficulties facing the village, to express their anger and to call for a fair deal for Sutton Courtenay. She welcomed the recent change of attitude of the council and Councillor Matthew Barber’s suggestion of setting up a Sutton Courtenay Forum to address their concerns.

 

She stated that Sutton Courtenay is unique in facing the cumulative impact of a wide range of industrial and housing developments on an inadequate sewerage and highways infrastructure with traffic gridlocked by a narrow bridge over the River Thames. She also referred to the lack of planning condition enforcement (relating to sewage) and concern regarding a recent planning condition that requires traffic lights at the junction with the River Thames crossing.

 

She asked for the voice and concerns of all those communities which are facing development not just to be heard, but to be listened to and that the cumulative impacts of development and the risks they pose are analysed in the holistic context and measures are put in place to ameliorate them, so the district remains a pleasant place to live and work. 

 

The Chairman thanked her for the petition and advised that it would be dealt with in accordance with the council’s petition scheme. 

 

B.   Dr Les Clyne asked the following question of Councillor Matthew Barber, Leader of the council: 

 

“The Leader told me in answer to my question to Council earlier this year that the Section 106 agreement for the Grove airfield development would be signed by the end of December 2016 and he hoped it would be signed by the end of October 2016. Assuming that the Vale local plan still relies on the realisation of the Grove airfield development what is the current situation concerning the signing of one or more Section agreements for all or some of the 2500 housing units ?.. If no Section 106 agreements have yet been signed what is the expected date when the first Section 106 agreement will be signed by all parties, and how many of the 2500 units will it cover?”

 

In response Councillor Barber stated that the Council has been in on-going discussions with the developers throughout this year and they have been keeping the council up to date with their active discussions with  ...  view the full minutes text for item 48.

49.

Urgent business

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

Minutes:

None.

50.

Petitions under standing order No.13

To receive petitions from members of the council under standing order 13 (if any).

Minutes:

None.

51.

Questions under standing order 12

To receive the following questions from councillors under standing order 12.

 

A.        Question from Councillor Judy Roberts to Councillor Matthew Barber, Leader of the council.

 

Could the Leader please arrange for members who have statutory or trustee appointments to outside bodies to report back to council at least annually? It’s important for council to know what decisions and actions are being taken in our name. We could use InFocus (or another suitable means) to update all members.

 

B.        Question from Councillor Emily Smith to Councillor Charlotte Dickson, Cabinet member for waste.

Recent changes to our recycling policy have brought complaints that the new policy is hard to comply with. Of course council will address each issue as it arises. But one widespread problem is the difficulty in finding a place to buy the suitable clear plastic bags for recycling. Could the Cabinet member advise members and residents which stores in the four main settlement areas currently stock these bags?

 

Minutes:

1.    Question from Councillor Judy Roberts to Councillor Matthew Barber, Leader of the council.

 

“Could the Leader please arrange for members who have statutory or trustee appointments to outside bodies to report back to council at least annually? It’s important for council to know what decisions and actions are being taken in our name. We could use InFocus (or another suitable means) to update all members?”

 

In response Councillor Barber supported the proposal and confirmed that officers in democratic services, who were currently preparing a guidance note on membership of outside bodies, will include a requirement for appointees to report back to councillors.

 

 

 

2.    Question from Councillor Emily Smith to Councillor Charlotte Dickson, Cabinet member for waste.

“Recent changes to our recycling policy have brought complaints that the new policy is hard to comply with. Of course council will address each issue as it arises. But one widespread problem is the difficulty in finding a place to buy the suitable clear plastic bags for recycling. Could the Cabinet member advise members and residents which stores in the four main settlement areas currently stock these bags?”

 

Councillor Dickson undertook to provide a written answer and to put the list on the council’s website. 

 

 

52.

Council tax base 2017/18 pdf icon PDF 131 KB

Cabinet, at its meeting on 2 December 2016, considered a report on the council tax base for 2017/18.

 

The report of the head of finance, which Cabinet considered on 2 December, is attached.

 

Recommendation to Council:

 

1.         that the report of the head of finance for the calculation of the council’s tax base and the calculation of the tax base for each parish area for 2017/18 be approved;

 

2.         that, in accordance with The Local Authorities (Calculation of Council Tax Base) (England) Regulations 2012, the amount calculated by Vale of White Horse District Council as its council tax base for the year 2017/18 be 49,406.0; and

 

3.         that, in accordance with The Local Authorities (Calculation of Council Tax Base) (England) Regulations 2012, the amount calculated by Vale of White Horse District Council as the council tax base for the year 2017/18 for each parish be the amount shown against the name of that parish in Appendix 1 of the report of the head of finance to Cabinet on 2 December 2016. 

 

 

Minutes:

Council considered Cabinet’s recommendations, made at its meeting on 2 December 2016, on the council tax base for 2017/18.

 

RESOLVED:

 

1.         to approve the report of the head of finance for the calculation of the council’s tax base and the calculation of the tax base for each parish area for 2017/18;

 

2.         that, in accordance with The Local Authorities (Calculation of Council Tax Base) (England) Regulations 2012, the amount calculated by Vale of White Horse District Council as its council tax base for the year 2017/18 be 49,406.0; and

 

3.         that, in accordance with The Local Authorities (Calculation of Council Tax Base) (England) Regulations 2012, the amount calculated by Vale of White Horse District Council as the council tax base for the year 2017/18 for each parish be the amount shown against the name of that parish in Appendix 1 of the report of the head of finance to Cabinet on 2 December 2016. 

 

 

 

 

 

                          

53.

Blewbury and Faringdon neighbourhood plans

On 5 December 2016 Councillor Roger Cox, Cabinet member for planning, took  decisions to recommend Council to make the Blewbury and Faringdon neighbourhood plans part of the Development Plan for Vale of White Horse. The individual Cabinet member decisions were circulated to all councillors on 5 December 2016.

 

Recommendations to Council:

 

1.    to make the Blewbury Neighbourhood Plan part of the Development Plan for Vale of White Horse;

 

2.    to make the Faringdon Neighbourhood Plan part of the Development Plan for Vale of White Horse.

 

 

Minutes:

Council considered the recommendation of Councillor Roger Cox, Cabinet member for planning, made on 5 December 2016, to make the Blewbury and Faringdon neighbourhood plans part of the Development Plan for Vale of White Horse.

 

RESOLVED:

1.         tomake the Blewbury Neighbourhood Plan part of the Development Plan for Vale of White Horse.

2.         tomake the Faringdon Neighbourhood Plan part of the Development Plan for Vale of White Horse.

 

54.

Vale Local Plan Part 1: 2031

To consider the recommendations of the Cabinet member for planning on the adoption of Part 1 of the Vale Local Plan: 2031.  

 

At its meeting on 2 December 2016 Cabinet welcomed the receipt of the inspector’s letter confirming that the council could proceed to adopt Local Plan Part 1. Cabinet noted that the Cabinet member for planning would take an individual Cabinet member decision in the week commencing 5 December 2016 to recommend full Council to adopt Local Plan Part 1 at its meeting on 14 December 2016. The recommendations will be circulated to all councillors prior to the Council meeting.

 

Papers relating to this item can be found on the council’s website here.   

 

Minutes:

On 9 December 2016 the Cabinet member for planning took an individual Cabinet member decision to recommend Council to adopt Local Plan Part 1. 

 

A majority of councillors welcomed the adoption of Part 1 of the Vale Local Plan: 2031.  The adoption of the Plan would ensure the council has much greater control over all development in the district to control where housing is delivered and make it easier to secure the much needed infrastructure funding.

However, a number of councillors, whilst welcoming the adoption of the Plan to control housing development and reduce the number of speculative planning applications, expressed the view that the housing targets in the Plan were unrealistic, that the proposed level of housing development would put pressure on infrastructure in the district and that the Plan did not provide adequate protection for the green belt.

The chairman called for a recorded vote on the motion which was carried with the votes recorded as follows:

 

 

For

Against

Abstentions

Councillors

Councillors

Councillors

Alice Badcock

 

Margaret Crick

Mike Badcock

 

Debby Hallett

Matthew Barber

 

Dudley Hoddinott

Eric Batts

 

Emily Smith

Edward Blagrove

 

Catherine Webber

Yvonne Constance

 

 

Roger Cox

 

 

Stuart Davenport

 

 

Charlotte Dickson

 

 

St.John Dickson

 

 

Gervasse Duffield

 

Robert Hall

 

Jenny Hannaby

 

 

Anthony Hayward

 

 

Simon Howell

 

Vicky Jenkins

 

Bob Johnston

 

Monica Lovatt

 

 

Sandy Lovatt

 

Ben Mabbett

 

Chris McCarthy

 

Mike Murray

 

Chris Palmer

 

Helen Pighills

 

Julia Reynolds

 

 

Judy Roberts

 

 

Robert Sharp

 

Janet Shelley

 

Henry Spencer

 

 

Reg Waite

 

 

Elaine Ware

 

 

Total: 31

Total: 0

Total: 5

 

 

 

 

RESOLVED: to

1.         adopt the Vale of White Horse Local Plan 2031: Part 1; and

2.         authorise the head of planning to correct any minor, typographical and grammatical errors prior to publication. 

 


 

55.

Review of the council's constitution pdf icon PDF 120 KB

To consider the report of the head of legal and democratic services and monitoring officer on proposed changes to the council’s constitution. 

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Council considered the report of the head of legal and democratic services and monitoring officer on proposed changes to the council’s constitution.

 

Councillor Yvonne Constance moved and councillor Debby Hallett seconded the recommendations in the report. In moving the recommendations they thanked officers and members of the review group for the effective work undertaken to produce a thorough, complete, and above all readable constitution.

 

A councillor requested clarification in due course of the ability of a ward councillor to call in an application after the initial 28 day period in circumstances where amended plans are submitted after this period.

 

RESOLVED: to

 

1.         note the considerable work done by the Joint Constitution Review Group in bringing a revised constitution for consideration by Council;

2.         note that, for completeness, the entire constitution has been brought before Council for consideration, but that some sections have already been approved by Council; areas of substantive change are listed within the report, under key changes;

3.         note the ongoing overall approach of the review group to develop a single constitution with South Oxfordshire District Council with separate sections where necessary;

4.         note the overall approach to streamline the constitution, avoiding unhelpful repetition and confusion;

5.         note the overall approach to make sections self-contained, especially those relating to specific committees;

6.         note the more consistent approach given to the general governance of meetings, including: quorum, time limits and public speaking, the rules aiming to promote robust democracy and effective running of council meetings;

7.         approve the constitution attached as appendix one to the report of the head of legal and democratic services and monitoring officer to the Council meeting held on 14 December 2016 for implementation on 1 March 2017;

8.         authorise the head of legal and democratic services to update the constitution to reflect any changes in staff responsibilities;

9.         authorise the head of legal and democratic services to make any minor or consequential amendments to the constitution for consistency and to reflect the councils’ style guide.

 

 

56.

Report of the Leader of the council

(1)       Urgent cabinet decisions

 

In accordance with the scrutiny committee procedure rules, a cabinet decision can be taken as a matter of urgency, if any delay by the call-in process would seriously prejudice the council’s or the public’s interest.  Treating the decision as a matter of urgency must be agreed by the chairman of the Scrutiny Committee and must be reported to the next meeting of the council, together with the reasons for urgency.

 

To receive any details of urgent cabinet decisions taken since the last ordinary meeting of the council, (if any).

 

(2)       Delegation of cabinet functions

 

To note a change to the leader’s scheme of delegation: Councillor Elaine Ware now has executive has responsibility for grants. 

 

(3)       Matters affecting the authority arising from meetings of joint committees, partnerships and other meetings

 

To receive the report of the leader (if any). 

Minutes:

Council noted a change to the Leader’s scheme of delegation: Councillor Elaine Ware now has executive has responsibility for grants. 

 

The Leader of council stated that he had no additional matters to report which were not covered as agenda items for the meeting.

57.

Notices of motion under standing order 11

To receive notices of motion under standing order 11.

 

(1)         Motion to be proposed by Councillor Matthew Barber, Leader of the council, seconded by Councillor Yvonne Constance:

 

 

This Council endorses the work of Oxfordshire's Local Authority Leaders and the Local Enterprise Partnership through the Oxfordshire Growth Board to explore the opportunity for transformational changes in service delivery across a range of areas including, but not exclusively: infrastructure, skills, economic development, strategic spatial planning, public assets, business rates, health and social care.

 

In order to support the achievement of significant improvement in the provision of local services, this Council confirms its support for a review of the future functions of the Oxfordshire Growth Board, which should include an assessment of the merits of establishing a mayoral combined authority for Oxfordshire.

Minutes:

Motion moved by Councillor Matthew Barber, Leader of the council and seconded by Councillor Yvonne Constance:

 

“This Council endorses the work of Oxfordshire's Local Authority Leaders and the Local Enterprise Partnership through the Oxfordshire Growth Board to explore the opportunity for transformational changes in service delivery across a range of areas including, but not exclusively: infrastructure, skills, economic development, strategic spatial planning, public assets, business rates, health and social care.

 

In order to support the achievement of significant improvement in the provision of local services, this Council confirms its support for a review of the future functions of the Oxfordshire Growth Board, which should include an assessment of the merits of establishing a mayoral combined authority for Oxfordshire”.

 

In moving the motion Matthew Barber, Leader of the council, stated that the government wanted to see devolution deals with collective governance arrangements, preferably elected mayors. A firm commitment from the Oxfordshire local authorities to such an arrangement was more likely to bring about a deal and therefore achieve investment for Oxfordshire. The issue was discussed at a recent meeting of the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) which suggested that each council in Oxfordshire demonstrate its commitment to a devolution deal in Oxfordshire.

 

The majority of councillors supported the motion as a means of indicating support for a direction of travel. This would enable work to progress on a devolution bid to government to secure investment in the infrastructure essential for the economic growth of the county.

 

A number of councillors expressed concern regarding the lack of detail of how a combined authority would operate and at the lack of democratic accountability of both the LEP and Oxfordshire Growth Board.

 

The chairman called for a recorded vote on the motion which was carried with the votes recorded as follows:

 

 

For

Against

Abstentions

Councillors

Councillors

Councillors

Alice Badcock

Margaret Crick

Judy Roberts

Mike Badcock

Jenny Hannaby

 

Matthew Barber

Dudley Hoddinott

 

Eric Batts

Bob Johnston

 

Edward Blagrove

Helen Pighills

 

Yvonne Constance

Emily Smith

 

Roger Cox

Catherine Webber

 

Stuart Davenport

 

 

Charlotte Dickson

 

 

St.John Dickson

 

 

Gervase Duffield

 

Robert Hall

 

Debby Hallett

 

 

Anthony Hayward

 

Simon Howell

 

Vicky Jenkins

 

Monica Lovatt

 

Sandy Lovatt

 

Ben Mabbett

 

Chris McCarthy

 

Mike Murray

 

Chris Palmer

 

Julia Reynolds

 

Robert Sharp

 

Janet Shelley

 

 

Henry Spencer

 

 

Reg Waite

 

 

Elaine Ware

 

 

Total: 28

Total: 7

Total: 1

RESOLVED:

 

To endorse the work of Oxfordshire's Local Authority Leaders and the Local Enterprise Partnership through the Oxfordshire Growth Board to explore the opportunity for transformational changes in service delivery across a range of areas including, but not exclusively: infrastructure, skills, economic development, strategic spatial planning, public assets, business rates, health and social care.

 

In order to support the achievement of significant improvement in the provision of local services, that this Council confirms its support for a review of the future functions of the Oxfordshire Growth Board, which should include an assessment of the merits of establishing a mayoral combined authority for Oxfordshire.

 

 

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Vale of White Horse District Council
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Abingdon
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