Agenda and minutes

To record the attendance of substitute members, if any, who have been authorised to attend in accordance with the provisions of standing order 17(1), with notification having been given to the proper officer before the start of the meeting and to receive apologies for absence.

Apologies were received from:

·         South Councillor Toby Newman

·         Vale Councillor Alice Badcock; substitute Mike Badcock

To adopt and sign as a correct record the minutes of the committee meeting held on 2 August 2016 (attached). 

The committee agreed that the minutes of the meeting of 2 August 2016 were an accurate record and the Chairman signed them as such.

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

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, and to receive any announcements from the chair.

None.

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

Need not Greed Oxfordshire had registered to address the committee (see Minute 23 below).

To receive the report of the head of corporate stategy (attached).

The committee considered the report of the head of corporate strategy setting out the performance of GLL in delivering the joint leisure management contract in South Oxfordshire and the Vale of White Horse from 1 April 2015 to 31 March 2016.

Chris Webb, facilities development officer (leisure), introduced this item. Also present to answer questions were Anna Badcock and Charlotte Dickson, South and Vale Cabinet members for leisure, Clare Kingston, head of corporate strategy, together with GLL representatives Ben Whaymand, Steve Hercus and Jamie Coleshill.

The committee noted that GLL had achieved an “excellent” performance rating in meeting its key performance targets (KPTs) and an overall assessment of “good”.  It congratulated GLL on its performance.

In response to questions and issues raised by the committee, it was reported that:

·         A range of concessions were available to leisure users.

·         As Vale facilities joined GLL in September 2014, the maximum term of membership to the end of the reporting year was 19 months which impacted on the average length of stay for members (KPT6). However, it was anticipated that this figure would increase over the course of the contract.

·         Annex B to the report detailed the actions being taken in the current year to address the areas for improvement identified.

·         Following concerns expressed in the customer satisfaction survey regarding the quality of food and drink, the catering operation had been brought in-house at the White Horse Leisure and Tennis Centre with effect from 1 January 2016.

·         Progress on carbon reduction schemes was detailed in the report and were included in the KPTs.

Members suggested that, in future, there should be one annual customer satisfaction survey on leisure facilities rather than separate but similar GLL and councils’ resident surveys.

RESOLVED: to recommend the Cabinet members for leisure to award a “good” performance rating to GLL for its performance in delivering the joint leisure management contract in South Oxfordshire and the Vale of White Horse in 2015/16.

To receive the report of the interim head of development and regeneration (attached).

John Gordon, representing Need not Greed Oxfordshire, addressed the committee as follows:

“Need not Greed Oxfordshire believe the time has come for our Local Authorities to take full responsibility for the overall growth figures in the revised SEP 2016.

We are deeply concerned at the ‘pass-the-parcel’ game being played by OxLEP and our District and County Councils, with each blaming the other for the inflated and unrealistic targets for employment and housing.

We believe this Plan sets very damaging and unrealistic growth targets which would radically change Oxfordshire’s communities and environment - today, you - our elected representatives, have the opportunity to have your say.

• Do you genuinely believe we can create 85,000 jobs by 2031?
• Do you genuinely believe we can build 100,000 houses by 2031?  Are you prepared for the consequences when this target isn’t met and we see an increase in the speculative development that is already blighting so many of our communities?
• Do you genuinely think the development currently proposed will solve the affordable housing issues we have in the County?
• Do you genuinely think that Oxfordshire, the most rural county in the south-east, is the right place to accommodate a 30% increase in population by 2031?

If your answer to any of these questions is NO, we urge you to speak out against OxLEP’s Strategic Economic Plan as currently drafted at today’s meeting.

Need not Greed Oxon want to see an alternative approach to growth in our county.

We are calling for a review of the economic growth figures and by association the housing figures, for the county outlined in the revised SEP Refresh, in the light of:

1. The implications of Brexit.
2. The social and environmental constraints – i.e. not just ‘how much growth can we get’ but also ‘how much growth can our infrastructure, services and environment absorb’.
3. A re-consideration of the priorities for action – i.e. how to provide affordable housing for existing local residents, rather than seeking to attract ever more people into the area making the jobs versus housing balance worse.
4. Genuine public consultation on the future vision for Oxfordshire.

As our elected representatives, will you take a stand today and help force re-consideration of these overly aggressive and unrealistic growth targets that make no allowances for Brexit and that take little account of environmental and social impacts?”

He requested that, at the very least, both Councils should have a full discussion on OxLEP’s refreshed SEP.

On behalf of the committee, the chairman thanked Mr Gordon for his statement.

Gerry Brough, interim head of development and regeneration, introduced this item. Also present to answer questions was, Mike Murray, Vale Cabinet member for economic development.

The committee considered a report on the process for producing a refreshed Oxfordshire Strategic Economic Plan (SEP). Gerry Brough also gave a presentation on the SEP.

The presentation stated that many of the issues highlighted during the consultation period had now been addressed.  However the document would have been stronger if:

·         more detail had been provided  ...  view the full minutes text for item 23.

The committee considered its current work schedule and noted that there was likely to be a meeting in November to consider a draft communications strategy.

It was agreed to add the following items to the workplan:

·         South and Vale Committees: Broadband connectivity

·         Joint Committee: Unitary status