Agenda and draft minutes

Apologies for absence were submitted from Councillor James Barlow, South Oxfordshire District Council, (substituted by Councillor Ali Gordon-Creed) and Michael Brooker, West Oxfordshire District Council.

There were no declarations of interest.

The Chair indicated that Councillor Liz Leffman, Chair of the Future Oxfordshire Partnership and Leader of Oxfordshire County Council was a guest speaker for discussion of the Partnership Reset report.

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 23 July 2024.

The minutes of the meeting held on 23 July 2024 were agreed as a correct record.

Members of the public may submit an address or question in writing to the Scrutiny Panel, where full notice of the question or address is given to the secretariat no later than 10:00 am on Monday 18 November 2024. Questions and addresses submitted should be no longer than one side of A4 paper in Arial 12 font. The address or question will be circulated to the Panel and public speakers will be invited to speak at the virtual meeting. Written submissions may also be read out by the Chair or Democratic Services Officer where requested or if the person making the request for public speaking is not able to attend the meeting. A response may be given at the meeting or a written answer supplied. Questions and notice of addresses must be submitted to futureoxfordpartnership@southandvale.gov.uk

Note: This meeting may be recorded for live broadcast via the Future Oxfordshire Partnership’s YouTube Channel - at the start of the meeting the Chair will confirm the meeting is being filmed. By registering to speak you are consenting to being recorded and to the use of those video and audio recordings for webcasting.

It was noted that on this occasion there were no public speakers.

To consider a report to the Future Oxfordshire Partnership which summarises recent discussions about the future purpose and scope of partnership working, and presents an interim position to the Partnership for endorsement.

The Panel considered a report to the Future Oxfordshire Partnership which summarised recent discussions about the future purpose and scope of partnership working within Oxfordshire and which presented an interim position for endorsement by the Partnership. It requested that officers develop the plans in more detail along with revised terms of reference.

Councillor Liz Leffman, Chair of the Future Oxfordshire Partnership attended the meeting and introduced the report, responding to questions from Panel members. She spoke to the Oxfordshire Housing and Growth Deal as the foundation of the Oxfordshire Growth Board, the Partnership’s predecessor body, and how the current governance arrangements had been put in place to support and monitor the Deal. As the Deal came to end in March 2025, discussion had been taking place as to what the role of the Partnership should be in the future.

It was felt that through the Partnership, the Oxfordshire local authorities and partners had worked well in collaboration and that in the future there would be several areas which needed consideration on a countywide basis, including but not limited to, strategic infrastructure, nature recovery and transition to Net Zero. The continuation of a mechanism for the Leaders of the Councils to come together and discuss these issues was felt to be high importance, but it was intended to refocus the Partnership as a formal joint committee of Leaders only, notwithstanding the important contributions external partners had made to the Partnership’s work. Engagement with those partners would continue.

Local Government devolution was area where there was a need for Leaders to collectively consider a potential way forward regarding HM Government’s proposals that might also include discussion around reshaping governance structures in Oxfordshire itself.

It was stressed to the Panel that the high-level proposals set out in the report represented current thinking and remained work in progress, with a number of issues including the desirability of establishing sub-committees and their possible remits outstanding.

The Panel undertook a detailed discussion of the report with a range of views expressed. A summary of the main points raised is set out below:

·           That there needed to be clarity around legal responsibility for any decision-making powers delegated to the joint committee and that if such powers were delegated to it there would be a need and requirement for a formal statutory overview and scrutiny committee with its own full legal powers. Regardless of the exact legal position, it was felt overview and scrutiny should be central in the proposed governance arrangements.

·           Rather than seeking to find a new purpose for the Partnership as proposed in the report, there was a need to explore and challenge whether there was a need for a joint committee to exist at all. Strategic issues could be considered by Leaders as when they arose.

·           The paper did not set out estimated costs for the operation of the joint committee, despite the need to reduce costs and reduce bureaucracy where it was not needed. Although there was reference in the report to the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 15.

To consider a monitoring report to the Future Oxfordshire Partnership which sets out the Quarter 2, Year 2024/2025 progress report for the Oxfordshire Housing and Growth Deal and endorse any amendments to the programmes of work as necessary.

The Panel considered a report to the Future Oxfordshire Partnership which provided an update on progress and spend for schemes included as part of the Oxfordshire Housing and Growth Deal as of the end of Quarter Two 2024/2025. Valerie Lambrechts, Infrastructure Portfolio Manager, Oxfordshire County Council introduced the report and responded to member questions. It was highlighted that the Housing from Infrastructure overall programme was currently over profiled by £557,000, a reduction of £132,000 from Quarter One.

Ten projects had been completed and updates were provided to the Panel on the progress of various schemes as set out in Appendix 1 to the report.

In response to a question from the Chair, the Panel was informed that officers were confident that all the available grant funding would be committed by the end of the 2024/2025 financial year and no funding would need to be returned.

The Chair also asked about the use of Housing from Infrastructure monies to forward fund needed infrastructure for specific housing developments in advance of the receipt of developer contributions. This was to facilitate the delivery of the housing and such funds were recovered from developers at a later stage and essentially used again for another project. Valerie indicated that the use of recovered funds could be reference in the next report.

Individual members of the Panel were then provided with updates on the delivery of specific schemes and Councillor Cooke spoke to the urgency of an alternative funding solution for the proposed Milton Heights pedestrian bridge, acknowledging that the scheme was outside of the Housing and Growth Deal.

RESOLVED: That the update to the Future Oxfordshire Partnership be noted.

To consider a report to the Future Oxfordshire Partnership recommending that the Partnership approve a business case of a project to commission Community First Oxfordshire to provide an enabling service to Oxfordshire residents who are interested in the development of Community Led Housing (CLH) , including self-build housing.

The Panel considered a report to the Future Oxfordshire Partnership which set out a business case for a project to commission Community First Oxfordshire to provide an enabling service to Oxfordshire residents interested in the development of Community Led Housing, (CLH) including self-build housing. Paul Staines, Future Oxfordshire Partnership Programme Manager introduced the report to the Panel. He highlighted that the proposals built on where there was already collaboration between the councils and officers were working together. The additional funding was intended to give CLH an additional boost.

In discussion, members of the Panel strongly supported the approval of the business case. The importance of the establishment of Community Land Trusts within district localities was stressed, particularly as it was felt that individuals and organisations minded to transfer or donating land were likely to respond more positively to CLTs which had local a connection.

Panel members also raised the issue of the management of shared green spaces on developer-built estates and the potential role of CLTs to manage such spaces rather than private companies. It was suggested that often such companies levied high charges with little opportunity for residents to influence the management of the shared space. They suggested that officers should consider whether there was scope to expand the proposed business case to include this type of activity.

RESOLVED:

1.     That the Future Oxfordshire Partnership be recommended to approve the Community Led Housing business case and use of £38,000 of Housing and Growth Deal Capacity Fund budget.

2.     That the Future Oxfordshire Partnership be requested to ask officers to consider increasing the scope of the business case to help foster community-led trusts/organizations in new (or possibly existing as well) developer-built estates where there is local interest, to look after e.g. green spaces instead of residents having to pay a management fee to a private company, too often for a poor service for which they have little control.

The Future Oxfordshire Partnership endorsed the Oxfordshire Net Zero Route Map and Action Plan in March 2023, including a phased approach to the delivery of the identified joint actions. This report updates the Partnership on the steps taken to operationalise the actions agreed for inclusion in the first delivery phase.

The Panel considered a report and appendices to the Future Oxfordshire Partnership that set out an update on the steps taken to operationalise the actions in the first delivery phase of the Oxfordshire Net Zero Route Map and Acton Plan agreed by the Partnership in March 2023. Ariane Crampton, Zero Carbon Oxfordshire Partnership and Programme Manager, Oxfordshire County Council introduced the report and responded to Panel member questions.

In discussion, members of the Panel welcomed the report, with the suggestion that it should also be shared with individual council overview and scrutiny committees. In addition, member raised the importance of travel to work distances and road construction on carbon emissions from transport, the role to be played by roof top solar and Scope Three emissions:

RESOLVED: The Panel strongly welcomed the update report and supported the work being undertaken to support the transition to Net Zero as an example of an area where value was added by cross boundary working together.

1.     That the Future Oxfordshire Partnership suggest to its constituent councils that they individually consider the report as appropriate within their own governance arrangements. 

2.     That the Future Oxfordshire Partnership note the request of the Panel that officers consider the detailed points made in its discussion of the report as appropriate related, but not limited to:

a.     Transport emissions and the relationship between transport emissions linked to residence and employment locations.

b.     Consideration of Net Zero implications as part of the capital budgetary approval process for infrastructure.

c.      Emissions from construction.

d.     Ability to track ‘Scope Three’ emissions.

e.     Advantages and disadvantages of an approach based on consumption vs geographical emissions.

The Annual Report 2023/2024 is presented to the Future Oxfordshire Partnership for it to note.

The Panel considered the Future Oxfordshire Partnership Annual report for 2023/2024.

RESOLVED: That the report be noted.

To receive the summary notes from the meeting of the Planning Advisory Group 2050 held on 13 September 2024.

The Panel received the notes of the meeting of the Planning Advisory Group held on 13 September 2024.

In discussion, members referred to the consideration by the advisory group of issues related to the planning of primary healthcare infrastructure. A number of members commented that access to local NHS services including GPs was one of the most often raised issue of concern to local residents in surveys and on the doorstep. The issues were complex and the potential solutions and levers to increase facilities for residents were not clear, although it was positive that discussions had now taken place with the Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Best West Integrated Car Board, (ICB). Better ways to plan for and deliver health care facilities were needed, but a key issue at national level was the inability of the ICB to own and acquire their own property.

Paul Staines, Future Oxfordshire Partnership Programme Manager informed the meeting that a core objective of the Partnership through the advisory group was to facilitate a through discussion between local authorities and the ICB and it was felt that it was acknowledged by the ICB that an ongoing two-way conversation of the issues involved was needed.

To discuss the draft work programme for the Panel.  

The work programme of the Panel was received, subject to its proposed disbandment by the Partnership.

It was suggested that in consideration of potential future scrutiny arrangements there should be a focus on items that could be debated and that to note items not be discussed in any depth to allow greater time for discussion of the key issues.

The dates of confirmed future Scrutiny Panel meetings are below. Please refer to list of meetings  for the most up to date information on times and locations.

·           Monday 20/01/25

·           Wednesday 12/03/25

·           Tuesday 17/06/25

The Chair thanked officers and members for their attendance and contributions. It was noted that if the proposal to disband the Panel was agreed by the Future Oxfordshire Partnership remaining scheduled meetings would be cancelled.