Agenda item

To consider a presentation to the Future Oxfordshire Partnership setting out an update on the refreshment of the Oxfordshire Strategic Economic Plan.

It is expected that a final version will be presented to the Partnership in November 2023.

The Panel considered a pre-circulated presentation which provided an update as of June 2023, on work to refresh the Strategic Economic Plan. Nigel Tipple, Chief Executive, of the Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership, (OxLEP) in introducing the slides highlighted the following areas:

·           Phase One of the work had commenced in February 2023 with an initial scoping phase informed by information already available about the economic challenges facing the county post Covid-19 and Brexit.

·           Phase Two had included extensive evidence gathering phase through April to June which had included a variety of face to face workshops, interview processes and opportunities for stakeholders to submit written representations and open calls for evidence.

·           Phase Two had included examination of four deep dive areas around enabling inclusive growth, advancing Net Zero and sustainability, the foundational economy and the acceleration of innovation and diffusion recognising Oxfordshire’s strengths.

·           The early stages of Phase Three had commenced to develop a strategy framework.

·           The nine themes set out within the Oxfordshire Strategic Vision and 11 priorities had been consistently applied and considered as a guide to Oxfordshire’s agreed vision and ambition for place. All priorities were important, but for the purposes of the development of the Plan there had been a particular focus around ensuring Oxfordshire had a thriving economy and an environment in which communities and businesses could thrive. This had been balanced as against needs for greater inclusivity and sustainability.

The Chair referred to the submitted public participation submissions which both expressed the opinion that despite the statements given, the development of the draft Plan was not following an approach that was consistent with the outcome areas of the Oxfordshire Strategic Vision as there was no hierarchy amongst the Vision priorities in favour of economic growth.  Rather future sustainable development required an equal focus on all of the priorities. It was also felt that biodiversity and ecosystem considerations did not appear to be sufficiently recognised.

A detailed discussion took place with a range of views expressed by different members of the Panel. It was recognised that the slides presented regarding the Plan presented a narrative update on the progress of the development of the Plan and not the final formalised document. They also noted the clarification that although a slide may have inadvertently implied a hierarchy of priorities in favour of economic growth this was the not the case.

Nevertheless, a number of members expressed significant concerns regarding the Plan’s current direction based on the information available to them, related to the theoretical framing which in their view currently excluded a broader focus on wellbeing and the environment despite the Panel’s view that they are of critical importance for a sustainable economy. Additionally, concerns were raised regarding development process of the Plan to date, including democratic oversight by districts councils of the Plan and the independence of the evidence base used to inform the Plan’s content. Finally, it felt that the economy was dependent on natural capital and ecosystem services and that nature restoration was needed to support the economy over the long term.

Although minded because of the significance of its concerns to recommend to the FOP that the Plan be referred back to OxLEP and to individual council scrutiny committees, the Panel acknowledged that it was not within the remit and powers of the FOP to do so. However, it was noted that a number of individual council scrutiny committees were due to or had already considered the Plan and it was felt that the addition of the consideration of the SEP was a matter individual members of the Panel might wish to raise with their respective scrutiny chairs as a potential addition to their work programmes.

RESOLVED: That the Future Oxfordshire Partnership be asked to:

1.     Request that that OxLEP ensure that: the policy framework underpinning the SEP include all of the outcomes of the Oxfordshire Strategic Vison for Long Term Sustainable Development; and equal focus is applied to them including wellbeing and the environment.

2.     That the SEP acknowledge and take account of the foundational economy, food security, infrastructure and architecture, small and medium businesses and the concepts of equitable redistribution of the economic growth across the country through the principles of ‘levelling up.’