For information: To receive an initial update on the summit of local authority leaders on the future of the partnership scheduled for 29 July 2024.
Minutes:
The Chair provided an initial verbal update on the discussion held by the Leaders of the Partnership’s local authorities on the future of the Partnership held on 29 July 2024.
It was noted that the Future Oxfordshire Partnership, under its previous title of the Oxfordshire Growth Board, had originally been established in 2014 to facilitate and manage the Oxford and Oxfordshire City Deal and then later the 2018 Oxfordshire Housing and Growth Deal which would come to an end in March 2025. At this point it was felt appropriate to discuss a full refresh of the Partnership and its operation, including how collaboration between partners could be taken forward in the future. It was stressed that no decisions had been taken and further work and discussions would need to take place before any proposals were considered formerly, but it was intended to bring a paper to the Partnership’s next meeting.
The Chair then summarised her personal observations on the discussion before inviting the other council leaders to do so.
· Two main areas had been subject of discussion – the role of the Future Oxfordshire Partnership and its future governance structures including whether the current advisory groups were still needed and in relation to this, the announcements made by the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government around opportunities for the potential devolution of powers to councils.
· There had been a general willingness to work together and to seek to find ways to continue to make the Partnership relevant.
· That there was in principle support for the devolution of powers to the councils linked to the Partnership as a collaborative body and to look at how that might be taken forward, acknowledging that currently it was unclear what HM Government’s offer might be.
· There was support for avoiding duplication.
· There was support for tackling inequalities and promoting inclusivity within the Oxfordshire economy.
Councillor Andy Graham commented that whilst no decisions had been made there had been a fruitful and productive discussion around the areas and issues that the councils had in common which had included starting to explore the areas where a strategic approach could be mutually beneficial. In his opinion, there were potential exciting opportunities around issues such as strategic infrastructure which might inform a future programme of work. Change was on the way, and it was intended that this should be focussed and deliverable so that all residents benefitted as a result, without adversely affecting individual councils’ sovereignty.
Councillor Bethia Thomas expressed her appreciation for the discussion, noting that it had been an informal discussion and no decisions had been taken. She stated that it was important for the Partnership to be restructured to provide better value for money for all partners and residents by focussing on areas where collaborative working would be most helpful and produce impacts across Oxfordshire. Membership should also follow a streamlined model.
It was clarified that following the discussion, officers from Oxfordshire County Council would be working on the outputs of the discussion with a view to taking a paper through the Partnership’s Executive Officer Group and local authority Chief Executives.
Councillor David Hingley stated that as a new leader he been found the discussion to be very useful and he had been pleased to see a broad consensus that the work of the Partnership should continue in some form to work together at a strategic level when appropriate to do so. He also welcomed updating the Partnership to make it fit for purpose.
Councillor David Rouane commented that it was important to be cognisant the Partnership had been created to undertake a specific function which was no longer the case, or which was taking place in other bodies. Therefore, it was important to be clear now what the Partnership’s future role and objectives should be and how the authorities would decide what to work together on.
Councillor Susan Brown commented that the Oxfordshire Growth Board, as it then was then known, had originally been established partially to facilitate and produce what would become the Oxfordshire Housing and Growth Deal. From its start it had all been around partnership working on the basis that more could be achieved working together than individually with the aim of trying to get powers devolved into Oxfordshire and to secure funds for the county to the benefit of all residents. Whilst there had been several previous iterations and a name change, it was right that as the Housing and Growth Deal concluded a new review was undertaken. There had been many points of agreement in the discussion and so she felt that it could be possible to get another good deal for the residents of Oxfordshire, which was important given the challenges the county faced, particularly with regards to infrastructure.
Professor Alistair Fitt stated that he agreed that the Partnership was no longer undertaking what it had originally been created to do, but that it was important to recognise the value and convening power of the Partnership. Prior to its establishment there hadn’t really been a similar body in which partners worked together. This had developed over time.
The Chair concluded by reiterating that it was intended to bring a paper to the next meeting.
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