The Growth Board Scrutiny
Panel agrees its own Work Plan, which is reviewed at each meeting.
The Panel is encouraged to be strict in prioritising key issues for
review, in addition to the entirety of the Growth Board’s
forthcoming agendas, which will feature as a standard item on the
Work Plan. The Panel’s ongoing review of their work plan
should be considered in conjunction with the Growth Board’s
Forward Plan.
|
Meeting date
|
Item
|
Description and
rationale
|
Lead Officer
|
|
16 March 2021
(Virtual live streamed meeting)
|
Oxfordshire Strategic Vision
|
To consider feedback received through the
Strategic Vision engagement exercise.
|
Paul Staines, Interim Head of Programme
|
|
Scrutiny Panel Task and Finish Group
Recommendations
|
To consider a report and recommendations from
the Growth Board Scrutiny Panel Task and Finish Group Review which
has explored options for securing private investment in public
infrastructure projects.
|
Amit Alva, Project and Scrutiny Officer
|
|
Oxfordshire Rail Corridor Study: Completion
and Next Steps
|
To consider endorsing the next stage of work
to be progressed in partnership with Network Rail.
|
John Disley, OCC Infrastructure Strategy
Manager
|
|
Establishment of a Growth Board Environment
Sub-group
|
To consider a proposal to the Growth Board for
establishing an Environment Advisory Sub-group for the Growth
Board, together with a draft set of Terms of Reference for
endorsement. Wider information is also provided concerning the
establishment of a Local Nature Partnership for Oxfordshire, and an
Oxford to Cambridge Arc Environment Working Group.
|
Stefan Robinson,
Growth Board Manager
|
|
The Oxford to Cambridge Arc
|
To receive any updates in respect of regional
developments within the Oxford to Cambridge Arc.
|
Andrew Down, Growth Board Executive Officer
Group Chair
|
|
Q3 Housing and Growth Deal Progress Report
|
To consider a report to the Growth Board on
the 2020/21 Quarter 3 progress of the Oxfordshire Housing and
Growth Deal.
|
Paul Staines, Interim Head of Programme
|
|
Q3 Housing and Growth Deal Financial
Report
|
To consider a financial summary for Quarter 3
Year 3 (2020/21) for the Oxfordshire Housing and Growth Deal.
|
Hannah Doney, Head of Corporate Finance,
Oxfordshire County Council
|
|
Meeting date
|
Item
|
Description and
rationale
|
Lead Officer
|
|
1st June 2021
|
The Oxford to Cambridge Arc
|
To receive any updates in respect of regional
developments within the Oxford to Cambridge Arc.
|
Andrew Down, Growth Board Executive Officer
Group Chair
|
|
Oxfordshire Plan 2050 Regulation 18 Part 2
Consultation (provisional)
|
To note progress in undertaking the Regulation
18 Part 2 Consultation for the Oxfordshire Plan 2050, which is due
for agreement by the six Oxfordshire Local Authorities in June
2021
|
Giles Hughes, Chief Executive, West
Oxfordshire District Council
|
Action Log
This action log sets out requests for
information and actions required by the Scrutiny Panel. Any
requests for information that do not relate to a specific agenda
item will be published on the Growth Board’s website
alongside the next available Scrutiny Panel Agenda, except where
that information requires the disclosure of exempt information, as
set out in Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act
1972.
|
Date raised by the Panel
|
Action
|
Lead
Member / Officer
|
Panel Updated/
Discussed on
|
Progress Notes
|
|
19th
January 2021
|
That the Growth
Board write to the Department for the Environment Food and Rural
Affairs requesting greater focus & investment in preventative
measures to address flooding in Oxfordshire.
|
Councillor Emily
Smith, Chair of the Oxfordshire Growth Board
|
16th March 2021
|
Growth Board
letter to Secretary of State
for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with regards to Flood Risk
Management Funding as in Appendix 1.
|
oxfordshire.growthboard@southandvale.gov.uk
135 Eastern Avenue
Milton
Abingdon
OX14 4SB
1 March
2021
The Rt. Hon George
Eustice
Secretary of State
for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Seacole
Building
2 Marsham
Street
London
SW1P 4DF
Dear Secretary of State
Flood Risk Management Funding
I am writing on
behalf of the Oxfordshire Growth Board of which I am Chair.
TheGrowth Board is a joint committee of the six Oxfordshire
councils together with key strategic partners including
Oxford’s universities, the Oxfordshire Local Enterprise
Partnership, Oxfordshire Skills Board, Homes England, the
Environment Agency and the Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning
Group.
The Board writes in
support of key conclusions made in the recent Environment, Food and
Rural Affairs Select Committee report on flooding regarding the
need for greater long-term investment in flood defence maintenance
and local capacity to deliver lasting resilience for our
communities.
There also remains a critical need for a national standard for
flood resilience to ensure that investment decisions are inclusive
of wider strategic public benefits.
Flooding represents
one of the greatest climate challenges for the UK, and whilst we
are determined and committed to reversing the impacts of climate
change through our emerging Strategic Vision, record levels of
rainfall will continue to disrupt and devastate our communities,
families and businesses as a result of this crisis.
Unfortunately, with the recent floods across Oxfordshire earlier
this year, we have of course already been reminded of our
vulnerability in this area.
Notwithstanding the
substantial adverse human and environmental impacts of flooding,
the National Audit Office highlights that maintenance and repair
costs of flood defences could increase by between 20% and 70% a
year up to 2050, as a direct result of climate change. Therefore,
we strongly agree with the Select Committee that HM Government must
establish a long-term resource budget settlement, aligned with
increased capital investment, so that the Environment Agency and
our local councils can effectively plan for and maintain local
flood defences.
As recommended by
the National Infrastructure Commission and Committee on Climate
Change, we are also calling for a national standard for flood
resilience. This could bring
the existing
cost-benefit investment framework into the 21st Century
by providing a more holistic and balanced assessment of wider
climate and public health benefits (e.g. natural capital) to be
realised through flood risk management. The current approach of
linking investment principally to the number of properties
protected, rather than consideration of economic potential
protected and unlocked, will not deliver the outcomes we need
locally, and a smarter approach must be taken to ensure credible
big picture schemes are financially backed. We also need to move
away from an assessment framework that prioritises the approval of
schemes in areas with the highest property values, and to move
towards a broader set of measures to guide what represents a
desirable investment in flood resilience measures.
Nationally, recent
research suggests that only 12% of local authorities strongly agree
they have the right resources to plan for and manage flood risk in
the future.[3]
In addition, the partnership funding approach does not work well
for large schemes where benefits are widely distributed.
Accordingly, the NAO’s forecasted increase in the national
flood management bill must be met with a corresponding increase in
local resources and capacity to deliver. We note the commitment
last year to review local government funding for flood risk
management,[4]
which is not currently ringfenced, and we encourage DEFRA to bring
forward a date for this review as soon as possible. Our aspiration
is that this will lead to greater HM Government revenue support for
local capacity to deliver schemes.
A related point is
the need for action to ensure that water services utility
companies, in our case Thames Water, can be held to greater account
at a local level. Under-pinning many issues are a lack of
investment in essential infrastructure, which is an issue which
needs to be addressed by the regulator in setting the caps on the
Asset Management Plan. However, we also experience their regular
failure to clear up sewage. While this is unfortunately a
year-round issue in Oxfordshire, it is of particularly concern
during periods of flooding. Encouraging Thames Water to form closer
partnerships with local authorities to address flood mitigation
issues on their network is also a key part in achieving further
improvements to the local response during flood events,
In conclusion, the
Board writes in strong support of the EFRA Select Committee’s
recommendations which focus on greater long-term revenue investment
in local capacity to deliver and maintain schemes, which in future
would be better identified through a revised investment framework
that gives greater weight to wider public benefits. The clear link
between climate change and rising rainfall means that we must act
now, and we hope you agree that now is the time for longer term
planning and investment to secure a prosperous future for our
communities.
Yours Sincerely,
Councillor Emily Smith, Chair of the Oxfordshire Growth Board
