Issue - meetings

To consider the report of the acting deputy chief executive – partnerships. 

Councillor Emily Smith declared a personal interest in this item as she was a director of the Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership.  Councillor Smith took no part in the debate on this item.  In her absence, Councillor Bethia Thomas chaired the meeting for this item. 

Cabinet considered the report of the deputy chief executive – partnerships.  This sought an amendment to the Science Vale Enterprise Zone accountable body memorandum of understanding with Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership Limited and Oxfordshire County Council.  The memorandum detailed the retention and distribution of business rates growth income from the Science Vale Enterprise Zone (also known as EZ1), which covered Milton Park and Harwell Campus. 

The Cabinet member recommended that the Cabinet agreed to revise the memorandum of understanding.  There had been a number of changes to the governance and corporate structure of the Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership, which were relevant to the memorandum.  Its wording no longer accurately recorded the way in which the council worked with the partnership and the county council.  Cabinet supported the recommendations. 

RESOLVED: to

(a)       enter into a revised memorandum of understanding with Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership and Oxfordshire County Council for the retention and distribution of business rates growth income from the Science Vale Enterprise Zone; and

(b)       to authorise the deputy chief executive – partnerships, in consultation with the Cabinet member for strategic partnerships and place, to finalise terms of the revised memorandum of understanding and to enter into it.