Agenda and minutes

To record apologies for absence and the attendance of substitute members. 

Councillor Mike Badcock (substituted by Katie Finch), submitted apologies.

To adopt and sign as a correct record the Scrutiny Committee minutes of the meeting held on 17 September and 18 October 2018 (attached). 

The minutes of the meeting held on 18 October 2018 were agreed as an accurate record and were signed by the Chairman.

To receive any declarations of disclosable pecuniary interests in respect of items on the agenda for this meeting.  

None.

To receive notification of any matters which the chairman determines should be considered as urgent business and the special circumstances which have made the matters urgent, and to receive any announcements from the chairman. 

None.

To receive any questions or statements from members of the public that have registered to speak. 

None.

To consider the report of the head of community services (attached).

The committee considered the report of the head of community services regarding the intention to develop a health and wellbeing strategy for the Vale of White Horse

Councillor Alice Badcock, Cabinet member for community services, introduced the report.  Also present to answer questions was Donna Pentelow, head of community services.

The committee was informed that it was intended to develop a strategy that set out the council’s aspirations and ambitions for health and wellbeing in the Vale. The scope of the strategy would need to be determined, but could involve services from across the council. There was also significant scope for partnership working both with other public sector organisations and with the voluntary and community sector.

Whilst broadly welcoming the proposal, members made a number of observations, including:

·           The strategy would need to complement, rather than duplicate, other existing health and wellbeing strategies.

·           Consideration should be given to retitling the strategy to avoid confusion with other health and wellbeing strategies.

·           The strategy should set out what success would look like and how it will be quantified.

·           As the strategy would also apply to South Oxfordshire, future reports on its development should be submitted to the Joint Scrutiny Committee.

RESOLVED: to

1.     Note the principle of developing a health and wellbeing strategy and request Cabinet to take the committee’s views, as set out above, into account.

2.     Request that future reports on the development of the strategy be submitted to the Joint Scrutiny committee.

To consider the report of the head of development and regeneration (attached).

The committee considered the report of the head of development and regeneration on the draft Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) spending strategy, adopted by the Council in November 2017.

Councillor Mike Murray, Cabinet member for development and regeneration, introduced the report.  Also present to answer questions were Suzanne Malcolm, head development and regeneration, and Jayne Bolton, infrastructure and development manager.

In response to members’ questions, it was reported that:

·           CIL expenditure aimed at mitigating the infrastructure impacts of an individual development, as well as the overall cumulative effect of development, as CIL will not generate sufficient income to meet all infrastructure requirements.

·           The allocation of funding to Oxfordshire County Council, the Clinical Commissioning Group and to various infrastructure types within the district, was partly based on historic spending.  However, these percentages would be reviewed annually, based on performance and council infrastructure policies.

·           Under the new staffing structure, staff resources had been allocated to providing advice and support to town and parish councils.

·           Officers would liaise with the Oxfordshire Association of Local Councils regarding appropriate advice to enable town and parish clerks to manage CIL spending on larger infrastructure projects should they wish to.

Whilst broadly welcoming the draft CIL spending strategy, the committee suggested that:

·         Further clarification be provided regarding the duty to pass on CIL revenues to towns/parishes, subject to a cap per existing council tax dwelling.

·         The consequences of a town/parish not spending its CIL revenues within 5 years be included.

RESOLVED: to note the report and request the Cabinet member to take the committee’s views, as set out above, into account.

To review the attached scrutiny work schedule. Please note, although the dates are confirmed, the items under consideration are subject to being withdrawn, added to or rearranged without further notice.

The committee noted its work programme and, in view of the number of items scheduled for its February meeting, asked officers to consider deferring some to the March committee.