Agenda

To record apologies for absence.

To adopt and sign as a correct record the Council minutes of the meeting held on 22 May 2024. 

To receive declarations of disclosable pecuniary interests, other registrable interests and non-registrable interests or any conflicts of interest in respect of items on the agenda for this meeting. 

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

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

To receive any petitions from the public. 

To consider the report of the head of finance on a proposal to award funds to Milton Parish Council towards a new community hall with sporting facilities in Milton parish – attached.

To consider the report of the head of legal and democratic on a review of the political balance – attached.

To consider the report of the head of corporate services on the appointment of a monitoring officer, and electoral registration officer and a returning officer – attached.

To receive the report of the leader of the council. 

To receive questions from councillors in accordance with Council procedure rule 33. 

A.   Question from Councillor Povolotsky to Councillor Thomas, Leader ofthe council

Can the leader please explain why she has not made any attempts to meet with GARD - The Group Against Reservoir Development, despite their continued requests to meet, since she became leader in late 2022?

B.   Question from Councillor Debby Hallett to Councillor Mark Coleman, Cabinet Member for Environmental Services and Waste

For the 13 years I’ve been a member of this council, I have tried to urge the council to improve the litter and detritus removal on the verges and in the shrubs and trees alongside the A34.

The A34 is almost always strewn with rubbish, tyres and detritus. Highway repair crews leave their cones and frames and sandbags behind. Right now, the weeds have grown up enough that it's harder to see. (I recognise that there was recently a one-off blitz to get some control back. I am more concerned with the regular maintenance programme and less in heroics that make for good social media posts.)

What is Vale’s responsibility to residents regarding litter removal from the A34, and what is our strategy for meeting that responsibility?

C.   Question from Councillor Robert Clegg to Councillor Helen Pighills, Cabinet Member for Community Health and Wellbeing

The Joint Street Trading Policy, adopted by the Vale of White Horse District Council and South Oxfordshire District Council in 2014, sets out our framework for the management of street trading across the two district areas. The only substantial amendment to this policy since its adoption came into effect in 2020 and related to food hygiene and health and safety. The policy sits within the national legislative framework set out by the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act of 1982.

In the decade since our policy was first adopted, the catering industry has faced many headwinds and has suffered as a consequence. The number of public houses across the UK has plummeted and street food vendors have also struggled, a situation exacerbated by but not limited to the Covid-19 pandemic. Those who have survived have often done so by innovating, adopting new approaches to better serve their customers.

Partnerships between “wet-led” public houses and mobile caterers, serving high-quality food from customised trucks or stalls, are one such innovation that has proven successful under these challenging market conditions. The Crown Inn in Marcham, in the ward which I serve, frequently hosts food trucks owned & operated by small, local businesses. After decades of the Crown struggling to stay open, the pub is now thriving and is a source of great pride to the village. The food trucks arrangement has proven immensely popular, to the benefit of the pub, the trucks, and the community. I understand that the chain owning the Crown has achieved similar success across the Vale, and also in South Oxfordshire. However, the variety of food offered by the mobile caterers at the Crown is constrained by the specifics  ...  view the full agenda text for item 11.

To consider motions from councillors in accordance with Council procedure rule 38. 

(1)       Motion to be proposed by Councillor Katherine Foxhall, seconded by Councillor Eric de la Harpe:

This council recognises that:

·       The UK is committed by the Climate Change Act and by the Glasgow Climate Pact to reducing its carbon emissions to net zero by 2050, and to reducing them by 68% from 1990 levels by 2030.

·       The Climate Change Committee has estimated that Local Authorities have powers or influence over roughly a third of emissions in their local areas.

·       This council is already committed to reducing its own carbon emissions to net zero by 2030 and to supporting our District to achieve the same by 2045.

This council resolves to:

·      Ask Cabinet to consider the use of SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound) targets and reporting to deliver and monitor our carbon emissions reduction targets for Council and District emissions.

·      Consider innovative financing options to deliver the climate action that we need to meet our targets and to support a just transition for our residents.

·      Ask the Leader to write to the Secretary of State to request that all Local Authorities are given statutory duties, powers and funding to enable them to deliver locally for a Net Zero transition in line with the UKs legal commitments.

(2)       Motion to be proposed by Councillor Max Thompson, seconded by Councillor Jill Rayner:

LGBTQ+ people have a long contributed to political, economic, social and cultural life in the Vale of White Horse, the UK, and the wider world. However, their stories have often been omitted from history books and wider discourse.

Vale has a proud record of recognising and supporting the importance of equality and diversity.  Examples include the fact that Council has an adopted Diversity and Inclusion strategy and since 2019 has reconfirmed its commitments to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in motions on Islamophobia, and anti-Semitism, and trans rights and we strive to embed those values across our service delivery.

Regrettably however, some politicians and political campaigns still seek to vilifying and ridicule members of the LGBTQ+ community and there has been an uptick of violence and hate crimes towards LGBTQ+ persons in recent years.

There are many important international days for LGBTQ+ awareness that Council does not currently mark externally, including International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia, which falls on 17 May, and Transgender Day of Remembrance, which falls on 20 November. February 2025 marks 20 years of LGBT+ history month, which Council has not hitherto marked with any large-scale external communications or events.

Council therefore resolves to:

·      Recognise the damage done to individuals across the LGBTQ+ community by Section 28 of the Local Government At (1988), which required local authorities to take restrictive approaches across areas such as education, publicity and communications, which means that the harm done to the LGBTQ+ community, and others, has extended long past the legislation’s removal in 2003.

·      Restate its belief that LGBTQ+ persons are valued members of our community.

·      Endorse  ...  view the full agenda text for item 12.

To consider whether to exclude members of the press and public from the meeting for the following item of business under Section 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 as amended on the grounds that:

(i)     It is likely that there will be disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A, and

(ii)    the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

To consider the report of the Deputy Chief Executive: Partnerships – report attached.

Cabinet, at its meeting on 28 June 2024, considered a report on the additional grant funding made available under Local Authority Housing Fund 3 (LAHF 3) to support the provision of housing for the council’s refugee accommodation programme building on previous rounds which the council has taken advantage of.

The Cabinet agenda circulated to all members includes the relevant report.

Cabinet resolved toaccept the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities’ grant of£747,000 (indicative Local Authority Housing Fund 3 allocation) to deliver four homes that meet the eligibility criteria outlined within the Local Authority Housing Fund 3 prospectus, and to authorise the deputy chief executive – transformation and operations to sign the Memorandum of Understanding with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, which sets out the understanding between both parties for the use of funding.

RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL: To add £1.644 million to the capital programme, part funded by Local Authority Housing Fund 3 funding of £747,000 to purchase four homes under the Local Authority Housing Fund (LAHF) scheme.