Agenda and minutes

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

South Councillor David Nimmo-Smith and Vale Councillor Debby Hallett submitted apologies.

To adopt and sign as a correct record the Joint Scrutiny Committee minutes of the meeting held on 28 June 2018 (attached). 

The minutes of the meeting held on 28 June 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.  

South Councillor Ian White declared that he would be stepping down from the committee for Agenda Item 6: 2017/18 performance review of GLL, because of his relationship with the portfolio holder.

Vale Councillor Mike Badcock declared that he would be stepping down from the committee for Agenda Item 6: 2017/18 performance review of GLL, because the portfolio holder was his daughter.

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).

Councillors Mike Badcock and Ian White stood down from the committee and took no part in the consideration of this item.

The committee considered the report of the head of community services, which assessed the performance of Greenwich Leisure Limited’s (GLL) performance in delivering the joint leisure management contract for the period 1 April 2017 to 31 March 2018.

The report recommended that the contractor be awarded an overall rating of “Good”.

Lynn Lloyd, South Cabinet member for community services introduced the report. Also present to answer questions were Vale Councillor Alice Badcock, Cabinet member for community services, Donna Pentelow, head of community services, Chris Webb, facilities development officer (leisure), and John Amatt and Steve Hercus, GLL.

In response to members’ questions, the committee was informed that:

·         The Key Performance Targets (KPTs) were jointly agreed by the officers and contractors each year.

·         The loss of customers resulting from the closure of Abbey Meadow outdoor pool for refurbishment and temporary closures to other facilities impacted on GLL’s user figures but it was not possible to say whether this would have affected their overall performance rating.  The committee requested that officers provide further information on estimated user numbers had the facilities remained open, based on previous years’ data and its impact on the KPTs.

GLL representatives expressed the view that the performance rating would have been “Excellent” but for the closure of facilities which was not within its control. Accordingly, the Cabinet members agreed to review the scores awarded.

RESOLVED: to support the assessment of GLL’s overall performance of the leisure management contract in 2017/18 as “Good”, subject to review of scores by the Cabinet members.

To consider the report of the head of housing and environment (attached).

The committee considered the report of the head of housing and environment which, assessed the performance of Sodexo Limited’s performance in delivering the grounds maintenance services contract for the period 1 January to 31 December 2017.

The report recommended that the contractor be awarded an overall rating of “Good”.

Vale Councillor Roger Cox, Leader, deputising for Elaine Ware, Cabinet member for housing and environment, introduced the report. Also present to answer questions were South Councillor Caroline Newton, Cabinet member for housing and environment, Liz Hayden, head of housing and environment, John Backley, technical services manager, Richard Ballard, parks team leader, and Mark Hibbs and Kevin Harkness, Sodexo.

In response to members’ questions, the committee was informed that:

·         There was only a very small difference between the scores which had resulted in last year’s “Excellent” and this year’s “Good” rating.  However, these scores were based on the jointly agreed Key Performance Targets.

·         Officers held monthly meetings with Sodexo to monitor performance.

·         As grass needed to be cut less frequently than usual over the hot, dry summer, Sodexo agreed to carry out other work instead.

A member reported that several members of the public had spoken favourably about Sodexo staff’s polite and helpful attitude.

RESOLVED: to support the assessment of Sodexo’s overall performance of the grounds maintenance service contract in 2017 as “Good”.

To consider the report of the head of housing and environment (attached).

The committee considered the report of the head of housing and environment, which assessed the performance of Biffa Municipal Limited’s performance in delivering the household waste collection, street cleansing and ancillary services contract for the period 1 January to 31 December 2017.

The report recommended that the contractor be awarded an overall rating of “Fair”.

South Councillor Caroline Newton, Cabinet member for housing and environment, introduced the report. Also present to answer questions were, Vale Councillor Roger Cox, Leader, deputising for Elaine Ware, Cabinet member for housing and environment, Liz Hayden, head of housing and environment, Ian Matten, environmental services manager, Mark Watson, waste team leader, and Pete Dickson and Ian Gillott, Biffa.

In response to members’ questions, the committee was informed that:

·         The reported missed bin collection Key Performance Target (KPT) had not been met in 2017, primarily because of vehicle breakdowns associated with Biffa’s refuse collection fleet as it neared the end of its operational life. Reliability issues continued until the entire fleet was replaced in October 2017.

·         An action plan had been agreed to improve performance and, whilst Biffa accepted the assessment for 2017, it was confident that it would be awarded a higher rating in 2018.

·         Officers could give Town and Parish Councils more than the current one month’s notice of a deep clean in the area, should they require it.

·         The increasing tonnage of refuse being sent to energy refuse facilities and landfill was largely due to the increasing number of households in the district.

·         The decreasing tonnage of dry recycling being collected was largely due to packaging etc. getting lighter rather than to a reduction in the quantity collected.

RESOLVED: to support the assessment of Biffa’s overall performance of the household waste collection, street cleansing and ancillary services contract in 2017 as “Fair”.

To consider the report of the head of planning (attached).

The committee considered the report of the head of planning, which sought comments on the draft project and programme documents for the Oxfordshire Joint Statutory Spatial Plan (JSSP) prior to their submission to Cabinets. These documents were:

·         The JSSP Local Development Scheme (LDS) set out at Appendix 1;

·         The draft Statement of Community Involvement 2018 for the JSSP set out at Appendix 2; and

·         The Scoping Document set out at Appendix 3.

An addendum report was tabled setting out proposed changes to the LDS and Scoping Document. With regard to the latter document, these changes included:

·         amending paragraph 3.10 to clarify that the JSSP will not allocate sites except at the request of the relevant local planning authority.

·         Removing the key diagram illustration taken from the West of England Plan.

In response to members’ questions, the committee was informed that:

·         The outcome of the Regulation 18 consultation on preferred strategy options, scheduled for February/March 2019, would need to be fed back to each Oxfordshire local planning authority.

·         The councils were seeking evidence from the Government to substantiate statements about one million new homes along the Oxford to Cambridge Expressway corridor.

·         Work on the South and Vale Local Plans could not be delayed in anticipation of future Government announcements. 

Following further discussion, it was:

RESOLVED: to

1)     Recommend to South and Vale Cabinets that the draft project and programme documents for the Oxfordshire Joint Statutory Spatial Plan be approved, subject to the amendments proposed in the addendum report being approved by each Oxfordshire local planning authority.

2)     Request that a report on the outcome of the Regulation 18 consultation be submitted to the committee.

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.