Agenda and minutes

Councillor Anne-Marie Simpson had sent her apologies for absence. 

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 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. 

The Chair made the following announcements. 

(1)       On 25 June 2021, the Planning Inspector had granted permission on appeal for a retirement community care village at Little Sparrows, Sonning Common.   South Oxfordshire District Council had previously refused permission for this development due to the potential impact on the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.  Following legal advice, and after consultation with the Leader of the Council and the Chair of the Planning Committee, the officers considered that there were sufficient grounds to challenge the Planning Inspector’s decision and had therefore made an application to the High Court for a review. 

(2)       The Chair urged councillors and the public to respond to the public consultations being undertaken during the summer.  These consultations included the Oxfordshire Plan 2050, the Oxfordshire Infrastructure Strategy 2040, the Oxford to Cambridge Arc, and the Oxford City Local Plan 2040. 

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

None

To consider any recommendations to Cabinet from other committees. 

Cabinet received and noted a summary update from meetings of other committees held since Cabinet’s meeting on 10 June. 

To consider the interim head of corporate services’ report. 

Cabinet considered the interim head of corporate services’ report on the future of the revenue grants scheme.  The report set out the following options:

1.          To continue with the current revenue grants scheme for 24 months (2022- 2024), with a proportion of the funding being set aside for allocation to fundraising and diversifying income streams.  The revenue grant policy would be updated to reflect the current corporate plan priorities and the scheme would be open to all local voluntary and community sector organisations to apply for grants.  Simultaneously, the council would investigate a move to a commissioning-based model from 2024-2025 onwards, budget depending. 

2.          Commissioning key advice, support and outreach services based on evidence of need and which would help deliver against the council’s corporate plan priorities.  Tenders would be invited from local voluntary and community sector organisations, which could include consortia bids to deliver the services in partnership.  Alongside this, part of the budget would be allocated to supporting new voluntary and community sector organisations to establish themselves. 

3.          Reduce the revenue grants budget and/or close the grants scheme to existing recipients and new applications. 

Cabinet considered that it was important to retain the revenue grants scheme that continued to meet both the current and emerging needs of the community, whilst ensuring the scheme supported the delivery of the council’s corporate plan priorities.  This included supporting the capacity and resilience of the voluntary and community sector to continue to deliver services for local residents.  Cabinet preferred option 1, to continue the scheme for a further 24 months, while allocating a proportion of the budget for fundraising and diversifying income streams. 

Cabinet also supported the suggestion of investigating the possibility of commissioning services in the future.  The commissioned service providers could be given goals to achieve to support the council’s corporate plan.  However, Cabinet was not supportive of increasing performance indicators as this might inhibit the service providers’ creativity. 

Cabinet also thanked the voluntary and community sector organisations in South Oxfordshire for providing valuable services to local residents. 

RESOLVED: to

(a)       approve a two-year revenue grant scheme (2022-2024) that is open to all voluntary and community sector organisations across the district; and

(b)       agree to a condition that a proportion of the funding awarded is allocated to fundraising/diversifying income streams.