Agenda and minutes

To adopt and sign as a correct record the minutes of the Council meeting held on 21 July 2016 (attached).

RESOLVED: to approve the minutes of the meeting held on 21 July 2016 as a correct record and agree that the Chairman sign them as such.

To receive any announcements from the chairman.

The Chairman provided housekeeping information. He welcomed the council’s new chief executive, David Hill, to his first Council meeting.

Any statements or questions from the public will be made at the meeting.

The Chairman reported that the following would address Council on agenda item 9 – OxLEP Strategic Economic Plan:

·         Dr Richard Harding on behalf of Need Not Greed Oxfordshire

·         Dr Sue Roberts of Ecomorph

·         Mr Nigel Tipple, Chief Executive of the Local Enterprise Partnership

No questions submitted under Council procedure rule 34.

None.

On 6 October 2016 Cabinet will consider a report on the adoption of the Sonning Common neighbourhood plan as part of the Development Plan for South Oxfordshire.

The report of the head of planning, which Cabinet will consider on 6 October, is attached.

The recommendations of Cabinet will be circulated to councillors on 7 October.

Council considered the recommendation of Cabinet, made at its meeting on 6 October 2016, to make the Sonning Common Neighbourhood Plan part of the Development Plan for South Oxfordshire.

Council noted that it had a duty to make the neighbourhood plan part of the development plan unless the making of the plan would breach, or would otherwise be incompatible with, any EU obligation or any of the Convention rights (within the meaning of the Human Rights Act 1998).  The neighbourhood plan was compatible with the current EU obligations and therefore Council should ‘make’ the neighbourhood plan part of the council’s development plan. 

Councillors welcomed the neighbourhood plan and thanked the community for their work in progressing the plan. 

A number of councillors raised concern that recent planning applications had been approved contrary to the provisions of neighbourhood plans approved at a referendum. This undermined the neighbourhood plan process.

In response John Cotton, Leader of the council, stated that planning applications are determined in accordance with approved neighbourhood plans and any other material considerations including the lack of a five year land supply.

RESOLVED: to make the Sonning Common Neighbourhood Plan part of the Development Plan for South Oxfordshire.

Cabinet, at its meeting on 6 October 2016, will consider a report on the outturn performance of the treasury management function for the financial year 2015/16.

The report of the head of finance, which Cabinet will consider on 6 October, is attached.

The recommendations of Cabinet will be circulated to councillors on 7 October 2016.

Council considered Cabinet’s recommendation, made at its meeting on 6 October 2016, on the outturn performance of the treasury management function for the financial year 2015/16.

RESOLVED: to

1.    approve the treasury management outturn report for 2015/16;

2.            approve the actual 2015/16 prudential indicators within the report.

At its meeting on 6 October 2016 Cabinet will consider a report on the OxLEP Strategic Economic Plan (SEP). As part of that report Cabinet will consider the Joint Scrutiny Committee request that Cabinet defer its response to the SEP pending its consideration by Council. If Cabinet agree to this request Council will be invited to consider the SEP.

The report of the interim head of development, regeneration and housing, which Cabinet will consider on 6 October, is attached. 

A.   Dr Richard Harding, on behalf of Need Not Greed Oxfordshire, addressed Council and spoke to the following statement circulated to councillors prior to the meeting:

We welcome the decision taken at the Vale and South Joint Scrutiny Committee Meeting, endorsed by Cabinet last week that the revised SEP Refresh should be considered at Full Council. We have for some time demanded that our locally elected representatives have the opportunity to consider this most important of issues.

Today, local councillors have the chance to engage in robust debate on the revised SEP Refresh. We urge you take this final opportunity before the SEP Refresh is signed off, to seriously consider the impact that this plan will have on the future of Oxfordshire.

Need not Greed Oxfordshire believe the time has come for our Local Authorities to take full responsibility for the overall growth figures in the revised SEP 2016.

We are deeply concerned at the ‘pass-the-parcel’ game being played by OxLEP and our district and county councils, with each blaming the other for the inflated and unrealistic targets for employment and housing.

We believe this plan sets very damaging and unrealistic growth targets which would radically change Oxfordshire’s communities and environment - today, you - our elected representatives, have the opportunity to have your say.

• Do you genuinely believe we can create 85,000 jobs by 2031?
• Do you genuinely believe we can build 100,000 houses by 2031?  Are you prepared for the consequences when this target isn’t met and we see an increase in the speculative development that is already blighting so many of our communities?
• Do you genuinely think the development currently proposed will solve the affordable housing issues we have in the County?
• Do you genuinely think that Oxfordshire, the most rural county in the south-east, is the right place to accommodate a 30% increase in population by 2031?

If your answer to any of these questions is NO, we urge you to speak out against OxLEP’s Strategic Economic Plan as currently drafted at today’s meeting.

Need not Greed Oxon want to see an alternative approach to growth in our county.

We are calling for a review of the economic growth figures and by association the housing figures, for the county outlined in the revised SEP Refresh, in the light of:

1. The implications of Brexit.
2. The social and environmental constraints - ie not just ‘how much growth can we get’ but also ‘how much growth can our infrastructure, services and environment absorb’.
3. A re-consideration of the priorities for action - ie how to provide affordable housing for existing local residents, rather than seeking to attract ever more people into the area making the jobs versus housing balance worse.
4. Genuine public consultation on the future vision for Oxfordshire.

Our question to you today is:

As our elected representative, will you take a stand today and help force re-consideration of these overly aggressive and unrealistic growth targets that make no allowances for Brexit and that take little account of environmental  ...  view the full minutes text for item 32.

To receive any updates from the Leader of the council.

John Cotton, Leader of the council, provided a number of updates as detailed below:

Growth Board – he reported that at its meeting on 26 September 2016, the Oxfordshire Growth Board considered the apportionment of the agreed working figure for the unmet housing need for Oxford. He had resisted the 5,000 figure proposed for South Oxfordshire and requested Oxford City review its own capacity to deliver housing and include its own housing target.

Local Plan – further consultation expected in November.

Devolution – the Oxfordshire Growth Board agreed a motion that the district councils, Oxford City and county council would work together to realise savings and improve public services.

He welcomed David Hill as the council’s new chief executive.

He advised that a Didcot Garden Town meeting was scheduled for Monday 17 October at Cornerstone in Didcot.

No motions submitted under Council procedure rule 41.

None.

To consider whether to exclude members of the press and public from the meeting for the following item of business under Part 1 of Schedule 12A Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 and as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) Order 2006 on the grounds that:

(i)            it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraphs 1, 2 and 5, Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act, and

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

RESOLVED: to exclude members of the press and public from the meeting for the following items of business under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 and as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) Order 2006 on the grounds that:

i.      it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraphs 1, 2 and 5 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act, and

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

At its meeting on 26 September 2016 the joint audit and governance committee considered the further report of the local government ombudsman on two complaints from South Oxfordshire residents concerning a restriction on the sale of properties under s157 of the Housing Act 1985.

The committee resolved not to accept the local government ombudsman’s recommendations and to refer them to Council for consideration.

The confidential report considered by the committee at its meeting on 26 September 2016 is attached.

At its meeting on 26 September 2016 the Joint Audit and Governance Committee considered the further report of the local government ombudsman on two complaints from South Oxfordshire residents concerning a restriction on the sale of properties under s157 of the Housing Act 1985.  The committee resolved not to accept the local government ombudsman’s recommendations and referred them to Council for consideration.  Counsel’s confidential advice on this matter was circulated to all councillors prior to the meeting.

Andrew Down, Head of HR, IT and Technical Services, introduced the report and officers from the legal team responded to questions.

Council noted historically there has been a lack of consistency in the council's policies on these covenants and how they have been applied, and that the Cabinet will therefore be considering a review of the policy at its December meeting to provide clarity going forward.

Council resolved to attempt to settle the matters with the complainants.