Agenda and minutes

To elect a chairman of Council for the municipal year 2018/19.

The outgoing chairman, Councillor Jeannette Matelot, reviewed her year as chairman of the council, thanked councillors, the vice-chairman, her husband as escort and officers for their assistance and support during the year. During the year she had attended many engagements and raised almost £6,000 for her chosen charity Oxfordshire Homeless Pathways.

Councillor Jane Murphy, Leader of the council, and Councillor David Turner, Leader of the opposition, paid tribute to Jeannette Matelot in recognition of her work as chairman of the council during the past year.

Councillor Lorraine Hillier and Councillor Imran Lokhon were nominated as chairman for the 2018/19 municipal year.

RESOLVED:  to elect Councillor Lorraine Hillier as chairman of the council for the 2018/19 municipal year, until the next annual meeting of the Council in May 2019.

Councillor Jeannette Matelot presented Councillor Lorraine Hillier with the chain of office.

Councillor Lorraine Hillier signed her declaration of acceptance of office, presented Councillor Jeannette Matelot with the past chairman’s badge, her sister with the escort’s badge and made an acceptance speech. She advised that her chosen charities are Smallwood Trust and Henley Citizens Advice Bureau.

Councillor Lorraine Hillier in the chair.

To appoint a vice-chairman of Council for the municipal year 2018/19.

Councillor Alan Thompson was nominated as vice-chairman.

RESOLVED:  to appoint Councillor Alan Thompson as vice-chairman of the council for the ensuing year.

The chairman presented Councillor Alan Thompson with the chain of office.

Councillor Alan Thompson signed his declaration of acceptance of office and made an acceptance speech.

To adopt and sign as a correct record the Council minutes of the special meeting held on 27 March and the meeting held on 19 April 2018 – attached. 

RESOLVED: to approve the minutes of the special meeting held on 27 March 2018 and the meeting held on 19 April 2018 as correct records and agree that the chairman sign them as such.

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

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. 

There were no urgent items. The chairman provided housekeeping information.

On behalf of Council she congratulated Councillor Monica Lovatt on her election as chairman of Vale of White Horse District Council and Councillor Ben Mabbett on his appointment as vice-chairman.

To receive details of members of the public who have registered to address Council on items on the agenda. 

None.

To consider the report of the head of legal and democratic on the appointment to those committees required to be politically balanced together with the Community Grants Panel, Licensing Acts Committee and joint committees and to authorise any consequential changes to the constitution(attached). 

Council considered the report of the head of legal and democratic on the appointment of those committees and joint committees which are required to be politically balanced together with the Community Grants Panel, the Licensing Acts Committee and appointments to joint bodies.

The chairman referred to the following recommendation tabled at the meeting covering these appointments and to reflect the allocation of the vacant committee positions.

That for the 2018/19 municipal year Council:

1.            appoints the committees and panels and allocate seats to each political group as set out in the schedule circulated at the meeting;

2.            allocates the vacant seats on the Joint Scrutiny Committee and the Community Governance and Electoral Issues Committee to the Opposition Forum Group;

3.            allocates one of the Conservative Group’s seats on the Planning Committee to the Opposition Forum Group;

4.            allocates the vacant seat on the Appeals Panel to the Conservative Group;

5.            appoints councillors and substitutes to sit on the committees and panels as set out in the schedule circulated at the meeting:

6.            appoints councillors to the Licensing Acts Committee as set out in the schedule circulated at the meeting;

7.            appoints chairmen and vice-chairmen as set out in the schedule circulated at the meeting;

8.            appointsCouncillor Nigel Champken-Woods as the council’s representative on the Oxfordshire Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee andCouncillor David Nimmo-Smith as substitute;

9.            appoints Councillor Alan Thompson as the council’s representative on the Thames Valley Police and Crime Panel andCouncillor Nigel Champken-Woods as observer substitute;

10.         appoints the following to the Oxfordshire Growth Board Advisory Sub Groups:

·        Infrastructure – Councillor David Nimmo-Smith

·        Housing – Councillor Imran Lokhon

·        Joint Statutory Spatial Plan – Councillor Will Hall

with all Conservative group members as substitutes;

11.         appoints councillors Elaine Hornsby, David Turner and Ian White to the Oxfordshire Growth Board Scrutiny Panel;

12.         authorises the head of legal and democratic to make appointments to any vacant committee or panel seat and substitute positions in accordance with the wishes of the relevant group leader;

13.         authorises the head of legal and democratic to amend the constitution as necessary to reflect the arrangements set out in the report of the head of legal and democratic to the Council meeting on 16 May 2018.

RESOLVED: to

1.    appoint the following committees, joint committees and panels for the 2018/19 year and to appoint the membership, substitutes and chairmen as indicated to sit on them:

To consider the report of the head of legal and democratic on proposed changes to the council’s constitution - attached.

Council considered the report of the head of legal and democratic and monitoring officer on proposed amendments to the council’s constitution.

RESOLVED: to:

1.         amend the constitution in the Summary and Explanation section and the Cabinet Arrangements and Procedure Rules to update the key decision definition by amending paragraph (a) to read: “to incur expenditure, make savings or to receive income (except government grant) of more than £75,000.”; 

2.         amend paragraphs 40 and 41 of the constitution’s Summary and Explanation section relating to the authentication of documents and common seal of the councils to allow the head of legal and democratic, the chief executive, the legal services manager or a senior lawyer to sign and attest the sealing of documents;

3.         delete reference to the Five Councils’ Partnership Scrutiny Committee in paragraph 83 of the Scrutiny Committees Procedure Rules;

4.         amend paragraph 3 of the Planning Committee Procedure Rules to reflect the Vale Council’s decision on 14 February 2018 to reduce its Planning Committee membership from 11 to nine;

5.         authorise the head of corporate services “to act as the council’s data protection officer under the General Data Protection Regulations” and reflect this responsibility in the Proper Officer and Authorised Officer section of the constitution; 

6.         authorise the head of development and regeneration: “To determine applications from registered housing providers to waive the 80 per cent equity share restriction on shared ownership dwellings, on a case-by case basis, where such a restriction has been included within a section 106 planning agreement, and where the application meets the established criteria for granting the waiver.”; 

7.         authorise the head of development and regeneration: “To determine continuous market engagement requests and confirm support to Homes England for both grant and nil-grant applications from registered housing providers, for the inclusion of affordable dwellings or developments within the national affordable homes programme.”; 

8.         amend the delegation to the head of housing and environment in paragraph 4.3: “To authorise and serve any notices and take all necessary actions relating to the collection of waste, the provision of dustbins and to secure the removal of rubbish.  (S.34 PHA 1961) the council’s duties as a waste collection authority as set out in sections 45 and 46 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (as amended).  [N.B. deleted text is crossed through, added text is in bold type];  

9.         authorise the head of housing and environment: “To authorise and serve any notices and take all necessary actions relating to the council’s duties as a principal litter authority in accordance with section 89 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (as amended).”; 

10.      amend the delegation to the head of housing and environment in paragraph 19.2: “To exercise the council’s powers and duties under The Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976, The Pet Animals Act 1951, The Breeding of Dogs Acts 1973 and 1991, The Animal Boarding Establishments Acts 1963 and 1970, The Zoo Licensing Act 1981, The Riding Establishments Acts 1964 & 1970, and the Breeding and Sale of Dogs (Welfare)  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

Jane Murphy, Leader of the council, congratulated Roger Cox on becoming Leader of Vale of White Horse District Council and wished him well.

She provided an update on progress since the special meeting of Council, held on 15 May 2018, on the Local Plan and officer engagement with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). She reported that these early discussions were positive in both nature and tone.  She had agreed that officers will take up the engagement and support that has been offered to the council by both the Planning Inspectorate and the Planning Advisory Service in advance of direct meetings with the MHCLG team in July.

She reported that she had held positive discussions with other leaders across Oxfordshire who are supportive of the council’s approach recognising all councils have a collective commitment to the Growth Deal and its importance to Oxfordshire.  The Oxfordshire chief executives will be meeting next week to discuss this and support our officers in moving forward quickly and appropriately.

She referred to the appointments to the Oxfordshire Growth Board Advisory Sub Groups made earlier in the meeting. She emphasised the importance of the groups to the delivery of the Growth Deal and would do all she could to support those appointed to represent the council.