Agenda item

Purpose: To consider the Growth Board’s response to the recommendations to the Board from the Scrutiny Panel meeting on 21 March 2019.

Information:  response attached

Recommendation: To discuss and note the response.

The Panel noted the Growth Board’s responses to recommendations from the meeting on 21 March 2019 as set out in the Agenda. In addition, Councillor Gant updated the Panel on his attendance at the Growth Board on 26 March 2019.

In respect of Recommendation 8 that the Growth Board revisit its response to the request for structured communications between the Growth Board and council members, the Panel was disappointed that the Growth Board had been unable to agree to the recommendation citing that this was a matter for each leader within their own authority. In discussion, the Panel felt that whilst there were examples of effective communication structures on Growth Board matters between leaders and their members in individual councils, (for example regular reports to full council by the leader on the Growth Board) practice varied across the councils and a number of members of Panel commented that they did not feel they were effective within their own authorities with members receiving incorrect or incomplete information. The Panel felt that given the importance of the activities of the Growth Board to residents, a structured process was justified. It was therefore, agreed that the Growth Board should be asked to revisit its response. 

The Panel considered the statement earlier in the meeting by Helen Marshall on behalf CPRE, that the Growth Board should commission a review of the Oxford Green Belt and/or request an update to the Strategic Housing Market Assessment, (SHMA). The Panel agreed to support this request.

The Panel also reconsidered the question and statements put forward by Sue Haywood on behalf of NNGO in respects of: The Local Industrial Strategy, Oxfordshire Plan 2050 Regulation Part 1 Consultation and Joint Declaration of Ambition. It was agreed that these recommendations should also be made to the Growth Board on these matters.

RESOLVED: The Panel agreed the following recommendations to the Growth Board:

1)     That the Growth Board revisit the earlier recommendation on structured communication between the Growth Board and council’s members considering member reports of having received incorrect or incomplete information.

2)     That the Growth Board commission a review of the Oxford Green Belt and/or request an update to Oxfordshire SHMA 2014.

3)     That the Growth Board reflect on the mutual dependencies between the Oxfordshire Plan 2050 and both the Local Industrial Strategy and Ox-Cam Arc and also that the Growth Board commit to informing the Government with urgency the need for the LIS to go through Local Authority sign off process prior to final endorsement.

4)     That the Growth Board outline what procedures were followed for the changes to Oxfordshire Plan 2050 Regulation 18 Part 1 Consultation and reflect on the changes in the text which altered the narrative between the endorsement of the Local Authority Scrutiny Committees and the publishing of the document in the public domain.

That the Growth Board seeks clarification on the process; how and when the Joint Declaration of Ambition HM Government and Local Partners will be subject to public scrutiny and debate.