Agenda item

   To receive questions from councillors in accordance with Council procedure

   rule 33. 

1.            Question from Councillor Mocky Khan to Councillor David Rouane, Cabinet member for housing and environment:

One of the key frustrations of residents is inappropriate and illegal parking.  This is certainly the case for Didcot and other parts of South Oxfordshire.  Didcot Town council passed a motion on Civil Parking Enforcement on 30 July 2018 and this council did too, on 19 July 2018.  Can the Cabinet Member, please give an update on where we are on this?  What actions have taken place, if any?  Also, how can we accelerate this?  Residents want and need an update.

2.            Question from Councillor Jane Murphy to Councillor Sue Cooper, Leader of the council

  Over the last year good governance has been a key priority for the council. Can the leader confirm that this is still as important to the administration and she is doing all she can to continue to lead this forward?

3.            Councillor Ken Arlett to Councillor David Rouane, Cabinet member for housing and environment

Henley has a limit of three hours parking with no return. Shop and office workers should be using the long stay car parks in Henley. When will South Oxfordshire District Council’s car parks have machines that stop people feeding them or insist that the car park attendants ticket cars which extend their visits beyond three hours?  

4.            Councillor Ken Arlett to Councillor David Rouane, Cabinet member for housing and environment

When is decriminalised parking enforcement going to happen and is Oxfordshire County Council in agreement?  

5.            Councillor Ken Arlett to Councillor David Rouane, Cabinet member for housing and environment

In 1992 and 2016 plans were drawn up for another floor on the Kings Road Car Park, for some reason nothing happened, why? We now have another 12 shops being built next to the Kings Road car park but no extra spaces, why? South Oxfordshire District Council draw over £700,000 from their three main car parks in Henley and has some £6 million of CIL money for infrastructure. Now has to be the time to build the extra 95 spaces that were proposed in the 2016 drawings. When can this be started?

6.            Councillor Ken Arlett to Councillor Sue Cooper, Leader of the council

Is it now not time to allow the local ward councillors to take part in the debate and vote on applications in their ward at Planning Committee meetings? This works in other district councils. Can you confirm that this will be considered as part of the forthcoming review of the constitution? 

7.            Councillor Ken Arlett to Councillor Robin Bennett, Cabinet member for economic development and regeneration

The Market Place Mews development is having a drastic effect on trade in the town due to only one entrance being used. There is no good reason why the other entrance cannot be reopened. Can this entrance be reopened? 

8.            Councillor Ken Arlett to Councillor Leigh Rawlins, Cabinet member for planning

If Cabinet recommends option three to withdraw the Local Plan, what effect will this have on neighbourhood plans and the four major towns? 

9.            Councillor Ken Arlett to Councillor Leigh Rawlins, Cabinet member for planning

Where can Henley Town Council use the £800,000 for affordable housing from the McCarthy and Stone Development in Reading Road, Henley? At what date does this cease if it is not used? 

10.         Councillor Stefan Gawrysiak to Councillor David Rouane, Cabinet member for housing and environment

South Oxfordshire District Council draw £700,000 of income from the Henley car parks. In the Greys Road Car Park, we have smelly stinking toilets that were due for refurbishment in 2012. Can we have a commitment for £100,000 of spend for this renovation or a date for this to be done?

11.         Councillor Stefan Gawrysiak to Councillor Leigh Rawlins, Cabinet member for planning

If the South Oxfordshire Local Plan is withdrawn and rewritten can I have a cost estimate of the amount of money, staff costs and time that it would take for the rewrite and submission?

12.         Question from Councillor Ian White to Councillor to Councillor David Rouane, Cabinet member for housing and environment

The new low energy light bulbs are a great benefit in respect of reduced energy consumption, but their manufacture involves the use of chemicals that should be recycled. At present, the requirement is for these bulbs to be taken to the County Council’s recycling centres for disposal and it is highly likely that residents are unaware of this requirement, disposing of their failed bulbs in the grey bins.

Will the Cabinet member consider a campaign to increase awareness of the need to recycle these light bulbs? Can the Administration look at more viable options for their collection, either at the kerb side or by arranging collection points with parish councils, as driving to the recycling centres to dispose of a few bulbs would be wasteful of energy, result in additional pollution and be unlikely to inspire co-operation from most residents?

13.         Question from Councillor Lynn Lloyd to Councillor Maggie Filipova-Rivers, Cabinet member for community services

 In previous years, South Oxfordshire District Council has supported its communities by way of Capital, Revenue and Councillor Grant Schemes, and funding was included in the 2019-2020 Budget inherited by the new Administration. Can the Cabinet member for community services confirm that this funding will continue for the current year?

14.         Question from Councillor Lynn Lloyd to Councillor Andrea Powell, Cabinet member for corporate services

Can the Cabinet member for corporate services please confirm that the project to build the Council Offices at Crowmarsh is still on track?

15.         Question from Councillor Celia Wilson to Councillor Leigh Rawlins, Cabinet member for planning

How do you propose that the interests of settlements of all sizes in South Oxfordshire may be championed against any speculative development which benefits the developer rather than the community?

a) immediately?

 and

b) in the wake of any delay introduced into the planning process by forthcoming decisions of South Oxfordshire District Council regarding the Emerging Local Plan 2034?

16.         Question from Councillor David Bartholomew to Councillor David Turner, Cabinet member for finance

Now that he has been in post for two months could the Cabinet Member for Finance please confirm what steps he is taking to produce a balanced budget for 2020/21 without having to draw on reserves?

17.         Question from Councillor Ian Snowdon to Councillor Sue Cooper, Leader of the council and Cabinet member for Didcot Town

Can the leader confirm that she intends to continue to encourage the extremely good working relationship that South Oxfordshire District Council has built up with Homes England in the last year and in particular with regards Didcot Garden Town.

18.Question from Councillor Anna Badcock to Councillor Sue Cooper, Leader of the council

What measures will the leader bring in to improve Air Quality Management Areas in South Oxfordshire and in what timescale? 

Prior to consideration of this item Council agreed to close the meeting. In doing so Council agreed that officers would circulate the written answers to the questions and give the questioners a set period to submit a supplementary question in writing that would be answered in writing. These would go on the website alongside the Council papers (but not be part of the minutes).