To receive questions from councillors in accordance with Council procedure rule 33.
1. Question from Councillor Anna Badcock to Councillor Pieter-Paul Barker, Cabinet member for partnership and insight
“Can you detail the timescales for delivering against the climate emergency motion that was carried by the Conservative led Council in April 2019”?
2. Question from Councillor Ken Arlett to Councillor David Rouane, Cabinet member for housing and environment
“Over the past six months we have had on going complaints from members of the public, with the cleaning of the three toilet blocks in Henley. These complaints have all been serialised in the local Henley Standard.
Can the Cabinet Member please explain why this contract has been let for another nine months to the same contractor, when they are unable to clean the toilets to an acceptable standard”?
3. Question from Councillor Celia Wilson to Councillor Maggie Filipova-Rivers, Cabinet member for community services
Can you give assurances that any review of the Didcot Cornerstone Arts Centre will be:
a) open and transparent;
b) involve all concerned people including the population and elected representatives of Didcot; and
c) allow enough time for remedies to the difficulties to be put in place?
Minutes:
1. Question from Councillor Anna Badcock to Councillor Pieter-Paul Barker, Cabinet member for partnership and insight
“Can you detail the timescales for delivering against the climate emergency motion that was carried by the Conservative led Council in April 2019”?
Written answer
The climate emergency declaration in April 2019 stated the intention of adopting an early carbon neutral target. Following the establishment of the Climate Emergency Advisory Committee 18 July 2019, the Committee have recommended targets for carbon neutrality to Cabinet and Council, which were approved at the beginning of October 2019. These targets aim for South Oxfordshire District Council to become a carbon neutral council by 2025 and for South Oxfordshire to become a carbon neutral district by 2030.
Committee members have worked with officers to develop a detailed one-year work programme proposal, to provide a strong foundation for working towards the adopted carbon neutral targets and a longer-term strategy to address the climate emergency. The programme includes a range of projects, for example seeking to embed sustainability in Council policies and initiate some feasibility studies around energy savings in council buildings and leisure centres, including identifying opportunities to introduce solar energy and heat pumps. As well as, measures to support biodiversity, such as exploring the most appropriate tree planting projects.
The one-year programme was recommended by the Committee at their meeting on 28 January 2020 and that recommendation accepted at Cabinet on 30 January 2020. The proposed budget for implementation of the one-year programme will now go to Council for final approval in amongst their other budget priorities on 13 February 2020.
The projects within the one-year programme will be reviewed again by the Committee and officers pending Council’s decision, in order to prioritise each action/project and implement timescales for their delivery.
Supplementary question
In response to a supplementary question seeking further detail of the one year work programme the Cabinet member responded that he was content with the detail provided in the written response but was happy to discuss further outside the meeting.
2. Question from Councillor Ken Arlett to Councillor David Rouane, Cabinet member for housing and environment
“Over the past six months we have had on going complaints from members of the public, with the cleaning of the three toilet blocks in Henley. These complaints have all been serialised in the local Henley Standard.
Can the Cabinet Member please explain why this contract has been let for another nine months to the same contractor, when they are unable to clean the toilets to an acceptable standard”?
Written answer
“We agree that the level of service provided in Henley is currently not acceptable and the service manager is working with the contractor to agree remedial action. It helps if the complaints are directed to the contractor (details on the website and signs on the toilets themselves) as the arrangement is for them to react to cleaning issues and phoning them directly helps to make them aware of the issue and react more quickly.
The councils have entered into a short-term, interim contract with the existing contractor from 1 January to 31 October 2020 and during this time we will review the service delivery options available to us which include procuring a new contract, including this service as part of a larger contract or bringing the service back in house.
We have started work on a project to repair and revamp the toilets in Greys Road. Officers are working up options to decide how best to use the space within the building including improved facilities for disabled users and which may also include a welfare space for the car park inspectors”.
“Can you give assurances that any review of the Didcot Cornerstone Arts Centre will be:
a) open and transparent;
b) involve all concerned people including the population and elected representatives of Didcot; and
c) allow enough time for remedies to the difficulties to be put in place”
Written answer
“The Cornerstone Arts Centre based in Didcot is important to us all, but in light of the financial position we find ourselves in, it is sensible and proportionate to review Cornerstone. Currently, we are predicting this year’s subsidy to be in the region of £642,000, which is more than double the original commitment from South Oxfordshire District Council when it was originally built and is simply not sustainable going forward. I am deeply committed and can assure you that the much needed review of the medium to long term future of Cornerstone will be open, transparent and wide-reaching in its engagement. My intention is to have a cross party member working group, supported by officers, that can lead on the review and engagement with users of the centre, residents, businesses, members and officers. Whatever the future is for Cornerstone, we must move to a position where the subsidy is effectively reduced back to £250,000 as identified within the medium term financial plan and ensure that the future of the centre is sustainable in the long term”.
Supplementary question
In response to a supplementary question the Cabinet member confirmed that the council would facilitate repairs to Cornerstone and seek new ways to make the centre profitable.