Decisions

Purpose: to approve the transfer of government grant funding

Cabinet considered the head of policy and programmes’ report regarding phase 3 of the Didcot Northern Perimeter Road, one of the infrastructure projects in the Didcot Garden Town Delivery Plan approved by Cabinet earlier in the meeting (see minute 110).  The road would extend the existing perimeter road, joining Abingdon Road with Hadden Hill. 

In 2016 the government had provided £6.2 million to fund infrastructure works to support the delivery of Didcot Garden Town.  The report sought authority to transfer funds currently held by the council to Oxfordshire County Council, the highways’ authority responsible for delivery of the project.  

Cabinet supported the proposal for as it would contribute to the long-term vision and masterplan for Didcot Garden Town, improving connections in the east-west traffic corridor.  The project would be a catalyst for other improvements required in the town centre, which aimed to encourage a shift away from reliance on the private car and a move towards other modes of transport.  The transfer of funding would enable the County Council to progress the scheme, consequently enabling the viability of other projects within the Didcot Garden Town Delivery Plan. 

RESOLVED to:

(a)       authorise the section 151 officer, or in their absence, the chief executive, to agree funding agreement terms which are equal to, or greater than, those imposed by the existing grant conditions to which the council is subject, for the transfer of funds to Oxfordshire County Council to support the delivery of the Didcot Northern Perimeter Road Phase 3 (NPR3); and

(b)       agree the addition of Didcot Northern Perimeter Road Phase 3 (NPR3) (fully funded by government grant funding) to the approved capital programme, in order to facilitate the transfer of funds to Oxfordshire County Council. 

Purpose: to review performance

Cabinet considered the corporate plan performance monitoring report for quarter 4 2021/22, together with the annual review report for 2021/22. 

Cabinet thanked officers and the Cabinet member for the reports.  They showed transparency and accountability for the council’s performance.  The annual review showed areas where the council had achieved, such as affordable housing delivery and nature recovery work, and where further work was needed during the corporate plan period to 2024, such as the diversity and inclusion strategy that was due before Cabinet in the summer.  Progress had also been made in attracting external funding, which had allowed the council to rebuild its finances and support service delivery. 

RESOLVED: to note the corporate plan performance monitoring report for quarter 4, 2021/22 and the annual review report for 2021/22. 

Purpose: to approve the joint design guide

Cabinet considered the head of planning’s report on a Joint Design Guide.  Following the Council’s decision to pursue a joint local plan with Vale of White Horse District Council, work had commenced on a joint design guide.  If adopted, the joint design guide would become a supplementary planning document to the council’s existing, adopted local plan, and also to the joint local plan once that had been adopted.  It would guide the public when designing new development, and would assist officers and members of the Planning Committee in determining planning applications. 

A draft joint design guide had been subject to public consultation.  The report set out the consultation results and proposed changes to the design guide.  Cabinet was asked to adopt the Joint Design Guide. 

Cabinet welcomed the new Joint Design Guide, believing that it would provide clearer guidance to all users.  In particular, Cabinet was pleased that the new guide was an interactive, online publication, which could be updated quickly as planning legislation changed.  Cabinet also welcomed the changes suggested following the Joint Scrutiny Committee meeting, which had been published as a supplement alongside the Cabinet agenda. 

It was further noted that the Climate and Ecological Emergencies Advisory Committee would review the new guide once adopted.  Any suggested improvements could be implemented by the head of planning under delegation if they were only minor changes.  In the case of major changes, these would have to be subject to the next review of the guide and be subject to public consultation.  However, Cabinet noted that any such changes would require the Vale’s agreement also, as it was a joint guide. 

Cabinet thanked the officers and councillors involved in this project for their work. 

RESOLVED to:

(a)    adopt the Joint Design Guide for South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse district councils as a supplementary planning document, subject to the changes set out in the amendment note following the Joint Scrutiny Committee on 20 June 2022; and

(b)    authorise the head of planning, in consultation with the Cabinet member for planning (South) and the Cabinet member for corporate services and transformation (Vale), to make necessary minor amendments or typographical corrections to the supplementary planning document prior to publication and undertake any factual updates thereafter (e.g. web links and live neighbourhood plan maps). 

Purpose: to accept the award of government funding and agree key priorities

Cabinet considered the head of policy and programmes’ report.  This set out a revised delivery plan for Didcot Garden Town.  The report sought approval of a revised delivery plan and associated budget, to enable a more focused plan to bring forward community improvements, assist recovery of the garden town area following the pandemic, and to address the climate emergency. 

To do this South Oxfordshire and the Vale of White Horse district councils were working together, drawing funds from their Council-approved reserves.  The initial estimate was £825,000, with £660,000 being from South Oxfordshire, and £165,000 from the Vale.  Cabinet was asked to authorise the movement of the council’s funds into the budget year 2022/23.  Any unspent funds at the financial year end would be carried forward into following years, with agreement of the section 151 officer in consultation with the appropriate head of service. 

Cabinet welcomed the new delivery plan, which was simpler and more deliverable than its predecessor, and would provide Didcot with facilities it deserved.  Once the initial funding had been approved and a team established, the next step would be to timetable the delivery of the plan, working with Oxfordshire County Council on major infrastructure projects.  This should help address road congestion, particularly in the town centre.  There would be a walking and cycling strategy also to reduce reliance on private car journeys. 

RESOLVED to:

(a)       approve the revised delivery plan for Didcot Garden Town, as shown in Appendix 2 to the head of policy and programmes’ report to Cabinet on 23 June 2022; and

(b)       agree a supplementary estimate to the 2022/23 revenue budget of £660,000, fully funded from the grant monies held in the council's reserves, thereafter, to be managed by the relevant budget holder to deliver the approved delivery plan. 

Purpose: to accept government funding and approve a discretionary scheme to assist local businesses

To approve a scheme to determine and make Business Rate relief awards under the government’s Discretionary COVID-19 Additional Relief Fund Scheme (CARF) in accordance with Government guidance. The scheme is targeting businesses 2021/2022 net rates liability and will be applied to ratepayers’ business rate accounts as a rates relief (not grant payment) based on a fixed percentage rate of their 2021/22 charge. This will help ensure maximum coverage of the relief available.