MinutesOF A MEETING OF THE |
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Cabinet
Held on Thursday 28 September 2023 at 6.00 pm Meeting Room 1, Abbey House, Abbey Close, Abingdon, OX14 3JE
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Present in the meeting room:
Cabinet members: Councillors David Rouane (Chair), Maggie Filipova-Rivers (Vice-Chair), Pieter-Paul Barker, Sue Cooper, Andrea Powell, Anne-Marie Simpson and Freddie van Mierlo
Officers: Steve Culliford (Democratic Services Team Leader) and Simon Hewings (Head of Finance)
Remote attendance:
Officers: Samantha Allen (Senior Conservation Officer), Patrick Arran (Head of Legal and Services), Andrew Busby (Head of Development and Corporate Landlord), Janette Hinton-Smith (Infrastructure Implementation Officer), Jeremy Lloyd (Broadcasting Officer) and Ben Whaymand (Leisure Facilities Team Leader)
26 Apologies for absence
Councillor Robin Bennett had sent his apologies for absence.
27 Minutes
RESOLVED: to approve the minutes of the Cabinet meeting held on 10 August 2023 as a correct record and agree that the Chair signs them as such.
28 Declaration of interests
None
29 Urgent business and chair's announcements
None
30 Public participation
Mr Raleigh Hullock made a statement seeking Cabinet’s support in calling for the review of hackney carriage fares to involve the South and Vale Taxi Drivers’ Association. He reported that adoption of the tariff used in Guildford would be acceptable.
The Chair, Councillor David Rouane, undertook to ensure the review happened.
31 Recommendations and updates from other committees
Cabinet received an update from Joint Scrutiny Committee on the performance of the car parks management and leisure centres management contracts.
32 Section 106 Request - South Oxfordshire District Council Leisure Facilities - Didcot Wave Gym Equipment
Cabinet considered the head of finance’s report on a request by the council’s leisure services team to release Section 106 funds of £103,000 towards new gym equipment at Didcot Wave.
Cabinet noted that the overall project cost was £133,129.99 and would be funded by the use of Section 106 funds from developments in South Oxfordshire, together with funds from the council’s leisure capital works programme, and a contribution of £17,000 from Section 106 funds generated by development in the Vale of White Horse district.
Cabinet supported the request and noted that Council would be recommended to create a budget for £103,000 for this project. The leisure strategy had identified the need to protect and improve the council’s leisure centres. Replacing the gym equipment showed that the council was committed to providing the most up-to-date equipment and latest technology, demonstrating commitment to improve the facility at Didcot Wave and enhance users’ workout experience.
Cabinet also noted that the report sought Council approval to authorise the head of finance to add the Vale’s contribution to the budget.
RECOMMENDED: to Council to create a budget for £103,000 in the approved capital programme for the Didcot Wave gym equipment project, to be funded by the Section 106 contributions set out in the head of finance’s report to Cabinet on 28 September 2023.
33 Cuxham Conservation Area Appraisal Adoption
Cabinet considered the head of planning’s report, which sought adoption of the Cuxham Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan.
The council was required to periodically review all conservation areas throughout its district. The appraisal for the Cuxham Conservation Area formed part of that rolling review programme. The appraisal and management plan document had been subject to public consultation. Detailed changes had been made to the document as a result of the consultation. The revised draft appraisal and management plan were presented to Cabinet for adoption.
Cabinet considered that the Cuxham Conservation Area Appraisal, as proposed, captured the special architectural and historic interest of the area and that no boundary changes were necessary.
RESOLVED to:
(a) adopt the Cuxham Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan, as drafted following public consultation, as a Supplementary Planning Document as part of the Development Plan evidence and is a material planning consideration; and
(b) authorise the head of planning, in consultation with the Cabinet member for planning, to make minor changes, typographical corrections or non-material amendments to the Cuxham Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan document prior to formal publication and statutory notification requirements.
34 Dorchester and Overy Conservation Area Appraisal and Boundary Review Adoption
Cabinet considered the head of planning’s report, which sought adoption of the Dorchester-on-Thames and Overy Conservation Area Appraisal and Boundary Review.
Dorchester Parish Council had approached the council seeking a review of the Dorchester-on-Thames and Overy Conservation Area boundary. Working with the parish council and local people, officers had produced the draft conservation area appraisal and management plan document, which was subject to public consultation early in 2023. Detailed changes had been made to the document as a result of the consultation. The revised draft appraisal and management plan were presented to Cabinet for adoption.
During the review of the existing conservation area boundary, two areas had been proposed for inclusion within the conservation area boundary. Of these areas only one had met the guidelines for conservation area designation. This area in Overy was of high archaeological interest, straddling the existing road and bridge over the River Thame into Dorchester and provided evidence for the continued occupation of this strategic river crossing from the Roman period into the Medieval Period when the settlement nucleus focussed to the north. This area was shown on the map at Appendix 1 to the report.
The other area identified, of the Demense field to the east of Dorchester, had not been included within the designated area at this time as there was insufficient evidence of similar archaeological or historical interest. However, this area was proposed for inclusion in the non-designated assets list as an Area of Local Importance. This would make it a material planning consideration consistent with its current designation within the Neighbourhood Plan.
There were no boundary changes proposed in Dorchester-on-Thames.
Cabinet considered that the Overy Conservation Area, as proposed to be extended, was of special architectural and historic interest and should be designated as part of the conservation area, and that the accompanying joint Dorchester-on-Thames and Overy Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan should be adopted.
In answer to a general question by a member about conservation area appraisals, officers reported that there were two ways an area could be selected for an appraisal or review. Firstly, the council had a rolling programme to review all areas in its district. Secondly, local groups or parish councils could approach the council to request a review. In both cases, the council’s officers would work with the parish council or local groups to progress the review.
RESOLVED to:
(a) adopt the Overy Conservation Area boundary, as per the proposed revision shown at Appendix 1 to the head of planning’s report to Cabinet on 28 September 2023;
(b) adopt the joint Dorchester-on-Thames and Overy Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan, as amended following public consultation, as a Supplementary Planning Document as part of the Development Plan evidence and is a material planning consideration; and
(c) authorise the head of planning, in consultation with the Cabinet member for planning, to make minor changes, typographical corrections or non-material amendments to the joint Dorchester-on-Thames and Overy Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan document prior to formal publication and statutory notification requirements.
The meeting closed at 6.35 pm
Chair Date
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