Agenda and minutes

None

RESOLVED: to approve the minutes of the meeting held on 25 September 2013 as a correct record and agree that the Chairman sign them as such.

Purpose: to continue to support fly-tipping enforcement activity. 

Cabinet considered the report of the Head of Health and Housing that presented information on fly-tipping enforcement and asked Cabinet to consider submitting a growth bid in order to make the post permanent with effect from 1 April 2014.

Cabinet agreed to make the post permanent because the temporary post had resulted in improved performance in enforcement whilst reducing fly-tipping, and this would send out a clear message that the council would prosecute those responsible for fly-tipping.

RESOLVED: to make permanent the post of Enforcement Officer, fly tipping, from 1 April 2014 and to include the post in Cabinet’s 2014/15 budget proposals to Council. 

Purpose: to consider the recommendation of the Licensing Acts Committee on the Joint Gambling Policy following the statutory consultation.

Cabinet considered the report of the Head of Legal and Democratic Services that asked it to consider the recommendation of the Licensing Acts Committee and to make recommendations to Council.

Cabinet agreed to make recommendations to Council in order to further the council’s role in improving public safety and promoting the economy and improve the efficiency of the licensing team.

RESOLVED: to recommend Council to:

(a)   adopt the proposed Joint Gambling Policy as attached to the report of the Head of Legal and Democratic Services to Cabinet on 17 October 2013;

(b)   authorise the Head of Legal and Democratic Services to make minor editorial changes to the Joint Gambling Policy;

(c)   authorise the Head of Legal and Democratic Services to publish the Joint Gambling Policy in accordance with the Gambling Act 2005 (Licensing Authority Policy Statement)(England and Wales) Regulations 2006.

Purpose: to report on performance of the treasury management function (the management of the council’s investments) for the financial year 2012/13. 

Cabinet considered the report of the Head of Finance, which the Audit and Corporate Governance had previously reviewed to ensure that treasury activities were carried out in accordance with the treasury management strategy and policy.

The committee had made no recommendations on its consideration of the report.  Cabinet was therefore asked to make recommendations to Council.

Noting that the overall investment performance was above the industry average and that the council had done as well as could be expected in terms of its claim against the failed Icelandic bank Cabinet agreed to recommend the report to Council.

RESOLVED: to recommend Council to:

(a)   approve the treasury management outturn report for 2012/13;

(b)   approve the actual 2012/13 prudential indicators within the report.

Purpose: to enable the council to adopt a council tax reduction scheme for financial years commencing 1 April 2014. 

Cabinet considered the report of the Head of Finance that asked Cabinet to recommend Council to adopt a council tax reduction scheme for the financial year 2014/15 and onwards.

Cabinet agreed the recommendations because of the number of benefits that the scheme would bring, as set out in the report.  In particular the proposed scheme would present a very low risk of legal challenge and would protect income for vulnerable families.

RESOLVED: to recommend Council to:

(a)   adopt the council tax reduction scheme commencing 1 April 2014, until such time as Council wishes to change the scheme, which will be the same scheme as adopted for 2013/14, except for the addition of recommendation (b);

(b)   increase by one per cent on 1 April each year, commencing 1 April 2014, the personal allowances and non-dependent deductions for working age claimants.

Purpose: to consider a loan to Soha Housing to provide a long-term investment income stream to the council and to fund social housing schemes locally. 

Cabinet considered the report of the Strategic Director that set out the terms for a possible long-term loan to Soha that would provide a long term investment stream to the council whilst giving Soha access to lower cost borrowing to fund social housing schemes locally.  Cabinet was asked to recommend the loan to full Council.

Mr David Turner spoke on the report.  Mr Steve Bishop, Strategic Director, responded to questions.  Mr Bishop thanked Mr Turner for pointing out the correction required to paragraph 13 of the report, which should read "..is repaid at 20 years" not "...is repaid after 20 years...".  A further correction to the confidential appendix is set out in the confidential minute.

Mr Bishop confirmed that a similar model for the provision of funding could apply to other organisations but it would be likely to apply to a lesser degree in order to maintain the council’s liquidity.

Cabinet agreed the recommendations that would make a positive contribution to meeting local housing need by enabling the largest local registered social landlord to access cheaper finance.  Although the council could obtain a higher financial return from other unsecured investments, the negotiated interest rate would provide a good return for lower risk whilst secured on housing assets.  In agreeing the recommendations, Cabinet asked that the resolution should make clear the purpose of the loan in terms of 75% of housing to be located in the district or Great Western Park and 25% in the district or in Oxfordshire within 10 miles of the district but that reference to “social” rather than “affordable” housing should remain.

RESOLVED: to recommend Council to:

(a)   approve the addition of £15,000,000 to the approved capital programme to provide long term funding to Soha Housing for the purpose of providing additional social housing in Oxfordshire;

(b)  that subject to Council approving the addition to the capital programme, Cabinet:

i.        agrees to provide a long term loan to Soha Housing for the purpose of providing additional social housing in Oxfordshire (75% within the district or the Great Western Park development and 25% within the district or in Oxfordshire within 10 miles of the district) on the terms set out in the report of the Strategic Director; and

ii.      authorises the Strategic Director to negotiate and agree the final terms of the loan agreement and to enter into the loan agreement and any ancillary documents on behalf of the council. 

To consider whether to exclude members of the press and public from the meeting for the following item of business under Part 1 of Schedule 12A Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 and as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) Order 2006 on the grounds that:

(i)                 it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 3, Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act, and

(ii)               the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information. 

RESOLVED: to exclude members of the press and public from the meeting for the following item of business under Part 1 of Schedule 12A Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 and as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) Order 2006 on the grounds that:

(i) it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act, and

(ii) the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

Purpose: to consider the appendix to the strategic director’s report on a loan to Soha Housing to provide a long-term investment income stream to the council and to fund social housing schemes locally. 

This discussion is set out in the confidential minute.