Agenda and minutes

To adopt and sign as a correct record the minutes of the Cabinet meeting held on 9 March 2023. 

RESOLVED: to approve the public and exempt minutes of the meeting held on 9 March 2023 as a correct record and agree that the Chair signs them as such.

To receive declarations of disclosable pecuniary interests, other registrable interests and non-registrable interests or any conflicts of interest in respect of items on the agenda for this meeting. 

Councillor Robin Bennett declared an interest in item 8, revenue grant fund options.  He was a trustee of the Berin Centre, which had been a beneficiary of the grants scheme previously. 

Councillor David Rouane declared an interest in item 9, the integrated care strategy.  He was the Oxfordshire district councils’ appointed representative on the Integrated Care Partnership, which had developed the strategy. 

To receive notification of any matters which the chair determines should be considered as urgent business and the special circumstances which have made the matters urgent, and to receive any announcements from the chair. 

None

To receive any questions or statements from members of the public that have registered to speak. 

Mr Adrian Townsend, a member of the public, addressed Cabinet.  He presented a vote of no confidence in South Oxfordshire District Council from the parishioners of the Garsington Parish Meeting, held on 15 May 2023.  The vote of no confidence related to the council’s adoption of the South Oxfordshire Local Plan 2035, which allocated strategic housing sites around the fringes of Oxford.  Mr Townsend asked members to (1) meet Garsington Parish Council to discuss its vision for the Northfield housing site, (2) to amend the local plan so that housing was dispersed across the district and not concentrated around Oxford, and (3) to write to the government minister to explain the reasons for a review of the local plan to stop Oxford’s urban sprawl. 

The chair thanked Mr Townsend for his statement and agreed to take this away for consideration.  He reminded Mr Townsend that the council had started work on the next local plan, a joint plan with Vale of White Horse District Council, and urged him to take part in the new plan’s consultation. 

To consider any recommendations to Cabinet from other committees. 

Cabinet received a recommendation from the Climate and Ecological Emergencies Advisory Committee. 

RESOLVED: to refer the recommendation of the Climate and Ecological Emergencies Advisory Committee below to the task group undertaking a review of the Corporate Plan for information and reflection:

“That the ‘People’s Plan for Nature’ report should form part of the evidence base for the next corporate plan to establish measurable targets, and that consideration be given to a local nature park.”

To consider the head of housing and environment’s report. 

Cabinet received the report of the head of housing and environment.  This proposed a new policy, criteria and procedure for the award of section 106 funding towards affordable housing projects. 

The Cabinet member for development and regeneration reported that the new chair of Scrutiny Committee had raised questions over the policy and procedure.  The Cabinet member therefore proposed that Cabinet’s consideration of the report should be deferred to allow Scrutiny Committee to review it and make any suggestions back to Cabinet.  Cabinet members agreed with the proposal. 

RESOLVED: to defer consideration of the head of housing and environment’s report on grant funding affordable housing, pending a review of the report and its proposals by Scrutiny Committee. 

To consider the report of the head of policy and programmes. 

Councillor Robin Bennett declared an interest in this item as he was a trustee of the Berin Centre, which had been a beneficiary of the grants scheme previously.  He left the meeting room during consideration of this item. 

Cabinet considered the report of the head of policy and programmes.  This set out options for revenue grant funding beyond the current financial year.  The options were to:

A.     extend the current scheme for the existing 22 organisations for a further one, two, or three years.

B.     extend the 2022-2024 revenue grant scheme for a further year (2024/25) to the current grant recipients. 

C.     review and update the 2022-2024 revenue grant policy, launching the scheme for new applications in late summer 2023 for two, three or four years of funding.

D.     close the scheme

The Cabinet member for community wellbeing dismissed option A as this was not ideal financially.  Option C did not allow sufficient time to review the scheme.  Option D, to close the scheme, was considered inappropriate. 

Instead, the Cabinet member recommended option B.  This would allow time to update the current scheme policy to align with the new Corporate Plan.  The new scheme could be launched to all Voluntary and Community Sector organisations in late summer 2024, with funding beginning in April 2025.  Cabinet agreed, as members were keen to continue grant funding Voluntary and Community Sector organisations.  This also gave the opportunity to consider aligning the scheme with the Vale of White Horse’s scheme. 

Cabinet asked officers to consider the best method for the Voluntary and Community Sector organisations to provide feedback on their work. 

RESOLVED: to agree to:

(a)    extend the 2022-2024 Revenue Grant Scheme for a further year (2024/25) to the current grant recipients;

(b)    update the current scheme policy to align with the new Corporate Plan;

(c)    launch the new scheme to all Voluntary and Community Sector organisations in late summer 2024, with funding to begin in April 2025; and

(d)    consider options for the Voluntary and Community Sector organisations that receive grant funding to brief members on their work. 

To consider the head of policy and programmes’ report. 

Councillor David Rouane declared an interest in this item as he was the Oxfordshire district councils’ appointed representative on the Integrated Care Partnership, which had developed the strategy.  He remained in the meeting during consideration of this item. 

Cabinet considered the head of policy and programmes’ report.  This recommended the endorsement of an Integrated Care Strategy.  The report explained that the Integrated Care Board was the new National Health Service (NHS) body that received funds from NHS England and planned and bought services for West Berkshire, Oxfordshire, and Buckinghamshire.  The Health and Care Act 2022 set out new statutory requirements for the Integrated Care Board, one of which was to produce an Integrated Care Strategy. 

The strategy had been developed by the Integrated Care Partnership, which consisted of health and care partners across Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, and Berkshire West.  The strategy set out priorities to support improved health and wellbeing across the area.  The vision was for residents to have the best possible start in life, to live happier, healthier lives for longer, and to get the right support when they needed it.  To achieve the vision, the partnership had developed the Integrated Care Strategy, which proposed a common set of priorities that partners would work on together.  The strategy had been subject to consultation.  Cabinet was asked to endorse it. 

Cabinet supported the endorsement of the strategy, believing it to be an important step towards the integration of local health and care services.  The strategy would release funding for these services as new housing was delivered.  Members also pointed to the positive climate implications of endorsing the strategy.  The integration of health and care services would hopefully result in more local services being available, thereby reducing the need to travel.  Cabinet looked forward to seeing the action plan to implement the strategy. 

RESOLVED: to endorse the Integrated Care Strategy, as set out in appendix 1 to the head of policy and programmes’ report to Cabinet on 22 June 2023. 

To consider the report of the deputy chief executive – partnerships. 

Cabinet considered the report of the deputy chief executive – partnerships.  This set out proposed changes to the Future Oxfordshire Partnership’s Terms of Reference and Memorandum of Understanding.  The changes were needed to reflect:

·       the government’s requirement that Oxfordshire County Council was responsible for the delivery of the remaining £30 million infrastructure funding;

·       the adoption of the strategic vision for Oxfordshire; and

·       the cessation of work on the Oxfordshire Plan 2050. 

Cabinet supported the proposed changes and noted that they would need approval from all six principal councils in Oxfordshire. 

RESOLVED: to approve the Future Oxfordshire Partnership’s revised Terms of Reference and Memorandum of Understanding, the revisions taking effect following approval by each of the six Oxfordshire councils.