Agenda

To record apologies for absence. 

To adopt and sign as a correct record the Council minutes of the meeting held on 12 October and the extraordinary meeting held on 17 November 2023. 

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. 

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. 

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

To receive any petitions from the public. 

To consider the report of the head of finance on the council’s treasury management activities and prudential indicators for the financial year 2022/23.

At its meeting on 9 November 2023, Cabinet agreed the recommendations to Council set out in the report and resolved:

1.    To note the treasury management outturn report 2022/23,

2.    is satisfied that the treasury activities are carried out in accordance with the treasury management strategy and policy

To consider the report of the head of finance on the adoption and implementation of a modified council tax reduction scheme for the financial years 2024/2025 onwards.

The recommendations set out in the attached report were agreed by Cabinet at its meeting on 30 November 2023.

To consider the report of the head of finance on the setting of the council tax base for 2024/25.

The recommendations set out in the attached report were agreed by Cabinet at its meeting on 30 November 2023.

To consider the recommendations of the Cabinet member for planning, made on 5 December 2023, regarding the neighbourhood plan for Lewknor Parish following the referendum held on 23 November 2023.

The Individual Cabinet Member Decision is attached.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

1. To make the Lewknor Parish Neighbourhood Development Plan, so that it becomes part of the council’s development plan.

2. To authorise the head of policy and programmes, in consultation with the Cabinet member for planning and in agreement with the Qualifying Body – Lewknor Parish Council, to correct any spelling, grammatical, typographical or factual errors together with any improvements from a presentational perspective.

To consider the recommendations of the Cabinet member for planning, made on 5 December 2023, regarding the neighbourhood plan for Towersey following the referendum held on 23 November 2023.

The Individual Cabinet Member Decision is attached.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

1. To make the Towersey Neighbourhood Development Plan, so that it becomes part of the council’s development plan.

2. To authorise the head of policy and programmes, in consultation with the Cabinet member for planning and in agreement with the Qualifying Body – Towersey Parish Council, to correct any spelling, grammatical, typographical or factual errors together with any improvements from a presentational perspective.

To consider the recommendations of the Cabinet member for planning, made on 5 December 2023, regarding the neighbourhood plan for Wheatley following the referendum held on 23 November 2023.

The Individual Cabinet Member Decision is attached.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

1. To make the Wheatley Parish Neighbourhood Development Plan, so that it becomes part of the council’s development plan.

2. To authorise the head of policy and programmes, in consultation with the Cabinet member for planning and in agreement with the Qualifying Body – Wheatley Parish Council, to correct any spelling, grammatical, typographical or factual errors together with any improvements from a presentational perspective.

To consider the report of the head of legal and democratic on the appointment of a joint independent remuneration panel with Vale of White Horse District Council to review the councillors’ allowances scheme.

To consider the report of the head of legal and democratic on proposed revisions to the Constitution.

To consider the report of the deputy chief executive – transformation and operations, on the appointment of a monitoring officer.

To receive the report of the leader of the council.

To receive questions from councillors. 

1. Question from Councillor Snowdon to Councillor Rouane, Leader of the council.

The council’s six point corporate objectives include to “1, Protect and restore our natural world” and “3, Action on the Climate Emergency”, and full of promises to “Invest responsibly and ethically with the Climate Emergency at the heart of what we do” along with to “Promote and encourage behavioural change with informational campaigns and leading by example.”.

Can the leader advise if the purchase of a fleet of diesel vehicles is achieving these goals, and how residents should have any trust in the council to achieve any of its 6-point corporate plan if they will not lead by example?

2. Question from Councillor Snowdon to Councillor Rouane, Leader of the council

The council should be there to support our local businesses where possible. However, I recently had a business owner asking if it is normal to pay for a revisit for food hygiene rating in March and still be waiting in November. I assured him it wasn’t and was astounded to find this to be true. With the fact that we carry out these visits annually in any case, will the Cabinet member agree with me that waiting nine months is completely unacceptable?

3. Question from Councillor Snowdon to Councillor Barker, Cabinet member for finance and property assets

The February 2023 decision on the height of the new offices indicated that a final decision on whether or not to build the offices would be subject to a full financial review. Can you give any update on the current viability or business plan for the proposed four storey plan as one of the reasons we were previously told it needed to be five was the viability of the scheme?

To consider motions from councillors in accordance with Council procedure rule 39. 

Motion to be proposed by Councillor Casey-Rerhaye, seconded by Councillor Kantor:

This Council

·       Expresses deep sympathy for all those affected by the conflict in Israel and Palestine. To those in the South Oxfordshire area who have been affected by this conflict we offer our support in this very difficult time;

·       Hopes for an immediate further release of all hostages and an end to the violence;

·       Believes Muslims, Jews and people of all faiths and none should feel safe and supported throughout the world and unreservedly condemns the increase in antisemitic and Islamophobic violence and abuse in the UK.

This Council resolves to

1.    Offer appropriate support to any local resident who needs our assistance as a result of these horrific, violent events.

2.    Stand ready to participate in any government re-settlement scheme and open our arms to innocent people displaced and affected by these events.

3.    Condemn the use of all dehumanising language and calls on our communities to treat each other with respect and good will and refrain from inflammatory terms to describe either the Palestinian or Israeli populations, especially in a time of crisis.