Agenda item

Scrutiny Panel’s recommendation

Growth Board Chairman’s reply

1: That the Growth Board clarify the governance structure for the Ox- Cam Arc Committee and the appointment procedure of the representative to the Ox-Cam Arc Committee.

There is no appointment procedure per se.  Growth Board elected to nominate a Leader as its representative on a working group dealing with Place matters, when and if a member presence is required at future meetings.

2: That the Growth Board revisit the earlier recommendation on structured communication between the Growth Board and council’s members considering member reports of having received incorrect or incomplete information.

While in principle it would be a good idea if a brief update report could be circulated to all councillors on items considered following Growth Board meetings, it was, nevertheless, up to individual leaders how they reported back to their own Councils.

3: That the Growth Board commission a review of the Oxford Green Belt and/or request an update to Oxfordshire SHMA 2014.

Reviewing the evidence base in support of the Oxfordshire Plan 2050 is underway.  This will include any required update to the review of the Green Belt work done previously, collectively or individually, and take consideration of the assessment of housing need to 2050.  This may not be in the form of an update to Strategic Housing Market Assessment, (SHMA), but will be through an agreed methodology consistent with Government guidance.

4: That the Growth Board reflect on the mutual dependencies between the Oxfordshire Plan 2050 and both the Local Industrial Strategy and Ox-Cam Arc and also that the Growth Board commit to informing the Government with urgency the need for the LIS to go through Local Authority sign off process prior to final endorsement.

The Oxfordshire Plan 2050 will reflect on such dependencies.

The Local Industrial Strategy is currently due to be reported back to HM Government on 22 July. It is to be stressed that the Local Industrial Strategy is a living document requiring continual updating. Potentially, therefore, there may be a need for a more general procedure to address how such issues can be made subject to democratic accountability.

It is not for the Growth Board to inform HM Government about how they should receive information from local Growth Boards.  The Local Industrial Strategy will be reviewed by every Council and it is for them to agree how they feed their views back to the Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (OxLEP). Therefore, responses would be on an individual Council basis rather than a single Growth Board view, reflecting their own positions. 

OxLEP’s Board, taking due consideration of any comments received will then agree the Local Industrial Strategy in line with HM Government expectations. 

5: That the Growth Board outline what procedures were followed for the changes to Oxfordshire Plan 2050 Regulation 18 Part 1 Consultation and reflect on the changes in the text which altered the narrative between the endorsement of the Local Authority Scrutiny Committees and the publishing of the document in the public domain.

The Director for the Oxfordshire Growth Board has been asked to explore this further and to ensure that correct procedures are in place to ensure that further changes in text are avoided after publishing.

6: That the Growth Board seeks clarification on the process; how and when the Joint Declaration of Ambition HM Government and Local Partners will be subject to public scrutiny and debate.

The Oxford to Cambridge Arc Leaders Group is a coalition of the willing, councils were not required to join it, and it has no constituted status – therefore, the support or otherwise given was from the Leaders and Chairs who attend the Group meeting.  There will not be any formal public scrutiny of that particular support, but there is intended to be a full public engagement programme over the summer and autumn where the merits, purpose and direction for any regional collaboration across the Oxford to Cambridge Arc will take place.  It is expected the Oxfordshire Growth Board and its constituent members will fully engage in that programme and afford the opportunity for local debate, discussion and where appropriate, scrutiny.