Agenda item

To receive questions from councillors in accordance with Council procedure rule 33. 

Question from Councillor Sam Casey-Rerhaye to Councillor David

Rouane, Leader of the council

HIF2 has been paused for review because of issues with escalating costs and the impact on the Compulsory Purchase Orders. Consequently, this Council needs to be informed of any possible changes to or impacts on the delivery of HIF1 from inflation or other costs pressures from, e.g. construction supply issues. I am particularly concerned as Cycle Champion of any impact increased costs might have on the delivery of the active travel features of the project as these are vital to both SODC and OCC’s travel and carbon reduction targets. Please can the Leader seek reassurance from OCC that these features will not be downgraded or dropped if costs rise further and that South Oxfordshire District Council will be the first to be informed of any proposed changes or issues to the delivery of HIF1?

Question from Councillor Sam Casey-Rerhaye to Councillor David Rouane, Leader of the council

HIF2 has been paused for review because of issues with escalating costs and the impact on the Compulsory Purchase Orders. Consequently, this Council needs to be informed of any possible changes to or impacts on the delivery of HIF1 from inflation or other costs pressures from, e.g. construction supply issues. I am particularly concerned as Cycle Champion of any impact increased costs might have on the delivery of the active travel features of the project as these are vital to both SODC and OCC’s travel and carbon reduction targets. Please can the Leader seek reassurance from OCC that these features will not be downgraded or dropped if costs rise further and that South Oxfordshire District Council will be the first to be informed of any proposed changes or issues to the delivery of HIF1?

Written Response

I can confirm that, at my request, our officers have recently been in contact with Oxfordshire County Council seeking confirmation that HIF1 will progress as planned.   I am pleased to be able to confirm that in response, the County Council has confirmed that OCC is fully committed to HIF1 and its outcomes. 

They advise that they are continuing with the delivery of the project as planned, and that as well as having submitted a live planning application, they are continuing with the design and land acquisition work for the scheme.   HIF1 contains some vital components of what I hope will be a wider and sustained commitment to active travel solutions and both I, and our officers, will continue to emphasise to Oxfordshire County Council that it is important that the scheme as a whole, particularly the active travel elements, are delivered in full.

I recognise that delivery and accountability for the scheme rests with OCC, but given its importance to our residents, I have asked the Leader of OCC to ensure that South Oxfordshire District Council remains informed of any developments relating to it in a timely and appropriate fashion.   I will also ensure that the areas raised within the question are raised formally as part of the next bi-lateral meeting between South Oxfordshire District Council and Oxfordshire County Council, as I have done before.

Supplementary question

Thank you, I appreciate that you have contacted Oxfordshire County Council already and are ensuring that the issues I raise are in turn raised formally at the next bi lateral meeting with them.

Further I ask that you as Leader ensure the District Council is made aware of the traffic calming measures that are being discussed between the Parish Councils and OCC but are yet to be proposed in any formal way, e.g. the changing of access of the two old bridges at Long Wittenham and Culham both of which are in my ward. If we are to avoid the fate of all new roads and not have more car journeys generated as the direct result of having these new roads we must work with parish councils and the County Council to explore and help them implement changes to the existing transport infrastructure - I ask as Cycling champion for the District and from my concern that we must encourage, at every opportunity, people to use their cars less and to facilitate safe infrastructure to allow people to do this; and because, as the planning authority, it is our council that has proposed the new housing which has necessitated new transport infrastructure. And as chair of the Climate and Ecological Emergencies Advisory Committee I am all too aware of our net zero carbon target of 2030 for the whole district.

Answer

In response Councillor Rouane confirmed that he would ask Oxfordshire County Council to make the District Council aware of any such proposals.