Decisions

Purpose: to approve the community investment scheme

Purpose: to approve the inter-authority agreement for the new office accommodation.

Purpose: to approve the concept design, to authorise a variation to the design contract, and to recommend Council to approve a variation to the budget if appropriate

Purpose: to consider a revision to the capital programme and to recommend Council to approve any changes

Cabinet considered the head of finance’s report on the treasury management activities in 2020/21. 

The Cabinet member for finance reported that the Joint Audit and Governance Committee was content with the report and was satisfied that the treasury activities had been carried out in accordance with the treasury management strategy and policy.  The Cabinet member concurred.  During the year, the council’s performance had exceeded most benchmarks and almost achieved its budget target in what was a difficult year during the Covid-19 pandemic.  Cabinet agreed and thanked officers for their work. 

RECOMMENDED to Council to:

(a)       approve the treasury management outturn report for 2020/21; and

(b)       approve the actual 2020/21 prudential indicators within the report.

Purpose: to adopt the policy

Cabinet considered the interim head of policy and programmes’ report on a policy for planting trees on council land.  The joint policy outlined how South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils would protect, plant and manage trees on the land they owned, and how the community would be supported with their tree planting initiatives. 

The councils had previously sought to increase tree cover and to protect trees on their land and help to achieve their respective carbon neutral targets.  The policy set out principles to protect, plant and manage trees on council owned land; these were: planting, caring and maintenance, supporting biodiversity, planning and development, and community.  The policy also set out how community groups could apply to plant trees on council land. 

The Climate and Ecological Emergencies Advisory Committee had welcomed the new policy. 

Cabinet supported the policy and hoped that the council could provide advice to community groups on the most suitable species to plant and on after care.  Cabinet asked that a press release was issued to publicise this policy and that all councillors were informed. 

RESOLVED: to approve the policy for planting trees on council land. 

Cabinet considered the interim head of policy and programmes’ report, which set out the first quarterly performance report for the Corporate Plan 2020-2024.  The report demonstrated the progress made in the reporting period against the corporate aims as set out in the Corporate Plan. 

The Cabinet member reported that following Cabinet’s approval of the performance management framework, this was the first quarterly report.  Scrutiny Committee had reviewed it and had made suggestions for improvements, which the Cabinet member had accepted were necessary, such as the need for more quantitative metrics.  The report would be adapted over time and would include Cabinet members’ input.  It was also hoped that in future, the quarterly reports could be published earlier, within six weeks of the end of each quarter. 

Cabinet thanked officers for their work in producing the first quarterly report.  Cabinet recognised that the report publicised the extent of the work carried out by the council.  It also demonstrated leadership and raised the council’s profile. 

RESOLVED: to approve the performance report for quarter 1 of 2021. 

Purpose: to note the strategic property review and approve the disposals policy

Cabinet considered the interim head of development and regeneration’s report on the strategic property review.  This provided an overview of all council assets and the alignment of council business, capital and property asset strategies to ensure that property assets were optimised to meet the council’s corporate plan objectives.  Underpinning the delivery of the review outcomes was a land and property asset disposal policy to provide a documented process to allow the council to effectively manage its land and property assets. 

Cabinet noted that the Joint Scrutiny Committee had considered the strategic property review and highly commended the report and its recommendations to Cabinet. 

The Cabinet member reported that the aim of the review was to find the best use for each property owned by the council.  The objectives of the corporate plan would influence decisions on the future uses of property the council wished to retain.  The disposals policy would provide a transparent process for the asset management group to assess whether the council should sell any property.  This would allow the council to maximise property receipts and minimise risk.  It would also allow the council to undertake community asset transfers.  The report also set out the proposed approach to the transfer of assets from developers to the council, which the Cabinet member supported. 

Cabinet welcomed the strategic property review and recognised the volume of work undertaken.  The in-sourcing of the property function had allowed the council to take full control of its portfolio and introduce better property asset management processes.  It was hoped that the council could also play a role in mediating when assets were transferred from developers to parish councils. 

RESOLVED: to

(a)    notes the update on the strategic property review;

(b)    approves the Land and Property Asset Disposal policy;

(c)    approves the council approach to transfer of assets from developers; and

(d)    notes that in line with proposed processes set out in the Land and Property Asset Disposal Policy, an asset management group (an advisory non-decision making group) will be set up to review, check and challenge the recommendations from the strategic property review prior to formal decision being taken on disposals of assets. 

Purpose: to approve the strategy

Cabinet considered the head of finance’s report, which proposed a new procurement strategy.  This set out guidance on how the council should procure goods and services, whilst at the same time supported the council’s priorities and strategic themes.

The Cabinet member for finance reported that the council had not had a procurement policy to date.  The key to the strategy was that it would ensure compliance with the council’s contract procedure rules and with the corporate plan objectives.  The strategy also included an ethical procurement statement setting out the standards the council would require of contractors and suppliers.  This also supported the council’s community wealth building policy. 

Cabinet welcomed the new strategy and its ethical procurement statement, noting that these documents could be reviewed and updated in future. 

RESOLVED: to

(a)       approve the joint procurement strategy and the actions within it, as set out in Appendix 1 to the head of finance’s report to Cabinet on 30 September 2021;

(b)       approve the procurement action plan and the actions within it, as set out in Appendix 2 to the report; and

(c)        approve the ethical procurement statement and the actions within it, as set out in Appendix 3to the report.