Decision details

Resolved

(1)          That the following motion be adopted:

“Last year Cherwell District Council consumed 1.4million sheets of paper.  A third of this was sent to elected members in the form of committee papers, reports and general communications.  There is obviously a considerable financial cost associated with this, including the cost of the paper, officer time, printing and distribution. Equally importantly, there is also a very considerable environmental cost that we must address if we are to meet our zero carbon by 2030 commitment. 

Over the last 9 months this authority has shown enormous resilience and resourcefulness:  Our dispersed workforce is successfully operating from home, we are developing an agile model of working that will ensure we capture the best practice of operating during the pandemic and, of course, members are now successfully fulfilling their democratic responsibilities remotely, mastering Teams and tech in a way we could have barely imagined at the beginning of the year. 

This motion draws on this innovation and asks members to deploy the same resourcefulness to embrace a “paper-lite” culture and calls on this council to:

·         Recognise that continuing to have printed media as the default position for this council is unsustainable

·         To resolve that from 7 May 2021 the default position will be “paper-lite” and members will have to opt into hardcopy print and that it will remain an option for those that need it.

·         To ensure that adequate training and support will be provided to all members who require it to make the transition.”

(2)          That the following motion be adopted:

“This Council notes :

1. The recent endorsement of the "Twenty is Plenty" campaign by Oxfordshire County Council in its role as Highways Authority which means all new residential roads will have a 20 mph speed limit, unless there is compelling evidence for a higher limit.

2. The evidence that introduction of 20mph limits even without formal enforcement results in much safer speed profiles and this is particularly beneficial in the vicinity of schools, community hubs and care facilities.

This Council believes that as the Local Planning Authority we should support the County Council as Local Highway Authority in securing 20 MPH speed limits (instead of 30 MPH) in new developments in the interest of securing a more usable and more attractive environment for those not travelling by motor vehicle.

The Council further believes that there may be a role for a "best practice guide" produced by OCC and would ask the county council to consider how it might best advise Parish Councils to help them facilitate 20mph limits where there is local demand.”

(3)          That the following motion be adopted:

“This Council fully recognises the value of the much-loved Horton General Hospital to the residents of Banbury and its surrounding catchment area, which uniquely covers four counties.

Local efforts to retain acute services at the Horton have been welcomed by Councils at all tiers in recent months and by community groups and residents alike. This Council’s position has always been  that the Horton’s future should be as a fully functioning General Hospital complementing the world-class services at both the John Radcliffe Hospital and Churchill Hospital so as to build on Oxfordshire’s enviable reputation – both nationally and internationally –  as a centre for excellence in healthcare. That remains unequivocally the case today.

This Council is encouraged that Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (OUHFT) and the Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group (OCCG) have listened to the strong representations of residents, Councillors and community groups (notably, Keep the Horton General) in recent years and those of Victoria Prentis MP and this Council welcomes steps taken by both OUHFT and OCCG to develop a masterplan for the Horton without delay.

For its part, this Council resolves to do all it can to support the advancement of this vision and commits to reviewing options with Councils at other tiers with a view to supporting OUHFT and CCG-led redevelopment plans so as to deliver an improved facility on the hospital’s existing site or at a new and improved one within the Banbury area that is accessible to residents across the Horton’s unique four-county catchment area.”

(4)          That the following motion be adopted:

“Worsening flooding has substantial economic and social costs. Homes and businesses nationwide are at repeated risk of significant damage which leads to financial and emotional distress. In some cases, these risks can no longer be insured against. Climate change will exacerbate this for Cherwell residents with increased incidence, and severity, of flooding.

The cross-agency nature of the problem can be frustrating and inefficient in a crisis, with no one organisation taking responsibility for flooding response or maintenance of flood defences. Resources are stretched thin, and while major incidents receive the attention of various emergency agencies, lower level, localised flooding, which is becoming more widespread, can sometimes receive a less focused response.

Last year CDC resumed responsibility for district land drainage & flood risk management. In view of these responsibilities, and our close working relationship with the county council, we should wherever possible:

1.    Encourage areas that are at risk of flooding to establish a ‘flood resilient community’, including forming local flood response groups, forums for residents to feedback information on current and potential flooding risks, and the setting up of their own flood response stores to provide locally available flood alleviation equipment

2.    Publish regularly updated surveys and maintenance programs, with maps of drainage and flood defences and associated repair responsibilities.

3.    Call on all risk management agencies to set up a cooperative task force, which we would participate in, including the provision of a centralised contact point which can trigger an immediate, proportionate response to all emergency flooding events.