Decision details

Resolved

(1)          That the following motion be adopted:

Mental Health Initiative

“The Labour Group would liketo increase the impact of the existing mentalhealth programme whichwas startedby theYouth Activatorsin conjunctionwith themental healthcharity MIND. It is proposed thatthis is achieved by making the programme longerand available through all schools, which we can achieve by partnering with the North Oxfordshire School Sports Partnershipto identify schools where there werehigher levelsof needreported initially.

Providing a 12-week programme in 11 schools per term will results in all schools in the district benefittingwithin twoyears. Theproposal wouldalso targetacademic years5 and6 inprimary and year 7, 10 and 11 in secondary as transition years.

The costof theproposal is£0.035m peryear andis proposedon anongoing basis.Funding can beprovided fromthe generalcontingency budgetwithin PolicyContingency.

This council resolves to ask the Executive to increase spending on the mental health initiatives currentlyin placewithin theChief Executive’sdirectorate tobe fundedby anallocation fromthe Policy Contingency budget.”

(2)          That the following motion be adopted:

Spare Seats Scheme

“Oxfordshire County Council has not run its Spare Seats scheme for school bus places well in recent years. Parents and carers have too often been left in an unenviable position following changes, with consultation of Cherwell District Council too often lacking about changes affecting its wards and schools.

On 26 June, the Oxford Mail reported that:

“Oxfordshire County Council is withdrawing its Spare Seats scheme for pupils travelling from Middle Barton and The Bartons villages to Chipping Norton School.

“It follows a furore last year when the council scrapped the scheme on nine routes, affecting more than 200 children including at Wheatley Park School, The Warriner in Bloxham and Wood Green in Witney.

Parental choice remains an important principle of the current education settlement and will remain so unless changed by a new government. Whilst such a principle remains, it is important that local government works with maintained schools and academies to facilitate transport to

families’ preferred schools at reasonable cost.

Given that County Hall’s most recent cancellations would appear to imperil this important principle, the Council requests that its Leader write to the Leader of Oxfordshire County Council setting out in clear terms that, in future, Cherwell District Council would expect to be more fully consulted upon all such changes affecting families across North Oxfordshire.

(3)          That the following motion, as amended, be adopted:

Consultation on Congestion Commission

“On14 February,Oxfordshire CountyCouncil consideredsetting upa CongestionCommission as part of its last budget debate. Although this measure was not taken up at the time, this Council now considers that it is time for such commission to ensure that commuters intoOxford have a meaningful voice about how any policy changes planned in County Hall affect their working lives.

This Council further notes that the administration at Oxfordshire County Council has refused to rule out extending measures currently planned for Oxford to Banbury, Bicester and Kidlington, despite concerns from local businesses about the health of our high streets.

Suchmeasures includeOxfordshire CountyCouncil’s ambitioussuite oftraffic filters, workplace parking tax and Low-Traffic Neighbourhoods, none of which have been ruled out for Cherwell in future.

Wereall suchmeasures togo ahead,Oxfordshire motoristsand workingpeople couldbe hitby £57millionin finesand chargesover afive-year periodas follows:

ZeroEmissionsZone:£25m;

WorkplaceParking Levy:£21m;

Traffic Filters:£11m.

This Council requests that its Leader write to the Leader of Oxfordshire County Council requesting that Cherwell District Council be fully consulted before any plans are put in train or capital expenditure committed to introduce similar measures across North Oxfordshire.”

For information, on being put to the vote, the motion on “Member Briefings” was lost.