Agenda and minutes


Venue: Bodicote House, Bodicote, Banbury, OX15 4AA

Contact: Emma Faulkner / Lesley Farrell, Democratic and Elections  Email: emma.faulkner@cherwellandsouthnorthants.gov.uk, 01327 322043 / Email: lesley.farrell@cherwellandsouthnorthants.gov.uk, 01295 221591

Items
No. Item

3.

Declarations of Interest

Members are asked to declare any interest and the nature of that interest which they may have in any of the items under consideration at this meeting. 

 

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest.

4.

Urgent Business

The Chairman to advise whether they have agreed to any item of urgent business being admitted to the agenda.

 

Minutes:

There were no items of urgent business.

5.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 66 KB

To confirm as correct records the minutes of the meetings held on  26 March 2019 and 14 May 2019.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Minutes of the meetings of the Committee held on 26 March and 15 May 2019 were confirmed as correct records and signed by the Chairman.

6.

Chairman's Announcements

To receive communications from the Chairman.

 

Minutes:

The Chairman made the following announcements:

 

1.    A Members workshop on the Cherwell Industrial Strategy would be held on Tuesday 11 June, in the Council Chamber. The workshop would run from 6pm to 9pm, with buffet style refreshments available from 5:30pm. Invitations had been sent to all Members via email in the last few weeks.

 

2.    There would also be a session on Universal Credit, with representatives attending from the Department for Work and Pensions. The session would be held on Wednesday 17 July, and further details would be sent out in due course.

 

7.

Car Parking Task and Finish Group pdf icon PDF 81 KB

Report of Assistat Director: Environmental Services

 

Purpose of report

 

The purpose of this report is to feedback to the Overview & Scrutiny Committee the outcome of the Car Parking Task and Finish Group.

 

Recommendations

            

The Overview & Scrutiny Committee is recommended:

 

1.1         To note the work of the Car Parking Task and Finish group

 

1.2         To support the continuation of funding a Thames Valley Police PCSO from September 2019 to March 2021

 

1.3         To support & recommend to Executive the proposed Car Parking Strategy & Car Parking Action Plan

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered a report from the Assistant Director – Environmental Services which detailed the outcome of the Overview and Scrutiny Car Parking Task and Finish Group.

 

Following a suggestion regarding car parking as a possible subject for the Overview and Scrutiny Committee to review, a task and finish group was established in August 2018.

 

The group met four times between September 2018 and March 2019. During the course of the meetings the group received information from the Chief Operating Officer, the Assistant Director – Environmental Services, the Landscape Management and Street Scene Services Manager, and the Parking Services Assurance Officer.

 

The group reviewed performance data relating to the Council’s car parking management contract with the car parking provider Apcoa. The group   also discussed arrangements regarding decriminalisation of parking across the district, due to differences in existing arrangements across the district.

 

Consultation was also undertaken with Banbury BID, Bicester Vision and Kidlington Parish Council, to gather feedback and suggestions relating to the current car parking provision.

 

The group used the information from officers and feedback from consultation to inform a new car parking strategy and action plan, to cover the period from 2019 to 2023. The strategy sets out the Council’s approach to the development and provision of car parking across the district, with the action plan detailing actions and improvements to be made during the same four year period.

 

In response to questions from the Committee, the Assistant Director – Environmental Services explained that increased provision for the charging of electric vehicles was being looked at, as knowledge and experience was being built up through the use of the Council’s own electric fleet. However, issues regarding charging points of different sizes, the cost of installing cabling and risk and demand analysis would all need to be taken into consideration before any decisions were made regarding provision for the longer term.

 

With regard to a move away from payments for car parking being made in cash, the Assistant Director – Environmental Services explained that there had been an increase in contactless and payment by mobile phone, but the vast majority of payments were still made using cash. All payment equipment in Council owned car parks had the ability to accept cash, and there were no plans to change any of the equipment.

 

In response to questions regarding the timing of public consultation on the proposed strategy, the Chief Operating Officer explained that the Committee were making recommendations to Executive, and should Executive accept those recommendations the consultation survey would be launched following the Executive meeting. 

 

Resolved

 

(1)      That the work of the Car Parking Task and Finish group be noted.

 

(2)      That the continuation of funding a Thames Valley Police PCSO from September 2019 to March 2021 be supported.

 

(3)      That the proposed Car Parking Strategy & Car Parking Action Plan be supported, and recommended to Executive for approval.

8.

Scrutiny at Cherwell and Work Programme Planning pdf icon PDF 120 KB

The Governance and Elections Manager will give an overview of the Scrutiny process at Cherwell District Council.

 

The Committee will then be invited to discuss possible subjects for inclusion on the work programme for the 2019-2020 Municipal Year.

 

An indicative work programme for the year is attached for information.

Minutes:

The Committee received a presentation from Democratic and Elections Officers, that explained the role of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and outlined how different subjects could be added to the work programme.

 

The Committee worked in small groups to discuss potential subjects for consideration over the course of the new Municipal Year

 

·         Oxfordshire Growth Board

·         Planning Policy for the District, including the Growth Deal

·         Outside bodies e.g. Local Enterprise Partnerships, and their benefit to the Council

·         Green Infrastructure such as verges, green spaces, and maintenance of them

·         Young and old – services available to and linking the generations

·         Updates on joint working with Oxfordshire County Council (OCC)

·         Culture in the wider sense and different aspects of it, what if any activities are taking place

·         Wider awareness of what is happening in the district generally

·         Telephony blackspots

·         Potholes – how to help inform / escalate to OCC

·         Mental Health – accessing care (who, what, where, when), support, awareness

·         Service delivery and unspent budgets – e.g. occupational health, DFGs

·         Management Companies managing new housing developments

 

The Chairman thanked Members for their suggestions and explained that Democratic and Elections Officers would liaise with officers regarding the suggested topics and provide an update at the next Committee meeting.

 

Resolved

 

(1)      That Democratic and Elections Officers liaise with officers regarding suggested topics for consideration, with a view to providing an update and suggested next steps at the next meeting of the Committee:

 

·         Oxfordshire Growth Board

·         Planning Policy

·         Outside bodies

·         Green Infrastructure

·         Young and old

·         Updates on joint working with Oxfordshire County Council (OCC)

·         Culture

·         Wider awareness of what is happening in the district generally

·         Telephony blackspots

·         Potholes

·         Mental Health

·         Service delivery and unspent budgets

·         Management Companies managing new housing developments