Agenda, decisions and minutes

There were no declarations of interest.

The Chairman to report on any requests to submit petitions or to address the meeting.

There were no petitions or requests to address the meeting.

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 28 January 2025.

The minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 28 January 2025 were agreed as correct record and signed by the Chairman.

To receive communications from the Chairman.

There were no Chairmans announcements.

There were no items of urgent business.

Due to technical difficulties with the audio visual system and webcast, the Chairman moved that the meeting stand adjourned for a 15 minutes to allow for technical issues to be resolved.

Resolved:

That the meeting be adjourned for 15 minutes.

To review the Cherwell Community Safety Partnership, including a presentation from the Head of Regulatory Services and Community Safety.

The Police and Crime Commissioner for Thames Valley, Matthew Barber, the Chief Constable of Thames Valley Police, Jason Hogg, and the Chief Superintendent of Thames Valley Police, Benedict Clark, will be in attendance to answer questions from the Committee on their presentation (attached).

Members will have an opportunity to ask questions, please submit any questions to the Democratic and Elections Team in advance of the meeting.

All Members of the Council are invited to attend the meeting for this item.

Resolved 

(1)          That having given due consideration, the Cherwell Safer Communities Partnership Presentation be noted.

(2)          That the Committee recommends that the Executive, as a matter of urgency, ensure that the Cherwell Safer Community Partnership Plan be reviewed and updated and presented to this committee early in the next municipal year.

The Committeeconsidered apresentation fromthe Headof Regulatory Services and Community Safety on the Cherwell Community Safety Partnership (CCSP) detailing its inception as well as its duties and responsibilities. Members were informed of the make-up of the partnership and its seven statutory partners as well as other permanent members.

The Head of Regulatory Services and Community Safety updatedthe Committee onthe CCSPPlan 2020– 2023,detailing itsnotable successes in securing a Home Office Safer Streets 4 bid from the Office of thePolice andCrime Commissioner(OPCC) totackle youthrelated violence and Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) in Banbury, introducing a Public Spaces Protection Order for Bicester town centre, securing funding to support a Young Women and Girls project, working with Takes Valley Police (TVP) colleagues to deliver objectives for an ASB focused operation named OP JANKLE,as wellas theSafeguarding Childrenin Banbury(SCiB) initiative.

The Headof RegulatoryServices and CommunitySafety updated theCommittee onthe proposednew CCSP2025 –2028 priorities:

·           Anti-socialbehaviour (ASB)

·           Modernslavery and exploitation

·           ViolenceAgainst Womenand Girls(VAWG)

·           DomesticAbuse

·           SeriousViolence

·           RetailCrime (includingshop lifting)

·           RoughSleeping.

Members were also updated on the Safer Oxfordshire Partnership (SOP), a thematic group in Oxfordshire that aimed to bring together community safety partnersto work together to deliver joint priorities and emergingthemes, with a focus to make the county a safer place to live, work and visit by providing strategicoversight anddirection forpreventing crimeand anti-socialbehavior across Oxfordshire.

In response to a question regardingthe lack of a CCSPplan for 2024 as well as afull reporton theprevious 2020 – 2024 plan, the Head ofRegulatory Servicesand CommunitySafety advisedthat thechange inthe plans term and lack of a report were caused by the loss of staff as a result of the decoupling from Oxfordshire County Council.

It was proposed by Councillor Lynne Parsons to recommend that the Executive,as amatter ofurgency, ensurethat theCherwell SaferCommunity Partnership plan be reviewed and updated and presented to this committee early in the next municipal year. This was seconded by Councillor Andrew Crichton.

The Committeediscussed themotion. On beingput tothe vote,there were5 votes for, 0 votes against and 3 abstentions. It was agreed that recommendation should be submitted to Executive as soon as practicable.

The Chairmanwelcomed thePolice andCrime Commissionerfor Thames Valley,Matthew Barber,Chief ConstableJason Hoggand Superintendent Benedict Clark, Thames Valley Police, to the meeting and invited them to update the Committee regarding policing in Thames Valley.

The Police and Crime Commissioner updated the Committee on officer numbersand plansfor recruitmentof additionalofficers. Thisincluded plans for increasing diversity and inclusion within the force, with measures being researchedto encouragefemale applicantsas wellas applicantsfrom diverse backgrounds.

The Police and Crime Commissioner gave an overview of the review and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 61.

An update on the Scrutiny Working Groups since the last Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 28 January 2025. 

Recommendation   

The Overview and Scrutiny Committee resolves: 

1.1       To note the Scrutiny Working Groups update.

Resolved  

(1)      That the progress of the Scrutiny Working Groups be noted. 

The Committee received an update on the progress of the Scrutiny Working Groups established by the Committee since the last Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 28 January 2025.

Resolved  

(1)      That the progress of the Scrutiny Working Groups be noted. 

An update on the Overview and Scrutiny Work Programme.

Recommendation

The Overview and Scrutiny Committee resolves: 

1.1       To consider and agree the Scrutiny Work Programme update.

Resolved 

(1)      That the Scrutiny Work Programme 2024-25 be agreed.

The Chairman provided an update on Committee’s Work Programme 2024-25, noting that the requested item on the Housing Development Action Plan had been included in the agenda for the next meeting on the 18 March 2024.

Resolved 

(1)      That the Scrutiny Work Programme 2024-25 be agreed.

The following report contains exempt information as defined in the following paragraph of Part 1, Schedule 12A of Local Government Act 1972.

3– Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information).

Members are reminded that whilst the following item has been marked as exempt, it is for the meeting to decide whether or not to consider it in private or in public. In making the decision, Members should balance the interests of individuals or the Council itself in having access to the information. In considering their discretion Members should also be mindful of the advice of Council Officers.

Should Members decide not to make a decision in public, they are recommended to resolve as follows:

“That under Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972, the public and press be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that, if the public and press were present, it would be likely that exempt information falling under the provisions of Schedule 12A, Part I, Paragraph 3 would be disclosed to them, and that in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.”

That under Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972, the public and press be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the ground that, if the public and press were present, it would be likely that exempt information falling under the provisions of Schedule 12A, Part 1, Paragraph 3 would be disclosed to them, and that in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

Exempt report of the Assistant Director Property.

Resolved     

(1)      That having given due consideration, the Council’s report on the New Council Offices at Castle Quay be noted.

The Assistant Director Property submitted an exempt report detailing the process, progress and lessons learnt from the building of the new council offices within Castle Quay.

Officers responded to a range of questions regarding the content of the report. 

Resolved     

(1)      That having given due consideration, the Council’s report on the New Council Offices at Castle Quay be noted.