Agenda, decisions and minutes

There were no declarations of interest.

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 15 July 2025.

The Minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 15 July 2025 were agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

To receive communications from the Chair.

There were no Chair’s announcements.

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

There were no items of urgent business.

Report of Assistant Director Customer Focus

Purpose of report

To report to the committee the council’s performance position at the end of Quarter 1 2025-26.

Recommendation

The Overview and Scrutiny resolves:

1.1           To consider the contents of the council’s performance Quarter 1 report and agree comments to the Executive for consideration.

Resolved 

(1)        That having given due consideration, the Council’s Performance Monitoring Report Quarter 1 2025 - 2026 performance be noted, and no comments be submitted for Executive consideration.

The Committee considered a report from the Assistant Director – Customer Focus that detailed the council’s performance position at the end of quarter 1 2025-2026.

In introducing the report, the Portfolio Holder for Finance, Property & Regeneration advised that the Council was performing well against its quarter 1 objectives, with 82% of measures on target or within tolerance.

Out of 38 total measures 0 were red, 7 were amber, and 31 were green. On the annual delivery plan there were 23 milestones to deliver in quarter 1, 20 of which had been achieved or were within the agreed tolerance, and 3 slightly behind target. The actions with milestones behind target were Strengthen community cohesion - Produce Annual EDI General Duty Compliance report; Deliver Planning Service Improvement - establish performance improvement indicators, targets and resource needs; and Create vibrant economic centres and thriving rural villages - complete an asset register and agree future plan for each, with focus on those that are underutilised or suitable for community transfer.

Members were advised that work had begun on the milestones but was not yet completed.

Members were also advised that of the nine targeted corporate key performance indicators, five achieved their Q1 target or reported within the agreed tolerance, and four reported slightly behind target.

Officers then responded to a series of pre-submitted questions from members.

In response to a question regarding indicator BP2.2.03 the Q1 Climate Actions, and elaboration on the red status of Key Performance Indicators (KPI) within the report, the Climate Action Manager had provided a detailed written response, stating that since the publication of the agenda some of the action points had achieved a green status., The remaining were in progress and a comprehensive detailed response on the status of the remaining KPI’s would be published after the meeting. 

In response to a question regarding membership of the Climate Change Programme Board (CCPB), and were others able join it, the Corporate Director Communities explained that the CCPB was a closed officer led board, comprising of a number of assistant directors, heads of service and senior officers, used to monitor the progress of the climate action programme. Members were also advised that a Climate Action Working Group was due to be formed, at which appointed members would receive updates and have the opportunity to provide feedback on the Climate Change Programme.

In response to a question regarding educating public facing officers in British Sign Language (BSL) as part of EDI General Duty Compliance, the Performance Team Leader relayed a response from the Assistant Director of Human Resources stating that the Council’s language bank had been launched and internal resources had been identified. Information had also been sought for sign language courses, including the associated costs.

In response to a question relating to indicator BP2.2.05 total greenhouse gas emissions for the year, and whether the report took into account changes made to residential properties by householders to reduce emissions as well as any retrofitting to commercial buildings, the Assistant Director Communities explained  ...  view the full minutes text for item 25.

Update from Principal Officer – Scrutiny and Democratic Lead.

Recommendation

1.1     To consider and comment on the work programme

Resolved 

(1)   That having given due consideration, the Work Programme 2025 – 2026 be noted.

The Principal Officer - Scrutiny and Democratic Lead provided an update on the Committee’s Work Programme 2025 – 2026.

Due to the impact of external factors, items due for the October meeting had had to be rescheduled, and other items from the work programme were unable to be brought forward. Therefore, the Chairman and Monitoring Officer had discussed and agreed to cancel the meeting of the committee due to be held on the 14 October 2025.

Members were advised that due to the Executive considering Simpler Recycling at their October meeting, that item and the linked Flytipping item had been moved from the October meeting to the November meeting of the committee.

Members were informed that the Transformation programme had been renamed the Cherwell Futures Programme and would be brought to the December meeting of the committee.

Members were also advised that the Chief Constable and Police and Crime Commissioner for the Thames Valley will join our December meeting to give their annual updates. As usual, all Members would be invited to attend this meeting.

Members sought assurance and it was agreed by the Chair that the

scheduled item on the performance of Section 106 (S106) delivery would be expanded to include an analysis of S106 payments for the expansion and delivery of primary care, and that officers would endeavour to ensure the report be brought to Committee during this 2025-26 municipal year.

In response to a question regarding the status of the update to the Community Safety Partnership Plan, the Corporate Director Communities advised that the action plan was produced and owned by the Community Safety Partnership, to which the Council was a member. He confirmed that an updated plan was in existence and officers were working on bringing an update to the committee as soon as practicable.

Members thanked the Corporate Director Communities for the update, and the Chair highlighted that as the CSCP action plan tied in with the police, it would be useful if the update to Committee could be scheduled to coincide with the attendance of the Police and Crime Commissioner and Chief Constable of Thames Valley Police in December.

Resolved 

(1)   That having given due consideration, the Work Programme 2025 – 2026 be noted.

The following report(s) contain exempt information as defined in the following paragraph(s) 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(s) have been marked as exempt, it is for the meeting to decide whether or not to consider each of them 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(s) 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 XXXXX 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 Corporate Director – Resources and Transformation.

Resolved       

(1)   That having given due consideration, the Graven Hill Village Development Company Update be noted.

The Corporate Director – Resources and Transformation submitted an exempt report detailing the Graven Hill Development Company (GHVDC) Phase 2 progress, performance in 2024/25, and governance arrangements.

The Committee received a presentation from the GHVDC Managing Director detailing the Graven Hill 2024/25 Business Plan & Budget as well as providing an up-to-date position statement. In introducing the presentation, the GHVDC Managing Director advised that it had been a challenging year in the housing market, due to factors such as higher mortgage costs, slowing buyer decisions, lack of government incentive schemes and changes to stamp duty land tax.

Officers responded to detailed pre-submitted questions from the Committee and agreed to circulate the answers after the meeting.

In response to a question regarding GHVDC’s social housing policy, the GHVDC Managing Director advised that levels of Affordable Housing included initially were compliant with national policy at the time of the initial application, and future applications would continue to be compliant with appropriate national policy.

In response to a question as to whether the Integrated Care Board (ICB) could be invited to discuss Primary Care provision at Graven Hill, the Assistant Director Law and Governance, Monitoring Officer explained that health scrutiny was the responsibility of the County Council and therefore questions regarding the ICB would be best placed with the Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee at Oxfordshire County Council.     

Resolved       

(1)   That having given due consideration, the Graven Hill Village Development Company Update be noted.