Agenda item

Report of the Head of Legal and Democratic Services

Summary

To update Members on the progress to date of the scrutiny review of Oxfordshire Rural Community Council

Recommendations

The Resources and Performance Scrutiny Board is recommended to:

1)                 Note the contents of the report and that the review is ongoing.

2)                 Identify further actions to progress the review.

3)                 Consider the issues arising from the Sustainable Community Strategy that impact on the Council’s partnership with Oxfordshire Rural Community Council.

4)                 To consider the issues Members wish to raise at the question and answer session with the Portfolio Holder Community Safety, Street Scene and Rural, the Strategic Director Environment and Community and the Oxfordshire Rural Community Council Chief Executive at the Board’s October meeting.

The Board considered a report which gave an update on the progress to date of the scrutiny review of Oxfordshire Rural Community Council.

The Chairman reported on the visit to Cropredy which took place on 24 August 2009. He informed the Board that Cropredy Parish Council had been positive about the work of Oxfordshire Rural Community Council and Cherwell District Council. Further visits to Upper Heyford and Bloxham were scheduled for early October and the Chairman encouraged Members of the Board to participate.

The Community and Corporate Planning Manager briefed the Board on issues emerging from the work on the Sustainable Community Strategy which were relevant to the Council’s partnership work with Oxfordshire Rural Community Council. The main issues were rural access and transportation, rural communities as pockets of hidden deprivation, challenges facing an ageing population and the viability of schools.

The Board discussed the issue of isolation in rural areas and the effects that this has on access to various services. It was suggested that deprivation in rural locations can often occur, presenting difficulties in assessing the needs of the rural community as one. Members discussed ways to improve service delivery to rural communities in the district.

The Board asked Officers to provide details of the number of Parishes that had previously been involved with Oxfordshire Rural Community Council.

Members queried the finance and funding of the partnership with Oxfordshire Rural Community Council, noting that the £46,300 spent in 2009/10 was solely for staff and support costs at Oxfordshire Rural Community Council and did not include what the Council spends on grants to Parishes.  Elements of Cherwell’s contribution for 2005/06 to 2007/08 were not shown in the agenda papers. The Rural Development and Countryside Manager agreed to obtain the missing figures and provide them at the Board’s next meeting.

The Chairman reminded the Board that a question and answer session with the Chief Executive of Oxfordshire Rural Community Council, the Portfolio Holder Community Safety, Street Scene and Rural and the Strategic Director Environment and Community would be held at the October meeting. Members were asked to forward any questions or issues they wanted to raise to the Scrutiny Officer in advance of the meeting.

Resolved

1)         That the contents of the report be noted

2)         That the Rural Development and Countryside Manager be requested to present further information on Cherwell District Council’s finance and funding to Oxfordshire Rural Community Council from the rural services perspective.

3)         That the issues arising from the Sustainable Community Strategy, that impact on the Councils partnership with Oxfordshire Rural Community Council, be noted.

4)         That the issues Members wish to raise at the question and answer session with the Chief Executive of Oxfordshire Rural Community Council, the Portfolio Holder Community Safety, Street Scene and Rural and the Strategic Director Environment and Community at the October meeting, be forwarded to the Scrutiny Officer in advance of the meeting.