Agenda and draft minutes

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 the meeting.

There were no declarations of interest.

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meeting of the Oxfordshire Growth Board held on 2 February 2016.

The Minutes of the meeting of the Board held on 2 February 2016 were agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

To receive communications from the Chairman.

There were no Chairman’s announcements.

Members of the public may ask questions of the Chairman of the Growth Board, or address the Growth Board on any substantive item at a meeting subject to the restrictions set out in the public participation scheme: Public Participation Scheme

Deadline to submit questions: By 24 March 2016 in writing or email to the Chief Executive or Secretariat of the host authority

Deadline to submit requests to address the meeting: No later than noon on the day before the meeting (Wednesday 30 March 2016) in writing or email to the Chief Executive or Secretariat of the host authority

The Chairman reported that in accordance with the Public Participation Scheme five public participation requests had been received. None of the five individuals who had submitted questions was present at the meeting to present them to the Board. The questions were therefore circulated to Board members.

The Chairman advised that responses to the submitted questions would be sent directly to the parties who had submitted them, made available on the Growth Board webpages and published with the minutes of the meeting.

Report Contact: Growth Board Programme Manager

Purpose of report

To provide the Growth Board (the Board) with an update on the Post-SHMA Strategic Work Programme (the Programme).

Recommendations

Officers ask the Board to note both progress of the Programme to date and the fact that it will not be achieved without the full continued commitment of all partners to the Programme, and to reaffirm that commitment.

The Head of Strategic Planning and Economy (Cherwell District Council) presented the report of the Growth Board Programme Manager which provided the Growth Board (the Board) with an update on the Post-SHMA Strategic Work Programme (the Programme).

Resolved

(1)          That the both progress of the Programme to date and the fact that it will not be achieved without the full continued commitment of all partners to the Programme be noted and that commitment be reaffirmed.

Report Contact: Growth Board Programme Manager

Purpose of the Report

To provide the Growth Board with an introduction to the Strategic Transport Forum (the Forum), a newly formed sub-group of England’s Economic Heartland Alliance.  The report also advises on the proposed work programme the streams the forum is developing.

Recommendations

To note the report.

The Growth Board Programme Manager and Deputy Director, Strategy and Infrastructure Planning (Oxfordshire County Council) submitted a report which provided the Growth Board with an introduction to the Strategic Transport Forum (the Forum), a newly formed sub-group of England’s Economic Heartland Alliance. The report also advised on the proposed work programme the streams the forum is developing.

Resolved

(1)          That the report be noted.

(2)          That the executive officers group be instructed to bring a further report to the next Oxfordshire Growth Board meeting, outlining the connections between work strand LGF3 and our own internal county priorities.

Report Contact: Councillor Barry Wood

Purpose of the Report

The Board is recommended to note that the five District Councils for Oxfordshire have together with partners commissioned a report into the potential for Unitary Councils together with a combined authority; and that the County Council have indicated that they propose to separately commission work that will review all options for local government structures.

A letter from Oxford City Council (representing the districts) addressed to Oxford County Council, together with a briefing note from Oxford County Council are appended for information.

Recommendations

To Note the Report

The Chairman introduced the report of Future Local Government Structures which recommended that the Board note that the five District Councils for Oxfordshire had together with partners commissioned a report into the potential for Unitary Councils together with a combined authority and that the County Council had indicated that they proposed to separately commission work that would review all options for local government structures.

A letter from Oxford City Council (representing the districts) addressed to Oxford County Council, together with a briefing note from Oxford County Council had been included with the agenda pack.

Councillor Barber proposed that the Board note the government’s response to the devolution proposals presented in December 2015 which indicated that a different and stronger form of governance was required for the proposals to make progress. Councillor Barber reported that in order to forward a devolution bid, the five Oxfordshire district councils, together with South Northamptonshire Council and Cotswold District Council, have commissioned a feasibility study for a wide range of unitary local government options and proposed that the Board welcome this initiative and urge Oxfordshire County Council to join with the Districts in the commissioning and managing of this study, rather than duplicating this work by commissioning a separate study to cover the same ground

Councillor Price seconded the proposal.

Resolved

(1)          That the report be noted.

(2)          That the Board notes that the response from government to the devolution proposals that were presented collectively to DCLG/BIS/Cabinet Office in December 2015 indicated clearly that a different and stronger form of governance was required for the proposals to make progress.

(3)          The Board also notes that, in order to forward a devolution bid, the five district councils, together with South Northamptonshire Council and Cotswold District Council, have commissioned a feasibility study for a wide range of unitary local government options.

(4)          The Board welcomes this initiative outlined in resolution (3) and urges Oxfordshire County Council to join with the Districts in the commissioning and managing of this study, rather than duplicating this work by commissioning a separate study to cover the same ground.

To consider and review the Board Work Programme.

The Board considered its work programme and noted that an additional report outlining the connections between work strand LGF3 and our own internal county priorities. would be submitted to the May meeting in accordance with the resolution at agenda item 7.

Resolved

That, subject to the addition of a report outlining the connections between work strand LGF3 and our own internal county priorities to the May meeting, the work programme be noted.

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

There were no items of urgent business.