Agenda and decisions

To receive communications from the Chairman and/or the Leader of the Council.

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

Addresses may be presented by:

·         A Local Government elector for the area,

·         A person who is wholly or mainly resident in the area,

·         A Council Taxpayer or National Non-Domestic Ratepayer for the area

Addresses must be on an item on this meeting agenda and must not exceed 5 minutes. No person may address more than one meeting on any particular issue.

Requests to address the meeting (including the agenda item and reason for the address) should be submitted to democracy@cherwell-dc.gov.uk  The deadline for requests to address this meeting is noon on Friday 18 October 2024.

The deadline to present a petition to this meeting has passed.

Full details of public participation at meetings is available in the Constitution.

To confirm as a correct record the Minutes of Council held on 15 July 2024.

a)         Minutes of Executive, Portfolio Holder Decisions and Executive Decisions not included in the 28 day notice

The Leader of the Council to formally propose that the minutes of the meetings of the Executive and Portfolio Holder Decisions as set out in the Minute Book (circulated separately) be received and to report that since the last meeting of Council held on 15 July 2024, one key and exempt decision had been taken which was not included in the 28 day notice relating to a Castle Quay lease.

b)         Minutes of Committees

The Leader of the Council to formally propose that the minutes of committees as set out in the Minute Book (circulated separately) be received.

a)         Written Questions

            No written questions have been submitted with advance notice in accordance with the Constitution.

b)         Questions to the Leader of the Council

The Chairman to invite questions to the Leader of the Council (including any matters arising from the minutes).

Following a response to their question being provided Members will be entitled to a follow up or supplementary question.

c)         Questions to Committee Chairmen on the Minutes

The Chairman to invite questions to Chairmen of Committees on any matter arising from the minutes of their committee (if any).

The following item of business contain 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 pass the following recommendation:

“That, in accordance with Section 100A(4) of Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business, on the grounds that they could involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A of that Act 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 Assistant Director Property

Recommendation agreed as set out in the exempt report

The meeting is recommended to resolve to readmit the press and public to the meeting.

The Conservative Group Leader, Councillor Reeves, has notified the Proper Officer of the following amendment to Conservative Group committee membership:

Budget Planning Committee

Remove: Councillor Kieron Mallon

Add: Councillor Barry Wood

Recommendation

Council resolves:

1.1       To note the Conservative Group committee membership amendment.

Resolved

(1)          That the following Conservative Group committee membership amendment be noted:

Budget Planning Committee

Remove: Councillor Kieron Mallon

Add: Councillor Barry Wood

To debate the following motions which have been submitted with advance notice, in accordance with the Constitution (to be debated in the order submitted).

Please note that the deadline to submit motions has passed. The deadline for Members to submit amendments to motions is noon on Thursday 17 October 2024. No amendments will be permitted after this deadline.

Any amendments submitted will be published as a supplement to the agenda on the afternoon of Friday 18 October 2024. Amendments for motions will be dealt with in the order submitted. 

Resolved

(1)            That the following motion be adopted:

Winter Fuel Payments

“This Council deplores the government’s precipitous decision to cut Winter Fuel Payments (WFPs) ahead of its budget on 30 October 2024.  

Age UK estimates that the government’s changes to WFPs could adversely affect as many as two million pensioners across the country, many of whom need support to stay warm this winter. In the Banbury constituency alone, 17,638 pensioners are set to be affected by the decision.

This Council resolves to request that:

(i)              the Executive launch a countywide awareness campaign working with our fellow City and District Councils, Oxfordshire County Council, local NHS partners, and charitable, civic and religious groups, to encourage elderly residents who are eligible for means-tested benefits such as Pension Credit to register and claim them to ensure that they continue to receive WFPs this Winter;

(ii)             the Leader of the Council writes to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, urging a review of the government’s decision to means-test WFPs without public consultation and asking HM Treasury to ensure that vulnerable pensioners, particularly those who are eligible for, but who do not – or cannot – claim, other benefits under current thresholds are protected from fuel poverty in her forthcoming budget; and

(iii)           the Executive builds on the Council’s notable successes in tackling food insecurity and providing community food grants by prioritising monies within its current and/or the 2025/6 budget to ensure that pensioners who are in genuine hardship, but who are not otherwise eligible for other government support, are helped through the Winter.”

(2)            That the following motion be adopted:

‘Primary Care’ health services across North Oxfordshire

“This Council recognises the need to improve ‘Primary Care’ health services across North Oxfordshire.

Primary Care expansion is the remit of the Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Integrated Care System Board (‘BOBICS’) whose Primary Care Estates Strategy acknowledges the scale of developer contributions that are available to support such vital public services.

Regrettably, since the adoption of the Supplementary Planning Document in 2018, it is estimated that only 15% of funds available have been requested and secured within the Cherwell District Council area. This must improve.

Accordingly, this Council request that its Leader writes to the Chief Executive of BOBICS, copied to its Place Director for Oxfordshire and its Senior Primary Care Estate Manager, to request that it:

(i)              more consistently requests developer contributions on all planning applications of 10 or more dwellings;

(ii)             considers using this funding in part for ICT Infrastructure to support primary care expansion;

(iii)           work more closely with this Council to ensure the release the s.106 contributions currently allocated to, or held by, Cherwell District Council; and

(iv)           works with this Council on both its Local Plan review, the Community Infrastructure Levy consultation and its review of the Supplementary Planning Document to ensure better and more coordinated provision of vital health services.

This Council further calls on its Leader to request a meeting between BOBICS and Leaders of all political groups and Officers  ...  view the full decision text for item 13.