Agenda
PDF 73 KBVenue: Council Chamber, Council Offices, Woodgreen, Witney, Oxfordshire OX28 1NB. View directions
Contact: Democratic Services
Media
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Apologies for Absence To receive any apologies for absence. Additional documents: |
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Declarations of Interest To receive any declarations from Members of Council on any items to be considered at the meeting. Additional documents: |
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Minutes of Previous Meeting To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 28 January 2026. Additional documents: |
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Receipt of Announcements To receive any announcements from The Chair, Leader, Members of the Executive, Head of Paid Service, Director of Finance or Director of Governance. Additional documents: |
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Participation of the Public To receive any submissions from members of the public, in accordance with the Council’s Public Participation Rules.
The deadline for submission is 2.00pm, two clear working days before the meeting. Additional documents: |
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Questions by Members The following questions have been submitted by Members of Council to Members of the Executive, in accordance with the Council Procedure Rules (Constitution Part 5A, Rule 12).
Written responses will be circulated to Members and published on the Council’s website at least one working day prior to the meeting. A Member submitting a question is entitled to ask one supplementary question at the meeting which must arise directly from the question or the response to it.
The supplementary questions and answers will be detailed in the minutes of the meeting.
Question 1: From Councillor Roger Faulkner to Councillor Lidia Arciszewska, Executive Member for Environment
I posed a question at the Council Meeting on 29th January 2025 asking, “What extra financial provision is included in the budget to meet the increased cost of rubbish collection for the inevitable increase in fly tipping following the proposed introduction of a booking system at our household disposal sites?”. The response from Cllr Arciszewska was “There have been no changes to budget or potential operating costs as there is no established causal link between introduction of a booking scheme at household disposal sites and changes to fly tipping”. At the Council Meeting on 3rd December 2025 my colleague, Cllr Liam Walker asked, “There is concern amongst residents that these changes (the introduction of a booking system) could increase fly tipping……. Will there be extra resources for enforcement?” We now have a statement issued on 4th February 2026 stating that WODC is investing in new resources to tackle fly tipping – what has brought about this change of heart a year after it was raised? The statement confirms that environmental crime remains a growing challenge in West Oxfordshire and states, “Between January and December 2025, the Council received 1754 reports of offences, including fly tipping. It further states, “The Council is proposing to create a new post to support its Environmental Crime Officer …….to strengthen These statements are extremely vague and so there are two questions that need specific answers:
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Purpose Section 25 of the Local Government Act 2003 places a duty on the Chief Financial Officer to make a report to the Council on the robustness of the budget estimates, the adequacy of the Council’s reserves and risk.
Recommendation That Council: 1. Notes this report and has regard to it when making its decisions about budget and Council Tax for 2026/27. Additional documents: |
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Budget 2026/27 & medium term financial strategy Purpose: To provide the proposed budget for 2026/27, whilst also seeking approval for: 1. The Draft Base Budget for 2026/27 2. The Council’s Capital Programme for 2026/27 to 2030/31 3. The level of Council Tax for 2026/27 4. The Medium-Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) for 2026/27 to 2030/31 5. The Capital Strategy 2026/27 6. The Investment Strategy 2026/27 7. The Treasury Management Strategy 2026/27 8. The Council’s Pay Policy Statement 2026/27
Recommendations: The Executive resolves to recommend the following to Council for approval: 1. The General Fund Revenue Budget 2026/27 as Summarised in Annex A. 2. The Medium-Term Financial Strategy for 2026/27 to 2030/31 in Annex B. 3. The Capital Programme for 2026/27 to 2030/31 as set out in Annex C. 4. The Council’s Pay Policy Statement as set out in Annex I. 5. The Council’s Capital Strategy as set out in Annex J. 6. The Council’s Investment Strategy as set out in Annex K. 7. The Council’s Treasury Management Strategy as set out in Annex L.
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Purpose To enable West Oxfordshire District Council (‘the Council’) to calculate and set the Council Tax for 2026/27. Recommendation 1. That the Council passes the resolution set out in Annex A to the report. Additional documents: |
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Salt Cross Area Action Plan Purpose To consider the formal adoption of the Salt Cross Area Action Plan (AAP).
Recommendations The Executive recommends that Council resolves to: 1. Accept the Inspectors’ recommendations regarding the Main Modifications required to make the AAP sound as set out at Annex A and Annex B; 2. Agree the incorporation of the additional modifications as set out at Annex C; 3. Adopt the Salt Cross Area Action Plan (AAP) attached at Annex D as a development plan document, incorporating all of the Main Modifications recommended by the Inspectors at Annex A and Annex B, together with the additional modifications at Annex C, in accordance with Regulation 26 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) Regulations 2012; 4. Authorise the Head of Planning in consultation with the Executive Member for Planning, prior to the publication of the adopted Salt Cross AAP, to correct any minor spelling, grammatical or typographical errors together with any improvements from a presentational perspective including paragraph and policy numbering; 5. Note that the adoption of the Salt Cross AAP will supersede certain aspects of the West Oxfordshire Local Plan 2031 insofar as they relate to Salt Cross with immediate effect, specifically; Figure 3.2 of the AAP updates Figure 9.5e of the Local Plan, AAP Policy 16 supersedes Local Plan Policy T4 in respect of car parking standards and AAP Policy 25 supersedes Local Plan Policy H5 in respect of custom and self-build housing. Additional documents: |
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Chief Executive Recruitment Chief Executive Recruitment – report to follow. Additional documents: |
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Motions on Notice No motions were received by the deadline of 12pm on 16 February 2026. Additional documents: |