Agenda and draft minutes
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Election of the Chair Purpose: Election of the Chair for Climate and Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee for Civic Year 2023/24.
Recommendation: Committee elects the Chair for Climate and Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee for Civic Year 2023/24.
Minutes: Bill Oddy, the Assistant Director for Commercial Development opened the meeting, welcoming Members and Offices to the Climate and Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting. The Assistant Director referred Members to the first item on the Agenda, Election of the Chair, and asked the Committee for nominations to the positions of Chair of the Climate and Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee for the municipal year 2023/24. Councillor Alaa Al-Yousuf proposed that Councillor Martin McBride be appointed to the position of Chair of Climate and Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee for the municipal year 2023/2024. This was seconded by Councillor Adrian Walsh, was put to a vote. The vote was carried.
The Committee Resolved to:
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Election of the Vice-Chair Purpose: Election of the Vice-Chair for Climate and Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee for Civic Year 2023/24.
Recommendation: Committee elects the Vice-Chair for Climate and Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee for Civic Year 2023/24.
Minutes: Councillor Martin McBride proposed that Councillor Adrian Walsh be appointed to the position of Vice-Chair of Climate and Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee for the municipal year 2023/2024. This was seconded by Councillor Natalie King, was put to a vote and was carried.
The Committee Resolved to: 1. Appoint Councillor Adrian Walsh to the position of Vice-Chair of the Climate and Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee for the municipal year 2023/2024. |
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Apologies for Absence To receive any Apologies for Absence. Minutes: Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Colin Dingwall and Andrew Coles, Councillor Michael Brooker substituted for Councillor Andrew Coles. Councillor David Cooper was absent.
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Declarations of Interest To receive any Declaration of Interest from Members of the Committee, on any items to be considered at the meeting. Minutes: There were no declarations of interest. |
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Minutes of Previous Meeting To approve the Minutes of the Previous Meeting, held on Thursday 23 March 2023. Minutes: The minutes of the meeting held on 23 March 2023 were approved and signed by the Chair as a correct record.
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Participation of the Public To receive any submissions from members of the public.
In accordance with the Council’s Rules of Procedure, anyone who lives in the District or who pays Council Tax or Business Rates to the Council, is eligible to read a statement or express an opinion at this meeting.
Registration to speak, can be done by sending a written submission of no more than 750 words to [email protected], by no later than 10.00am on the working day before the meeting. Minutes: There were no participation of the public. |
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Response from recommendations to Executive Purpose: To update the Committee on outcome from recommendations to Executive from 23 March 2023 Scrutiny meeting.
Recommendations: Committee to note the response.
Minutes: The Chair brought Members’ attention to the Executive responses to the two recommendations that the Committee referred to the Executive, from 23 March 2023 meeting. The Assistant Director for Commercial Development explained to the Committee the background to the recommendations, which arose from Council motions, and the responses as there were newly appointed Councillors in attendance.
The Committee Resolved to: 1. Note the Executive responses. |
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Flood Management Update Purpose: Committee to receive a verbal Flood Management Update.
Recommendation: Committee to note the update. Minutes: Laurence King, the Shared Lead Flood Risk Management Officer, and Phil Martin, the Assistant Director for Business Services, informed the Committee that since the last meeting, the following progress had been made on the Monitoring Gauges:
· Monitoring Gauges - WODC will be working closely with Witney Flood Mitigation Group (WFMG), to try and get the gauges installed before the flood season begins in September/October; · Live data will be collated from the Monitoring Gauges; · Oxford County Council (OCC) as the lead local flood authority had offered to fund the Monitoring Gauges; · WFMG proposal was for the installation of ten Monitoring Gauges, three of these will be backup Gauges.
The Assistant Director stated that Witney Town Council weren’t one of the key stakeholders, and the Shared Lead Flood Risk Management Officer confirmed that meetings have occurred and they were aware. Although the Town Council were not obliged to have an emergency plan they were keen on assisting communities to have flood plans. Councillor Smith confirmed that Witney Gardens had a Community Flood Plan, and asked for OCC and WODC to assist in identifying the land owners when ditches or gullies need clearing. The Assistant Director informed the Committee that the Pilot Flood Warden scheme was up and running, and OCC were actively recruiting Flood Wardens. The Shared Lead Flood Risk Management Officer confirmed that since the last time the Committee met, the Flood Management Agreement between OCC and WODC has been signed. There had also been regular meetings with Thames Water over the past 6 months, with the most recent one being on the 12th June. At the meetings Cllrs and Officers discuss capacity and failings at treatment works, how calculations had been put together, concerns re sewage treatment works, and future investment programmes. Smart metering installations were slow in our area and Thames Water had adopted a phased approach to rolling them out across the region. Thames Water, when asked about the recent media reports, had also issued reassurance in the short term, for business as usual. The Chair thanked the Officers in attendance for the positive progress that had been made. The Committee Resolved to: 1. Note the Flood Management Update. |
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Overview of new Grant Scheme Purpose: Committee to receive a verbal overview of the new grant scheme.
Recommendation: Committee to note the new grant scheme. Minutes: Andy Barge, the Assistant Director for Communities, introduced the new Grant Scheme, presenting the new approach to grant funding, which was better aligned to the outcomes intended from Council Plan and aimed to foster greater community engagement and involvement. The new grant scheme introduces a new approach to revenue grant funding from 2024/25 aligned to four lots and supported by three year service level agreements. Four lots being: 1. Improving our natural environment and the access to it, so that we enable physical and mental wellbeing and cohesive, connected communities; 2. Taking action towards the climate and ecological emergencies, so that we reduce carbon footprints and encourage nature recovery; 3. Increasing community resilience and amplifying the voice of the seldom heard, so that we take action on issues most important to our residents and their needs, such as access to food, supporting young people and cultural provision; 4. Providing residents with high quality, independent housing advice, welfare and debt advice services, so that they are empowered to tackle their problems and we support those who are unable to deal with difficult circumstances on their own.
Civic crowdfunding will be introduced as an alternative to community facilities grants and the Council will make up to £120,000 per annum available to pledge against proposed projects. The Council has appointed Spacehive as its civic crowdfunding platform provider on a three year contract. Delegated authority will be given to the Chief Executive, in conjunction with the Leader and Executive Members for Stronger Healthy Communities, Planning and Sustainable Development, Environment, and Climate Change to agree the type of projects to be supported and the pledge criteria for crowdfunding.
The final change noted as an outcome of the review was the creation of a part-time Community Funding Officer post, to ensure the success of the new schemes and to secure external funding to support service delivery, where possible. Members were also assured the total budget directed at the various grant funding schemes has been maintained at the same level,
Members discussed with the Assistant Director the following topics: · Verification checks on behalf of the Council; · Hive commission; · Culture provision; · Guidance on applications; · Case Study; · Stakeholder map.
The Chair thanked the Assistant Director for the overview.
The Committee Resolved to: 1. Note the new Grant Scheme. |
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Overview of Local Plan Purpose: Committee to receive a verbal overview of the progress of the Local Plan.
Recommendation: Committee to note the overview. Minutes: Chris Hargraves, the Planning Policy Manager, introduced the review of the Local Plan, and explained to the Committee that they were currently at the initial plan preparation stage. The Local Plan would follow four stages:
The Planning Policy Manager summarised the consultation undertaken to date and explained that a range of supporting technical evidence was in the process of being commissioned. He explained that a further focused consultation was planned for the summer, feedback from which would then be used to inform a set of preferred policy approaches later in the year.
The Committee then discussed the following items:
The Planning Policy Manager summarised the current timeline for taking the Local Plan forward:
The Chair thanked the Planning Policy Manager for the overview.
The Committee Resolved to:
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Service Performance Report 2022-23 Quarter Four Purpose: This report provides details of the Council’s operational performance at the end of 2022-23 Quarter Four (Q4).
Recommendation: That the 2022/23 Q4 service performance be noted. Additional documents: Minutes: The Chair introduced the Quarter 4 Service Performance Report. The Assistant Director for Commercial Development directed the Committee’s focus on 3.4 Waste and Environment, which reflects changing habits since COVID has been slow. 3.5 Service Dashboard, reflects fixed penalties for fly tipping for quarter 4 had increased, therefore a further analysis should be done to try and find out what could have caused the increase. Committee reflected on the performance report and discussed the following items: · Missed bins actual percentage; · Missed bins collections thereafter; · UBICO contract extension and its current KPI’s (Key Performance Indicators); · In cab technology; · Contamination of waste data record of 18 – 20%; · Replacement bins data; · Fly Tipping data.
The Committee Resolved to: 1. Invite the Fly Tipping Officer to the next Committee meeting for performance data analysis; 2. Note the Quarter 4 Service Performance Report. |
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Committee Work Programme Purpose: To provide the Committee with an updated Work Programme for 2023/24.
Recommendation: That the Committee note the Committee Work Programme, providing comment as appropriate. Minutes: The Chair reviewed the Committee Work Programme with the Assistant Director for Commercial Development and Members present.
The Committee Resolved to:
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Executive Work Programme Purpose: To provide the Committee with an updated Executive Work Programme.
Recommendation: That the Committee note the Executive Work Programme, providing comment as appropriate.
Minutes: The Chair reviewed the Executive Work Programme with the Assistant Director for Commercial Development and Members present.
The Committee Resolved to:
· Carbon Action Plan; · Climate change Strategy.
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