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Agenda and draft minutes

Executive - Wednesday, 15th July, 2026 2.00 pm

Venue: Council Chamber, Council Offices, Woodgreen, Witney, Oxfordshire OX28 1NB. View directions

Contact: Democratic Services 

Media

Items
No. Item

499.

Apologies for Absence

To receive any apologies for absence from Members of the Executive. The quorum for the Executive is 3 Members.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

 

There were no apologies for absence.

500.

Declarations of Interest

To receive any declarations of interest from members of the Executive on any items to be considered at the meeting.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Councillor Duncan Enright, Deputy Leader, declared that he was professionally involved in planning work elsewhere in the country and therefore would not take part on the vote or discussion on agenda item 20 – Approval of Regulation 19 Draft Submission Local Plan for Public Consultation. Councillor Enright would leave the room for the item.

501.

Minutes of Previous Meeting pdf icon PDF 90 KB

To approve the minutes of the previous meeting, held on 10 June 2026.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

There were no amendments to the minutes of the previous meeting held on 10 June 2026.

 

Approval of the minutes was proposed by Councillor Andy Graham, Leader of the Council, and seconded by Councillor Duncan Enright, Deputy Leader of the Council.

 

The proposal was put to the vote and was agreed unanimously.

 

RESOLVED:

To approve the minutes of the previous meeting held on 10 June 2026.

502.

Receipt of Announcements

To receive any announcements from the Leader of the Council, Members of the Executive or the Chief Executive.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Duncan Enright, Deputy Leader of the Council, thanked those that had attended a successful Carterton Business Breakfast that morning and added that he hoped that this success would be built on in the future.

503.

Participation of the Public

Anyone who lives, works, or studies in West Oxfordshire is eligible to ask one question at the meeting, for up to three minutes, directed at the Leader of the Council or any Executive Member on any agenda item or on any issue that affects the district or its people.

 

All questions must be no longer than three minutes long.

 

Members of the public wishing to speak at a meeting must notify [email protected], or call Customer Services on 01993 861000 including their name and the agenda item or topic they wish to speak on, by 2.00pm two clear working days before the meeting (e.g. for a Wednesday meeting, the deadline would be 2.00pm on the Friday before).

 

If the topic of the question is not within the remit of the Council, advice will be provided on where best to direct the question.

 

The Leader or relevant Executive Member will either respond to a question verbally at the meeting or provide a written response which will be included in the minutes of the meeting.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Corrine Hoge addressed the Executive on Agenda Item 20 – Approval of Regulation 19 Draft Submission of Local Plan for Public Consultation – making the following points:

 

·         The speaker was addressing the Executive on behalf of concerned Burford residents who objected to the inclusion of Policy BU3 in the pre-submission draft Local Plan.

·         The speaker’s objections were for five principal reasons.

·         During the previous consultation, Site N had been unanimously rejected by Burford Town Council and had received over 150 objections. The objections had argued that Site N conflicted with the core NPPF objectives of sustainable development; protection of nationally important landscapes; conservation of heritage assets; safe and suitable access; environment enhancement. The speaker felt that policy BU3 did not address any of those conflicts.

·         There had been no formal survey for a car park inclusion, which went against the NPPF requirement for evidence-based planning. Policy BU3 offered no remedy to the issue within Burford of coach parking and ignored the recommendation of the Town Centre Strategy and Needs Assessment Report.

·         ?Policy BU3 conflicted with Policy DM30 (sustainable tourism) and ignored opportunities to develop a sustainable transport hub linked to a parking site with direct access to the A40, and potential sustainable transportation between four significant visitor sites in the area and Burford.

·          ?There was no mention of the Town Centre Strategy and Needs Assessment Report which classified Burford with Woodstock as towns with a significant tourist role.

·         Policy BU3 conflicted with Policy DM14 section v (contribute to the quality, unique character and accessibility of the public realm, prioritising pedestrian and cyclist safety and supporting sustainable travel).

·         Burford Town Council had recommended two Brownfield sites which would provide an equal number of housing allocations. Policy BU3 proposed to develop on a Cotswold National Landscape site which was against NPPF 145 and 147.

·         The speaker requested that the Executive remove Policy BU3 from the pre-submission draft local plan

 

Councillor Andy Graham, Leader of the Council, thanked the speaker and advised that the Executive would debate the Approval of Regulation 19 Draft Submission of Local Plan for Public Consultation later in the meeting and that the speaker was welcome to stay for this.

504.

Reports from the Overview and Scrutiny Committee pdf icon PDF 182 KB

To consider any reports or recommendations from the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, which meets on 8 July 2026.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Executive noted that the Overview and Scrutiny Committee had met on 8 July 2026 to consider Approval of Regulation 19 Draft Submission Local Plan for Public Consultation (item 20 on the agenda).

 

The comments and recommendations made by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and the response of the Executive had been circulated and published prior to the meeting and would be addressed in more detail at agenda item 20 - Approval of Regulation 19 Draft Submission Local Plan for Public Consultation.

505.

Matters raised by Audit and Governance Committee

To consider any matters arising from the Audit and Governance Meeting on 25 June 2026.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

There were no matters raised by the Audit and Governance Committee which had met on 25 June 2026.

506.

Thames Valley Spatial Development Strategy (SDS) pdf icon PDF 106 KB

Purpose:

This report seeks Executive to note, to participate in, and help lead, a joint Thames Valley partnership with councils covering Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Swindon to progress the pre-inception phase of work for a Thames Valley Spatial Development Strategy (SDS).

 

Recommendations:

That the Executive resolves to:

  1. Note the establishment of a partnership with the councils covering Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Swindon to develop a statutory Spatial Development Strategy (SDS) for the Thames Valley area (as detailed in section 4 of the report).
  2. Note the draft indicative funding and resource allocations for the pre-inception programme
  3. Note that Bracknell Forest Council will act as the accountable body for funds received/held on behalf of the partnership and will host any staff appointed for the Thames Valley SDS programme.
  4. Note the interim governance and oversight, monitoring and assurance arrangements set out in this paper, including arrangements for the period before a statutory Strategic Planning Board (SPB) is established through secondary legislation.
  5. Note the working arrangements for development of the SDS.
  6. Delegate the detail agreements and working arrangements for pre-inception development of the SDS to the Director of Governance and Regulatory Services in consultation with the Executive Member for Planning and Infrastructure
  7. Note that the Director of Governance and Regulatory Services will provide regular updates at key stages.

 

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Andy Graham, Leader of the Council, presented the item, the purpose of which was to seek Executive resolution to note, to participate in, and help lead, a joint Thames Valley partnership with councils covering Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Swindon, with an option for Buckinghamshire, to progress the pre-inception phase of work for a Thames Valley Spatial Development Strategy (SDS).

 

In his presentation Councillor Graham made the following points:

 

  • There was a duty on designated strategic planning authorities to prepare SDSs.
  • SDSs were intended to be high-level strategic plans that set out the scale and broad distribution of development and associated infrastructure across multiple planning authority areas.
  • It was overdue that such joined-up thinking across geographical areas was taking place, particularly with regard to road networks that crossed districts.
  • The paper outlined the key activities that were being progressed, the objectives and the deliverables for the period.
  • The paper proposed that participating councils contribute £50,000 from April 2027 onwards towards the cost of the scheme and explained that this was often a function of such partnership working. There would be Leader representation from each partner authority participating.

 

Councillor Graham proposed accepting the recommendations in the report.

 

Councillor Liz Leffman, Executive Member for Planning and Infrastructure,  seconded the proposals and noted that it was important to see a joined-up approach to the planning of housing and infrastructure and added that she hoped Buckinghamshire would choose to participate in the scheme due to commonalities between the participators and that county, not least the East-West rail corridor and visitor economies.

 

Councillor Andrew Prosser, Executive Member for Climate Action and Nature Recovery, commented that with the imminent Local Government Reorganisation (LGR), where many were nervous about the future of democratic oversight, he would prefer to see such schemes in a regional strategic authority which he hoped would progress in the period of the scheme.

 

The proposals were put to the vote and were agreed unanimously.

 

The Executive resolved to:

  1. Note the establishment of a partnership with the councils covering Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Swindon to develop a statutory Spatial Development Strategy (SDS) for the Thames Valley area (as detailed in section 4 of the report).
  2. Note the draft indicative funding and resource allocations for the pre-inception programme.
  3. Note that Bracknell Forest Council will act as the accountable body for funds received/held on behalf of the partnership and will host any staff appointed for the Thames Valley SDS programme.
  4. Note the interim governance and oversight, monitoring and assurance arrangements set out in this paper, including arrangements for the period before a statutory Strategic Planning Board (SPB) is established through secondary legislation.
  5. Note the working arrangements for development of the SDS.
  6. Delegate the detail agreements and working arrangements for pre-inception development of the SDS to the Director of Governance and Regulatory Services in consultation with the Executive Member for Planning and Infrastructure.
  7. Note that that the Director of Governance and Regulatory Services will provide regular updates at key stages.

507.

Oxfordshire Infrastructure Strategy (OxIS) pdf icon PDF 85 KB

Purpose:

This report introduces the completed Oxfordshire Infrastructure Strategy (OxIS) 2026 and seeks Executive endorsement of the final document, following its earlier endorsement by the Oxfordshire Leaders Joint Committee (OLJC) in April 2026.

 

The strategy outlines the critical, county-wide infrastructure necessary to support development and sustainable growth across Oxfordshire through to 2050.

 

It seeks to support rather than replicate the Infrastructure Delivery Plans developed by councils as part of their Statutory Development Plans by focussing upon large strategic infrastructure projects that span or influence a wider area than one district.

 

Recommendation:

That the Executive resolves to:

  1. Endorse the final Oxfordshire Infrastructure Strategy (OxIS) which has already been endorsed by the Oxfordshire Joint Leaders Committee (OLJC) on 24th April 2026.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Councillor Andy Graham, Leader of the Council, presented the item, the purpose of which was to introduce the completed Oxfordshire Infrastructure Strategy (OxIS) 2026 and seek Executive endorsement of the final document, following its earlier endorsement by the Oxfordshire Leaders Joint Committee (OLJC) in April 2026.

 

The strategy had outlined the critical, county-wide infrastructure that was necessary to support development and sustainable growth across Oxfordshire through to 2050, which was a necessarily long time frame. It sought to support rather than replicate the Infrastructure Delivery Plans developed by councils as part of their Statutory Development Plans by focussing upon large strategic infrastructure projects that span or influence a wider area than one district.

 

In his presentation the Executive Member made the following points:

 

  • The strategy would mean there was a county-wide strategic infrastructure framework.
  • The scheme focussed on cross-boundary strategic projects.
  • The scheme ensured a shared approach which was evidentially worked though, the scheme also would work as an investment tool and engagement framework for Oxfordshire.

 

Councillor Andy Graham proposed accepting the recommendation in the report noting that it was important to continue meaningful engagement with the Council’s partners to ensure benefits for residents.

 

Councillor Liz Leffman seconded the proposal and noted that this was a new iteration of a plan that was originally part of the Growth Deal. It provided a new way to evaluate infrastructure across districts and had been endorsed by all Leaders of the District and City Councils. The scheme also had underpinned the SDS and should be considered together.

 

The proposal was put to the vote and were agreed unanimously.

 

The Executive resolved to:

1.    Endorse the final Oxfordshire Infrastructure Strategy (OxIS) which has already been endorsed by the Oxfordshire Joint Leaders Committee (OLJC) on 24th April 2026.

508.

Review and approval of updated Counter Fraud and Anti-Corruption Policy pdf icon PDF 54 KB

Purpose:

To present Executive with a revised Counter Fraud and Anti-Corruption Policy (‘The Policy’) for approval and adoption.

The Policy has been reviewed to ensure the content reflects current legislation and the Council’s Policies and Procedures.

 

Recommendations:

That the Executive resolves to:

  1. Approve and adopt the Counter Fraud and Anti-Corruption Policy attached to this report as Annex A.
  2. Delegate authority to the Director of Finance (s151) to approve future minor amendments to the Policy, in consultation with the Executive Member for Finance, Assistant Director Counter Fraud and Enforcement Unit, and the Assistant Director Legal Services.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Councillor Alaric Smith, Executive Member for Finance, introduced the item, the purpose of which was to present Executive with a revised Counter Fraud and Anti-Corruption Policy (‘The Policy’) for approval and adoption.

 

The Policy had been reviewed to ensure the content reflected current legislation and the Council’s Policies and Procedures.

 

In his presentation the Executive Member made the following points:

 

  • The Policy was an existing policy that outlined legislation and key roles of members and employees.
  • The Policy had been reviewed, and a new section had been inserted regarding the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act to confirm the introduction of the new “failure to prevent fraud” offence.
  • Sections had also been added in relation to cyber-crime responsibilities and due diligence activities undertaken regarding tax evasion.
  • For ease, in the agenda pack, new text was coloured red and text to be removed was struck through.
  • Mandatory fraud awareness training was currently being delivered to all staff within the Council and a session for Councillors was delivered on 9 June 2026.

 

Councillor Smith proposed accepting the recommendations in the report.

 

Councillor Andy Graham seconded the proposals.

 

The proposals were put to the vote and were agreed unanimously.

 

The Executive resolved to:

1.    Approve and adopt the Counter Fraud and Anti-Corruption Policy attached to this report as Annex A.

2.    Delegate authority to the Director of Finance (s151) to approve future minor amendments to the Policy, in consultation with the Executive Member for Finance, Assistant Director Counter Fraud and Enforcement Unit, and the Assistant Director Legal Services.

509.

Review and approval of Grant Management Policy pdf icon PDF 71 KB

Purpose:

To present the Executive with a new Grant Management Policy (‘The Policy’) for approval and adoption.

 

To provide an over-arching Policy that provides guidance to employees on the Council’s governance and approach for administration and management of grant income, in order to ensure that we are maximising outcomes, minimising risk and delivering the greatest benefit to our communities.

 

Recommendations:

That the Executive resolves to:

  1. Approve and adopt the Grant Management Policy attached to this report as Annex A.
  2. Delegate authority to the Director of Finance (s151) to approve future minor amendments to the Policy, in consultation with the Executive Member for Finance, Assistant Director Counter Fraud and Enforcement Unit, and the Assistant Director Legal Services.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Councillor Alaric Smith, Executive Member for Finance, introduced the item the purpose of which was to present the Executive with a new Grant Management Policy (‘The Policy’) for approval and adoption.

 

In his presentation the Executive Member made the following points:

 

  • The Council now had a widened scope for the delivery of multiple grant schemes to residents and businesses. Such schemes could be in the form of locally agreed community grant schemes, or via distribution of central government schemes and emergency funding.
  • To ensure funding was distributed properly and spent lawfully, the Policy had set out to minimise risk while maximising benefits for the community.
  • The Policy had detailed: roles and responsibilities; funding agreements; outcomes; eligibility criteria; assessment and awarding process; conflicts of interest; segregation of duties and due diligence checks.
  • The Policy had set out processes to be followed when managing grants, including applying for external funding, developing and launching new grant schemes, verification and due diligence checks and the distribution of funds.
  • To mitigate fraud and error, the Counter Fraud and Enforcement Unit had developed a grant toolkit. This provided guidance on the minimum verification and due diligence checks which must be undertaken.

 

Councillor Smith proposed accepting the recommendations in the report.

 

Councillor Andy Graham seconded the proposals.

 

Councillor Duncan Enright, Deputy Leader of the Council, noted that the Policy and the processes proposed were identical to those he had worked with as part of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and Rural England Shared Prosperity Fund which had provided grants across the district. In that case the process had worked well, and it was therefore good to see this formalised. Councillor Enright thanked the Counter Fraud and Enforcement Unit for their work.

 

The proposals were put to the vote and were agreed unanimously.

 

The Executive resolved to:

1.    Approve and adopt the Grant Management Policy attached to this report as Annex A.

2.    Delegate authority to the Director of Finance (s151) to approve future minor amendments to the Policy, in consultation with the Executive Member for Finance, Assistant Director Counter Fraud and Enforcement Unit, and the Assistant Director Legal Services.

510.

Review and approval of updated Proceeds of Crime and Anti Money Laundering Policy pdf icon PDF 53 KB

Purpose:

To present Executive with a revised Proceeds of Crime and Anti-Money Laundering Policy (‘The Policy’) for approval and adoption.

 

The Policy has been reviewed to ensure the content reflects current legislation and the Council’s Policies and Procedures.

 

Recommendations:

That the Executive resolves to:

  1. Approve and adopt the Proceeds of Crime and Anti-Money Laundering Policy attached to this report as Annex A.
  2. Delegate authority to the Director of Finance (s151) to approve future minor amendments to the Policy, in consultation with the Executive Member for Finance, Assistant Director Counter Fraud and Enforcement Unit, and the Assistant Director Legal Services.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Councillor Alaric Smith, Executive Member for Finance, introduced the item the purpose of which was to present the Executive with a revised Proceeds of Crime and Anti-Money Laundering Policy (“The Policy”) for approval and adoption.

 

In his presentation the Executive Member made the following points:

 

  • This was an existing policy that outlined the responsibilities of the Council, the nominated Money Laundering Officer and the approach regarding due diligence in this area.
  • The Policy had been refined with revisions or significantly new sections shown as red text in the agenda pack. Any operational or procedural elements relating to disclosure procedure, the reporting Officer’s considerations or client/supplier identification process had been removed and were now detailed within the supporting internal procedure document.
  • The majority of the other amendments were minor and were shown as red insertions.
  • A supporting flowchart had been designed and would be provided to employees during the awareness sessions with a more detailed internal procedure document.

 

Councillor Smith proposed accepting the recommendations in the report.

 

Councillor Andy Graham seconded the proposal and emphasised that it was important to continue to review such policies to ensure that they were fit for use. The Policy was available on the website.

 

The proposal was put to the vote and were agreed unanimously.

 

The Executive resolved to:

1.    Approve and adopt the Proceeds of Crime and Anti-Money Laundering Policy attached to this report as Annex A.

2.    Delegate authority to the Director of Finance (s151) to approve future minor amendments to the Policy, in consultation with the Executive Member for Finance, Assistant Director Counter Fraud and Enforcement Unit, and the Assistant Director Legal Services.

511.

Public Spaces Protection Order for Dog Fouling pdf icon PDF 75 KB

Purpose:

To consider a proposal to consult on the adoption a Public Space Protection Order to prohibit Dog Fouling

 

Recommendation:

That Executive resolves to:

  1. Approve the proposal to undertake a consultation on the Public Space Protection Order for Dog Fouling.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Councillor Alistair Wray, Executive Member for Environment, introduced the item, the purpose of which was to consider a proposal to consult on the adoption of a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) to prohibit Dog Fouling.

 

In his presentation the Executive Member made the following points:

 

  • The proposals sought agreement to launch a public consultation on the introduction of a PSPO on dog fouling in the district.
  • It was proposed to make it an offence for a person in charge of a dog to fail to clear up after it.
  • The PSPO was intended to help keep streets, footpaths, parks and open spaces clean for residents and visitors to the district.
  • The PSPO intended to require owners to carry suitable means of disposal of waste when exercising their dogs
  • There were intended to be exemptions for assistance dog users and some people with disabilities.
  • Dog fouling could be a health risk in particular to children.
  • If adopted the PSPO would provide officers with additional enforcement powers, including issuing fixed penalty notices of £100 and it could lead to prosecution with a maximum fine of £1,000.

 

Councillor Wray proposed accepting the recommendation in the report.

 

Councillor Sandra Coleman, Executive Member for Stronger, Healthy Communities, seconded the proposal and added that she felt that this was a responsible way to tackle such a problem. Councillor Coleman further noted that, while most people were responsible, in some locations this was not the case and the PSPO would provide an effective way to deal with the problem.

 

Councillor Graham informed the meeting that the consultation would run from 24 July 2026 to 4 September 2026 and invited comments and suggestions from all.

 

The proposal was put to the vote and were agreed unanimously.

 

The Executive resolved to:

1.    Approve the proposal to undertake a consultation on the Public Space Protection Order for Dog Fouling.

512.

Our House Funding Extension 2026-2030 pdf icon PDF 88 KB

Purpose:

To update members on the ‘Our House’ project with a recommendation that funding be extended from 1st November 2026 to 31st March 2030.

 

Recommendations:

That the Executive resolves to:

  1. Approve a 4-year funding extension for the Our House project from 1 November 2026 to 31 March 2030;
  2. Agree to continue with the current Support Provider via waiver;
  3. Delegate authority to the Head of Housing Solutions, in consultation with the Executive Member for Housing and Social Welfare, to approve any minor amendments to this funding extension;
  4. Agree to utilise Housing Projects Reserves as set out in the Proposal in section 4 of the report.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Councillor Geoff Saul, Executive Member for Housing and Community Safety, presented the item, the purpose of which was to update members on the ‘Our House’ project with a recommendation that funding be extended from 1 November 2026 to 31 March 2030.

 

In his presentation the Executive Member made the following points:

 

·         The project had been established in partnership with Cottsway Housing Association and provided accommodation and support for vulnerable young people who were homeless, at risk of homelessness or unable to remain in the family home.

·         Specialist support was delivered by Aspire Oxfordshire in order to separate tenancy management and support provision, which had improved outcomes for residents.

·         The scheme currently provided accommodation for up to eleven young people across three shared houses in the district.

·         Over the last five years the project had accommodated more than thirty young people with the majority having moved into their own homes or returning to the family home.

·         Councillor Saul detailed specific numbers of residents who had moved to independent living, gained employment or apprenticeships, were in full-time training and seeking employment. The examples had demonstrated the project’s strong performance.

·         The project delivered accommodation at significantly lower cost than traditional supported housing which subsequently had supported access to employment.

·         The funding requirement of the scheme was £359,950. The project cost approximately £166 per person per week which had compared favourably against the cost of emergency accommodation. The funding would be met from existing Housing Projects Reserve balances.

·         If the project was not extended, notices would have to be given to eleven residents, and the Council may have to provide costly emergency accommodation. Furthermore, residents could face homelessness, rough sleeping or disruption to education.

·         The proposal had offered strong value for money, supported the Council’s statutory homelessness duties and had improved outcomes for vulnerable young people.

 

Councillor Saul proposed accepting the recommendations of the report.

 

Councillor Andy Graham emphasised that residents’ lives had been transformed by the support given by such projects and as such the work was important.

 

Councillor Andrew Prosser, Executive Member for Climate Action and Nature Recovery, seconded the proposals and added that this was an excellent project to support young people with the additional benefit that it reduced costs in the long run as well as the wider cost to society.

 

The proposals were put to the vote and were agreed unanimously.

 

The Executive resolved to:

1.    Approve a 4-year funding extension for the Our House project from 1 November 2026 to 31 March 2030;

2.    Agree to continue with the current Support Provider via waiver;

3.    Delegate authority to the Head of Housing Solutions, in consultation with the Executive Member for Housing and Social Welfare, to approve any minor amendments to this funding extension;

4.    Agree to utilise Housing Projects Reserves as set out in the Proposal in section 4 of the report.

513.

Allocation of Capital Funding for Lift Replacement at Marriotts Walk pdf icon PDF 61 KB

Purpose:

To request approval of the allocation of part of the building maintenance earmarked reserves for the replacement of the lifts at Marriotts Walk, Witney

 

Recommendations:

That the Executive resolves to:

  1. Recommend to Council to allocate funding from earmarked reserves to replace the lifts at Marriotts Walk
  2. Delegate authority to the Director Finance in consultation with the Executive Member for Finance to approve the final cost of works and use of contingency up to the full amount detailed at Annex A.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Councillor Alaric Smith, Executive Member for Finance, presented the item, the purpose of which was to request approval of the allocation of part of the building maintenance earmarked reserves for the replacement of the lifts at Marriotts Walk, Witney.

 

In his presentation the Executive Member made the following points:

·         The financial detail to the report was contained in exempt annex A. Discussion of this detail was not required in public session, though it had been considered by the Executive.

·         The proposal was that the lifts would be replaced on one contract but not at the same time. The option of planning lift replacements on a one per year basis was discounted as this would take the last lift past end of life and increased the cost of the scheme overall, ongoing maintenance and part replacement costs.

·         There was an option to recharge part of the lift replacement cost to the retail and residential tenants of the centre. This would challenge the viability of the scheme for the occupiers as the tenants currently had a high service charge burden compared to other similar schemes as they were responsible for the costs of the multi-storey car park which was usually met by car parking charges in other areas of the country.

·         The centre was a contributor to the Council’s income which funded services for residents. In 2025/26 Marriotts had made a net contribution to the Council’s finances of £454,890. This was a significant source of revenue and an important contributor to the town and therefore current improvements and maintenance were required.

 

Councillor Smith proposed accepting the recommendations of the report.

 

Councillor Duncan Enright, Deputy Leader of the Council, seconded the proposals.

 

Councillor Andy Graham reassured the meeting that the lifts were safe but did need to be replaced and that the replacement projects would minimise disruption to residents and the centre users.

 

The proposals were put to the vote and were agreed unanimously.

 

The Executive resolved to:

1.    Recommend to Council to allocate funding from earmarked reserves to replace the lifts at Marriotts Walk

2.    Delegate authority to the Director Finance in consultation with the Executive Member for Finance to approve the final cost of works and use of contingency up to the full amount detailed at Annex A.

514.

Section 106 Spending Authorisation pdf icon PDF 164 KB

Purpose:

The purpose of the report is to consider whether future decisions on the expenditure of Section 106 funds secured towards Witney Town Centre improvements should be delegated to the Chief Executive in consultation with the Director of Finance.

 

Recommendation:

That the Executive resolves to:

  1. Delegate authority to the Council’s Chief Executive, in consultation with the Director of Finance and the Executive Member for Planning and Infrastructure, for making future decisions on the expenditure of Section 106 developer contributions relating to the improvement of Witney Town Centre.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Councillor Liz Leffman, Executive Member for Planning and Infrastructure, presented the item, the purpose of which was to, consider whether future decisions on the expenditure of Section 106 (S106) funds secured towards Witney Town Centre improvements should be delegated to the Chief Executive in consultation with the Director of Finance.

 

In her presentation the Executive Member made the following points:

  • This report sought delegation of authority to authorise spending of two specific S106 financial contributions relating to Witney Town Centre improvements to the Chief Executive in consultation with the Director of Finance. The specific S106 agreements were: £319,308.47 from planning permission ref. 13/0345/P/FP for 36 houses at Springfield Nurseries, Curbridge Road, Witney; and, £346,956.20 planning permission ref. 12/0084/P/OP for 271 houses at Downs Road, Witney.
  • The contributions could only be spent on improvements within Witney Town Centre to comply with the terms of the agreement and the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Regulations 2010 (as amended).
  • Projects that were intended to be funded by the S106 contributions were: a Wayfinding project; Marriotts Walk Public Realm enhancement and the Oxfordshire County Council-led Witney town centre improvements.
  • As this financial contribution was to be spent by the District Council itself, as opposed to the usual process of passing funds to a third-party organisation, Executive authorisation was required for spending decisions.
  • The report sought to delegate the decision in order to:

a)    allow projects to progress with certainty of funding;

b)    prevent delays in releasing s106 funding;

c)    be responsive to time-critical factors which could otherwise block or stymy the projects.

  • It was noted that, for one of the contributions, work must have been contracted by October to release the funds.

 

Councillor Leffman proposed accepting the recommendation of the report.

 

Councillor Alaric Smith, Executive Member for Finance, seconded the proposal.

 

Councillor Andy Graham added that the report had highlighted the benefits that would be seen in Witney Town Centre from the funds, which would improve the town centre experience for residents and businesses and continue the Town’s success.

 

The proposal was put to the vote and agreed unanimously.

 

The Executive resolved to:

1.    Delegate authority to the Council’s Chief Executive, in consultation with the Director of Finance and the Executive Member for Planning and Infrastructure, for making future decisions on the expenditure of Section 106 developer contributions relating to the improvement of Witney Town Centre.

515.

Exclusion of Press and Public

If the Executive wishes to exclude the press and public from the meeting during consideration of any of the items on the exempt from publication part of the agenda, it will be necessary for the Executive to pass a resolution in accordance with the provisions of the Paragraph 4(2)(b) of the Local Authorities ((Executive Arrangements) Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012 on the grounds that their presence could involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as described in paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Councillor Andy Graham, Leader of the Council, proposed that Executive agree to exclude the press and public from the meeting for the remaining exempt items of business, on the basis that the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighed the public interest in disclosing the information.

This was seconded by Councillor Duncan Enright, Deputy Leader of the Council, was put to a vote, and was unanimously agreed by the Executive.

The Executive Resolved in accordance with the provisions of Paragraph 4(2)(b) of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012 to:

Exclude the press and public from the meeting on the grounds that their presence could involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as described in paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972, with the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighing the public interest in disclosing the exempt information.

516.

Proposals for sale of land in Witney

Purpose:

To request approval for sale of land in Witney

 

Recommendations:

That the Executive resolves to:

  1. Approve the sale of land in Witney
  2. Delegate authority to the Director of Finance in consultation with the Executive Member for Finance to approve the final terms of the sale including sale price.

 

Minutes:

Councillor Alaric Smith, Executive Member for Finance, presented the item, the purpose of which was to request approval for sale of land in Witney.

 

Councillor Alaric Smith proposed accepting the recommendations of the report.

 

Councillor Andy Graham seconded the proposals.

 

The proposals were put to the vote and were agreed unanimously.

 

The Executive resolved to:

1.    Approve the sale of land in Witney;

2.    Delegate authority to the Director of Finance in consultation with the Executive Member for Finance to approve the final terms of the sale including sale price.

517.

Item 15 - Allocation of Capital Funding for Lift Replacement at Marriotts Walk - Exempt Annex A

Item 15 - Allocation of Capital Funding for Lift Replacement at Marriotts Walk - Exempt Annex A 

Minutes:

This item was taken as read during the public part of the meeting and was not considered in private session.

518.

Approval of Regulation 19 Draft Submission Local Plan for Public Consultation pdf icon PDF 149 KB

Purpose:

For Members to consider the proposed pre-submission draft West Oxfordshire Local Plan 2043 including the timetable for formally publishing the draft plan in accordance with legislative requirements.

 

Recommendations:

That the Executive resolves to:

  1. Recommend to Council to approve the pre-submission draft Local Plan attached at Annex A for the purposes of formal publication for a statutory period of at least 6-weeks in accordance with Regulation 19 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012.
  2. Recommended to Council to delegate authority to the Head of Planning, in consultation with the Executive Member for Planning and Infrastructure to make any necessary minor textual and presentational amendments, and any amendments necessary to reflect any agreed Overview and Scrutiny Committee recommendations, to the pre-submission draft Local Plan in conjunction with Officers, prior to formal publication.
  3. Agree that the Local Development Scheme (LDS) attached at Annex B be published online and made available in hard copy format in agreed ‘deposit’ locations across the district. 

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Councillor Duncan Enright, Deputy Leader of the Council, left the room for the duration of this item.

 

Councillor Andy Graham, Leader of the Council, began the item by explaining that, as the meeting was in public, and given the importance of the Local Plan, he wanted to ensure that everyone had the opportunity to participate in the process in accordance with the Council’s Constitution. Councillor Graham continued by outlining the order in which the item would be dealt with: an introduction to the report and the recommendation before the Executive; Non-Executive Members of the Council would be given the opportunity to ask questions and make comments followed by responses from Executive Members and Officers; consideration of the recommendations made by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and finally

the Executive debate on the report and a decision on the recommendations in the report.

 

Councillor Liz Leffman, Executive Member for Planning and Infrastructure, then presented the item, the purpose of which was for Members to consider the proposed pre-submission draft West Oxfordshire Local Plan 2043 including the timetable for formally publishing the draft plan in accordance with legislative requirements.

 

In her presentation the Executive Member made the following points:

 

  • The recommendation proposed in the report was that the Executive recommend that Council approves the Plan for statutory public consultation.
  • This was an important milestone in what had been a thorough, evidence-led and transparent process that had taken place over several years.
  • The Executive were not being asked to adopt the Local Plan. The recommendation was requesting that the Executive recommended to Council that the Publication Draft be approved for a six-week statutory consultation before it was submitted for independent examination by the Planning Inspectorate.
  • The Local Plan had provided the framework for how West Oxfordshire would grow and develop to 2043. The Plan was about more than housing. It had planned for employment opportunities, schools, healthcare, transport, walking and cycling infrastructure, utilities, flood mitigation, green spaces, community facilities, renewable energy and the protection of our natural and historic environment.
  • Without an up-to-date Local Plan, development did not stop. Instead, decisions became increasingly driven by national policy and speculative planning applications. This would reduce the Council’s ability to shape where development took place and the quality of that development. The Plan gave the opportunity to plan positively and ensured that growth happened in the right places and in the right way.
  • One of the defining principles of this Local Plan was that development must be supported by infrastructure. Ensuring that new homes were accompanied by the services and facilities communities needed—schools, GP surgeries, roads, public transport, walking and cycling routes, water and wastewater capacity, electricity networks, green infrastructure, parks, leisure facilities and digital connectivity.
  • Growth must create sustainable communities, not simply larger settlements. The Plan would be backed by an extensive Infrastructure Delivery Plan and a wide range of technical evidence that identified what infrastructure was needed, who was responsible for delivering it and, where possible, when it should come forward.
  • The  ...  view the full minutes text for item 518.

 

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