Agenda and draft minutes
PDF 77 KBVenue: Committee Room 1, Council Offices, Woodgreen, Witney, Oxfordshire OX28 1NB. View directions
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Apologies for Absence and Temporary Appointments To receive any apologies for absence and temporary appointments. The quorum for the Committee is four members. Additional documents: Minutes: Apologies were received from;
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Declarations of Interest To receive any declarations from Members of the Committee on any items to be considered at the meeting. Additional documents: Minutes: There were no declarations of interest. |
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Minutes of Previous Meeting To approve the minutes of the Committee meeting held 3 June 2026. Additional documents: Minutes: Cllr Paul Marsh proposed agreeing the minutes, this was seconded by Cllr Cosier.
The minutes were agreed unanimously.
The Overview and Scrutiny Committee resolved to: Approve the minutes of the Committee meeting held 3 June 2026. |
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Chair's announcements To receive any announcements from the Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee. Additional documents: Minutes: The Chair proposed reordering the agenda so that agenda items 5. Participation of the Public and 6. Regulation 19 Draft Submission Local Plan for Public Consultation be taken last. This was agreed by the Committee. |
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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 submissions is 2.00pm, two clear working days before the meeting. Additional documents: Minutes: Nick Jones, Chief Executive Officer of the Chipping Norton Skatepark Trust, spoke on behalf of the proposed Chipping Norton Community Sports and Social Hub and local football, rugby and cricket clubs.
He outlined proposals for a fully funded sports and social hub on land gifted by the Field Reads Trust, including a 3G pitch, grass pitches, clubhouse and a range of sports, recreational and community facilities. He advised that the project had received community support and that developers had indicated a commitment to fund the scheme based on the existing Local Plan allocation of 1,200 homes.
Mr Jones objected to Policy CN3 in the Regulation 19 Draft Local Plan, arguing that while it referred to the hub as a benefit of development, it did not provide sufficiently robust requirements to secure its delivery or funding. He expressed concern that the proposed reduction in housing numbers from 1,200 to 750 dwellings would create a funding shortfall and suggested either increasing the allocation or increasing developer contribution rates. He also requested that the hub be identified as a priority within the Infrastructure Delivery Plan, supported by a costed funding strategy, and that the policy include stronger wording requiring developer contributions to be secured and ring-fenced.
In response to a question, Mr Jones confirmed that the proposed hub would serve not only Chipping Norton but also the surrounding villages and wider area. The Chair thanked the speaker for his contribution.
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Approval of Regulation 19 Draft Submission Local Plan for Public Consultation 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.
Recommendation That Overview and Scrutiny Committee resolves to: 1. Note the report and make any applicable recommendations for the Executive to consider at the meeting on 15 July.
Additional documents:
Minutes: The purpose of the item 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.
The Committee considered the Regulation 19 Draft Local Plan and received a presentation from officers addressing questions submitted in advance of the meeting. Members were advised that the Plan would cover the period 2025 to 2043 and included a spatial strategy, housing and employment allocations, development management policies, area strategies and a delivery and monitoring framework. Subject to approval, the Plan would be published for public consultation before being submitted for examination later in the year.
The Executive Member for Planning and Infrastructure thanked officers, the Local Plan Working Group and her predecessor for their work in preparing the Plan and emphasised the importance of the pre-decision scrutiny process undertaken by the committee in identifying any recommendations to be considered by the Executive before consultation commenced.
A significant element of the discussion focused on infrastructure delivery and whether supporting infrastructure could realistically be delivered alongside planned growth. Members highlighted concerns regarding the availability of funding, particularly for major transport and utility infrastructure, and questioned the extent to which reliance could be placed on developer contributions. Officers advised that the Plan had adopted an infrastructure-first approach, supported by a forthcoming Infrastructure Delivery Plan, site-specific infrastructure requirements and the use of Grampian conditions where necessary to prevent occupation of development until required infrastructure was available. Members welcomed the stronger emphasis on infrastructure delivery but noted that future investment from utility providers and Government would remain critical. Members discussed wastewater infrastructure at length, expressing concern about the ability of Thames Water to provide the upgrades necessary to support planned housing growth. Questions were raised regarding capacity constraints at sewage treatment works, the timing of upgrades and the risk of development proceeding ahead of infrastructure improvements. Officers advised that extensive engagement had taken place with Thames Water, supported by a Water Cycle Study, and that policies had been included within the Plan to ensure development aligned with available wastewater infrastructure. Members remained concerned about the uncertainty surrounding future upgrades and emphasised the importance of robust safeguards and monitoring arrangements.
The Committee considered housing growth requirements and noted that the proposed housing requirement reflected both West Oxfordshire's assessed needs and a continuing contribution towards Oxford City's unmet housing need. Officers explained the rationale for the stepped housing trajectory, the inclusion of contingency within the overall housing supply and the monitoring arrangements that would be used to track delivery. Discussion took place regarding strategic allocations already progressing through the planning process, the relationship between emerging planning applications and the Local Plan, and the need to retain sufficient flexibility should allocated sites fail to be delivered.
Transport and mass rapid transit formed a further area of discussion. Members sought clarification on the purpose and likely form of the safeguarded mass rapid transit corridor and questioned how such infrastructure might be funded and delivered. Officers ... view the full minutes text for item 147. |
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Overview and Scrutiny Annual Report Purpose To receive a report highlighting the work of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee over the 2025/26 civic year
Recommendations That Overview and Scrutiny Committee resolves to: 1. Note the report. 2. Agree any further recommendations related to the Committee’s remit to Full Council. Additional documents:
Minutes: At the Chair’s discretion this was taken as the first substantive item on the agenda.
The Committee considered the Overview and Scrutiny Annual Report, which summarised the work undertaken during the 2025/26 year and invited comments prior to its submission to Council. The report was introduced by the Senior Democratic Services Officer who made the following points;
During discussion, the Chair suggested that the Chair of any Task and Finish Group reporting to Overview and Scrutiny should be a member of the Committee to ensure effective feedback and accountability. It was also suggested that members should have greater input into the initial scoping of Task and Finish Groupst. The Chair further commented that comfort breaks during meetings should be taken at the Chair's discretion rather than at fixed hourly intervals.
The report, subject to the amendments discussed, was proposed, seconded and unanimously approved for submission to Council.
That Overview and Scrutiny Committee resolved to: 1. Approve the report for submission to Council.[AB1]
[AB1]On reflection this could have been the rec in the report. |
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Report back on recommendations For the Committee to note the Executive’s response to any recommendations arising from the previous Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting. Additional documents: Minutes: The Committee received the Executive's responses to recommendations previously submitted by Overview and Scrutiny. Members noted that the responses relating to the Woodford Way item and the Community Safety Partnership, considered by the Committee on 26 March, had been delayed as the Executive had not considered them until its June meeting. Responses were also received in relation to recommendations made by the Committee on 3 June concerning the Crowdfunding Platform and the Quarterly Service Performance Report. The Executive's comments and whether recommendations had been agreed were set out in the report and were noted by the Committee. |
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Committee Work Programme Purpose: For the Committee to review and note its work programme.
Recommendation: That the Committee notes and comments on the work programme. Additional documents: Minutes: The Committee considered its future work programme. Members discussed the scheduling of upcoming items and noted a proposal to bring the Infrastructure Funding Statement, an annual report on developer contributions, to the Committee in October before its consideration by the Executive.
Concern was raised that the September agenda was particularly full, including quarterly performance reports, leisure, youth development and Woodford Way items. It was suggested that the Youth Development report could be reprogrammed to a later meeting, as it was considered less time sensitive, to ensure sufficient time was available for all items. Members also discussed the potential use of advance questions on quarterly reports to help manage meeting time more effectively, although it was noted that this would depend on reports being available with sufficient notice.
Members sought clarification on the planned September update regarding the Woodford Way project. It was explained that the update would provide responses to issues raised by the Committee at its earlier consideration of the matter, including traffic surveys and other information requested by members. Concern was expressed that a previously requested feasibility study had not been undertaken, and members sought assurance that the evidence available would be sufficient to address the Committee's concerns.
During discussion, members also suggested that significant items such as Youth Development and Mental Health should, where possible, be scheduled earlier on agendas to ensure they received appropriate consideration before member fatigue became a factor. The Chair noted this suggestion and confirmed that agenda ordering remained at the Chair's discretion.
The Committee noted the work programme and proposed scheduling amendments. |
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Executive Work Programme Purpose: To give the Committee the opportunity to comment on the Executive Work Programme.
Recommendation: That the Committee agrees which items on the Executive Work Programme should be subject to pre-decision scrutiny and the priority order of those items. Additional documents: Minutes: This was noted without discussion. |
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Meeting Start Time Purpose To discuss the start times of future meetings. Additional documents: Minutes: It was proposed that the meeting time remain 5:30pm. This was seconded, voted on and agreed unanimously. |