The Cabinet of Vale of White Horse District Council made a number of decisions at its meeting, including agreeing to adopt a charter with other Oxfordshire councils, approving the installation of CCTV in Abingdon and Wantage, moving forward with plans to adopt a Conservation Area Appraisal for Blewbury and agreeing to the content of a bid for central government funding for affordable housing in the Vale.

Local Authority Housing Fund

The Cabinet approved the contents of the council’s bid for funding from round three of the Local Authority Housing Fund (LAHF). The fund, which is administered by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, is intended to “increase the supply and improve the quality of accommodation for supported housing in England”. The council will apply for £4,600,000 from the fund, which it will use to provide 28 homes for families with “no recourse to public funds”. The report notes that there is a:

Shortage of move-on accommodation in the district, and particularly accommodation that is suitable for families.

The report goes on to say that:

Without suitable move-on options, families are often stuck in temporary accommodation for far too long. This can have a detrimental impact on their well-being and can also be very costly for the council.

If its bid is successful, the council will receive the money from the LAHF as a grant and will pass it on to housing providers to build the new homes.

CCTV in Abingdon and Wantage

The Cabinet approved the installation of CCTV cameras in Abingdon and Wantage, and the use of an outside contractor to manage data protection requirements. The scheme will be funded by the Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner. The Cabinet report justifying the decision argues that:

Public space CCTV can play a valuable role in deterring crime and antisocial behaviour, assisting the police in investigating crime, and enhancing public safety.

The report goes on to say that:

CCTV can also provide valuable evidence in the event of an incident, which can be used to support prosecutions.

There was no discussion of the civil liberties implications of CCTV, nor were any alternatives to CCTV discussed.

Conservation Area Appraisal for Blewbury

The Cabinet voted to move forward with a plan to adopt a Conservation Area Appraisal for Blewbury. The council is required by the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 to produce Conservation Area Appraisals. These documents “set out the special architectural and historic interest of the area, as well as its character and appearance”, and are used when making decisions on planning applications.

The appraisal for Blewbury has been in development since 2021, and the council consulted on the draft in 2023. At the meeting, the Cabinet considered the results of that consultation, which included 13 responses from members of the public, and approved the final version of the appraisal for adoption.

Oxfordshire Councils Charter

The Cabinet approved the final version of the Oxfordshire Councils Charter. The charter is intended to:

…promote greater joint working and collaboration between the councils, and to improve the lives of residents and businesses across Oxfordshire.

The Charter was negotiated between the County and District councils in Oxfordshire. Each council will need to agree to it individually, before it can come into force. The Cabinet report argues that:

The Charter provides a framework for collaboration and joint working, and sets out the principles that will guide the councils in their work together.

The report goes on to say that:

The Charter is a positive step towards closer working between the councils, and will help to ensure that the needs of residents and businesses are met in a more coordinated and effective way.

The Charter includes a series of commitments that each council makes to the others. These commitments cover a range of topics, including:

• Working together to improve the economy of Oxfordshire.
• Working together to improve the environment of Oxfordshire.
• Working together to improve the health and wellbeing of the people of Oxfordshire.
• Working together to improve the quality of life for the people of Oxfordshire.

Quarterly performance report

The Cabinet discussed the council's performance in the fourth quarter of 2023/24. This discussion focused on two aspects of the council's work: its corporate plan, and its response to the climate emergency.

In its corporate strategy for 2020-2024, the council identified four strategic priorities:

• Homes: We will deliver high quality, affordable homes in well-planned communities
• Places: We will create sustainable places that thrive and meet the needs of our communities
• Environment: We will protect and enhance our environment and address the climate emergency
• Council: We will deliver excellent, value for money services, working in partnership wherever possible

The report notes that the council has performed well against its targets for the year, and that it is on track to achieve its objectives. However, the report also identifies a number of areas where the council could improve its performance.

The report notes that there has been a decrease in the number of affordable homes being built in the district, and that the council is not on track to meet its target of delivering 1,000 affordable homes by 2031. This continues a trend of under-delivery against the target. In the first three years of the strategy the council delivered an average of 70 affordable homes a year. The report attributes the failure to deliver on this target to a number of factors, including the economic downturn and the increasing cost of construction. The report acknowledges that:

This is a significant issue, as the lack of affordable housing is a major problem in the district

To address this, the council has committed to:

…working with partners to increase the supply of affordable housing in the district.

In its statement on the climate emergency in 2019 the council said it would make the council’s activities net zero carbon by 2030. The report notes that:

Good progress continues to be made on the delivery of the action plan

However, the report goes on to say that:

More work is needed to ensure that the council is on track to meet its target of becoming carbon neutral by 2030

The report identifies a number of areas where the council could improve its performance on climate change, including reducing its reliance on fossil fuels and increasing its use of renewable energy.

In its discussions about both the corporate plan and the climate plan, there was a general consensus amongst members that the council was making good progress.

Forward plan

The Cabinet noted the content of the Forward Plan. The forward plan sets out the decisions that the Cabinet expects to take in the next three months. There was no discussion of the plan.