The meeting primarily focused on the election of new council leadership, the appointment of committee members, and the discussion of meeting times.

Election of New Chair and Vice Chair

• Election of Chair: Councillor Elizabeth Poskitt was unanimously elected as the new Chair of the West Oxfordshire District Council for the 2024-2025 municipal year. She has served on many committees and has been a ward councillor for some time.
• Election of Vice Chair: Councillor Andrew Coles was elected as the Vice Chair. He expressed his gratitude and commitment to continue working hard in his role.

Apologies for Absence

• Apologies were received from Councillors Joy Eitman, Alaric Smith, Andrew Lyon, David Melvin, David Cooper, and Charlie Maynard.

Declarations of Interest

• Members were reminded of a general dispensation in place for voting on councillor allowances. No additional declarations of interest were made.

Minutes of the Previous Meeting

• The minutes of the previous meeting were approved with one amendment.

Announcements

• New members were introduced: Adam Clements, Steve Cozier, Councillor Jenny Earley, Roger Faulkner, Councillor Paul Marsh, Councillor Nigel Rydpath, and Councillor Sarah Feesey.
• Departing members were acknowledged, including Jeff Haynes, who served for over 24 years.
• Councillor Poskitt announced her upcoming trip to Canada and her intention to meet with representatives from Woodstock, Ontario.
• Councillor Poskitt also announced her chosen charities: Woodstock Exhibition Foundation, Friends of the Oxfordshire Museum, and Save the Children Fund.

Thanks to Retiring Chair

• Councillor Andrew Coles was thanked for his service as Chair. He was praised for his integrity, honesty, and transparency. He raised £3,000 for charity during his term.

Report of the Leader

• The West Oxfordshire Alliance has increased its size. Councillor Liz Leffman will continue as the Deputy Leader.
• Executive members were confirmed, including Councillor Rizvana Paul for Stronger Healthy Communities and Councillor Alaric Smith for Finance.
• The Future Oxfordshire Partnership appointments were confirmed.
• The role of member champions will be reviewed, and a paper will be brought forward in the next council meeting.

Returning Officer's Report on Elections

• The results of the recent elections were noted. Special thanks were given to the electoral services team for their hard work.

Appointment of Members to Council Committees

• The council committees were established with some changes, including reducing the size of the Audit and Governance Committee to 11 members.
• Councillor Lydia Articheska was added to the Local Plan Working Group, replacing Councillor Charlie Maynard, who will attend ex officio.

Scheme of Officer Delegations

• The council adopted the constitution and agreed on the scheme of officer delegations for non-executive functions.

Recommendations of the Independent Remuneration Panel

• The council agreed to the panel's recommendations for councillor allowances, including a special responsibility allowance for the Vice Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

Appointment of Temporary Parish Councillor

• Councillor Ashton was appointed as a temporary member of Fulbrook Parish Council to enable it to be quorate and co-opt new members.

Dates of Future Meetings

• A proposal to trial a 6 PM start time for the September meeting was discussed. An amendment was made to defer the decision to the July meeting to allow for a survey of members' preferred start times. The amendment was accepted, and the decision will be revisited in July.

The meeting concluded with a brief pause before moving on to the development control, licensing committee, and ordinance and governance meetings.