Purpose

To request the additional resources required to deliver the vision, plans and projects, over the next three years, to meet the Councils priorities - working with the communities of Banbury, Bicester & Kidlington.

Decision

Resolved

(1)            That an award of £300k funding from MHCLG be accepted to be spent in 2025/26 on investment in capacity funding to support the acceleration of infrastructure and housing delivery in Bicester as part of the Bicester Garden Town Programme.

(2)            That £600k be transferred from the projects reserve to a new earmarked “Growth and Regeneration Projects Reserve” and to allocate £100k of this in 2025/26.  This funding will add capacity to the other two Area Oversight Group areas of Banbury and Kidlington (and the 4 surrounding parish areas of the Local Plan Partial Review 2020) to accelerate housing and employment delivery through projects detailed in the report.

(3)            That it be agreed to delegate to the Corporate Director Communities (post title will change to Executive Director Place and Regeneration effective 15 October 2025), in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Finance, Property and Regeneration, the programme management and change control of funding to meet the identified projects, and subject to approval of the project business plans by Executive Committee as identified within the report.