Content

Resolved
 

(1)         
That the following
motion be adopted:
 
Mental Health Initiative

“The Labour Group would liketo increase the
impact of the existing mentalhealth programme whichwas startedby
theYouth Activatorsin conjunctionwith themental healthcharity MIND.
It is proposed thatthis is achieved by making the programme
longerand available through all schools, which we can achieve by
partnering with the North Oxfordshire School Sports Partnershipto
identify schools where there werehigher levelsof needreported
initially.

 

Providing a 12-week programme in 11 schools per term
will results in all schools in the district benefittingwithin
twoyears. Theproposal wouldalso targetacademic years5 and6
inprimary and year 7, 10 and 11 in secondary as transition
years.

 

The costof theproposal is£0.035m peryear andis
proposedon anongoing basis.Funding can beprovided fromthe
generalcontingency budgetwithin PolicyContingency.

 

This council resolves to ask the Executive to
increase spending on the mental health initiatives currentlyin
placewithin theChief Executive’sdirectorate tobe fundedby
anallocation fromthe Policy Contingency budget.”
 

(2)         
That the following
motion be adopted:
 
Spare
Seats Scheme
“Oxfordshire County Council has not run its Spare Seats
scheme for school bus places well in recent years. Parents and
carers have too often been left in an unenviable position following
changes, with consultation of Cherwell District Council too often
lacking about changes affecting its wards and schools.
 
On 26
June, the Oxford Mail reported that:

 

“Oxfordshire County Council is withdrawing its
Spare Seats scheme for pupils travelling from Middle Barton and The
Bartons villages to Chipping Norton School.

 

“It follows a furore last year when the
council scrapped the scheme on nine routes, affecting more than 200
children including at Wheatley Park School, The Warriner in Bloxham
and Wood Green in Witney.
 
Parental
choice remains an important principle of the current education
settlement and will remain so unless changed by a new government.
Whilst such a principle remains, it is important that local
government works with maintained schools and academies to
facilitate transport to
families’ preferred schools at reasonable cost.
 
Given that
County Hall’s most recent cancellations would appear to
imperil this important principle, the Council requests that its
Leader write to the Leader of Oxfordshire County Council setting
out in clear terms that, in future, Cherwell District Council would
expect to be more fully consulted upon all such changes affecting
families across North Oxfordshire.
 

(3)         
That the following
motion, as amended, be adopted:
 
Consultation on Congestion Commission
“On14 February,Oxfordshire CountyCouncil consideredsetting
upa CongestionCommission as part of its last budget debate.
Although this measure was not taken up at the time, this Council
now considers that it is time for such commission to ensure that
commuters intoOxford have a meaningful voice about how any policy
changes planned in County Hall affect their working
lives.
 
This
Council further notes that the administration at Oxfordshire County
Council has refused to rule out extending measures currently
planned for Oxford to Banbury, Bicester and Kidlington, despite
concerns from local businesses about the health of our high
streets.
 
Suchmeasures includeOxfordshire CountyCouncil’s
ambitioussuite oftraffic filters, workplace parking tax and
Low-Traffic Neighbourhoods, none of which have been ruled out for
Cherwell in future.
 
Wereall suchmeasures togo ahead,Oxfordshire motoristsand
workingpeople couldbe hitby £57millionin finesand
chargesover afive-year periodas follows:
 
ZeroEmissionsZone:£25m;
 
WorkplaceParking Levy:£21m;
 
Traffic Filters:£11m.
 
This
Council requests that its Leader write to the Leader of Oxfordshire
County Council requesting that Cherwell District Council be fully
consulted before any plans are put in train or capital expenditure
committed to introduce similar measures across North
Oxfordshire.”
 
For information, on being put to the vote, the motion on
“Member Briefings” was lost.