This week, the South Oxfordshire District Council's Cabinet held a meeting on Thursday 27 June 2024. The key decisions made during the meeting are summarised below.

Oxfordshire Councils Charter

The Cabinet reviewed the Oxfordshire Councils Charter, which commits the county's councils to collaborate on addressing the climate emergency, improving residents' health and wellbeing, and enabling sustainable economic growth. The Charter, initially agreed upon in February 2023, outlines a shared vision for Oxfordshire to be a global leader in these areas. Councillor Ian Snowdon expressed strong support for the Charter, stating:

I'm very supportive of this. It's a very important piece of work. I think it's good to see this coming back for review.

The Cabinet unanimously voted to note the Charter and its upcoming review in 2025.

Local Authority Housing Fund Round 3

The Cabinet discussed the Local Authority Housing Fund Round 3, a government initiative aimed at increasing affordable housing supply through grants for financially unviable building projects. The Council has previously received funding for 19 affordable housing units at Icknield Way, Chinnor, and 12 units at the former Youth Centre site in Watlington.

The Cabinet approved a draft memorandum of understanding with other Oxfordshire councils to collaborate on future projects awarded funding. Councillor David Rouane, the Leader of the Council, highlighted the potential benefits of this collaboration:

My question really was about the scale and ambition of what we might be able to do if we worked together.

The Cabinet agreed to delegate authority to the Chief Executive to sign the final version of the memorandum.

Traffic Regulation Orders for Parking in Thame

A significant topic of discussion was the new Traffic Regulation Orders for parking in Thame. The new order includes provisions for new charges at the Cattlemarket and Southern Road car parks, which are currently free. The order was supported by 27% of consultation respondents and opposed by 67%.

Councillor Nick Carter proposed amendments to the scheme, including:

That the first 3 hours free parking to apply at all long stay car parks in Thame, on Monday to Saturday, 8am to 6pm.

Councillor David Rouane supported the amendment, emphasizing the need to balance charges for regular users with the benefits for residents, visitors, and shoppers:

I'd want to see the balance shifted so that we're moving more towards people paying if they are regular users of the car parks for work and less towards punishing residents, visitors, and shoppers who want to come into the town, which is the opposite of what we want to achieve.

Councillor Snowdon also spoke in favour of free parking, noting its positive impact on local businesses:

We know that free parking increases footfall and benefits the high street, and the businesses on the high street.

The Cabinet voted to approve the amended order.

Performance Report

The Cabinet reviewed the council's performance against its targets for the quarter ending March 2024. The report covered various service areas, including planning, housing, and environmental health. While the council is performing well in most areas, there are some where improvement is needed.

Climate Action Plan

Lastly, the Cabinet received an update on the progress of the council's Climate Action Plan. The plan aims to reduce the council's carbon emissions to net zero by 2030. The Cabinet noted that good progress is being made, but acknowledged that more work is required to meet the ambitious target.

For more details on the meeting, you can access the full transcript and supporting documents here.