The Overview and Scrutiny Committee met on Wednesday 20 May 2026 to discuss financial performance, service delivery, procurement strategy, and the council's investment property portfolio. Key decisions included recommending the exploration of a separate fund for project start-up costs and notifying ward members of grant applications, as well as incorporating video clips into future recycling campaigns.

Supporting Community Services - Crowdfunder UK Approach

Councillor Sandra Coleman, Executive Member for Stronger, Healthy Communities, presented a report outlining a proposed new grants scheme to be hosted by Crowdfunder UK. The scheme aims to streamline decision-making and was welcomed for its potential to extend beyond the council's lifespan and remove platform fees for not-for-profit groups. While the application process would remain rigorous, the council could offer support to applicants. The committee discussed the feasibility of providing financial support for start-up costs and the need for groups to be realistic about funding requests. It was proposed to delegate funding award decisions to the Director of Place in consultation with relevant Executive Members. Some members felt ward councillors should be involved in the application or decision process. The committee resolved to recommend to the Executive that the council explore establishing a separate fund for project start-up costs and that ward members be notified when applications are submitted in their wards.

Quarterly Financial Performance Report Q4

Councillor Alaric Smith, Executive Member for Finance, introduced the report on the council's financial performance for the 2025/26 financial year. He highlighted a better-than-expected outturn due to strong income and treasury returns, presenting an opportunity to strengthen reserves. While some capital schemes had slipped into the next financial year, the council was noted to have managed its finances effectively. Discussions revealed that income from Green Waste licenses was behind target, though the council prioritised affordability with the cheapest fee in Oxfordshire, which had been frozen. The viability of part-year green waste licenses was deemed too administratively burdensome. A report on a county-wide waste services partnership was anticipated in the Autumn. The issue of fly-tipping of bulky waste was raised, with a note that Oxford City Council offers two free bulky waste collections per year, a model that could be considered. High interest rates were seen as beneficial for short-term investments.

Quarterly Service Performance Report Q4

Councillor Alaric Smith also presented the quarterly service performance report for Q4 of 2025/26. Salt Cross Garden Village had reached a significant milestone with its Area Action Plan agreed, and an outline planning application was expected in the autumn. Fourteen projects were receiving funding through Westhive round 6. Overall performance was strong across key services, including planning application timescales, income, customer satisfaction, leisure participation, Council Tax collection, and affordable housing delivery. Missed bin performance was within target. However, a small number of services, such as the processing of Housing Benefit and Council Tax Support changes, had performed below target, with an improvement plan in place for the land charges service. A project to increase recycling rates, including communications on food waste, was underway.

During the discussion, the committee noted that the percentage of fixed penalty notices per fly-tip was the lowest in the county, despite preventative work, due to the time-consuming nature of enforcement casework. The council's leisure partner, GLL, was to be asked to review data capture. The usefulness of customer satisfaction data concerning the controllable elements of the Disabled Facilities Grants process was highlighted. The transfer of some Land Charges functions to the Land Registry had resulted in more complex workloads for the council's team, necessitating the recruitment of a new staff member. Improvements to the customer experience at the Woodgreen reception were also considered. The introduction of the Community Infrastructure Levy was welcomed. An issue with waste being dropped or falling from bins during collection was noted. The Business Information, Performance & Improvement Manager agreed to share further information on fly-tipping enforcement rates, the increase in fly-tipping instances, work with the County Council on waste and traveller sites, the Windrush in Witney project, Community Infrastructure Levy performance, youth engagement activity reports, and lessons learned from the Nature Recovery Growth bid. The committee resolved to recommend that the council incorporates video clips in future recycling campaigns to maximise impact and reach.

Procurement and Contract Management Strategy

Councillor Alaric Smith presented an updated draft Procurement and Contract Management Strategy, primarily revised in response to the Procurement Act 2023 and external auditor recommendations. The strategy is designed to guide the council through to Local Government Reorganisation. The Senior Business Partner for Procurement highlighted the role of the Commissioning and Procurement Board in contract review and the alignment of Contract Procedure Rules with the Procurement Act 2023. Commitments to sustainable procurement and supporting local small and medium enterprises (SMEs) were emphasised, including the ability to restrict certain opportunities to local suppliers within Oxfordshire. The strategy also included measures to strengthen safeguarding against modern slavery and ensure social value and sustainability. Discussions noted an ongoing exercise within Oxfordshire to build shared knowledge of contracts in preparation for Local Government Reorganisation.

Annual Update on Investment Property Portfolio

Councillor Alaric Smith introduced the annual update on the council's investment property portfolio. The Head of Assets reported that negotiations were underway for unit 10 at Marriotts Walk, but tenant details could not be discussed in open session. Kilkenny Country Park is managed by Ubico, with maintenance of the grass undertaken on instruction from the Biodiversity Team, and new benches and concrete pads were being procured. The report focused on properties classified as investments, excluding those like Marriotts Walk and Woolgate. The council's capital strategy had a targeted ratio of property assets to financial assets of 65:35, with the current ratio at 67:33. The value of the investment portfolio was £42.44m, a decrease from the previous year due to the sale of Knight's Court. Rental incomes had reduced, attributed to commercial tenants seeking more lease flexibility.

Committee Work Programme

Members discussed potential areas for future focus, including the Leisure Update, with a request for a representative from GLL to attend and for questions to be submitted in advance. Similarly, advance submission of questions for quarterly financial and service performance reports was encouraged. The Chair suggested that any task and finish groups should report back to the committee before submitting recommendations to the Executive. Suggestions for the work plan included Section 106 agreements and the process for granting licences. The committee agreed to review business for the September meeting in July and consider revisiting the start time of meetings. The Executive Work Programme was noted without comment.