The Overview and Scrutiny Committee met on Wednesday 2 September 2026, discussing the performance of the council's leisure services and its financial and service performance for the first quarter of the financial year. The committee also established a new task and finish group to address the double taxation of managed housing estates and reviewed progress on existing working groups.

Leisure Update

The committee received an update on the performance of West Oxfordshire's leisure services, which have seen increased attendance and participation despite national trends. Councillor Tim Sumner, Executive Member for Arts, Culture and Sport, highlighted the council's commitment to investing in and improving its leisure facilities, citing Woodstock Pool as a success story. GLL, the leisure provider, reported on national initiatives such as athlete support through the GLL Sport Foundation and a graduate trainee management scheme, noting a local resident's success in the latter.

Key points from the update included:

• A contract extension for GLL's services until 2032, with ongoing collaboration on facility improvements and capital investment projects.
• A significant rise in membership numbers over the past two and a half years, attributed to facility enhancements, expanded programmes, and targeted marketing.
• Increased focus on adult swimming lessons and the success of Woodstock Pool, particularly after the refurbishment of its toddler pool.
• A slight reduction in overall participation, acknowledged as a national trend influenced by competition and cost-of-living pressures.

Members raised concerns about the cost of swimming lessons for families and enquired about potential discounts for children participating in school programmes. Lewis Brain, Partnership Manager for West Oxfordshire, suggested approaches such as discounted lessons at off-peak times and concessionary rates, acknowledging the need for greater engagement with schools. The committee also discussed the planned investment in Carterton Leisure Centre and the tracking of usage data at other sites like the Monohan Way Sports Pavillion. Concerns were raised about parking during events at leisure centres, and Lewis Brain agreed that future event planning would incorporate traffic management.

Delays to minor works at Witney pitches, timelines for the leisure centre improvement programme, and the possibility of later gym opening hours were also discussed. Lewis Brain indicated that extending opening hours could be considered if demand justified the additional running costs, and that trialling later hours might be explored if there was a clear business benefit. Updates to Woodstock Pool changing rooms, which had been postponed, were confirmed to be completed before the next season. Discussions also covered access control through turnstiles, cleanliness, and customer experience, with GLL staff expressing commitment to continuous improvement.

Quarter One Financial Performance Report

Councillor Alaric Smith, Executive Member for Finance, presented a positive financial performance report for the first quarter of 2026/27. The council reported a favourable revenue variance of £271,000 against the profiled budget. Development management was a strong contributor, generating a net surplus of £228,000 due to increased planning application activity and pre-application advice income.

While garden waste income was slightly below profile by £169,000, the service was still expected to achieve around 90% of its annual income target and make a net positive contribution of approximately £300,000. Bulky waste collection and recycling income were exceeding expectations, helping to offset higher recycling contract costs. No significant overspends were reported across council services, though officers noted it was early in the financial year.

The capital programme was progressing, with over £1 million spent against a £13.6 million programme. Key projects included roof replacement works at Carterton industrial estate, refurbishment of temporary accommodation, ongoing leisure centre improvements, and the procurement of four new electric food waste vehicles. Preparations for Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) were also underway, with finance officers focusing on financial arrangements for a stable transition.

In discussion, the committee noted that the LGR process would be financially transparent and viable. The green waste income, though below target, was still projected to be positive, and officers confirmed that the cost of running new electric vehicles represented an increase but was driven by the council's climate change priorities.

Quarter One Service Performance Report

The committee also reviewed the Quarter One Service Performance Report, which indicated that the majority of council services were meeting or exceeding key performance indicators. Good progress was reported on Council Plan priorities, including the Salt Cross Garden Village, the Carterton regeneration scheme, and town centre improvements in Witney. Marriot's Walk maintained high occupancy rates, and the Windrush Leisure Centre decarbonisation project was nearing completion. The new local plan had reached its public consultation milestone.

Areas of strong performance included the collection of non-domestic rates, processing times for council tax support and housing benefit, and missed bin performance. However, some services required improvement, notably land charges, where only 10.47% of searches were completed within 10 days against a 90% target. A recovery plan was in place to address this by the autumn. Affordable housing delivery was also below the quarterly target, with only 6 units delivered against a target of 69, though this was attributed to delivery being weighted towards the end of the year. An annual affordable housing target would be published alongside quarterly figures.

During the discussion, members welcomed the recovery plan for the land charge service and requested updates on the backlog and target achievement. The tracking of rough sleepers removed from temporary accommodation was also noted. Improvements to the speed and transparency of disability facility grants were requested. Concerns were raised about customer satisfaction surveys, specifically regarding the reception desk and the lack of a continuously manned entry point, which were agreed to be raised again.

Referred from Council: Motion C: Ending the Double Taxation of Managed Housing Estates

The committee considered a motion from the Council proposing the establishment of a cross-party working group to address the double taxation of managed housing estates. The committee agreed to form a task and finish group to undertake detailed discussions and develop recommendations. Councillor Michele Mead nominated the Chair, Councillor Andrew Beaney, to lead this group, a nomination which he accepted. Terms of reference for the group are to be drawn up and reported to a future meeting.

Updates from Task and Finish Groups

The Chair provided an update on existing task and finish groups, noting that none had yet met. Three proposed groups – Management Companies, Mental Health, and Neighbourhood Governance – remained under consideration. Councillor Rachel Crouch indicated her willingness to continue as Mental Health Champion and lead the Mental Health Task and Finish Group, with Councillor Alex Wilson also proposed to participate. Councillor Steve Cosier expressed interest in joining the proposed task and finish group on management companies.

Committee Work Programme and Executive Work Programme

During discussions on both the Committee and Executive Work Programmes, members raised concerns about unused Section 106 funding that was restricted to specific purposes, such as leisure facilities. They suggested exploring the redirection of this funding towards priorities like solar panels, climate projects, or flood resilience measures. Andrew Brown, Head of Democratic and Electoral Services, advised that changing the use of Section 106 funding was legally complex but noted that future reports on developer contributions would offer opportunities for scrutiny. Members were reminded of an upcoming briefing session to discuss these issues with officers.