The Place Overview & Scrutiny Committee of Oxfordshire Council met on Wednesday 23 September 2026 to discuss a range of topics including an update on Thames Valley Police's performance, progress on Movement and Place Plans for West Oxfordshire Lowlands and Kidlington, and an update on active travel initiatives. The committee also reviewed responses to previous scrutiny recommendations and planned its future work programme.

Thames Valley Police and the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner

The committee was scheduled to receive an update from Matthew Barber, the Police and Crime Commissioner for Thames Valley, and Chief Superintendent Benedict Clark, Local Command Unit Commander for Oxfordshire. This discussion, part of the committee's Crime and Disorder Panel responsibilities, was expected to focus on progress made against the Police and Criminal Justice Plan. The committee was recommended to agree any recommendations it wished to make to Thames Valley Police or the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner.

Movement and Place Plans Update: West Oxfordshire Lowlands and Kidlington and the surrounding villages

A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to reviewing the Movement and Place Plans (MAP Plans) for West Oxfordshire Lowlands and for Kidlington and its surrounding villages. Councillor Gareth Epps, Cabinet Member for Transport, along with Paul Fermer (Director of Environment and Highways), Hannah Battye (Head of Place Shaping), and Benjamin Smith (Strategic Transport Manager), were invited to present the report and answer questions. The committee was asked to consider the reports and agree any recommendations it wished to make to Cabinet.

The West Oxfordshire Lowlands MAP Plan, the third such plan to be presented, aims to replace the current Area Strategies adopted in 2016 and support the Local Transport and Connectivity Plan (LTCP). It focuses on Witney and Carterton and surrounding villages, with particular attention to the A40 corridor. The Kidlington and Surrounding Villages MAP Plan, presented in its consultation version, aims to provide feedback and gather further input. Both plans are intended to be live documents, subject to annual or biennial updates.

Transport Working Group (Active Travel) Update

An update was scheduled on the progress made against the recommendations of the Transport Working Group concerning active travel. These recommendations had been endorsed by the committee in April 2025 and submitted to Cabinet in June 2025. Responses from Cabinet had been received in September 2025, and the committee was to be updated on the progress of implementing these recommendations.

Committee Action and Recommendation Tracker

The committee was recommended to note the progress of previous recommendations and actions arising from earlier meetings.

Committee Forward Work Plan

The committee was asked to agree its work programme for forthcoming meetings, taking into account any changes from previous iterations, the Cabinet Forward Plan, and the Budget Management Monitoring Report.

Responses to Scrutiny Recommendations

Cabinet's responses to previous reports from the Place Overview and Scrutiny Committee were presented for noting. These reports covered topics including Road Safety, Minerals and Waste Planning, the Protocol for Flag Flying, an Unauthorised Waste Disposal Site near Kidlington, and Bus Services and Rural Transport, including Mobility Hubs and School Streets.

Declarations of Interest

Attendees were reminded of their duty to declare any disclosable pecuniary interests when the relevant agenda item was reached or as soon as it became apparent. Guidance on what constitutes a disclosable pecuniary interest was provided, along with information on the Members' Code of Conduct and non-registrable interests.

The committee was also informed about the process for members of the public to request to speak on agenda items or present petitions, with a deadline of 9 am on Friday, 18 September 2026, for requests to be submitted.