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Executive - Wednesday, 11th December, 2024 2.00 pm

December 11, 2024 View on council website
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Summary

The meeting considered reports on the Council's performance, finances, parking strategy and the Local Plan 2031 1.

Local Plan Annual Monitoring Report 2023-24

The Executive noted the Local Plan Annual Monitoring Report 2023-24. This report 2 summarises the implementation and effectiveness of the policies in the Local Plan 2031 during the period from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024. The report also summarises the progress made on the Salt Cross Garden Village Area Action Plan (AAP), the introduction of the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL)3, Supplementary Planning Documents, Neighbourhood Planning, and the Council's Duty to Co-operate.

The Executive Member for Planning, Councillor Hugo Ashton, stated that he had written to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government to seek clarification on the Government’s position regarding the adoption of net zero targets in Local Plans.

Councillor Julian Cooper asked what the arrangements would be regarding access to Woodstock from the proposed new housing development north of Hill Rise. The Head of Planning said that they would provide a written response on this.

Service Performance Report 2024-25 Quarter Two

The Executive noted the Service Performance Report 2024-25 Quarter Two. This report 4 summarises the performance of the Council’s services during the period from 1 July 2024 to 30 September 2024.

The Council has continued to perform well in most areas. For example, it has continued to meet its targets for determining planning applications, collecting council tax and business rates, and processing housing benefit and council tax support claims.

The Executive Member for Leisure and Major Projects, Councillor Tim Sumner, said that the Council was ahead of target on its leisure centre footfall.

Draft Budget 2025 – 2026, Version One

The Executive noted the Draft Budget 2025 – 2026, Version One. This report 5 summarises the Council’s initial proposals for the budget for 2025/26 and sets out the financial context in which the Council is operating.

The Council’s finances are in a relatively healthy position at present, but the financial outlook is uncertain. There are a number of risks to the Council’s budget in the medium term including the impact of the proposed reforms to local government finance, the ending of the New Homes Bonus scheme 6 and the ending of the current leisure contract in 2027.

The Council has proposed a number of growth requests for 2025/26, including the creation of a number of new posts, such as a Tree Officer, a Planning Enforcement Officer, a Property Lawyer, a RICS Building Surveyor, and a Waste Transformation Lead.

The Executive Member for Finance, Councillor Alaric Smith, explained that the first draft of the budget had assumed that there would be no fundamental changes to government funding in 2025/26.

Councillor Andy Graham stated that the Council is in a better position than most, but that the picture from 2026/27 onwards was less optimistic with an unsustainable reliance on the use of reserves to fund front line services.

Mid-Point Review of Car Parking Strategy

The Executive noted the Mid-Point Review of Car Parking Strategy. This report 7 summarises progress made on the recommendations of the ‘Review of Car Parks’ report, which was approved by the Executive in October 2023.

The Council has completed a number of actions relating to car parking, including the changing of the restriction time in Zone G of the Woolgate car park to permit long stay, the completion of condition surveys on all of the Council’s car parks, the upgrading of car park signage, and the carrying out of line painting in the Guildenford car park.

The Council is continuing to monitor the use of the Guildenford car park in Burford and the Hensington Road car park in Woodstock to assess whether there is sufficient parking capacity in these locations.

The Business Manager for Service Support explained that the Council had carried out a number of actions following engagement with customers and Burford Town Council about the Guildenford car park. These include: the assessment of flood risk and the identification of a potential solution in the form of a sump; the consideration of alternative parking solutions including the acquisition of additional land and the extension of the current car park; the assessment of whether any of the existing landscaping in the car park could be removed to provide additional parking spaces.

The Council has also liaised with Oxfordshire County Council about the faded give way markings at the entrance to the Guildenford car park, and these have now been repainted.


  1. This is the current planning framework for West Oxfordshire District Council and contains planning policies that will guide development and the determination of planning applications in the District until a new Local Plan is in place. 

  2. You can read the full report here: AMR 2023_24 - Draft Covering Report November 2024 191124, and the annex here: AMR 2023 - 2024 Draft - Annex 1 191124 

  3. The Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) is a planning charge, introduced by the Planning Act 2008, that local authorities can choose to charge on new development in their area. The money can be used to fund a wide range of infrastructure that is needed as a result of development, such as new or safer roads, new flood defences, schools, hospitals, and other health and social care facilities, play areas and parks and green spaces. 

  4. You can read the report and the annexes here: West Executive Agenda - Perfomance Report 2024-25 Quarter Two, Annex A - Priority Report, Annex B - Action Tracker Q2 2024-25 and Annex C - Performance Report Q2 2024-2025

  5. You can read the full report and annexes here: Budget Paper for Exec - updated, Annex A - MTFS and Annex B - Capital Programme Dec

  6. The New Homes Bonus scheme is a grant paid by central government to local authorities in England for increasing the number of homes and their use. 

  7. You can read the full report and annexes here: Mid point Review of Car Parking strategy Sep 24 Draft 4.4, Annex A - data report 18.01.24 - 20.07.24 and Annex B Copy of Condition Survey - WODC Car Parks - AT Edit V3 - Front Sheet PDF

Attendees

Alison Borrett
Chris Hargraves
Hannah Kenyon
Gemma Moreing
Andrew Thomson
Profile image for Councillor Julian Cooper
Councillor Julian Cooper  Chair of Uplands Area Planning Sub-Committee •  Liberal Democrats •  Woodstock and Bladon
Profile image for Councillor Dan Levy
Councillor Dan Levy  Liberal Democrats •  Eynsham and Cassington
Profile image for Councillor Carl Rylett
Councillor Carl Rylett  Vice Chair of West Oxfordshire District Council •  Liberal Democrats •  Eynsham and Cassington
Ana Prelici
Profile image for Councillor Andy Graham
Councillor Andy Graham  Leader of the Council; Chair of Performance and Appointments Committee; Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group •  Liberal Democrats •  Charlbury and Finstock
Profile image for Councillor Duncan Enright
Councillor Duncan Enright  Deputy Leader of the Council; Executive Member for Economic Development, Vice-Chair Performance and Appointments Committee; Leader of the Labour Group. •  Labour and Co-operative •  Witney East
Profile image for Councillor Lidia Arciszewska
Councillor Lidia Arciszewska  Executive Member for Environment. •  Liberal Democrats •  Freeland and Hanborough
Profile image for Councillor Hugo Ashton
Councillor Hugo Ashton  Executive Member for Planning. •  Liberal Democrats •  Burford
Profile image for Councillor Rachel Crouch
Councillor Rachel Crouch  Executive Member for Stronger, Healthy Communities •  Labour •  Witney South
Profile image for Councillor Andrew Prosser
Councillor Andrew Prosser  Executive Member for Climate Action and Nature Recovery. •  Green Party •  Witney North
Profile image for Councillor Geoff Saul
Councillor Geoff Saul  Executive Member for Housing and Social Care •  Labour and Co-operative •  Chipping Norton
Profile image for Councillor Alaric Smith
Councillor Alaric Smith  Executive Member for Finance; Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group. •  Liberal Democrats •  Bampton and Clanfield
Profile image for Councillor Tim Sumner
Councillor Tim Sumner  Executive Member for Leisure and Carterton Area Strategy •  Liberal Democrats •  Stonesfield and Tackley
Giles Hughes
Madhu Richards
Andrea McCaskie
Frank Wilson
Bill Oddy
Phil Martin
Claire Locke
Jon Dearing
Andrew Brown
Helen Blundell
Anne Learmonth
Christine Elsasser
Maria Harper

Topics

No topics have been identified for this meeting yet.

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