FROM CLLR LORRAINE LINDSAY-GALE

REPORT TO PARISH COUNCILS JULY 2019

OXFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL  |  WWW.NUNEHAMCOURTENAY.ORG.UK

PILOT PROJECT COULD RESTRICT TRAFFIC OUTSIDE OXFORDSHIRE SCHOOLS IN A BID TO REDUCE AIR POLLUTION

The county council is considering the possibility of launching a ‘School Streets’ pilot project. The project aims to reclaim roads outside schools from traffic at the start and end of each day, reducing air pollution outside the school gates and making it easier for children to walk, cycle or scoot to school.

Two years ago, the east London borough of Hackney developed a blueprint for restricting traffic outside schools at opening and closing times. Seven schools are participating and since the  launch of ‘School Streets’, the proportion of children cycling to school has increased by more than 50 per cent, with traffic outside the school gates reducing by around two-thirds.

Following a successful Oxfordshire Schools Clean Air Network seminar at County Hall on Clean Air Day, six Oxfordshire schools have already expressed interest in joining the pilot.

HELP AT HAND FOR RESIDENTS APPLYING TO THE EUROPEAN UNION SETTLEMENT SCHEME

Support is being offered to EU, EEA or Swiss citizens applying for settled or pre-settled status in the UK. Residents completing the ID verification process to the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) can get help at the Oxford Register Office and 16 libraries across the county.

Residents completing an online application are required to scan their identity documents using a compatible Android phone or tablet.

If their device doesn’t have near field communication (NFC), they can visit one of 16 libraries to make use of an Android device to complete the first part of the application process; scanning your documents. Once this is completed, they can complete the application on any device or computer.  Residents requiring assistance to scan their documents can drop into the Oxford Register Office, where staff are providing support.

NHS ANNOUNCES OXFORDSHIRE WILL BE PART OF NEW JOINED-UP HEALTH AND CARE SYSTEM

Oxfordshire is to be part of a new ‘integrated care systems’ created by the NHS in England to improve health and social care services. The new joined up care system also covers Buckinghamshire and Berkshire West.

The NHS and local authorities in the three areas aim to deliver a person-centred vision for health and care services, making sure services are planned and delivered as locally as possible. Health and care organisations will work collectively to bring better health outcomes for people and ensure effort is not duplicated or resources wasted.

About integrated care systems

Local services can provide better and more joined-up care for patients when different organisations work together in this way. For staff, improved collaboration can help to make it easier to work with colleagues from other organisations. Integrated care systems can better understand data about local people’s health, allowing them to provide care that is tailored to individual needs.

By working alongside councils and drawing on the expertise of others such as local charities and community groups, the local authorities and the NHS can help people to live healthier lives for longer, and to stay out of hospital when they do not need to be there.

MOVING FORWARD WITH HOUSING INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDING BIDS

Oxfordshire County Council is now concluding contract negotiations in the next few months to formally secure infrastructure funding relating to four strategic transport projects in the Didcot Garden Town area. This relates to our successful Housing Infrastructure Funding (HIF) £218 million bid announced in the Spring Statement.

The county council is also working with Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government and Highways England to complete the clarification stage of its £102m HIF bid projects associated with the A40 between Witney and Oxford, known as the A40 smart corridor. Consultants acting on behalf of Oxfordshire County Council have submitted a planning application for a proposed park and ride site, located on the A40 north-west of Eynsham and the first components of the scheme, which aims to:

• Support jobs and housing growth and economic vitality;
• Reduce transport emissions and meet our obligations to Government;
• Protect, and where possible enhance Oxfordshire’s environment and improve quality of life
• Improve public health, air quality, safety and individual wellbeing.

We are hopeful of hearing the outcome of the bid in the next few months.  If we are successful in this second HIF bid, it will mean we’ll have secured £535 million of infrastructure funding for Oxfordshire since signing the Growth Deal in just over a year.

The Growth Deal is now in its second year of delivery and £30m of investment was achieved in the first year. Work is continuing to deliver infrastructure investment across over forty individual schemes in the County.

MAJOR PROGRESS ON IMPROVING OXFORDSHIRE’S ROADS

Repairs and improvements on Oxfordshire’s roads continue with more than 34,000 potholes repaired over the last year, a 45 per cent increase on the previous year – and there’s more major repairs to come over the summer.

The county council recently announced an extra £13m for road maintenance for this financial year on top of its existing £18.5m programme of work – this follows last year’s additional £12m boost. The strategy is paying off with 34,159 potholes repaired compared to 23,486 the year before.

This year’s additional money will be spent across Oxfordshire’s towns and villages on resurfacing, drainage, bridge repairs and footways.

Last year’s extra cash saw more than 37 extra miles of road being resurfaced through a range of methods which also included surface dressing and micro-asphalting – both of which make road surfaces waterproof and extend their life.

CELEBRATING A CARING OXFORDSHIRE COUPLE DURING SHARED LIVES WEEK

Oxfordshire couple Sue and Tim Clayton have been rewarded for 25 years’ dedication to the Shared Lives scheme when their long service was recognised at the Oxfordshire Association of Care Providers awards.

Shared Lives is funded by the county council and allows adults in need of practical and emotional support to live their lives more fully and independently and feel part of a family household.

Shared Lives Carers provide anything from occasional short breaks or daytime support through to a longer-term, full-time arrangement. There are currently 80 carers providing a home for about 120 adults in the county and the Shared Lives team is keen to recruit more as it celebrates Shared Lives Week. All carers receive ongoing support and training from social workers to ensure delivery of high-quality, person-centred care.

ROB MACDOUGALL APPOINTED NEW CHIEF FIRE OFFICER

Rob MacDougall has been appointed as Oxfordshire County Council’s new Director of Community Safety and Chief Fire Officer. Rob is currently Assistant Chief Fire Officer and will replace Simon Furlong, who is retiring from the post. “Taking on the role of Director of Community Safety and the Chief Fire Officer will be a huge privilege and a dream position for me,” said Rob. “I joined the Fire and Rescue Service in 1998, and apart from a short secondment with the Ghana National Fire Service, have enjoyed a wide and varied career here in Oxfordshire

ANSAF AZHAR NAMED AS COUNTY COUNCIL’S NEW DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC HEALTH

Ansaf Azhar has been appointed as Oxfordshire County Council’s new Director of Public Health. Ansaf was the Interim Director of Public Health for Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council in the West Midlands and will take up his new post in August. “I am thrilled to join Oxfordshire County Council as the new Director of Public Health,” said Ansaf. “I started my career as a pharmacist and soon moved into Public Health as I am passionate about improving population health and reducing inequalities.

NEW ALCOHOL SERVICE GIVES MIDDLE-AGED DRINKERS SOMEWHERE TO TURN

Research has shown young people in Oxfordshire are drinking less but in contrast more people over 40 are turning to alcohol to ease the pressures of work and home life.

Now funding has been secured for the creation of a new standalone service provided by Turning Point, the community drug and alcohol service which provides comprehensive treatment and care for any adults in Oxfordshire experiencing problems with drugs and alcohol.

The new alcohol clinic will support those people who wouldn’t necessarily identify as being dependent on alcohol. This will include those who have been referred by GPs or the Alcohol Care Team at the John Radcliffe Hospital but can be used by anyone who feels they need support. Turning Point is commissioned by Oxfordshire County Council’s Public Health team and has treatment hubs in Oxford, Banbury, Didcot and Witney. The Public Health team seeks to promote, improve and protect the health of local people. It’s all part of the council’s commitment to thriving communities – we help people live safe, healthy lives and play an active part in their community. Turning Point can be contact on 0300 0134 776.

FROM CLLR LORRAINE LINDSAY-GALE

REPORT TO PARISH COUNCILS MAY 2019

OXFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL  |  WWW.NUNEHAMCOURTENAY.ORG.UK

SIX RECYCLING CENTRES SET FOR SPRING CLEAN IN MAY

 During May six of OCC’s Household Waste Recycling Centres will be closing for two days to carry out a deep clean and essential maintenance at the sites. This is part of the council’s planned approach to maintenance, and is designed to keep sites safe, looking clean and fresh and helping improve the customer experience when using these much valued facilities. Only one site will be closed at any one time and all other sites will be open on those days. Residents are asked to plan ahead for these closures, ideally holding on to your waste until the site reopens or if that is not possible visiting one of the neighbouring sites. Site Closure Dates:

• Alkerton – Wednesday 8th & Thursday 9th May
• Ardley – Tuesday 14th & Wednesday 15th May
• Drayton – Thursday 16th & Friday 17th May
• Stanford – Tuesday 21st & Wednesday 22nd May
• Oakley Wood- Thursday 23rd & Friday 24th May
• Redbridge – Wednesday 29th & Thursday 30th May

For those residents with permits, please note that these can be used at any of the sites.

MORE THAN 93 PER CENT GET THEIR FIRST CHOICE OF PRIMARY SCHOOL FOR 2019

 More than nine out of ten parents whose children are set to enter the classroom for the first time this September have been offered their first choice of primary school in Oxfordshire. A total of 93.39 per cent of the 7,125 applicants have received their first choice – above all recent national averages across the UK. The consistent high number of first choices achieved in Oxfordshire is due to the county council’s careful forward planning to make sure the right numbers of school places exist – since 2010 the council has created more than 10,000 new primary school places. That means that since 2010 the number of primary school places in Oxfordshire has risen by 22 per cent. About a fifth of that has been achieved via the building and opening of new schools and the rest through expansions of existing schools – new buildings, making better use of existing accommodation, or marginal increases in admission numbers. This year’s figure of 93.39 per cent for first preference offers compares with the 2018 figure of 92.77 per cent. Although the national average for 2019 will not be published for some time, Oxfordshire remains ahead of the averages for 2018 (91 per cent) and 2017 (90 per cen

HENLEY-ON-THAMES REVEALED AS START LOCATION FOR WOMEN’S CYCLING RACE

Henley-on-Thames will be the start location for stage three of the OVO Energy Women’s Tour professional cycling race. Full details of the Oxfordshire route were revealed at a ceremony at the town’s Leander Club – home to rowing greats like Sir Steve Redgrave CBE and Rebecca Romero – on Monday 15 April. The famous South Oxfordshire town will host a Big Bike Breakfast on the morning of the race, Wednesday 12 June. Crowds will line the streets, cheering off participants on the 145 kilometre-leg that will finish outside Blenheim Palace in West Oxfordshire. Elite cyclist Sophie Wright announced that Oxfordshire’s race section will start from Market Place in the centre of Henley. Oxfordshire’s county, city and district councils announced last month that a stage of the OVO Energy Women’s Tour, the UK’s most prestigious women’s cycle race, had been agreed to race through the county for the next three years, in partnership with event organisers SweetSpot Group. From Henley, stage three will traverse the Chilterns via Pishill to Watlington, before returning via the climb of Britwell Hill to

through Didcot, Harwell and Wantage, crossing the Vale of White Horse to Faringdon, before looping through the West Oxfordshire towns of Burford, Charlbury and finally Woodstock in the closing kilometres.

END.

Oxfordshire County Council Report March 2019

FROM CLLR LORRAINE LINDSAY-GALE

OXFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL  |  WWW.NUNEHAMCOURTENAY.ORG.UK

COUNCIL BUDGET PASSED ON 12^TH FEBRUARY

1. COMMUNITIES TO BE OFFERED HELP WITH YOUTH SERVICES

Youth Provision across Oxfordshire was given a £1 million boost by the Conservative Independent Alliance at the budget-setting meeting on February 12^th. It was disappointing that both the Labour and Liberal Democrat groups voted against this proposal, which could have had cross-party support. Young people and their families in Oxfordshire will now benefit from improved community-run youth services. Youth groups will be invited to bid in to a £1m fund over two years, with encouragement to find match-funding from their local communities. Details of the application process will be published shortly.

2. COUNTY COUNCIL TO INVEST IN SCHOOLS, TRANSPORT AND STREETLIGHTING

Other measures that form part of the approved Budget include highway improvements, new school buildings and energy-efficient street-lighting thanks to a £1 billion investment over the next ten years. However, the county council is also warning that funding pressure on services remains as demand for social care for vulnerable children and adults continues grow and continued financial prudence is required to meet those demands.

Transport schemes across the county will improve journeys for drivers, pedestrians, cyclists and public transport users. Nearly £20m will be invested to increase the provision of school places for children with special needs in the county, including rebuilding Northfield School in Oxford with more pupil places.

Capital funding is for large one-off projects such as highway repairs or building work to assist the council meet its obligations, such as creating extra school places – as opposed to the normal revenue budget which covers funding for the costs of day-to-day services. Most of the funding for capital programme is made up of government funding and developer contributions, which cannot be used for any other purpose.

The capital programme includes a £41m street-lighting improvement programme with traditional lanterns being replaced with more energy efficient LED lighting, saving money in the long-run.

Pressure on funding for day-to-day council services continues as the council increases funding to support of Oxfordshire’s most vulnerable children and adults. To make sure the growing number of children at risk of abuse and neglect are protected, the children’s social care budget has increased annually. It was £46m in 2011 and is forecast to be £95m in 2022/23 – more than doubling in ten years. The council’s budget for adult social care will increase by £5m in 2019/20, with further annual increases reaching nearly £6m by 2022/23.

The planned redesign of the council around the changing needs of residents and communities will maintain or improve services, with investment in digital technology enabling us to save money in the process – OCC is now reviewing the digital technology needed to make the council run more effectively and efficiently, including improving customer service by making it easier to access services online. The council has identified savings of £50m from changing the way services are delivered and has already started implementing these changes, including improving online ‘self-service’ HR and finance systems used by staff. As part of the partnership with Cherwell District Council, legal services for the two councils are being joined up.

INVESTMENT IN REPAIRING OXFORDSHIRE’S ROADS CONTINUES

OCC will be spending an extra £13m on capital funding on road maintenance in the coming financial year. This is on top of its existing £18.5m programme of work and follows last year’s additional £12m boost which saw more than 37 extra miles of road being resurfaced through a range of methods including surface dressing and micro-asphalting – both of which make road surfaces waterproof and extend their life. This year’s additional money will be spent across Oxfordshire on resurfacing, drainage, bridge repairs and footways. One of the major projects confirmed for later this year will see the A40 from Thornhill to Headington Roundabout (inbound) resurfaced, benefitting thousands of road users every day.

HEALTHWATCH OXFORDSHIRE PUBLISHES FINDINGS OF DAYTIME SUPPORT REVIEW

OCC’s Adult Social Care department asked the health and social care watchdog to undertake an independent review of the services after major changes in how they were delivered in October 2017. On that date, OCC’s Health and Wellbeing Centres and Learning Disability Daytime Support Services were replaced with a new Community Support Service as planned, securing the services for the future. The services are located in Abingdon, Banbury, Bicester, Didcot, Oxford, Wallingford, Wantage and Witney. They provide daytime support for both older people and those with learning disabilities. The review focused specifically on user experiences during the process of change to help evaluate the impact it had on people. The service has been working hard since the launch to ensure that people are at the centre of all service developments. The review found that people said that daytime support made a difference to their lives and they valued it for: social connection and friendships; meaningful activity; independence; reducing isolation and loneliness; and supporting carers to continue caring.

DELAYED TRANSFER OF CARE IMPROVEMENTS 

The latest published figures on people who are unnecessarily in hospital while they await care have been published. The figures for December 2018 show that on average 85 Oxfordshire residents had their hospital discharge delayed. This is five fewer than in November and 20 less than the same time last year. Oxfordshire’s improvement remains better than nationally. In the last 12 months delays have dropped by 19% locally compared to 11% nationally.

END.

Oxfordshire County Council Report March 2019