Here is the monthly report from our County Councillor Lorraine Lindsay-Gale for February 2020: OCC Parish Report 202002

Here is the monthly report from our County Councillor Lorraine Lindsay-Gale for November 2019: County Councillor’s Report November 2019

FROM CLLR LORRAINE LINDSAY-GALE

REPORT TO PARISH COUNCILS JULY 2019

OXFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL  |  WWW.NUNEHAMCOURTENAY.ORG.UK

 

STATEMENT FROM CLLR IAN HUDSPETH, LEADER OXFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL

The decision by the new Liberal/Green coalition at South Oxfordshire District Council (SODC) to defer endorsing the emerging Local Plan has serious implications for the Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF) bid which would provide £218 million of vital infrastructure for the Didcot area.

The preferred options of the coalition at the council meeting on 18^th July were to either revise or withdraw the emerging Local Plan although any decision was deferred. Should either of these options be taken then the probable outcome is the collapse of the HIF bid with the consequent severe impact on the Didcot area infrastructure. This would then probably mean South’s existing Local Plan would come under pressure and large-scale speculative planning applications might come forward on inappropriate sites. Neighbourhood Plans that many town and parish councils have spent time working on will continue to provide some protection, but there is a real danger that developers might seek to exploit the situation as there would be no new Local Plan for Neighbourhood Plans to align with.

Problems are not confined to SODC; if there is no HIF then the Vale Local Plan could also fail.

This could mean that within months of new administrations in South & Vale taking office, both Local Plans might fail due to the loss of £218 million for vital infrastructure in Didcot. A further consequence could then be the failure of the £215 million Growth Deal which contains £60 million for much needed affordable homes.

The only way to protect both Local Plans and deliver £433 million funding for Oxfordshire is for SODC to confirm it will not withdraw the emerging Local Plan but will satisfy its ambitions by seeking a review at an appropriate time in the future.

 

Culham and Clifton Hampden Primary Schools to merge

Informal consultation has been taking place into merging Culham Parochial Primary School and Clifton Hampden CE Primary School.  Sadly, after all the efforts that were made to save the school some years ago, the numbers have been dwindling and have now reached the critical level of under 30.

A statutory notice will be served by mid September, and a public meeting will be held towards the end of the month. Representations can be made until mid October. So far, 18 children will transfer, who can be accommodated at Clifton Hampden, following some minor internal works to make better use of space. The County Council is arranging transport for these children.

 

More charging points to support electric vehicles
The electric car revolution is set to continue in Oxfordshire thanks to a successful county council bid for a slice of a £37m government fund. Oxfordshire is set to host to two major initiatives to provide more charging points for electric vehicles (EVs) across the county.

The projects have been awarded funding from Innovate UK as part of the government’s £37 million investment into British engineering to transform electric charging infrastructure, revolutionising the experience for the record levels of EV drivers on UK roads.

Park and Charge will see up to 300 chargers installed in residential ‘charging hubs’ using car parks located in residential areas where properties don’t have their own off-street parking.

 

Free school transport for disabled young people is retained

Young people with special education needs and disabilities will continue to be funded by Oxfordshire County Council, following a decision by Cabinet members on Tuesday, 16 July.

A cross-party group of councillors reviewed the service for students with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) aged 16 or older to find savings needed by the council in response to reduced government funding.

The council has worked with 14 SEND schools to identify the necessary £300,000 of savings for post-16 home to school transport; removing any current need to change existing SEND free transport arrangements. A separate fund has also been created to provide transport for children to go to after-school activities.

 

Radical changes that improve the lives of families are set to be introduced in Oxfordshire

A pioneering approach that has radically changed the way children’s social care operates in Hertfordshire is set to be adopted by Oxfordshire County Council.

The “Family Safeguarding” model has seen the number of children on child protection plans by fall 55 per cent in 30 months in Hertfordshire. Social workers have been working in small integrated teams centred around individual families in need alongside experts providing specialist mental health, drugs and alcohol, and domestic abuse services.

There has been 80 per cent rise in children in care from 2011 to 2019. There are now 780 children in care compared to 425. On current trends and without the changes we plan, children in care would rise to around 915 by 2023.

This new approach that has been pioneered in Hertfordshire will offer a way of beginning to reverse those trends.

 

Council seeks out more local foster carers

Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet has agreed a £1m investment in its in-house fostering service, which will increase the number of local carers and reduce the number of children who are placed with carers outside of Oxfordshire.

By enhancing the support given and amount paid to foster carers, the county council’s in-house service will become competitive with independent foster care agencies and other providers across the country.

Like all councils in England, Oxfordshire County Council has experienced large rises in the number of children entering care over the last decade. In 2011 there were 425 children in care, now there are around 780.

In April 2019, 54 per cent of foster care placements in Oxfordshire were with independent fostering agencies (IFAs) with the majority being out of county (144 in 2019). National best practice suggests a local authority should aim to have 70 per cent of their mainstream carers in-house.

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 

 

FROM CLLR LORRAINE LINDSAY-GALE

OXFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL  |  WWW.NUNEHAMCOURTENAY.ORG.UK

 

BUDGET 

 

COMMUNITIES TO BE OFFERED HELP WITH YOUTH SERVICES  

Young people and their families in Oxfordshire are now set to benefit from improved community-run youth services if county councillors agree grant funding when they set the council’s budget next week. 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. Feedback from residents points to strong support for improving community-run youth services, and this money would help existing projects expand and new ones get off the ground. By offering start-up funding, the council has already helped many community-run groups provide support for young children and families, and it is hoped the same could happen for youth services. Community-run youth services would complement the work of the county council’s Children’s Services department, which targets its resources at children at risk of abuse and neglect. This proposal has been made possible by better than expected Council Tax collection following growth in Oxfordshire. 

 

COUNTY COUNCIL TO INVEST IN SCHOOLS, TRANSPORT AND STREETLIGHTING 

Residents of Oxfordshire will see highway improvements, new school buildings and energy-efficient streetlighting thanks to a £1 billion investment over the next ten years as part of the county council’s budget. 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 are set for funding approval so the county council can 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.  

The proposed capital programme includes government funding through the Oxfordshire Growth Deal, agreed by all Oxfordshire councils. Elsewhere in the Capital Programme a £41m street lighting improvement programme continues to be part of the investment plan, with traditional lanterns to be replaced with more energy efficient LED lighting, saving money in the long-run. The ten-year capital programme is part of the council’s proposed budget for next year, which has been put forward following public consultation. The proposals will be put before all councillors on 12 February 2019. 

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 could increase by £5m in 2019/20, with further annual increases reaching nearly £6m by 2022/23 to increase support for the growing number of older and disabled people.  

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. 

 

 

CASH BOOST FOR FUTURE OF TRANSPORT IN OXFORDSHIRE 

Oxfordshire’s road users could see a technological revolution take place in the coming years that could involve important traffic information being used to help them to get around more easily thanks to a successful bid for £1.25m of Government funding. The cash, which has been through the national GovTech Catalyst initiative towards work to transform the existing Oxfordshire traffic management system – ready for the Government’s hoped-for introduction of connected vehicles by 2021 as well as other new mobility options, such as electric vehicles. Many people think of the new wave of transport in terms of cars. However, connected vehicles – anything that can be linked up via the internet to a wider system – could mean vans, buses, lorries, motor or pedal cycles. Even wheelchairs could take advantage of new technology to get around more easily. Everyone stands to benefit. Oxfordshire’s money will pay for researching how data – of which there is lots and from varied sources – could be used to help manage traffic in the future. 

 

MORE THAN 40,000 ROAD DEFECTS REPAIRED IN OXFORDSHIRE SINCE LAST WINTER 

OCC’s highways teams are out daily relentlessly resurfacing roads and pavements. They have been able to more work than last year thanks to the county council putting in extra cash over and above the normal budget in response to the problems caused during the last cold spell. Since January 2018 the council has repaired 40,117 defects. That’s an average of 3,652 repairs a month which is quite colossal compared to what was needed during the same time period the year before – a total of 34,677 defects were repaired between Jan-Dec 2017. Due to severe weather last winter, pothole fixing peaked between February and May with nearly 18,000 being repaired. The county council this year invested an extra £10m in road repairs which has resulted in extra major resurfacing projects being completed as well as smaller, but no less important, repairs being completed across Oxfordshire. 

 

 

BERINSFIELD BUS CLUB TO BE ESTABLISHED 

I am delighted that thanks to some great collaborative work between Jon Alcantara, the Europa School parent who runs the current Culham Bus Club, and the County Council, there will be a return bus service running from Berinsfield to Abingdon from now on. As it looks as if the Oxford Academy will be oversubscribed for places in September 2019, all new pupils getting places at Larkmead, Fitzharries, and John Mason will be entitled to free transport as their other nearest school (Wallingford) is also going to be full. I hope this great news will reassure parents that there will no longer be any financial barrier to their children going to the excellent Abingdon schools, which I know would be their preference. 

 

 

CULHAM TO GET SPEED LIMIT REDUCTION 

I agreed to fund an application from Culham Parish Council for a 40mph speed limit to be imposed all along the A415 between the 30mph limit at Abingdon and Culham, and along the length of the Burycroft. This new speed limit should be in place by early in April. 

 

 

END.

Oxfordshire County Council Report February 2019 

 

FROM CLLR LORRAINE LINDSAY-GALE

OXFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL  |  WWW.NUNEHAMCOURTENAY.ORG.UK

 

BUDGET PROPOSALS

Tough decisions taken since 2010 have created a route to financial stability at OCC as the council plans to set its 2019/20 budget at a time when all councils face financial challenges. The main budget proposals are:

• Investment of almost £6m by 2023 to increase care packages to meet assessed needs for adults with learning and physical disabilities. (Adult Social Care)
• An increase of £5.8m is proposed to be added to the budget in 2022/23 in adult social care to meet projected increased need as a result of the aging population. The council’s existing planning up to 2021/22 already includes provision for budget increases of £5.0m in 2019/20 and 2020/21 and £5.6m in 2021/22. (Adult Social Care)
• Invest £3.2m up to 2023 (£800,000 per year) to support the increasing number of children qualifying for school transport – in particular children with special educational needs. (Children, Education and Families)
• Invest £17m to support the predicted increasing numbers of children in care, including more permanent care staff (Children, Education and Families)

With regard to Council Tax, the council’s plan – agreed at the last budget in February 2018 – to raise Council Tax by 2.99 per cent in 2019/20 and 1.99 per cent in the years thereafter remains the same in the new budget proposals. However, funding for local government beyond 2020 is currently uncertain, with councils waiting for funding decisions from central government which will not be known until late 2019.

 

DELIVERING AN OLDER PEOPLE’S STRATEGY FOR OXFORDSHIRE

Living longer and living better is the drive behind a new Older People’s Strategy for Oxfordshire.

The strategy sets out how OCC and Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group will deliver a positive future for the county’s older population. It was developed following feedback over a three-month period. Residents, health and charity organisations, professionals, businesses, the public sector and community groups were engaged in the strategy development so it could be grounded in what people tell us matters most to them. The strategy’s vision and priorities were specifically co-produced with a wide range of people whose work and lives it affects. The strategy will be used to inform the planning, commissioning and delivery of services across Oxfordshire and will be monitored by the Better Care Fund Joint Management Group reporting to the Health and Wellbeing Board. To read the strategy and have your say online visit here https://consult.oxfordshireccg.nhs.uk/consult.ti/OPLLLB/consultationHome or request a paper copy of the strategy by calling 01865 334638. The closing date for comments is Feb 1, 2019.

 

DAYTIME SUPPORT SUSTAINABILITY GRANT AWARDS

Twenty-nine organisations have been recommended to receive grants from the county council’s adult social care Sustainability Fund. The fund was established last year as part of measures designed to enable the ongoing delivery of daytime support services in Oxfordshire. A grant pot of £250,000 was approved for 2019/20 and community and voluntary organisations were invited to apply for the fund between September 12 and November 2. To allocate the funding to as many organisations as possible, a panel of county councillors and people representing daytime services recommended that a maximum level of 70 per cent of the amount awarded in 2018/19 should be made where applicable. Among those services recommended for funding are Day Break Oxford (£50,000), Age UK (£27,500), October Club (£14,000) and Aspire (£12,500). Applications totalling £244,847 went before Cabinet on December 18.

 

SEND SUFFICIENCY STRATEGY GAINS APPROVAL

Plans to create significant new provision for Oxfordshire children with special educational needs (SEND) have been agreed by councillors, with a £15m investment set to create 300 new places which will involve a major rebuild for Northfield School in Oxford. The county council has conducted a wide-ranging review of its special educational needs provision in light of the large increases in the numbers of children with such needs entering the educational system in recent years and the forecast for continued increases in the future. The rebuild of Northfield School would be accompanied by a new school at Bloxham Grove in North Oxfordshire (due to open in 2020) and at Valley Park, Didcot (target date 2023) as part of a free school application process. At a national level, the Department for Education will be rolling out a new assessment approach for pupils with complex disabilities, from 2020. DfE has said “The statutory assessment will replace P scales 1 to 4 and will be based on the ‘7 aspects of engagement’, an assessment approach that focuses on pupils abilities in specific areas like awareness, curiosity and anticipation”. A guidance and training package will be developed and delivered to schools, local authorities, Ofsted and parents prior to programme roll out.

 

£10 MILLION PROGRAMME DELIVERING ROAD REPAIRS GETS £7M BOOST

Journeys on Oxfordshire’s roads have already been significantly improved in recent months thanks to an extra £10million being spent by OCC this year on repairing and improving road surfaces. Government announced in November that OCC would get £7.4 in additional funding to top-up this activity. A range of different methods of road repair and sealing are used to extend the life of county roads and reduce the likelihood of potholes forming which include resurfacing, patching, Dragon-patching and surface dressing.

 

OCC WELCOMES GOVERNMENT’S WASTE STRATEGY

OCC has welcomed the government’s new Waste and Resources Strategy for England, describing it as “ambitious”, with the potential to “transform the way that waste is viewed and managed.” Key points within the strategy include:

• Introduction of a Deposit Return Scheme for drinks containers to improve the amount recycled when out and about (known as ‘on the go’ recycling)
• Improved and extended redistribution of surplus food from businesses, and mandatory food waste collections from businesses and households.
• A national recycling target of 65 percent by 2035 (current national recycling rate is 45 percent)

OCC is committed to protecting the local environment as part of its Thriving Communities initiative.

 

OCC BEST PERFORMING COUNTY COUNCIL IN ENGLAND FOR ITS RECYCLING RATES

Oxfordshire has been named the best performing county council waste disposal authority in England for its recycling rates during 2017/18. The success reflects OCC’s commitment to work with districts to protect the environment. Figures published on Tuesday 11 December by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) show that Oxfordshire is the highest performing disposal authority, ahead of Buckinghamshire and Cambridgeshire.

Oxfordshire is ‘top of the pops’ in two categories:

• The highest proportion of waste which is reused, recycled and composted (57.2%)
• The lowest amount of general waste (non-recyclable waste) produced per household (430kg).

All Oxfordshire Councils recycled over 50% in 2017/18, (the national recycling rate is 45%). The county has seven Household Waste and Recycling Centres (HWRCs) that provide recycling facilities for a wide range of items, from batteries to clothes, fridges to plastic garden furniture, together with an incinerator complex at Ardley near Bicester. The HWRCs accept over 350 different waste streams, recycling around 60% of the waste accepted.

For further information about Oxfordshire County Council’s Household Waste Recycling Centres, visit www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/waste

 

 

REACTION TO SODC’S LOCAL PLAN PROPOSALS

Just before Christmas SODC councillors voted by a large majority to put their re-worked Local Plan forward for government inspection. As a long-time resident of South Oxfordshire and your County Councillor for ten years, I can only watch from the side-lines. My personal view is one of huge disappointment and frustration. The plan proposes more houses than we need which will completely alter the local environment that residents love and want to protect. However, as a County Council Cabinet Member I am mindful of and accept the County’s vision for growth and economic development. Oxfordshire is already one of the best performing areas in the country offering the prospect of a thriving economy for its residents well into the future. With more jobs come more people, and people have to live somewhere. Working families need genuinely affordable housing, which appears to be an impossible goal in this area. The County Council has ambitious plans to improve our infrastructure which I welcome, but much of this can only be funded by accepting more housing. I just hope the Planning Inspector charged with examining SODC’s proposals is up to the job.

 

Below is a statement made by Bev Hindle, OCC’s Strategic Director for Infrastructure at the recent SODC meeting. It may explain OCC’s official position:

“I am here this evening to provide my support and encouragement for you to recommend this Local Plan is taken forward to examination.

This emerging Local Plan has been emerging for some time and it has seen many iterations and may yet see some further changes, but I wanted to take the opportunity to explain why now is the right time to proceed:

Throughout its evolution, SODC were challenged to develop a robust Local Plan – one that provided:

– a strong narrative – a story about what it was trying to achieve, one which put more effort into delivering Plan-led and infrastructure supported development;

– a more robust transport network and allocated development which could contribute positively to that network and to the local and county economy;

-greater consideration of the needs of the county, including Oxford – this means greater collaboration and compromise

-support for the County’s Housing and Growth Deal and also support for our Housing Infrastructure Bid which requires a robust and evidenced plan for growth to underpin the significant financial ask of Government

I believe SODC have risen to these challenges and have developed a Plan worthy of submission and testing in public.  As the responsible authority for highways, education and social care, we recognise this Local Plan attempts to help tackle not just the infrastructure deficit in terms of roads, but also helps to meet acute housing needs which have not been adequately met in the past.

We are particularly supportive of how the Plan looks to strengthen Science Vale and access to Didcot through strategic sites that can contribute to the local and national economy, meeting housing need, rebalancing demographic deficits and which in turn can contribute to the major infrastructure investment needed for this part of the county.  Without critical national funding to match this local ambition, the Plan will struggle to meet its vision and the county will suffer.  The Housing Infrastructure Fund bid for Didcot Garden Town for example is essential to holding this Plan together.  Our bid for funding will be robust and we are working on the principle we will get a funding decision in time to give critical support for the Plan – without this we will of course need to revisit our assumptions and assume SODC would need to re-visit its Plan.  

The County Council will be taking a very close look at the Plan over the coming weeks to ensure it is meeting the tests of soundness.  We will continue to work with the District to meet any challenges arising during examination.“

 

END.

Oxfordshire County Council Report January 2019