I would like to start this week with a thank you and round of applause for the Property Services team led by Jane Winfield for the huge amount of work they have done in getting the letting of St Aldate’s Chambers (SAC) to the “very close to completing” stage. Jane was supported by Alex Miller, who has had to deal with tense negotiations over a protracted period, Cathy Durance in the legal team and Elaine Swapp from Regeneration and Economy. 

The new tenant, Aurora Energy, has grown from an idea conceived by a group of University of Oxford professors and economists, to one of the leading providers of energy market analytics globally. The firm’s advisory, software, and subscription analytics services now cover over 30 countries across five continents and are delivered by a workforce spanning 13 offices worldwide. We're hopeful Aurora will be taking residency early in the New Year. 

This transaction will lead to significant financial benefit (over £1m per year in rent alone, and savings in utilities and operating costs) to the Council, which will make a significant contribution to our financial position going forward.  

It is also coming up for a year since we moved out of SAC and although the letting of the building has taken longer than we hoped, I think we have made a success of being in our new – or back in our old – home at the Town Hall and I want to thank you all for your cooperation in that, and in particular to Douglas Kerrigan , David Hunt, and Matt Mortiboy for all they have done to help us transition. 

We know there is more to do though, and following a thorough and productive employee engagement process, the Town Hall team is currently consolidating feedback, aspirations, and needs into a comprehensive brief for the future of the building. There will be more to say on that next year, but in the meantime, we continue to take forward more short-term improvements to our working environment.  

Our Local Plan 2040 is currently open for consultation. We are inviting residents to voice their concerns regarding its validity, which they would like the planning inspector to consider. It's important to note that we are unable to make substantial alterations to the plan at this point. We will transmit the plan and its supporting evidence to the Government, along with the issues of soundness raised by the public. The planning inspectorate will then carefully evaluate all these aspects and reach a determination on whether the plan is sound or can be rendered sound with some modifications.  This is a crucial stage because once agreed this plan will replace our Local Plan 2036.  A great deal of work has been done by our Planning colleagues to get us to this stage and they too deserve a round of applause and thanks. 

With the festive season approaching and calendar year coming to an end, there is some housekeeping to do, and some deadlines are approaching. There are just 2 days remaining before you need to have moved all files from the U Drive to One Drive by 1 December and the annual deadlines for payroll and recruitment are fast approaching.  See below for more details on both. 

I was in the Town Hall on 21 Nov and dropped in on the Annual Fraud Conference. Nigel Kennedy, Head of Financial Services was also present, impressively dressed in a sharp suit to impress potential customers.  There was a real buzz in the Main Hall and as I spoke to many of the delegates it became clear to me that we, the City Council, are recognised as a leader in this field.  It was a proud moment. 

Last week, Helen Bishop highlighted applications for the District Councils’ Network Staff Development Scheme had opened again. As part of our support for staff development and progression we want to ensure that colleagues who think they will benefit from this programme have the opportunity to apply. This is a competitive scheme, so we must be sure the applications we submit have a realistic chance of being accepted. We have done well in the past, with three successful applications in the past two years. So, if you are interested in applying for the DCN Staff Development Scheme, please submit your 250-word statement to your head of service by Friday, 8 December.  

Finally, some more thanks to staff dealing with emergency situations in the last week. Firstly, the burst water main incident in Headington last week which resulted in flooding, loss of water supplies and huge inconvenience to residents and travel. Council and ODS colleagues' interaction with Thames Water ensured the water supply was swiftly restored and help provided for residents affected by the flood. 

This week we also implemented severe weather emergency protocol (SWEP) for the first time this year.  A big thank you to colleagues in Housing, who do a commendable job in collaborating closely with our partner agencies to ensure our most vulnerable residents are cared for.  Another great example of collaboration in action. 

As more cold weather is forecast, I hope you’ll keep warm and have a good week. 

Caroline Green 

Chief Executive Officer 

Oxford are broadly satisfied with their city and the work of the City Council, although some differences by area are seen. 

Key findings show that 66 per cent of the city’s residents are satisfied with their local area as a place to live, while just 21 per cent are dissatisfied. Residents living in the North and East areas are more likely to be satisfied with their local area, whereas residents in Central South & West and South East are less satisfied. 

Residents felt that the top three things that make somewhere a good place to live are affordable decent housing (43 per cent), public transport (39 per cent) and parks and open spaces (36 per cent). 

76 per cent of Oxford residents agree that their local area is a place where people from different ethnic and national backgrounds get on well. This is the same for both the ‘all white’ and ‘ethnic minority’ groups. However, residents in the North East and South East are significantly less likely to agree that this is the case. 

52 per cent of residents are satisfied with the way the Council runs things. However, again, differences are seen by area, with residents in East and Central South & West being more satisfied, and those living in the North East and South East less satisfied. 

When asked about services that the Council provides, satisfaction was highest for museums (85 per cent) and parks and open spaces (85 per cent). 

Despite the recovery in city centre footfall and rapid economic growth, only about a third of Oxford residents are optimistic about the economy (36 per cent), whereas over a half (52 per cent) are pessimistic and think it is not doing well. It should be noted that the same percentage (52%) reported that they had been affected by the current economic climate. 

Enabling zero carbon public transport, retrofitting homes, and tree planting were seen as the top priorities when addressing the climate emergency. 

The survey ran from 21 July to 25 September 2023 and was answered by 509 members of Oxford Residents' Panel. This panel is a representative sample of citizens selected independently to assess residents’ perceptions of their local area and comprises over 850 residents, with additional recruitment underway to increase the panel size further. 

The Residents’ Survey will run annually; allowing us to track satisfaction levels and public perception on a range of issues over time and results will help us to develop Council services in the future. More detailed findings, including information on which wards each area comprises, can be found on the Council’s website. A full report of findings will be available from mid-December. 

Christmas Payday is Thursday 21 December. 

The cut off for all paperwork, claims and authorised claims via iTrent to be included for payment in December will be Thursday 7 December. Anything submitted or received after this date will be paid in January’s payment. 

The deadline for recruitment campaigns to be advertised over Christmas and New Year will be close of play Tuesday 19 December. Campaigns that are received fully approved through the People Team Service Desk with correct information will be posted by Thursday 23 December. Any that are incomplete will not be advertised until week commencing Monday 8 January 2024. 

Should you require any further assistance regarding the above, please raise a ticket on the People Team Service Desk and someone will come back to you. 

It's the final countdown....  

Yes, you have until the end of this week to move your files out of U drive (My Documents) to OneDrive. 

From next week, you will no longer be able to save new documents to the U drive (My Documents).  

If you haven't moved your documents yet, or had a chance to tidy up your files, then you must do this by the end of the week. Take a look at our Learning Pathways site for more information, and you can watch the OneDrive training from our first all-staff session here.  

So, we all think Oxford City Council is doing well in its work to decarbonise the city, right? But, just how well? Well, it’s worth looking at independent benchmarks such as the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) - a tool used by businesses and local authorities to measure, manage and report their carbon emissions. 

Oxford City Council is a member of the Global Covenant of Mayors and participates in the Race to Zero initiative. As such, we are required to make an annual submission to CDP which includes a detailed breakdown of our city’s carbon emissions and explains our plans to tackle climate change. CDP scores all submissions with a letter grade A to D. 

This year, Oxford City Council has been awarded a B grade, with a high placing in this year’s Climate Council Action Scorecard.  

This grade recognises that we understand the main local risks and impacts of climate change and that we have plans and actions in place to reduce them.   

This is the second year in a row that we have been awarded a B grade. Despite making a number of key improvements in our submission from last year - which have been recognised in the scoring - we have fallen just short of an A grade, failing to match the best in one key area: climate change adaptation. 

A grades are reserved for those local authorities who have demonstrated leadership in all areas of climate action. Just 20 English councils have achieved that – the nearest to us being Reading and Cambridge. In recent months, we have been working closely with Oxfordshire County and District Councils to improve our understanding of the risks posed by climate change to the local area. This will soon lead to the development of a climate change adaptation strategy and action plan. Once this plan is in place, we will be in an excellent position to start to demonstrate our credentials in this area as well – which will stand us in far greater stead for an A grade next year. 

For interest, you can see the list of cities that have achieved an A grade here 

Held on Tuesday 21 November 2023, the conference was exceptionally well attended with over 120 present and delegates from more than 40 UK Local Authorities and Housing Associations. 

A wide range of papers were presented by respected Thought Leaders and Fraud Prevention Specialists. This demonstrated the leadership position that the Oxford Investigation Service has within the UK public sector fraud prevention and detection eco system. 

Scott Warner, Counter-Fraud Team Manager, commented, “Through continuous innovation and the advanced use of technology, the Oxford Investigation Service is able to provide effective, high-quality fraud prevention services to both Oxford City Council and other LA’s and Housing Associations to protect the public purse and help mitigate social housing fraud." 

COUNCIL:  

Laura Mountford, Customer Services Applications Team Leader, has been nominated by the Applications Team: 

"The Applications Team would like to extend our thanks to Laura for her outstanding contributions to our team. Laura has been instrumental in driving positive change, supporting wellbeing, and fostering a culture of honesty and openness within her team. 

"Laura's leadership style has not only elevated her team's performance but also created a work environment where her team members feel valued and supported. Laura's emphasis on supporting wellbeing has had a positive impact on overall morale and satisfaction. By prioritising the mental and emotional health of her team, she has helped create a workplace that not only values professional growth, but also recognises the importance of a healthy work-life balance. 

"Team members feel empowered to share ideas, address concerns, and contribute to our collective success. This transparency has not only strengthened her team but also enhanced our ability to adapt and thrive in a rapidly changing work landscape. Her commitment to driving change aligns seamlessly with OCC’s goal of continuous improvement, ensuring that her team stays at the forefront of innovation and excellence. 

"Her leadership has undoubtedly played a pivotal role in our collective success, and we look forward to watching her continued growth within her new OCC role.” 

ODS:  

Trevor Brown, Skilled Road Worker, and Richard Hurst, Engineering Supervisor, were nominated by Kevin Singleton:  

“Trevor responded quickly when a member of staff collapsed in the changing rooms of Cowley Marsh Depot, alerting others so that emergency medical assistance could be called. Richard took the lead when he arrived, assisting with first aid.  

"Richard was very calm and caring, explaining what was happening when the member of staff regained consciousness, talking through the symptoms, and reassuring him that everything was okay, and an ambulance was on the way. When the ambulance arrived, Richard listed the symptoms and actions taken clearly and accurately to the paramedics.” 

We are proud to share that the Museum of Oxford has been awarded full Accredited Museum status by Arts Council England. This award recognises the museum’s ongoing commitment to providing an outstanding facility for Oxford, helping visitors and residents to engage with the city’s history and keeping collections safe for future generations. 

Accreditation is the benchmark for well-run museums and galleries, administered by Arts Council England on behalf of the UK Accreditation Partnership. This nationally agreed industry standard sets out to ensure all museums are sustainable, focused and trusted, inspiring the confidence of the public and funding and governing bodies. Discover more about the Museum Accreditation Scheme by visiting the Arts Council Website. 

If you haven’t visited our wonderful museum yet, please pop in or visit our website.  Don’t forget, if you need inspiration for Christmas presents, we have a beautiful range of products in our gift shop and there is a 10% discount for Oxford City Council, ODS, and OX Place employees.