The Cherwell District Council Executive is scheduled to meet on Tuesday, 7 October 2025, to discuss a range of issues including the renewal of a Public Spaces Protection Order for Bicester town centre, the endorsement of the Oxfordshire Local Nature Recovery Strategy, and the allocation of funding for growth and regeneration projects. They will also discuss a response to a motion regarding primary care facilities in North Oxfordshire.

Bicester Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO)

The Executive is to consider a report regarding the renewal of the Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) for Bicester town centre. The report pack includes a summary of a consultation that was undertaken on the proposal, as well as feedback from stakeholders.

The Executive is asked to decide whether to renew the current PSPO in Bicester town centre for up to three years, based on the outcomes of the public consultation and stakeholder feedback. The basis of the order will be items (a)-(e) as set out in the consultation in section 4.14 and the order will apply to the area set within the red border in appendix 1 of the report pack.

Oxfordshire Local Nature Recovery Strategy

The Executive is scheduled to discuss the endorsement and publication of the Oxfordshire Local Nature Recovery Strategy. The recommendation before the Executive is:

To endorse the Oxfordshire Local Nature Recovery Strategy and approves its publication by Oxfordshire County Council.

Growth and Regeneration Funding

The Executive is to discuss securing project funding for Growth & Regeneration and Development Management Services within the Place and Regeneration Directorate. This funding is intended to address capacity constraints and support priority projects, including the Housing Delivery Action Plan, Local Area Energy Planning, input into the Oxford Growth Commission, and enabling infrastructure to support complex development sites.

The recommendations include accepting £300,000 in funding from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) for investment in capacity funding to support the acceleration of infrastructure and housing delivery in Bicester Garden Town as part of the Bicester Garden Town Programme.

The Executive will also discuss transferring £600,000 from the projects reserve to a new earmarked Growth and Regeneration Projects Reserve, allocating £100,000 of this in 2025/26. This funding is intended to add capacity to the other two Area Oversight Group areas of Banbury and Kidlington (and the 4 surrounding parish areas of the Local Plan Partial Review 2020) to accelerate housing and employment delivery through projects detailed in the report.

Primary Care Facilities in North Oxfordshire

The Executive is scheduled to discuss and agree on a response to a motion raised at the Council meeting on 21 July 2025, regarding support for the Integrated Care Board (ICB) in providing Primary Care Facilities in North Oxfordshire.

The recommendations include affirming the council's commitment to supporting the ICB in meeting its responsibilities for the planning, commissioning, and management of NHS services for the population of Cherwell. The Executive will also discuss requesting that officers offer regular, structured meetings with the ICB to support this commitment, and noting the council's role in holding the ICB to account for the appropriate and timely provision of Primary Care and its supporting infrastructure.

Cherwell Futures Programme

The Executive is to consider a report regarding the next phase of Transformation to transition to the Cherwell Futures Programme. The programme's focus has been strategically narrowed to focus on three priority areas: Planning, Environmental Services, and Customer Engagement (Single Front Door).

The report pack states that this approach will provide clear assurance on targeted savings and establish a definitive means of implementation and that depending on the full scope of the project agreed, it is anticipated to achieve between £3 million and £4 million in savings per annum over the medium term (6-18 months) from approval.

The Executive is asked to allocate an initial £400,000 in funding to enable work on the priority areas identified, and to agree that a further £1.1 million can be accessed subject to strict governance and oversight procedures.

Finance Monitoring Report

The Executive is scheduled to receive a report on the council's forecast year-end financial position as at the end of August 2025. The report includes details of use of reserve and grant funding requests, amendments to the capital programme, and proposed write-offs.

Banbury Museum Trust Grant

The Executive is to discuss awarding the Banbury Museum Trust a grant for their continued operation until 31 March 2027, as Cherwell District Council is the principal funder of the trust.

Recommendations from Overview and Scrutiny Committee

The Executive will note the reports and recommendations from the March 2025 meetings of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and agree that an Executive Response be prepared for each set of recommendations, for consideration and agreement, within two months of this notice.