The Performance and Corporate Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee met to discuss a range of topics, including public health, devolution, parking permits and the FixMyStreet platform. The committee was scheduled to review performance, consider recommendations, and monitor progress against strategic priorities.

Devolution

Councillor Liz Leffman, Leader of the Council, and Kim Sawyer, Programme Director: Devolution, were expected to present a report on devolution. The committee was asked to consider the report and agree on any recommendations it wished to make to the cabinet.

The report, Scrutiny - Devolution - 05.12.25, sought the committee's views on whether the cabinet should approve the decision for Oxfordshire to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) to the government for a Mayoral Strategic Authority (MSA). The EOI, included as Annex B - TV Devolution EOI letter 26.11.25, was described as an early-stage invitation to the government to engage in discussions. It was emphasised that this was different from the Local Government Reorganisation proposal and that no final decisions were being made at this stage.

The key points for the cabinet's decision included:

• Confirming commitment to devolution as a strategic approach for Oxfordshire.
• Agreeing that a Mayoral Strategic Authority offers potential benefits for the region, including stronger regional collaboration and access to additional powers and funding.
• Supporting further engagement with the government to explore what an MCA could achieve for Oxfordshire and the wider region.

The EOI represented a joint proposal agreed by leaders across Oxfordshire and the wider region, reflecting a shared ambition for greater local control and improved outcomes for residents. It was noted that devolution could bring enhanced powers and resources for local leaders around transport, housing, skills and economic development, and that an MSA would provide a formal governance structure to deliver these benefits collaboratively.

The Annex A - Cabinet Report Oxfordshire 091225 outlined the benefits of the proposed devolution of powers and functions and the collaborative approach across the region. It acknowledged the EOI as an initial invitation to the government, opening further dialogue and engagement, and not a decision to establish a Mayoral Strategic Authority. The informal Devolution Board would oversee discussions with the government, ensuring robust governance and stakeholder engagement by elected members throughout the process.

The Thames Valley EOI highlighted:

• Economic rationale: The region has national and international excellence in key business sectors.
• Collaborative governance: There is a commitment to partnership working across constituent councils.
• Strategic powers and funding: Powers over transport, skills, housing, and economic development will lead to greater investment.
• Place-based leadership: Greater local control to deliver national policy objectives at the local level.

Business Management Monitoring Report - Public Health

Councillor Kate Gregory, Cabinet Member for Public Health & Inequalities, Councillor Dan Levy, Cabinet Member for Finance, Property and Transformation, Ansaf Azhar, Director of Public Health, Kate Holburn, Deputy Director of Public Health, and Sam Read, Public Health Programme Manager, were invited to present a report on the Business Management Monitoring Report focusing on Public Health.

The committee was asked to consider the report and agree on any recommendations it wished to make to the cabinet. The Agenda Item 5 Friday 05-Dec-2025 document included an abridged version of the Business Management and Monitoring Report, with a focus on public health.

The Public Health Service Area was forecasting a balanced position, with £14.6m of reserves held on 1 April 2025, and a forecast reserves position of £8.2m for 31 March 2026, after a planned drawdown of £6.4m.

The committee was provided with a scorecard of the council's performance in relation to annual measures and specific measures directly relating to public health. The scorecard showed the measures that had a year-to-date performance of Red or Amber, including the percentage of births that have received a face-to-face New Birth Visit by the age of 12 months old.

The report stated that the work of public health primarily furthers the council's ambitions to Tackle inequalities in Oxfordshire , and Prioritise the health and wellbeing of residents .

Digital Parking Permits Review

Councillor Andrew Gant, Cabinet Member for Transport Management, Paul Fermer, Director of Environment & Highways, and Phil Whitfield, Head of Network Management, were invited to present a report on parking permits. The committee was asked to consider the report and agree on any recommendations it wished to make to the cabinet.

The Parking Permits - FINAL report noted that digital parking permits have been operational in Oxfordshire since November 2022, and digital parking permits for visitors have been operational since December 2024. The contract with Unity 5 to provide a digital parking permits solution is also used to deliver the traffic filter trial and congestion charge permits. The current contract runs until May 2026, with the ability to extend for up to two more years.

The report provided data on parking permit appeals from December 2024 to September 2025, including the total number of on-street Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) issued, the number of PCNs issued in residents' bays and shared-use bays, and the number of PCNs cancelled due to visitor permit issues.

The report also outlined software considerations and updates on improvements made to the system, including the implementation of a new 'single sign-on' function, improvements to website speed, and changes to wording and additional text to address areas of concern.

To ensure inclusivity, support on how to apply for a parking permit can also be provided through contacting the council's customer service team and through staff at the county's libraries. Where digital is not an option for some residents, by exception, paper 'scratch card' permits are still offered.

Fix My Street Usage and Satisfaction Report

Councillor Andrew Gant, Paul Fermer, and Sean Rooney, Head of Highway Maintenance and Road Safety, were invited to present a report on FixMyStreet. The committee was asked to review the information from the officers' report and use it as a basis for further discussion.

The Fixmystreet report outlined the usage and satisfaction levels associated with the FixMyStreet platform in Oxfordshire. Since 1 January 2025, the council has received over 37,000 enquiries via FixMyStreet. Nearly 41,000 highway defects have been identified and actioned, with approximately 25% originating from FixMyStreet reports.

Analysis of escalated feedback received via the FixMyStreet platform identified key areas of dissatisfaction among users, including delays in response or resolution, enquiries closed down when no action has been taken, and localised concerns not meeting intervention thresholds.

Service improvements in response to user feedback included enhanced categorisation, improved visual guidance, aerial mapping integration, expansion of the Super Users Programme, and integration with the National Street Gazetteer¹ (NSG).

The council prioritises FixMyStreet reports through a structured, risk-based assessment framework, with the location and context of the defect playing a critical role in prioritisation.

Committee Action and Recommendation Tracker

The committee was recommended to note the progress of previous recommendations and actions arising from previous meetings, having raised any questions on the contents of the PCS Recommendation Tracker 05.12.25 document.

Committee Forward Work Plan

The committee was recommended to agree on its work programme for forthcoming meetings, having heard any changes from previous iterations, and taking account of the Cabinet Forward Plan and of the Budget Management Monitoring Report. The PCS Work Programme 05.12.25 document outlined the topics for future meetings, including budget proposals, business management monitoring reports, Local Enterprise Partnership² integration updates, commercial strategy progress updates, and AI benefits.

Responses to Scrutiny Recommendations

The committee was asked to note the cabinet responses to the Performance and Corporate Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee reports on the Oxfordshire Strategic Plan, Hire Bike and Scooters, and Our People and Culture, as detailed in the Cabinet Response to PCS Recommendations - Hire Bikes and Scooters, Cabinet Response to PCS Recommendations - Our People and Culture, and Cabinet Response to PCS Recommendations - Strategic Plan documents.