The Cabinet of Oxfordshire Council is scheduled to convene on Tuesday, 17 March 2026, with a key focus on the Local Transport Delivery Plan and the Bicester and Surrounding Villages Movement and Place Plan. The meeting will also address the council's treasury management performance and updates on the capital programme.

Local Transport Consolidated Funding Settlement – Local Transport Delivery Plan

The Cabinet is set to consider the proposed Local Transport Delivery Plan (LTDP) for submission to the Department for Transport (DfT). This plan outlines how Oxfordshire County Council intends to prioritise and spend a consolidated funding settlement totalling £244.8 million between 2026/27 and 2029/30. The funding, which consolidates various streams including bus service grants, highway maintenance, and active travel funds, aims to provide greater flexibility for the council to deliver its Local Transport & Connectivity Plan (LTCP) objectives. The LTDP is aligned with the council's strategic vision for a greener, fairer, and healthier Oxfordshire, focusing on themes such as environment, health, productivity, connectivity, and inclusivity. The Cabinet is recommended to approve the LTDP for submission to the DfT and to delegate authority to the Director of Environment & Highways to make necessary adjustments to specific schemes within the plan.

Movement and Place Plans: Bicester and Surrounding Villages

A significant item on the agenda is the Bicester and Surrounding Villages Movement and Place (MAP) Plan. This plan, the second in a series, aims to replace the current Area Strategies adopted in 2016 as part of Local Transport Plan 4 (LTP4) and forms part two of the Local Transport Connectivity Plan (LTCP). The plan has undergone extensive engagement and public consultation, including meetings with local councillors, town and parish councils, and key stakeholders. It outlines a 25-year delivery programme with 13 objectives and 83 actions, focusing on creating sustainable, connected, and healthy places. The plan prioritises walking, wheeling, cycling, and public transport, aiming to reduce carbon emissions and achieve a net-zero transport system by 2040. It also addresses health and wellbeing, place-shaping, and climate resilience, with specific objectives for creating a sense of place, delivering inclusive active travel networks, enhancing bus and rail services, supporting car clubs, implementing demand management, delivering infrastructure schemes, and utilising emerging technologies. The Cabinet is recommended to approve the adoption and publication of the Bicester and Surrounding Villages Movement and Place Plan and its supporting documents.

Treasury Management Q3 Performance Report 2025/26

The Cabinet will receive the third performance report on the council's treasury management activities for the 2025/26 financial year, covering the period up to 31 December 2025. The report details the council's borrowing and investment activities, measuring performance against the budget. As of 31 December 2025, the council's outstanding debt totalled £265 million, with an average interest rate paid on long-term debt of 4.41%. No new external borrowing was raised during the first half of the year, while £2 million of maturing Public Works Loan Board (PWLB) loans and £5 million of LOBO loans were repaid. The council's investment income for the nine months to 31 December 2025 totalled £17.356 million, exceeding the budgeted £10.351 million by £7.215 million. The report also covers the council's debt financing, investment strategy, and prudential indicators. Cabinet is recommended to note the council's treasury management activity for the first three quarters of 2025/26.

Business Management & Monitoring Report - Performance and Risk - Quarter 3 2025/26

This report provides an overview of the council's performance and strategic risks for the third quarter of the 2025/26 financial year. It highlights that 52% of performance measures are rated as Green (meeting or exceeding target), while 24% are rated as Red (significantly off target). The report also details the strategic risk register, noting that SR19 Cyber Security risk has escalated to a strategic level. Cabinet is recommended to note the report and annexes, approve supplementary estimate requests totalling £3.6 million for election costs, Bicester Motion, and Woodeaton Manor Special School, approve the write-off of corporate and Adult Social Care debts totalling £270,000, note the forecast deficit for the High Needs Dedicated Schools Grant, and approve updates to Fees & Charges for Environment & Highways.

Capital Programme Update and Monitoring Report

The Cabinet will receive an update on the capital programme for 2025/26, based on activity up to the end of January 2026. The report details changes to the capital programme, including additional funding, new budget priorities, and new schemes. The forecast expenditure for 2025/26 is £267.5 million, a decrease of £10.6 million from the previous forecast. The total ten-year capital programme (2025/26 to 2035/36) is £1,534.9 million. A key recommendation is the approval to include Milton Heights Bridge in the capital programme with a budget of £8.608 million, funded from various sources. Cabinet is recommended to note the capital monitoring position and approve the updated Capital Programme.

Update on High Needs Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) Funding and Deficits

This report addresses the arrangements for funding High Needs Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) deficits up to the end of 2025/26, as outlined in the Final Local Government Finance Settlement for 2026/27. It provides an update on the estimated share of the 2025/26 deficit that Oxfordshire County Council may need to fund after the statutory override ends on 1 April 2028. The report forecasts mid and worst-case deficits for 2026/27 and 2027/28, comparing them to planned funding. Cabinet is recommended to note the update on the treatment of High Needs DSG Deficits, approve the forecast deficits for 2026/27, and note the planned funding for the residual element.

Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRC) Management Reprovision

The Cabinet will consider the preferred approach for reprovisioning the management of Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs). The current contract for six of the seven HWRCs expires on 30 September 2027. An evaluation of options, including outsourcing, in-house delivery, and Local Authority Trading Companies (LATCos), has identified that procuring a single provider through a long-term 8-year management contract with flexibility for Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) is the most appropriate model. The report recommends approving this approach, authorising officers to commence procurement, endorsing the exploration of capital purchase of plant and equipment, and delegating the decision to award the contract.

Exempt Items

Items 15 and 16 are recommended to be considered in private session due to the likely disclosure of exempt information relating to financial or business affairs. The annexes to these items have not been made public and are considered confidential.

Forward Plan and Future Business

The Cabinet will also review the Forward Plan, identifying items scheduled for forthcoming meetings, including delegated decisions by Cabinet Members for Transport Management and Place, Environment and Climate Action.