Annual Report 2008/09

Speech by Cllr Zoe Patrick delivered to Cabinet on Tue 23rd Jun 2009

I note that Education is listed in performance highlights; however, as we know, and as is acknowledged here, more needs to be done on this - so it can hardly be listed as a 'highlight'!

Also, traffic congestion was highlighted as an achievement but I cannot see any improvement here either.

Although you say that you have continued to keep council tax rises low, we still have one the highest council taxes in the whole of the country.

I was surprised to see no mention of our working in partnerships (page 8). Certainly, both Transform Oxford and the West End project will rely very heavily on partnership working with both the city council, businesses, bus companies and a whole range of others - we cannot do this alone.

I hope we are continuing to pay our bills on time; attempting to is to be welcomed (page 11).

Reduce carbon emissions from business mileage (page 13) - there is no explanation as to how this has been achieved, so it remains a meaningless statement.

Bicester Resource and Well-being centre (page 16) - I think I mentioned this over a year ago. It is a very welcome scheme but are there plans to extend this to other parts of the county?

The report announces a new initiative launched to give Oxfordshire people a greater say in the running of local health and social care services but there is no explanation about this either.

I am pleased to see the spotlight on educational achievement; only time will tell whether these improvements will come to fruition when exam results are known later on this year. I hope so.

I believe this report does very little to inspire confidence in what the council is actually doing - some fine words, but little evidence of any real action taken.