Issue - meetings

Future Coastal Management Arrangements

 

 

Meeting: 20/01/2025 - Cabinet (Item 10)

10 Future Coastal Management Arrangements pdf icon PDF 140 KB

 

Future Coastal Management Arrangements

Executive Summary

In 2016 NNDC entered into a Partnership agreement (under Section 113 of the Local Government Act 1972) with Suffolk Coastal District Council, Waveney District Council (now East Suffolk Council) and Great Yarmouth Borough Council to share resources and prioritise activities relating to coastal matters. This created “Coastal Partnership East”.

 

In the intervening years each Council has faced significant demands relating to coastal change, climate change and competing pressures of project delivery and bidding for funding. As a result, it is a prudent time for each partner Council to consider its future coastal management resourcing requirements and approach to ensure local priorities are met.

 

This paper discusses these pressures and provides proposals for the dissolution of the partnership and North Norfolk District Council’s future approach.

 

Options considered

 

1)    Request a continuation of the current partnership arrangement (N.B. This is not an option with which NNDC has any direct control)

2)    Agree to disband the partnership and put in place service level agreements between each Council, hosted by East Suffolk Council, to deliver engineering and consultancy services to partners (and other Councils as requested) – N.B. This was not an option as East Suffolk Council did not feel that this could be adequately resourced

3)    Agree to disband the partnership, appoint a Coastal Management Team at NNDC, and retain/explore alternative service level agreements with other Local Authorities as appropriate.

Consultation(s)

PH for Coast

Coastal Partnership East Partner Local Authorities

 

Recommendations

 

That Cabinet:

  1. Note the contents of this paper
  2. Approve the dissolution of the Coastal Partnership known as Coastal Partnership East with effect from 20th January 2025 (taking into account the appropriate notice period to end the Section 113 agreement).
  3. Continue to support partnership working and retain/explore service level agreements with other Local Authorities as appropriate.

 

Reasons for recommendations

 

To ensure that the Council has effective coastal management arrangements in place.

 

Background papers

 

N/A

 

 

Wards affected

Districtwide

Cabinet member(s)

Cllr Harry Blathwayt

Contact Officer

Martyn Fulcher, Director for Place & Climate Change, martyn.fulcher@north-norfolk.gov.uk

 

Decision:

Decision

RESOLVED:

 

That Cabinet:

  1. Approve the dissolution of the Coastal Partnership known as Coastal Partnership East with effect from 20th January 2025 (taking into account the appropriate notice period to end the Section 113 agreement).
  2. Continue to support partnership working and retain/explore service level agreements with other Local Authorities as appropriate.

 

Reason for the decision:

To ensure that the Council has effective coastal management arrangements in place

Minutes:

The Portfolio Holder for Coast, Cllr H Blathwayt, introduced this item. He explained that   NNDC has entered into a Partnership agreement (under Section 113 of the Local Government Act 1972) in 2016 with Suffolk Coastal District Council, Waveney District Council (now East Suffolk Council) and Great Yarmouth Borough Council to share resources and prioritise activities relating to coastal matters. This created “Coastal Partnership East”. However, in the intervening years each Council had faced significant demands relating to coastal change, climate change and competing pressures of project delivery and bidding for funding. As a result, it was believed that it was a prudent time for each partner Council to consider its future coastal management resourcing requirements and approach to ensure that local priorities were met. Cllr Blathwayt said that his coastal colleague on East Suffolk District Council, Cllr Kay Yule, had sadly passed away in December and he wished to send his condolences to her family and friends.

 

Cllr Blathwayt said that the only option was to dissolve the partnership as it required all parties to commit to its future. He added that he was confident that they would continue to work together on matters that affected them all.

 

Cllr A Fitch-Tillett said that she was sad to hear of the proposals as Coastal Partnership East had been established when she was Portfolio Holder for Coast. However, she understood the reasons behind the proposals. Cllr Fitch-Tillett referred to the Cromer to Mundesley coastal project which was not yet complete and asked if the Portfolio Holder was confident that there were enough qualified engineers to undertake the remaining work and sign it off. Cllr Blathwayt said that he was confident that the work would be completed. The Chairman agreed, adding that NNDC’s coastal team was exceptional and this was recognised nationally. He said that he had raised coastal matters at Government level as they were not mentioned in the Devolution White Paper.

 

Cllr Blathwayt said that the amount of time spent by officers would remain the same and the Council would continue to provide an outstanding coastal service.

 

It was proposed by Cllr H Blathwayt, seconded by Cllr J Toye and

 

RESOLVED:

 

That Cabinet:

  1. Approve the dissolution of the Coastal Partnership known as Coastal Partnership East with effect from 20th January 2025 (taking into account the appropriate notice period to end the Section 113 agreement).
  2. Continue to support partnership working and retain/explore service level agreements with other Local Authorities as appropriate.

 

Reason for the decision:

To ensure that the Council has effective coastal management arrangements in place