Items
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Item |
2. |
Minutes  PDF 163 KB
To approve, as a correct record, the minutes
of the meetings of the Cabinet held on 20th January 2025
and 3rd February 2025.
Additional documents:
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3. |
Declarations of Interest PDF 721 KB
Members are asked at this stage to declare any
interests that they may have in any of the following items on the
agenda. The Code of Conduct for Members requries that declarations
include the nature of the interest and whether it is a disclosable
pecuniary interest (see attached guidance and flowchart)
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4. |
Items of Urgent Business
To determine any other items of business which
the Chairman decides should be considered as a matter of urgency
pursuant to Section 100B(4)(b) of the Local Government Act 1972
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5. |
Public Questions and Statements
To receive questions and statements from the
public, if any.
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6. |
Members' Questions
To receive oral questions from Members, if
any
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7. |
Recommendations from Overview & Scrutiny Committee
To consider any recommendations referred to
the Cabinet by the Overview & Scrutiny Committee for
consideration by the Cabinet in accordance within the Overview and
Scrutiny Procedure Rules
The following recommendations to Cabinet were
made at the meeting of Overview & Scrutiny Committee on
12th February:
Homelessness Task
& Finish Group
RESOLVED that the:
- the Portfolio Holder for Housing
& People Services writes to central government, setting out the
situation in North Norfolk regarding the private rental sector
reducing housing stock levels and the key reasons for the
withdrawals and asks central government for action to address the
progressive stock loss and help this Council retain and even grow
private sector stock levels; and
- Committee should receive a further
report on this subject in July 2025 to coincide with the pre
scrutiny of the homeless strategy.
Corporate Plan 23-27
Action Plan 24-25
Resolved
- to note that
Corporate Plan 2023-27 Action Plan 2024-2025; and
- that the Cabinet
undertakes a review of the available options to:
- analyse the reasons
why mobile phone mast applications fail.
- develop a map of
signal "not spots" from data gathered by the current surveying
program.
- support providers to
improve mobile signals strength.
iv.
evaluate how it communicates its actions regarding
this issue to both residents and businesses.
Decision:
Homelessness Task & Finish Group
Decision
RESOLVED
That the:
- the Portfolio Holder for Housing
& People Services writes to central government, setting out the
situation in North Norfolk regarding the private rental sector
reducing housing stock levels and the key reasons for the
withdrawals and asks central government for action to address the
progressive stock loss and help this Council retain and even grow
private sector stock levels; and
- Committee should receive a further
report on this subject in July 2025 to coincide with the pre
scrutiny of the homeless strategy.
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8. |
CORPORATE PLAN 2023-2027 - ANNUAL ACTION PLAN 2025/26 PDF 138 KB
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Executive Summary
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This report and accompanying
appendix present the 2023 – 2027 Corporate Plan Action Plan
for the period April 2025 – March 2026 to Cabinet for
approval.
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Options considered
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The actions detailed in the
Action Plan have been developed in support of the five themes in
the adopted Corporate Plan recognising the increasing pressure on
the Council’s budget, the moves towards establishing a
Combined Authority for Norfolk and Suffolk under the
Government’s English Devolution programme and proposed Local
Government Reorganisation which will change the context in which
the District Council operates and works over the next three years,
alongside continuing with Business As Usual maintaining service
delivery for the district’s residents until any proposals for
new unitary councils in Norfolk are agreed.
The actions proposed seek to
balance the capacity of the organisation to deliver, taking into account the staff and financial
resources available to the Council, the need to focus on supporting
the transition of services into any new unitary council(s) and the
potential to access external funding or partnership resources, with
the aspirations laid out in the Corporate Plan.
In this respect it is
recognised that there is some degree of choice and prioritisation
as to the actions proposed for delivery in the period April 2025
– March 2026, although perhaps less compared to previous
years given the need to create capacity to respond to and engage
with the process of local government reorganisation across the
County
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Consultation(s)
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The development of the 2025/26
Action Plan has been somewhat later than in previous years when the
Annual Action Plan has been agreed in the autumn. This has been due to uncertainties around the
2025/26 local government financial settlement impacting on the
setting of the Council’s 2025/26 budget, new policy
announcements being made by Government during the autumn following
the July General Election, and the publication of the English
Devolution White Paper which raises the prospect of significant
public service reform through proposals for devolution and local
government reorganisation.
The 2025/26 Annual Action Plan
has been developed against this background but has involved
processes of consultation and engagement in terms of development of
a strengthened Medium-Term Financial Strategy and preparation of
the 2025/26 budget, which has been taken through Cabinet and
Overview and Scrutiny processes before adoption at the 19th February 2025 meeting of Full
Council.
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Recommendations
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That the Cabinet approves the
Corporate Plan Annual Action Plan for 2025/26.
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Reasons for
recommendations
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Sound management of the
authority’s staff, property and financial resources to
deliver projects and initiatives which support improved service
delivery and positive outcomes aligned to the previously agreed
Corporate Plan themes and seeks to position North Norfolk’s
residents, communities and businesses strongly in the context of
any proposals to establish a Norfolk and Suffolk Combined Authority
through the English Devolution proposals and any related programme
of local government reorganisation in Norfolk which seeks to
replace the existing two-tier County and District structure of
local government with unitary councils.
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Background papers
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2023 – 2027 Corporate
Plan
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Additional documents:
Decision:
Decision
RESOLVED
That the Cabinet approves the
Corporate Plan Annual Action Plan for 2025/26.
Reason for the
decision:
Sound management of the
authority’s staff, property and financial resources to
deliver projects and initiatives which support improved service
delivery and positive outcomes aligned to the previously agreed
Corporate Plan themes and seeks to position North Norfolk’s
residents, communities and businesses strongly in the context of
any proposals to establish a Norfolk and Suffolk Combined Authority
through the English Devolution proposals and any related programme
of local government reorganisation in Norfolk which seeks to
replace the existing two-tier County and District structure of
local government with unitary councils.
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9. |
Budget Monitoring P10 2024-2025 PDF 234 KB
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Executive
Summary
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This report provides an update on the
Council’s financial performance and projected full year
outturn position for 2024/25 for the revenue account, capital
programme and reserves statement as at the end of January 2025.
As at 31 January
2025, the General Fund projected surplus is £0.048m for
the full year 2024/25. This is after adjusting for all known
variations and full year forecasting by service managers.
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Options
considered
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This is an update report on the
Council’s financial position and so no other options were
considered.
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Consultation(s)
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Cabinet Member
Section 151 officer
Budget Managers
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Recommendations
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It is recommended that Cabinet:
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Reasons for
recommendations
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To update members on the current budget
monitoring position for the Council.
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Background
papers
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Wards affected
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All
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Cabinet
member(s)
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Cllr Lucy Shires
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Contact Officer
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Tina Stankley, Tina
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Additional documents:
Decision:
Decision
RESOLVED to recommend that
Full Council approves the changes to
the Capital Programme as laid out in paragraph 5.5 of the
report.
Reason for the decision:
To ensure robust ongoing monitoring
of the Council’s budget and expenditure.
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10. |
Coastwise - Happisburgh Community Car Park - delegation of appointment of construction contractor and lease arrangements PDF 371 KB
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Executive
Summary
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Erosion is impacting on the exisitng Happisburgh car park and it is critical
that the progression of construction is taken forward as soon as
possible. The car park is operated
under a lease arrangement with Happisburgh Parish Council, and
authority is sought to undertake appointment of a contractor and to
finalise a lease arrangement.
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Options
considered
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Construction Contract:
A1: Cabinet delegate authority to appoint the
construction contractor. Recommended.
B1: Awaiting
evaluation of tenders and present to Cabinet to approve
contractor. Would delay progress of the
scheme with local and programme impacts.
C1: Not progress with appointment and
construction. Would impact on the local community, long term local
revenue generation and investment, reputational impacts locally and
nationally, limit delivery of Coastwise, not work to deliver
Corporate Priorities regarding preparing for climate/coastal
change.
Lease arrangements:
A2: Cabinet delegate authority to finalise
amended lease arrangements with Happisburgh Parish Council.
Recommended.
B2: Awaiting final lease arrangements to be
completed for Cabinet approval.
C2: Not to progress with amending existing
successful lease arrangement.
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Consultation(s)
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- Cllr. Harry Blathwayt, Portfolio
Holder for Coast
- Cllr. Luke Paterson, District
Councillor, Happisburgh
- Martyn Fulcher, Director for Place
and Climate Change
- Joe Ferrari, Communications
Manager
- Tina Stankley, Director of
Resources
- Cara Jorden, Assistance Director
Legal and Governance
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Recommendations
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- That Cabinet authorises the Chief
Executive, in
consultation with Coastal Portfolio Holder and Head of Finance, to
undertake the appointment the of Happisburgh Car park construction
contractor, following tender appraisal.
- That Cabinet authorises the Chief
Executive, in
consultation with Coastal Portfolio Holder, Estates Manager and
Head of Finance, to agree to the surrender of Happisburgh Parish
Councils current lease for the Beach Road car park and enter into a new lease for the relocated car park
off Lighthouse Lane.
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Reasons for
recommendations
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- To enable transition of current car
park away from erosion risk.
- To build community resilience to
coastal erosion.
- To support the viability of the
community through the continued revenue generated by the car
park.
- To provide examples of coastal
transition and generate learning to support national coastal
adaptation.
- To contribute to the delivery of the
Coastwise programme
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Background
papers
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Planning Application ref:
PF/22/2510
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Decision:
Decision
RESOLVED
- That Cabinet authorises the Chief
Executive, in
consultation with Coastal Portfolio Holder and Head of Finance, to
undertake the appointment the of Happisburgh Car park construction
contractor, following tender appraisal.
- That Cabinet authorises the Chief
Executive, in
consultation with Coastal Portfolio Holder, Estates Manager and
Head of Finance, to agree to the surrender of Happisburgh Parish
Councils current lease for the Beach Road car park and enter into a new lease for the relocated car park
off Lighthouse Lane.
Reasons for the Decision:
- To enable transition of current car
park away from erosion risk.
- To build community resilience to
coastal erosion.
- To support the viability of the
community through the continued revenue generated by the car
park.
- To provide examples of coastal
transition and generate learning to support national coastal
adaptation.
- To contribute to the delivery of the
Coastwise programme
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11. |
Exclusion of Press and Public
To pass the following resolution:
“That under Section 100A(4) of the Local
Government Act 1972 the press and public be excluded from the
meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that they
involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in
paragraphs 3 of Part I of Schedule 12A (as amended) to the
Act.”
Information in this appendix involves the
likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 3,
Part 1 of schedule 12A (as amended) to the Local Government Act
1972.
This paragraph relates to:
Para 3. Information relating to the
financial or business affairs of any particular person (including
the authority holding that information)
The public interest in maintaining the
exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosure for the
following reasons:
The information is commercially sensitive,
relating to commercial options being considered by the authority.
Releasing this information would be likely to have a prejudicial
impact upon third parties as well as the Council in obtaining best
value.
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12. |
Private Business
Exempt Appendix – Lighthouse car park,
Happisburgh
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