Agenda, decisions and minutes

To approve, as a correct record, the minutes of the meeting of the Cabinet held on 7^th October 2024.

The Minutes of the Cabinet meeting held Monday 7^th October were approved as a correct record.

To receive questions and statements from the public, if any.

None received.

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)

None received.

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

None.

To receive oral questions from Members, if any

No questions were raised.

To consider the following recommendations made by Planning Policy & Built Heritage Working Party at the meeting held on 10^th October:

I. the draft Action Plan is endorsed and taken forward to the timelines outlined;

II. the updated evidence and background papers are endorsed;

III. the consultation arrangements and communication Plan are endorsed;

IV. that delegated authority is given to the Acting Planning Policy Manager in consultation with the Planning Portfolio Holder to finalise the Action

Plan and consultation material and continue to respond to the Inspector’s questions during the Examination period and hearing(s)

I. the draft Action Plan is endorsed and taken forward to the timelines outlined;

II. the updated evidence and background papers are endorsed;

III. the consultation arrangements and communication Plan are endorsed;

IV. that delegated authority is given to the Acting Planning Policy Manager in consultation with the Planning Portfolio Holder to finalise the Action

Plan and consultation material and continue to respond to the Inspector’s questions during the Examination period and hearing(s)

a.    Cllr A Brown outlined the recommendation from the Planning Policy & Built Heritage Working Party to proceed with the public consultation. He noted that the emerging Local Plan had been in development since January 2015 and had taken considerable resources to reach this stage.

The consultation, if agreed to proceed, would allow the public and elected Members the opportunity to express their individual views with respect to the proposed additional sites, small growth villages, and updated gypsy and travellers’ policy following legislative changes.

Cllr A Brown recognised that views had been expressed suggesting the Council should challenge the Inspector and the government regarding changes to the transitional arrangements and the increased housing figures. He cautioned that three other Local Authorities who had recently paused their plans were now at risk of having their plans thrown out altogether. In the case of Elmbridge Borough Council, it was noted that the Local Authority was asked to provide an additional 6,300 homes, not dissimilar to the 70% increase asked of North Norfolk District Council. Elmbridge Borough Council subsequently requested a 12–15-month time extension to enable changes to be made. The Planning Inspector rejected this request and indicated the Local Plan would be cancelled should Elmbridge Borough Council proceed with this course of action, which the Borough Council was in the process of challenging. The Planning Inspector had made it clear that the Local Plan must be found sound at the examination stage with limited additional work to address soundness issues. Delays of six months or more would be considered unacceptable. Cllr A Brown stressed the risk to the Local Authority should the recommendation fall and affirmed that without a five-year housing land supply, North Norfolk would be at risk of speculative planning applications on sites which may be considered far less acceptable than those proposed within the Plan. Furthermore, the Local Plan process would need to be restarted, wasting nine years’ worth of work, and at the additional expense of £2.5 million.

b.    The Chairman thanked current and former staff for their work in developing the emerging Local Plan. He recognised the many positive elements the emerging Plan would bring, including better development standards, meeting the Council’s climate resilience aspirations, and sustainable growth, amongst others.

The Chairman acknowledged concerns regarding the proposed increased scale of development and whether this could be realistically achieved in North Norfolk given local constraints owing to vast areas of protected landscape and infrastructure limitations. The Chairman confirmed that he would separately write to the Deputy Prime Minister on housing targets and the inability of Local Authorities nationwide to deliver increased housing growth.

The Chairman shared the concerns raised by Cllr A Brown with respect to the risks of not progressing with the Plan and agreed that it was important for the Local Authority to swiftly proceed with the proposed consultation. He confirmed that Members would not be precluded from submitting their own personal comments and sharing their concerns regarding site allocations within the consultation process. He expressed his  ...  view the full minutes text for item 48.

To consider the following recommendations made by the Overview and

Scrutiny Committee at the meeting held on 16th October 2024:

Car Park Fees & Charges

Recommended that Cabinet consider the following changes to fees and

charges to be implemented from 1 April 2025

(A) (1) that fees for the Council’s Standard Car Parks be increased by

10p per hour, for the Coastal and Resort Car Parks be increased by 30p

per hour, and

(2) the question of whether there could be no increase in fees at the

standard car parks and a charge of 40p at the Coastal and Resort car

parks be explored

(B) that seasonal charges are not introduced at this time

(C) a flat rate evening charge across all car parks is not re-introduced at

this time

(D) season ticket prices are increased by the inflationary increase since

2016 only this year and increases to season ticket prices should be

reviewed annually

(E) Coach Parking charges are increased to £12, £24 and £96

(F) that all the potential options for charging at Hornbeam Road Car

Park in North Walsham be explored

(G) car parking charges are reviewed every other year with the next

review taking place so that any changes are implemented from 1 April

2027 apart from season tickets which should be reviewed annually as

mentioned under recommendation D above.

Annual Review of Beach Huts and Chalets

Recommended that –

(A) the conversion of weekly lets to long term lets

be explored with 50% of the huts being converted this year and then

being reviewed on whether a further 50% increase was a good idea,

(B) the charges for lets of the long-leased huts be increased by 14% this

year,

(C) the risks to Option E - lease of both weekly lets and leased units to

one commercial operator or create 4 smaller location-based

opportunities be fully investigated, and

(D) Options D Lease all weekly lets commercially, allowing the tenant to

hire their unit and Option E be further explored for the future of the

Beach Huts and Chalets Service

Noted.

The Chairman of Overview and Scrutiny introduced the recommendations and confirmed they had received unanimous support from the cross-party Committee. He advised that the Committee had challenged the Officer recommendation for Beach Huts and Chalets and proposed an alternative recommendation. The Chairman of Overview and Scrutiny spoke positively of the level of discussion and engagement at the Committee and considered that the Committee had been able to add value to the recommendations presented to Cabinet.

The Chairman thanked the Chairman of Overview and Scrutiny and agreed that it had been a productive meeting which had helped inform decision-making. He further thanked the Overview and Scrutiny Committee for their response to issues at Benjamin Court.

Noted.

a.     Fees for the Council’s Standard Car Parks be increased by 10p per hour, 20p per hour for Resort Car Parks, and 30p for the Coastal Car Parks.

b.     No Evening or Seasonal Charges be introduced at this time.

c.      Season Ticket prices be increased in line with inflation.

d.     Coach Car Parking Charges be increased £2.5 hr / £13 for 24hr. No weekly charge to be introduced at this time.

e.     3hrs Car Parking be offered for leisure users at Victory Leisure Centre. Hornbeam Road (North Walsham) to be as standard but charged via app only with permit holders also having usage.

f.       Beach Road and Gold Park (Mundesley) be re classified as a Resort Car Park.

g.     To proceed with consultation on the updated Off-Street Parking Places Order.

h.     Car Parking fees and charges be reviewed again in 2025/2026.

a.    Cllr L Shires thanked the Overview and Scrutiny Committee for their contributions, and for the shared understanding and recognition of the Council’s financial position. She thanked the Committee for their boldness and spoke highly of the wide-ranging and productive discussions which had taken place.

With respect to the recommendations made by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, Cllr L Shires expressed her support for some of the recommendations but advised she would be unable to support all of them.

Cllr L Shires considered an increase of 10p per hour for Standard Car Parks, 20p per hour for Resort Car Parks, and 30p for the Coastal Car Parks would more fairly reflect inflation. She felt the proposed 25% increase suggested by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee for Resort Car Parks of 30p per hour would be too much. Further, she was uncomfortable with the 40p per hour increase on Coastal Car Parks, as this would be an above-inflation rise.

Cllr L Shires endorsed the recommendation not to increase seasonal charges at this time, nor to introduce evening charges.

With respect to Season Ticket prices, Cllr L Shires expressed her support for option 4. She thanked Cllr V Holliday for her balanced perspective and comments at Committee for a stepped increase, rather than enacting an inflationary increase all at once.

Regarding Coach Parking charges, Cllr L Shires advised, having researched the matter, that the 24-hour ticket charge was far higher than comparable sites across the UK. Therefore, she suggested a £13 charge for 24 hours would be far more reasonable.

Cllr L Shires agreed with the introduction of charges to Hornbeam Road (North Walsham), via app only, with permit holders also having usage.

Having reflected on the differences between a Resort and a Coastal Car Park, set out within the Officer’s report, S.1.5m, Cllr L Shires argued that Mundesley Car Park should be reclassified as a Resort Car Park.

In addition, Cllr L Shires affirmed that car park charges should be reviewed again in 2025/2026 as opposed to in two years’ time.

b.    The Chairman confirmed that in reviewing car parking charges, the Council had considered charges at other local authorities and local private providers. It was felt that the Council-owned car parks aligned with, or were cheaper than, many other similar locations nationwide.

The Chairman welcomed the competitive pricing of Coach Parking fees to encourage the tourist economy, noting that this was not a significant revenue consideration for the Council, rather it was more of a service provision consideration. He considered that a review of coach parking locations would be beneficial, though this would not preclude the Council from responding to or accommodating individual requests for specific sites.

The Chairman endorsed Victory Car Park (North Walsham) having a three-hour rather than two-hour restriction to better enable leisure facility users.

c.     Cllr L Withington endorsed comments made by Cllr L Shires with respect to Resort Car Park charges, noting that in Sheringham the Station Road and Morris Street car parks were used  ...  view the full minutes text for item 50.

The 33 existing weekly lets be converted into leased (5 year) units, with delegated  authority given to the Asset Strategy Manager in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Finance, Estates & Property Services, to consider market demands for weekly lets in future when voids arise and act accordingly.

a.    Cllr L Shires thanked the Overview and Scrutiny Committee for their comments and cross-party contributions. She noted the recommendation from the Committee that half of the weekly let units be transferred to longer leases, with a review of whether the remaining units should also be transferred for longer lets. The Committee and Cllr L Shires considered that more information would have been beneficial to provide a clear steer. Cllr L Shires was uncertain how the 14% figure for the increase of lets had been determined and confirmed that the estates team were reviewing charges for lets.

Following comments from the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, and discussions with the Estates Team, Cllr L Shires proposed a bolder course of action given the known demand for longer-term lets and recommended that all 33 short-term leases be converted into long-term leases. She noted frustration from some local residents about the length of time they had been on the waiting list and considered that the revenue provided by the short-term lets did not justify the level of officer time or resources.

She confirmed she would speak with the Estates Manager regarding the increased charge for new lets.

Cllr L Shires noted that circumstances may change in the future with respect to weekly let demand and reflected that it would be beneficial for Officers to be able to consider the matter and respond accordingly.

b.    The Chairman agreed that a flexible approach was required to allow Officers delegated authority, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder, to respond and react to changes in demand.

c.     Cllr J Toye asked whether, when allocating beach huts, weight could be given to North Norfolk residents.

d.    Cllr L Shires clarified that the wait time figures were somewhat erroneous, as some on the waiting list had very specific requests for a certain town or plot. It was not the case that those on the waiting list always lacked the opportunity to have a beach hut.

e.    Cllr L Withington welcomed the approach suggested. She considered the weekly lets involved a greater level of resourcing compared to the revenue provided. She agreed with Cllr J Toye that a local priority should be introduced.

f.      Cllr H Blathwayt considered the Beach Huts offered fantastic value for money for the occupiers.

g.    Cllr W Fredericks expressed her support for the recommendation and noted usage figures detailed in the officer’s report, reflecting the lack of use in April and May 2024.

h.    Cllr L Shires asked if the new lets should be limited to North Norfolk residents only. She advised that the majority of those on the list already lived in the district.

i.      The Chairman suggested the allocation system should not be reviewed at this time but could be reviewed in the future.

Cllr L Shires proposed, and Cllr J Toye seconded.

RESOLVED

The 33 existing weekly lets be converted into leased (5 year) units, with delegated  authority given to the Asset Strategy Manager in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Finance,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 51.

Members note that there are no amendments required to the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 Policy and Procedures.

Members note that there are no amendments required to the Internet & Social Media Research & Investigations Policy.

Members note there has been no activity undertaken under RIPA within the period since the last report.

a.    Cllr C Ringer reiterated it was Home Office guidance to review the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 Policy and Procedures annually. No changes had been made to the policy.

Cllr C Ringer proposed, The Chairman seconded.

RESOLVED

Members note that there are no amendments required to the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 Policy and Procedures.

Members note that there are no amendments required to the Internet & Social Media Research & Investigations Policy.

Members note there has been no activity undertaken under RIPA within the period since the last report.

Noted - Action 31 to be amended as in progress rather than “not started”.

a.    The Chairman introduced the report and highlighted some of the actions contained therein:

Action 2: It was noted that Carbon literacy training was ongoing, with further sessions planned for Members.

Action 3: The project was soon to commence at the Victory Swim and Fitness Centre (North Walsham). Work was ongoing to secure grants for further work elsewhere.

Action 13: Work had now been completed, as far as could be achieved in this action plan. North Norfolk District Council was committed to the ongoing partnership with Active Norfolk.

Action 14: Levelling Up funding for the Fakenham Leisure and Sports Hub proposal had now been confirmed by the Government, following the Autumn budget.

Action 17: The next tranche of data would be shared with Parish Councils soon.

Action 25: A statement had been issued on the potential developments at Bacton Gas terminal. The Council would seek to engage with the operator to discuss their vision.

Action 27: Further developments would be reported soon with respect to bank hubs in Fakenham and North Walsham.

Action 30: Meetings had been held with external bodies, and reporting of these meetings would be shared in due course.

Action 37: Temporary Accommodation continued to be the biggest pressure for North Norfolk, and many other District Councils. An initial analysis was undertaken by officers into the Value for Money of the Council’s Temporary Accommodation, with a further review considered.

b.    Cllr V Holliday questioned the colour grading of actions 9 and 31 and asked how two projects, both listed as ‘Not Started’, could be colour-coded differently. Cllr V Holliday stressed the need for consistency.

c.     The Chairman advised that action 9 would be further appraised with the next corporate plan progress review. The Chairman agreed that action 31 should be updated to ‘in progress’ as opposed to ‘not started’.

d.    Cllr J Toye advised that work had started with respect to action 31, which would be reported with the next update.

e.    Cllr V Holliday noted that action 20 was marked red. She recognised this was an especially important action and asked what work was taking place to push this forward.

f.      The Chairman confirmed discussions were ongoing with the Norfolk Local Authorities to have a common position. He had requested the status remain marked red, due to the risk associated with this not going ahead.

g.    Cllr A Varley thanked the Climate Change Project Officer for delivering the in-house training and thanked all those who had engaged in the process to date. He encouraged those members who had not attended the training to get trained as soon as possible. He confirmed the Council was seeking to attain bronze status as a Carbon Literate Organisation.

h.    Cllr H Blathwayt endorsed the provision of an ATM in Hoveton, as one of the district’s primary tourist economies, and considered this needed to be elevated as an issue.

i.      The Chairman commented he would discuss this matter with Cash Access UK.

j.      Cllr D Nixon welcomed Cllr H Blathwayt’s comments.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 53.

To contract with the most suitable company to deliver a combination of solar modelling and impartial advice with optional managed installation for north Norfolk householders at no cost to the Council.

To delegate authority to the Director for Place and Climate Change to reach a suitable agreement with an appropriate contractor.

a.    Cllr A Varley introduced the report and thanked officers for their continued hard work. In 2019 NNDC declared a Climate Emergency and pledged to district wide Net Zero ambitions by 2045. Furthermore, the Council has set out in its latest Corporate Plan and Annual Action Plan specific goals and objectives to help achieve this, including “Supporting homeowners upgrade the environmental performance of their homes”. Cllr A Varley endorsed option 5, which had been successfully modelled at another Local Authority.

b.    Cllr N Dixon considered it may be beneficial to partner with more than one business.

c.     Cllr A Varley advised a vetting process had been undertaken, and the intention was to align with the one company and replicate what they had done at another Local Authority.

d.    Cllr V Holliday asked if there was a sufficient number of vetted local suppliers.

e.    Cllr A Varley was informed that there was sufficient numbers, and confirmed the approved organisation would work with local contractors.

f.      The Climate and Environmental Policy Manager advised that Norfolk County Council currently vet local suppliers on their trusted trader, and don’t currently vet anyone in North Norfolk. It was the expectation that the third-party organisation would work to establish relationships with local contractors to fulfil this work. The third party would take responsibility for contract delivery of the instillation.

Cllr A Varley proposed, the Chairman seconded.

RESOLVED

To contract with the most suitable company to deliver a combination of solar modelling and impartial advice with optional managed installation for north Norfolk householders at no cost to the Council.

To delegate authority to the Director for Place and Climate Change to reach a suitable agreement with an appropriate contractor.

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 _ of Part I ofSchedule 12A (as amended) to the Act.”