Agenda and minutes

There were no substitutes at the meeting.

Apologies for absence were submitted by Councillors Andrew Fletcher and Roy MacDonald.

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

None received.

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 20 March 2024.

The minutes of the meeting held on 20th March 2024 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

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 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 requires that declarations include the nature of the interest and whether it is a disclosable pecuniary interest.

None received.

To consider any petitions received from members of the public.

None received.

To consider any requests made by non-executive Members of the Council, submitted to the Democratic Services Manager with seven clear working days’ notice, to include an item on the agenda of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

None received.

To consider any responses of the Council or the Cabinet to the Committee’s reports or recommendations.

The Committee welcomed the tracker as it formed an audit tracker but wished to see an additional column that showed what outcomes had happened in respect of the committee’s recommendations.

To consider an annual review of Beach Hut and Chalets service, for a 12 month period following the previous 2021/22 review.

The Portfolio Holder for Finance, Estates and Property Services, Councillor Shires, presented a report giving an annual review of the Beach Huts and Chalets Service for a twelve-month period following the previous 21/22 review.

The Estates and Asset Strategy Manager (EASM) responded to Councillor Boyle’s question on how to better publicise beach huts availability by advising that the storm boards had now been replaced and it was proposed to cover those with more information or advertising about the availability of huts in that area.

The EASM added that despite the additional maintenance costs the weekly lets produce more income than the five year lets but it was an option to consider as to whether there should be more five year lets offered rather than weekly lets.

The EASM in response to Councillor Penfold’s question on whether there was flexibility to take short term bookings stated that the bookings closed on Thursdays and the service was working with the Tourist Information staff to allow them to book huts if members of the public would like to use a weekly hut.

The EASM advised in response to Councillor Holliday’s question on whether the Council could change its emphasis from weekly lets to five year lets that some of the costs fell across both types of lets and won’t disappear if there was a change to more 5 year lets but there might be a difference in business rates. A more detailed analysis could be brought back to the committee.

The EASM confirmed to Councillor Holliday’s further question of how a green levy could be used that the green levy mentioned in the report related to Net Zero and how the weekly lets were used could make a small contribution to the Council’s Net Zero target but that it would be possible to consider whether a payment could be sought.

Councillor Shires confirmed that use of the green levy would be considered, and it would take a wider perspective to see if it could be applied elsewhere.

The EASM in response to Councillor Dixon’s question about those people who are still on the waiting list stated that some people had been on the five-year let waiting list since 2013. Some of those people will have been offered a Chalet and refused it as it did not meet their needs but remained on the list.

The EASM in response to Councillor Finch-Tillett statement about the offer from a private farmer to store private huts in Overstrand over the winter so that they were not damaged during storms advised that the tenants had been consulted and the majority of them had not replied or had said no. however, the council had changed the lease renewal process which will take effect from April 2024 so that it would be possible to do that in the future.

The EASM in response to the Councillor Withington, Portfolio Holder for Community, Leisure and Outreach comments about the number of beach huts that had stayed on the beach in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 156.

To consider a briefing on the East of England Water Summit.

The Portfolio Holder for Climate Change and Net Zero, Councillor Varley reported on a East of England Local Authority Water Summit held on 8 March 2024. He advised that the key issues at the summit were an overall shortage of water and its effect on sustainable housing and economic development, a recent excess of water due to flooding and storms and the quality of the water.

Councillor Varley commented that the Council was not a direct provider of water services so could not directly affect these issues but there was a role for the Council to lobby and challenge the key stakeholders and should be something the council continues to do.

The Climate and Environmental Policy Manager confirmed in response to Cllr Housden’s question about grey water and water harvesting in new homes that the greenhouse gas emissions from water production are 5% to 6% and the use of greywater recycling would reduce those emissions.

Councillor Varley added that the quality of water in the chalk streams had been discussed and looked at how nature-based solutions and the use of community group initiatives could address this.

The Leader of the Council, Councillor Tim Adams advised in response to Councillor Dixon’s question on which water issues should be taken forward that it was worth looking at Anglian Water’s Strategic Investment Plan as North Norfolk needed investment there was a role for the Council to scrutinise that. Letters had gone to Anglia Water following the motion at full council in December 2023.

Councillor Adams added that the Overview and Scrutiny Committee had a role in policy development and if it wanted to explore issues such as the water aspects of planning and environmental health it could do so.

The Committee agreed that it be useful for the Council’s cabinet to advise on what water issues it thinks the Council should take forward.

It further agreed to ask the Norfolk Strategic Flood Alliance, Water Resources East, and Anglian water to talk about flooding and wider and more strategic water issues.

Resolved – that (A) the Chairman of the Norfolk Strategic Flooding Alliance be invited to a future meeting on how the Council is working with the alliance on flooding issues,

(B) Anglian Water and Water Resources East be invited to the same meeting on the strategic water issues that affect North Norfolk to include the Anglian Water Strategic Investment Plan, and

(C) the Cabinet provide advice on what it would like the Council to take forward on water issues following the East of England Water Summit

To consider the progress being made in implementing the Council’s Corporate Plan 2023-27.

The Leader of the Council, Councillor Tim Adams presented a Quarter 3 report that detailed the progress that had been made in implementing the Council’s Corporate Plan 2023-27 Action Plan 2023.

The Leader stated that he was confident and comfortable in the status and delivery of the actions in the delivery plan.

Councillor Adams in response to Councillor Holliday’s question on whether those projects haven’t started yet should be rated Amber stated that he would review the grading of those projects.

In respect of Councillor Holliday’s further question on what progress the Council had made on nutrient neutrality that there was going to be an all members briefing, and it would be good to reconsider that grading after that briefing.

Councillor Adams in response to Councillor Housden’s question about it taking 24 minutes to answer his phone call through the Council’s customer service centre, commented that there will be peaks and troughs in the customer services centre after council tax demands went out, but the average response time was around 17 minutes and the recent survey on the service produced some very good feedback. The service compared well to the private sector especially the banks or phone companies and the council needed to take a view of what an acceptable response time was as that would have resource implications.

The Chief Executive (CEX) stated that the service Councillor Housden received would not meet his expectations but would require further details on what had exactly happened so that he could investigate the situation fully.

Councilllor Liz Withington, Portfolio Holder for Community, Leisure and Outreach advised that work had been undertaken across departments to ensure that peaks in potential calls to customer services were reduced to better manage workload and the release of Council tax letters had been seen as a success. Improvements was very much on the radar.

Councillor Adams in response to Councillor Cushing’s question on whether the assessments were correct based on the data shown and with a lack of deadlines commented that it was up to the committee which performance metrics the Committee wanted to look at. Those projects which were not shown as having a grade associated with them in the report were not at risk.

The CEX reminded the committee that the Council had agreed its new Corporate Plan at full council in July 2023, there had been some member workshops in September to develop the plan and this was the first quarterly report on the progress being made up to 31 December 2023.

The CEX added that the committee had made a number of requests for further work earlier in the meeting that were outside of the Corporate Plan, and these would need additional staffing resources and the expectation was that the council had to do more with less particularly where that involved non statutory work.

Councillor Adams stated that the big-ticket variances were the Fakenham Leisure Centre, North Walsham Solar array, a failure in a public convenience in Sheringham and nutrient neutrality  ...  view the full minutes text for item 158.

To receive an update from the Scrutiny Officer on progress made with topics on its agreed work programme, training updates and to receive any further information which Members may have requested at a previous meeting.

The Democratic Services (Scrutiny) Officer (DSO) provided an update on the items on the workplan and advised that the report on the North Walsham Heritage Zone End Of Project report would be coming to the June Committee meeting and there was an opportunity to have a site visit before the committee meeting.

The ambulance Trust had indicated that they would be happy to come to the committee to talk about ambulance response times in North Norfolk and the committee asked if that session could also include the County Council social care, North Norfolk university Hospital and the Community Trust.

The DSO added that if the Ambulance Trust was unable to come to the May Committee meeting it could be a good idea to cancel the meeting and instead hold a workshop to investigate the Committee’s workplan items for the rest of the year.

RESOLVED – that (A) a site visit be arranged for committee members to look at the North Walsham Heritage Zone project before the report came to the June Committee meetings, and

(B) the May Committee meeting be cancelled and the Democratic Services (Scrutiny) Officer work with Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee on the details of a work planning session in its place.

To pass the following resolution, if necessary:

“That under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph _ of Part I of Schedule 12A (as amended) to the Act.”