Agenda and minutes

To receive apologies for absence, if any.

Apologies were received from Cllrs P Butikofer, S Butikofer, C Heinink, C Stockton, E Vardy and E Withington.

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 (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 received.

To receive the Chairman’s communications, if any.

The Chairman said that as there had been a meeting of Full Council just two weeks ago, he did not have any announcements to make.

The Leader began by saying that it was two years since the first lockdown due to the pandemic. He said that he wanted to reflect on the achievements of the staff and their achievements during this very challenging time. Their flexibility to adapt was demonstrated across the organisation, with many teams working harder than ever before . This was borne out by the positive feedback received from businesses and residents. Despite this extra demand on resources and capacity, staff continued to work hard towards the Corporate Plan priorities. He thanked everyone for their achievements.

He went onto say that he had been Leader for two weeks now and in that short time he had been very impressed by the enthusiasm of both members and staff for the Council and the wider district. He had met with representatives from several town councils and local businesses since becoming Leader and he intended to carry on with this approach of engagement and discussion.

He then spoke about the recent storm damage to the Council’s property assets, particularly in coastal areas and thanked the Property Services team for responding so quickly.

In conclusion he said that one of his key tasks since becoming Leader was to represent the Council in countywide discussions on ‘levelling up’. He was hopeful that councillors across Norfolk could find a starting consensus from which to move forwards. He said that an even bigger and more immediate challenge for residents and consequently the Council. was the rise in the cost of living. He added that he had held discussion with staff and demand on services would be monitored and any additional resources required for the voluntary sector would be assessed and provided when necessary.

To consider any questions or statements received from members of the public.

None received.

To appoint a Chairman of the Constitution Working Party.

The Chairman invited the Group Leaders to inform Council of any changes to committee appointments.

Cllr T Adams, said that Cllr L Shires would be replacing Cllr P Grove-Jones on the Constitution Working Party.

He then said that Cllr V Gay wished to stand down as Chairman of the Constitution Working Party and he wished to nominate Cllr A Varley for the position of Chairman. This was seconded by Cllr V Gay, who said that it was a very important committee and she was sure that Cllr Varley would do a good job.

It was proposed by Cllr T Adams, seconded by Cllr V Gay and

RESOLVED

That Cllr A Varley be elected as Chairman of the Constitution Working Party.

Nine members voted against.

a)    Agenda item 8: Net Zero Strategy & Action Plan

Recommendation to Council: To adopt the Net Zero Strategy & Action plan and to delegate minor changes required to the final document to the Director for Place and Climate Change, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Environmental Services, Climate Change and The Environment

The Overview & Scrutiny Committee supported the recommendation at the meeting held on 12 January 2022.

b)    Agenda item 10: Capital Strategy 2022-2023

Recommendation to Council: To approve the Capital Strategy and Prudential Indicators for 2022-2023

The Overview & Scrutiny Committee supported the recommendation at the meeting held on 9^th February 2022.

c)    Agenda item 11: NNDC Investment Strategy 2022-2023

Recommendation to Council: To approve the Investment Strategy 2022-2023

The Overview & Scrutiny Committee supported the recommendation at the meeting held on 9^th February 2022

d)    Agenda item 12: NNDC Treasury Management Strategy Statement 2022-2023

Recommendation to Council: To approve the Treasury Management Strategy Statement 2022-2023

The Overview & Scrutiny Committee supported the recommendation at the meeting held on 9^th February 2022

e)    Agenda item 13: Fees & Charges 2022 -2023

Recommendation to Council: 

a) To approve the fees and charges from 1 April 2022 as included in Appendix A.

b) That Delegated Authority be given to the Section 151 Officer, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Finance and relevant Heads of Service, to agree those fees and charges not included within Appendix A as required as outlined within the report

The Overview & Scrutiny Committee supported the recommendation at the meeting held on 9^th February 2022

f)     Agenda item 14: Rate Relief Policy

Recommendation to Council:

-       That the Revenues Manager has delegated authority to make decisions up to the NNDC cost value of £2k as indicated in Appendix A.

-       That the Revenues Manager has delegated authority to make Covid-19 Additional Relief Fund (CARF) decisions as indicated in Appendix C.

-       That the Rate Relief Policy is revised as indicated in Appendix A, B and C.

g)    Agenda item 15: Draft Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) 2023/26

Recommendation to Council: To approve the Medium Term Financial Strategy 2022-2023

The Overview & Scrutiny Committee supported the recommendation at the meeting held on 12 January 2022

h)    Agenda item 16: Car Park Charges Review

Recommendation to Council:

1.   That the following pricing structure should be introduced:

Standard tariff car parks - £1.20p for first two hours, 80 pence for each further hour and a day rate of £6.00. No change to 30 minute rate.

Resort tariff car parks - £1.50 for the first hour, £1.20p for each further hour, and a day rate of £8.50. No change to 30 minute charge.

Coastal tariff car parks - £1.80 per hour and a day rate of £8.50

Holt Country Park - £2.30 per day

Coaches – 24 hour stay £12, 4 hour stay - £6

Seven day ticket will be based on the 24 hour ticket rate over 4 days, so £34 a week for Coastal and Resort tariff and  ...  view the full agenda text for item 148.

The Chairman informed Members that the recommendations would be taken in tunr rather than en bloc.

a)    Agenda Item 8: Net Zero Strategy & Action Plan

Cllr N Lloyd, Portfolio Holder for Environment introduced this item. He said the strategy underpinned the Council’s commitment to addressing climate change. He said this was one of the most pressing problems facing humankind. It had a huge impact on everyone across the globe. He added that councils had important work to do in reducing their own carbon footprint but they also had a role to play in leading by example and taking residents on the journey with them. Cllr Lloyd went onto say that talking climate change was now a corporate activity which reflected the need for a ‘whole council’ approach. Cooperation was required across all service areas and departments. He spoke about the Environmental Charter which set out the Council’s aspirations clearly. The Net Zero Strategy now set out the pathway to decarbonise NNDC’s activities by 2030 whilst also outlining the challenges that existed for North Norfolk as a whole in tackling climate change. He said that it was an evidence based document. Overview & Scrutiny Committee had provided feedback during the development of the strategy and their recommendations had been adopted. A programme of engagement with staff and members had taken place and he thanked everyone for their involvement.

Cllr N Housden commented that it was a commendable document but it was only a strategy and he was concerned that it omitted to reference ‘greenwashing’. He said that he was aware of Bahamian companies buying farms in the UK and planting spruce and fir which was obliterating indigenous wildlife.  In addition, DEFRA was intending to allow parts of the country to flood to facilitate the import of food from abroad. Traditionally, agricultural land had always had a high value but it could not compete against the huge sums that such companies were willing to pay. He said that in the next 7 years, huge swathes of land lost to greenwashing and it was important that the Net Zero Strategy should reference it to create a barrier and demonstrate that it was prepared to tackle it.

Cllr N Lloyd replied that the strategy was a ‘live’ document and he would discuss the matter further with officers. He said that his interpretation of greenwashing was different. He saw it as talking about addressing environmental issues but not taking any action to do so. The document set out a clear strategy, was evidence based and used agreed targets to measure the Councils achievements.

Cllr Housden replied that his concern was that if nothing was done then companies could start to encroach into North Norfolk to ‘greenwash’ other activities that they were undertaking.

Cllr M Taylor referred to page 25 and the installation of Electric Vehicle (EV) charging points across the District. He asked why none had been installed in Stalham. Cllr Lloyd explained that the funding awarded for the scheme was based on the number of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 148.

To consider any further recommendations from the Overview & Scrutiny Committee meeting held on 9^th February 2022.

The Chairman of the Overview & Scrutiny Committee, Cllr N Dixon, said that there were four recommendations to Full Council and they had all been covered by the previous agenda item.

LIST OF BACKGROUND PAPERS AS REQUIRED BY LAW

(Papers relied on the write the report and which do not contain exempt information)

The Chairman outlined the process to Members, explaining that there would be a number of recorded votes. He then invited theChief Financial Officer to explain the robustness of the estimates and the adequacy of the reserves, as required to do by statute.

He began by referring members to pages 179 - 184 of the agenda, which provided details of the process which had been carried out in preparing the Budget for presentation to Full Council. He explained that it also provided an analysis of the risks facing the Council in relation to the control of income and expenditure flows compared to the budgets that were recommended for 2022/23. He referenced the recent Zero Based Budgeting (ZBB) exercise which had identified changed priorities in line with the Corporate Plan objectives.

Regarding the adequacy of the reserves, he directed Members to pages 184 – 185  of the agenda and Appendix B. He explained the reasons for holding reserves and said that when assessing the level of reserves, the Council had to take account of strategic, operational and financial risks. He said that in his opinion, the overall budgeted level of both the General Reserve and the Earmarked Reserves were considered adequate in the short term to medium term and that the Budget had been produced within a robust framework.

The Chairman then invited Cllr E Seward, Portfolio Holder for Finance and Assets to introduce the Budget for 2022 – 2023.  He began by saying that he would like to thank officers for their time and support in preparing this budget. This year it included a  wider range of officers who were involved in the zero based budgeting exercise which helped to ensure that the Council's expenditure was more in line with its corporate priorities. 

He said that this year the Council had a balanced budget which not only maintained the services that North Norfolk District Council already provided but also allowed for growth in some of the Council’s key public services. With no proposed no cuts to services in North Norfolk, the Council was in a different position to many in England which, due to financial pressures, faced a further round of reducing the services they provided. It reflected the fact that the Council had strong, robustly managed finances. Cllr Seward said that this was a budget about investing in public and community services and investing in staff to bring this about. It was about striving to run services efficiently and providing value for money for council tax payers.

He then spoke about the achievements made by the Council during the current  financial year, including the opening of the new Reef swimming pool and leisure centre in Sheringham which, at a cost of over £12 million, was one of the largest capital projects ever exclusively undertaken by the District Council. As a key part of the Council's Green Agenda, the Council continued to plant more trees (now over 50,000) and had been a major contributor to North Norfolk having more public  ...  view the full minutes text for item 150.

The Leader, Cllr T Adams, introduced this item. He explained that Section 38 of the Localism Act 2011 required the Council to produce an annual pay policy statement for the start of each financial year. The attached statement was drawn up cover the period 2022/23. It was a legal requirement that Full Council formally signed off the statement.

It was proposed by Cllr T Adams, seconded by Cllr E Seward and

RESOLVED

To adopt the Pay Policy Statement and to publish the statement for 2022/23 on the Council’s website.

To receive reports from Cabinet Members on their portfolios. Please note that update reports provided are for the month of January 2022 and with a meeting of Full Council on 9^th February, not all Cabinet members will have an update to provide.

Members are reminded that they may ask questions of the Cabinet Member on their reports and portfolio areas but should note that it is not a debate.

No member may ask more than one question plus a supplementary question, unless the time taken by members’ questions does not exceed 30 minutes in total, in which case, second questions will be taken in the order that they are received (Constitution, Chapter 2, part 2, section 12.2)

Cabinet members (listed alphabetically)

Cllr T Adams (Leader)

Cllr A Fitch-Tillett – Coast

Cllr W Fredericks – Housing & Benefits

Cllr V Gay – Leisure, Culture & Wellbeing

Cllr R Kershaw – Sustainable Growth

Cllr N Lloyd – Environment

Cllr E Seward – Finance, Assets & Legal

Cllr L Shires – Organisational Resources

Cllr J Toye – Planning & Enforcement

The Chairman invited Cabinet members to provide a brief update to their written report if they wished to do so.

Cllr R Kershaw, Portfolio Holder for Sustainable Growth, said that over the period of the pandemic there had been several Covid Support Officers who had provided invaluable support across the District, making 10,000 contacts with residents and businesses. Their efforts had ensured that the District had maintained one of the lowest rates of Covid infection in the country. As their roles came to an end, he said he wanted to thank all of them for outstanding service to the community.

The Chairman invited members to put questions to Cabinet members.

Cllr G Hayman said that he would like ask the Leader what he intended to do to address the rat problem in Cromer and other coastal towns. He said it was particularly bad in North Lodge Park in Cromer and on the seafront. Cllr Adams replied that the question related to his role as ward member rather than as Leader. He said that he would discuss the matter with officers and provide a written response. He said that he was aware there had been some complaints but did not accept that it was of wider public concern, adding that it was a common occurrence over the winter period.

Cllr J Rest asked Cllr W Fredericks, Portfolio Holder for Housing and Benefits, for more information about the post of Energy Officer which was referred to in her report. He asked if it was a full or part-time role and whether the Council intended to charge a fee for advice or whether it was a free service. Cllr Fredericks replied that the new Energy Officer would start on 7^th March. The improvement works fell within the ‘warm homes grant’ and they would advise them on how save energy and improve efficiency within their homes. She confirmed that it was a full time post and costs were covered by the Warm Homes Grant scheme.

Cllr N Housden asked Cllr Fredericks about  ‘test and trace’ support payments – of which 258 had been approved. He asked what the total financial value for these was. Cllr Fredericks said that she would provide a response in writing.

Cllr T FitzPatrick asked Cllr V Gay, Portfolio Holder for Culture, Wellbeing & Leisure, about visitor numbers to the Pavilion Theatre on Cromer Pier. He said that her written report referred to numbers being 64% of pre-Covid attendance figures. He asked for details of the actual numbers and commented that 64% seemed quite a low figure when other non-subsidised, local venues had been sold out over Christmas. Cllr Gay referred Cllr FitzPatrick to the forthcoming Member briefing on this. She said that she had been advised that 64% compared well with other similar venues and the operators, Openwide, were very pleased with the figures. Cllr FitzPatrick asked for the exact attendance figures and whether there was an opportunity to explore making the Pavilion Theatre cost free. Cllr Gay replied  ...  view the full minutes text for item 152.

None Received.

None Received.

None Received.

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 item(s) of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph(s) _ of Part 1 of Schedule 12A (as amended) to the Act.”