Agenda

Led by Reverend William Warren, Cromer Parish Church.

To receive apologies for absence, if any.

To confirm the minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 22 February 2023 and the Extraordinary meeting held on 01 March 2023.

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)

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.

To receive the Chairman’s communications, if any.

To receive announcements from the Leader.

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

To receive reports from Cabinet Members on their portfolios.

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 / Executive Support)

Cllr H Blathwayt (Coast)

Cllr A Brown –  Planning & Enforcement

Cllr W Fredericks – Housing & Benefits

Cllr V Gay – Leisure, Culture & Wellbeing

Cllr R Kershaw – Sustainable Growth

Cllr N Lloyd – Environment & Climate Change

Cllr E Seward - Finance, Assets & Legal

Cllr L Shires – Organisational Resources

The following recommendation was made to Full Council at the Cabinet meeting held on 6^th March 2023:

Agenda Item 9: Budget Monitoring 2022-2023 Period 10

RESOLVED to

Recommend to Full Council that any outturn deficit is funded by using the General Fund Reserve.

The Overview & Scrutiny Committee supported the recommendation at the meeting held on 15 March

To receive an oral update from the Chairman of the Overview & Scrutiny Committee regarding any recommendations made at the meeting held on 15^th March 2023.

To receive an update from the Chairman of the Constitution Working Party on the review of the Constitution (undertaken by the Centre for Governance & Scrutiny)

LIST OF BACKGROUND PAPERS AS REQUIRED BY LAW

(Papers relied on to write the report, which do not contain exempt information and which are not published elsewhere)

None Received.

The following item of Opposition Business has been proposed by Cllr C Cushing, seconded by Cllr N Dixon:

‘In the Earmarked Reserves there is £848,686 allocated for an artificial grass pitch in North Walsham and Fakenham. The forecast budget indicates that there is no intention to spend these funds in the next financial year. 

No site has yet been confirmed for the North Walsham pitch and none will be forthcoming in the foreseeable future.

In Fakenham, though, there is a site readily available at Trap Lane near the Fitness Centre. This is owned by the Fakenham Town Council who support this development. This compliments their vision to create more sporting facilities in this area that will benefit several sports clubs in the town. Also, it is close to the area of the Fakenham Urban extension.

The proposal for an artificial pitch at Fakenham was included in the recent Levelling Up bid and was understood to be a priority for the council. Because of the bid some initial analysis has been done which can be used in the Football Association grant submission.

This Business Motion instructs the Director of Communities to immediately start work to formulate a bid to the Football Association for a full sized 3G artificial grass pitch in Fakenham to be submitted to the Football Association as soon as possible.

The estimated cost of a new 3G pitch is in the region of £1.150m. The Football Association has already indicated it will support the development of artificial pitches in Fakenham, Cromer, and North Walsham. It is expected that the Football Association will fund about 50% – 60% for the cost of laying a new pitch. Therefore, it is anticipated would need to fund 50% of the remaining cost. It is proposed to allocate 700,000 would allow for any inflation costs. 

It is pointless to have such a sizeable sum languishing in the Earmarked Reserves with no expectation it can be spent any time soon. This reallocation will enable Officers to progress a Fakenham bid now to see whether we can obtain a Football Association grant in 2024 or 2025’.

The following Notice of Motion has been proposed by Cllr G Hayman, seconded by Cllr G Perry-Warnes:

‘First Past the Post (FPTP) originated when land-owning aristocrats dominated parliament and voting was restricted to property-owning men.

In Europe, only the UK and authoritarian Belarus still use archaic single-round FPTP for general elections. Internationally, Proportional Representation (PR) is used to elect the parliaments of more than 80 countries. These countries tend to be more equal, freer and greener.

PR ensures all votes count, have equal value, and that seats won match votes cast. Under PR, MPs and Parliaments better reflect the age, gender and protected characteristics of both local communities and of the nation.

MPs better reflecting the communities they represent in turn leads to improved decision-making, wider participation and increased levels of ownership of decisions taken.

PR would also end minority rule. In 2019, 43.6% of the vote produced a government with   56.2% of the seats and 100% of the power. Fair, proportional votes also prevent ‘wrong winner’ elections such as occurred in 1951 and February 1974.

PR is the national policy of the Labour Party, Liberal Democrats, Green Party, SNP, Plaid Cymru, Reform UK and Women’s Equality Party along with a host of Trade Unions and pro-democracy organisations.

PR is already used to elect the parliaments and assemblies of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Its use should now be extended to include Westminster.

This Council therefore resolves to write to H.M. Government calling for a change in our outdated electoral laws and to enable Proportional Representation to be used for UK General Elections’

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.”