Agenda

Council - Tuesday, 28th March, 2023 6.00 pm

Venue: Council Chamber - Council Offices. View directions

Contact: Emma Denny  Email: Emma.Denny@north-norfolk.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

1.

Prayer

Led by Reverend William Warren, Cromer Parish Church.

2.

Apologies for Absence

To receive apologies for absence, if any.

3.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 502 KB

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

Additional documents:

4.

TO RECEIVE DECLARATIONS OF INTERESTS FROM MEMBERS pdf icon 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 requires that declarations include the nature of the interest and whether it is a disclosable pecuniary interest (see attached guidance and flowchart)

5.

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.

6.

Chairman's Communications

To receive the Chairman’s communications, if any.

7.

Leader's Announcements

To receive announcements from the Leader.

8.

Public Questions and Statements

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

9.

Portfolio Reports pdf icon PDF 221 KB

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

 

Additional documents:

10.

Recommendations from Cabinet 06 March 2023 pdf icon PDF 379 KB

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

Additional documents:

11.

Recommendations from the Overview & Scrutiny Committee 15 March 2023

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

12.

Recommendations from the Constitution Working Party 21 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)

13.

Debate not Hate Campaign pdf icon PDF 116 KB

Summary:

 

 

 

 

 

 

In 2022, the Local Government Association (LGA) launched the ‘Debate not Hate’ Campaign aimed at raising public awareness of the role of councillors in their communities, encouraging healthy debate and improving the responses and support for local politicians facing abuse and intimidation.

Conclusions:

 

With the Local Elections coming up in May 2023, North Norfolk District Council commits to ensuring that anyone, regardless of their background or political affiliation feels safe to become a councillor and proud to represent their community. By supporting the ‘Debate not Hate’ campaign, members can work together to encourage healthy debate and officers can provide support for councillors facing abuse and intimidation.

 

 

Recommendations:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reasons for Recommendations:

 

1.    To note that increasing levels of toxicity in public and political discourse is having a detrimental impact on local democracy and that prevention, support and responses to abuse and intimidation of local politicians must improve to ensure councillors feel safe and able to continue representing their residents.

 

2.    The Council therefore  commits to the following:

 

a.    To support the ‘Debate not Hate’ campaign

b.    To work together, across the political groups to promote and uphold high standards of civil behaviour in public and political debate

c.     To establish a reporting mechanism to record and monitor incidents of harassment and abuse

d.    To work with officers to ensure that support is provide to councillors who are experiencing intimidation and abuse

e.    That the Standards Committee will review this on an annual basis and will work with the Monitoring Officer to address and challenge ongoing issues and key concerns.

 

 

The ‘Debate not Hate’ campaign aims to raise public awareness of the role of councillors in local communities, encourage healthy debate and improve the response to and support those in public life facing abuse and intimidation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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)

 

 

LGA Debate not Hate campaign Debate Not Hate | Local Government Association

 

 

 

               

Cabinet Member(s)

Cllr T Adams

Ward(s) affected

All

Contact Officer, telephone number and email:

Democratic Services Manager, 01263 516010, emma.denny@north-norfolk.gov.uk

 

 

 

 

14.

Questions Received from Members

None Received.

15.

Opposition Business

Please note that there is a total time limit of 30 minutes for this item, as set out in the Constitution, Chapter 2, section 3.7(d)

 

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’.

 

16.

Notice(s) of Motion

Please note that there is a total time limit of 30 minutes for this item – as set out in the Constitution, Chapter 2, paragraph 14.11

 

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’

 

 

 

17.

Exclusion of Press and Public

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.”

18.

Private Business