Agenda

To receive a presentation from Willa Greenock, Head of Communications, Walking with the Wounded.

Cllr John Toye to receive the Armed Forces Covenant Employer Recognition Scheme silver award on behalf of the Council.

To receive apologies for absence, if any.

To confirm the minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 20 September 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 announcement from the Leader.

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

Mr Musson has requested to speak.

To receive any updates from the Group Leaders regarding changes to appointments.

To receive reports from Cabinet Members on their portfolios:

Cllr T Adams - Executive Support & Legal Services

Cllr H Blathwayt – Coast

Cllr A Brown – Planning & Enforcement

Cllr W Fredericks – Housing and People Services

Cllr P Heinrich – Sustainable Growth

Cllr C Ringer – IT, Environmental & Waste Services

Cllr L Shires – Finance, Estates & Assets

Cllr A Varley – Climate Change & Net Zero

Cllr L Withington – Community, Leisure & Outreach

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)

The following recommendations were made by Cabinet to Full Council at the meeting on 6^th November 2023:

1.    Cabinet Agenda item 10 – Budget Monitoring P6 2023 – 2024

Cabinet resolved to recommend to Full Council that it:

1)    Approves an additional capital budget of £58k so that the work for the refurbishment of the Red Lion roof (Cromer), the Art Deco Block roof and handrails (Cromer) and the Chalet Block at Sheringham can be awarded as one contract. And that approval be given to fund the additional expenditure from the Asset Management Reserve.

2)    Approves an increase to the DFG capital budget of £118k and approves that it is funded by the additional grant received for this purpose from the Government.

3)    Approves the provision of a new play area at the Lees in Sheringham and approves a capital project budget for this of £65k and that funding for this should come from the Delivery Plan Reserve.

4)    Approves the capital spending of £11k on the Morris Street Car Park Boundary Wall and that it be funded from the Asset Management Reserve.

5)    Approves that the £85k of the Car Park refurbishment capital budget is reallocated to the Public Conveniences so that the outstanding works can be carried out and complete the scheme.

Please note that the Overview & Scrutiny Committee considered the recommendations at the meeting on 15^th November after the Full Council agenda was published. The Chairman of the Committee will provide a verbal update to Full Council on the outcomes of their discussion.

2.    Cabinet Agenda item 11: Treasury Management Mid Year Report 2023/2024

Cabinet resolved to recommend that Full Council approves the Treasury Management Mid Year Report 2023/2024

Please note that the Overview & Scrutiny Committee considered the recommendations at the meeting on 15^th November after the Full Council agenda was published. The Chairman of the Committee will provide a verbal update to Full Council on the outcomes of their discussion.

3. Cabinet Agenda Item 12: Council Tax Discounts & Premiums Determination 2024/2025

Cabinet resolved to recommend to Full Council:

That under Section 11A of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 and in accordance with the provisions of the Local Government Finance Act 2012 and other enabling powers that:

1)    The discounts for the year 2024-25 and beyond are set at the levels indicated in the table at paragraph 3.1.

2)    To continue to award a local discount of 100% in 2024-25 for eligible cases of hardship under Section 13A of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 (as amended). See the associated policy in Appendix B.

3)    That an exception to the levy charges may continue to be made by the Revenues Manager in the circumstances laid out in section 3.2 of this report.

4)    The premiums for the year 2024-25 and beyond are set at the levels indicated in the table at paragraph 4.2.

5)    To continue to award a local discount of 100% in 2024-25 for eligible cases of care leavers under Section  ...  view the full agenda text for item 12.

To consider any further recommendations from the Overview & Scrutiny Committee meeting held on 15 November 2023.

Please note the agenda for Full Council was issued prior to the Overview & Scrutiny Committee meeting. The Chairman will provide a verbal update at the meeting.

To respond to any questions from Members.

Please note the following section of the Constitution:

12.        Questions by members

12.1      Members of the Council may ask questions of the Leader and Cabinet during Portfolio Holder reports on the agenda of ordinary meetings of the Council on any matter of Council business or on issues which affect the Council's area.

12.2      Members of the Council may ask questions of the Chairman of a Committee at Ordinary Meetings of the Council on any matter of Council Business or on issues which affect the Council’s area.

12.2      At a meeting no Member may ask more than one question (and 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.

The following item of Opposition Business has been submitted:

North Norfolk District Council position on a 4-day working week

Proposed by Cllr C Cushing, seconded by Cllr N Dixon

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing, and Communities (DLUHC) has issued guidance for local authorities in England who are considering adopting a 4-day working week – where staff have their working hours reduced by 20% but retain 100% of their pay (or equivalent/similar). This states that:

·         The government does not support a 4-day working week in local authorities, as it does not believe that it delivers local taxpayers’ value for money.

·         The government does not expect councils to adopt this arrangement.

·         Should councils disregard this advice and there is evidence of service decline or failure, DLUHC or another government department may raise concerns directly with the authority, monitor performance more closely and consider options to correct declining performance.

The government supports an individual’s right to request flexible working, which allows employees to apply for changes to the hours, timing, or location of work. This is clearly different as it relates to the right of an individual employee to request a different working pattern or place of work. This guidance does not seek to relate to the latter.

Local authorities must be mindful of the Duty of Best Value when it considers provision. This is a statutory requirement for councils ‘to secure continuous improvement in the way in which its functions are exercised, having regard to a combination of economy, efficiency and effectiveness.’ In practice this extends to securing value for money in all spending decisions. It is the government’s view that the implementation of the 4-day week is unlikely to demonstrate adherence to the Best Value Duty. Neither, for clarity, does the government support trials, experimentation, or pilots (or equivalent) of the 4-day working week concept within the local government sector.

The 4-day working week is an organisation-wide approach to pay and working hours. NNDC staff have a well-deserved reputation for striving hard to deliver the services that the council provides to the public. We are regularly told that these services are stretched. The adoption would exacerbate staff stress levels by having to cram into 4 days the work that it would normally take them 5 days to do.

Given that the narrative around council services is that they are already hard-pressed, it is unlikely that reducing the working hours by 20% will be popular with North Norfolk Council Tax taxpayers, especially at a time when Council Tax is raised by the maximum each year.

Full Council resolves to:

·         Recognise and respect the Government’s Guidance of a 4-day working week.

·         Prior to any consideration of any form of trial or pilot exercise of a 4-day working week it collects and assesses the evidence of such trials conducted by other Councils, elsewhere, to inform an outline business case to justify it. 

·         Commits not to introduce a 4-day working week at North Norfolk District Council without an overwhelming detailed business case showing substantial  ...  view the full agenda text for item 15.

Please note that as set out in Chapter 2, section 14.11 of the Constitution

The following motion has been submitted by Cllr W Fredericks:

Homelessness Crisis Motion

North Norfolk like other parts of the Country is in the grip of a devastating housing emergency which is damaging the lives and opportunities for hundreds of households.

Intro (total motion must not be more than 200 words but can include supporting statement)

This Council calls for:

1. The Leader of the Council, and the leaders of opposition groups, to write to the relevant Secretary of State to begin the process of readdressing the challenges to the Housing Crisis.

2. Local Housing Allowance to be urgently increased to realistic levels for North Norfolk. In line with private rental amounts

3. Central Govt. policy to support Councils to buy land for affordable housing developments based on current use, as per established Local Plans, rather than on “hope value”, by reforming the Land Compensation Act 1961.

4. National Planning policy amendments, so that house-builders are pro-actively encouraged to incorporate the provision of ‘truly affordable’ homes in their development projects, supporting Local Authorities to challenge the reneging of these duties on ‘viability assessment’ grounds.

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.”