Agenda

Council - Wednesday, 19th March, 2025 6.00 pm

Venue: Council Chamber - Council Offices. View directions

Contact: Democratic Services  Email: democraticservices@north-norfolk.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

1.

Apologies for Absence

To receive apologies for absence, if any.

2.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 249 KB

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 19th February.

 

Additional documents:

3.

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)

4.

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.

5.

Chairman's Communications

To receive the Chairman’s communications, if any.

6.

Leader's Announcements

7.

Public Questions and Statements

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

8.

Appointments to Committees, sub-committees, Working Parties & Outside Bodies

To approve any appointments to committees, sub-committees, working parties and outside bodies, as proposed by the Group Leaders.

9.

Portfolio Reports pdf icon PDF 76 KB

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 C Ringer – IT, Environmental & Waste Services

Cllr L Shires – Finance, Estates & Assets

Cllr J Toye – Sustainable Growth

Cllr A Varley – Climate Change & Net Zero

Cllr L Withington – Community, Leisure & Outreach (Including Health & Wellbeing)

 

 

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)

Additional documents:

10.

Recommendations from Cabinet 03 March 2025 pdf icon PDF 234 KB

The following recommendation was made to Full Council at the Cabinet meeting held on 3rd March:

 

Cabinet Agenda Item 9: Budget Monitoring P10 2024-2025

 

That full Council approves the changes to the Capital Programme as laid out in paragraph 5.5 of the report

Additional documents:

11.

Recommendations from the Overview & Scrutiny Committee 12 March 2025

Please note that the meeting of the Overview & Scrutiny Committee took place after the publication of the Full Council agenda. The Chairman of the Committee will provide a verbal update on any recommendations at the meeting.

12.

Devolution - Government consultation on proposals to establish a Mayoral Combined County Authority for Norfolk and Suffolk - response by North Norfolk District Council pdf icon PDF 220 KB

Executive Summary

This report provides details of the Council’s proposed response to the Government consultation on proposals to establish a Mayoral Combined County Authority for Norfolk and Suffolk

Options considered

 

Detailed within the proposed response

Consultation(s)

NNDC member briefing – 11th February 2025

Town and Parish Council briefings held on 18th and 25th February 2025

Recommendations

 

Council is asked to approve the Council’s response to the Government consultation on proposals to establish a Mayoral Combined County Authority for Norfolk and Suffolk as attached at Appendix 1 of this report and agree its submission to Government, such submission to be delegated to the Chief Executive in consultation with the Leader of the Council.

Reasons for recommendations

 

To respond constructively to the Government’s proposals to establish a Mayoral Combined County Authority for Norfolk and Suffolk through providing responses which seek to promote and protect the interests of North Norfolk’s residents, communities and businesses.

 

Background papers

 

Details of the Government consultation can be accessed via the following link:-

•       https://consult.communities.gov.uk/lggc/norfolk-and-suffolk-devolution-consultation

 

 

Wards affected

All

 

Cabinet member(s)

Cllr T Adams, Leader of the Council

 

Contact Officer

Steve Blatch, Chief Executive,

steve.blatch@north-norfolk.gov.uk

 

 

Additional documents:

13.

Proposed Local Government Reorganisation in Norfolk pdf icon PDF 352 KB

Executive Summary

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) wrote to all Norfolk Leaders on 5 February 2025 inviting them to work with other council leaders in the area to develop a proposal for Local Government Reorganisation.

The letter sets out the criteria for new unitary councils and what is expected to be received in the interim plan to be submitted by 21st March 2025.

This report sets out the interim plan and requests Council to indicate a preference order for the options outlined moving forward.

Options considered

 

The preparation of the interim plan prepared by the district councils in Norfolk considered one, two or three possible unitary authority models for the County and concluded that a three unitary model would best meet the criteria moving forward.

Consultation(s)

NNDC member briefing – 11th February 2025

Town and Parish Council briefings held on 18th and 25th February 2025

Recommendations

 
  1. Council expresses its view that it disagrees with the Government’s proposals to introduce a unitary local government structure in Norfolk; as it is not convinced that such an arrangement will best meet the needs of the district’s rural communities and residents or deliver the savings and efficiencies anticipated.
  2. Accepting, however, that this is the position of Government as detailed in the English Devolution White Paper, the Council strongly objects to proposals being suggested for a single unitary authority covering the whole of Norfolk in that it will be of a very large scale in terms of area and population served, will not be able to reflect the distinct communities of place and interest which exist across the county, and not meet the definition of “local” government in understanding local places or in providing services tailored to meet local needs.
  3. The Council therefore strongly supports proposals for a three unitary council model for Norfolk in the future as the basis of the interim plan to be submitted to Government.  The Council believes that such an arrangement would best meet the six key criteria laid out by Government and would see one authority based on the urban area of Norwich; an authority covering the West of the county with a strong agricultural and agri-tech economy and an East authority with a key focus on clean energy and tourism.
  4. Council therefore agrees that its response to Government regarding local government reorganisation in Norfolk to be submitted by 21st March 2025 makes reference to an Interim Plan proposing three unitary councils in Norfolk as detailed at Appendix 3 with the submission of the response to be delegated to the Chief Executive in consultation with the Leader of the Council.

Reasons for recommendations

 

To respond constructively to the Government’s invitation to local authorities in Norfolk to put forward proposals for a unitary council local government structure which seeks to promote and protect the interests of North Norfolk’s residents, communities and businesses in the context of new council structures and complements proposals for a Norfolk and Suffolk Mayoral Combined Authority.  ...  view the full agenda text for item 13.

Additional documents:

14.

Questions Received from Members

None Received.

15.

Opposition Business

None Received.

16.

Notice(s) of Motion

None Received.

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