Agenda

To receive apologies for absence, if any.

To confirm the minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 24^th July 2024.

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.

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)

To approve the following recommendations made by Cabinet at the meeting held on 9^th September 2024:

Cabinet Agenda Item 11: Budget Monitoring P4 2024 – 2025

RESOLVED to

1)    Seek approval of full Council to include a budget of £300k for borrowing costs in 2024/25 and that this be funded by using the Treasury Management Reserve (as explained in paragraph 4.8).

2)    Seek approval of full Council to include an addition to the capital programme in 2024/25 for the extension to the Meadow car park in Cromer and that this is funded from revenue (car park income) (as explained in paragraph 5.6).

Cabinet Agenda Item 12: Savings Public Conveniences

RESOLVED to recommend that Full Council approves:

Option 1 - Full and winter closures is progressed by officers, for the least well used and most aged sites in terms of management or maintenance, to include discussions with town and parish councils and other interested parties, regarding possible transfer of sites, where there is a particular context for doing so.

The following recommendations were made by the Overview & Scrutiny Committee at the meeting held on 17 July 2024 and reported to the Cabinet meeting on 9^th September.

The Chairman will provide an oral update at the meeting regarding any recommendations made at the meeting held on 20^th September.

1. East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust

Recommended that the Council –

(A) Request the East of England Ambulance Trust to provide

(1) the mapping of CFRs in North Norfolk to establish where any gaps in the numbers of volunteers are

(2) communication materials for members of the council to use when talking to their respective Parish and Town Councils about the co-responding and the role of CFRs

(B) the Council

(1) works with the Norfolk Ambulance Trust to help promote its Campaign on Community First Responders and co responding by signposting members of the public towards the Ambulance Trust’s Community First Responders https://www.eastamb.nhs.uk/join-the-team/volunteering-and-volunteers/community-first-responders

(2) encourages the members of the council to talk to their respective Parish and Town Councils on the importance of the work being done by Community First Responders with the aim of increasing the understanding of these roles and seeking to achieve more volunteers to apply for these roles

2. North Walsham High Street Heritage Action Zone

‘To update the Overview & Scrutiny Committee in 12 months time on the impact of the North Walsham High Street Heritage Action Zone initiative and learning from this, to establish a set of evaluation criteria, including baselines, that can then be used for similar projects in other towns in North Norfolk.’

The Constitution Working Party considered the following report at the meeting held on 17^th September 2024:

Updates and amendments to the Council’s Contract Procedure Rules.

The Working Party made the following recommendations to Full Council:

RESOLVED

That Full Council

(i)             Approve all the proposed changes to the Contract Procedural Rules, namely by approving the newly drafted Contract Procedure Rules, at appendix A, in their entirety.

(ii)            Approve delegation to the Monitoring Officer to make any further necessary changes to the Contract Procedure Rules if required to comply with subsequent Government guidance, policy and updated legislation.  

None Received.

The following item of Opposition Business has been received:

Changes to the Winter Fuel Allowance and Protecting Pensioners from Fuel Poverty

Proposed by: Cllr C Cushing Seconded by: Cllr N Dixon

This Council Notes:

•         The Labour Government’s recent decision to restrict the Winter Fuel Payment to only pensioners in receipt of means-tested benefits like Pension Credit, as announced by Chancellor Rachel Reeves.

•         Age UK estimate that 2 million pensioners who badly need the money to stay warm this winter will not receive it. According to a recent EDP article, a total of 25,796 people in North Norfolk could potentially forfeit the payment, giving the district the fourth-highest number of people who could lose it in the UK.

•         Energy bills are set to rise by 10 per cent after regulator Ofgem announced it was increasing the price cap for gas and electricity bills. The regulator announced it is hiking its price cap from the current £1,568 for a typical household in England, Scotland and Wales to £1,717, adding around £12 a month to an average bill.

•         The significant role that Winter Fuel Payments play in helping older residents of North Norfolk and across the UK afford heating during the coldest months, thereby preventing 'heat or eat' dilemmas and safeguarding health.

•         The criticism from Age UK, the Countryside Alliance and other charities, highlighting the social injustice and potential health risks posed by this sudden policy change.

•         The additional strain this decision will place on vulnerable pensioners, many of whom do not claim Pension Credit despite being eligible, further exacerbating their financial hardship. This is particularly relevant in North Norfolk which has the oldest demographic of any local authority area in the UK.

This Council believes:

•         That the Winter Fuel Payment has been a lifeline for many older people across the UK and that restricting its availability solely to those on Pension Credit risks leaving many pensioners in financial hardship.

•         While some pensioners currently in receipt of the Winter Fuel Payment may not require it, many thousands across North Norfolk sit just above the cut-off for Pension Credit and will now lose their allowance. Despite publicity to do so, many pensioners who may be eligible for Pension Credit do not claim it and will be particularly badly hit, a real concern in districts such as North Norfolk with its high percentage of pensioners and this has to be addressed.

•         The decision to means-test Winter Fuel Payments, especially with such short notice and without adequate compensatory measures, is deeply unfair and will disproportionately affect the health and well-being of our poorest older residents.

•         The government’s approach fails to consider the administrative barriers and stigma that prevent eligible pensioners from claiming Pension Credit, leaving many without the support they desperately need.

This Council resolves to:

•         To ensure a Council-led local awareness campaign is robust to alert those eligible of Pension Credit which in some respects will help access to the Winter Fuel Payment for  ...  view the full agenda text for item 14.

The following Notices of Motion have been received:

Temporary Accommodation costs and budget pressures

This motion is asking for a letter to be sent by NNDC and our two MPs to the Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner.

This letter seeks clarity over the funding support to Councils regarding exponential rising nightly paid temporary accommodation costs.  The building of more homes is of course incredibly welcome.  However, it is the short term funding crisis that needs addressing while these new affordable homes are built out.  It is putting unprecedented pressure on NNDC and councils up and down the country.  This means that costs have to be found by cutting other services leaving residents lacking in support.

This echos the findings from the District Councils Network that this is a National issue and they are calling on the Government for support. https://www.districtcouncils.info/record-temporary-accommodation-figures-action-demanded-to-tackle-crisis/

The second part of the letter requests a return visit from the Ministry Housing, Communities and Local Government (previously DHLUC).  The Council were grateful to meet with the department at NNDC Council offices earlier this year.  Action points were taken by the Officials.  We would like to know the progress under the new Government Regime.

Recommendation: The letter will be drafted by the Chief Executive and Leader of the Council and asked to be signed by both of our MPs.

Proposed by Cllr Wendy Fredericks, seconded by Cllr Lucy Shires

Motion on Winter Fuel Allowance Announcement

Fuel poverty is a pressing issue, with 16.1% of households in North Norfolk affected, compared to the national average of 13.1%. (1)The region's housing energy efficiency is subpar, with over 60% of properties off the gas grid, relying on expensive heating alternatives. This disproportionately affects older residents, many of whom live in cold homes and are vulnerable to fuel poverty. (2)

Norfolk has a significant elderly population, particularly in North Norfolk, where 33% of residents are aged 65 or older. (1)This demographic is more susceptible to cold-related health issues, contributing to high excess winter deaths.

NNDC stresses that failure to address this issue will push more elderly people into fuel poverty, exacerbating health risks and impacting the well-being of North Norfolk's aging population.

NNDC are proactively reaching out to residents with our teams using our data to encourage those eligible to apply for Pension Credit and help fill in appropriate forms. Anyone concerned about this please give NNDC a call and our teams will help you.

Recommendation: We ask NNDC to  submit a letter to the Chancellor of the Exchequer urging a review of the winter fuel allowance means test, particularly considering pensioners with incomes below the national living wage. This  Council calls upon our two local MPs in particular the North Norfolk MP to continue to lobby the Government for this review, emphasizing the potential negative impact on elderly residents in North Norfolk:

Proposed by Cllr Liz Withington     Seconded by Cllr Wendy Fredericks

References

(1)   JSNA_Housing_Briefing_Paper_March_2024.pdf (norfolkinsight.org.uk)

(2)   (2)Source: Non-gas map (nongasmap.org.uk)

(3)   Save the Winter Fuel Payment |  ...  view the full agenda text for item 15.

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.”