Agenda

To receive apologies for absence, if any.

To confirm the minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 17 June 2026.

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 nominations from the Group Leaders for appointments to Committees, sub-committees, working parties and panels, including the Local Plan & Conservation Task Group.

To receive reports from Cabinet Members on their portfolios:

Cllr T Adams - Executive Support & Legal Services

Cllr H Blathwayt – Coast

Cllr J Boyle – Housing and People Services

Cllr A Brown – Planning & Enforcement

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)

The following recommendations were made by Cabinet to Full Council at the meeting held on 6^th July 2026:

1.    Cabinet Agenda item 8: 2025/2026 Outturn Report

2.    Cabinet Agenda item 9: Debt Recovery 2025-2026

3.    Cabinet Agenda item 11: Coastal Adaptation Pilot – Extending Delivery of Coastwise

4.    Cabinet Agenda Item 13: Local Plan Review Governance Arrangements

The Overview & Scrutiny Committee considered the following item at the meeting on 15^th July:

Overview & Scrutiny Committee Agenda item 12: Housing Benefit Debt Recovery Report – 1^st April 2025 to 31^st March 2026

Please note that the Full Council agenda was published before the Overview & Scrutiny Committee meeting. The Chair of the Committee will provide a verbal update at the Full Council meeting.

The Licensing Committee (Regulatory) made the following recommendations to Full Council at the meeting held on 8^th July:

Licensing Committee Agenda Item 6: Statement of Licensing Policy 2026 - 2031

At the meeting held on 30^th June, the Constitution Working Party made the following recommendations to Full Council:

Constitution Working Party Agenda item 5: Amendments to the Constitution – preparing for the introduction of the National Scheme of delegation for planning applications

Recommendations:

1. That Full Council approves the proposed amendments to the Constitution as required by changes prescribed pursuant to the Government’s proposed Town and Country Planning (Discharge of LPA Functions) (England) Regulations 2026 once enacted.

The Working Party also RESOLVED:

2. To put on record the Working Party’s strong reluctance to support the required changes to the Constitution, with Members noting that failing to accept them would leave the Council open to judicial review.

Please note that the above changes will not come into effect until 31^st October 2026.

Constitution Working Party Agenda Item 6: Updates to the Constitution

Recommendation:

That Full Council approves the following changes to Chaoter 2, part 2, section 18.1

(additional sections in italics)

Amendments to motions

18.11.  An amendment to a motion must be relevant to the motion and may be in either or both of the following forms:

(a) To refer the matter to an appropriate body or individual for consideration or reconsideration; or

(b) To leave out words and/or add and/or insert words as long as the effect of so doing is not to negate the motion.

18.12.  Any amendment must be in writing and submitted to the Proper Officer by no later than noon on the day of the meeting, except:

(a) with the consent of the Chair, including amendments proposed during the meeting,

(b) amendments to motions which have been moved without notice, or

(c) amendments to recommendations arising from Officers’ reports.

18.13.  Amendments shall be taken in the order in which they have been moved (unless the Chair determines otherwise for the efficient running of business). Only one amendment may be moved and discussed at any one time. No further amendment may be moved until the amendment under discussion has been disposed of.

18.14   If an amendment is moved, the Chair will ask the proposer of the original motion if they are willing to alter their motion in accordance with the amendment. If they accept, the amendment becomes the substantive motion and is debated. If the proposer of the original motion is unwilling to alter their motion, the Chair will ask if there is a seconder for the amendment. If there is a seconder, the amendment will then be debated and voted upon.

18.15   If an amendment is not carried, other amendments to the original motion may be moved.

18.16   If an amendment is carried, the motion as amended takes the place of the original motion. This becomes the substantive motion to which any further amendments are moved.

18.17.  After an amendment has been carried, the Chair will read out the amended motion before accepting any further amendments, or if there are none, putting it to the vote.

18.18   Members are encouraged to discuss their proposed amendment with  ...  view the full agenda text for item 14.

None Received.

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

Relief of Local Water Cycle Stress – A Vital Part of the Hydrologic Cycle.

Water is the arguably most precious natural resource vital to all life on Earth. In simple terms Water Cycle Stress is the condition of having too much or too little fresh water so that the functioning and quality of life and the environment is put at risk, or seriously harmed in some way, as conditions become more extreme with climate change. Aside from the science driving the local Water Cycle, the most obvious indicators are the impacts of the extremes of heavy and prolonged rainfall and surface water flooding (causing foul water escapes with environmental pollution); and, prolonged periods of drought and freshwater shortages causing risk and harm to life, food production and ecosystems of the environment.

This must be a key part of the climate change agenda which this Council has embraced and promoted over recent years; yet, in common with most public bodies little is done to raise public awareness and remediate the causes of local Water Cycle stress. We must take every opportunity, within our scope of influence, to mitigate and reverse the stress rising trends. Fresh (rain) water is the most precious free natural resource we have yet we seem to value it much less than most other resources. NNDC can be a local leader and key influencer in addressing the challenges through development policies for the built and natural environments and by working with public and private sector partners and home/landowners to plan and deliver changes in practices and standards. Key partners include: the Environment Agency, NCC (LLSFA and Norfolk Strategic Flood Alliance), the Internal Drainage Boards, Anglian Water and the NFU.

This is mainly about capturing and storing water during times of prolonged/heavy rainfall or times of high river levels and flood risk conditions, to be released and used during drier times. Examples of practices and solutions are:

1. Promoting the reinstatement of field boundary ditches to stop or attenuate run field off and encourage greater infiltration to below ground storage.
2. Promoting building of reservoirs for crop growing needs particularly by expediting approvals.
3. Promoting reduced domestic potable water consumption and rainwater capture for both grey water and or garden needs by specifications in Planning policies - through water efficient systems and installation of holding tanks.
4. Promoting surface water infiltration of drives and garden surfaces and drains to prevent run off and help replenish underground supplies in Planning policies and influencing farmland management and drainage practices.
5. Encouraging property owners with surface water connections to foul water systems to redirect this water to storage tanks, soak aways or nearby water courses, as appropriate, to reduce loads on foul water drains and Water Recycling Centres; and, reduce the risk of storm water release to rivers and coastal waters, reducing water pollution. 

Local Water Cycle Stress relief must be a key part of Planning policies, and working  ...  view the full agenda text for item 18.

None Received.

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.”