Agenda and minutes

Venue: Council Chamber - Council Offices. View directions

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

Items
No. Item

61.

Presentation on the Chairman's Nominated Charity

To receive a short presentation from Emyr Gough, Group Manager, Fire & Rescue Service on the work of the Firefighters’ Charity.

Minutes:

Mr E Gough spoke about the Firefighter’s Charity, one of the Chairman’s nominated charities for his year in office. He outlined the services that they provided, which included supporting the mental, physical and social needs of all serving and retired members of the UK firefighters. He explained that the charity relied solely on donations and fundraising and he thanked the Chairman for his support. He then introduced a colleague who spoke about the ongoing support that he received from the charity following a work-related injury.

 

62.

Apologies for Absence

To receive apologies for absence, if any.

63.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 327 KB

To confirm the minutes of the Annual General Meeting of the Council held on 26th May 2021

Minutes:

The minutes of the meeting held on 26th May were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman, subject to the following amendment:

 

The Leader requested that the statement that she had made at the meeting was included in full as an appendix to the minutes.

 

 

64.

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.

Minutes:

None received.

65.

TO RECEIVE DECLARATIONS OF INTERESTS FROM MEMBERS pdf icon PDF 233 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)

Minutes:

None received.

66.

Chairman's Communications

To receive the Chairman’s communications, if any.

Minutes:

The Chairman welcomed everyone back into the Council Chamber. He thanked Emyr Gough for speaking to Members about the work of the Firefighter’s Charity which he would be supporting throughout his year as Chairman. He said that civic events remained limited due to the pandemic but that he had recently attended the civic reception of the Mayor of Kings Lynn & West Norfolk Borough Council at King’s Lynn Minster.

 

67.

Leader's Announcements

To receive any announcements from the Leader.

Minutes:

The Leader began by expressing frustration at the requirement for local government committee meetings to take place in person. She said that some members and the public felt unable to attend due to concerns about risks to their health, with the pandemic still so prevalent. She urged the Government to introduce hybrid style meetings so that the views of all members and residents could be heard.

She then referred to an update prepared by the Chief Executive on the Council’s preparedness for dealing with an influx of visitors to the District during the summer season. She said that a copy of the paper would be circulated to all members after the meeting.

 

68.

Public Questions and Statements

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

Minutes:

None received.

69.

Portfolio Reports pdf icon PDF 216 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)

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Cllr A Fitch-Tillett, Portfolio Holder for Coast introduced her report as written.

Cllr W Fredericks, Portfolio Holder for Housing & Benefits, introduced her report as written.

Cllr V Gay, Portfolio Holder for Leisure, Wellbeing & Culture, introduced her report and the previously circulated report covering the period from May to June 2021. She referenced the opening night of the Cromer Pier Show, which many Members had attended and spoke about the burying of the time capsule at the new leisure centre, the Reef, in Sheringham.

Cllr R Kershaw, Portfolio Holder for Sustainable Growth, said that he was pleased to inform members that confirmation had been received that day from the Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy, advising that the Council had been awarded an additional £760,411 in additional restrictions grant funding to further support the recovery of businesses and the local economy. This was in addition to the $3.02m of discretionary grants that had already been awarded this year. There was only one other authority in Norfolk which had met the deadlines and criteria to receive this additional funding. He praised the staff for working tirelessly to issue the grants to local businesses. The additional funds would be used to establish a grant scheme to support the recovery process for local businesses to help them become more resilient.

Cllr Kershaw concluded by announcing that these efforts had been recognised with the council being shortlisted for two prestigious national awards; the Public Finance Awards 2021 for Digital Finance Project of the Year and the Institute of Revenues, Rating & Valuation performance awards for Excellence in Innovation.

Cllr T FitzPatrick asked about support for the manufacturing base in North Norfolk, specifically in the west of the District.  He asked about contact that had been made with companies and the view of the Portfolio Holder regarding the health of the sector during the pandemic. Cllr Kershaw replied that there had been several visits to West Raynham Airfield. There had also been visits to firms in Fakenham. He was pleased to say this had been well received. Cllr FitzPatrick said that he was particularly interested in the manufacturing industry. Cllr Kershaw replied that this was a challenging sector and there were some issues with labour supply, particularly with the recent ‘pingdemic’. He said that the Council would like to help with this and the team was now visiting more businesses, including those in the West. Cllr FitzPatrick said that he felt his question regarding manufacturing in the district had not been responded to. The Chairman suggested that he contact Cllr Kershaw directly regarding this.

Cllr N Lloyd, Portfolio Holder for Environmental Services, Climate Change and Environment, said that there were additional items to update members on. One of the Environmental Health team’s responsibilities was to check on the status and quality of private water supplies across the District. The standard of this work had recently been recognised by the Drinking Water Inspectorate in their 2020 report, singling out NNDC.

Cllr Lloyd then informed members  ...  view the full minutes text for item 69.

70.

Recommendations from Cabinet 07 June and 05 July 2021 pdf icon PDF 275 KB

cabinet 07 June 2021:

 

Agenda item 12: North Norfolk District Council Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy 2021

 

RESOLVED

 

1.    To recommend to Full Council the formal adoption of its Equality Objectives and the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy 2021

2.    That an annual report to be produced and reported to the relevant committees

 

The Overview & Scrutiny Committee supported the recommendations at their meeting on 16 June 2021.

 

CABINET 05 July 2021:

 

AGENDA ITEM 8: HOUSING STRATEGY 2021-2025

 

RESOLVED

To recommend that Full Council adopts the Housing Strategy and Action Plan 2021-2025.

 

AGENDA ITEM 9: COMMUNITY RENEWAL FUND (CRF) MATCH FUNDING

To recommend to Full Council the establishment of new capital budgets for the North Walsham and Fakenham schemes of £800k each, with each scheme being funded through the CRF bid (£600k) and the balance (£200k) as match funding from the Council.

 

The Overview & Scrutiny Committee meeting took place after the agenda for Full Council was published. The Chairman will provide an oral update at the meeting.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Cabinet 07 June 2021

 

Agenda Item 12: North Norfolk District Council Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Policy 2021

 

Cllr E Seward introduced this item. He said that a lot of work had been undertaken on the policy and it had been to Overview & Scrutiny Committee twice.

 

It was proposed by Cllr E Seward, seconded by Cllr W Frederick and

 

RESOLVED:

 

To adopt the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy 2021 and the equality objectives

That an annual report be produced and reported to the relevant committees

 

Cabinet 05 July 2021

 

Agenda Item 8: Housing Strategy 2021 – 2025

 

The Portfolio Holder for Housing, Cllr Fredericks, introduced this item. She said that there has been a lot of collaboration between stakeholders and partners in producing the strategy and she was pleased to recommend it to Council.

 

It was proposed by Cllr Fredericks, seconded by Cllr Toye and

 

RESOLVED

 

To adopt the Housing Strategy and Action Plan 2021-2025.

 

8 members abstained.

 

Agenda Item 9: Community Renewal Fund (CRF) Match Funding

 

Cllr R Kershaw, Portfolio Holder for Economic Sustainability, introduced this item. He said that there had been a lot of work undertaken by officers to a very tight timescale and the project had been supported by cross-party councillors and the two local MPs.

It was proposed by Cllr R Kershaw, seconded by Cllr J Rest and

 

RESOLVED

 

To establish new capital budgets for the North Walsham and Fakenham schemes of £800k each, with each scheme being funded through the CRF bid (£600k) and the balance (£200k) as match funding from the Council.

 

71.

Recommendations from the Overview & Scrutiny Committee 16 June 2021 pdf icon PDF 277 KB

Agenda item 12: OVERVIEW & SCRUTINY ANNUAL REPORT 2019/20 & 2020/21

 

RESOLVED:

 

To recommend that Council notes the report, affirms the work of the Overview & Scrutiny Committee and considers the following concerns raised within the report:

 

·         Additional Committee substitutes required to adequately address the number of apologies given.

·         Late submission of reports has caused ongoing volatility in the Work Programme.

·         Better communication on business planning required to maintain Work Programme stability

Minutes:

Agenda Item 12: Overview & Scrutiny Committee Annual Report 2019/20 and 2020/21

 

The Chairman, Cllr Dixon explained that the report covered two years due to the pandemic. He highlighted three concerns that had been raised within the report;

·       Additional Committee substitutes required to adequately address the number of apologies given.

·       Late submission of reports has caused ongoing volatility in the Work Programme.

·       Better communication on business planning required to maintain Work Programme stability

He suggested that the Corporate Leadership Team was responsible for actioning the second and third points, with Cabinet supporting the third point.

It was proposed by Cllr N Dixon, seconded by Cllr P Fisher and

RESOLVED

To note the report, affirm the work of the Overview & Scrutiny Committee,  and consider the following concerns raised within the report:

 

·       Additional Committee substitutes required to adequately address the number of apologies given.

·       Late submission of reports has caused ongoing volatility in the Work Programme.

·       Better communication on business planning required to maintain Work Programme stability.

 

One member abstained.

 

72.

Recommendations from the Employment & Appeals Committee 20 October 2020 and 21 April 2021 pdf icon PDF 123 KB

 

Summary:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Options considered:

This report to Council seeks to conclude the recruitment processes for the Director of Place and Climate Change, and the Director of Communities. The Employment and Appeals Committee (EAC) confirms its recommendation to full council to appoint these two officers. 

 

N/A

 

Conclusions:

 

To support the Authority in delivering its corporate objectives; whilst driving ownership, accountability and change through the authority, the Chief Executive Officer needs to complete the management reorganisation that was approved by Council on 23rd September 2020. 

 

Recommendations:

 

 

 

Reasons for

Recommendations:

 

To approve the appointment of the Director of Place & Climate Change and Director of Communities

 

 

Sound management and leadership of the council.

 

 

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)

 

 

North Norfolk District Council Constitution

 

 

 

 

               

Cabinet Member(s

 

Ward(s) affected N/A

Contact Officer, telephone number and email: James Claxton, 01263 516352 and james.claxton@north-norfolk.gov.uk

 

 

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Chairman of the Employment and Appeals Committee, Cllr E Seward, introduced the report and outlined the recommendations.

 

It was proposed by Cllr E Seward, seconded by Cllr R Kershaw and

 

RESOLVED

 

To approve the appointment of the Director of Place & Climate Change and Director of Communities

 

73.

Recommendations from the Constitution Working Party 13 April and 28 June 2021 pdf icon PDF 326 KB

CONSTITUTION WORKING PARTY 13 APRIL 2021

 

Agenda item 5: Review of Protocol on Member / Officer Relations

 

RESOLVED:

 

To recommend that, following any further amendments by Standards Committee, Council approves the revised Member /Officer Protocol.

 

(Standards Committee considered this item at their meeting on 27th April 2021 and supported approval subject to some changes which are reflected in the attached version).

 

Agenda item 8: Dispute Resolution Process – Full Delegation to Chief Officers

 

RESOLVED:

 

To recommend to Full Council that the Constitution be updated to include a dispute resolution procedure in the event of any disagreement between a Chief Officer and Elected Member, following consultation about use of delegated powers.

 

CONSTITUTION WORKING PARTY 28 JUNE 2021

 

Agenda Item 5: Review of Portfolio Holder Reports to Council

 

RESOLVED:

 

To recommend to Council:

 

  1. That the Council agenda be amended to include the following two separate standing agenda items:

a.    Presentation of Portfolio reports

b.    Questions to Portfolio Holders (limited to 30 minutes)

 

  1. That a review be undertaken in 6 months

 

Agenda item 6: Contract Standing Orders (Procurement) Exemptions

 

RESOLVED:

 

To recommend to Full Council the following;

 

a.    The updates and amendments to the Exemption Form as contained within Appendix 2 of the report

b.    That the Section 151 Officer is a required signatory on the Contract   Procurement Exemption form.

c.    The updates and amendments to the Constitution as contained within Appendix 3 of the report

d.    That the Constitution states that the contract cannot commence until the exemption form has been satisfactorily completed, with the exception of an emergency situation, when the form must be completed as soon as practical and that this is included in the Constitution

e.    That a standing item for the reporting of contract procurement exemptions is added to the Governance, Risk & Audit Committee agenda

f.     To publish the contract procurement exemptions on the Council’s website on a quarterly basis.

 

 

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Chairman of the Constitution Working Party, Cllr V Gay, introduced this item. She explained there were four recommendations and she introduced them in turn.

 

1.     Protocol on Member / Officer Relations

Cllr Gay explained that the protocol had undergone a substantial review and it was now much more explicit what officers and members should expect of one another. The Standards Committee had supported the proposed changes.

 

It was proposed by Cllr V Gay, seconded by Cllr T FitzPatrick and

 

RESOLVED

 

To approve the revised Protocol on Member / Officer Relations

 

2.     Dispute Resolution Process – Full Delegation to Chief Officers

Cllr Gay explained that this had been requested by the Council’s auditors in case of a dispute over the use of delegated powers by an officer. Such a situation had not arisen but it was considered good practice to have a process in place.

 

It was proposed by Cllr V Gay, seconded by Cllr P Grove-Jones and

 

RESOLVED

 

That the Constitution be updated to include a dispute resolution procedure in the event of any disagreement between a chief officer and elected member, following consultation about use of delegated powers.

 

3.     Review of Portfolio Holder reports to Council

Cllr Gay said that this concerned the way Portfolio Holder reports were treated at Full Council. She said that she had concerns about this recommendation as it had could have implications for the length of Full Council meetings and there were a range of alternative options which could be explored. She said that would like to propose that this item was deferred to allow for further consideration. Cllr S Butikofer seconded the proposal.

 

Cllr T FitzPatrick said that as a member of the Constitution Working Party, he felt that it would have been appropriate for the Chairman to notify the members of the working party, particularly as the recommendation had been unanimously supported at the meeting. Cllr Gay acknowledged his concerns.

 

It was proposed by Cllr Gay, seconded by Cllr S Butikofer and

 

RESOLVED to

Defer this item

 

Nine members abstained.

 

4.     Contract Standing Orders (Procurement) Exemptions

Cllr Gay said that this was an important item and the recommendations had arisen following an audit of the Council’s contract procurement exemption process. She outlined the recommendations in turn.

The Chairman of the Governance, Risk & Audit Committee, Cllr J Rest confirmed that the committee supported the recommendations.

 

It was proposed by Cllr V Gay, seconded by Cllr T FitzPatrick and

 

RESOLVED

 

To approve the following;

a. The updates and amendments to the Exemption Form as

contained within Appendix 2 of the report

b. That the Section 151 Officer is a required signatory on

the Contract Procurement Exemption form.

c. The updates and amendments to the Constitution as

contained within Appendix 3 of the report

d. That the Constitution states that the contract cannot

commence until the exemption form has been

satisfactorily completed, with the exception of an

emergency situation, when the form must be completed

as soon as practical and that this is included  ...  view the full minutes text for item 73.

74.

Recommendations from Standards Committee 27 April 2021 pdf icon PDF 127 KB

Agenda Item 8: Adoption of New Model Code of Councillor Conduct:

 

RESOLVED:

 

To recommend to Full Council that the Model Code of Conduct be adopted

 

The Constitution Working Party considered this item at their meeting on 4th February 2021 and recommended its approval to Standards Committee.

 

Please note that the supporting guidance for the Model Code of Conduct has not been published. It is expected imminently.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Adoption of Model Code of Conduct

The Chairman of the Standards Committee, Cllr H Blathwayt introduced this item. He said that the Committee had unanimously supported the adoption of the Model Councillor Code of Conduct.

Cllr T FitzPatrick said that the Constitution Working Party had requested that the Code should be numbered in line with the Council’s committee reports to ensure it was simple to use.

It was proposed by Cllr H Blathwayt, seconded by Cllr J Rest and

RESOLVED

To adopt the Model Code of Conduct

 

75.

PROGRAMME OF COMMUNITY GOVERNANCE REVIEWS - CONSIDERATION OF PROPOSALS FOLLOWING STAGE ONE CONSULTATION pdf icon PDF 264 KB

 

Summary:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In mid-February 2021, the programme of Community Governance Reviews was started with the Notice of Review being published. This signalled the commencement of the initial stage of consultation with relevant stakeholders regarding the proposed changes to existing parish boundaries.

 

The deadline for the stage one consultation was on 30th April and received 73 responses across the various separate reviews.

 

 

Conclusions:

 

This report now details the Draft recommendations to be considered by Full Council to be approved for further consultation

 

Recommendations:

 

 

 

 

 

To approve the draft recommendations proposed and authorise the second stage consultation which will run to 31st October 2021 when the final recommendations would be prepared for consideration once again by Full Council on 15th December 2021

 

           

Cabinet Member(s)

Cllr S Butikofer

Ward(s) affected

Contact Officer, telephone number and email:

Rob Henry, Senior Elections Officer

 

Please note the consultation responses can be accessed via the ‘Library’ on the NNDC website: Home | Library folder - Full Council (north-norfolk.gov.uk)

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Leader introduced this item. She explained that the initial stage review process had started in February 2021 and this report summarised the results of the consultation ahead of moving to the second stage consultation which would run to 31st October 2021, with the final recommendations being brought to Full Council for consideration in December 2021.

Cllr T FitzPatrick referred to Sculthorpe, which was in his ward. He said that 16 responses had been submitted as part of the consultation process, with 10 objections to the proposals being put forward. He questioned the point of having a consultation if the responses were ignored.

The Chief Executive replied that there was a second consultation phase and all efforts would be made to work with communities and address any concerns which had been raised

Cllr C Heinink said that he had some concerns about Upper Sheringham.

Cllr A Fitch-Tillett commented that she was relieved to hear that there would be a further opportunity for consultation.

It was proposed by Cllr S Butikofer, seconded by Cllr R Kershaw and

RESOLVED

To approve the draft recommendations proposed and authorise the second stage consultation which will run to 31st October 2021 when the final recommendations would be prepared for consideration once again by Full Council on 15th December 2021

One member voted against, 8 members abstained.

 

76.

Questions Received from Members

None Received.

77.

Opposition Business

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

 

‘The Council AGM has traditionally been a ceremonial affair. At the AGM held on 26th May 2021 the Leader of the Council broke this convention by choosing to politicise the event by delivering a long mid-term report stating the perceived achievements of the Liberal Democrat Administration since they took over control of the council. As there was no opportunity for the Opposition to respond to this at the meeting, we seek to rebalance that report and set the record straight.

 

The Conservative Opposition therefore makes the following recommendations:

 

That Full Council:

 

1.    Resolves that the Annual General Meeting should be limited to ceremonial matters and that no political statements will be allowed.

 

That the Leader and Cabinet:

 

2. Demonstrate some dynamism, creative thinking and leadership to tackle North Norfolk’s immediate and long term needs.

3. Deliver competent governance with clear deliverables and measurable outcomes.

4. Govern in an open and transparent manner.

 

We therefore propose that the Leader reports back to the next meeting of Full Council, setting out with clear timescales, how the above matters will be addressed.’

 

 

Minutes:

Cllr Cushing began by saying that since the Council’s formation in 1974, the Annual General Meeting (AGM) had been a non-partisan event, bringing all Members together to celebrate the achievements of the outgoing Chairman and to welcome the new Chairman and Vice-Chairman to their roles. Instead, the Leader of the Council had made a ‘state of the Union’ style address, to which he, as Leader of the Opposition had no right of reply. He said that he had brought this item of business forward as a response to the Leader’s statement at the AGM.

 

He explained that the first recommendation was to ensure that the AGM remained a purely ceremonial affair. The remaining three recommendations were in response to the Leader’s statement at the AGM and attempt to present the Opposition’s view of the Administration and its achievements to date.

 

He said that the Administration was process-focussed, lacked plans and was devoid of ideas on how to tackle future challenges. He referred to the forecast deficits in future years and said that nothing was being done to prepare for this. A dynamic Council should strive to find savings and have a plethora of ideas to generate income. He drew comparisons with the Conservative-run councils across the County and said that they were very different in their approach in coming up with solutions to meet their medium to long-term needs. He referred to Great Yarmouth Borough Council which had successfully bid for millions of pounds in grants, resulting in £220m income in the last 12 months alone – from a mixture of grant funding and their own investment income.

 

He then spoke about the Corporate Plan, which had taken nine months to come to fruition, there were 95 actions listed within it, of which 71 were process-driven. He then referred to what he perceived to be a high level of dysfunction within the Council, including the recent Capability Review. He then spoke about a number of Cabinet members who were not on top of their portfolios as well as some senior officers.  In his view, the appointment of members to Cabinet seemed to be based on their loyalty to the Leader rather than knowledge of their portfolio areas.

 

He concluded by referring to secrecy that pervaded the Administration. This ranged from changing recommendations at meetings at the last minute, announcing council tax changes via the media and not informing members of the sale of a council-owned property. He said that in summary, although a council could not be run like a business it should at least be business-like.

 

Cllr Dixon seconded the motion and reserved his right to speak.

 

The Chairman invited Cllr Rest to speak. He said that he didn’t have any comment to make.

 

The Leader of the Council, Cllr S Butikofer, was then invited to respond.

 

Cllr Butikofer began by thanking Cllr Cushing for giving her the opportunity to set the record straight. In response to his first recommendation that the AGM should be non-political, she referred  ...  view the full minutes text for item 77.

78.

Notice(s) of Motion

The following Notice of Motion has been proposed by Cllr J Toye, seconded by Cllr J Rest:

 

‘North Norfolk District Council believes that planning works best when developers and the local community work together to shape local areas and deliver necessary new homes; and therefore calls on our local MPs – Duncan Baker and Jerome Mayhew and the Government to protect the right of communities to object to individual planning applications.’

Minutes:

Cllr J Toye, Portfolio Holder for Planning, introduced this item. He explained that the new Planning Reforms Bill had started its journey with him within days of taking over the portfolio. He said that some of the concerns raised in response to the White Paper had been addresses – such as the number of minimum affordable homes to be built. He said the ability to consult at all stages was imperative. He went onto say that the weakening of residents rights to voice their views on planning applications was a serious concern. He said that the Council had a strong record of listening to residents’ views and that it was essential to maintain the right of local communities to have a voice on planning issues in their area.

Cllr J Rest, in seconding the motion, said that he received between 6 and 8 planning applications a month in his ward. He said that the Planning Bill would strip away the rights of local people to voice their views and concerns on planning matters in their community. He asked why the government did not feel that local views were not important.  If the Government wanted to build more homes now, then they should compel developers who already had full planning permission to get on with it.

The Chairman opened the debate.

Cllr P Grove-Jones spoke as Chairman of the Development Committee. She said that she supported the motion. The Committee provided an opportunity for local residents to express their views on planning applications and to facilitate a discussion on key issues. Planning applications and wider local development were of great importance to local communities and any attempt by the Government to impose development on an area would cause great unrest – not just in the District but across the country, leading ultimately to a loss of respect and trust in national and local government.

Cllr P Heinrich said that the proposals set out in the Planning Bill would be a disaster for North Norfolk and for his own ward of North Walsham West.

Cllr T FitzPatrick commented that in his view this was a virtue signalling motion. The only comment that was valid so far was to ensure that developers were forced to build sites with planning consent. The intent seemed to be to score points off the local MPs.

Cllr E Vardy said that he agreed with some sentiments of the motion. He added that he was grateful for Duncan Baker MP for his tireless efforts in creating changes to the consultation paper, which was now a draft paper up for further submission to local government. He agreed with the principle that planning should be plan-led and not developer-led.

Cllr N Dixon said that he thought the motion was premature. He did not believe that the local MPs would support proposals which would deny local communities the right to voice their views on individual planning applications. The Bill has yet to be published and the motion was therefore speculative. He  ...  view the full minutes text for item 78.

79.

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.”

80.

Private Business