Agenda

To receive apologies for absence, if any.

To confirm the minutes of the Annual General Meeting of the Council held on 15 May 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.

The Council has been advised that, following a change to the terms of reference for the Norfolk Community Safety Scrutiny Sub Panel, the representatives must be the same as those appointed to the Norfolk Police & Crime Panel and they must both be drawn from the ruling group.

The Leader has therefore confirmed that the following appointments will be made to both bodies:

Cllr J Toye to be the main representative and Cllr S Butikofer to be the substitute.

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)

The following recommendations to Full Council were made by Cabinet at the meeting held on 8^th July:

Please note that the Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting took place after the Full Council agenda was published. The Chairman will provide a verbal update at the meeting of any recommendations made in relation to any of the items listed below.

1.     Cabinet Agenda Item 10: Outturn Report 2023 – 2024

RESOLVED to recommend the following to Full Council:

a)  The provisional outturn position for the General Fund revenue account for 2023/24 (as shown in Appendix A);

b)  The transfers to and from reserves as detailed within the report (and Appendix C) along with the corresponding updates to the 2024/25 budget;

c) The deficit of £0.937m relating to service overspends be funded from the General Reserve (£0.737m) and the Treasury Management Reserve (£0.200m);

d) The balance on the General Reserve of £2.148m

e)  The surplus of £2.1m relating to retained business rates be transferred to the Business Rates Reserve;

f) The financing of the 2023/24 capital programme as detailed within the report and at Appendix D.

g) The updated capital programme for 2024/25 to 2026/27 and scheme financing as outlined within the report and detailed at Appendix E;

h) The roll-forward requests as shown in paragraph 5.5.

i)               Approval of additional funding to cover capital project overspends of £0.429k as detailed in paragraph 6.7.

2.     Cabinet Agenda Item 11: Treasury Outturn Report 2023 – 2024

RESOLVED to recommend the Treasury Outturn Position to Full Council, (subject to amendment following clarification of figures in Table 1 and Table 2 in Appendix A)

3.     Cabinet Agenda Item 12: Debt Recovery 2023 – 2024

RESOLVED to recommend to Full Council that it

1. approves the annual report which details the Council’s write-offs, in accordance with the Council’s Debt Write-Off Policy and performance in relation to revenues collection.

2. approves the suggested change to the delegated authority as shown in appendix 2 for write offs (increase team leaders’ authorisation levels from £4k to £5k which is line with other authorisations).

4.     Cabinet Agenda Item 13: Housing Benefit Debt Recovery Report – 1^st April 2023 to 31^st March 2024

RESOLVED to recommend that Full Council approves the annual report detailing Housing Benefit Overpayment debt recovery in accordance with the Council’s Debt Recovery Policy, Write-off Policy and Housing Benefit Overpayment Recovery Policy.

To consider any further recommendations from the Overview & Scrutiny Committee meeting held on 17^th July.

Following approval by Cabinet at the meeting held on 8^th July, Full Council is recommended to approve the following recommendations from the Governance, Risk & Audit Committee (meeting of 26^th March 2024):

1.     Anti Money Laundering Policy

That Full Council approves the anti-money laundering policy.

2.     Counter-fraud, Corruption and Bribery Policy

That Full Council approves the Counter Fraud, Corruption and Bribery policy, as amended.

The policies are included in the Governance, Risk & Audit Committee Agenda of 26^th March 2024: Home | Agenda for Governance, Risk and Audit Committee on Tuesday, 26th March, 2024, 2.00 pm (north-norfolk.gov.uk)

None Received.

None Received.

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.”