Agenda item

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 P Heinrich – Sustainable Growth

Cllr C Ringer – IT, Environmental & Waste Services

Cllr L Shires – Finance, Estates & Assets

Cllr A Varley – Climate Change & Net Zero

Cllr L Withington – Community, Leisure & Outreach

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 Chairman invited members to ask questions.

Cllr N Dixon asked Cllr A Brown, Portfolio Holder for Planning and Enforcement about the introduction of the requirement for ‘Biodiversity Net Gain’ in 2024. He said that he welcomed the announcement but asked whether there was an agreed methodology to accurately determine baseline biodiversity levels so that the 10% gain could be confidently measured and when members would be trained on this so that they could understand this during planning application assessment and in monitoring delivery. Cllr Brown replied that details regarding how baseline biodiversity levels would be calculated was prescribed by Government and was yet to be announced. He said once the Council knew what the proposals were, it would provide a response. In reply to the question regarding briefing and training members, he said that in-house training would be provided by senior planning officers at the Council.

Cllr T FitzPatrick asked Cllr P Heinrich, Portfolio Holder for Sustainable Growth, about the details of grants allocated from the Rural Prosperity Fund and he asked whether it was possible to have additional detail on how it was spent. Cllr Heinrich confirmed that funding had been allocated across the district and he could provide a further breakdown if required, although it would not include company / business names.

Cllr J Toye asked Cllr Brown how the proposed changes to the National Planning Policy Framework could affect housing delivery in the district. Cllr Brown replied that the Government had published an update on 19^th December and the Council needed time to properly assess the implications. He added that he would like to reassure members that the new guidance would not impact on the Council’s draft Local Plan or delay its implementation. Cllr Brown said that an Ofsted style league table was being established to set out the time taken to reach planning decisions. In response to a further question from Cllr Toye as to whether NNDC remained a Plan-led authority, Cllr Brown confirmed that it did.

Cllr G Mancini-Boyle asked Cllr W Fredericks, Portfolio Holder for Housing about the temporary accommodation situation in the district. He wanted to know the current position and the Council’s strategy for addressing the issue. Cllr Fredericks replied that there were currently 65 households in temporary accommodation, mainly bed and breakfast (B&Bs) and the majority of these were not suitable for families. The Council owned 23 homes and this had helped but it was very challenging not being able to anticipate the cost of housing people. Previously it had been between £600k to £700k a year but it was closer to £1.2m next year.

Cllr M Taylor asked Cllr P Heinrich to set out the actions that he had taken to relieve the stress caused to Stalham business owners by the closure of the high street. He acknowledged that it was a Norfolk County Council led project but said that local authorities should work together to ensure that businesses in the town were thriving. Cllr Heinrich replied that the schedule of works had not yet been published and that the Council would assess the likely impact once it was available.

Cllr P Bailey asked Cllr A Varley, Portfolio Holder for Climate Change and Net Zero about the new solar car port at the Reef Leisure Centre in Sheringham and whether a cost benefit analysis would be undertaken after a year. Cllr Varley confirmed that he was supportive of an analysis of the cost benefits and said that energy input was already being monitored in real time. The data would be analysed and reported back to members once the scheme had been up and running for a year.

Cllr P Porter asked Cllr H Blathwayt, Portfolio Holder for Coast about the decision not to place rock armour at Bacton and Walcott due to the potential negative impact it could cause at Happisburgh. She queried whether there was potential damage to Bacton and Walcott due to the proposed placement of rock armour at Mundesley and Cromer. She also asked whether any studies had been undertaken on the impact on people who lost their homes due to coastal erosion. Cllr Blathwayt replied that modelling had shown that there would be no detrimental effect of the rock armour placed at Cromer and Mundesley on other coastal areas. Regarding the impact on homeowners, he said that he had met with the Chief Executive of the Environment Agency recently and he was fully appraised of the issues and had visited sites that had been impacted. He added that there was no compensation for residents other than support provided via the Coastwise project. The Council continued to lobby for assistance for affected households.

Cllr L Vickers referred to the dilapidated building at 9 Norwich Street, Fakenham and said that the Council had indicated that it would take a clear position as to how it would be dealt with by the end of the year. She asked Cllr Brown, Portfolio Holder for Planning & Enforcement, whether he could provide an update. Cllr Brown replied that he had a pecuniary interest in this matter and asked the Leader, Cllr Adams to reply. Cllr Adams said that this was an important issue for Fakenham and discussions had taken place recently with the landowner to try and resolve the matter. He said that he was confident that there was a solution in sight. Cllr Vickers said that she was disappointed to hear that the matter had not progressed as quickly as she hoped but acknowledged that it was a complex case.

Cllr V Holliday asked Cllr W Fredericks, Portfolio Holder for Housing what actions the Council was taking to address the three main drivers of homelessness in the District. Cllr Fredericks replied that the main fact was poor human behaviour. Since the pandemic, domestic abuse cases had increased significantly. She said that it was very hard to tackle them and she did not have an answer other than people needed to be more kind and tolerant towards each other.

Cllr S Penfold asked Cllr L Withington, Portfolio Holder for Community, Leisure & Outreach, whether she would be willing to invite the Head of Norfolk Museums Service to attend a meeting to discuss how the Council could work better with the County Council to support the museums sector in the District. Cllr Withington confirmed that this was already underway.

Cllr P Neatherway asked Cllr Varley about the Council’s focus on achieving Net Zero by 2030 and where green waste was going now following the closure of the Marsham site. Cllr Varley replied that the response to this question sat with Cllr Ringer, Portfolio Holder for Environmental & Waste Services. As he was not in attendance, a written reply would be provided.