Agenda item

The CE introduced the Report and informed Members that it covered the period from May to the middle of June, when the Council moved from its immediate response of support for vulnerable residents, to begin to consider how to reopen services, assets and facilities. The details of support offered via the small business grant and discretionary grants was also included in the report. The CE noted that North Norfolk had a relatively low incidence of Coronavirus infection, and thankfully a low level of mortality with respect to the overall number of infections.

Questions and Discussion

  i.         Cllr N Housden asked whether any additional funding available to support local areas should local lockdowns be implemented. The CE replied that local authorities had been provided with additional funding, held by upper tier authorities for local outbreak control plans and controlled by each County’s director of public health. He added that an outbreak control plan that had been signed off by Norfolk leaders in June, which focused on data management and monitoring, but also included a contact advisory centre for local outbreaks. The plan sought to control outbreaks in specific settings such as hospitals, care homes, schools, workplaces, pubs and restaurants, and was based on the track and trace model. Total funding for the plan was reported to be approximately £3m, however the CE was not aware of any additional funding to cover local lockdown losses.

 ii.        Cllr L Shires asked if a breakdown of data was available by ward on the support provided by the Council’s LCCs during lockdown, to better understand which wards would have the highest need should a second spike in the coming months. The CE replied that there was data available on the number of shielding individuals in each ward, and data was also gathered from each LCC on the number of enquiries and the level of support provided from each centre. He added that the data could be circulated after the meeting.

iii.        Cllr S Penfold asked whether the Council was preparing for a curtailed summer season or an increase in visitor numbers in light of lockdown easing over the summer holiday period. The CE replied that the Council was preparing and already responding to larger visitor numbers than usual, and constrained it was expected that this trend would continue due to international travel restrictions. He added that North Norfolk was generally full during the summer season, so capacity to increase these numbers would be limited. It was noted that consideration was being given to extend the season into September and October, in addition to Christmas and winter offers for short breaks and the 2021 season, to account for any reluctant for international travel.

iv.        Cllr N Pearce asked what the response to the ‘You Are Welcome’ campaign had been, and how it was being received. The CE replied that large numbers of visitors to coastal areas had placed pressure on the Council, requiring a swift response on the staged reopening of public conveniences. In terms of the ‘You are Welcome’ campaign, it was suggested that the advice and assistance given to businesses had been well received, and that it placed the District in a good position for increased visitor numbers. The CE reported that approximately two thirds of the £93k received from Central Government for the Reopening of the High Street fund had been spent on measures to encourage social distancing and personal safety. It was expected that remaining funds would support these efforts until March 2021, with support given for a ‘shop local and buy local at Christmas’ campaign. Additional funding had been sourced from a Norfolk tourism sector support grant, which would assist the Council in meeting the demands on cleansing of public toilets, litter-picking and emptying of public bins, brought on by the increased use of public spaces.

 v.         Cllr S Penfold asked whether the CE was confident that NNDC could ensure public safety during a busier summer season, under the current circumstances. The CE replied that he was hopeful that in partnership with other public bodies, that this would be possible. It was noted that members of the public were still required to take personal responsibility for safety. The CE stated that the Council would also support and actively promote the use of facemasks in addition to social distancing and regular hand washing.

vi.        Cllr L Shires referred to the additional recommendation to participate in the Norfolk Strategic Fund with a £150k contribution, and asked how the Council would ensure that North Norfolk was fairly represented in the funding allocations. She added that North Norfolk often appeared to be forgotten in these negotiations. The CE replied that he had discussed this issue with County partners and the LEP, and reassured Members that the Council would continue to lobby hard to ensure that North Norfolk received its fair share of funding.

vii.        Cllr H Blathwayt referred to the extended season, and asked if there would be any additional support to account for the cancellation of Thursford Christmas events that could have an adverse effect on off-season full-time jobs. The CE replied that the cancellation would cause a significant fall in demand throughout the off-season, but it was hoped that extending the season would help to mitigate this loss. He added that Thursford were still hosting a winter walkthrough experience, and amongst other events, it was hoped this might alleviate losses.

viii.        Cllr N Pearce asked whether any information was available on the return to work programme. The CE replied that in terms of the wider economy, Look East had undertaken a study of the County, in which North Norfolk was reported to have the highest level of furloughed employees within the region. It was noted that there were not many large employers in the District, and whilst tourism was the largest sector, national expectations of increased unemployment and financial hardship remained.

ix.        Cllr G Mancini-Boyle thanked Environmental Services officers for their work on helping to reopen high streets. The CE noted that the majority of feedback had been very positive and he would pass on the comments to the Team. The Chairman reiterated the thanks, and noted that individuals still had to take personal responsibility for public safety. He added that some residents’ concerns around reopening the District remained, and that the Council was evidently doing its best to accommodate these.

 x.         The Chairman referred to the Bittern Line and noted that whilst concerns had been raised in relation to performance at the end of 2019, he asked whether any update available on the performance of the service, given its importance as a public transport option. The CE replied that upon the introduction of new trains in the latter months of 2019, there had been significant issues with signaling and electronic barriers between Norwich and Sheringham. It was reported that from January onwards the service had returned to its normal high standard, as well as continuing to provide a service for key workers throughout the lockdown period. The CE added that with Government advice on non-essential travel now being relaxed, it was expected that the public would soon return to using the service as normal. The Chairman thanked the CE for the update and asked that he pass on thanks to the relevant officers.

RESOLVED

To note the report.