Agenda item

Contact Officer, telephone number and email:

Steve Blatch, Chief Executive

Email:- steve.blatch@north-norfolk.gov.uk

Tel:- 01263 516232

The CE introduced the report and informed Members that it covered the period from December 2020 to the end of March 2021, during which infection rates had been very high at 442 cases per 100k. He added that infection rates had now reduced to approximately 14 cases per 100k and that the rate of vaccination in North Norfolk was very high, likely as a result of the demographics of the District. The CE noted that during the third lockdown there had been less requirement for community support from the Council, though focus had instead been placed on the payment and administration of Covid support grants. He added that the Council had paid in excess of £30m since January 2021, and the sum total of grants paid now stood at £118m, with 28k more payments processed in comparison to a normal year. The CE asked to record his thanks to the Revenues, Economic Growth and IT Teams for facilitating the caseload. It was noted that a further report on distributing the remaining funds was being prepared for review by Full Council. The CE noted that whilst the prospects for foreign travel remained unclear, a busy summer season was expected for the District, and preparations were under way to address this.

Questions and Discussion

       i.          Cllr N Housden asked whether there would be any benefit in asking Council staff to begin regular testing for Covid as they began to return to the office. The CE replied that is was possible for employees to access tests through NCC, and noted that anyone was now able to register for twice weekly lateral flow testing. He added that discussions were also taking place between HR and Public Health Norfolk to offer staff these tests on a regular basis. It was noted that Polling Staff had also been advised that tests should be taken in advance of the election, though this would not be mandatory.

      ii.          The Chairman asked for a brief assessment of the current impact on Council services caused by Covid-19. The CE replied that at present the impact was relatively low, as the redeployments seen at the start of the pandemic had mostly come to an end. He added that during the initial stages there had also been issues relating to limited bandwidth, which had restricted the ability for all Council staff to work from home simultaneously, though this had been resolved. It was noted that whilst the majority of staff continued to work from home in line with Government guidance, service levels had returned to normal. The CE stated that Covid Advisors were also in place to support visitors, residents and businesses, with additional posts funded by the Controlling Outbreak Management Fund. He added that last year’s Opening up the High Street fund had been renewed for 2021 as the Welcome Back fund, by MHCLG. It was noted that some redeployment had been required to prepare for the upcoming election. The CE stated that consultation was in progress with staff to determine new ways of working, once a return to the office was possible.

     iii.          Cllr G Mancini-Boyle asked for an update on whether the Council’s car parks were prepared for the additional influx of tourists expected during the summer season, and whether any additional parking had been created. He then referred to the High Court ruling on the continuation of remote meetings, and asked whether there were any plans in place to return to physical meetings. The CE replied that discussions were ongoing with potential partners for increased parking provision to be made available over the summer season. He added that it was the intention of the Council to increase provision during the school summer holiday period. It was noted that park and ride schemes may also be given consideration if required, as most large spaces were not within close proximity to tourism areas. With reference to physical meetings, it was reported that the current provisions for virtual meetings would end on the 7^th May, and the outcome of the High Court challenge was not yet known. He added that if the challenge was not successful, it was expected that most Committee meetings could take place in the Council Chamber with social distancing measures in place, though this would not be possible for Full Council meetings. As a result, consideration was being given to alternate venues for the AGM.

    iv.          It was confirmed, following a question Cllr H Blathwayt that temporary planning permission for car parks and campsites lasted 56 days. The CE added that it would be helpful for any landowners considering a temporary parking or camping space, to notify the Council.

      v.          Cllr A Brown suggested that the welcome back message might increase public littering, and asked whether the current bylaws were robust enough to address this issue, and whether any contingency plans were available to mitigate the additional pressure placed on the waste contractor. The CE replied that there was likely to be additional waste, and discussions were taking place with Serco on the number of public waste bins and the frequency of collections. He added that the Council would also promote the message of using public spaces responsibly, and stated that he was not aware of any shortcomings with the current bylaws, though the situation would be kept under review.

    vi.          Cllr P Heinrich asked how many Covid Marshalls had been employed and what training they had received to deal with potentially difficult situations. The CE stated that the Council had ten Covid Support Officers, and added that whilst there was a small number of incidents where they had been challenged, they were not seen as providing an enforcement role. The Chairman noted that utilising the Support Officer terminology had helped to imply an advisory, as opposed to authoritative role.

   vii.          Cllr W Fredericks raised concerns regarding the Enforcement Team and stated it was her understanding that only two staff covered the District, which placed great pressure on officers. She then asked whether there was any scope to increase the resource available to the Team, given an expected increase in demand, once restrictions were relaxed. The CE replied that he would investigate the issue and provide a written response, and added that whilst the Planning Enforcement Team had approximately that number of dedicated staff, the Environmental Health Enforcement Team had greater resource.

  viii.          In response to a question from Cllr N Housden, the CE suggested that there were no plans to record or restrict oversized caravans or campervans, though they were encouraged to use larger car parks such as Runton Road in Cromer. The CE added that overnight parking was also prohibited, which should help to mitigate any potential issues.

    ix.          Cllr A Brown stated that the 56 day relaxation of permitted development rules previously mentioned also removed additional restrictions, and as a result, the Council was limited in its powers to prevent alternate usage throughout the summer season.

RESOLVED

1. To review and note the report.