Agenda item

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)

The Chairman asked Cabinet members if they wished to add anything to their written reports. Cllr L Withington, Portfolio Holder for Leisure and Community Outreach, said that she wanted to thank the RNLI lifeguards at Sea Palling for saving two people who were carried out by riptides. Cllr Withington proposed a vote of thanks, adding that thanks should also be extended to all the teams along the coast who provided such an essential service under the contract with NNDC to provide lifeguards at beaches along the coastline.  Cllr H Blathwayt, local member for Sea Palling, seconded the vote of thanks and said that the community was very grateful for the quick actions of the two lifeguards. Members supported the vote unanimously.

Cllr M Hankins asked Cllr C Ringer, Portfolio Holder for Environmental Services for an update on the ongoing situation in Fulmodeston, where there was a fly infestation due to the nearby poultry farm. Cllr Ringer replied that he was aware of the situation and confirmed that the Council’s Environmental Health team had been out to visit the site and were engaging with the Poultry Farm owners. Further meetings were due to take place in the following days to address the issue.

Cllr A Brown, Portfolio Holder for Planning & Enforcement, said that there were two minor amendments to his written report: Under the section on Planning Policy & Neighbourhood Planning it should read 2023 not 2013. He then clarified that the referendum on Holt’s Neighbourhood Plan would take place on 29^th June.

Cllr A Fitch-Tillett said that she was not sure which Cabinet member to direct her question to. She said that her concern related to a sign regarding dogs on beaches. At Overstrand beach one set of steps was in poor condition but at the top of the ramp pointing towards these steps, there was a sign stating ‘Dogs this way’. This was misleading and potentially dangerous. Cllr T Adams said that he would look into it and come back to Cllr Fitch-Tillett as soon as possible.

Cllr C Cushing referred to the Welcome Event on 9^th May at the Council Offices when the Chief Executive had said that one of the challenges for the next 4 years was to be more successful in obtaining grant funding from the Government and the County Business Rates Pooled funds. He asked the Leader for his ideas on how the Council could successfully secure external funding so that really substantial projects could be undertaken. The Leader replied that there had been success in securing funding, with NNDC being in the top 10 councils securing funding for Changing Places. He acknowledged that the levelling up fund bids had not been successful but said it was hoped that the ambitions could still be achieved. The feedback received had not been very illuminating but did indicate that areas with small populations were less successful in receiving a grant. He added that there was lots of ongoing work, including sports development in Fakenham but was happy to discuss it further if needed.

Cllr P Fisher asked Cllr L Withington about Visit North Norfolk’s tourism promotion. He said with the pressure on coastal towns, was there an opportunity for future campaigns to focus more on inland attractions. Cllr Withington agreed, saying that the current coastal campaign was running very successfully but there were links to inland attractions and she was supportive of extending the tourism so that it covered the whole district.

Cllr N Housden asked Cllr W Fredericks, Portfolio Holder for People Services, about the Community Connector Team. He asked for the total number of connectors and a schedule of meetings that they had attended and the accompanying budget for the service for the previous 12 months. Cllr Fredericks confirmed that she would provide a written response within 14 days.

Cllr G Mancini-Boyle asked Cllr A Varley, Portfolio Holder for Climate Change & Net Zero, why the council was not applying for decarbonisation grants if it was serious about achieving Net Zero by 2030. Cllr Varley replied that the Council was focussed on achieving its target and had applied for grant funding and would continue to do so, adding that it was a very competitive sector.

Cllr J Toye asked Cllr W Fredericks, Portfolio Holder for Housing, how the serious and justified challenges on the provision of low cost, affordable housing, could be resolved. He referenced the figure of 571 households on the housing register against an anticipated delivery of 70 affordable homes this year and asked what the remaining 501 households could expect in terms of support. Cllr Fredericks replied that all options were being explored to provide more affordable homes but there were many challenges, including the ongoing impact of nutrient neutrality, rising interest rates, inflation and pressures on the private rental sector. The majority of the discretionary housing payments were currently being paid to renters in the private sector due to landlords paying higher mortgage rates. In addition, the cost of living crisis continued to squeeze household incomes. Cllr Fredericks said that the Council would continue to work hard to find solutions and was always seeking suitable rental properties. Cllr Toye asked whether she believe fundamental change was needed. Cllr Fredericks replied that a national housebuilding programme was required or a national scheme along these lines.

Cllr N Dixon referred to the latest Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) and the challenges in addressing future budget gaps. He asked Cllr L Shires, Portfolio Holder for Finance & Assets, how she proposed to address these. Cllr Shires replied that local authorities were desperately in need of funding – as acknowledged by Cllr Cushing in his earlier question to the Leader. She said that her focus had been on the Outturn report but she would be bringing a report to Full Council soon regarding future plans.

Cllr L Vickers asked Cllr A Brown, Portfolio Holder for Planning & Enforcement, for an update on securing the future of the derelict building in Norwich Street, Fakenham. It was currently a safety hazard as people had to go into the road to pass it, which was particularly challenging for those using mobility scooters or pushing pushchairs. She referenced the ‘no broken window policy’ where evidence had shown that when a broken window was left unfixed, the whole area began to degenerate. Cllr Vickers said in the case of 9 Norwich Street, there was an entire derelict building which was having a negative impact on the properties nearby. She asked for clarification of the actions that the Council intended to take to address the problem and the associated timeline. Cllr Brown replied that it was a difficult and complex case concerning a listed building in a central location in Fakenham. It became structurally unsound 4 years ago. The Council had been working with the freehold owner to undertake structural repairs but they had not been co-operative. The Council continued to liaise with Fakenham Town Council to keep them appraised of the situation. He explained that options were being considered regarding the future of the property, including the possibility of a compulsory purchase order (CPO). Cllr Brown said that he wished to declare a pecuniary interest in the premises concerned. Cllr Vickers said that she was happy to assist in any way that she could with expediting the process. She asked if there were plans to clad the sides of the building so that it was less of an eyesore. Cllr Brown replied that this was being considered.

Cllr M Taylor said that other District Councils were leading the way in solving their housing problem. He cited the example of Barking and Dagenham Borough Council, which was providing modular homes to meet the rapidly rising need. He said that Victory Housing Association had advised him that the current backlog in North Norfolk would take a decade to clear. He asked Cllr Fredericks if the Council had a strategy to deal with the problem. Cllr Fredericks replied that NNDC did not any land suitable for building houses on and consequently nowhere to put modular buildings. She added that the current housing strategy was undergoing review and would be coming back for members to review. For the current year, there were 60 affordable homes in the pipeline, which was a good number for such a small rural authority. Cllr Taylor asked when the Housing Strategy would come forward. Cllr Fredericks replied that it would be in the Autumn.

Cllr K Toye asked Cllr L Withington, Portfolio Holder for Leisure, about the reference to working quads in her written report. She asked how this would assist the Countryside team in meeting sustainability ambitions. Cllr Withington replied that the use of quads would transform how they would work in green spaces and country parks. They would be able to deal with much larger pieces of timber safely without relying on the use of contractors. There was also a sawmill coming onstream which would facilitate the construction of benches and other wooden structures. All of this would support the green flag status of the countryside parks, as they required a clear demonstration of year on year improvements. In addition, it would generate additional revenue as they would be able to increase the production of firewood to sell.