FULL COUNCIL
Minutes of a meeting of North Norfolk District Council held on 24 October 2012 at the Council
Offices, Holt Road, Cromer at 6.00 pm.
Members Present:
Mrs S A Arnold
Mr M J M Baker
Mrs L Brettle
Mr B Cabbell Manners
Mrs A ClaussenReynolds
Mr N D Dixon
Mrs H Eales
Mrs A M Fitch-Tillett
Mr T FitzPatrick
Ms V R Gay
Mrs A Green
Mrs P Grove-Jones
Mr B J Hannah
Officers in
Attendance:
Also in
Attendance:
65.
Mr P W High
Mr T Ivory
Mr G Jones
Mr N Lloyd
Mrs B McGoun
Mrs A Moore
Mr P W Moore
Mr W J Northam
Mr R Oliver
Miss B Palmer
Mr R C Price
Mr R Reynolds
Mr J D Savory
Mr E Seward
Mr R Shepherd
Mr B Smith
Mr N Smith
Mr R Smith
Mrs A Sweeney
Mr P Terrington
Mrs H Thompson
Mrs V Uprichard
Mr G Williams
Mr P Williams
Mr J A Wyatt
Mr D Young
The Chief Executive, the Corporate Director (Nick Baker), the Monitoring
Officer, the Democratic Services Team Leader (MMH) and the Democratic
Services Officer (AA)
Members of the Public.
CHAIRMAN’S COMMUNICATIONS
The meeting was chaired by the Vice Chairman, Mr P W Moore who welcomed some former
Members who were attending the meeting. He reported that the Chief Executive had
telephoned the Chairman before the meeting and that he was in good spirits, thanking
everyone for their cards and letters. He welcomed visitors and hoped to be back in December.
The Chairman also reported to Members that toilet blocks in Sheringham and Happisburgh
had been successful in Loo of the Year Awards and made a short address to mark the
retirement of the Democratic Services Team Leader.
66.
67.
TO RECEIVE DECLARATIONS OF INTERESTS FROM MEMBERS
Member(s)
Minute
No.
Item
Interest
Mr T Ivory
71
Appointments
Personal and nonpecuniary – is a
Member of the Victory
housing Trust Board.
APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
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24 October 2012
Apologies for absence were received from Mr K E Johnson, Mr J H A Lee, Mr J H PerryWarnes, Mr J Punchard, Mr R Stevens, Mrs L Walker, Mr S Ward and Mr R Wright.
68.
MINUTES
The minutes of the meeting of Full Council held on 26 September 2012 were approved as a
correct record subject to the following drafting amendments:
a) Mr M J M Baker had been present.
b) Mr P Terrington had made his apologies.
c) Minute 61, Questions received from Members: leisure activities for Cromer should have
included Cromer Lawn Tennis Club which had received a grant of £29,670 for this
year.
d) Minute 63, Notices of Motion: the minutes should include that the Chief Executive said
that she had not received a letter from Norman Lamb MP.
NOTE: the Chief Executive subsequently informed Members via email that the letter
had been received in the building, although not received by the Chief Executive at that
date.
69.
ITEMS OF URGENT BUSINESS
None.
70.
PUBLIC QUESTIONS
None received.
71.
APPOINTMENTS
RESOLVED
a) To appoint Miss B Palmer to replace Mr R Oliver on the Audit Committee.
b) To appoint Mr R Oliver to replace Mr K Johnson on the Planning Policy and Built Heritage
Working Party.
c) To appoint Miss B Palmer to replace Mr J Savory on the Norfolk Rivers Internal Drainage
Board.
d) To remove Mr K E Johnson and Mr T Ivory from the Victory Housing Trust Board
72.
RECOMMENDATIONS FROM CABINET 15 OCTOBER 2012 AND OVERVIEW AND
SCRUTINY COMMITTEE 23 OCTOBER 2012
ITEM 11: NORTH NORFOLK HOUSING STRATEGY 2012-2015 (SUPPORTING
VULNERABLE PEOPLE TO LIVE INDEPENDENTLY WITHIN THE COMMUNITY)
This item was introduced by the Portfolio Holder, Mr T Ivory, who thanked the officers for the
work they had done on the Strategy. It was an important piece of work in a District which had a
high proportion of elderly and vulnerable people who preferred their support to be delivered in
their own home.
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24 October 2012
The Chair of Overview and Scrutiny confirmed that his Committee had examined the Strategy
and endorsed the recommendation.
Mr G R Jones congratulated the officers on their work. He advised the Council that there were
likely to be funding reductions at County level and that vigilance was necessary.
RESOLVED
to adopt the North Norfolk Housing Strategy (Supporting Vulnerable People to live
independently within the Community).
73.
RECOMMENDATION FROM DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE 18 OCTOBER 2012
ITEM 11: WIND TURBINE APPLICATIONS AND SCHEME OF DELEGATION.
This item was presented by the Chairman of the Development Committee. She explained that,
at its meeting on 18 October, the Development Committee had agreed to recommend to
Council that the Scheme of Delegation within the Constitution be amended to allow
applications for wind turbines or for solar farms to be determined under delegated powers with
the agreement of the local District Councillor(s) and the Chairman or Vice-Chairman of the
Development Committee, with the proviso that this matter be reviewed after 6 months. This
change would therefore allow additional scrutiny of these applications above and beyond that
presently applying to other types of development under the Scheme of Delegation.
RESOLVED that
a) The Scheme of Delegation within the Constitution be amended to allow applications for
wind turbines or for solar farms to be determined under delegated powers with the
agreement of the local District Councillor(s) and the Chairman or Vice-Chairman of the
Development Committee.
b) This matter be reviewed after 6 months.
74.
OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY COMMITTEE ANNUAL REVIEW 2011 - 2012
The Review was commended to the Council by the Chair of Overview and Scrutiny. He
thanked the Members of the Committee for working so well together in 2011 – 2012, the first
year of the new Council. In his introduction to the 2010 – 2011 Review, the previous Chair had
referred to Overview and Scrutiny as a Critical Friend. It was important that the right balance
between Critical and Friend should be achieved. Overview and Scrutiny had a role to assist
the Council and should be evolving and developmental. A task and finish group from within the
Committee had been exploring ways of improving the Scrutiny process. Their final report had
been received by the Committee on 23 October 2012 and would now go through the cycle.
NNDC had taken part in a joint scrutiny of public transport with Broadland District Council. The
final report had come to Overview and Scrutiny on 23 October 2012. The joint report had not
provided sufficient guidance specific to our District and it had been agreed by the Committee
to set up their own Task and Finish group to provide a clearer steer for the funding of
community transport. The group would comprise the same Members who had represented
NNDC on the Joint Scrutiny Panel.
Mrs P Grove-Jones thanked the Chair of Overview and Scrutiny for the way the work of the
Committee was presented and made accessible to all Members. Mr W J Northam
congratulated the Committee, saying that it was well chaired and that the Members worked
very hard. Mr P W Moore said it was good to see cross party working in the Committee. The
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24 October 2012
Deputy Leader, thanking Members, said that Cabinet found the work of the Overview and
Scrutiny Committee useful.
RESOLVED
to receive the Overview and Scrutiny Committee Annual Review 2011 – 2012.
75.
TO RECEIVE THE MINUTES OF THE UNDERMENTIONED COMMITTEES
RESOLVED
to receive the approved minutes of the undermentioned committees:
a)
b)
c)
d)
Audit Committee – 18 June 2012
Overview and Scrutiny Committee 24 July 2012
Cabinet 10 September 2012
Development Committee – 20 September 2012
It was noted that the minutes of Cabinet 10 September 2012 stated that Mr P W Moore was
Vice Chair of Overview and Scrutiny. This was incorrect.
76.
REPORTS FROM THE CABINET OR MEMBERS OF THE CABINET
None received.
77.
QUESTIONS RECEIVED FROM MEMBERS
The following question was received from Mr G R Jones:
There have been a number of letters in the local press of late from visitors critical of the
council’s car parking policy. In a few cases they indicated that they, and their families,
will not be returning as a result of their parking experience. The attendance at the pier
show is down 10% and at least one of the letters indicated that they would not attend in
future despite previously being regular visitors.
In the financial year 2011/12 the number of excess penalty notices increased from about
2,000 to 6,579 and despite the fact that the government in November 2011 forced the
council to reduce the maximum penalty allowed from £75 to £35 income from this
source increased from £63,682 to £173,564. To be fair, there were issues about excess
charges collection in year 2010/11 and a better comparison would be with year 209/10
which was £154,682 an increase of £18,882 or 12%.
In the first six months of the current year there have already been 4,526 excess penalty
notices issued of which 1,127 were for evenings which was introduced this year for the
first time. Of the income of £77,225 from excess penalties in the latest half year only
60% will come to the district council the balance being retained by the collecting body.
Thus the income from this source is £46,335.
It is clear that the Administrations car charging policy is hopelessly out of line with the
council’s tourism objectives and could reasonably be described as non-visitor friendly.
It is clear that the evening charges regime was incoherent to some 1,500 plus visitors
and residents and the damage to tourism and the local economy could have a
devastating impact for a number of years to come.
Will Cllr Northam accept that there needs to be a radical review of the car parking
charges policy before further damage is done to the local tourism economy and, if he
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24 October 2012
agrees, how will he go about this, bearing in mind that the government has made it
clear that local authorities should not, in future, regards parking charges as a “cash
cow” [or an alternative form of taxation]?
Although it had been received 3 days earlier this question had not been timely for inclusion on
the agenda. Mr B Cabbell Manners asked that the question should be deferred until the next
meeting because Members hadn’t had the opportunity to see it in advance. The Monitoring
Officer advised that the Constitution did not specify a timescale for the receipt of questions
from Members but that the protocol was to submit them well in advance of the meeting. The
Constitution would be amended to formalise this.
It was the decision of the Chairman to allow the question which was put to the relevant
Portfolio Holder who was Mr R Oliver, not Mr W Northam as stated in the question. Mr Oliver
said he would prefer to provide a written answer. This would be sent to all Members.
78.
OPPOSITION BUSINESS
None received.
79.
NOTICE(S) OF MOTION
None received.
80.
LIST OF SEALED DOCUMENTS
RESOLVED that
the list of sealed documents be received.
The meeting concluded at 6.40 pm.
___
Chairman
Full Council
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24 October 2012