Agenda item………4…….
Minutes of a meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 17 April 2012 in the Council Chamber, Council Offices, Holt Road, Cromer at 9.30 am.
Members Present:
Committee: Mr E Seward (Chairman)
Mrs A Claussen-Reynolds
Mrs A Green
Mr B Jarvis
Mr P W Moore
Mr J Perry-Warnes
Mr R Reynolds
Mr B Smith
Mr P Terrington
Mr G Williams
Officers in
Attendance:
Members in
Attendance:
The Chief Executive, Policy and Performance Management Officer and the
Democratic Services Team Leader.
Mrs H Eales, Ms V Gay, Mr P High, Mr K Johnson, Mrs A Sweeney, Mr R
Wright
Democratic Services Officer (AA)
156 APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
Mr N Smith and Mr R Smith.
157 SUBSTITUTES
Ms V Gay for Mr R Smith and Mr R Wright for Mr N Smith.
158 PUBLIC QUESTIONS
None received.
159 ITEMS OF URGENT BUSINESS
None received.
160 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
None received.
161 FIRST ANNUAL ACTION PLAN
Mrs H Eales said the Cabinet had yesterday recommended to Full Council the adoption of the Annual Action Plan 2012/13. Some changes had been made to the document in order to give it greater clarity. It would be revised and discussed regularly. She thanked
Overview and Scrutiny Committee 17 April 2012

the Corporate Leadership Team and Officers for the hard work which they had undertaken. The Annual Action Plan was to be produced annually because of economic uncertainty. Once Senior Management Team had been appointed, they would be providing service plans with performance measures to monitor delivery. The role of the
Overview and Scrutiny Committee would be to monitor performance on a quarterly basis.
Members discussed the document. The document that went to the meeting of Full
Council on 18 April 2012 as a result of this item is attached at minutes appendix B .
Numbers in bold below refer to this document: a) The following questions were received from Mr R Smith:
1 Outlook: (p32 delivering the vision) it is stated that measures will be taken to make
Outlook cost neutral. How will this be achieved (eg through advertising)?, what is the timescale for this to happen, and what cost would be considered cost neutral?
2 P24 Coastline and Built Heritage. Could you define defaulting on the waste contract?
3 It is important that plans and policies are reviewed however I have concerns at reviewing conservation areas. Will the need to balance sensitive development in historic areas continue to be respected or is the emphasis now on promoting development at any cost?
4 Young people continue to be ignored in this plan. I find it surprising we are mentioned nowhere in the document and the officer consultation response skirts the questions raised by my County colleagues. Could the portfolio holder please answer the question asked by them in full to the Committee. (2)
In response to Mr R Smith’s questions, Members were informed that:
•
measures to be taken to ensure the production of Outlook magazine (page 32 –
Delivering the Vision) was cost neutral would be through advertising. The North
Norfolk Business Forum was assisting with this and cost neutrality should be achieved within the next three years.
•
defaulting on the waste contract could be defined as when the set of measures had not been delivered and led to financial penalties;
•
the review of conservation areas and whether the need to balance sensitive development in historic areas would continue to be respected or whether the emphasis was now on promoting development at any cost – the emphasis was not at any cost and was linked to developing housing and an economic balance with the need of the countryside;
•
young people were part of everything the Council did. The document did not identify any specific part of the community but all were part of what the Council was producing in their plans. The Council recognised equality and diversity and would ensure that young people were looked after. (2) b) Mr G Williams referred to the response concerning there being no information on performance measures. He asked that next year’s document would state what the targets were and what the Council was aiming for. Mrs Eales responded that it should be easier to put together next year’s document and it would hopefully be possible to include performance measures alongside the Annual Action Plan.
Performance Measure were being developed for this Annual Action Plan and would be presented to Cabinet in May. c) Mr P Moore asked that “enhance” be included in the section concerning Coast,
Countryside and Built Heritage. (7) d) The plan omitted to say that eight conservation areas had been reviewed and another four should be completed during the year. e) Page 22 – Housing and Infrastructure – A 4 had been deleted. In view of the consultation response it was deemed unnecessary.
Overview and Scrutiny Committee 17 April 2012

f) Mr P Moore asked how the Council could encourage developers to bring forward developments once they had obtained planning permission. He also considered that a system of producing decision notices more quickly would help. He was informed that this would be looked into. Mr B Smith felt that the Community Infrastructure
Levy from a building programme could support new build, particularly the rental section. In response to a question from Mr J Perry-Warnes, the Chief Executive explained that the Council was looking into whether it could develop a scheme in conjunction with its housing strategy. Sites where no development had begun 6-12 months after planning permission had been granted were being looked at. The
Overview and Scrutiny Committee could investigate how performance in this area could be improved. Mr R Reynolds was concerned that properties could start to be built and then left neglected because of the financial climate. Mr J Perry-Warnes felt that the point about exceptions schemes being progressed should be made more strongly. g) Design a more cohesive framework for coastline management (p24). Mr P
Terrington was concerned at how progress with coastal management could be made when the Coastal Issues Forum had not met. Mrs H Eales explained that it was in the process of being set up and would meet shortly and the following year would see much work on the coastal zone. h) Under Democratic Embodiment (p25), Ms V Gay expressed concern that only a small number of town and parish councils had held elections the previous May and she wondered how the election of town and parish councillors could be promoted. In response, Mrs H Eales felt that if the Council could make town and parish councils feel more relevant then the people in those parishes would feel more relevant and more interest would build up. The Council was looking into this issue and 40-50 people from parish councils had signed up to attend a meeting on this. Mr B Smith considered that people were deterred from becoming town and parish councillors because they had to divulge personal information. The Chief Executive responded that a new code for parish and town councils would come into effect from July, although this would still require people to register their interests. i) Consultation responses (p8). Mr G Williams considered that there was ambiguity regarding the Neighbourhood Plans and the LDF. The Leader, agreed to look at the wording. (1) j) Action Plan (p20): Improving the job prospects of our residents: We will explore opportunities to work with local businesses and identify funding to support the provision of apprenticeships, training and work experience. (3) k) Mr R Wright asked what was the criteria used for the compulsory purchase of an empty house. Mrs H Eales replied that the Council had started a pilot project, and a house had to be empty for a long time and become untidy. The Chief Executive added that the Council had had success by stating intention of compulsory purchase.
A house had to be purchased at the market price. The Council needed to look at the top 10 enforcement issues. l) The Chief Executive was writing a paper for Cabinet on enforcement. This would come to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee. m) Mr G Williams asked that ‘training and work schemes’ be added to B4 under Jobs and the Economy (p20). (3) n) In respect of countryside usage (p24), Mr G Williams suggested that development and the environment should be balanced. It was suggested that community usage should be added to this section. However, it was believed that was a direct quote from the Corporate Plan and could not be altered. (7) o) Mr G Williams suggested that the health strategy should be consistent with the aims of all the other strategies. (9) p) Under ‘Localism’ (p25), B7 should include reference to the environment. (8) q) Under ‘Delivering the Vision’ (p27), one of the key issues was a communication strategy and this should be included as an action. (10)
Overview and Scrutiny Committee 17 April 2012

r) In response to a question by Mrs A Claussen-Reynolds, it was explained that jobs and the local economy would be promoted through the North Norfolk Business
Forum. The Learning for Everyone Team had done an excellent job. s) In respect of responses to fly-tipping, this should be within two working days. (7) t) Mr B Jarvis asked that in respect of Jobs and the Local Economy (p20), the Broads and the rivers in North Norfolk be mentioned because they provided tourism for the economy. (5) u) Jobs and the Local Economy (p20): Members asked for more information on the work of the Learning for Everyone Team. v) Coast, Countryside and Built Heritage: zero defaults could be achieved as part of the process of monitoring the waste contract. It was a measure of how well the contractor was doing. The Overview and Scrutiny Committee received regular updates on the Waste Contract. w) Whilst public transport was a Norfolk County Council issue, it was a big issue in relation to the local economy and should feature in the plan. (4) x) Mr B Smith considered that the Coast Hopper service should be extended but it was noted that the subsidy for running was less and the service was being decreased.
More pressure should be put on to keep the service going.
It was proposed and seconded to accept the Action Plan and to forward the comments from the special meeting of Overview and Scrutiny Committee of 17 April 2012 to Full
Council. As an amendment, it was proposed and seconded to put forward the comments from the special meeting of Overview and Scrutiny Committee and make no mention of the Action Plan. The amendment was lost and the original proposition carried and it was
RESOLVED
To accept the Action Plan and to forward the comments (Appendix A) from the special meeting of Overview and Scrutiny Committee of 17 April 2012 to Full Council.
The meeting concluded at 11.05am.
_________________________
Chairman
Overview and Scrutiny Committee 17 April 2012