Agenda and minutes

Prayers were led by Canon Mark Dimond

To confirm as a correct record the Minutes of the Meetings of the Council held on 23 February and 23 March 2022   (previously circulated).

RESOLVED:  The minutes of the meetings held on 23 February and 23 March 2022 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Mayor.

Please indicate if there are any interests which should be declared.  A declaration of an interest should indicate the nature of the interest (if not already declared on the Register of Interests) and the agenda item to which it relates.  If a disclosable pecuniary interest is declared, the member should withdraw from the room whilst the matter is discussed.

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To receive Mayor’s communications and announcements.

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The Mayor reported sending a telegram to HM The Queen on the occasion of her 96^th birthday.

He informed Council of the other engagements he had undertaken and was due to undertake in the coming days.

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On being put to the vote the recommendation was approved.  Councillor Nash wish for his dissention to be noted.

RESOLVED:  That Alexa Baker, Assistant Director - Legal Services is appointed Monitoring Officer for the Council with effect from 2 May 2022.

To receive any items of business which in the opinion of the Mayor are urgent. 

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To receive petitions and public questions in accordance with Standing Order 9.

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(Members are reminded this is a debate, not a question and answer session)

To consider the following recommendations to Council:

CAB117:         Review of Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Procedures and conditions

Exempt report

CAB121:         Legal Services Review

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Councillor Dark proposed the recommendations from the Cabinet meeting on 15 March 2022, seconded by Councillor Middleton.

CAB117:         Review of Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Procedures and conditions

CAB121:         Legal Services Review

On being put to the vote it was:

RESOLVED:  The recommendations from Cabinet on 15 March 2022 be agreed.

CAB130:         Guildhall Creative Hub Options Including Governance

CAB131:         Memorials Safety Policy

Exempt report

CAB133:         Resourcing – Forward Planning

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Councillor Dark proposed the recommendations from Cabinet on 11 April 2022, seconded by Councillor Middleton.

In debating CAB130:  Guildhall Creative Hub Options Including Governance Councillor Morley proposed an amendment to recommendation 7 to include :”this authorisation is subject to renegotiated terms being fair and reasonable having regard to market testing and due diligence and not automatically extended on existing or lesser terms.”  This was seconded by Councillor de Whalley.

Councillor Dark declined to accept the amendment. Council debated the amendment, and on being put to the vote it was lost.  On being put to the vote, the substantive was carried.

The following items were agreed,

CAB131:         Memorials Safety Policy

CAB133:         Resourcing – Forward Planning

On being put to the vote it was:

RESOLVED:              That the recommendations from Cabinet on 11 April 2022 be agreed.

To consider the following Notice of Motion (3/22), submitted by Councillor Kemp

King’s Lynn and West Norfolk is fully united around the need for a full replacement rebuild of the QEH. The number of temporary props holding up the hospital roof - that are preventing the ceiling from collapsing -  has more than doubled to 470, up  from 213 at the start of November. The situation is critical. Council therefore will write to the Govt to ask for the QEH to be awarded  full funding for the rebuild, with an immediate start-date.

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Councillor Kemp proposed the following Notice of Motion (3/22), seconded by Councillor de Whalley.  Councillor Kemp spoke in support of the Motion.

“King’s Lynn and West Norfolk is fully united around the need for a full replacement rebuild of the QEH. The number of temporary props holding up the hospital roof - that are preventing the ceiling from collapsing -  has more than doubled to 470, up  from 213 at the start of November. The situation is critical. Council therefore will write to the Govt to ask for the QEH to be awarded  full funding for the rebuild, with an immediate start-date.”

Councillor Dark proposed the following amendment which was accepted and seconded by Councillor Kemp, so becoming the substantive motion.  Council debated the Motion supporting the hospital and the staff operating within it, whilst drawing attention to the critical situation with the infrastructure.  Thanks were given to those who had continued to keep the situation in the public domain to seek to persuade the Government of the need for a replacement hospital.

On being put to the vote the Motion was agreed unanimously as follows:

RESOLVED:  King’s Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council remains fully committed to supporting the QE Hospital in its ongoing bid for a modern replacement. This council formally resolves to continuing working closely with the Hospital’s Senior Leadership Team to support and magnify their bid and strongly urges central government to make a positive announcement re funding a new hospital for Kings Lynn and West Norfolk, out of the long-running NHS ‘new hospital’ prioritisation/selection process at the very earliest opportunity.

In accordance with Standing Order 11, to receive reports from Cabinet Members moved en bloc, under Standing Order 11.2 Members of the Council may ask questions of Cabinet Members on their reports and Portfolio areas. The order of putting questions shall commence with a Member from the largest opposition group, proceeding in descending order to the smallest opposition group, followed by a non-aligned Member and finally a Member from the ruling group. This order shall repeat until the time for questions has elapsed or there are no more questions to be put. 

The period of time for putting questions and receiving responses shall not exceed 50 minutes for all Cabinet Members, excluding the Leader

The period of time for putting questions and receiving responses to the Leader shall not exceed 15 minutes.

(Councillors are reminded that this is a question and answer session not a debate.)

Corporate Services - Councillor B Long

Environment - Councillor P Kunes

Development - Councillor R Blunt

Finance – Councillor A Dickinson

Property – Councillor A Lawrence

People and Communities – Councillor Sam Sandell

Deputy Leader and Business, Culture & Heritage – Councillor G Middleton

Leader - Councillor Stuart Dark – report to follow

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Councillor Dark moved the Cabinet Members reports en bloc. 

Councillor Blunt responded to a question raised from Councillor Parish regarding planning appeals.

Councillor Blunt responded to a question from Councillor Devereux on nutrient neutrality and its impact on planning applications.

Councillors Blunt and Sandell answered Councillor Hudson’s question regarding cycle paths in the town where consultation would be forthcoming.

Councillor Middleton responded to a question from Councillor Rust on the potential expansion of the school of nursing.

Councillor Blunt agreed to look into a planning issue for Councillor Kemp.

Councillor Middleton responded to Councillor Morley’s question regarding the proposed town body for Hunstanton which had been agreed following meetings in the town with stakeholders.

In response to Councillor S Collop’s question regarding providing Gluten free sessions for the Councillor Sandell agreed to suggest them to the Food for thought. 

Councillors Middleton and Lawrence responded to a question from Councillor Squire regarding the closure of a shop in the town centre.

Councillor Kemp was advised to email Councillor Kunes as portfolio holder regarding a question on the council providing solar panels.

Councillor Blunt gave a response to Councillor de Whalley regarding the proposed start of the public consultation on the proposed incinerator which were based on 5km circles.  He set out the process which had to be gone through and the potential for comments to be made.

Councillor Sandell agreed to look into the position of the St Matthew Society property.

Councillor Long gave a response to Councillor Nockolds on the provision of peat free compost and the need for all to ensure litter was not being dropped.

Councillor Morley asked Councillor Blunt about a due diligence framework for major projects which was being developed which he confirmed he would have look into for the Member Major Projects Board.

Councillor Lawrence responded to Councillor Howman on the issue of the provision of car boot sales in Gaywood.

Councillor Blunt confirmed to Councillor Parish that events such as Earthday would potentially be useful for the Council to take part in.

In order the question could be forwarded to Councillor Kunes, Councillor Sandell asked Councillor Rust to email a question regarding the use of green space which she alleged had been used as mitigation on more than one occasion in the planning process.   

In response to a question from Councillor Squire regarding the level of response to the sports survey, Councillor Sandell confirmed a large number had now done so.

Leader’s Questions

In response to Councillor Parish’s question on Earth day, Councillor Dark confirmed events previously mentioned by Councillor Kunes were being held in conjunction with the Chamber of Commerce.

Following a question from Councillor Crofts, Councillor Dark gave an update on the work the Council and its Partners were doing to support Ukrainian refugees arriving in the country.

Following a question from Councillor Kemp regarding the lack of access to dentistry in the Borough, councillor Dark confirmed that the County  ...  view the full minutes text for item C:102

In accordance with Standing Order 11.2 (b), Members of the Council may ask any questions of the Chair of any Council Body (except the Cabinet).

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