Agenda and draft minutes

To receive any apologies for absence.

Apologies of absence were received from Councillor Lowe and Wilkinson.

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the previous meeting held on the 26^th September 2024.

The minutes from the meeting held on the 26^th September 2024 were agreed as a correct record.

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.

These declarations apply to all Members present, whether the Member is part of the meeting, attending to speak as a local Member on an item or simply observing the meeting from the public seating area.

There were no declarations of interest.

To consider any business which, by reason of special circumstances, the Chairman proposes to accept as urgent under Section 100(b)(4)(b) of the Local Government Act, 1972.

There was no urgent business.

Members wishing to speak pursuant to Standing Order 34 should inform the Chairman of their intention to do so and on what items they wish to be heard before the meeting commences.  Any Member attending the meeting under Standing Order 34 will only be permitted to speak on those items which have been previously notified to the Chairman.

Councillor Bone, Collop, Colwell, Kemp and Sayers were present under Standing Order 34.

There was none.

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The Assistant Director for Health, Wellbeing and Public Protection introduced the report and outline the recommendations. He brought to the Committee’s attention the revised Terms of Reference which were approved by Cabinet on the 5^th November 2024. He outlined to the Committee the report included Terms of Reference to be approved for the Funding Priorities and Opportunities Informal Working Group and the KLAC Planning Sub-Group and for the Committee determine changing the Planning Sub-Group to an Informal Working Group. He explained this would mean the meeting would not be streamed and live on YouTube.

The Chair thanked the Assistant Director for the report and invited comments and questions from the Committee.

Councillor Rust commented as the KLAC Planning Sub-Group make decisions on supporting or objecting to a planning application within the King’s Lynn Area she felt it was right to be open to the public and live streamed.

Councillor Heneghan agreed with Councillor Rust comments and added continuing the KLAC Planning Sub -Group provided transparency and residents were entitled to hear Members opinions and views on planning applications within the King’s Lynn Area.

Councillor Ware referred to Parish Council’s being open to the public in regard to planning application and added she felt the KLAC Planning Sub-Group should be live stream and an open meeting too.

The Chair, Councillor Everett agreed with the Members of the Committee that the Sub-Group needed to be open and transparent to the public.

Under Standing Order 34, Councillor Kemp agreed the Sub-Group should be held as an open meeting and streamed live as it would demonstrate KLAC opinion on planning applications. She sought clarification if it was to be decided the Planning Sub-Group be a Committee or remain a Sub-Group Committee.

The Chair, Councillor Everett referred Councillor Kemp to the recommendations and outline Members present at the meeting agreed to keep as the KLAC Planning Sub-Group.

Under Standing Order 34, Councillor Bone commented Planning was an important function and was scrutinised by the Public and felt it was the upmost importance it remained transparent as the Planning Sub-Group and not an Informal Working Group. He added it should be continued to be open to the public and live streamed as recommendations from the Sub-Group were put forward to planning.

Councillor Collop commented she was the Chair of the KLAC Planning Sub-Group and felt there was no need for it to be changed.

RESOLVED:

1)    For the King’s Lynn Area Committee to note the new King’s Lynn Area Committee Terms of Reference approved by Cabinet on the 5th November 2024.

2)    To approve the KLAC Funding Opportunities and Priorities Informal Working Group Terms of Reference.

3)    To approve the Terms of Reference and decided for Planning Sub-Group Committee.

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The Assistant Director for Resources and Section 151 Officer presented the Special Expenses report for 2025/2026. She brought to the Committee’s attention it was difficult to determine the Special Expenses before the Council set its own budget. She referred to the recent changes of the Committee to an Area Committee and how this impacted the decisions around special expenses.

She highlighted to the Committee the main changes in the Special Expenses which included Footway Lighting decrease of £4,050, Open spaces increase of £12,950, Bus Shelter increase of £10,700 and Gaywood Remembrance Service increase of £2,000. She added the Parish Partnership Traffic Calming decrease of £640 had ceased.

She highlighted section 3 of the report which related to new schemes and brought to the Committee’s attention  that there were new proposals for schemes separately on the agenda and funding to support these was available from the funds available to KLAC.

Councillor Heneghan sought clarification on the increase of £6.64 a year which was above the notional split of £5.00 increase and the implications of the Committee agreeing the £6.64 increase.

The Assistant Director for Resources and Section 151 Officers referred the Committee to 2.2 of the report. She explained the calculated estimates for 2025/2026 totalled £662,240 and the revised tax base totalled 11,192.1. She explained the estimate divided by the tax base created an average Band D charge of £59.17. She added the Band D charge for 2024/2025 was £52.53 and therefore this equalled an increase of £6.64. She brought to the attention of the Committee that the Borough Council were only allowed to increase Council Tax by £5.00 and added some context in comparison to the Borough Council’s net revenue budget of around 24 million pounds.. The Assistant Director explained in further detail the £5.00 needed to consist of the Borough Council’s costs as well as Special Expenses. She explained the Borough Council would need to consider decreasing the £6.64 by the Borough Council’s subsidy. She highlighted to the Committee the Borough Council could not continue to subsidise and advised Special Expenses would need to be reviewed and the services included, along with identifying the services discreet to King’s Lynn. She concluded that eventually Members of the Committee would decide what Special Expenses included.

Councillor Rust commented public conveniences were paid from Special Expenses and suggested visitors from outside the King’s Lynn area were reliant and benefiting from them. She added going forward, the Committee may ask for these public conveniences to be removed from the Special Expenses.

The Assistant Director for Resources and Section 151 Officer confirmed that was correct however she believed public conveniences were looked at a number of years ago and a proportion was charged to the Borough Council and the other proportion was part of the Special Expenses. She added as part of the detailed review the proportion would need to be considered to ensure it was still correct.

Councillor Rust commented she endorsed  ...  view the full minutes text for item 45.

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The Assistant Director for Health, Wellbeing and Public Protection presented the report to the Committee which was for the Parish Partnership Scheme and highlighted to the Committee the deadline of 6^th December 2024. He explained there had only been one application submitted with costings by Councillor Kemp and Councillor Joyce which was for a Fixed VAS Speed Sign 20mph on Wisbech Road. He added he had included the other three applications which did not have costings. He outlined the recommendations which included these three applications to be submitted in 2025/2026 for delivery in 2026/2027. He reminded the Committee of the budget for KLAC and advised once there was the KLAC Support Officer in place, this Officer would be able to assist with the Parish Partnership Applications.

Councillor Heneghan commented her application was one which was not costed for three red light cameras, and she was disappointed she was unable to get the costings in time from Norfolk County Council as she had contacted them on numerous occasions for the relevant details. She added she had followed the correct process and did not feel her application should be delayed.

Councillor Rust commented her application for a Gold Standard Bus Shelter was also not costed and explained she first submitted it prior to the Scheme opening. She added she had submitted it to the appropriate organisation and expected to receive a costing from this. She commented she wanted to change the recommendation and proposed to accept all of the uncosted applications and worked hard before the deadline of the 6^th December 2024 to ensure they are delivered this time and not delayed further. She confirmed she would send details of a company who deals with the red lights to Councillor Heneghan for costings.

Councillor Joyce commented he understood Councillor Rust comments but added a cap needed to be put in place for application which did not currently have costings. He added Norfolk County Council would know the costings in question. He commented further a figure or estimate would need to be added to the recommendations before agreeing the proposed recommendation.

Councillor Rust confirmed she had previous communication about the gold standard bus shelter and acknowledged the gold standard bus shelter was more expensive than a standard one. She commented further if the costings for a gold standard bus shelter exceeds the cap she would compromise and apply for a standard bus shelter.

Councillor Heneghan commented she had hoped there was more support and guidance with contacting Norfolk County Council and added she did not know how to navigate round this process. She expressed her concern for accepting the uncosted applications without a cap.

The Assistant Director for Resources and Section 151 Officer confirmed the budget in question was the £81,000 which had been allocated to KLAC. She advised there was £15,000 of that budget allocated to capital spend only and the remainder could be revenue or capital. She added  ...  view the full minutes text for item 46.

The Committee is asked to consider items for a future Work Programme for

The Committee is also asked to consider the Cabinet’s Forward Decision List.

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Councillor Rust referred to the to be scheduled list on the Work Programme and commented some items had been on there for some time. She suggested an Officer to attend a KLAC meeting to provide the Committee with information on the cost of streetlights and litter/dog waste bins.

Councillor Ware asked for a Public Toilet in Gaywood to be added onto the Work Programme.

Councillor Joyce asked for the Bus Station to be added to the Work Programme and Officers from Norfolk County Council and Norfolk Constabulary to attend the meeting.

Councillor Kemp asked for an Officer from West Norfolk Transport and Norfolk County Council to speak to the Committee about the provision of buses to the medical centre and the Doctors Surgery.

RESOLVED: The Committee’s Work Programme and Cabinet Forward Decision List was noted.  

The next King’s Lynn Area Committee meeting is to be held on the 23^rd January 2024 at 5:15pm in the Council Chamber, Town Hall, Saturday Market Place.

The next meeting of the Committee was scheduled for 23^rd January 2025 at 5:15pm in the Council Chamber, Town Hall, Saturday Market Place.