Agenda and minutes

To receive any apologies for absence.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Manning.

To approve the minutes of the previous meeting.

RESOLVED: The minutes from the previous meeting were agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

Please indicate if there are any interests which should be declared.  A declaration of 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.

Those 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 was none.

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

There was none.

Members wishing to speak pursuant to Standing Order 34 should inform the Chair of their intention to do so and what items they wish to be heard before a decision on that item is taken.  

Councillor Howland – all items.

Councillor Moriarty – RD90.

Councillor Ryves – all items.

Councillor A Tyler – RD90.

If any.

There was none.

RESOLVED: That under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act, 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Act.

Exclusion of Press and Public

To consider passing the following resolution:

“That under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act, 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraphs 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Act”.

Members will receive a verbal update

The Assistant Director provided the Panel with an update on the Guildhall explaining that the Guildhall project would be included in the Future High Streets bid and the Panel would receive an update on Future High Streets at their next meeting on 15^th April 2020.  Officers were also working on an Expression of Interest to be submitted to the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The Assistant Director and Portfolio Holder for Culture, Heritage and Health responded to questions from the Panel.

RESOLVED: The update was noted and the Panel would be kept up to date on progress as appropriate.

The CIL Officer provided Members with information on what CIL was and what it could be used for.  A copy of her presentation is attached.

The Regeneration and Development Panel had previously set up a Task Group to develop governance arrangements for CIL and the Chair of the Task Group, Councillor Parish, presented the findings of the Task Group and the draft governance and spending arrangements that they had developed.

Councillor Parish outlined the work carried out by the Task Group and explained that the Task Group were still to conclude their work because they still needed to look at administration and accounting processes, but these processes would be dependent on if the Panel approved their work so far.

Councillor Parish highlighted the following:

·        The terms of reference of the Task Group.

·        The governance model suggested by the Task Group.

·        The importance of match funding.

·        The split between strategic, community and local projects and the criteria that they would have to meet.

·        An online application process would be developed.

·        The flow chart which showed the framework, processes and sign off process.

·        This was a new process, so the Task Group proposed that this would be reviewed after a year and a Task Group be established to monitor and review processes and funding applications as appropriate.

The Chair thanked the CIL Officer and Councillor Parish for their presentation and invited questions and comments from the Panel, as summarised below.

Councillor Morley asked for clarification on the application process and the CIL Officer explained that there would likely be an opening and closing date in which applications would be invited, this could happen on a six monthly basis.  After the closing date for applications they would be considered against the criteria and follow the processes as shown in the flow chart on page 37 of the Agenda.  She also explained that the application forms had been drafted to reflect the amount of money which could be applied for so that they were not over burdensome.

The CIL Officer clarified that the arrangements that were being proposed had no impact on the CIL Parish Fund, which was the portion of CIL which went directly to Parish Councils twice yearly and referred to the pie chart which was included in the report.

Councillor Spikings felt that a review of processes should take place within six months, rather than the year which had been suggested by the Task Group.  This would ensure that any issues were picked up early and could be rectified. 

The Portfolio Holder for Development, Councillor Blunt reminded the Panel that Cabinet had asked the Regeneration and Development Panel to develop the Governance arrangements for CIL and thanked the Task Group for their work.  He suggested that the Task Group invited Members of the Cabinet to a future meeting to brief them on their work to date.  In response to questions from the Portfolio Holder for Development, it was explained that the suggestions put forward by the Task Group was that projects  ...  view the full minutes text for item RD91:

An opportunity for Members of the Panel to suggest items for consideration by the Panel for the forthcoming Municipal Year.

The Chair invited Members of the Panel to put forward suggestions for the Work Programme for the new Municipal Year.  The following suggestions were put forward by the Panel:

·        A briefing on Trees, including the importance of retaining and protecting trees, an overview of the Tree Protection Order process and policies relating to trees in the Local Plan.

·        De-silting of rivers and the effect this had.  Reference was made to Welney Wash.

·        Business opportunities in rural areas, for example building small industrial units and encouraging growth in rural areas.

·        Holding meetings in different venues around the Borough including Downham Market, Heacham and Welney.

·        Events in the Borough.

·        Looking at regeneration in a holistic way.

The suggestions above would be considered by the Chair and Vice Chair of the Panel and scheduled into the Work Programme as appropriate.

RESOLVED: The Panel’s current Work Programme was noted.

To note that the next meeting of the Regeneration & Development Panel is scheduled to take place on Wednesday 15^th April 2020 at 6.00pm in the Council Chamber, Town Hall, Saturday Market Place, King’s Lynn.

The next meeting of the Regeneration and Development Panel would be held on Wednesday 15^th April 2020 at 6.00pm in the Council Chamber, Town Hall, King’s Lynn.