Agenda and minutes

To receive any apologies for absence.

An apology for absence was received from Councillor Whitby.

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 Chairman.

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.

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 were no declarations of interest.

To consider any business which, by reason of special circumstances, the Chairman proposed 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 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 Bird – all items

Councillor J Collop – EC48

Councillor Parish – EC48

Councillor Pope – all items

If any.

The Chairman had received two pieces of correspondence relating to EC48 and would bring them to the attention of the Panel when the item was discussed. 

Representatives from Norfolk County Council will be attending the meeting to provide information on Total Transport.

Kristen Jones and Dorothy Bryant from Norfolk County Council attended the meeting and provided the Panel with a presentation on Total Transport (as attached).  It was explained that Total Transport was a Department for Transport Funded Project with the aim to establish more joined up approaches to transport, explore ways of working across sectors and allow communities to deliver better transport in rural areas.

The Chairman thanked officers for their presentation and invited questions and comments from the Panel, as summarised below.

In response to a question it was explained that issues with bus services could be fed back to the bus operators as appropriate.  In response to a question regarding how people would be aware of the project if they did not have internet access, it was explained that once the tool was up and running ways to promote the tool would be looked at, for instance promoting the tool through the Norfolk County Council’s call centre and through GP Surgeries etc.

A link to the tool would be available on the Norfolk County Council website.  The service could also be accessed by telephone and leaflets to publicise the telephone number would be created and distributed.

The Business Manager informed the Panel that the aspiration of the project was to create a ‘one stop shop’ for information on transport providers within the locality.  Anyone could access the information, which would be kept up to date.

In response to a question, the Panel was informed that the project focussed on transport schemes rather than buses, but issues with bus services which had been reported could be looked at as part of the study.

The Leader, Councillor Long stated that there would be a benefit in having a central point of contact for finding out information on transport provisions.  He felt that a lot of people may rely on family and friends for transport and asked if there was a way to log these on the system to show that there may be a lack of alternative travel options.  It was explained that the system had lots of different categories so that lots of information could be pulled off from the system and gaps in service provision could be identified.

In response to questions it was explained that the project would mainly focus on journeys which were funded by the public purse, but transport schemes which were not funded could also be included.  The system would be able to look at key destinations such as Hospitals, GP Surgeries, Supermarkets etc. and the time it took to get to the destinations.  It was explained that the system would include pickups from within the County, however it was acknowledged that some journeys would cross County borders.

Norfolk County Council had been awarded £300,000 of funding from a central pot of £7.6m and details of the successful bids were available on the gov.uk website.

The Chairman thanked the officers from Norfolk County Council for attending the meeting and asked that the Panel be kept  ...  view the full minutes text for item EC46:

Representatives from West Norfolk Community Transport will be attending the meeting to provide an update.

Members of the King’s Lynn Area Consultative Committee are invited to attend the meeting for this item.

The Chairman welcomed Ben Colson, Trustee of West Norfolk Community Transport to the Meeting.  The Panel was provided with information on the work of West Norfolk Community Transport and the services they provided (as attached).

The Chairman thanked Ben Colson for his presentation and invited questions and comments from the Panel, as summarised below.

In response to a question, Ben Colson explained that to use dial a bus you needed to become a Member of West Norfolk Community Transport, which was free to join.  Once you were a Member you were free to call up for the bus as long as the journey was not already served by a public transport route.  The provision was available to people with mobility issues and disabilities. 

Councillor Bird addressed the Panel under Standing Order 34.  He explained that a project had recently been launched in Snettisham to start a club for lonely and less ambulant residents of the Village.  He felt that West Norfolk Community Transport was a great benefit to projects such as these.  He thanked West Norfolk Community Transport for the service they provided which benefited local communities.

Councillor Hipperson asked if consideration was given to unsuitable routes, for example narrow or poor road surfaces.  Ben Colson felt that he knew the roads well and consideration was given to the most appropriate vehicle for the route.  He reminded those present of the Government Legislation for accessibility and the requirements for low level buses.

Councillor Pope addressed the Panel under Standing Order 34.  He asked if consideration had been given to asking Parish Councils for donations towards West Norfolk Community Transport.  It was confirmed that donations had been received in the past.

The Leader of the Council, Councillor Long reminded those present that West Norfolk Community Transport received grant funding from the Borough Council.  He also reminded those present of the difficult financial situation facing the Council and the tough decisions that needed to be made.  He hoped that grant funding would continue going forward as he appreciated the work that West Norfolk Community Transport did.  He explained that in the future the organisation may be able to sign up to the Local Lottery which could result in additional funds being available.

RESOLVED: The Panel noted the update.

The Public Open Space Manager and Operations Manager presented the report which presented the findings of the Informal Working Group for Public Toilets which had been established by the Environment and Community Panel with the remit or reviewing the provision of public toilets in the Borough.  The proposals were set out in part two of the report.

The Chairman read out two letters which he had received relating to the proposals, as follows:

-        Correspondence from Michael Ruston from Hunstanton Coastal Community Team which was a request to keep the Old Hunstanton block of toilets open as it was in a tourist area.

-        Correspondence from Downham Market Town Council which stated that their agreement to take on the Wales Court toilets was dependent on refurbishment of the toilets prior to transfer.

The Chairman thanked officers for their report and invited questions and comments from the Panel, as summarised below.

Councillor J Collop addressed the Panel under Standing Order 34.  He supported the proposal to reinstate seven day opening at the toilets in Ferry Street.  Councillor Collop explained that the King’s Lynn Area Consultative Committee had discussed the King’s Lynn facilities and the Committee  had supported the continued opening of the Broadwalk and Management Building toilets in the Walks but considered that as the Walks was a Borough-wide facility the cost of this should not be included in King’s Lynn Special Expenses.  Councillor Collop stated that he was opposed to the proposed closure of the Gaywood Toilets.  He felt that the surrounding area was vibrant and an important area of shopping and stated that shopkeepers did not like people coming into use their toilets during the trial closure of the public toilets.  He referred to the recommendation from the King’s Lynn Area Consultative Committee that the Gaywood toilets could be demolished, however they should be replaced with new facilities. 

Councillor Pope addressed the Panel under Standing Order 34.  He spoke in favour of closing the Gaywood public toilets and agreed that the Walks toilets were a Borough-wide benefit and should therefore not be charged to King’s Lynn Special Expenses.  He was also concerned that the refurbishment of the Wales Court, Downham Market toilets would be a significant cost to the Council.

Councillor Bird addressed the Panel under Standing Order 34.  In response to a question from Councillor Bird, it was confirmed that there were no plans at this stage to introduce any ‘pay to use’ toilets.  Investigations on introducing pay facilities had been carried out and would require huge financial investment.  Councillor Bird referred to the Old Hunstanton toilets and felt that it was unlikely that a small Parish Council like Old Hunstanton would be able to take on responsibility of the toilets.  He asked if consideration had been given to transferring the toilets to the Coastal Community Team.  Councillor Bird stated that lots of money was being invested in Hunstanton and felt that it would be a retrograde step to spend money on developing the resort and then taking  ...  view the full minutes text for item EC48:

Members of the Panel were reminded that an eform was available on the Intranet which could be completed and submitted if Members had items which they would like to be considered for addition to the Work Programme.

The following items suggested for addition to the Work Programme:

-        Houses of Multiple Occupation.  It was requested that this item be considered at the Panel’s next meeting.

-        Begging and Buskers in King’s Lynn.

RESOLVED: The Panel’s Work Programme was noted.

To note that the next meeting of the Environment and Community Panel is scheduled to take place on 6^th December 2017 at 6.00pm in the Council Chamber, Town Hall, Saturday Market Place, King’s Lynn.

The next meeting of the Environment and Community Panel would be held on Wednesday 6^th December 2017 at 6.00pm in the Council Chamber, Town Hall, Saturday Market Place, King’s Lynn.