Agenda and draft minutes

To receive any apologies for absence.

There were no apologies for absence.

To approve the minutes from the Environment and Community Panel held on 6^th January 2026.

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 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 Chair 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 Chair of their intention to do so and what items they wish to be heard before a decision on that item is taken.  

There was none.

There was none.

This item was moved to the first item on the agenda.

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The Housing Services Manager presented the report on Housing Policies, Temporary Accommodation and Private Rented Sector as included in the agenda highlighting key areas.

The Chair, Councillor Collop thanked the Housing Services Manager for the report and invited questions and comments from the Panel as summarised below.

Councillor Kemp asked whether deposits were offered for private rented accommodation and whether more supportive landlords were being sought. The Housing Services Manager confirmed deposits were already provided to homeless households and would continue. He added that they worked with SHIPS to engage landlords and carried out checks with Housing Standards to ensure good standards.

In response to questions from Councillor Long, the Housing Services Manager explained that the Private Rented Sector Discharge Policy prioritised households for whom social housing was not an option or who were furthest from receiving it. He expected a small increase of around 5–10 households per year.

In response to a question from Councillor Devulapalli, the Housing Services Manager stated he could not discuss Housing Companies in the meeting but would provide feedback afterwards.  Councillor Long reminded Members that Housing Company business could not be discussed publicly and that a recording of the briefing to all Members was available to review.

Councillor Sandell asked whether the policy would help families stay together.  The Housing Services Manager confirmed it would, as the private rented sector offered more options.

In response to questions and comments from Councillor Colwell, the Housing Services Manager explained that officers would continue to carry out suitability assessments to ensure people could still access support services.  The Housing Services Manager added that they were working with Housing Standards on the implications of the renter’s rights bill and were in discussions with landlords.

The Portfolio Holder for People and Communities, Councillor Rust commented that only small numbers would move into the private rented sector and only those not eligible for social housing.  She highlighted the Council’s strong reputation for homelessness policies and thanked the Housing Services Manager for the report.

RESOLVED: The Environment and Community Panel supported the following recommendation to Cabinet:

The Panel resolves:

To endorse the Temporary Accommodation Policy and Private Rented Sector policies, to be presented to Cabinet 3^rd March 2026.

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The Assistant Director for Leisure and Culture, the Customer & Digital Systems Manager and the Head of Performance Development presented an update which detailed Alive Leisure’s activities, performance and developments.

The Chair, Councillor Collop thanked officers for the presentation and invited questions and comments from the Panel as summarised below.

Councillor Colwell asked about concession card discounts and auto?enrolment.  The Head of Performance Development explained that tax rules prevented discounts at other Alive facilities, but auto?enrolment could be considered.  The Head of Performance Development reported that Sport England?funded concession cards were being tested in North Lynn and that adult concession cards were free to improve accessibility.

Councillor Kemp asked about support for people with ADHD, autism and Parkinson’s. The Assistant Director for Leisure and Culture said they were working to make environments more inclusive and were progressing work on Parkinson’s support, with potential funding available.

In response to a question from Councillor Ware, the Head of Performance Development confirmed the Borough had delivered exercise referral programmes for over 20 years and that all GPs and health professionals could refer patients through the Active Now system.

Councillor Heneghan asked about accessibility and promotion of classes.  The Head of Performance Development reported they offered 26 programmes across 18 locations, with community programme attendance up nearly 30% on the previous year.  The Head of Performance Development added that residents unable to travel could receive one?to?one home visits or attend community centres free of charge.

In response to questions from Councillor Devulapalli, the Assistant Director for Leisure and Culture confirmed they had capacity to take on more people and held detailed demographic data, some of which was sensitive but could be shared outside the meeting.  The Assistant Director for Leisure and Culture also confirmed they had a full list of referring GPs.

The Vice Chair, Councillor Kunes queried the data period.  The Head of Performance Development clarified the presentation covered April 2025 to date, with attendance in line with the previous year but memberships slightly down.

Councillor Rust praised the quality of the facilities and services that Lynnsport offered.

The Chair, Councillor Collop asked about afternoon fitness classes and staffing shortages.  The Assistant Director for Leisure and Culture confirmed afternoon classes were offered but these were less popular, leading to rationalisation.  The Assistant Director for Leisure and Culture confirmed there was no shortage of instructors.

Councillor Rust left the meeting.

The Chair, Councillor Collop raised concerns about communication.  The Assistant Director for Leisure and Culture agreed to pass on the feedback and improve the app to support better communication.

In response to questions from Councillor Long, the Head of Performance Development confirmed the agenda figures were from last year’s impact report, while the presentation used 2025/2026 data.  The Assistant Director for Leisure and Culture added that they remained below national benchmarks and had room for growth.

Councillor Colwell asked about the success of creating communities events.  The Head of  ...  view the full minutes text for item EC64:

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The Democratic Services Officer presented the report as set out in the agenda.

Councillor Heneghan welcomed the outcome and congratulated Councillors Kunes and Collop for their long?term work on the issue.

Councillor Colwell reported positive feedback from Andrew Thornalley Funeral Directors and hoped the proposals would reassure residents.  Councillor Colwell fully supported the recommendations.

Councillor Long noted a spelling error in the report and asked that it be corrected in the minutes.

Councillor Kemp, a member of the Informal Working Group, commented that the outcome was very good.

In response to Councillor Heneghan, it was confirmed that the Informal Working Group would continue meeting to identify longer?term burial sites.

The Vice Chair, Councillor Kunes, highlighted the value of Informal Working Groups and described the work as a moral obligation.

The Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Business, Councillor Ring, echoed the importance of the Working Group and praised crematorium officers for developing a solution.  Councillor Ring reported a strong working relationship with the Environment Agency, which had enabled progress on the Gayton Road Cemetery grass pathway.  Councillor Ring added that discussions with landowners might provide further alternatives and that the recommendations allowed more time to explore these options.

RESOLVED: The Environment and Community Panel supported the following recommendations to Cabinet:

1.     For officers to formally convert grass pathway located in Gayton Road Cemetery into allocated graves spaces which can be utilised for future burials.  This additional capacity would allow the Gayton Road Cemetery to remain open for an additional two to three years.

2.     Further exploration to identify suitable sites that will provide longer term burial solutions within the King’s Lynn area, this should include, but not limited to, revisiting the allotment area initially planned for an extension to Gayton Road Cemetery, and the Old Nursery site adjacent to Gayton Road Cemetery.

Members of the Panel were reminded that if they had any items which they would like to be considered for addition to the Work Programme to complete the appropriate form.

Councillor Colwell requested for an update on the Hunstanton Sea Defences.

RESOLVED: The Panel’s Work Programme and the Forward Decisions List was noted.

To note that the next meeting of the Environment and Community Panel is scheduled to take place on 14^th April 2026 at 4.30pm in the Council Chamber, Town Hall.

The next meeting of the Environment and Community Panel was scheduled to take place on 14^th April 2026 at 4.30pm in the Council Chamber, Town Hall, Saturday Market Place, King’s Lynn.