Agenda and minutes

Venue: Remote Meeting on Zoom and available for the public to view on WestNorfolkBC on You Tube - Zoom and You Tube. View directions

Contact: Rebecca Parker 01553 616632 

Link: View Live Stream

Media

Items
No. Item

EC88:

Welcome and Introductions

Minutes:

The Chair informed the Panel that the meeting was being broadcast live on You Tube.  The recording of the meeting is available at WestNorfolkBC on You Tube.

 

The Democratic Services Officer conducted a roll call to confirm attendees.

EC89:

Apologies for absence

To receive any apologies for absence.

Minutes:

An apology for absence was received from Councillor Kirk.

EC90:

Minutes pdf icon PDF 87 KB

To approve the minutes of the previous meeting.

Minutes:

RESOLVED: The Minutes from the previous meeting were agreed as a correct record.

EC91:

Declarations of interest

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.

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest.

EC92:

Urgent Business

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.

Minutes:

There was none.

EC93:

Members Present Pursuant to Standing Order 34

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.  

 

Minutes:

Councillors Parish and Ryves.

EC94:

Chair's Correspondence

If any.

Minutes:

There was none.

EC95:

Officer Update - current situation and impact on the Panel Work Programme

Minutes:

The Assistant Director provided an update on the work officers had been doing which would have an impact on the Panel’s Work Programme and the overall work being undertaken by the Borough Council, which included:

 

-       The Management Co-ordination Group dealing with operational and policy changes.

-       Delivery of business grants.

-       Discretionary Grant Scheme.

-       Providing accommodation for the homeless.

-       Providing assistance and support to vulnerable people and those on the Government Shield List including the collection of prescriptions and provision of emergency food supplies.

-       Working with Norfolk County Council and other organisations.

-       Redeployment and furlough of Alive West Norfolk staff.

-       Ask Lily.

 

The Assistant Director explained that the Council received information from Government at the same time as the public and often had to implement changes quickly in accordance with Government Guidance.  He also provided information on work carried out in West Norfolk to make social distancing easier for members of the public.

 

The Chair thanked the Assistant Director for his update and invited questions and comments from Members of the Panel.  The Assistant Director and Chief Executive responded to questions as follows.

 

-       The Vice Chair, Councillor Bower congratulated officers who were quick to react in Hunstanton and ensure it was well prepared. 

-       The pods which were being used for homeless people were effectively workers accommodation with washing, toilet and cooking facilities.  He also explained that the Council had an arrangement with the Travelodge who were providing accommodation for the homeless.  Questions were also asked about how homelessness issues would be looked at going forward.

-       The Assistant Director and Chief Executive responded to questions relating to the Government Shield List and the additional work carried out by the Council to identify residents who may need assistance.

-       Resort Services were being proactive and reactive and had opened up the resort to allow for visitors.

-       Issues relating to Bawsey and Leziate car parking issues.

-       Councillor Kemp asked about Covid-19 Transmission rates and Care Homes which was not within the remit of the Borough Council, but were considered at the Norfolk Resilience Forum and issues would be best directed to the CCG.  The Chief Executive agreed to pass on the issues raised by Councillor Kemp.

-       Highways, pavements and cycling improvements across the Borough.

-       The information on the Ask Lily website, www.asklily.org.uk included details of volunteer groups which had been set up across the Borough.

-       Councillor Parish addressed the Panel under Standing Order 34 and raised issues regarding litter on the beach, CCTV and Car Parking issues at Heacham.  It was also confirmed that items which had been slipped from the Work Programme relating to the Environment, such as the Climate Change Policy, would be brought back to the Panel in due course.

-       The Panel would have the opportunity to look at the Borough Councils Recovery Plan.

 

RESOLVED: The update was noted.

 

EC96:

Quarter 3 Performance Monitoring Report (20 minutes) pdf icon PDF 88 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Senior Policy and Performance Officer presented the report and highlighted the indicators that had not met target.

 

The Care and Repair Manager provided the Panel with information on the following:

 

·         Reasons why some of the indicators had not met their target.

·         What a Disabled Facilities Grant was the processes involved in applying for a grant.

·         An overview of the range of services and adaptations which were available.

·         Case studies to offer an insight as to why some targets had not been met.

 

The Chair thanked officers for their presentation and invited questions and comments from the Panel.  The Care and Repair Manager responded to questions as follows:

 

·         The Chair suggested that the targets be reviewed and amended if required and this was something that officers would look at.

·         The team was stable and well trained, however it was the volume of cases and demand for the service which meant that targets were not being met.

·         The service worked to the Government requirements to progress grants and had an agreed Policy in place.

·         The targets were the same across all areas of works, but it was acknowledged that different adaptations all took a different amount of time to complete and it could be that targets could be broken down to account for the different types of work.

·         It was clarified that repair work was covered by a loan and Disabled adaptations were covered by a grant.

·         The service received between 70 and 100 enquiries per month.

 

RESOLVED: The Panel reviewed the performance monitoring report and agreed the actions outlined in the report.

EC97:

Work Programme and Forward Decision List pdf icon PDF 55 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The following items were suggested for inclusion on the Work Programme:

 

·         Swift/bird boxes in Council owned buildings and an action plan on how urban wildlife could be encouraged in relation to new and existing builds.

·         Health inequalities in West Norfolk in relation to Coronavirus death rates, access to green spaces and access to health services.

·         Presentation on biodiversity loss and climate change.

 

RESOLVED: The Panel’s Work Programme was noted.

EC98:

Date of the next meeting

To note that the next meeting of the Environment and Community Panel is scheduled to take place on 14th July 2020 at 3pm on Zoom and will be streamed live on You Tube.

Minutes:

The next meeting of the Environment and Community Panel would be held on Tuesday 14th July 2020 at 3.00pm via Zoom and available to view on You Tube.