Agenda and draft minutes

To receive any apologies for absence.

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Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Kirk, Radcliffe, Sandell, Beales. 

To approve the minutes of the previous meeting of the Environment and Community Panel held on 9^th April 2024.

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Councillor Devulapalli asked for the minutes from the meeting held on the 9^th April 2024 for Item 7 to be amended.

RESOLVED: The Minutes of the 9^th April 2024 were amended.

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 no urgent business.

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 no members present under Standing Order 34.

If any.

There was none.

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RESOLVED: That Councillor Devulapalli be appointed Vice Chair of the Panel for the 2024/25 Municipal Year.

The Panel has established the following groups:

·         Homelessness and Housing Delivery Task Group

·         Single Use Plastics Informal Working Group

·         Climate Change Informal Working Group

The Panel, jointly with Regeneration and Development Panel established the following Informal Working Group:

·         Tourism Informal Working Group

RECOMMENDATIONS:

1.    That the Homelessness and Housing Delivery Task Group continues to operate and the Democratic Services Officer be instructed to seek Membership of the Task Group from the Group Leaders for the 2024/2025 municipal year.

2.    The Climate Change Informal Working Group and Single Use Plastics Informal Working Groups be disbanded as they have not met for over a year.

3.    That Members wishing to serve on the Tourism Informal Working Group be notified to the Chair of the Regeneration and Development Panel and the two Panel Chairs liaise accordingly.

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The Panel considered the appointment of Members to serve on the Informal Working Groups and Task groups, which had previously been established by the Panel, for the municipal year 2024/25.

RESOLVED:

1. That the Homelessness and Housing Delivery Task Group continues to operate as a 7 Member Task Group and the Democratic Services Officer be instructed to seek Membership of the Task Group from Group Leaders for the 2024/2025 municipal year.

2. That the Single Use Plastic Informal Working Group be disbanded as it had not met in a year.

3.  That the Climate Change Informal Working Group remain established and continue to operate.

4. That the Tourism Informal Working Group remain established, and the Chair liaise with the Chair of the Regeneration and Development Panel to finalise Membership. 

For information, details of the Outside Bodies and Partnership for 2023/24 are listed below;

·         Borough Council/College of West Anglia Liaison Board

·         King’s Lynn and West Norfolk Area Museums Committee

·         King’s Lynn Football Club Board (Observer)

·         Norfolk County Council- Norfolk Countywide Community Safety Partnership Scrutiny Sub-Panel

·         Norfolk Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee

·         West Norfolk Community Transport Project

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The Panel were invited to nominate representatives to participate in the outside bodies and partnerships which fall within the remit of the Panel.

The Panel noted that nominations would be presented to the full Council meeting on 27^th June 2024 for consideration.

RESOLVED: That the Panel submit the following nominations to Council:

1. Borough Council/College of West Anglia Liaison Board – Vacancy

2. King’s Lynn and West Norfolk Area Museums Committee – Councillor Bland, Bubb and Non-Councillor William Davidson

3. King’s Lynn Football Club – Councillor Bland

4. Norfolk County Council – Norfolk Countywide Community Safety Partnership Scrutiny Sub-Panel – Councillor Rose and Kemp as substitute.

5. Norfolk Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee – Councillor Devulapalli and Substitute Vacancy. 

6. West Norfolk Community Transport Project – Councillor Everett

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The Corporate Performance Officer present the Councillor Community Grant Scheme to the panel.

The Corporate Performance Officer advised the report was an overview of the Scheme for the last 12 months. She highlighted the Scheme had been running for 3 years and had helped 256 Groups with funding totalling £121,000.

The Corporate Performance Officer advised the Panel the Scheme was to continue for 2026-27. She advised that refresher annual training for members can be arranged at request.

The report focused on what has been achieved which is 77 Grants and highlighted the funding not used.

The Chair thanked the Corporate Performance Officer and invited questions and comments from the panel.

The Vice Chair, Councillor Devulapalli sought clarification on the timeline of the Scheme and highlighted how the scheme was beneficial for the community.

The Corporate Performance Officer clarified the Scheme relaunched in August following the members training and ran to March 2025.

Councillor Lintern referred to the impact this had made in her ward and endorsed the Community Grant Scheme. Councill Lintern thanked the Corporate Performance Officer.

Councillor Bullen agreed with Councillor Lintern comments and stated without the Community Grants there was projects that would have not been able to have gone ahead without the Grant.

Councillor Kunes supported the Community Grants continuation.

Councillor Kemp referred to the benefits the Community Grant Scheme had provided activities for young people in South and West Lynn. She supported the Community Grant Scheme continued.

RESOLVED: The Panel noted the report.

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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.

RESOLVED: The Panel’s Work Programme was noted.

Councillor Bullen invited all members are invited to visit Marthas Meadow in Southery. He advised the Panel that, Marthas Meadow is a remarkable project which was a development of redundant piece of land to wildlife haven and encourage members to visit to see how wildlife areas were managed.

To note that the next meeting of the Environment and Community Panel is scheduled to take place on 16^th July 2024 at 4:30pm 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 16^th July 2024 in the Council Chamber, Town Hall, King’s Lynn.