Agenda and draft minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Bhondi, Ryves (Cllr Lintern sub), Sandell and Spikings.

To approve the minutes from the additional meeting of the Corporate Performance Panel held on 28^th January 2025.

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.

These declarations apply to all Members present, whether the Member is part of the meeting, attending to speak as a local Member on any 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 Kemp.

There was none.

There were no call-ins to consider.

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The Deputy Monitoring Officer presented the report which introduced minor revisions to the procedures that were operated within the Investigations and Disciplinary Committee.

The Chair thanked the Deputy Monitoring Officer for the report and invited questions and comments from the Panel, as summarised below.

Councillor Collingham sought clarification and asked what JNC stood for.  The Deputy Monitoring Officer confirmed it stood for Joint National Committee.

RESOLVED: That the Corporate Performance Panel support the recommendations to Cabinet, as set out below.

Cabinet recommends to Full Council:

1.      That the IDC Terms of Reference should be amended as follows:

i.              Paragraph A.5 should be deleted.

ii.             Insert new A.12: “The Monitoring Officer is nominated to assess the allegation to determine whether it falls within the remit of the procedure, or whether it is clearly unfounded or trivial or can best be dealt with under some other procedure (the Initial Filter Exercise). Either of the Deputy Monitoring Officer or the Head of Personnel is delegated authority to carry out this role if it is not possible or appropriate for the Monitoring Officer to do so. The Monitoring Officer (or substitute officer above) shall report to the Chair of the IDC if they determine that an allegation does not fall within the remit of this procedure.”

iii.            Insert new A.13: “For the purposes of the Initial Filter Exercise above, the Monitoring Officer is delegated authority to carry out any preliminary inquiries that are needed. Either of the Deputy Monitoring Officer or the Head of Personnel is delegated authority to carry out this role if it is not possible or appropriate for the Monitoring Officer to do so.”

2.      That the Standards Committee Terms of Reference should be amended as follows:

       Insert new E.17: “Act as Grievance Committee where required in grievance   matters concerning the Chief Executive, in accordance with the JNC Model Code. For this purpose, five Standards Committee members shall be convened with political proportionality (or three members if this is not possible), none of whom shall be members of the IDC or the Appeal Committee.

       For the purposes of fulfilling the Council’s adopted grievance procedures in accordance with the JNC Model Code, Standards Committee nominates the Monitoring Officer to act as Receiving Officer. Where the Monitoring Officer cannot so act, qualifying members of the Standards Committee (i.e. non-members of the IDC and Appeals Committee) shall nominate a Monitoring Officer from a neighbouring authority to act as the Receiving Officer.”

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The Corporate Performance Officer presented the report which updated on progress against the Council’s Corporate Strategy and key performance indicators up to the period 31^st December 2024.  Information was provided on the actions which had been completed and the indicators for which ratings had changed.

The Chair thanked the Corporate Performance Officer for the report and invited questions and comments from the Panel, as summarised below.

In response to a question from Councillor Osborne, the Portfolio Holder for Climate Change and Biodiversity, Councillor de Whalley explained the Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan was a living document and updated as required.  He added that he was aware of some changes which were in hand and confirmed he would come back with more detail.

The Chair, Councillor Long commented that the changes and revisions would need to go to the Environment and Community Panel (E&C) for consideration and asked the Portfolio Holder for Climate Change and Biodiversity, Councillor de Whalley to ensure the Chair of E&C was made aware of when this would be presented to their Panel. 

In response to comments from Councillor Collingham, the Corporate Performance Officer confirmed the KPI’s would be thoroughly reviewed once after the full year report had been produced and was aware that waste packaging was becoming a lot lighter and therefore it was not getting the weight which they were wanting.

Members of the Senior Leadership Team were present at the meeting to provide detail on their indicators which were currently not meeting target, and the Chair invited each Assistant Director to present their update.

The Assistant Director for Regeneration, Housing and Place provided the following update in relation to the indicators which were not meeting target:

-       Review options in relation to the Hunstanton Masterplan and key council assets (amber).  It was explained work had not started on a Hunstanton Masterplan. Factors such as the Covid Pandemic and other inward investment priorities such as the Towns Fund, has prevented it from progressing but highlighted the Hunstanton work remained important.  The Assistant Director advised there was ambition for a King’s Lynn and Hunstanton masterplan but guidance and a steer from members and the Senior Leadership Team would be required.

-       Develop the Car Parking Strategy, produce a draft and adopt the strategy in 2024-2025 (amber).  The Assistant Director explained this was a complex piece of work and added the delay did not represent that they were giving this less priority.  The Assistant Director confirmed there was a strategy and were drawing out of it some key principles which would be raised at the Transport Informal Working Group meeting on 4^th March 2025 and then presented to the Regeneration and Development Panel meeting on 11^th March 2025.  The Assistant Director explained the reasons for the delay was due to the work being complicated and numerous changes in staffing.

-       No. of new homes built through the Council's Major  ...  view the full minutes text for item CP118

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The Assistant Director presented the report which introduced a refreshed Planning Code of Conduct which was intended to be easy to read and understand. 

The Monitoring Officer added that the Code of Conduct incorporated the planning guidance that the Planning Advisory Service and the Local Government Association had produced.

The Chair thanked the Assistant Director for the report and invited questions and comments from the Panel, as summarised below.

Councillor Blunt commented that he was on the Planning Committee and raised concern with the amount of lobbying that panel members receive and asked how members of the public could be educated to not send high volumes of emails to members of the Planning Committee to relieve pressures.  The Assistant Director explained it would be difficult to stop members of the public emailing members when members email addresses were published on the Borough Council’s website.  The Assistant Director added that they could look to put something on the Borough Council website to discourage members of the public from emailing members of the Planning Committee.  He further added that it was for Members to effectively deal with lobbying in the correct way and forward any emails to Officers.

In response to comments from Councillor Blunt regarding the late correspondence, the Assistant Director explained the late correspondence was to make everyone aware of what had been raised and to provide transparency.

The Monitoring Officer explained the Planning Advisory Service had planning guidance which highlighted that lobbying was a normal part of the planning process but confirmed she would take members comments away and could look at what it specifically says around lobbying within their code of conduct.

In response to an additional comment from Councillor Blunt, the Assistant Director confirmed a bespoke session would be held for Members on the new code of conduct once it had been agreed.

RESOLVED: That the Corporate Performance Panel support the recommendations to Cabinet, as set out below.

CABINET RECOMMENDATION: To adopt the new planning member code of conduct, attached to the report.

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Councillor Sayers requested that the Panel receive an update on Freedom of Information requests, particularly those that had not been responded to within the 20-working day statutory period.  The Chair agreed to add this to the Work Programme.

RESOLVED: The Panel Work Programme was noted.

RESOLVED: The Cabinet Forward Decisions List was noted.

RESOLVED: The Shareholder Committee Work Programme was noted.

To note that the next meeting of the Corporate Performance Panel is scheduled to take place on 2^nd April 2025 at 4.30pm in the Town Hall, Saturday Market Place, King’s Lynn.

The next meeting of the Corporate Performance Panel was scheduled to take place on 2^nd April 2025 at 4.30pm in the Town Hall, Saturday Market Place, King’s Lynn.