Agenda and draft minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Blunt, Dickinson and Moriarty.

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

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 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.

Councillor Ware declared that she was a Director of West Norfolk Property and West Norfolk Housing Company.

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 on what items they wish to be heard before a decision is made.

There were no Members present under Standing Order 34.

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The Executive Director presented the report which proposed a revision to the process for Post Project Evaluation Reports.  The purpose of the report was to streamline the process and to ensure that reports were presented to the Board in a timely manner.  A template for the Post Project Evaluation was included in the report and it was noted that now that there was a system in place for the Board to receive highlight reports and updates, the evaluation report could be built up during the duration of the process.

The Chair, Councillor Beales asked for clarification on what criteria a project had to meet to become a Major Project and it was clarified that this was determined by Cabinet.

Councillor Morley commented that it was important to have a defined process in place for Post Evaluation Reports and that they were presented to the Board in a timely manner.  He referred to Project Creep and how the regular highlight reports enabled Members now to monitor project creep and any mitigation measures.

It was clarified that all Major Projects would be subject to a Post Evaluation Review Report which would be presented to the Board.

The Chair felt that the proposals were an improvement and simplified the process.

RESOLVED: The Board agreed the new process for Post Project Evaluation Reports as set out in the report.

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The Executive Director presented the overview report which showed the current status of projects.  Further detail of the projects were presented in the Highlight Reports.

Members comments on the format of the Overview Report were welcomed.

Project Highlight reports covering December 2023/January 2024 are attached as listed below:

a.         P-21.02 NORA EZ – Road Infrastructure

b.         P-21.03a NORA EZ – Development of spec units – phase 1

c.         P-21.04 NORA 4

d.         P-21.05 Major Housing – Florence Fields – TO FOLLOW

e.         P-21.06 Major Housing – Salters Road

f.          P-21.08 Major Housing – Southend Road – TO FOLLOW

g.         P-21.09 West Winch Growth Area

h.         P-21.10a Southgates – Place Making

i.          P-21.10b Southgates – STARS

j.          P-21.18 3G pitch

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The Board were advised that the Project Highlight reports for Southend Road and Florence Fields contained exempt information relating to contracts, finances and would be considered by the Board when they moved into Exempt Session at the end of the meeting.

Officers presented the Highlight Reports, as included in the Agenda as follows:

NORA Speculative Units.

Infrastructure was ongoing to be available for the opening of the Surgery Development.

There had been some issues with surface water and drainage relating to the attenuation tanks which ran into the main drains and a resolution was being sought.

There had been interest in the Speculative units, with some companies eager to get in.

The issue relating to roadworks contamination had now been resolved.  Cabinet had agreed to additional work to be carried out to move contaminated soil off site at the request of the Environment Agency.

Assistant Director, Matthew Henry, explained that work was ongoing with the IDB’s and other relevant organisations to rectify the issues with the attenuation tanks.

NORA 4

This site was at handover point and all properties were now occupied.

A Post Project Evaluation Report was scheduled to be presented to the Board at their next meeting in May.

Salters Road

Housing on this site was being delivered in partnership with Lovells and housing would be handed over to Freebridge Housing Association upon completion.  The site was a 100% affordable scheme.

The Board agreed that comms and publicity should be carried out to promote the Council development and contribution to providing affordable homes for Borough Residents.  It was explained that Corporate Performance Monitoring did show information on the delivery and transfer of homes, and community development events were held.

The Board were also reminded that Creating Community Events had been held and these were looking to be extended to other developments.

West Winch Growth Area

This Project was on target and some key milestones had now been reached.  The Planning Application for the Road was now live on the Norfolk County Council Planning Portal.

Councillor Parish commented that there would be press releases to inform the public of progress.

Southgates

This project was moving forward and funding routes were being investigated.

STARS

This was a Norfolk County Council Project.  Timescales and Risks were currently being looked at.

Councillor Parish commented that it was important that communications and publicity focussed on the impact of the works on traffic flow. 

RESOLVED: The Board asked officers to liaise with Norfolk County Council so that updates and a timetable could be made available to Councillors so that they could answer resident queries relating to the scheme. 

3G Pitch

The previous planning application for this had been withdrawn and work was ongoing to move the scheme forward.

The Board discussed if the 3G Pitch should be considered as a Major Project and agreed that it should be removed from the list of current projects.

RESOLVED: 1. Officers to provide an update  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

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The PMO Manager presented the action log and explained that information would be provided to the Board on the process for a project becoming a Major Project.

The Chair requested that a further action on the process for removing projects be added to the action log and an update be presented to the Board at a future meeting.

2 January 2024

14 February 2024

13 March 2024

The Board noted the minutes.

The Schedule of Meetings were noted.  The Board discussed the schedule and comments were made that perhaps it would be more beneficial for meetings to coincide with financial monitoring deadlines.  The PMO Manager to revisit the schedule of meetings if required.

To discuss the work programme for 2024/2025 and to consider dates to schedule list of forthcoming items.

The Work Programme was noted.

13 May 2024, 9.30 am in the Council Chamber, Town Hall, King’s Lynn.

The next meeting was scheduled to take place on 13 May 2024 at 9.30am in the Town Hall.

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RESOLVED: That under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Act.

Florence Fields

Officers provided the Board with an update and responded to questions.

The Chair requested that officers consider a way of briefing all Councillors on the current status of the project.

Southend Road

Officers provided an update and responded to questions.

Officers to arrange meetings with relevant Portfolio Holders as requested by the Chair.

Officers to prepare a report on future working arrangements as requested by the Board.

NORA 4

In addition to the Project Highlight report, which had been published, officers provided an additional update and responded to questions.

Cabinet would be kept up to date on the situation as required.