To receive petitions and public questions in accordance with Standing Order 9.
Minutes:
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The Deputy Mayor invited public questions presented for the 21 March meeting in accordance with Standing Order 9.
1 ) Question from Julia Irving read by Jenny Walker
I visited Lynnsport today the 13th of March 2024 . I was dismayed to note that the area so disastrously planted with trees in 2021 ( when the vast majority of trees died due to neglect) is still littered with plastic trees guards ,as far as the eye can see . The area looks a mess and I have attached a photo to illustrate this . I asked a question at a council meeting last year and my understanding was that the contractors, CGM group, were to be asked to take away the tree guards and tidy the area up and remove dead trees so that the area could thrive as wild flower meadow.
What is the time line for this work to be done?
Councillor de Whalley explained that the Council was currently in the process of checking the remaining trees were still alive, then the area was due to be sorted out w/c 8 April, involving staff, volunteers and students.
Ms Walker asked if CGM had made any reparation for not fulfilling the terms of the contract, to which Councillor de Whalley explained that the contracts team were in discussion with CGM.
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2) Question from Sue Heal read by Malcolm Chubbock
MND is a fatal, often rapidly progressing neurological disease for which there is no cure.
Will the Borough Council of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk adopt the MND Charter to help positively influence the lives of people living with MND and their carers in the community?
The MND Charter is a statement of the respect, care and support that people living with MND and their carers deserve and should expect. More information can be found at www.mndassociation.org/mndcharter
The Charter is made up of 5 key points, these are listed below.
1. The right to an early diagnosis and information
2. The right to access quality care and treatments
3. The right to be treated as individuals and with dignity and respect
4. The right to maximise their quality of life
5. Carers of people with MND have the right to be valued, respected, listened to and well-supported.
Supplementary question: Will the Borough Council of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk consider the findings in the MND Association’s Act to Adapt report and use their discretionary powers to ensure that they are meeting the needs of people living with MND in relation to accessible housing? More information can be found at www.mndassociation.org/acttoadapt
We recommend that councils learn from existing good practice by:
These actions were reflected in the Government's guidance for local authorities in England on Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) delivery, 28March 2022, where specific mention is made of motor neurone disease on page 18. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6245b9ac8fa8f527744f0683/DFG_Guidance.pdf
Councillor Rust thanks Mr Chubbock for the question, explaining she had held a good meeting with Ms Heal re the difficulties experienced by people suffering with MND. She informed Council that she had shared the Charter with officers to see if they could help. She explained that officers were in the process of reviewing the housing assistance policy and would consider the national guidance when updating it, and also had the ability to fast track cases with a financial contribution to the Housing Review Panel to carry out necessary adaptations if required . She expressed the hope to make progress on this and work together.
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3) Question from Rob Archer
Cycle Parking Policy
Over the last decade there has been a net loss of around 100 cycle parking spaces in King’s Lynn town centre. Most recently, the popular racks on the Tuesday Market Place were removed just before Christmas (just when they were most needed by shoppers) and only recently replaced. The very useful and accessible parking on Purfleet Street have been relocated to a much less secure and accessible location on Baker Lane (it’s not possible to legally cycle from them northbound - making them almost useless for mobility-impaired people) and current plans for Baxter’s Plain show the removal of most of the spaces there.
Does the borough council have a coherent cycle parking policy? We note the plans for two cycle hubs - in Baker Lane and at South Lynn - but these will be difficult to access from the cycle network and do not address the shortage of short-term parking around the town.
One of the reasons people give for not cycling into town is the lack of convenient parking. It may also be limiting much-needed tourism. The hugely popular Rebellion Way cycle route was launched last summer and, according to Strava data, at least 8000 cycling tourists passed through central King’s Lynn . Many have commented on the shortage of convenient parking near pubs, cafes, shops etc
Cycling has huge benefits for mobility, health and the local economy, yet those benefits are limited by an apparent lack of planning for the growth in cycling.
Councillor de Whalley gave the following response:
Cycling provision across both Kings Lynn and the Borough as whole is included within both the Kings Lynn Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP) and County Wide LCWIP documents which have been produced in partnership with Norfolk County Council and consulted on at a community level.
Cycle parking falls within the remit in the main of Norfolk County Council who have improved provision at Baker Lane, Saturday Market Place, Broad Street and Tuesday Market Place in recent times, however we acknowledge some of this provision has been intermittent.
The re-provision of a pilot cycle parking scheme on Baker Lane which was funded by NCC, is subject to exactly the same Traffic regulation orders as the previous provision further along Purfleet St which was removed and has increased the number of spaces provided. (The scheme is of a comparable distance from the no cycling point on Purfleet St)
However whilst works are underway across the town as part of the Town Investment Plan there will be some effect on provision of cycle parking as a whole whilst projects come forward to fruition.
Whilst there is no specific Cycle Parking strategy document it is clear that provision in cycling and walking infrastructure is a priority for both councils.
Some 15 active travel projects identified in the Kings Lynn LCWIP are either underway or planned for the coming months. These include surfacing works, crossings and new links to enhance the offer across the network.
Investment from both the Town Deal funding, Bus Improvement Scheme and Shared Prosperity Fund are all being used to improve the Active Travel environment, with many schemes included cycle parking provision.