Agenda item

To receive any comments and recommendations from other Council bodies which meet after the dispatch of this agenda. 

Recommendations from the Regeneration and Development Panel meeting held on 19^th November 2024 are attached.

Recommendations from other Panels will follow.

1)     The Corporate Performance Panel on 27 November 2024 considered the recommendations from its Working Group on Taxi Testing and made the following recommendations that the Cabinet was invited to consider to consider: 

“1. The Informal Working Group make the following recommendations to the Corporate Performance Panel (“CPP”) for onwards recommendation to Cabinet in terms of preparation for the next taxi testing contract:

1. The new tender to be advertised on Delta E-Sourcing and Find-A-Tender, and the Council’s own website.  Any contractor wishing to apply shall be advised to register on Delta.  Direct invitations from the Delta tender box shall not be sent.
2. All correspondence after the competition is opened to be sent through the Delta portal.  All enquiries received outside the portal are to be redirected through Delta.
3. To consider and discuss with the legal team, including in the Contract Standing Orders, the ability to invite bidders to tender.
4. In line with the new Procurement Act 2023 for under threshold procurements, checks would be put in place to ensure that businesses were bona fide businesses.  Financial information could be requested, but businesses showing a loss in accounts would not be excluded from then being awarded a contract.  The reason for requiring financial information was purely to evidence that the business was legitimate. 
5. Questions and criteria to be included in the tender process would need to be agreed with officers, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Planning and Licensing.
6. It would not be left to the discretion of one officer if additional stations were brought forward to become testing stations after the initial contract was awarded.  Consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Planning and Licensing would be required.

Whilst not strictly falling within the terms of reference of the IWG, this additional recommendation was made for CPP’s consideration:

7. Should an external review of Council processes be required, it should be instructed in writing by an officer independent of the originating matter and not involved in any previous internal review.

2. The Taxi Testing Informal Working Group has now concluded its work and is disbanded.”

Cabinet agreed that the recommendations required further consideration so proposed the matter was deferred.

RESOLVED:  That consideration of the recommendations be deferred for further consideration.

All of the following recommendations were taken into account on consideration of each item.

2)     The Corporate Performance Panel on 27 November 2024 had considered the Q2 Corporate Performance Management report and supported the recommendations.

3)     The Environment and Community Panel on 3 September and 26 November 2024 had passed its comments supporting the:

·         The Notice of Motion 15/23 – Wash East Coast Management Strategy – Unit C - Technical report. (contained within the report)

·         Community Governance Review for Burnham Market

4)    The Audit Committee on 3 October 2024 had made recommendations supporting the Audit Committee Terms of Reference  (contained within the report)

5)    The Regeneration and Development Panel on 19 November 2024 had made recommendations supporting the West Norfolk economic Strategy

6)    The Joint Panels on 3 December 2024  had met to consider the Investments Options for Leisure Assets and supported the recommendations.

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1)     The Corporate Performance Panel on 27 November 2024 considered the recommendations from its Working Group on Taxi Testing and made the following recommendations that the Cabinet was invited to consider to consider: 

“1. The Informal Working Group make the following recommendations to the Corporate Performance Panel (“CPP”) for onwards recommendation to Cabinet in terms of preparation for the next taxi testing contract:

1. The new tender to be advertised on Delta E-Sourcing and Find-A-Tender, and the Council’s own website.  Any contractor wishing to apply shall be advised to register on Delta.  Direct invitations from the Delta tender box shall not be sent.
2. All correspondence after the competition is opened to be sent through the Delta portal.  All enquiries received outside the portal are to be redirected through Delta.
3. To consider and discuss with the legal team, including in the Contract Standing Orders, the ability to invite bidders to tender.
4. In line with the new Procurement Act 2023 for under threshold procurements, checks would be put in place to ensure that businesses were bona fide businesses.  Financial information could be requested, but businesses showing a loss in accounts would not be excluded from then being awarded a contract.  The reason for requiring financial information was purely to evidence that the business was legitimate. 
5. Questions and criteria to be included in the tender process would need to be agreed with officers, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Planning and Licensing.
6. It would not be left to the discretion of one officer if additional stations were brought forward to become testing stations after the initial contract was awarded.  Consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Planning and Licensing would be required.

Whilst not strictly falling within the terms of reference of the IWG, this additional recommendation was made for CPP’s consideration:

7. Should an external review of Council processes be required, it should be instructed in writing by an officer independent of the originating matter and not involved in any previous internal review.

2. The Taxi Testing Informal Working Group has now concluded its work and is disbanded.”

Cabinet agreed that the recommendations required further consideration so proposed the matter was deferred.

RESOLVED:  That consideration of the recommendations be deferred for further consideration.

All of the following recommendations were taken into account on consideration of each item.

2)     The Corporate Performance Panel on 27 November 2024 had considered the Q2 Corporate Performance Management report and supported the recommendations.

3)     The Environment and Community Panel on 3 September and 26 November 2024 had passed its comments supporting the:

·         The Notice of Motion 15/23 – Wash East Coast Management Strategy – Unit C - Technical report. (contained within the report)

·         Community Governance Review for Burnham Market

4)     The Audit Committee on 3 October 2024 had made recommendations supporting the Audit Committee Terms of Reference  (contained within the report)

5)     The Regeneration and Development Panel on 19 November 2024 had made recommendations supporting the West Norfolk economic Strategy

6)     The Joint Panels on 3 December 2024  had met to consider the Investments Options for Leisure Assets and supported the recommendations.