Agenda item

To receive petitions and public questions in accordance with Procedure Rule 20.

Click here to view the recording of this item on You Tube.

 

1. Public Question from Mr Alastair Kent

 

The Mayor invited Mr Alistair Kent to ask his question as set out below:

 

“Thousands of houses are in the pipeline for areas of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk.  Given that present developments such as the Broad Oaks Estate on the edge of Downham Market are likely to be typical, these houses will be built cheek by jowl with tiny gardens and few significant green open spaces where children can play or residents could, for example, develop community gardens or aspire to an allotment.  Given that access to such open spaces has been proved to benefit physical and mental health, what requirements will be imposed on developers to ensure that there is significant provision of such green spaces that are proportionate to the size of the development, and not mere tokens too small to be of significant benefit to the community.

 

Councillor Moriarty responded to the public question as set out below:

 

“Good Afternoon Mr Kent, and thank you for a rather thought-provoking question. Before I go into some detail on the Council’s position and tackle the specific points you make, I do want to give my personal perspective on this issue. Perhaps I should give you some assurance at the outset that it is the council’s position which prevails and trumps my personal views. But, for what they are worth, here goes.

 

I am conscious that I need to tread carefully as some might argue I belong to a privileged generation and what do I know about house buying for first time buyers today. But I too was once a first time buyer, and in 1983 we bought a small cheek by jowl house, postage stamp size garden and a tiny second bedroom with room for a cot and wardrobe, or a single bed. It is what we wanted and what we could afford. Like the majority of first timer buyers in our age category, and this is still true today, we moved on in a couple of years. I was very glad such housing was available then, and were we in the same position today I would be very grateful for this council’s position on stepping in if necessary when the market fails and I look forward to our new Housing Needs Assessment to be published in 2026 which will help inform so many decisions and policies.

 

Back to your question, first in general terms and then the specific steps which got us to where we are today.

 

It is always a balance between making the best use of land, as Government planning policy explicitly requires, while still safeguarding and improving the environment and ensuring safe and healthy living conditions.   So as the council we will look at developing houses at an appropriate density that provides an efficient use of land, but also suitably reflects the wider locality. There are also specific policies in the new Local Plan, which require a certain amount of public open space, play areas, and in some cases allotments, for residential developments. The amount required reflects the advice provided by ‘Fields in Trust’ and their suggested nationally recognised standards for outdoor playing space.

 

So to the specifics:

1. The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF)

• The NPPF which sets out the Government’s planning policies for England and how these are expected to be applied, states that access to a network of high quality open spaces and opportunities for sport and physical activity is important for the health and well-being of communities, and can deliver wider benefits for nature and support efforts to address climate change. It goes on to set out how this should be taken forward in a local plan.

2. Our Local Plan

• Accordingly, our Local Plan contains policies for each site allocation it makes and sets out the policy requirements. The policy for the site allocation to south of Downham Market includes provisions for outdoor play space. There is also provision for a master plan, landscaping, allotments, protection and enhancement of public rights of way within the site, protection of existing protected tress, ecological studies, and ensuring the development is fully integrated into the surrounding walking and cycling network. The site you refer to is still to be built out, but judging from the plans I have seen, there is a lot of green allocated space.

3. Windfall Sites

• Outside of sites specifically allocated by the Local Plan for housing, the Local Plan contains development management policies. This are there to guide and inform windfall sites, which are those not specifically allocated which may come forward. These cover a whole host of matters including the provision of recreational opens space for residential developments, green infrastructure, the protection of local open space, and environmental assets.  

 

• To highlight the point Policy LP22 - Provision of Recreational Open Space for Residential Developments, sets out that all new residential development will be expected to make adequate provision for open space to recognise the importance open space has on health and wellbeing for all residents. It goes on to set the standards out which are in accordance with the fields in trust best practice.  Schemes of 20 new homes or greater will provide 2.4 hectares of open space per 1,000 population comprising approximately 70% for either amenity, outdoor sport, and allotments and 30% for suitably equipped children’s play space.

 

• It is worth noting that the Local Plan which was adopted earlier this year went through a lengthy preparation process and a detail examination before being found sound and adopted. This involved many consultees including Sport England, Downham Market Town Council, Denver Parish Council, and local residents.

 

• Planning law requires that applications for planning permission be determined in accordance with the development plan (this includes the Local Plan and any neighbourhood plan covering that area) , unless material considerations indicate otherwise. The National Planning Policy Framework must be taken into account in preparing the development plan, and is a material consideration in planning decisions.

 

• The Local Plan can be viewed on online to help with awareness and implementation and understanding we have produced an interactive planning policies map and an interactive version of the whole Local Plan and, following this meeting, I will email you a link

 

Councillors are not complacent, we are also residents and we specifically have a responsibility to be watchful and alert to the benefits offered by ensuring the provision of proportionate green spaces for a variety of uses in developments in the Borough as they come forward.”

 

By way of supplementary, Mr Alastair Kent asked if rewilding, as had happened in areas in Downham Market, which resulted in a haven for wildlife and biodiversity could be considered at Hardwick Road Cemetery.

 

Councillor Moriarty agreed to respond to Mr Kent in writing.

 

2. Public Question from Mr Andrew Riley

 

The Mayor invited Mr Andrew Riley to ask his question, as set out below:

 

“Being happy and healthy at work shouldn’t be a luxury, yet too often people struggle because workplace cultures create distance just when support is most needed. From my experience over the last decade supporting people with mental health problems and disabilities in work, I’ve seen that the right support from employers can be as effective, if not more, than interventions from services or clinicians.

 

Right now, workplaces and therefore services and the wider economy in West Norfolk are being hit by high sickness levels, from the Queen Elizabeth Hospital through to this Borough Council itself.

 

Alongside the impending improvements in conditions promised through the Employment Rights Bill, Sir Charlie Mayfield’s Keep Britain Working review for the Labour Government sets out a national programme to:

 • improve staff retention

 • support workers with health conditions, disabilities and neurodivergence

 • promote healthier, longer working lives

 

This is not only to help individuals, but to strengthen our economy by clawing back lost productivity.

 

Phase one asks employers to sign up as ‘Vanguard employers’ to the Healthy Working and Workplace Health Provision standards. A number of councils and major national employers, including several based locally, have already committed to doing this.

 

These standards promote better use of shared health and disability data, early prevention, and more active support for conditions such as mental ill-health and musculoskeletal problems. They also include testing alternatives to GP fit notes, which can sometimes keep people off work for longer than is necessary when the right workplace support could help them stay in or return to work sooner.

 

There is so much more that can and should be done to keep people happy and well in work. That benefits everyone: vulnerable residents, working people, pensioners, and business owners.

 

My question is:

 

As one of the area’s biggest employers, will this administration commit to signing up as a Vanguard employer, showing leadership locally? 

Will the Leader write to other borough and county council leaders to encourage them to seek Vanguard employer status, particularly in any future establishment of Unitary Council(s) in Norfolk, so that more employers in West Norfolk are encouraged to support residents with thriving, and not just coping, at work?”

 

Councillor Rust responded to the question, as set out below.

 

“More than 60 major and many small employers are joining forces with the government to tackle the rising tide of ill-health that is pushing people out of work and holding back growth.

 

The joint effort, developed in response to Sir Charlie Mayfield’s Keep Britain Working Review, will drive action to prevent ill-health, support people to stay in work, and help employers build healthier, more resilient workplaces.

 

Published today, the landmark Review sets out the stark reality facing the UK:

 

· One in five working-age adults are now out of the labour force – 800,000 more than in 2019 due to health reasons

 

· The cost of ill-health that prevents work equals 7% of GDP – nearly 70% of all income-tax receipts

 

· UK employment among disabled people stands at 53%, below leading OECD nations

 

· Employers lose 85 billion a year from sickness, turnover, and lost productivity

 

In response, the government will partner with employers to reshape how health issues and disabilities are managed in the workplace with the launch of employer-led Vanguards.

 

The Vanguards - including household names such as British Airways, Google, Sainsbury’s, Holland and Barrett alongside Mayoral Combined Authorities and SMEs – are early adopters who will develop and refine workplace health approaches over the next three years to build the evidence base for what works.

 

They’re committing to embracing the report’s healthy working lifecycle - which aims to reduce sickness absence, improve return-to-work rates, and increase disability employment rates – which the government will work towards developing into a voluntary certified standard by 2029.

 

It builds on the work the government is doing to give businesses the skilled workforce they need by investing 1 billion annually in disability employment support by the end of the decade – giving people the skills and opportunities to move out of poverty and into good, secure jobs as part of the Plan for Change.

 

 

As a Council We’ve signed up to become a Marmot Place.  Of the 8 Marmot Principles one is to create fair employment and good work for all, another is to strengthen ill health prevention and another enable people to maximise their capabilities and control their lives.  I think these link with the aims of Vanguard and the efforts to tackle ill health.

 

You might be aware of specific issues relating to women that can stop us from being in the workplace – domestic abuse and menopause.  Our Council has actively worked with our Trade Union partners to establish a Menopause Policy and we’ve become White Ribbon Accredited, both things which will support women to remain in the workplace and maximise their capabilities and control their lives. Lost revenue and productivity costs attributed to menopause are estimated at approximately £1.5 billion to £11 billion annually in the UK, while those attributed to domestic abuse amount to approximately £14 billion annually in England and Wales.

 

Three deliverables

 

1. A Healthy Working Lifecycle

 

Establish, with employers and providers, a Healthy Working Lifecycle which defines the practices that drive the best outcomes in reduced sickness absence, improved return to work rates and better participation and inclusion of disabled people. Develop the Healthy Working Lifecycle as a certified standard, which becomes the basis for general adoption of a common, outcome-based philosophy around work, health and disability across the UK.

 

2. Better Workplace Health Provision (WHP)

 

Build, with existing providers and practitioners, the support employers and employees need to deliver the Healthy Working Lifecycle, focusing initially on new ‘stay in work’ and ‘return to work’ plans within the lifecycle, and on improving faster access to support. Work with providers and practitioners to ensure this provision is affordable and effective, and establish certified standards for a multi-provider marketplace that expands access to high-quality support for all employers.

 

3. Evidence of what works to underpin incentives for adoption

 

Create a Workplace Health Intelligence Unit (WHIU) to aggregate and analyse data, guide continuous improvement and provide leadership, as a movement HQ, across the new system. Develop the WHIU into a high-value data asset to guide certification and provide the evidence base to support targeted incentives – financial, operational, legal, and cultural – to accelerate adoption.

 

 

 

· Managing sickness absence We’ve got a clear procedure that helps people stay in work where possible and supports them when they’re ready to come back. That includes return-to-work interviews, wellness plans, and making sure nobody feels left on their own after time away.

 

 

· Managing stress in the workplace We’ve introduced a Corporate Guidance Note on Managing Stress in the Workplace, which sets out how we can all spot and respond to stress more effectively. Alongside this, we use the Stress Risk Assessment (Stress Checker) tool to help identify issues early and put the right support in place. We also offer Managing Stress and Resilience workshops to all employees.

 

 

· Practical health support Staff can access funded physiotherapy (in the centre of King’s Lynn) when they need it, we provide seasonal flu vouchers to help reduce illness, and our Vivup Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) is there for confidential access to a 7 day-a-week GP service for employees and for their dependents under the age of 18.

 

 

· High Impact Health Conditions

 

A risk assessment approach to support employees to engage with their teams for support to manage specific health conditions, such as asthma and anaphylaxis.

 

 

· Trauma support (TRiM) We already offer in-house, fully qualified TRiM for type one trauma and have done for three years now. From December 2025 we’re expanding this to cover type two and secondary trauma. That means more people will get the right (NICE recommended) support when they are dealing with difficult incidents in the course of their work.

 

 

· Mental health awareness (and this builds on the Wellbeing, Sickness Absence and Mental Health First Aid training that all line managers attended in 2020) All of our line managers completed REACTMH training in November 2025. This gives them the tools to spot when someone might be struggling and to have supportive conversations early on. Vivup also offers a 24/7 confidential freephone helpline and access to every employee to funded, fully qualified counselling. This can be in person if employees prefer.

 

 

· Occupational Health We make use of Occupational Health services not just during employment, but even before someone starts with us. That way, new colleagues can get the right support from day one and we can understand the support and adjustments we can consider to help our employees to work. This OH service is now remote, so employees who might be struggling with physical health can access really easily.

 

 

· Alive offer joining incentives to employees to access facilities to help them to pursue a healthy lifestyle.

 

 

· The Equalities Working Group has sub-groups looking into specific employee support needs, such as neurodiversity.

 

 

· Monthly wellbeing events We run regular wellbeing events, and a lot of these are based on physical health elements as well as on the Five Ways To Wellbeing principles. For example:

 

· November 2025: In Body health checks linked to International Men’s Day

 

· December 2025: NHS Health Checks offered to staff, plus our Food Bank Collection for Purfleet

 

· January 2026: continuation of the Food Bank Collection for Purfleet. Staff Long Service Awards.

 

· February 2026: Staff Recognition Events. Pet Photo Competition and Voting.

 

· March 2026: Menopause Awareness sessions planned to support colleagues and raise understanding.”

 

Mr Riley did not have a supplementary question.