Decisions

RECOMMENDED:  That the contents of the report be noted and Council be recommended that the draft Local Plan previously approved by Full Council be amended as follows:

1)     That reference to the term ‘A10/Main Rail Line Strategic Growth Corridor’ is deleted from the Plan.

2)    That the Settlement Hierarchy reverts to that of the Core Strategy (as amended by the Site Allocations and Development Management Policies Document), subject to a check that it still remains up to date.

3)    That a criterion-based policy is introduced into the Plan for the assessment of proposals for development in rural settlements.  The Criterion-based policy to be agreed in consultation with the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Local Plan Task Group.

4)    That a housing requirement is calculated for designated neighbourhood areas using the methodology set out at section 2.13 and Appendix 3.

Reason for Decision

To address concerns raised by the Local Plan Inspectors at examination in order that they may report the Plan is ‘sound’ and enable the Council to proceed to adoption at the earliest opportunity.

The comments of the Local Plan Task Group were taken into account in the revised recommendation 3.

RECOMMENDED:  That the work of the Governance Task Group be paused until after the Borough Council elections.

Reason for Decision

To ensure that the new Council is able to take a view on its Governance structure going forward and to link with the Peer Review to take place.

RECOMMENDED:        1)            That the updated criteria proposed by the Corporate Performance Panel, subject to the additional changes shown in appendix 3 to the report, be adopted.

2)               That the changes to the Constitution shown in appendix 4 of the report be approved.

Reason for Recommendation

The award of Freedom of the Borough is a non-executive function of the Council (Functions Regulations 2000, Schedule 1 paragraph E3). Constitutional Changes are needed in order to effect the amendments to the criteria and process for the award/revocation.

Full Council asked the CPP to review the award criteria; the Council’s legal team have reviewed those criteria and provided comments and proposed constitutional changes. 

Cabinet are invited to review the updated criteria and the constitutional changes and recommend to Full Council that they be approved.

As the Corporate Performance Panel had deferred this item to April, it was agreed that the item be deferred to the April meeting.

RECOMMENDED:  That the scheme of Allowances to cover the years 2021/25 be approved.

Reason for Decision

To comply with the requirements of The Local Authorities (Member's Allowances) (England) Regulations 2003 to continue with the Scheme of Allowances for the coming year.

The only amendment is the year from 2021-22 to 2021-2025.

RECOMMENDED:      That the revised Member Code of Conduct set out at Appendix 1 to the report be adopted.

Reason for Decision

It is a statutory function of the Standards Committee to advise the Council on the adoption or revision of the Member Code of Conduct. The Standards Committee have recommended that a revised Code of Conduct be adopted, as attached at Appendix 1 to the report, which Cabinet is asked to consider for onward recommendations to Full Council.

RECOMMENDED:        1)            That  the proposed changes to the Unreasonable Complaints Policy as set out at Appendix 1 to the report be approved; and

2)         That the proposed changes to the Constitution as set out at Appendix 2 to the report be approved.

Reason for Decision

It is a function of CPP to assist in advancing the development of effective policy for promoting or improving the economic, social and environmental wellbeing of the people and communities of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk. CPP have recommended changes to the UC Policy and the Constitution which Cabinet are asked to consider these for onward recommendations to Full Council.

The Forward Decisions List was noted