​Minutes of the meeting held remotely by Zoom on Tuesday 19th May  2020
 
Present  Cllrs. Dr. S. Dawson.(chairman) M. Turville-Petre, D. Harrod. C. Horwood.  
 County Cllr. S. Butikofer       Dist. Cllr. K. Ward                          J.Stibbons(clerk)
 
The meeting opened at 7.30pm
 
1. Apologies. Cllr. J. Wright
 
2. The minutes of the meeting held on Tuesday 3rd March 2020 were approved by the members.
 
3. Thee were no matters arising from the Minutes.
 
4. Reports.
County Councillor S Butikofer. Much money has been spent during the present crisis. A better idea of the full expenditure will be available at next months County Council meeting.
So far, during the pandemic, four million pounds has been spent on Personal Protective  Equipment.
This has been for many uses including Norse care homes, Bin collectors, social services
Some private care homes, who are responsible for their own supplies, have purchased PPE in an emergency.
There is much debate taking place at the moment about the re-opening of schools. A survey has been sent out to parents to determine which group they would prefer to be started. The County Council view is that it would be better to open for older age groups.
County Council have been sending a great deal of information regarding the shut-down to District councils who have been making the vast majority of the responses.
 
District Councillor K. Ward   Much of the work related to the Covid-19 outbreak has been undertaken by the District Council. The Supplementary Benefits team have been very active. Charity groups have been organised and food supplies provided at distribution hubs. Testing for Covid is being carried out at two temporary centres at Cromer and Fakenham.
People suffering from domestic violence can obtain help at Boots the chemist. There they have a consulting room where individuals can receive confidential help.
Finds are also being provided to help Bed and Breakfast businesses in this difficult time.
Nine toilets out of thirty nine will be open during the bank holiday. There will be no lifeguards on the beaches and it is hoped there will be a coast watch formed.
 
5. There were no declarations of interest.     
 
6. Playing Field. The playing field is still closed off at the moment due to the Clovid 19 outbreak.
With the present partial lifting of restrictions it was proposed by Cllr. Dawson that the play equipment should be closed off but the remainder of the field opened. This was seconded by Cllr. Horwood and approved.
 
7. Phone mast/improved connectivity. Cllr. Turville-Petre stated that although the planning application for the proposed mast had been rejected Salthouse still needs an improved mobile signal. 
It was suggested that Dist Cllr. Butikofer should be contacted as he had experience of obtaining grants for funding of improved mobile reception. 

8. Beach Road is closed at present to cars
 
9. Finances.
It was proposed by Cllr. Dawson that the Certificate of Exemption from a full Annual Audit should be approved. This was seconded by Cllr. Turville-Petre and approved.
 
Bank Balances at 19/5/20   Current a/c £8967.33  Savings a/c £4752.63
            The following invoices have been paid during the lock-down:-
            24th March     Community heartbeat             Defibrillator                 £45
            1st April           NCC                                           Allotment rent             £1150
            1st April           NALC                                         Subscription                £86.69
            28th April        K. Power                                   Paint telephone box    £550
            2nd May          Environment agency               Drainage rate              £34.19
           
10. Correspondence There was no correspondence
             
11. Matters for information or the next agenda.
It was agreed that the next meeting of Salthouse Parish Council should be held on Tuesday 14th July, not the 7th July as published.
 
12. There was no Public participation.
 
There being no further business the chairman closed the meeting at 8.38pm.

Minutes of the meeting held on Tuesday 3rd March  2020
 
Present  Cllrs. Dr. S. Dawson.(chairman) M. Turville-Petre, D. Harrod. C. Horwood, J. Wright.   
                                     Seven members of the public        J.Stibbons(clerk)
 
The meeting opened at 7.30pm
 
1. Apologies were received from Dist. Cllr. K. Ward
 
2.Comments or questions  from members of the public.
 
3.Reports
District Cllr. K. Ward.  (A written report was read to the meeting).   

The only issue which has arisen this month is the issue of the telecommunications mast. This application has already received objections from other parishes. I have asked if NNDC would consider creating a map of appropriate sites which telecom providers could utilise to install their equipment e.g. church towers (like the example at Blakeney)
District Council report:-
Second Homes Non payment of Business Rates - together with other District Councils with high levels of second homes, we have submitted a formal request to the Minister of Housing, Communities and Local Government to revise the current legislation which allows owners of second homes to avoid paying tax locally by registering their home for business rates and then claiming small business rate relief. 
Airbnb - we have set up a task force to look into the issues related to the number of properties within North Norfolk which are advertised on Airbnb. We have had various complaints including lack of provision for commercial waste collection; non payment of business rates and lack of planning permission for holiday letting. We need to investigate the scale of the issue.
Due to the number of applications for off shore wind farms which are coming through our District, we are actively lobbying Central Government to properly investigate an offshore ring main. The disruption to North Norfolk over the next decade will be significant if the current practice continues. Central Government needs to better co-ordinating the allocation of offshore wind farm licences.
Following damage to Splash leisure centre during the recent storms, we are pleased that the structural engineers have found a solution to enable us to keep the existing pool open safely while the construction on the new facility continues. Repair work is ongoing.
Corona virus - no reported cases in Norfolk. Preparations are in progress to respond if cases are notified. The Norfolk Resilience Forum is meeting weekly and will send updates if the situation changes. 
Following my work with the RSA Food, Farming & Countryside Commission over the last two years, I have been asked to continue to represent North Norfolk in the next phase of work. In February I attended a workshop on the next phase of work on a Land Use Framework, where we reviewed the learning from Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, who are well ahead of England in this work. I have requested that North Norfolk be considered as one of the English pilot areas given the range of pressures we face here locally. I will circulate the report from the workshop as soon as it is available.
 
 

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4.There were no declarations of interest.
 
5.The minutes of the Salthouse Parish Council meeting held on Tuesday 7th January 2020, having been previously circulated, were approved by the members and signed by the chairman.          
 
6.There were no matters arising from the Minutes.  
 
7.Planning. PA/20/0237 Telecommunications base station with 15m lattice tower with 3 antennas, one dish           & four cabinets with fenced compound Land North West of Manor Farm View, Bloomstile Lane, Salthouse.
 
The Parish Council supports the provision of mobile telephone connectivity, which at present is non-existent within the parish but with the following observations:-
The proposed site is not the most appropriate. It is within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, which is a designated area within the Permitted Development Rights and should require a detailed Planning Application.  The mast would be seen both from the marsh and the heath.
The Parish Council believe that the N.N.D.C. should develop a strategy for dealing with applications from competing providers in this AONB.
This pre-application was only received on 20th February 2020, for a development which will greatly affect the parish. Councillors felt they should have been informed at the start of the consultation in December 2019 and more time should be allowed to assess alternative sites.
It was asked if this installation would be a shared mast providing access to the major mobile networks, or just to O2
 
8. Financial matters.
Bank Balances at 3/3/20   Current a/c £7737.16  Savings a/c £4752.63
The following invoices were approved for payment:-
J. Stibbons                  Clerks salary/expenses           £562.58
HMRC                        PAYE                                      £109.25
 
9.There was no correspondence
 
10.Matters for information only.
It was asked from the floor why there had been a locked gate placed at the Playing field and the
bottom of Market Lane?
These gates have not been put in place by the Parish Council. Enquiries are to be made to find the
reason. It was noted that access to the playing field from Market Lane was necessary for grass
cutting and also for access of emergency vehicles.
 
There being no further business the chairman closed the meeting at 8.16pm
 
The next meeting of Salthouse Parish Council will be held on Tuesday 7th May
to follow the Annual Parish Meeting which will commence at 7.30pm

​Minutes of the meeting held on Tuesday 3rd September   2019
 
Present  Cllrs.M.​Turville-Petre,(chairman) D. Harrod. C. Harwood, J. Wright. J.Stibbons (clerk)

Two members of the public.
 
The meeting opened at 7.30pm
 
1. Apologies. Cllr. Dr. S. Dawson.
 
2.There were no comments and questions on the agenda from members of the public.
 
3.There were no reports from County or District Councillors
 
4.There were no Declarations of interest.
 
5. The minutes of the meeting held on Tuesday 9th July 2019, having been previously circulated, were approved by the members present and signed by the chairman.
 
6. There were no matters arising from the Minutes.               
 
7. Planning.  PF/19/1320 Sea Haven, 4 Cross Street, Salthouse, Holt, NR25 7XH
Single storey rear extension, 3 roof-lights (one to front and two to rear elevations),change to windows and cladding to existing side gable.
The members had no objection to this application.
 
8. Reduction of Light pollution in Salthouse. Residents have been asked to keep their light pollution to a minimum by using PIR lighting rather that leave the lights on continually.
It was agreed to place a comment in replies to planning applications stating:-
“Please note that Salthouse residents greatly value their dark skies and would
ask if light pollution could be kept to a minimum.”

9. Financial matters.
The Bank Balances at 3/9/2019 were Current a/c £8447.48  Savings a/c £4714.91
The following invoices approves were approved and cheques signed:-
J. Wright                     Grass cutting                           £300
J. Stibbons                  Clerks salary/expenses          £506.73
HMRC                          PAYE                                        £92       
NNDC                          Empty Dog Bin                       £216.24
 
10.There was no correspondence   
             
11.Matters for information only or for the next agenda.

The telephone box is to be painted on 9th September. The emergency call button has been repeatedly pressed and the emergency services called. This could be due to a fault with the switch.

The village party was well attended and a great success in spite of the wind. The Dun Cow was thanked  by everyone present for their donation of burgers.

There will be a McMillan coffee morning on 27th September. Final arrangements to be posted later.

There being no further business the chairman closed the meeting at 8.06pm.

 Minutes of the meeting held on Tuesday 9th July   2019
 
Present  Cllrs. Dr. S. Dawson,(chairman)  D. Harrod. C. Horwood,  J.Stibbons(clerk)
County Cllr. S. Botikofer and six members of the public.
 
The meeting opened at 7.30pm
 
1. Apologies. Cllr.M. Turville-Petre,
 
2. Reports.
County Cllr. S. Botikofer.  
Adult and children's services are to be cut next year but, hopefully, the Holt children's centre will remain.
The Fire Service are to have smaller response vehicles which can respond more quickly in an emergency. At present the Police Commissioner will not take over responsibility for the fire service.
 
3.   There were no declarations of interest.
 
4.   Minutes.
It was proposed, seconded and resolved that the minutes of the meeting held on Tuesday 7th May 2019  be approved. The chairman then signed the minutes
 
5.    There were no matters arising from the Minutes.
 
6.   To consider a request for posts to be placed on part of the Village Green.
The parish council had received correspondence from the owners of Corner Cottage requesting that they be allowed to place bollards of the verge of the village green adjacent to their property. This is to prevent cars parking. It was unanimously agreed that no more posts or other obstructions should be placed on any part of the green. The piece of verge in question should be grass which would be kept mown with the remainder of the village green.
 
7.         Planning.
The clerk asked if members would indicate their wishes to him on future planning applications.
If there was opposition to any plans an emergency meeting could be called.  If there was no reply to a planning application sent out,​ then it would be assumed that there was no objection.
 
8.         Playing Field and Telephone Box.
The Safety Inspection report from Playsafe (RoSPA) found all items satisfactory.
It was agreed the NO DOGS signs should be placed at the entrances.
The quotation of £550 for painting the telephone box was approved and the work will go ahead as soon as
possible.
 
9.         Financial matters.
Bank Balances at 9/7/2019   Current a/c £8529.68  Savings a/c £4680.96
The following invoices were approved for payment:-
Zurich               Insurance                                              £430.12
J. Wright           Grass cutting                                         £300
J. Stibbons        Salary/expenses March to May           £547.94
HMRC                PAYE                                                      £99.97
Playsafe            Playing field inspection                         £82.20
 
                                   
10.       Change of Bank Mandate
It was agreed that Cllr. Harrod should be added as a signatory to the bank account.
Dr N. Cary will be removed as a signatory.
 
11.        Correspondence   None
             
12.       Matters for information only or for the next agenda.
There continues to be over-night parking in Beach Road. This is a Highways affair.
The owner of Iona was asked if lights can be reduced and connected to a motion detector.
Allotment holders are to be reminded that there is to be no burning of rubbish or fly tipping.
 
There being no further business the chairman closed the meeting at 8.21pm.

Minutes of the Annual General  Meeting held on Tuesday 7th May  2019
 
Present  Cllrs. Dr. S. Dawson,(chairman) M. Turville-Petre, D. Harrod. C. Horwood,                                Dist. Cllr. K. Ward,  and  seven members of the public. J.Stibbons(clerk)
            The meeting opened at 8.25pm
 
1.         As this was the first meeting after an election the council members were required to sign a Declaration of Acceptance of Office.
 
2.         It was proposed by M.Turville-Petre that Dr. S. Lawson be appointed Chairman, this was seconded by D. Harrod and approved.
It was proposed by S. Dawson that M Turville-Petre be elected Vice-Chairman. This was seconded by D. Harrod and approved.
 
3.         The minutes of the Parish Council meeting held on Tuesday 12th March 2019,
having been previously circulated, were approved as correct and signed by the chairman.
 
4.        There were no matters arising from the Minutes.
 
5.         Reports.  The newly elected District Councillor Karen Ward was introduced to the meeting.
Cllr. Ward reminded those present that the six week consultation of the Local Plan was under way. Salthouse is designated as countryside. Funding was proposed for a design guide for the Glaven Valley Conservation area.                         
 
6.         Financial matters.
Balance in bank:- Current a/c £7682.07 - Investment a/c £4680.96
 
After approval by the councillors the Certificate of Exemption from Full Audit for 2018-19 was signed.
The Year End accounts submitted to the meeting were approved by the councillors and signed by the chairman
The annual governance statement was read to the meeting. It was then approved and signed by the chairman.
The accounting statement  was also approved.
 
The following invoices were approved and cheques signed. 
N.A.L.C.                                  Subscription                         £86.86
N.C.C.                                    Half Yr. Allotment rent          £1150
J. Bishop                               Internal auditor                     £30
Environment agency            Drainage rate                       £33.64
 
7.         Correspondence. Members agreed to fully support the initiative from Cley to improvement Emergency ambulance response times.
           
8.         There were no matters for the next agenda.
There being on further business the chairman closed the meeting at 9.11pm

Minutes of the meeting held on Tuesday 12th March  2019
 ​
Present  Cllrs. Dr. S. Dawson,(chairman) M. Turville-Petre, D. Harrod. J.Stibbons(clerk)
County Cllr. S. Botikofer Dist. Cllr. D. Young   and  three members of the public.
 
The meeting opened at 7.30pm
 
1. There were no apologies.
 
2. Reports.
County Cllr. S. Botikofer. The agreed  budget approved an increase in council tax on a band D property of almost £70, being made up of £39 for the County Council,  £24 for the Police  and £4.95 for the District council.
The budget calculates a saving of £30 million in the current year with a three year shortfall of £74 million.
The Coast Hopper service will not be cut. Sanders are campaigning to have bus passes valid in areas where they are issued. A small fee could be charged for other pass holders from outside the area.
 
Dist. Cllr. D. Young.
 The Budget review identified an estimated surplus for the year 2019/20 of £224,000 with a possible deficit in 20/21 of £1.65m, increasing to £1.8m the following year.
 The estimated surplus is to be allocated to local projects, including £33,000 to Community Transport, £100,000 as match-funding towards the cost of a roundabout at the top of Holway Road and £30,000 to keep public conveniences open during the winter months.   A further £20,000  would be contributed towards Operation Moonshot, installing automatic number-plate recognition along roads used in the carrying out of marine crime along this part of the coast.   The proposals also involved moving £2m from other reserves to set up a property investment company.   This is to enable the Council to address directly the shortage of local housing, while at the same time creating an income stream for the Council.
 
The redevelopment of the Splash facility, costing over £10m, is likely to require NNDC to borrow around £5m.   This will be the first time that NNDC has had to borrow since the transfer of its housing stock to Victory Housing in 2006.
 
The first draft of the new Local Plan, to cover the period up to 2036, is expected to be ready  for consultation in the next month 
 
A report from the Enforcement Board, which oversees the Combined Enforcement Team.     was set up in 2016 and inherited a large backlog of planning enforcement cases.       Its current caseload is just under 300 with around 170 cases closed and a similar number of new ones over the last 6 months.   In the year to last October, the number of Long Term Empty properties was reduced by 121.   Compulsory Purchase is a long and difficult legal process, much of the progress made is through informal means and encouragement to bring properties back into use.
 
I have spoken to Broadland Housing and NNDC regarding an update on the potential exception scheme for affordable housing in Market Lane.   While the County Council has agreed to sell the land in principle, they are clearly very wary of selling  at a price that is less than its worth.   They have asked Broadland for a lot of information and detailed costings.   This is causing Broadland some headaches because the site has considerable physical problems and the cost is difficult to fix with confidence.   There is a chance of the Community Housing Fund helping to address any cost overrun, but this presupposes a community involvement that goes beyond what would be expected of the Parish Council by way of support for an exception scheme.   I have mentioned the S106 moneys, that include £46,000 for Bard Hill Barns, which do not hinge on a community involvement.    It is hoped that Broadland will be in a position to visit the PC at their meeting on May 7th.
 
By now residents may have heard that I will not be standing for re-election in May.    Karen Ward is the current Councillor for the Glaven Valley Ward and will be standing for election to the new Coastal Ward covering parishes from Stiffkey to Weybourne. 
 
The chairman and councillors thanked District Councillor Young for all his help over the years he has represented Salthouse.
 
3.   There were no declarations of interest.
 
4.   Minutes of the meeting held on Tuesday 8th January 2019.
It was proposed, seconded and resolved that the minutes of the meeting held on Tuesday 8th January 2019. be approved. The chairman then signed the minutes
 
5.    There were no matters arising from the Minutes.
 
6.     Heath Trust. There was no report for this meeting, it was anticipated that there will be a progress report for the Annual Parish Meeting to be held in May.
 
7.      Planning.
PF/19/0034  Manor Cottage, Cross Street, Salthouse, Holt, NR25 7XH
It was noted that this application was withdrawn on 26th February 2019
 
PF/19/0272 Cumfus Bottom, Purdy St. Extension of dwelling under existing cart shed             (Retrospective).
The parish council had no objection to this application.
 
PF/18/1145 Erection of two storey detached dwelling at Purdy Street.
It was noted that this application was withdrawn on 12th March 2019
           
8.         Playing Field and Telephone Box.  The playing field is in a satisfactory condition but the defibrillator telephone is still not in working order. It should be operational in the near future.
 
9.         Financial matters.
Bank Balances at 5/3//2019   Current a/c £7096.59  Savings a/c £4680.96
The following payments were approved and cheques signed:-
J. Stibbons                 Salary and expenses      £526.29
HMRC                         PAYE                                £99.97
 
10.       District and Parish Elections. To be held on 2nd. May.
The nomination papers for the members present were completed.
 
11.       Correspondence
Carers Matter Norfolk. This item is to circulated.
             
12.       Matters for information only.
It was reported that there had been a break-in to a garden shed.
It was reported that the house at Bard Hill was still for sale but Flagship Housing had refused to delay the sale pending an attempt to maintain the property as affordable rented community housing.

 Minutes of the meeting held on Tuesday 12th March  2019
 
Present  Cllrs. Dr. S. Dawson,(chairman) M. Turville-Petre, D. Harrod. J.Stibbons(clerk)
County Cllr. S. Botikofer Dist. Cllr. D. Young   and  three members of the public.
 
The meeting opened at 7.30pm
 
1. There were no apologies.
 
2. Reports.
County Cllr. S. Botikofer. The agreed  budget approved an increase in council tax on a band D property of almost £70, being made up of £39 for the County Council,  £24 for the Police  and £4.95 for the District council.
The budget calculates a saving of £30 million in the current year with a three year shortfall of £74 million.
The Coast Hopper service will not be cut. Sanders are campaigning to have bus passes valid in areas where they are issued. A small fee could be charged for other pass holders from outside the area.
 
Dist. Cllr. D. Young.
 The Budget review identified an estimated surplus for the year 2019/20 of £224,000 with a possible deficit in 20/21 of £1.65m, increasing to £1.8m the following year.
 The estimated surplus is to be allocated to local projects, including £33,000 to Community Transport, £100,000 as match-funding towards the cost of a roundabout at the top of Holway Road and £30,000 to keep public conveniences open during the winter months.   A further £20,000  would be contributed towards Operation Moonshot, installing automatic number-plate recognition along roads used in the carrying out of marine crime along this part of the coast.   The proposals also involved moving £2m from other reserves to set up a property investment company.   This is to enable the Council to address directly the shortage of local housing, while at the same time creating an income stream for the Council.
 
The redevelopment of the Splash facility, costing over £10m, is likely to require NNDC to borrow around £5m.   This will be the first time that NNDC has had to borrow since the transfer of its housing stock to Victory Housing in 2006.
 
The first draft of the new Local Plan, to cover the period up to 2036, is expected to be ready  for consultation in the next month 
 
A report from the Enforcement Board, which oversees the Combined Enforcement Team.     was set up in 2016 and inherited a large backlog of planning enforcement cases.       Its current caseload is just under 300 with around 170 cases closed and a similar number of new ones over the last 6 months.   In the year to last October, the number of Long Term Empty properties was reduced by 121.   Compulsory Purchase is a long and difficult legal process, much of the progress made is through informal means and encouragement to bring properties back into use.
 
I have spoken to Broadland Housing and NNDC regarding an update on the potential exception scheme for affordable housing in Market Lane.   While the County Council has agreed to sell the land in principle, they are clearly very wary of selling  at a price that is less than its worth.   They have asked Broadland for a lot of information and detailed costings.   This is causing Broadland some headaches because the site has considerable physical problems and the cost is difficult to fix with confidence.   There is a chance of the Community Housing Fund helping to address any cost overrun, but this presupposes a community involvement that goes beyond what would be expected of the Parish Council by way of support for an exception scheme.   I have mentioned the S106 moneys, that include £46,000 for Bard Hill Barns, which do not hinge on a community involvement.    It is hoped that Broadland will be in a position to visit the PC at their meeting on May 7th.
 
By now residents may have heard that I will not be standing for re-election in May.    Karen Ward is the current Councillor for the Glaven Valley Ward and will be standing for election to the new Coastal Ward covering parishes from Stiffkey to Weybourne. 
 
The chairman and councillors thanked District Councillor Young for all his help over the years he has represented Salthouse.
 
3.   There were no declarations of interest.
 
4.   Minutes of the meeting held on Tuesday 8th January 2019.
It was proposed, seconded and resolved that the minutes of the meeting held on Tuesday 8th January 2019. be approved. The chairman then signed the minutes
 
5.    There were no matters arising from the Minutes.
 
6.     Heath Trust. There was no report for this meeting, it was anticipated that there will be a progress report for the Annual Parish Meeting to be held in May.
 
7.      Planning.
PF/19/0034  Manor Cottage, Cross Street, Salthouse, Holt, NR25 7XH
It was noted that this application was withdrawn on 26th February 2019
 
PF/19/0272 Cumfus Bottom, Purdy St. Extension of dwelling under existing cart shed             (Retrospective).
The parish council had no objection to this application.
 
PF/18/1145 Erection of two storey detached dwelling at Purdy Street.
It was noted that this application was withdrawn on 12th March 2019
           
8.         Playing Field and Telephone Box.  The playing field is in a satisfactory condition but the defibrillator telephone is still not in working order. It should be operational in the near future.
 
9.         Financial matters.
Bank Balances at 5/3//2019   Current a/c £7096.59  Savings a/c £4680.96
The following payments were approved and cheques signed:-
J. Stibbons                 Salary and expenses      £526.29
HMRC                         PAYE                               ​ £99.97
 
10.       District and Parish Elections. To be held on 2nd. May.
The nomination papers for the members present were completed.
 
11.       Correspondence
Carers Matter Norfolk. This item is to circulated.
             
12.       Matters for information only.
It was reported that there had been a break-in to a garden shed.
It was reported that the house at Bard Hill was still for sale but Flagship Housing had refused to delay sale pending an attempt to maintain the property as affordable community housing.

Draft Minutes of the meeting held on Tuesday 8th January  2019
 
Present  Cllrs. Dr. S. Dawson,(chairman) M. Turville-Petre, D. Harrod. J.Stibbons(clerk)
County Cllr. S. Botikofer Dist. Cllr. D. Young   and  seven members of the public.
 
The meeting opened at 7.30pm
 
1.Apologies   None
 
2. Reports.
District Councillor D. Young. - The full report can be found at the end of these minutes.
The main topics of the report were as follows.
Full Council in November  agreed  installing solar panels on the roof of the Cromer building at a cost of £225,000.   They are to be commissioned by 31 March 2019 in order to benefit from the Feed In Tariff and should provide a rate of return around 11%.
 
There was a vote of no confidence in the Leader of the Council and the administration.   It related to the failure to commission an independent report into the viability of the plans to spend £2m on the Egmere Business Zone.   In moving the motion it was stressed that it was not the intention to prevent the investment, should it be independently assessed as viable, but it was the administration's democratic deficit that had prompted this action.
 
The motion was passed and a subsequent decision appointed Councillor Sarah Butikofer as the new Leader of the Council.   She expressed her wish to lead a more inclusive administration with less slavish following of party politics.  She has since appointed a new Cabinet comprising 4 Lib Dems, 2 Conservatives and 1 Independent.   The previous Leader's response to this was to state that the Conservative Group had decided not to support a cross-party Cabinet and to ask the two Conservative members of the new Cabinet to resign from the Conservative Group, which they have refused to do
 
The new cross-party Cabinet met on 3rd December.   It accepted the conclusions from a working party's review of beach huts and chalets.   The possibility of beach huts at Weybourne will be considered once the first year's changes to the booking process and marketing have been assessed.   Most fees, including parking charges, will be unchanged in 2019-20.      The premium on Council Tax for properties left empty for more than two years will be increased from 50% to 100%, the maximum allowed.   Cabinet also agreed to acquire an artificial grass pitch for North Walsham.   60% of the main cost will be funded by the Football Foundation, a consortium led by the FA,    Most of NNDC's contribution of £374,000 will be funded by user fees and increased available hours.
 
Full Council in December was the first under the new arrangements, led by the Liberal Democrats and with a cross-party Cabinet.   The recommendations from the previous cross-party Cabinet including those regarding fees and charges and Council Tax Discounts/Premiums were all agreed.
Despite having failed to respond to a request for information on homelessness figures, made by a Lib Dem member earlier in the year, the former Cabinet member responsible tabled an item of Opposition Business drawing attention to the problem of homelessness, and asking the Council to liaise with ex-servicemen's charities.   The new Cabinet member advised that as at 19 December there were 6 rough sleepers in North Norfolk.   Of these, 5 had refused offers of help to find accommodation.  The other was a recent case and has been contacted.   As far as is known, none of the rough sleepers and others identified as homeless had connections to the armed forces.  
 
It was agreed, however, to appoint a member with responsibility for liaison with ex-servicemen's charities.   Cllr Richard Shepherd, the Conservative member for Sheringham South was duly elected.A further motion from a Conservative member from Fakenham required the Council to install "Community Fridges" in all the towns and large parishes, since the one in Fakenham had been successful.   There was no objection to the concept of providing such fridges at a cost of around £800 each.  The motion was amended to require the council to seek to identify such resources and bring each case back to the Council once they had been identified and a programme to promote its use devised.    The amended motion was passed.
​
The Government's Provisional Local Government Finance Settlement for the next financial year   recognises the extra costs of providing services in rural areas, North Norfolk has been granted an extra £90,000 of Rural Services delivery Grant.   An anticipated reduction in the New Homes Bonus did not happen and this will have a positive impact on our budget of about £150,000.    In addition, Norfolk has been selected to pilot a 75% Business Rates Retention Scheme which will result in extra business rates being retained in the District.
The County Council have approved in principle the sale to Broadland Housing of the Market Lane site.   
County Councillor S. Botikofer.
 The Norfolk County Council budget is out for consultation.
A proposed increase of £24 per household is being put forward for the Police budget.
 
3. Declarations of interest.  Cllr. S. Dawson Item 7. Tree preservation order.
 
4. The minutes   It was proposed, seconded and resolved that the minutes of the meeting held on Tuesday 6th November 2018 be approved. The chairman then signed the minutes.
 
5. Matters arising from the Minutes. There were no matters arising.
 
6  Victory Housing  is now known as Flagship.
A meeting was held with NNDC and Flagship Housing to see if there was any way the Victory Housing property which is for sale in Bard Hill could remain as a rented propety. There could be some support with funding from NNDC and Flagship if the Parish Council wished to take over the property.
If required, Blakeney Housing Association have agreed to manage the property on behalf of Salthouse parish council in the event of a purchase.
At the moment he house has been taken off the market.
 
7. Planning
PF/18/1145 Erection of detached dwelling on land at Purdy Street.
This is a revised application and the parish council have no further comments.
TPO\18\0950 A tree preservation order on trees at Manor House was noted.
 
8. Playing Field  The monthly safety inspection was satisfactory. It was agreed that an inspection of the
telephone box should be included in the schedule to check that the telephone is operational.
 
9.  Financial matters.
Bank Balances at 6/11//2018   Current a/c £7458.40  Savings a/c £4680.96
The following invoices were approved and cheques signed:-
J. Stibbons                  Salary and expenses      £517.21
HMRC                         PAYE                                 £99.97
 
10. Correspondence  None
  
11. Matters for information only or for the next agenda
It was asked if a progress report from the Heath Trustees could be included in the next agenda.
There being no further business the chairman closed the meeting at 8.35pm

DC Report
Salthouse Parish Council 8 January 2019
Full Council in November was a memorable occasion.   There were a number of not-so memorable items agreed, including installing solar panels on the roof of the Cromer building at a cost of £225,000.   They are to be commissioned by 31 March 2019 in order to benefit from the Feed In Tariff and should provide a rate of return around 11%.
The last item on the agenda was a vote of no confidence in the Leader of the Council and the administration.   This was moved by the Liberal Democrats on the grounds that the failure of the Cabinet to listen to Overview and Scrutiny's concerns and to a decision passed in the previous Full Council showed the current administration's intransigence and a failure of the democratic process.    It related to the failure to commission an independent report into the viability of the plans to spend £2m on the Egmere Business Zone.   In moving the motion it was stressed that it was not the intention to prevent the investment, should it be independently assessed as viable, but it was the administration's democratic deficit that had prompted this action.
The motion was passed and a subsequent decision appointed Councillor Sarah Butikofer as the new Leader of the Council.   She expressed her wish to lead a more inclusive administration with less slavish following of party politics.  She has since appointed a new Cabinet comprising 4 Lib Dems, 2 Conservatives and 1 Independent.   The previous Leader's response to this was to state that the Conservative Group had decided not to support a cross-party Cabinet and to ask the two Conservative members of the new Cabinet to resign from the Conservative Group, which they have refused to do.
 
The new cross-party Cabinet met on 3rd December.   It accepted the conclusions from a working party's review of beach huts and chalets.   The possibility of beach huts at Weybourne will be considered once the first year's changes to the booking process and marketing have been assessed.   Most fees, including parking charges, will be unchanged in 2019-20.      The premium on Council Tax for properties left empty for more than two years will be increased from 50% to 100%, the maximum allowed.   Cabinet also agreed to acquire an artificial grass pitch for North Walsham.   60% of the main cost will be funded by the Football Foundation, a consortium led by the FA,    Most of NNDC's contribution of £374,000 will be funded by user fees and increased available hours.
 
Full Council in December was the first under the new arrangements, led by the Liberal Democrats and with a cross-party Cabinet.   The recommendations from the previous cross-party Cabinet including those regarding fees and charges and Council Tax Discounts/Premiums were all agreed.
 
Despite having failed to respond to a request for information on homelessness figures, made by a Lib Dem member earlier in the year, the former Cabinet member responsible tabled an item of Opposition Business drawing attention to the problem of homelessness, and asking the Council to liaise with ex-servicemen's charities.   The new Cabinet member advised that as at 19 December there were 6 rough sleepers in North Norfolk.   Of these, 5 had refused offers of help to find accommodation.  The other was a recent case and has been contacted.   As far as is known, none of the rough sleepers and others identified as homeless had connections to the armed forces.   It was agreed, however, to appoint a member with responsibility for liaison with ex-servicemen's charities.   Cllr Richard Shepherd, the Conservative member for Sheringham South was duly elected.
 
A further motion from a Conservative member from Fakenham required the Council to install "Community Fridges" in all the towns and large parishes, since the one in Fakenham had been successful.   There was no objection to the concept of providing such fridges at a cost of around £800 each.   It was pointed out by the new Cabinet member, however, that before one could be installed it was necessary to find a venue, and volunteers to host and manage it, and a number of commercial businesses that would provide a regular supply of food to it.    The motion was amended to require the council to seek to identify such resources and bring each case back to the Council once they had been identified and a programme to promote its use devised.    The amended motion was not supported by the Conservative members but was nevertheless passed.
 
There was some good news for North Norfolk in the Government's Provisional Local Government Finance Settlement for the next financial year.   Recognising the extra costs of providing services in rural areas, North Norfolk has been granted an extra £90,000 of Rural Services delivery Grant.   An anticipated reduction in the New Homes Bonus did not happen and this will have a positive impact on our budget of about £150,000.    In addition, Norfolk has been selected to pilot a 75% Business Rates Retention Scheme which will result in extra business rates being retained in the District.
 
I'm pleased to report that my years of badgering NNDC, the County Council and Broadland Housing seem to be paying off.   The County Council have approved in principle the sale to Broadland of the Market Lane site.   More news awaited.

Present  Cllrs. Dr. S. Dawson,(chairman) M. Turville-Petre, D. Harrod. J.Stibbons(clerk)
County Cllr. S. Botikofer Dist. Cllr. D. Young   and  Five members of the public.
 
The meeting opened at 7.30pm
 
1.Apologies   None
 
2. Reports.
 
District Councillor D. Young. - The full report can be found at the end of these minutes.
The main topics of the report were as follows.
 
Cabinet meetings – decided -
To continue with the £2m investment in the Egmere Business Zone.
To the “Hold the Line” approach to the Mundesley Coastal Management scheme and progress the Cromer Coast Protection Scheme phase 2.  A Coastal Adaptation Officer is to be recruited for a two year contract.
 
Full Council.
£600k in “Extra Care” housing in Fakenham.
A variation to the Norfolk-wide arrangements for waste recycling has been agreed.
Planning permission has been granted for  the erection of the replacement Splash leisure centre.
The updated Medium Tern Financial Strategy identifies a current deficit in 2019/20 of £319,000, increasing to £2.1m in 2022/23.
 
The Planning Policy manager recently held two meetings for town and parish councillors regarding the progress of the Local Plan to cover 2016-2036.   The current requirement is to build 10,800 homes in North Norfolk over the 20 year period. 
 
County Councillor S. Botikofer.
Most Libraries will now avoid closure, the exception being those libraries which are not currently used to any great degree. There is an on- line petition running at present to oppose the further cuts in Children's Services.
Norfolk County Council are supporting the campaign on mens health.
 
Ewan Carr (Norfolk Wildlife Trust) – manager of Cley marshes-
From next spring car parking charges will be in operation at the Cley centre.
For members of NWT and residents of Salthouse and Cley there will be no charge. There will also be free access to the marsh by obtaining an Annual Card at the centre.
Parking charges for other visitors will be £3 per half day and £5 per day.
 ​
3. Declarations of interest.  None
 
4. The minutes of the meeting held on Tuesday 4th September 2018.  It was proposed, seconded and resolved that the minutes be approved. The chairman then signed the minutes.
 
5. Matters arising from the Minutes. There were no matters arising.
 
6  Victory Housing The parish council are keen to maintain the diverse population of the village and are attempting to stop the sale by Victory Housing of properties they own in Salthouse.
 A meeting has been held between Victory Housing, the District Council and Salthouse parish councillors to seek a way forward. The three possible solutions were :-
(1) Explore other housing associations to see if they would take on housing in Salthouse.
(2) Salthouse forms its own housing association, possibly using the Wells business model.
(3) District council could support Victory Housing to maintain the current houses, with the proviso that the houses do not then get sold later.
A mortgage cannot be obtained on these houses which are of non-standard AIRDY construction.
The parish council will ask the Chief Executive of Victory Housing to set up a moratorium of any houses considered for sale in Salthouse.
 
7.  Playing Field  The monthly safety inspection was satisfactory.
 
8.  Financial matters.
Bank Balances at 6/11//2018   Current a/c £7458.40  Savings a/c £4680.96
 
The provisional Budget for 2019-2020 was presented to the meeting. 
It was agreed to increase the precept by £100 and the budget was then approved.
 
The following invoices were approved and cheques signed:-
Norfolk County Council           Half year Rents                        £1190
J. Wright                                   Grass cutting                            £200
 
9. Correspondence  Centenary of WW1 Armistice – commemorative gift of Flanders poppy seeds.
             
10. Matters for information only or for the next agenda.
 
 DC Report
Salthouse Parish Council 6 November 2018
 
The September Cabinet decided to press on with the £2m investment in the Egmere Business Zone against the wishes of the Scrutiny Committee's Asset Management Working Group, which argued for an independent review of the business case, based on its reservations regarding risk and a yield currently envisaged of only 1.62%.   Consequently a motion was put to Full Council that Cabinet reconsiders its position at its next meeting.   This motion was passed.   Cabinet's meeting on 1 October nevertheless decided to ignore the wish for an independent review
 
September Full Council agreed without dissent the investment in "Extra Care" housing in Fakenham and the £600k improvements to toilets, both as mentioned in my previous report.
 
The October Cabinet agreed to support the "hold the line" approach to the Mundesley Coastal Management Scheme and to progress the delivery of the Cromer Coast Protection Scheme Phase 2.   A contribution of £25,000 has been budgeted towards the cost of the Head of Coastal Partnership East, a partnership arrangement with Great Yarmouth and East Suffolk local authorities.  It also agreed to recruit a Coastal Adaptation Officer on a 2 year fixed term contract.  
 
Cabinet also agreed to lease land and create a car park at Bacton.   The creation of the car park is expected to cost £30,000.   The cost of a 25 year lease was not disclosed but is expected to be covered by parking charges.
 
Cabinet also agreed to discuss with North Norfolk Beach Runners the possibility of arranging "Mammoth runs", namely a marathon and half marathon as part of the promotion of the Deep History Coast.
 
Full Council did not meet in October, but a second Cabinet was held at the end of the month.   Half-way through the current financial year, Officers are anticipating a full year underspend against budget of £160,000.   Repairs to the roof of the Cromer building were mentioned  a year or so ago and following the tender outcome, the sum of £607,000 has been allocated from the Capital Projects Reserve.   The updated Medium Tern Financial Strategy identifies a current deficit in 2019/20 of £319,000, increasing to £2.1m in 2022/23.
 
The present contract with Citizens Advice Mid Norfolk is to be extended by 15 months to 31 March 2020.   This is in line with the decision of the County Council, who jointly fund the contract, to realign all their similar funding arrangements to a common date.   The contract is seen to be working well.
 
A variation to the Norfolk-wide arrangements for waste recycling has been agreed.   It will cost NNDC around an extra £80,000 p a and is due to higher than anticipated levels of non-recyclables put in the green bins.
 
The Council has recently announced that its car parks will be free on 11th November to facilitate attendance at Remembrance Services.   Also that planning permission has now been granted for the erection of a replacement for the Splash leisure centre.   Work on relocating the skate-board park will commence shortly.
 
The Planning Policy manager recently held two meetings for town and parish councillors regarding the progress of the Local Plan to cover 2016-2036.   The current requirement is to build 10,800 homes in North Norfolk over the 20 year period.   This equates to an average of 540 pa which is considerably higher than achieved in the past.   Some 2,000 of these homes would need to be "affordable".    The great majority of new development will take place in the major towns, with over 2,000 expected to be in North Walsham.   It is yet to be decided to what extent development may be allowed in some of the larger villages and whether a "St Ives" style restriction on new-builds  being for permanent residents only would work in practice.

​ 
 Minutes of the meeting held on Tuesday 4th September  2018
 
Present  Cllrs. Dr. S. Dawson,(chairman) M. Turville-Petre, D. Harrod. Dist. Cllr. D. Young
              and  Five members of the public.                                                  J.Stibbons(clerk)
 
The meeting opened at 7.30pm
 
1.Apologies   None
 
2.Co-option of new member.   Due to the requirement of the disclosure of personal information the prospective candidate declined the appointment.
 
3. Declarations of interest. Dr. S. Dawson  item 9
 
4. The minutes of the meeting held on Tuesday 17th July 2018.  It was proposed, seconded and resolved that the minutes be approved. The chairman then signed the minutes.
 
5. Matters arising from the Minutes.  None
 
6  Any reports from the Police, County or District Councillors
Dist Cllr. D. Young
.  A planning application for the new Splash centre has been submitted. It is planned to be opened in early 2021.   The existing Splash building will stay open until then.   Following its demolition, thoughts are now turning to a "housing with care" complex.  The cost is budgeted at £10.7m and an application for a £1m grant from Sport England will be made in August.   The Sports Hub based around new indoor tennis facilities at Cromer are on track for opening in May 2019.   The cost is budgeted at £3.45m.  
.  Full Council in June approved the provisional Outturn Report for the year to 31 March 2018.   The revenue account shows an under-spend of £994,000 after slippage in capital projects has been removed.   The surplus has been transferred to the Capital Projects Reserve and will help to fund the new Splash.   The General Reserve stands at£2.2m while earmarked reserves bring total reserves up to £21.7m.
.  The council's cautious forecasting suggests a deficit increasing to £2m over three years.  The council recently set up a £2m Local Asset Investment Fund to identify new opportunities.   This will be subject to considerable oversight by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.
.  A motion to the effect that the District Council  should ask the County Council to reconsider its recently-imposed charges on DIY waste at council recycling centres, due to the effect on the incidence of fly-tipping.   Unfortunately the motion was lost by the Chairman's casting vote.
.  The council recently spent £250,000 from its £2.4m Community Housing Fund to help Holt Housing    society acquire 4 dwellings; three new ones on the Kings Meadow development and one existing dwelling in the town.
.  The waste contract with Kier is to be extended for another year to 31 March 2020.  It is the intention to combine with some other authorities to negotiate a longer contract to start in April 2020.
.  In dealing with the owners of sub-standard private rented properties, there is now an option to adopt a policy of financial penalties (up to £30k) instead of prosecution.   This policy was agreed.
Council   agreed to a variation of the Articles of Victory Housing Trust to enable its proposed partnership with Flagship Housing Group Ltd.   It is proposed that Victory would be owned by Flagship but will retain its name, charitable status and identity.   It's arrangements with its 7,000 or so current tenants will be unchanged and in addition it will manage another 7,000 Norfolk dwellings owned by Flagship.      
The new arrangements are expected to produce considerable economies of scale.   Flagship's ability to build market housing will also facilitate the ability of Victory to become involved in the development of Exception Sites where a small proportion of market housing is needed to make the scheme viable.
 
.  Cabinet considered the recommendations from the Overview and Scrutiny Committee's recent review of the progress of the  Local Plan.   It recommended benchmarking against other similar authorities to ensure best practice in the approach to an appropriate housing mix, including those designed for an aging population and a more flexible approach to the mixed use of brownfield sites.   It asked for further work to be
undertaken in regard to innovations in the provision of affordable housing including the definition of what is "usefully affordable" across North Norfolk.   It also recommends that the council reviews the introduction of the Community Infrastructure Levy and other options to generate funding for infrastructure.
.  Cabinet also considered further investment in developing the Egmere Business Zone Project that would involve leasing land for 99 years.   However, Scrutiny's Asset Management Working Group recommends that this is not undertaken as it lacks evidence of the demand that would create extra jobs and economic development.   It has a very long payback period and a rate of return of only 1.62%.  [Cabinet decided to proceed despite Scrutiny's advice.]
.  Cabinet is also asked to recommend to Full Council the provision of a grant or interest-free loan of up to £425,000 to Housing and Care 21 to support the delivery of 66 "extra care" flats at Fakenham.
.  Cabinet is also to recommend to Full Council the establishment of a capital budget of £600,000 to fund phase 1 of the Public Convenience Strategy which, inter alia, involves rebuilding toilets in Wells and Sheringham and upgrading buildings in Fakenham and North Walsham.
.  Cabinet is also expected to appoint legal counsel to represent the Council during the examination stage of the applications for the three Development Consent Orders for offshore wind farms off Weybourne and Happisburgh, and also to approve spending £400,000 on the steelwork and decking below the end of Cromer Pier in advance of the £275,000 to be spent on the theatre roof.     Based on figures to end July, there is a projected revenue underspend of £353,000 for this financial year.
.  I have had some encouraging news. The surveyor at the County Council seemed to understand the misconceptions that surrounded their previous valuation of the potential affordable housing site on the corner of Market Lane.  She has a meeting with NNDC and Broadland Housing later this month with regard to an open-book assessment as to the value of the site.
 
7.         Planning
PF/18/1073 Construction of flood defence wall & fenestration alterations to main dwelling &
extension & conversion of garage to become an annexe Eastgate Cottage, Cross Street, Salthouse.
PF/18/1410 Removal of roof to outbuilding and erection of new gable end, erection of single
storey rear extension and construction of boundary wall Ivy Cottage, Purdy Street, Salthouse.
Applications 18/1073 and 18/1410 were resolved by email and the comments (where appropriate) placed on
the NNDC web site.
PF/18/1410 Removal of roof to outbuilding and erection of new gable end, erection of single storey rear
extension and construction of boundary wall Ivy Cottage, Purdy Street, Salthouse.        No objection.
           
8.         Allotments/Playing Field.
A rent review was carried out by NPS (the landlords) and they decided not to increase the rent for the next three years. The next rent review will be in 2021.
           
9.         Financial matters.     Bank Balances at 04/9//2018   Current a/c £7458.40  Savings a/c £4680.96
It was agreed that a grant of £543.25 should be made to the village hall to cover insurance costs.
The following payments were approved and cheques signed:-
         J. Stibbons        Salary and expenses                  £506.73
         HMRC                PAYE                                            £92
         J. Wright           Grass cutting                               £300
         S. Dawson         Summer party                            £40.65

It was agreed to ask for a breakdown of costs for the grass cutting in future.
 
10.       Correspondence
            Norfolk County Farms. Importation of Paper Pulp.    
 
11.       Matters for information only or for the next agenda.  None