This meeting of the King's Lynn and West Norfolk Council Cabinet was scheduled to include a wide-ranging discussion of the council's activities, plans, and performance. The agenda included proposals to adopt new economic and environmental strategies, address community concerns, and improve the efficiency of council services.

The most significant item on the agenda was the proposed adoption of a new West Norfolk Economic Strategy¹. The strategy was developed in response to changes in national policy that encourage local areas to craft their own growth plans, and to position the Borough for future devolution and funding opportunities. The strategy was developed in consultation with residents, businesses, and stakeholders and sets out a long-term vision for the Borough to become:

‘a model for sustainable, active and inclusive rural communities, where the benefits of economic growth are shared widely, and natural and cultural heritage is preserved, enhanced and celebrated for future generations’.

The Strategy identifies five key priorities for achieving this vision:

• Thriving Towns that are destinations for both residents and tourists
• Access to education and good work, at all phases of life.
• Specialised argi-food, engineering, manufacturing and visitor economy with productive jobs and businesses that are a reason to stay in the area, relocate to it and invest in it
• Proactive, efficient and sustainable management of our natural resources.
• Happy, healthy people living in connected inclusive communities with access to housing, health services, social and leisure facilities.

Investment Options for Leisure Assets

Another key item on the agenda was a discussion of Investment Options for Leisure Assets. This included proposals to renew the borough's leisure facilities. The report highlighted the council's commitment to promoting health and well-being and noted that:

‘It has long been recognized that physical activity plays a key role in promoting health and wellbeing’

However, it also acknowledged that obesity and inactivity levels in the borough are above national averages and that there are significant health inequalities across the borough.

The report focused on the three public swimming pools operated by the council at St James, Oasis and Downham Market Leisure Centre. It noted the challenges faced by all three pools, particularly the older St James and Oasis venues and the increasing cost of subsidising their operation.

The report outlined four options for improving leisure facilities:

• Option One: Replace St James pool with a new 25m x 6 lane pool and learner pool at Lynnsport or an alternative town centre location. This option was estimated to cost approximately £16.2m and was identified as the highest priority due to the escalating maintenance costs at St James.

• Option Two: Replace Oasis at an existing or alternative site in Hunstanton, preferably at or near the seafront. This option was estimated to cost around £27.8m and was identified as a close second priority to the new pool in King's Lynn.

• Option Three: Redevelop the existing 'dryside' facilities (fitness, gymnastics etc) at Lynnsport either at the same time as the new pool or as a later phase development. This option was identified as a lower priority as the return on investment was likely to be lower than for the new pools.

• Option Four: Provide additional fitness facilities, and refurbishment of Downham Market leisure centre. This option was identified as the lowest priority as the centre is in relatively good condition and is performing well.

The report recommends that options one and two be progressed to RIBA Stage Two² to develop a full business case, and that £450,000 be allocated to this work.

Community Governance Review - Burnham Market

The meeting was also scheduled to consider a request from Burnham Market Parish Council to reduce the number of parish councillors from eleven to eight. It was noted that they have:

struggled to keep more than 8 regular parish councillors and have only managed 11 once in the past 3 years and this did not last long

It was recommended that officers conduct a Community Governance Review³ to assess the request.

White Ribbon Campaign

The Cabinet was scheduled to discuss the White Ribbon Campaign, which aims to end violence against women and girls. The report noted the council's previous adoption of the HEAR pledge⁴, which is based on the White Ribbon Campaign, and recommended that the council commit to achieving White Ribbon accreditation.

Audit Committee Terms of Reference

The agenda also included proposed updates to the Audit Committee's Terms of Reference⁵. This was in response to the 2022 CIPFA (Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy) position statement on Audit Committees.

Q2 2024-25 Performance Management

The meeting was scheduled to review the council's performance in the second quarter of 2024/25, including a summary of its progress on the 58 actions included in its four-year Corporate Strategy⁶, which was adopted in November 2023. The report found that 71% of these projects are on target, 29% are facing minor issues or delays, and 8 projects have been completed.

CIL Arrangements for 2025

Finally, the Cabinet was scheduled to discuss arrangements for the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL)⁷ in 2025. The existing CIL Governance and Spending Policy Document was due to be reviewed, but it was noted that:

This review is not able to be completed by the end of December 2024 in advance of the next round of CIL Spending applications opening in January 2025.

It was therefore recommended that the existing document be rolled over to allow the January round of applications to proceed.