This meeting included a review and potential adoption of several key council policies around risk, business continuity, and treasury management. The committee was also scheduled to review updates from internal and external audit.

External Audit Letter

The External Auditor from Ernst and Young advised that as a result of national issues with the timely auditing of local authority accounts, and due to new backstop dates imposed by the government, the audits for the 2021/22 and 2022/23 financial years would need to be disclaimed. They hoped to be able to audit as many of the 2023/24 audits as possible, though this would depend on the time available, and noted that the 2024/25 audit would be the year that the local audit system was “reset”.

Internal Audit Progress & Follow Up Report

This report was included to provide the committee with details about the progress of the 2024/25 Internal Audit Plan and any outstanding recommendations. The report noted that four internal audit reports had been completed, these being on data protection, private sector housing, risk management, and leisure. It included a summary of the outcomes from each of these. The report also noted that several of the audits were behind schedule, with resourcing issues at the contractor blamed for the delay. The committee was scheduled to review outstanding recommendations from previous audits, of which there were 27 that were overdue. The oldest of these outstanding recommendations was from 2019/20 and concerned a need to review response time targets and fees for pre-application planning work.

Sign Off of Accounts 2021/22 & 2022/23

The committee was scheduled to review the draft statements of accounts for 2021/22 and 2022/23.

Monitoring Officer's Report

The Monitoring Officer’s report summarises the work undertaken by the Monitoring Officer between 01 April 2023 and 31 March 2024. The Monitoring Officer, Cara Jordan, reported that the council received 755 Freedom of Information requests during the year, up 15% from the previous year, and 39 subject access requests under the UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018. The report noted that no opinion was sought from the Monitoring Officer on withholding information under Section 36 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. Councillor Jordan's report also included a summary of gifts and hospitality received by councillors and officers, a list of exemptions from Contract Standing Orders, and information about the work of the Standards Committee. The report noted that during the period the Monitoring Officer investigated 33 Code of Conduct complaints, 30 of which related to parish or town councils, and 3 of which related to the District Council. None of these were referred for formal investigation. The Monitoring Officer’s report included a section entitled “Looking forward”, which identified two “key issues” for 2024/25:

• Completing the review of the Constitution
• The appointment of a new Independent Person to join the Governance Risk and Audit Committee.

Civil Contingencies Update

This was a briefing to the committee about the work of the Civil Contingencies Team. The report noted that the council had responded to 24 separate incidents over the year, including responding to cliff slips, the national CrowdStrike IT disruption, and several incidents of flooding. The report also included information about the work of the North Norfolk Safety Advisory Group, which was advised of 122 events taking place in the district in 2024. The report stated that the council’s Operational Flood Plan, Rest Centre Plans, the NNDC Emergency Response Plan and the Corporate Business Continuity Plan had been updated during the year.

Business Continuity Policy and Framework

The committee was asked to adopt new versions of the council’s Business Continuity Policy and Business Continuity Management Framework. Minor changes had been made to both to align them with the council’s Net Zero 2030 Strategy and Climate Action Plan.

Risk Management Framework

The committee was scheduled to review and adopt a new version of the council’s Risk Management Policy and Framework.

Corporate Risk Register

The committee was asked to review and note an update to the Corporate Risk Register. The register noted several risks as ‘red’, meaning that the likelihood of their occurrence was high and the potential impact was critical. The register noted several projects, places and people that the committee were scheduled to discuss:

• Cromer and Mundesley Coastal Management Schemes: The register notes an increased risk that the Cromer Coastal Management Scheme might exceed budget due to additional work being requested and the potential that it might be refused by the Environment Agency. It also notes a lack of funding from Anglian Water as contributing to the risk to both the Cromer and Mundesley schemes.
• Fakenham Leisure and Sports Hub: The register reports that funding for this project has been secured, but that there is a risk that the project will not be completed by the end of March 2026, at which point the funding would be withdrawn.
• Rocket House: The register notes a risk that building repair and energy improvement works to the Rocket House may exceed the allocated budget, and that additional funds may need to be requested.
• Steve Hems: The register notes a risk of staff shortages, which it says could have a negative impact on the delivery of the council’s Corporate Plan and business transformation. Steve Hems is the Director for Communities at North Norfolk Council.
• Russell Williams: The register notes a risk that the council’s new Local Plan might be delayed as a result of the departure of the previous Planning Policy Manager. Russell Williams is the current Planning Policy Manager.
• Martyn Fulcher: The register notes a risk that the council’s Net Zero 2030 target will not be achieved. Martyn Fulcher is the council’s Climate Change Project Officer.
• Tamzen Pope: The register notes a risk of flooding and coastal erosion to council assets and the ability to deliver services. Tamzen Pope is the Coastal Management Team Leader.
• Rob Young: The register notes the impact of economic fluctuations on the North Norfolk economy. Rob Young is the Economic Growth and Regeneration Manager.
• Duncan Ellis: The register notes a risk of deteriorating or underused council property assets. Duncan Ellis is the Assistant Director of Finance and Assets at North Norfolk Council.
• Tina Stankley: The register notes risks relating to the procurement of services, the council’s Medium Term Financial Plan, and the development of a new Management Information System (MIS) Tina Stankley is the Director of Resources.
• Cara Jordan: The register notes a risk of losing information assets. Cara Jordan is the council’s Monitoring Officer.
• Renata Garfoot: The register notes a risk of increased costs of and operational disruption to the letting of council properties. Renata Garfoot is the Senior Asset Manager.

The register includes a recommendation to remove two risks: the risk associated with the Sheringham Leisure Centre and the risk associated with the Fakenham Roundabout. The Leisure Centre has been operational for some time and the roundabout is already under construction. The register proposed that a new risk should be added to the register, relating to the potential for reorganisation of the council arising from a new White Paper about English Devolution being drawn up by the Government.

Treasury Management Mid Year Report 2024/25

The committee was scheduled to review the Treasury Management Mid-Year report, which included an update on economic conditions and how they might affect treasury management. It reported that the council’s authorised borrowing limit would be maintained at £15 million.

Procurement Exemptions

The committee was asked to consider two exemptions to the council’s Contract Procedure Rules.

• The first was for the direct award of a contract worth £8,400 to Stop Sexual Misconduct for the provision of e-learning and face-to-face training on preventing sexual harassment. It was reported that the council had sought quotes from alternative providers but that Stop Sexual Misconduct was the only specialist training provider that could deliver the training in a way that met the legislative requirements.
• The second was for the direct award of a three-year contract worth £13,000 to Exacom for the provision of a software product to manage biodiversity net gain¹ information. This was a proprietary software type and was only available from Exacom.

Committee Self-Assessment - Action Plan

The committee self-assessment action plan included several points for discussion, relating to the committee’s terms of reference, training for members, and how it fulfilled its oversight role.

Governance, Risk and Audit Committee Work Programme

The final item for discussion was the Committee Work Programme, which sets out the schedule of business for the Governance, Risk and Audit Committee for the coming year.