Meet Sophia
It will be at New Buckenham Village Hall on Wednesday 26 March starting at 7.30pm. For tickets, which cost £15, book online from https://easternangles.co.uk/event/sophia-ipswich#tab-0=overview or buy from Kings Stores in New Buckenham (cash only). There will be a bar, refreshments and doors open at 7pm.
Parish Council February minutes
These notes have been written by the blog editor from the draft minutes and so may contain information that is changed at a later date.
Financial matters. Payments for approval totalled £2828.74. These included £254.95 to Donna Oakley, £49.96 to Rachel Noyes and £22.50 to the Methodist Church for room hire. Also £120.49 for the community car drivers, £960 to Broadland Trees and £88 to Brett Hibbert.
Quarterly finance audit. This was completed by Pete Twissell,
Naomi Bailey and Doug Irons.
Councillors’ reports. Steve Askew that Cake Street ditch
work has now been done. The Gypsy Lane manhole cover has been completed. Signs
near war memorial have been requested for repair. Hedges on Hargham Road should
be organised for cutting but not yet been done. Pot holes have been reported
today around the Green. Drainage investigation work has commenced and is
undergoing.
The suggestion was made that 30mph should be extended on
Fen Street. Highways are happy to do a speed assessment. If they do the
assessment and they do agree that this needs to be extended it would need to be
funded by the parish or Steve Askew’s council member’s budget. Another question
put to Steve Askew was whether we can we ask the
highways for a weight limit to be put Fen Street.
Naomi Bailey had discussed parking issues with the
schools. There was a positive outcome from meeting with Paul Beale, Headmaster
of Old Buckenham High School. Land near the school reception is to be tarmacked
to create more parking for staff which will, in turn, allow more parking for
parents nearby.
She had been in correspondence with Luke at Highways for
the Green pot holes and also with others regarding flooding of Westview Farm. The
burst water main at Manor Corner has been fixed. However the pond is still full
and Anglian Water did not think to pump this out. Hopefully this will naturally
drain with the better weather forecasted. Some sandbags had been removed from
Ottomer Pond for a member of public to prevent flooding to his house.
Some emergency tree work had been done to remove some
branches on the Green. David Trammer has been contacted concerning payment for Two
Wheel Tuesday in 2024. Will know in the next couple of days if the payments have
come through.
Doug Irons said that David Tranmer wanted to apply for
use of the Green again. An application had now just been received. Soil has
been placed on areas that require repair and these areas have been fenced off.
At the Saturday Surgery, the public were asking about maps
of drainage. This was spoken of last year and a large map would be divided into
sections. The previous Clerk was going to sort this in summer 2024 but never
did so anything. Doug Irons will sort this for next parish council meeting.
Need to find out which First Aid box would cover us and an email sent to NALC
regarding this.
Stan Burton had obtained a quote for chipping up the
branches and removing roots left on the Green. This will need to be done before
the end of March and the quote was for £380 + VAT. A proposal to approve this
was agreed (6 in favour).
Steve Gowers had been finding out about the steps opposite the Stud. Handrails have now been added and that’s all that can be done. We are able to send dashcam footage to the police, so we should be able to send pictures of lorries violating the 7.5 tonne on Hargham Road. Photos of the back of the lorry with number plate are needed. Volunteers for community Speedwatch sessions at the weekends are required. He has been emailing people individually for training on defibrillator training on Saturday mornings. He has put himself down for Playground inspection training with Community Action Norfolk. If you are a member the cost is £40 for the course, if not then £60. A proposal for him to attending the training was agreed (6 in favour).
Planning applications. (All planning applications are
available for viewing on the Breckland District Council planning portal. Parish
Councillors have been asked by the chairman to view the new applications in
advance of the meeting)
New planning applications. 18 Oaklands. Demolition of
existing conservatory and replace with side extension - certificate of
lawfulness - proposed use (PL/2024/1107/CLOPUD). As this was an issue of lawfulness,
no need to consider this.
Field adjacent Old Buckenham High School, Abbey Road. Proposed
erection of a single storey stable block, grooming bay, hay barn and tack room
to facilitate horse keeping (PL/2024/1194/FMIN). (note: error in Breckland’s
published site location which reads Attleborough High School). No issues and
proposal to support was approved (6 in favour).
To approve the following policies: Health and Safety and Maternity Leave. Proposals to support both policies were approved (6 in favour).
To vote for the preferred legal structure of NALC. This
was approved.
Green Working Committee report. Lesley Evison, Stan Burton and Sally Honour walked around the Green. Various patches of brambles on the Green, particularly on Mill Lane, will be cleared as well as the self-seeding saplings under the trees. Certain areas of brambles will be left alone for nature reserve. Various other spots require clearing are the hedge at The Pound (Green area in front of Almshouses) as it is creeping further over to The Pound. After harvest the farmer will then be asked to trim this back. Walked around the pond outside the village shop – will clean this back and make it a nature area with the potential of adding a bench – there’s a three-year plan for this. By the bus area opposite The Gamekeeper there are more brambles which need clearing.
The ditch that is by the school was originally understood
to be the responsibility of Highways. However have now been corrected and that
this is the parish council and needs clearing. Branches are getting close to
the road near The Bake House and will be cleared by Stan Burton. A silver birch
tree also needs cutting back and he will try and get this done by the next
week.
Main topic of discussion was cutting of the Green. Intentions
were cutting the full Green at the beginning of May. Instead of cutting the
full Green back for the summer, to cut a 20metre strip around the outside of
the Green and leaving the rest as a nature area. Then in Autumn to cut it all
back again fully. The Pound will need to be cut three times a year. Will be
getting a quote for this grass cutting.
Want to set up a “Friends of Old Buckenham Green” page/Facebook
Group in the hopes to get volunteers with helping clear the Green.
Terms of Reference for Green Working Committee. Doug
Irons will organise this.
Green maintenance. In the area outside cottages on
Green, near Village Shop, there is erosion from the building work that has gone
on. Stan Burton will look at the drain block. Posts and tape has been acquired
to corner off the erosion as it is nothing to do with Highways. Water is
running out of the potholes into the property. This will need to be filled but
will not be a quick fix. The erosion is also on part of a private driveway, so
part of the responsibility is not fully on the Parish Council – this will need
to be looked into further.
Sunnyside Track. Mr and Mrs Ramsey have never claimed ownership to this piece of land and do not wish for ownership. This has always belonged to the Parish Council. There used to be an agreement with the previous owners of the property of a peppercorn rent to allow them use of the land opposite Sunnyside Cottage. It is unfair to set this up with Mr and Mrs Ramsey now after they have lived in the property for 6 years. Agreement is in place that the posts will stay where they are. Paperwork will be sorted before the next meeting. Thanks are given to the residents for footing the bill for the posts and for organising this with Highways with the support of the parish council. Please note that if anyone has a problem with the posts on Sunnyside Track, please come to the Chair of the parish council Naomi Bailey, with their complaints and not to the residents.
More posts will be going in on Reggie’s Way. The parish
council is fully responsible for these posts. This will be put in during the schools' half term. Topsoil is needed for either side of the posts. Quotes for obtaining topsoil
are being gathered, as well as requests on Facebook.
Speedwatch report. Criteria for setting up Speedwatch is
more people for doing it. We currently have seven volunteers but we require
more volunteers to come and help. The area has to be safe for the volunteers
and also for the motorists. More SAM signs to be distributed to get further
information. Norfolk Police will not authorise a mobile speed watch unless we
have collected speed data to pass on. If we can get enough volunteers, then a
speed watch could be actioned on Fen Street. This will need to be on the 30mph
side as we cannot do this in a 60mph area. Steve Gowers is collecting data from
the SAM signs and forwarding on to the police.
Review the allotments. The current situation is complicated. There are tenants without any agreements, agreements from others that are no longer with us. Started off with fifteen plots but now, due to flooding, are down to eleven workable plots. Six plots are actually being used at the moment of which three are of good upkeep. Down £235 due to lack of income, to cover rent, water and maintenance. Unused plots will need a skip to clear them out. There is rubbish around the site as well as problems with deer and rabbits. Netting has been erected but this has not been successful in keeping them out, solid fencing would be required. The land that the allotments are on is not good for agricultural growing. The parish council will have to consider if it is worth keeping the allotments. Potentially look to find another bit of land that is smaller. Or negotiate with the farmer to reduce the amount of land we rent. If the decision is to close, will need a consultation agreement for closing the allotment with the tenants. Three months’ notice is required for tenants surrendering a plot. Same period of notice is required for the parish council in terminating contract.
Churchyard update. With everything that had gone on last
August the Cemetery has taken a back seat. A company (CDS Group) is the only
company in England that specialises in checking whether a site could be
suitable. Conversations are required with current farmers who are leasing the
land that we are considering to use. Before anything can be done, a ground
water assessment is required. Preliminary risk assessment, free of charge has
been given.
The cost of full risk assessments will be £17,650. Just
the Ground Water assessment will be £5,700. A parcel of land has been identified
that may be suitable. Looking at £20,000 an acre to buy land from a farmer and
would ideally need to have 1.5 acres. Naomi Bailey to contact them again. Could
make money back from burial charges. On an acre plot, you could get around
1,000 graves. Between now and next meeting Naomi Bailey and Pete Twissell will
get in touch with Stuart Barker and Steve Askew to go ahead with the first
initial test.
Public participation. The next Parish Council 'Surgery' will be on Saturday 29 March at the Village Hall. A member of the public had a query on the drainage of Ottomer pond. The pipe for the pond can be traced but unable to take the lid off the chamber as footing of the wall remains above it. Now been given permission to dig down into the chamber from the other side of the wall to find the outlet from this chamber and to see where the overflow goes out. If the outlet is on private land then what can we do? Not able to comment until know what is on what land and what it was before. Doug Irons and Stan Burton will contact Norfolk County Council to have another survey.
Next agenda. Items to consider for next agenda should include decision on future of allotments, an update on the Solar Farm and the Weather Radar Tower, the Churchyard, training for Councillors, lease agreements, water pump and list of equipment and where it is stored and Trustee appointment.
The next Parish Council meeting will be on Thursday 6
March 2025 at Old Buckenham Village Hall starting at 7.30pm.
Restoration and history of the Old Buckenham Bible
An illustrated talk entitled "A Little Bundle of Times" will be given by Jamin Wilson on Saturday 26 April at 7.30pm in All Saints Church, Old Buckenham, on the ‘Old Buckenham Bible’ and its conservation. The talk will be followed by refreshments in the Old School Bookshop and an opportunity to see the bible displayed alongside other rare and beautiful books restored by Mr Wilson.
This will be the only opportunity to see this beautiful church bible, in use in the church from its publication in 1701 through to the mid-19th century. Recently re-discovered in poor condition, it has been restored by Jamin Wilson and is now in his private collection. His detailed research has uncovered some fascinating details about this edition of the bible and his dedicated restoration has brought this copy back to life.
There is no formal charge for entrance but donations (suggested £10 per person) towards refreshments costs and in support of All Saints Church are invited. To help with planning please email thegables_2000@yahoo.co.uk to reserve a place.
