Trees on Old Buckenham Green

What and where are the commemorative trees?

One of the expected activities to celebrate the Queen’s platinum anniversary is the planting of some more trees on the village Green later in 2022 when new trees will have a better chance of surviving. There are several commemorative trees with a royal connection that have been planted over the years and the newsletter editor would like to make a record of them.

An oak tree was planted just ten years ago for the Golden Jubilee and is doing well. The big oak tree with the seat around it at the junction of the B1077 and Abbey Road is believed to have been planted to commemorate something (1937 coronation of George VI?). Another oak tree on the left-hand side while going along the road towards All Saints Church could be another special tree but has been extensively pruned as it is directly under some power cables and this makes it difficult to age. Possibly 1953?

If you can provide more information please contact the newsletter editor on obnewspostbox@aol.com. Some of you may well be old enough to have been there when they were planted.

Ten years ago

Same tree today...

...and its plaque

Is this one, much pruned?

This is one but when planted?

Drone flying around Old Buckenham

Safety concerns

Today, Sunday 20 March, the Old Buckenham Airfield has had a report of a drone operating near Fen Street, halfway between the village and Puddledock. This activity is a criminal offence. The person(s) flying it are in breach of the Air Navigation Order and liable to prosecution. Whilst the fines are of the order of £1,000 and confiscation of the drone where a license is required, within the Flight Restriction Zone around an Aerodrome penalties are higher and can include imprisonment. Whoever is flying this device is endangering an aircraft and therefore lives. We do have means to detect and trace the owners and will deploy them, alerting the Police in the process. Matt Wilkins, Aerodrome Manager, is empowered by the CAA to issue permissions for drone operations on a 'one-off or good ‘til cancelled' basis; please email airfield@oldbuck.com. No permission has, or will be issued in the location where reports have been made this afternoon which is recklessly stupid.

An authorised drone owner in Old Buckenham, Steve Milner, has added the following: I would like to add my voice to the situation. Drone flying must always follow the drone code and the operator must pass the CAA test and display the operator number on the craft.  The test is not difficult and is not expensive so there is no excuse for none compliance. Like it or not, flying in the Old Buckenham area is even more restrictive due to the air field activity and quite rightly so. Drones do not carry passengers unlike the flights going to and from the airfield but endangering life by irresponsible drone flying is completely unacceptable.  Matt, manager at the Airfield, has been very accommodating so if you want to fly contact the airfield and ask for permission, giving when and where you want to fly and give your operators' number.  Even if you have permission you must ALWAYS BRING THE DRONE DOWN IF YOU HEAR AN AIRCRAFT. Flying as described will only have one result and that will be a total ban on flying, spoiling the pleasure of responsible flyers in the Old Buckenham.

Queen and Old Buckenham

Have you met the present Queen?

For the exhibition in the Village Hall during the Jubilee celebrations at the start of June, the organisers are hoping to collect up information about villagers who have met Elizabeth II at some time in their life. You may have seen her when you have been to Sandringham or even attended a Royal Garden Party or perhaps been a youngster presenting some flowers at an official visit. If you can provide a few words describing the occasion, ideally along with a photo or a newspaper cutting, the village newsletter editor is happy to collect them up to make a display at the exhibition and even produce them as a small booklet if there is enough material.

If you are willing to provide your reminiscences please contact the newsletter editor on obnewspostbox@aol.com and he will aim to do the rest. Thank you.

Enterprise Cafe in Old Buckenham

 Pop along on Friday  morning

opening up again

Old Buckenham pub amendments

 Reading the signs

Have you stopped to read these boards outside the Gamekeeper?  There has been a reduction in the hours that food is served on Monday to Friday afternoons and a special deal available on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Latest Old Buckenham Parish Council report

March Parish Council report

The following notes have been written by the newsletter editor from the draft minutes so may contain information that is amended at a later date.

Old Buckenham Parish Council met on Thursday 3 March at 7.30pm at Old Buckenham Village Hall. Those present were Councillors Steve Milner (Chair), Adrian Joel, Naomi Bailey, Doug Irons, Terry Cook and Mike Farrington. Apologies had been received from Andy Nicholls for not being able to attend and from Naomi Bailey who would be arriving late. Also in attendance were Rachel Noyes (Clerk) and three members of the public. The minutes of the February meeting were approved (3 in favour, 2 abstain).

Financial matters. The Community account balance now stood at £29,877.36 including £40 received for allotment rent. Allotment 8A has been handed back due to being water logged. Payments approved totalled £1,006.94 (5 in favour). These included the installation of the defibrillator, a new dog bin and a training course for a councillor.

Reports from councillors. (Naomi Bailey arrived) Steve Milner said that the footpath on Hargham Road has been completed and will now provide a safe route for residents to walk in to the village. Should hopefully set a precedent for future developers to consider and provide pedestrian access. The Jubilee meeting was well attended by parishioners. More volunteers are needed to help organise events. Anyone interested please contact the Parish Clerk. A resident has queried whether Cotman Trust own part of Prince Harry’s Wood as residents currently pay a small fee to get grass cut. The Clerk is to raise this query with Breckland Council. Questions were raised about changing the name of the wood which could be part of the Jubilee celebrations. A recent inspection of allotments showed that while most were in good condition, two are quite boggy. So he will consult with landowner about improving drainage. Also there is the issue of weeds spreading from vacant plots to maintained ones. Intend to purchase a membrane to cover vacant plots and prevent weeds from growing.

The Clerk said that an empty house on Post Office Terrace had been reported. The owner has made contact with the Parish Council and will have full correspondence soon to discuss any concerns. The Green Lease Renewal has been signed by Executors, Green Rights Proprietors and the Parish Council. Need to now amend Use of the Green Policy. The dog bin on Hargham Road now replaced after previous one was damaged and removed. The Church graveyard is running out of space. The Clerk is currently conducting research about what this means for the Parish Council and the rules regarding burial sites. She will compile information and raise at next month’s meeting.

Minor repair jobs at the Children’s Playground have been completed (U-bolts on swings, bumper repaired on large swing, bolts tightened. The ‘Spring chicken’ will be moved away from near the fence. The Roundabout repair by Playdale had been booked for Monday 14 March.

The Clerk had spoken to Tracey Allan at Good Neighbours Network in response to request to look at formation of Village Volunteer Group. It is a lottery-funded scheme that is free to sign up to and will cover DBS checks, insurance and training for volunteers. If anyone in the village wishes to run this scheme in Old Buckenham, please contact the Clerk.

A further defibrillator box installed at the Ox and Plough. Defibrillator will be added to the box and registered for use this month. Village Hall defibrillator was required, but then not used recently. While the Hall conduct their own weekly and monthly checks, regular maintenance checks are also required so a checklist has been set up.

Adrian Joel had recently inspected Prince Harry’s Wood. It is a surprisingly large area with some fallen trees needing to be removed. Also require a clear detailed plan of the area including ownership of ditches, footpath, etc. Could also contact Norfolk Wildlife Trust for some advice on habitats. Serco currently cut the small grass areas within St Andrews Close/March Field Way so would need to consider this maintenance as well. Attended Attcare seminar which was very useful. Copy of slides given at the meeting have been sent out to Councillors .

Now that Green Lease and Use of Green Policy have been sorted, the rents for the two pubs need to be agreed, including maintenance responsibilities. Steve Milner, Terry Cook and Doug Irons to meet with landlords of both pubs to discuss this. It was confirmed that the Green will be cut in May ready for the Jubilee celebrations.

Terry Cook reminded that the Parish Council only advise on issues of Rights of Way (RoW). A parishioner has stopped the application process for a recently closed permissive path. Originally, a deadline of 2026 meant County Councils have been inundated with applications for RoW. That has now been rescinded and the Act of 2020 has been amended but poorly publicised. DEFRA will issue a streamlined package of measures with no cut-off date. He also said that the treasurer for the Village Hall Management Committee has resigned. Please contact the Village Hall if you are willing to take up the role. Thanks to the Clerk for finding information regarding trustees for Village Hall. Clarified that Parish Council are custodian trustee and Village Hall committee are Managing trustees, and therefore liable for any issues. Currently the Village Hall is an Unincorporated company but looking at possibility of becoming Incorporated which would allow the Village Hall Committee to get its own insurance, although this could be costly.

Mike Farrington reported that the Almshouses Trust had a meeting recently in which they said goodbye to the Chair, Canon Steve Wright. No immediate replacement so they will be rotating the Chair in the mean time. Also have concerns regarding personal and public liability for members and will be looking in to options. There is lots of Ash dieback in the Puddledock area which may require many trees to be removed over the next few years. Some of the maintenance work on Puddledock corner has been completed by Highways. Residents felt that all of their suggestions for improvements were dismissed by Highways and that residents’ safety was not being considered. Another car has gone through a fence recently.

Naomi Bailey is still awaiting contact from the High School about getting the school more involved in the community. She had contacted District and County Councillor Steve Askew regarding Abbey Rd traffic during school hours as cars are parking closer and closer to junction with Abbey Road, including the Mobile Library. Many staff from the High School are parking along the road as there is not enough parking within the school and therefore less space for parents to park on the road. Steve Askew has raised it with Highways.

Pot holes have been reported to Highways at the junction by the Garden House, a large bump and pothole on nearby corner and potholes on Hargham Road. Vans and cars are being parked on the new footpath on Hargham Road causing a lot of issues for drivers. Steve Milner to raise the issue with the site manager. Nationally parking laws are currently under consideration for any vehicle that parks on a pavement. The Parish Council will need to be aware if any changes are made that will affect parking in the village in the future.

Public Participation relating to agenda items. In Prince Harry’s Wood there is still litter that was reported two years ago and it is in a bit of a mess. It should be in perfect condition before being handed over. The Parish Council needs a full breakdown of costs involved, including legal fees.

If parking on pavements rules are changed in the future (see item above), will residents on Attleborough Road be asked to park elsewhere?

One resident said it was disappointing to see so few residents attending the Parish Council meetings. Another resident commented that the Recreation Ground is getting in a poor state at the moment. Gets quite boggy and drainage needs to be addressed. As the villagers are unable to use the two school MUGAs (multi-use games areas) it would be good if the Recreation Ground was managed better. Feasibility study needed to look at suitable options for Recreation Ground.

New planning applications. Ash Tree Cottage, The Green. Single Storey Rear Extension and New Carport (3PL/2022/0181/HOU). No objections. Proposal to support approved (5 in favour, 1 abstain).

The Old Crown Gate Bakery, The Green. Change existing garden room roof from polycarbonate to tapco tiled roof (3PL/2022/0224/HOU and 3PL/2022/0225/LB). No objections. Proposal to support approved (5 in favour, 1 abstain)

Planning decisions by Breckland Council. There were none announced since the last meeting.

Village Jubilee Meeting feedback. Had a successful village meeting to discuss ideas and plans for Platinum Jubilee Celebrations. Many thanks to all those who attended and contributed. A rough schedule for the weekend has been drafted:

Thursday 2 June: Decorating homes and around the village, beacon lighting at the Airfield.

Friday 3 June: Village Walk, Landrovers at the Ox and Plough.

Saturday 4 June: Picnic at Country Park, Live band at the Ox and Plough.

Sunday 5 June: Joint Church Service, The Big Lunch Street Party.

All weekend: Exhibition about the Queen in Village Hall, activities for children such as treasure trail/scarecrow trail, crown making and designing commemorative plaques. Purchase a commemorative gift for children of the village.

Autumn: Planting of trees for Queen’s Green Canopy. Suggestion of seven different trees, one for each decade.

Need more volunteers to help organise activities and events. Please contact the Clerk if you are able to help out. A second Village Meeting has been booked for Saturday 23 April to monitor progress of plans. The Parish Council have £500 set aside already and there will be grants of £500 available from Breckland (more information will be available at start of April). Steve Milner will look at fundraising more money. Rachel Noyes to estimate cost of events.

Shop to phone box track. No apparent easement document for adjoining properties. Cars have caused damage to the track but it is a well used route for walkers, including school children. There is a concrete base and services underneath. Need to arrange a meeting between some Parish Council members and residents to discuss possible options.

Neighbourhood Plan. Doug Irons had attended a course about Neighbourhood Plan which was very useful. Still no guarantee whether funding will continue but will know after end of April. If extended, there are grants for £10,000, with Breckland paying an extra £5000. There is another £8,000 available but only if you meet certain criteria. Will have to use that £15,000 in the year, otherwise will have to pay back any remaining money and reapply. Have been in contact with Sue Heinrich (Neighbourhood Plan Officer at Breckland Council) and she has confirmed that there is no formal plan of the area, but will be easy to arrange. Doug Irons queried why the previous attempt at Neighbourhood Plan stopped, as he only wants to start the process if it will be seen through to completion. Previously, the councillor leading the project stepped down and nobody took over to complete it. No clear idea of costs but has been assured that they are in line with Grants. If a consultant is used, then would need one suited to our needs and fill in any gap in skills/knowledge. Will need to keep Sue Heinrich informed along the way. Looking for seven to ten residents to work on a Neighbourhood Plan. Going to create a leaflet for distribution to all residents, highlighting some of the skills and knowledge that would be needed. Clerk and Responsible Finance Officer (RFO) would potentially need to be involved and would require extra work for them. Will enquire if would they be able to commit and would need to budget for their pay.

June Parish Council meeting. Date clashes with Platinum Jubilee celebrations as beacon will be lit on Airfield that evening. Several councillors will also be away at the time and a proposal to cancel the June Parish Council meeting was approved (5 in favour).

Solar Farm Community Grant. Expected to get £3,600 a year for 10 years. Need to clarify if money comes from the site or the company. Councillors to consider options previously discussed and will compile proposals for the next meeting.

Items for next agenda. These will include Solar Farm Community grant, signatures for cheques and the graveyard.

Date of next Parish Council meeting will be Thursday 7 April and it will be held at Old Buckenham Village Hall starting at 7.30pm. 

Old Buckenham 2000 Trust

Forthcoming AGM

The Annual General Meeting of the Old Buckenham 2000 Trust will be held on  Monday 11 April in the Church Rooms commencing at 7.30 pm when there will be discussion of the future of the Trust.

Anybody that is interested in becoming a Trustee and considers they have the drive and energy to assist other members will be most welcome to attend.

  

Bingo back in Old Buckenham

 Will your number appear?

Double doses of Bingo are coming, starting again in the Church Rooms on Saturday 19 March at 2pm sharp with raffle and refreshments. There will be a second Bingo session on Saturday 30 April with the same details. Both in aid of Church funds. Any prizes or help offered please contact Alison 860692 or email andrew.frank@btinternet.com 

Another Old Buckenham newsletter

Read your March issue

The weather has been sunny so many of the volunteer distributors will have been round putting this March issue through your letterbox in time for the start of the new month. 

This particular issue contains a couple of thousand words from the eulogies given at John Askew's funeral service in February. The following words that were not able to be included because of space limitations but tell you a lot about the man.

"I always remember when driving with dad around the village, he would put his hand up to acknowledge everyone he met whether he knew them or not. “Who is that?” I would ask, “I don’t know” came the reply. “Why are you waving to them then?” I would ask. “I might get to know them” he said. I remember us regularly passing a particularly sour-faced gentlemen out walking his dog. Every day without fail, dad would put his hand up only to be met with a stony face. This went on for days until one morning the gentleman reacted with a slight nod which over the next few times grew into a fully reciprocated raising of the hand with a smile. I never knew who the man was and neither did dad, but he would even pull up and have a brief word as time went by.

And this was the measure of the man, always willing to offer the hand of friendship, never bore a grudge and was always willing to see the best in people. Many of you here will have your own special memories of our father John. In the many cards, letters and verbal tributes the family have received since dad’s passing there is one adjective which reoccurs time and time again, and that word is lovely. “He was a lovely man.”

Commemorative lilies in Old Buckenham Church

 Lilies in All Saints Church

Because of the relaxation of Covid restrictions, All Saints will continue to commemorate the lives of loved ones who have died. Flower arrangements in the church on Easter Day will comprise of lilies, each in memory of departed relatives or friends. It is estimated that each lily will cost in the region of £5 and any additional monies received will go towards the continuing restoration of the Church.

If you would like to contribute to this event could you please contact Mrs Sheila Freake, 36 Hargham Road, Old Buckenham, NR17 1SL, telephone 01953 860156, email sheilafreake@btinternet.com with your donation before the Sunday 3 April together with the name(s) of person/s to be remembered and the name(s) of the donor(s).

If you are a UK tax payer you could increase your donation by 25% (at no extra cost to yourself). Please ask Sheila for more details. Cheques should be made out to 'Old Buckenham PCC'.

Platinum celebrations in Old Buckenham

A busy four days

This information has been taken from the village Facebook page and published here for those who look at the village blog but are not on Facebook. It is intended to include the latest information on these events in the April village newsletter.

After the successful Village Meeting in mid-March, a rough plan of events in the village to celebrate the Queen's Platinum Jubilee has begun to take shape. As events are organised, more concrete information will be available from the Parish Council.

Thursday 2 June

* Time for families to decorate their homes and the village for the celebrations

* Lighting of a Jubilee Beacon at the Airfield

Friday 3 June

* Village Walk

* Land Rovers at the Ox and Plough

Saturday 4 June

* Picnic at the Country Park

* Live music at the Ox and Plough

Sunday 5 June

* Joint Church Service

* The Big Lunch Street Party

All weekend

* Exhibition in the Village Hall about the history of Queen and her reign

* Treasure Hunt

* Activities for children such as Crown making

The is also a plan to plant seven trees towards the Queen's Green Canopy, one for each decade of service. The planting of the trees will take place in the Autumn, when the weather is more suitable. However there will be the opportunity to design plaques for each tree during the Jubilee Weekend.

There are a few volunteers who have kindly offered to help with the organising specific activities but more are needed! If you are willing to be part of a team to organise a part of the celebrations, then please contact Rachel Noyes, the Parish Clerk, at oldbuckenhampc@live.co.uk.

Quiz coming soon

There will be a Quiz Night taking place on Saturday 19 March at 7.30pm in the Village Hall with Quiz Master Paul Phillips. Entry is £2 person and your team can have any number of members up to a maximum of six. There will a bar open where you can purchase refreshments. This is a fund raising event for the Primary School. For more details please contact Naomi Bailey on 07432 652177 or email nazza@flinters.plus.com

Wind speeds in Old Buckenham

 Blowing hard

Wind speeds measured at the Old Buckenham airfield on Sunday and Monday showed a maximum of just over 50 knots or 58  mph if you prefer. Those at the Airfield suspect that’ll prove to be a high for the entire ‘storm season’. It’s also likely that the airfield will have had the highest local wind speed being nearly the most elevated point and have almost total exposure to the West.

Damage there was mainly signage so probably got off lightly.  Power cuts effectively cut the stations’ connection to the internet from Thursday until Saturday so no real time analysis has been possible.

Different quizzing in Old Buckenham

Updated from an earlier post

The Old Buckenham Alternative Quiz Night will now be held on St Georges Day, Saturday 23 April at 7pm in Old Buckenham Methodist Church. There will be  range of fun quizzes including visual, sound and other interactive quizzes plus traditional questions and answers. Cost of £5 per person including refreshments and proceeds to be donated to the St. Martins Housing Trust

Bookings available now for teams of 4 to 6 (individuals also welcome to join or make up teams).To book a place either reply to Richard, email oldbuckenham.methodist@aol.co.uk or phone 01953 861207. Because of the size of the building they can only accept a maximum number of 40 participants. 

Please note that while Covid restrictions are likely to have been lowered by then, because of the small size of the church and for the benefit of all attending, they would still ask that everyone wear a mask and/or take a lateral flow test before the event.  

 

Singing in Old Buckenham

 An opportunity to join in

Just a reminder that Old Buckenham Singers choir practice is on every Tuesday 7.30pm to 9pm. It’s not for competition or strict in any way. All singing ability is welcome. All song choices welcome. Purely for fun and enjoyment. Cost is £3.50 per person as a contribution towards paying for the room, tea and coffee break, and printing of lyrics.

Also if any musicians want to join with instruments that’s also completely encouraged as the piano is somewhat out of action so they are running off backing tracks. Any help to keep our lovely community choir going would be so greatly appreciated. Remember 7.30pm in the Church Rooms.

Latest Old Buckenham minutes

February’s Parish Council 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.

Old Buckenham Parish Council met on Thursday 3 February at Old Buckenham Village Hall. Those present were Councillors Steve Milner (Chair), Adrian Joel, Naomi Bailey, Doug Irons and Andy Nicholls. Also in attendance were Rachel Noyes (Clerk), Zoe Footer (Breckland Council), County and Breckland councillor Steve Askew along with five members of the public. Apologies for non attendance had been received from Mike Farrington and Terry Cook. The minutes of the meeting held on Thursday 6 January were approved (4 in favour, 1 abstain).

Financial matters. Community account balance now stands at £31,818.42. Money received included allotment rents of £60. Payments of £1,662.81 were approved (5 in favour) which included £237.5 for payments to the community car drivers, £243.82 on parts for the play area, £90 for printing the welcome pack and £450 annual rent for the allotment land.

Prince Harry’s Wood. Steve Askew explained that he had been contacted about excessive fly tipping in Prince Harry’s Wood. After discussions with Breckland Council, Steve Askew inquired about what their future plans were for Prince Harry’s Wood. Breckland Council weren’t aware of their ownership of this land but explained that they would be open to discussions about its future ownership. Zoe Footer from the Property and Estates Team at Breckland Council attended the meeting to discuss the future of the wood and answer any questions from the Parish Council. Zoe Footer explained that Breckland Council owns a large amount of land. Breckland doesn’t know what Parish and Town Councils want from these smaller pockets of land and so some local councils are taking ownership of these areas to use as they feel best for their community. Prince Harry’s Wood sits on Cake Street, opposite the Stud entrance. Zoe Footer explained that if the Parish Council decided to take the area on, Breckland would look to transfer ownership to the Parish Council and it would become an asset. While it is currently a wooded area, the Parish Council would then be free to use it in any way they feel best for the Parish and make any changes as necessary. Generally there would be no restrictions, however the trees would need to be checked for tree preservation orders before any work could commence. There is also a preference for the area to be used as an amenity for the Parish, rather than housing development. Breckland would look to transfer at nil cost and each party would pay their own legal costs. The Parish Council would need to then add the land to their asset register and ensure it was covered by their Public Liability insurance. The land would be listed at its valuation, and not at the nil cost.

Adrian Joel raised concerns about the Parish Council then having to deal with the fly tipping issue and maintenance costs. Zoe Footer explained that while there would not be any maintenance budget from Breckland, some work could be done prior to transfer but after that it would be Parish Council responsibility. There are also several small areas of land owned by Breckland, which primarily lie in and around St Andrews Close. There is the option for the Parish Council to take these on too. This could be done as one transfer, thereby reducing the legal costs involved in separate transfers. If desired, the Parish Council could set up its own contract to organise the regular grass cutting as this is the main maintenance required. Andy Nichols enquired about the possibility of Breckland Council selling to private individuals instead. Zoe Footer explained that if the Parish Council did not want to take these areas of land on, then there is the option of selling to private individuals, however the preference is for amenities for the public benefit. The ownership of the footpath that runs along the outside edge of Prince Harry’s Wood was raised and it is believed it would still be owned by Breckland. Zoe Footer is to research and confirm. If the Parish Council decided to take ownership, the next steps in the process would be for Zoe Footer to complete a valuation of the land, ensure there are no tree preservations or other restrictions, conduct a Ward consultation and make a recommendation to Councillor Hewitt.

The parish councillors were very positive about the idea of owning the land, thereby having more control over its use and ensuring it is not used by developers. The upcoming Village Meeting about the Queen’s Jubilee would be a good opportunity to gauge residents’ opinions and ideas for the use of the land in future. It could also be an opportunity to tie in the transfer with the celebrations for the Jubilee. Adrian Joel suggested that all councillors visit and inspect the areas of land to help get a clear idea of their size, etc. A proposal to accept the offer to transfer the ownership of Prince Harry’s Wood to Old Buckenham Parish Council was approved (5 in favour).

Matters arising from the minutes. Steve Milner said that a new highway code has recently been published and there are lots of bikers, cyclists, horse riders and motorists in our village. He requested that councillors think of ideas on how to promote safety and on these changes for our road users. He had prepared a map of speed limits in the village. Main areas of concern are Fen Street, Puddledock corner, Mill Road/Grove Road junction and Crown Road/Ragmere Road junction. One idea is to formulate a letter to Highways with this information to try and get a large scale assessment of the village speed limits. This may require a lot of persistence to get any changes and would need the logging of all the incidents that occur in the village to help build evidence. Steve Askew explained that a full investigation has taken place into the recent accident at Puddledock. Most incidents are through driver error and result in the driver and vehicle safely leaving the site. Therefore minimal incidents are recorded here. Steve Askew reminded the Parish Council that there are lots of villages in the county that are all wanting changes and improvements, which all cost money and would also require enforcing. Old Buckenham has already seen some highways improvements recently with the crossing and the improvements outside the High School. Steve Askew highlighted that setting up a Community Speed Watch group is a good proactive option. Steve Milner is currently looking for more volunteers to run this group. Fen Street has already been put on a list for consideration in the future, with Steve Askew’s support, as there has been a lot of development and changes to the road since speed limit was set. Steve Milner was disappointed in Highways response to Puddledock residents’ suggestions and felt that all suggestions were dismissed or refused with no positive proactive solutions to improving the situation.

Rachel Noyes, the Parish Clerk, reported that the fly-tipped oil drum by the bus shelter has eventually been collected by Breckland. The cover on the hole on the Green for the Christmas tree had broken and has been repaired. A sign was placed on Recreation Ground bin asking people not to place dog waste in this bin. Parts have been received for Play Area work and the roundabout is due to be fixed by early March. The defibrillator is scheduled to be installed outside the Ox and Plough on Tuesday 22 February, ten Tree Preservation Orders on the Hargham Road oak trees have been confirmed, Wheelie Bin stickers requesting people to drive slowly have been made available, no dog bin is possible by the Recreation Area as the land is not managed by Breckland or NCC and the dog bin by Raggs Lane on Hargham Rd has been removed. This has been reported but still awaiting reply. Attcare are hosting a Healthcare and Wellbeing Trust Forum on Monday 21 February, online at 11am, and Steve Milner and Adrian Joel to attend. Breckland are holding a Landscape and Settlement Character Assessment Stakeholder Workshop on Wednesday 23 February. Fifty copies of the Welcome Pack have been printed to be distributed to new residents in the village.

Questions were previously raised about whether the Parish Council could be both Custodian and Management Trustees of the Village Hall. Research has found that while it is legally possible, it is generally advised to keep the roles separate. Terry Cook had reported that the Raggs Lane footpath issue is progressing and a parishioner, Jenny Devaux, is coordinating this. She is at the stage where she is collating signed evidence forms from individuals in relation to historic use of this path. If any person wishes to sign such a form could they please contact Jenny.

Adrian Joel informed members that John Askew died a few weeks ago. John served on the parish council for some thirty years. Those at the meeting held a short silence in memory of John and passed on their thoughts and condolences to his family. The Manorial Title of “Lord of the Manor” will be up for sale soon. Some questions were raised over the fact the family will “retain but not exercise their interest in the Green”. The Parish Council will consult with Green Rights’ Proprietors for clarification. Steve Milner to coordinate taking over management of the allotments from Adrian Joel. The Parish Council have received questions and complaints about an empty property on Post Office Terrace which has fallen in to disrepair. The Clerk to consult with Breckland Council.The High School had been contacted by Naomi Bailey about a forum of students for consultation. No reply yet but aware that schools are under a lot of pressure at the moment and may be something to look at in the future. Doug Irons had attended a New Councillor Induction Training Course. He found it very useful and it was requested that documents from course be shared with other members of the Parish Council as a useful reminder and update of procedures.

New planning applications. Friedland, Cake Street. Side, rear extension and new roof to form first floor accommodation (3PL/2021/1711/HOU). Adrian Joel explained that there were often drainage issues on Cake Street and highlighted the need for consultation with the Environment Agency (EA) and Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA). Naomi Bailey raised the issue of traffic management during any works as the site is on the main road through the village for cars, lorries and school traffic. Request for a Traffic Management Plan, including ensuring builders did not cause problems by parking on the road. A proposal to support subject to consultation with the EA and LLFA, and all ditch work and flooding work is approved, was then approved (4 in favour, 1 abstain).

Land at 608360 291240, Cuffer Lane. Retrospective application for the material change of use of land from agriculture land to mixed use of agriculture and leisure or domestic use (3PL/2021/1690/F). Councillors felt the need to be consistent in their opinions in regards to previous applications for the site. The site sits in close proximity to New Buckenham (although is actually in Old Buckenham parish) and therefore New Buckenham would be affected by this application more than Old Buckenham. New Buckenham Parish Council have objected to the application. A proposal to object was approved (5 in favour).

Redbourne House, Abbey Road. Proposed front double garage link conversion of existing attached garage and rear extension (3PL/2022/0071/HOU). No objections to the application and a proposal to support approved (5 in favour).

Hammonds Farm, Stacksford. Conversion and extension to an existing barn to form Annexe (3PL/2022/0058/F). No objections to the application and a proposal to support approved (5 in favour).

Planning decision by Breckland Council. The following application has now been considered and the application has been approved: 1-10 Robert Cock's Alms Houses, Hargham Road. Raising of Ridge Line and Parapet Coping in association with Proposed Re-Roofing and Removal of Modern Chimney Pots (3PL/2021/1650/LB).

The following application has now been appealed: Land adj Beckwood, Stacksford. Erection of Dwelling and Garage (3PL/2020/1464/F). Appeal reference APP/F2605/W/21/3283028.

Green Lease renewal. Councillors felt this document was clear and detailed. It highlighted that all items in the original agreement remain valid and that the title of Lord of the Manor be removed from the “The Parties” involved in the agreement. This is in line with the wishes of the Executors to the late T M Cracknell, Lord of the Manor of Old Buckenham. A proposal to accept was approved (4 in favour, 1 abstain). The Green Lease Renewal will now be passed on to Green Rights’ Proprietors and Lord of the Manor Executors for consultation.

Village Help contact list. The Clerk had been contacted with the idea of a list of helpers for elderly/vulnerable residents to contact for help with any small issues. Contact was made with Terri Hammond who coordinated the village volunteers during the Pandemic as this structure was already in place. Several issues were raised including that volunteers would be required to enter residents’ properties which means CRB checks would be needed, insurance/liability would need to be addressed to ensure safety for everyone involved and clear boundaries would be needed to explain what helpers could/could not do. Clerk has contacted a volunteer group coordinator (via Breckland Council) for advice. The discussions are ongoing and she will report back later.

Village Jubilee meeting. This had been organised for Saturday 12 February in the Village Hall. It will follow same structure as planning for the Golden Jubilee, ie groups to brainstorm ideas before collating altogether. Would also look to get volunteers to organise the individual events over the four days of celebrations. The Clerk to collate information about any planned national events taking place that Old Buckenham could partake in.

Track maintenance. Track leading from the village shop to the phone box requires maintenance. This track is part of the Green and not managed by Highways. Andy Nicholls asked what the maintenance agreement was in place with residents. The clerk to consult with Green Rights Proprietors to consult easement documents. Adrian Joel highlighted that the properties on Post Office Terrace have contributed towards their own track maintenance previously.

Items for next agenda. These will include the Green Rental Agreement and Risk Assessment, sorting out village grant from the Solar Farm and the Neighbourhood Plan.

The next Parish Council meeting will be held on Thursday 3 March starting at 7.30pm in Old Buckenham Village Hall.

Yesterday in Old Buckenham

 Remembering John Askew

All Saints Church was full when villagers and many others gathered for the funeral of John Askew.

Here are a few photos taken by the blog editor during the day. Just click on the images to enlarge them.

Farming reminders in the church porch along with reed from the Fen

Many gathered in the village hall afterwards...

...and plenty of refreshment was available to eat and drink.

Road safety in Old Buckenham

Send drivers a reminder

A number of residents have been asking about 'slow down' stickers for their wheelie bins. The older versions are no longer available but the Parish Council has sourced some new ones. If you want one for your bin please send a message, including your name and contact details, to Steve Milner (the Parish Council chairman) or Rachel Noyes (the Parish Clerk). You will find their contact details on page 17 of the village newsletter.

Calling Old Buckenham photographers

The Bucks Photoshow is back this year

Deferred from last year because of the pandemic, the Photoshow will take place Friday 27 to Sunday 29 May at New Buckenham Village Hall. Full details will be announced later but local photographers will now wish to start thinking about exhibiting their work. We know there were lots of lovely pictures taken during the lockdown and many of them have appeared on our Old Buckenham Facebook pages. All enquiries and expressions of interest are welcomed, please contact photoshow@newbuckenham.net   

Early morning discussion of the exhibits in 2019

      

Latest Old Buckenham village newsletter

 Read your copy yet?

Hopefully many villagers had a copy of the February newsletter put through their letterbox over the weekend.

Read it through, inform yourself on local activities and make sure you bring your Jubilee ideas to the meeting on Saturday 12 February.

fEAST visits Old Buckenham

The boys are coming

This event was first planned two years ago but ‘Canada Boys’ will now be coming to the Village Hall this month. it is from the same group that brought us the entertaining ‘Rosa’ at the end of last year so the Village Hall is looking for a full house at this evening performance. fEAST Theatre will be performing ‘Canada Boys’ on Friday 25 February starting at 7.30 pm. Tickets are £10 and to reserve your tickets ring 07880 660 444 or email bookings.obvh@gmail.com.

In March 2020 fEAST Theatre, one of the region’s leading touring companies, was starting the final week of rehearsals for The Canada Boys. The show, which was to have been the first of three tours to mark fEAST’s tenth anniversary, had been booked into venues across the region, including here in Old Buckenham. Then the pandemic surged and costumes and the touring set was put into storage, like thousands of other arts events in 2020. The Canada Boys was a show that never happened. Now nearly two years later our Village Hall is delighted to be one of the 15 venues across Norfolk and Suffolk where Canada Boys can be seen. 

The show will return with its original cast - including Nimmo Twins star Owen Evans.  This ‘sad comedy’, set in Norwich in 1912, resonates with Norfolk voices and locations and is based on a powerful, true, Norfolk story. In April 1912 the world-famous Colman’s mustard factory in Norwich, concerned by rising unemployment in the city, offered its workers a once-in-a life-time opportunity to start a new life on the other side of the Atlantic. The British Dominion of Canada was desperate for workers to help farm the vast plains of Ontario. Any Norwich men brave enough to sign on received a new pair of boots, a travelling suitcase, two complete sets of underwear and a ticket to the new world. Based on true events, Rob John’s The Canada Boys tells the story of Jack and Eddie Craske, two brothers who’d never ventured further west than Wymondham and were tempted to step into the unknown and make that life changing voyage to Quebec. 

Alternative events in Old Buckenham

Looking ahead

The Old Buckenham Alternative Quiz Night will take place on Easter Saturday 16 April starting at 7pm in Old Buckenham Methodist Church. A range of fun quizzes including visual, sound and other interactive quizzes plus traditional questions and answers.

The cost will be £5 per person including refreshments and proceeds to be donated to the St Martins Housing Trust.

Bookings available for teams of 4 to 6 (individuals also welcome to join or make up teams). To book a place either reply to Richard via email oldbuckenham.methodist@aol.co.uk or phone 01953 861207.

Because of the size of the building they can only accept a maximum number of 40 people in total.  While Covid restrictions are likely to have been lowered by then because of the small size of the church and for the benefit of all attending the organisers would still ask that everyone wear a mask and/or take a lateral flow test before the event.  

 

A display in 2021

Later in the year the Flower Festival in the Church will be held on the August bank holiday weekend of Saturday 27 to Monday  29 August. The theme this year is ‘Children’s Books’. For any of you willing to do a display this could be about any aspect related to the theme such as your favourite children’s book, author, illustrator, character, etc. As usual entry will be free with refreshments available. 

Old Buckenham meeting

 Your thoughts required

Come along to the Village Hall on Saturday 12 February from 10am to help plan a fantastic celebration for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee this summer. Tea and coffee will be supplied to help stimulate those creative ideas.