Progress at Old Buckenham Almshouses

All going well

The Robert Cocks Almshouses Charity Trustees are letting us know how the current work on the property is going.

The Almshouse roof project is coming along nicely and they are making great progress. The original Welsh slate tiles will be reused, after being carefully removed, checked and cleaned; it is amazing to think that they have never been removed before and will go back on to the roof structure for another 150 years (fingers crossed).

All of the chimneys are in good condition and are about to be re-pointed and have some new pots installed. Currently, there is just one pot on each stack but traditionally there would have been two. So, they have made the decision to 'fill the gap', ensuring the building is restored to its original design. The roof structure and boarding are also in good condition and doesn't need any substantial repair, which is a massive relief to the charity. Using this opportunity, they have decided to add even more insulation to the existing roof space and try to further improve the energy efficient of this old Grade II listed Victorian building.

Their contractor, Aspect Group Services, and Project Manager are both telling us the project is on track and, weather permitting, they hope to be finished on time in September. 

Missing from Old Buckenham

 There's a big gap

The contractor who took away our waste paper has decided that it no longer worth his time to collect it. This leaves a big gap where the bin once stood and the village hall has lost a source of income.

Latest from Old Buckenham

 Parish Council minutes for July

These notes have been written by the newsletter 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 July and those present were Councillors Naomi Bailey (Chair), Doug Irons (Vice Chair), Stan Burton, Lesley Evison, Steve Gowers, David Taylor and Pete Twissell. Also attending were Megan Elvin (Clerk) and five members of the public, The minutes of the meeting held on Thursday 5 June were approved (5 in favour).

Complaints. Naomi Bailey commented on the social media posts that have been circulating. None of the Councillors are paid – it is work done on a volunteer basis. A post that has been circulated makes out that the Councillors are being paid by using the statement “Out of Office Hours”. It is part of the Councillors role to deal with complaints and if you have a complaint please come to the Council about it. They are happy to help.

Financial matters. Please can all payments be in to the RFO by the Wednesday before the meeting at the latest. Any payments handed in after this date will need to wait for thenext month’s meeting.

The Community account balance now stands at £27,430.99. Payments of £957.85 were agreed (5 in favour) and these included those to the Clerk and RFO, the community car drivers and Stuart Barker.

Councillors’ reports. County and Breckland concillor Steve Askew apologised for not being able to attend. He told the council of the Norfolk Community Fund which backs community led projects that bring quality of life to the county. A potential area for this is the village Play Area that could do with updating and the Clerk will investigate.

He chair had spoken to Stuart Barker. The footpath beside the High School has had a bit of clearing, however not a lot can be done until October. If it is left, all the hedging and brambles will grow back. The Council will pay for Stuart Barker to do the work. This was approved (5 in favour).

(Steve Gowers arrived)

Pete Twissell reported on his meeting with the: Village Hall committee. It is now up to 12 members on the committee after the appeal for more volunteers. A request had been made for a basket ball hoop to be set up for the village. The car park was suggested but this is not practical. The Recreation area is a suggestion but there are stipulations to that area so he is to liaise with the windmill committee.

Steve Gowers said a new speed sign had been installed at the war memorial. Also that there were playground inspections in the next week.

The Clerk had been informed of a broken drain and silt on road in Cake Street. This has been reported to Highways and she has been advised that someone will be out to inspect this.

New planning applications.1 and 2 Abbey Road. Convert two adjoining semi detached dwellings into a single residential unit (Class C£) – certificate of lawfulness – proposed use (PL/2025/0853/CL0PUD). The Council had no issues with this.

The Stables, Hargham Road, NR17 1SS. Proposed erection of 8No self build dwellings. Planning Reconsultation -  PL/2025/0529/FMIN. The Parish Council’sopinion still stands from original application. Not the best location for any form of houses. That area of the village cannot cope with any additional houses when it comes to water works. Agreed to decline (6 in favour).

Amended applications. Proposal: Discharge of condition 3 on pp PL/2024/1120/RMIN. Site: The Homestead, Old Buckenham.

Proposal: Discharge of conditions 4, 7B, 8, 9 10 on pp 3PL/2021/1564/O. Site: The Homestead, Old Buckenham.

Proposal: Non material amendments to PL/2025/0167/FMIN – revising the proposed windows and doors from PPC Aluminium (Grey) to PVCu (Anthracite), revising the proposed rainwater goods from metal to PVCu (Black). Site: 3 Mill Cottages, Mill Road, Old Buckenham.

Green Working Committee. The committee met on Thursday 10 July. They have started building the bug hotels with the schools. The first one is by the bus shelter and another will be on built later in July. The old rusty bench by the village sign will be taken down the next time it rains.

The committee have been asked by the property owner of the Ox & Plough to remove the defibrillator from the side of her property. This has been done and now need a new home for the defibrillator. The Church rooms are unavailable – the church do not wish to have the defibrillator on their building. There is not an appropriate amount of wall at the post office. The front is all glass and there is no room for the instillation of the defibrillator. The Gamekeeper was another suggestion – this is a listed building and we would require planning permission to be able to install the defibrillator. The phone box is yet another option but would no longer be able to use it as a notice board. The Community Heartbeat Trust can help with the adoption of the Kiosk. It will be a cost of £1 to BT and then BT will pay for the electricity for the first seven years.

The defibrillator at Fen Street is solar powered. ME to check if this one is also solar powered. Suggestion of putting it on a pole near the play area if it is solar powered – planning required? Suggestion of putting a plea in the village magazine and on social media for volunteered location. The clerk to organise this.

Parking update. Been in touch with both schools and advised that The Gamekeeper is available for school pickup between 2.30pm and 330pm, not all day. High school has confirmed this has been shared to the parents. Primary school yet to confirm that it is has been shared. Standards of parent’s driving has gone down. This is causing a hazard. Schools should talk to the parents regarding driving safety. The verge of the Green has been cut in the hope that it will encourage safer driving but it hasn’t. The driveway at the back of Chapel Green is not an option for parking.

Paul from High school has asked for parking at the Village Hall to be allowed when they have an open evening on Wednesday 17 September. Naomi Bailey suggested, weather permitting, letting them use the Green where TWT is held. This would be an overspill car park only and a ‘Use of Green’ application form required for this to cover health and safety. A proposal in principle if application is used was approved (6 in favour).

Staff from Chapel Green School have been identified as using the Village Hall car park as an all day car park. This has been brought up with Chapel Green. Only one has stopped. If this carries on, then the access to the Village Hall school parking would become difficult to the rest of the parents.

Ottomer Pond (ongoing). Napmi Bailey has received correspondence from Mr Jenny and is trying to get an on-site meeting with him. There is a no dig policy on the driveway. Steve Gowers had received quotes and will pass these onto Mr Jenny. Stan Burton said the priority was where the chamber has been dug out needs to be made secure as it is the Green side of the wall. The problem is the ditch that the pipe goes onto and we should not be responsible for this as it is the land owners responsibility. Qualified builder needs to come in and brick it up as it needs to be road loadbearing. The outlet will be done for about £30 as most of the materials are already acquired. Steve Gowers had managed to get £150 back from Diamond Rod for not doing the work they said they would. Waiting for the third quote to get the entire job done which may take 6 to 8 weeks. Last meeting the council agreed that Stan Burton would do the pond side so only the chamber will need to done by a qualified builder. Steve Gowers to go back to the quotes and ask for only the chamber side to be quoted.

Christmas tree location. Stan Burton suggested that the council put out to the village where they would like the Christmas tree. Steve Gowers questioned why tree can’t put it back in front of the Ox and Plough like it had been done seven years before. The reason it was not in front of the Ox and Plough last year was due to misinformation from Jonn Hicks. Others have had complaints about it being here before as lights were not kept on 24/7 when this was originally stipulated. Suggestion of alternating the location each year between the Ox and Plough and Harrow & Ferne.

The Clerk to contact Dave at Ox and Plough with agreement that the lights were left on 24/7. Council will donate the cost of the electricity and Doug Irons has a meter that will measure the exact amount of electricity cost. The Council would like a full event for the tree switch-on to be planned. It is a good community event that we can celebrate. Next year the tree will go back to Harrow & Ferne.

Solar Farm update. Still waiting for a response from the Solar Company. Does not look like any work has officially started (note from editor that it has now). The Clerk to chase and check that the solar farm traffic will not be coming through Old Buckenham.

Lloyds Banking update. David Taylor said council now all have access to the online banking and Lesley Evison will have available time to sort out her access The RFO and the Chair to write a cheque of £100 to the new bank account.

Footpaths and mobility scooters. At the AGM a member of public commentedon the footpath that runs along Attleborough Road from St Andrews Close. The pathway is unsafe for mobility scooters and prams. Steve Gowers to contact Highways and liaise with the Clerk regarding this and to find the areas that need resurfacing or if it is the full pathway. One option is to use the Parish Partnership Scheme to refurbish and put in a dropped curb.

Drainage outside Hargham Road cottages. Large pothole outside Rose Cottage and water does not drain here so when it floods the water goes into the houses. This is part of the Green so Council should deal with it. Steve Gowers to get quotes on this to try and fix it.

Use of Green Application forms. TWT: Amendment to the TWT agreement to include the Ice Queen. This has now all been signed.  Also an updated Gas Certificate received for Flying Chef.

Goal Post on the Green. Application form will need to be renewed for next year. Anyone can use it. The liability is down to the goal owner for maintenance and loss/damage. Although the area is mostly dirt under the trees, wildflowers were ripped up when the goal was first placed down. Some Councillors had reservations regarding keeping the goal on the Green permanently as it can affect the work of the Green Working Committee. A proposal was approved (5 in favour 1 abstained).

Classic Car Show application form. A proposal was approved (4 in favour 2 abstained due to interest in attending).

(David Taylor arrived 9.05pm)

VJ Day celebration event. VJ day anniversary is on Friday 15 August. The Old Buckenham Great VJ Bake off and Old School Sports Day is a family event to be held at the Old Buckenham Village Hall on Saturday 16 August. Judges could include someone from WI, Windmill Trust and Village Hall. Megan Elvin and Doug Irons to organise and advertise. Minimum of 10 contestants required for the event to go ahead for the Bake-Off. £5 entry for the Bake-Off competition and £1 entry for each sports day race. Any proceeds more than the cost of hiring Village Hall will go to Attleborough Royal British Legion. 

Public participation. One parishioner said the weight limit is only from the bridge from level crossing to A11 so a lorry can come through Old Buckenham. The Parish Council will look at the reporting of vehicles coming along Hargham Road.

The next Saturday Surgery clashes with the Old Buckenham Airshow so meeting will be moved to Saturday 2 August at 10am to noon in Memorial Room at the Village Hall.

Items for next agenda. These should include Green Working Committee, Charity update, Banking update, Parking update (ongoing), Ottomer Pond (ongoing), Playground, Footpaths, Defibrillator location, Christmas Tree location, Solar Farm update and co-option of new Councillor.

The next Parish Council meeting will be on Thursday 7 August at Old Buckenham Village Hall starting at 7.30pm.

Sunflowers in Old Buckenham

Bright and cheerful

Take a walk up Harlingwood Lane and you too can see this field of bright colourful flowers.

Old Buckenham's solar farm

 Work has started

There is now activity on 'our' village solar farm on the way into Attleborough...

Murder story in Old Buckenham

Crime at the Women's Institute

Old Buckenham WI enjoyed a talk by Frank Hume late in June about his family connections in a murder by Dr Crippen which took place in 1910. Dr Crippin was charged with murdering his wife, found guilty and hanged.  It was a very interesting story and Frank left us thinking whether his relation Dr Crippin was actually guilty of a crime!

Going inside Old Buckenham Church

Latest comments from visitors

Lots of people walk through the churchyard of All Saints Church but have never been inside the building. The main door is open every day. Those who do come inside often write their comments in the visitors' book. At the moment there are a lot of interesting comments on why they came and what impressed them about the church.

Here is a photo of the latest page. Why not look around and leave your comments?

Parish Council minutes for June

 Parish Council minutes

These notes on the Parish Council meeting are produced by the blog editor from the draft minutes and may contain information that is changed at a later date.

Old Buckenham Parish Council met on Thursday 5 June at Old Buckenham Village Hall. Those present were councillors Naomi Bailey (Chair), Doug Irons (Vice Chair), Stan Burton, Lesley Evison, Steve Gowers, David Taylor and Pete Twissell.

Also attending were Megan Elvin (Clerk) and Donna Oakley (RFO) as well as six members of the public. The minutes of the meeting held on Thursday 1 May were approved (6 in favour).

Financial matters. Community account balance was now £30,523.50. Payments of £3,092.51 were approved and which included payment to solicitors, for digger hire, subscription to NALC, council insurance as well as the community car drivers.          

AGAR forms are to be signed. There were no issues with the accounts but will not be signed off until Jonn Hicks has been sentenced. He was due to be sentenced next week but this has not happened. This delay will increase the fine for late delay.

Councillor’s reports. Naomi Bailey said that a social media post circulating is badly worded. Complaints are not disturbing the parish council and it is the council’s job to respond to the complaints.

Steve Gowers gave news on the Almshouses. The work on the roof will commence in June and take eight weeks. There may be some inconvenience on the local roads but residents have been made aware of this. With the Community Speed Watch he is trying to find out what we can do and has written to police commissioning office. Unable to get a speed sign with a face on it as Norfolk ban them. Doing one hour a week on Cake Street and an average 20 cars are reported for speeding. They are trying to get things done but not getting as far as they would like.

Lesley Evison has looked at the jubilee trees. Two looked like they are dying but there are some new shoots halfway down. Others are looking fit and healthy. The Green Working Committee should be having someone go round to look at trees and will ask them to look at the jubilee trees as well.

The Clerk said phone calls had been had with the owner of the goal post currently on the Green and they will be completing a use of Green application form. She had ordered and received the new adult pads for the Village Hall defibrillator and the child pads for Village Hall and defibrillator at the Ox and Plough. The recent defibrillator training mentioned starter kits that we should have so she has ordered three of these for all the defibrillators.

The new post box is up at the Village Hall. If this is to be used for both the Village Hall and the Parish Council, then the old one will need to be taken down or a new sign put on the new one as it could be confusing for the post man with two post boxes. An email has been sent to the solar company regarding the lump sum funding however yet to hear back from them.

Planning applications. (All planning applications are available for viewing on the Breckland District Council planning portal – www.breckland.gov.uk/article/2933/Search-Planning-Applications - Parish Councillors have been asked by the chairman to view the new applications in advance of the meeting)

New planning application. Hill Farm, Leys Lane. Proposed two storey & single storey side extension, erection of porch and bay window (PL/2025/0725/HOU). There were no issues and council voted (5 in favour) to support this application.

(David Taylor arrived at 19.49).

Green Working Committee update. The wayleave money has gone over to the Parish Council for the Green Working Committee. Having a bench on the middle of the Green will deeply affect the cutting so this has been declined. There are enough benches around the Green to not warrant one in the middle.

When they took on Prince Harry’s Wood it was mutually agreed an extra £500. Then there was an issue with Prince Harry’s Woods and an extra bit of land but this has now been sorted. Would like to put forward to have the extra £500. Doug Irons asked if the committee had put up the three-year plan for all of the outgoings. At this point they have not been able to estimate due to the current state of the Green putting costs up for this year, they cannot say exactly how much it would cost. Another reason for not receiving the £500 is due to the issues with old Clerk the Council decided to keep the fund the same for this year. At the moment, cannot do anything with Prince Harry’s Wood without more funding.

Two more trees on the Green need to come down, two ash trees that have ash die back and are too large to cut without professional help. Opportunity to sell the felled wood at a discounted price to get money back into GWC.

Bench survey – one by the village sign that needs to be removed. It is rusted and the wood rotten. It is also right by the edge of the road. Stan Burton suggested that it’s taken down and if someone wants to put a bench there it can be put further back and turned round to face the other way to look onto the Green, rather than onto the road.

Lloyds Bank update. Paperwork that was filled in months ago now, did eventually make it. Asked for everyone to have internet access and some of the card readers have already come through.

Allotment update. Lesley Evison had been down to the allotments and had a brief look. Sent out apologies to the allotment holders for the lack of communication. Would like to ask for an extension until the end of October as one allotment holder has pumpkins on her plot for school children. Advised that this should not be a problem. May also need to hire an extra skip for the clearance.

One allotment holder asked several questions. Before the decision was made to close the allotments, did anyone speak to the landlord about the potential closure? She had spoken to farm owner who was disappointed that we are leaving. Had he have been approached by the council they may have been in agreement to help with security and gates. Got the impression that the farm owner was never approached to find alternative solutions. Feels sad that over the years the Parish Council has not invested in the allotments. Has also had yet another break-in this last week. Was offended at the wording of the letter regarding the clearing of the plots otherwise they may be charged by the parish.

The Chair said they did try to maintain the allotment and tried to get people interested and a large amount of money was put down on this occasion. But those that did take on allotments did not remain due to lack of maintenance. At the moment it is costing us more to keep the allotments and not even breaking even. It was never a money-making scheme. Can’t be spending more money on it and not getting the amount back.

Clarification of insurance. Parish Council have gone for a 3-year contract with the insurance company. The cost for the first year has come down to £884.31 from £914. The increase for next year should not be too extreme by going for the 3-year contract. Questioned the hirer’s liability as this was not included on the insurance. The Hirer’s liability is only for hiring buildings/property. It does not cover land. So, we wouldn’t need this ourselves.

We just must make sure the hirers of the Green have their own insurance – they carry out risk assessments before and after and return the land back to the way it was before they used it. For example, any holes created in the Green need to be refilled to avoid a trip hazard, etc. We already make sure those that use the Green have their own insurance and do own risk assessments, so we are therefore covered.The Clerk to check insurance on playground if Steve Gowers does any maintenance himself. Will he be covered?

Update on charities. Naomi Bailey has been in touch with the Charities Commission and is in the process of updating the trustees. Will then liaise with Donna Oakley regarding getting the returns done.

Update on playground and parking. Megan Elvin and Steve Gowers had a meeting with Luke from NCC Highways at the beginning of May. It will cost the council several thousands of pounds to have the speed limit changed. We would have to go through a survey to see if a speed change would be warranted and it’s based on how many accidents have occurred on that road. We are allowed to put “No Parking” signs on the fence of the playground as this is our property. We are unable to put any other signs anywhere else on the road advising of a playground because it does not meet the criteria for visibility. Luke suggested white “H” Lines going across the entry way of the playground to stop cars parking directly in front of the gate, this will allow a larger view gap at the entrance. We have missed the deadline for issuing this as part of the bulk lining for the current bulk order of road lines so Luke will add it onto the next bulk order that they give the contractors later this year.

Chicanes will be a very expensive option to go into. Suggested we start with the lines and the no parking signs on the fence and then if the problem is still ongoing the council can look into the costs of chicanes. Cost of parking signs is £70 each. These will need to be bolted to the fence. A proposal to buy signs was approved (7 in favour). Also will need to start looking at updating the playground equipment.

Churchyard update. Still no further forward with this. Had suggested a meeting with the three charities to know who owns what bit of land but this was cancelled due to lack of attendees. The meeting will just be to know about what areas of land is owned by which charity. Naomi Bailey and Steve Gowers to arrange sending out an email asking who thinks which piece of land is which.

Ottomer Pond. Couple of quotes for putting in a silt trap at Ottomer Pond end of drainage pipe came as £950 and £1116.68. Stan Burton said costing to build ourselves would be £142.59 for materials, scaffolding to go round the pipe and gravel can be free. He asked why we can’t just build it ourselves. The chamber at the other end will have to be built professionally as this will bear the weight of vehicles. Doug Irons agreed that we should go through the ‘do it yourself’ plan and this was approved (5 in favour).

Breckland Council will be chased about the chamber and the piping as they were the ones to make the error in the first place. Stephen Halls from legal flood authority involved. The Parish Council do not have the money to foot the bill. As it is not our drain or land that it is on and should also let the estate agents aware that are trying to sell the property that the chamber is on.

Amended TWT lease agreement. Had documentation from the Ice Queen to allow her the use of trading on the Green for TWT. To be agreed in principle until updated liability insurance for the Ice Queen has been renewed and received. This was agreed (7 in favour).

School parking. A suggestion was given by a member of the public that when Chapel Green was built there was access from Chapel Green to the primary school field. Stipulation was originally stated that this should not be used as an access. There will be more issues with parking soon when Chapel Green have new students starting and they have run out of parking themselves. High school will be tarmacking some of their land in the summer to hopefully alleviate parking on Abbey Road as it is mainly staff parking there.

The posts on Reggie’s way is only stopping cars parking on the Green. They can still park on the track but access cannot be obstructed. The Village Hall car park is often full and there are still cars trying to park in there without a permit. Some parents are rude when being asked not to park in certain places. The Gamekeeper has offered their car park up for parents. This information was given to the schools so they should be passing this information onto the parents. The pub owner is only offering up his car park for the school drop off times.

Pressure washer. The chair of Green Working Committee has asked if we might consider buying a pressure washer to clean the village signs. The Parish Council did not believe this is a necessity as one can be borrowed.

Public participation. A parishioner asked if there was going to be some other publicity for the AGM the following Saturday. Notification to be added onto the Facebook groups

Items for next agenda. These are expected to include parking update, ongoing work on Ottomer Pond, positioning of Christmas tree and further updates on Solar Farm, Green Working Committee, Lloyds banking and the co-option of a new councillor.

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

Old Buckenham Social Circle

Filling the Memorial Room

It was great to see so many people at Thursday night's meeting of the Old Buckenham Social Circle. It was the most visitors we've ever had!  The speakers were from the American Memorial Library that exists at the back of the ground floor of the main Library at the Forum in Norwich. They were speaking about how the Library came to be formed as a memorial to all the thousands of young Americans that died while serving in the American Airforce during World War II. The Social Circle was able to give a donation of £30 from group funds (which were boosted by the charge made to visitors) to the speakers so maybe they'll be able to buy another book or two for their wonderful collection of American books.

A reminder to all members that the  July meeting will be at the home of Barbara and John Frost in Mill Road. We will be having 'bring and share' refreshments so please bring along a plate (or something) of goodies to make a feast for all.  Drinks, glasses and plates will be provided, and cutlery will be available if needed. Please bring a chair if you can and parking will be available across the road in the Moorhouse's garden 

A warm welcome to Ian who has joined us as a member. If you know of any visitors who came along to Thursday's or to previous meetings and have expressed a wish to become regular members, please let Alison Hannah know so that she can extend the invitation to the garden party to them too. The fees for the second half of 2025 will be decided at the August meeting and looking forward to seeing you on Thursday 10 July. 

Old Buckenham does things different

The Old Buckenham Alternative Quiz

On Saturday 24 May the Quiz Masters welcomed 31 people across eight teams to the Old Buckenham Methodist Church for the fifth Old Buckenham Alternative Quiz.

A varied mix of rounds and question styles including pictures and audio, entertained the participants as they strived to win and claim the 2025 Trophy. After taxing their brains on TV Dingbats, General Knowledge, A Load of Balls, What a Character and Hearing Voices; the quizzers were rewarded with some much-needed refreshments. This was accompanied by a handout round, aptly named Food for Thought, midway through the evening, before entering the fray for the final push for glory.

The second half proved equally challenging as the first with a variety of brain teasers, such as Jane Austen and her Novels, National Animals, Formula 1, Odd One Out, followed by the concluding music round Brief Introductions.

The results proved to be extremely close with the first and second teams being only one point apart. The glory and the trophy were won by, ‘The Servants of the Lady Ottoline’, with second place awarded to ‘Four of a Kind’.

A raffle was also held with all proceeds being donated to St Martin’s Housing Trust and the Old Buckenham Youth Club, which has recently been set up and is being run in the Methodist Church on Friday nights.

The Quiz Masters would like to thank everyone for their support and their generous participation in the raffle. We are pleased to announce that the amount raised was £233.00.

We, the hosts, hope the entrants enjoyed the quiz evening as much as we did – thank you again for your participation and contributions to our fund-raising efforts. We hope to see you all again next year. 

Old Buckenham funeral

Police pay their respects

It was Jerry Norton's funeral today and the police were there to form a special guard of honour as the coffin arrived.

Old Buckenham Parish Council in May

 

All the latest local news

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 1 May. Those present were Councillors Naomi Bailey (Chair), Doug Irons (Vice Chair), Stan Burton, Lesley Evison, Steve Gowers, David Taylor and Pete Twissell. Also attending were Megan Elvin (Clerk) and seven members of the public.

Election of Chair and Vice Chair. Naomi Bailey was re-elected as Chair and Doug Irons re-elected as Vice Chair. The minutes of the meeting held on Thursday 3 April were approved (3 in favour).

Declarations of interests. Pete Twissell is now a director of Rotisham Limited Company that himself and a friend in the village have started.

Financial matters. The Community account balance now stands at £32,530.45. Payments of £4,606.95 have been made including the Precept Grants given to Friends of OB Primary (£750), Fawns (£624), Monday Mardle (£150), Youth Group (£500), Village Hall (£700), Cricket Club (£200) and Almshouses Trust (£600). There was also £119 25 paid to the Community Car drivers and £159.50 on room hire. All payments were approved (6 in favour).

Councillors’ reports. Steve Askew was unable to attend but reported that he had organised for the Speed Survey to be completed down Fen Street. Not happy with the placement as they were on a bend and this would not have been an accurate reading. Asked for resetting and advised a better location. He also mentioned the pot holes outside the shop on the tarmac and felt it would be the Parish Council’s responsibility for this to be repaired. Naomi Bailey is to liaise with the shop owner to see if the job can be financed together and get some quotes for this being done.

Naomi Bailey is still in communication  regarding the schools for another meeting. This should happen soon as they have started to come back to her now. There were a couple of complaints regarding car parking for TWT. Also complaints about lack of picking up after their dogs. Please pick up after your dogs as there are plenty of bins around the Green that are multifunctional. She mentioned how lovely the Green looks and the working committee have done an amazing job with it.

Three quotes were obtained for the cutting of the Green. However the chosen contractor did not walk the Green to quote correctly and has under quoted them. They are in talks with the contractor to correct the quote and when we get further facts and figures of what the quote should be then the Parish Council can make a decision on how much it can afford to help pay.

Doug Irons was arranging a meeting with Naomi Bailey and Megan Elvin to discuss complaints about TWT. An elderly member of public had pointed out that it takes a while to walk across the Green and wondered if a bench could be added right in the middle of the Green for rest breaks.

Stan Burton will donate wild flower seeds to the village hall and will give one bag to Sunnyside driveway. Would like to pass on thanks to Richard Lindner and volunteers who came to help clear the church yard and war memorial. Also for their work in clearing Jubilee Wood, all cuttings came to his farm for a bonfire later in the year.

Steve Gowers said he now had a new volunteer for a weekend Speed Watch. He had reporting of overweight vehicle to the firm involved and the company responded to say they will inform the driver that they were in the wrong. This is a positive response. Received a nice email from a resident saying thanks to the SAM sign as, while it is in place, it makes such a difference to the noise and speed of the vehicle.

Megan Elvin said the dog waste bin should start to be emptied by Serco. There is a charge for this but the invoice has not yet been received. She has done the bi-yearly checks on the defibrillators. As we only have adult pads, should we consider getting some child pads as well especially for the Village Hall and the Ox & Plough as children are more likely to be in those areas? New pads are required for the Village Hall defibrillator that expire in July. Approval given for purchase of all necessary pads.

Steve Gowers to replace the missing bolt on the merry-go-round/roundabout which is causing one of the wood panels on the floor to lift.

She has had a few general enquires from a member of public. Last year the Parish Council apparently used a form with the agenda to write down what councillors have/are going to action and their completion/projected completion date. This was then added to the minutes and put on the website with them. The member of public felt that this was helpful to residents to know what and when the councillors are doing objectives. She is to look at updating the Task list and implementing this again.

Do we still give out a welcome pack to new residents? Could we start doing this again as newcomers felt it was helpful to make the new residents feel welcome. She is to update the welcome pack and send out to new residents that request it.

Email had been sent to Highways regarding the fallen down 7.5t lorry restriction sign on Mill Road. This sign has been inspected and repairs can take up to six weeks.

Planning applications. All planning applications are available for viewing on the Breckland District Council planning portal – www.breckland.gov.uk/article/2933/Search-Planning-Applications.  Parish Councillors have been asked by the chairman to view the new applications in advance of the meeting.

New planning applications. The Stables, Hargham Road, NR17 1SS. Proposed erection of 8 No self-build dwellings (PL/2025/0529/FMIN). The Parish Council didn’t support this before and does not believe it should support it again. Road is unsuitable to take any more traffic, Anglian Water have raised concerns as well, it is outside of the parish boundary and on a 60 mph part of the road. A member of public added that it would cause light pollution, no footpath is proposed to be built and the field where they would be going is a home for bats. The Parish Council did not support this proposal (6 in favour).

Old Buckenham Country Park, Doe Lane. Variation of conditions 2 & 3 on pp 3PL/2023/0076/F - Variation in style and type of construction for the lodges (PL/2025/0555/VAR). No issues. A proposal to support was approved (6 in favour).

Land at Fen Road. Erection of 1 no. self build dwelling (planning in principle) (PL/2025/0574/PIP). Postponed decision to next meeting as only came in on day of meeting.

Ottomer Pond. Stan Burton had someone come out with intention of jetting the pipe. Unable to jet due to the outlet being completely buried. It will need to be dug 3 to 4 metres away from the pipe. He would be trying to eject up hill. Usually you jet downwards. However you cannot get anything down the ditch end to jet downwards. Need to get a digger in to clear the land to get the jet in. Once jetted, need to get a camera down the pipe to view the inside of the pipe and the integrity of the pipe.

Owners of Sunnyside were at the meeting. They would be unable to get the digger in from Sunnyside. Doug Irons and Steve Gowers to find a quote for a digger and have them consult on the site before the quote. Three quotes for a local builder to get it done correctly and three quotes from a drainage company to inform us what needs to be done. Pete Twissell to contact drainage companies.

Insurance renewal. Parish Council insurance is up for renewal in June and The renewal price is £914.94. Agreed in principle (6 in favour) and would liaise with Donna Oakley.

Handyman cutting areas. The handyman has been given a list of over twenty places to trim the grass. These are mainly around benches on the Green, various bins and the children’s play area. An area of the Green by the Hovis house has had a goal erected. It was verbally agreed that this could remain on the Green for a month while garden was being remodelled. Month is now up and the Clerk is to write asking for this to now be removed.

Solar Farm update. The company involved obtained permission for access tracks to the sites and which have now been built (3PL/2021/0236/F). They are currently in the final design phase, with long-lead items being placed on order. On-site works are targeted to start in late July 2025, with completion targeted around mid-February 2026. They make a community benefit fund available to all their projects and for Attleborough Road Solar there is £36,000 available as a lump sum - with the alternative to take £3,600 per year for 10-years if preferred. They would like our opinion on the best way to proceed with administering the fund or any ideas on how it might be spent. Naomi Bailey proposed to take it in one lump sum. There are lots of little groups that the fund could help towards. Doug Irons suggested that we take the lump sum, ring fence it and then go to the village at £3000 a year. Megan Elvin to liaise with them about getting the money. We will keep the firm updated on how it would be spent but nothing set in stone at this moment.

Village Annual General Meeting. This will take place on Saturday 7 June at 10am in the Village Hall. Would be nice to have as many councillors there as possible. The Green Working Committee to have a table at the AGM for plan of the Green. Lord of the Manor to be invited and also Steve Askew. The Village Hall Management Committee will also be invited to come along and recruit more committee members.

Speed Watch update. Highways are not interested in updating the speed signs. Hourly sessions on Cake Street record a minimum of 10 vehicles with readings for speeding. Contacted police and asked for their advice on what to do. Sent a letter to Police Commissioner Office. In Norfolk we are not allowed the signs with the face on it but they are still considering it and will get back to Steve Gowers. Hoping that members living in Cake Street will come to the Village AGM and have their say on the matter. Speed sign by the war memorial is not working and Highways appear not bothered so will find out who is responsible.

Playground and the parking issues. An email from a parishioner regarding concerns regarding the parking of parents by the playground around school pick up and drop off time. There has been an incident where a child ran out in front of a car directly from the park. Luckily the driver was going slow enough to not cause an incident. The parishioner contacted the school but nothing has been done. Megan Elvin and Steve Gowers were having a meeting with Luke at Highways on Thursday 8 May.

Allotment update. The Parish Council have decided to close the allotments and letters to be sent to the allotment tenants. Lesley Evison to pass the information on to Megan Elvin who will compose the letter and send to the tenants as well as posting it at the allotments.

The Parish Council has had an email from the landowner of the allotments site. They are requesting that when the allotments are vacated, the land is put back to the original condition (ie all sheds, rubbish, planters and fences removed. If the landowner feels that they need to do work to the land after the allotments are finished, they will charge the parish council. Tenants will be given until Wednesday 1 October 2025 to clear their plots. Should the plots not be clear after this date, the Parish Council will go in and charge the tenants for any items left.

Lloyds Bank update. David Taylor is to get the information pack from Donna Oakley to try and get the bank account up and running.

Former Highways Surveyors Charity (FHS). Many years ago there were many charities that were merged together and put into three separate charities. FHS is one of them and the Parish Council is the sole trustees of this account. The charities income is from the rent received from 4.4 acres which is let to two different tenants. The Eleemosynary Charity collects the rent and passes this onto the other charities on their behalf. In 1980 the trust was being managed by Breckland District Council but this was then passed on to our Parish Council. Each councillor should be named as a trustee for FHS. Rules allow the Parish Council to sell the land but there are complications for this. Doug Irons and Naomi Bailey have had a meeting with Sarah Dye. Will get a file from Donna Oakley and she will update the account. We have not been making any invoices in some time regarding the rent of the land. The Parish Council originally went down this route for that piece of land for the graveyard. However the land that we wanted to use is not actually the land that the Parish Council owns and this needs to be further investigated. The Cemetery is on hold for now until we know exactly which land the Parish Council could potentially use.

Gym equipment. The Parish Council has been asked several times about the potential of getting outside gym equipment on the Recreation Ground. This subject will be put out at the AGM to see if other members of the parish would want it or not. The Clerk will also look to see if there are any grants available and rough costs.

Public participation. One parishioner asked if all the trees are still alive at the Jubilee Trees. Lesley Evison to look into this. He also asked where the Parish Council Post Box will be situated. It has now been installed on the Village Hall wall next to the to the current Village Hall one. The next Parish Council surgery had been arranged for Saturday 31 May. Proposed to cancel the surgery and invite to the AGM. One of the posts on the footpaths outside Sunnyside has rotted and broken off. Can this be repaired? Parish Council have posts left over so Stan Burton will provide a post to replace it. Request from parishioner for the Welcome Pack from the Parish Council which would be a lovely idea.

Items for next agenda. These are expected to include Lloyds Bank, allotment update, clarification of insurance, update on Charities, update on playground and parking, Graveyard and ongoing work at Ottomer Pond. 

The next Parish Council meeting on will be on Thursday 5 June at Old Buckenham Village Hall and starting at 7.30pm.

An Old Buckenham Flower Festival

Your favourite British person

The Old Buckenham Methodist Church are holding their flower show this year, carrying over the original theme of ‘Famous British People’ that they couldn't use last year. It will be held on the August Bank Holiday weekend (Saturday 23 to Monday 25 August).

If you are intending to do a display this year please think about what size of  plinth, small table, large table you may need and what ‘Famous British Person’ you want to do your display on (to make sure we don’t get 10 displays on Churchill!).

More details will appear later but if you have anything about a famous British person (such as books, pictures, figures, etc) the organisers would like to include other non-flower displays as they can set up a display cabinet, book stands, etc.

  

Lilies on display in Old Buckenham

Come in and see the arrangements

The Easter lilies in remembrance of those no longer with us are now on display in All Saints Church. The lilies were not fully open when the arrangements were completed so it should be worth popping in to see them for quite a while yet.

 April Parish Council meeting

These notes have been written by the newsletter and blog editor and so may include information that is changed at a later date.

Old Buckenham Parish council met on Thursday 3 March in Old Buckenham Village Hall. Those present were councillors Naomi Bailey (Chair), Stan Burton, Steve Gowers and Pete Twissell. Apologies for non-attendance had been received from Doug Irons (Vice Chair), Lesley Evison, David Taylor, Megan Elvin (Clerk) and Donna Oakley (RFO). Also attending were Terry Cook (Acting Clerk) and nine members of the public. The minutes of the meeting held on Thursday 6 March were agreed (4 in favour) with one amendment to say that there was a need to appoint another Trustee for the Eleemosynary Trust. The Chair requested the editor of the Village Newsletter to run a paragraph in the next newsletter to explain what the ‘Eleemosynary Trust’ is.

Financial matters. The Community Account balance stands at £22,492.84. Payments totalling £1678.59 were agreed (4 in favour). These included £675.79 to the Clerk, £270 to the RFO, £61.50 to P Little, £456 to Broadland Tree Services, £88.80 to NALC Training and £126.50 to the community car drivers.

Councillors’ reports. Steve Gowers confirmed that the CPR and defibrillator training was completed. He reported back about potholes by the Post Office and expressed frustration with Highways as little being done by them in the Village about traffic apart from repainting “Slow signs”. Speed watch data showed that on average the sessions are showing 15 motorists exceeding the 34 mph speed limit for the recording period. SAM data for Fen Street indicates that there is no future need for Speed Watch there. SAM sign data shows that its use appears to slow the traffic; it informs the Speed Watch team of areas to focus upon and it receives positive reaction in the village.

Stan Burton reported on the work that councillors had undertaken to clear the drainage pipe leading from Ottomer Pond. However, the pipe will need jetting to make sure it remains clear. He detailed verbal quotations obtained from a range of contractors. Work would not be able to be undertaken until July by contractors and said he would now obtain three written quotations. At this point there were verbal questions raised by members of the public in attendance. The first related to their view that it needs to be proven that the pipe is in good repair. This would future-proof the site and if building does take place and then damages the pipe this could be proven. It was stressed there was to need to be sure the pipe is secure. Stan Burton replied that it would up the costs considerably as the water is dirty and so difficult to get a clear picture. To get clear water running through the pipe would need extra work. He was of the opinion if the water jet goes through the pipe, it demonstrated it was secure. A further point was put by a member of the public - it would be beneficial to utilise the use of a camera as per the “Ottomer Pond Project Plan”. Further discussion took place. The Chair proposed jetting the pipe to ensure a clear flow and if needed to utilise a camera one should be hired. This was agreed by councillors.

Pete Twissell had asked the question posed by Breckland on whether the Hall would be available for opening "in the event of emergencies"?’ Under the proposed new constitution of the Hall as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) they are required to work with outside agencies and so the answer is yes. The Village Hall Committee also agreed to the Council request for a new post box at the Village Hall. At the Village Hall meeting there was a request to reseed an area of the grounds with wildflower seeds. Discussion took place re the proposal and a councillor offered to purchase a kilo of seed for £26 to be paid for by the Council. All Councillors were in favour. He asked for advice from the Parish Council in relation to the dwindling number of people willing to serve on the Village Hall Committee. If it came to the point where numbers on the committee were not sufficient to efficiently run the Hall what would be the position of the Hall? The answer was that the Hall would be run by the Parish Council. It was recommended that the recruitment of Village Hall Committee members would be included on the agenda for the Village AGM.

Naomi Bailey has arranged a meeting for various parish council members and Sarah Dye in relation to charity accounts and assets. She has also had a meeting with Stuart Barker re village job list. In relation to car parking outside the Village Shop, who has responsibility for fixing the potholes? There is a need to investigate. Doug Irons has asked what is happening regarding the Bank Account. Should the Parish Council employ the RFO to sort out the problem?

Planning applications. All planning applications are available for viewing on the Breckland District Council planning portal – www.breckland.gov.uk/article/2933/Search-Planning-Applications - Parish Councillors have been asked by the chairman to view the new applications in advance of the meeting.

New planning applications. Old School Bookshop, Church Rooms, The Green. Continued use of Church Rooms to include Class E (Bookshop/Café and sale of related merchandise) and change to opening hours (PL/2025/0261/FMIN). There were no issues and it was agreed to support the application (4 in favour).

64 Fen Street. Renewal of planning permission 3PL/2021/0102/HOU - Construction of Swimming Pool and Erection of Pool Building including gym, changing room and lounge area ( PL/2025/0314/HOU). There were no issues and it was agreed to support the application (4 in favour).

Land Off Attleborough Road. Certificate of Lawful Existing Development - carrying out works comprising of site access (labelled ‘Access track (West)’ and ‘Access track (East)) as the lawful implementation of planning permission 3PL/2021/0236/F (PL/2024/0886/CLEUD).

Green Working Committee update. Cut brambles have been chipped and removed, posts on Sunnyside side of The Green are having topsoil put around their bases and wildflower seeds spread to stop weed incursion, the sandbags at Ottomer Pond will be having topsoil put over them – it will then require spreading. Damaged tree branches in Jubilee Wood (opposite the Gamekeeper) need to be addressed – a tree surgeon has been contacted but needs chasing up.

Several quotes have been obtained to undertake two cuts of the Green. It is proposed to cut certain areas and not the whole of the Green. The main Green will be cut all round edges. It is proposed to use grass cutters instead of tractors so the surface of the Green can be protected, and cuts can be made under the trees. Issue to be resolved is how to pay as the Green Committee have approximately £2000 but the cheapest quote is £4000. Wayleaves were mentioned and will be offered as they appear during the year as appropriate. The new proposals will improve the Green and allow for wildflower growth. The volunteer/working party proposal has already had several people come forward. Key immediate tasks include brambles need clearing the Mill Road end of the Green and around the bus shelter, a tidy up pond near to the post office, clear up fallen wood, Crown Road and Church Lane areas require suckers from trees to be addressed.

Hedge rows at Puddledock. This matter was raised last August by Mr and Mrs Avis. Hedgerow requires thinning around Puddledock Corner area. This would improve visibility at the corner and the turn into Fen Street. Quote of £600 to do this and Highways will not pay. Proposed that the Parish Council pay and this was agreed (4 in favour).

Church Yard update. A meeting was held with two members of the Church (minutes available) to devise a way forward. Next meeting will be on Wednesday 7 May and will look at costs, funding sources, options available, procedures to get firm arrangements and costs and bring back to the Parish Council for further discussion.

Solar Farm update. The Clerk is waiting for a reply from PACE which is the company who are dealing with the Solar Farm. They have allocated the Clerk to go to a named person, Mark Kelly. The Clerk has tried to get in contact with him over the phone but now she is waiting for an email update. A key question will concern possible funding implications for the village and what funding can be used for.

Weather Radar update. The main works contract (for the construction of the radar tower and communications cabin) has been awarded to Brody Forbes Ltd with the main phase of construction expected to start on site in May this year. Some site clearance has already been carried out at the Anglian Water Drilling Yard on Abbey Road. In advance of the main works the project team are progressing with some infrastructure work (power and communications) on site. The tower top install of the radar parts is planned for the autumn of this year with a period of testing and commissioning before the radar becomes fully operational in the early summer of 2026. The project team have made Brody Forbes Ltd aware of the sensitivities around the site and of the restrictions around using some of the local roads. Brody Forbes Ltd will liaise with local stakeholders, including Old Buckenham Parish Council, in advance of and during the works to minimise any disruption.

VE and VJ Day celebrations. We have unfortunately missed the deadline for applying for a grant from Breckland Council to help pay towards the celebration. The cut off date was Sunday March so if we do want to do something for VE/VJ day it would be out of the parish’s pocket. An idea that the Clerk has had was that we could consider is an “Old Buckenham VE/VJ Day Bake Off”. Contestants can pay a small entry fee to participate. We could have two competitions, one for savoury foods that were popular in World War II and one for sweet foods that were popular in World War II. We can come up with a list of foods for each side; give this to the contestants and then they can choose what food to make at home to then bring to the judging in the village hall on the day that we celebrate. Some of the income from the entry fee will be kept back for the council and can be used to pay for the Village Hall, the other part can be put into a cash prize for the winner. We can have two of the councillors as judges for the food. The Parish Council approved the idea (4 in favour).

The Green Lease. Concerning the benches on the Green outside the Ox and Plough, initially the insurance certificate required by the applicant was not forthcoming. It has now been received. Everything is now in place; agreement reached in principle and just requires the agreement to be signed and fee paid. Now that the policy is in place there is a need to ensure regulations are followed.

Public participation. There was a request for email addresses for all Councillors so that they could be forwarded a copy of the Ottomer Pond Project Plan. There was a feeling for the need to move forward from the cleaning of the pipe to following the key points in the Project Plan. This would then allow the Chair to release funds if in agreement with the Project Plan. Further discussion took place on the needs of the Project Plan and possible contractors who could undertake the work.

The squeaky swing on the Children’s Playground is annoying to residents living nearby. An assurance was given that this was in hand. Also a member of the Public came forward and volunteered to become a Trustee for the Eleemosynary Trust.

Items for next agenda. These will include Ottomer Pond (ongoing), areas of long grass and benches to be dealt with the handyman, updates on the Solar Farm and Weather Radar, date for Village AGM and Speed Watch update on speed signs.

The next Parish Council meeting will be on Thursday 1 May in Old Buckenham Village Hall and starting at 7.30pm.