Parish Council in January

Councillors' deliberations
The following notes have been prepared by the newsletter editor from the draft minutes and so may contain information that is amended later.
There was just one member of the public at the January meeting of Old Buckenham Parish Council. All parish councillors were present apart from Akis Chrisovelides who had sent his apologies.
Minutes of the meeting of the December meeting. There was one minor amendment to the text and then these were signed as a true and accurate record of the meeting.
Matters arising from the minutes. Adrian Joel asked that development in Old Buckenham be put on the February meeting agenda. He then raised the matter of the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations. Tim Ing asked that all coucillors if possible attend the working party meeting being held on Saturday as a number of village organisations had indicated they would be attending. Derek Smalley said he had put some suggestions for discussion in the newsletter regarding the celebrations. The Village Hall had said there would be no charge to the Parish Council for the meeting on Saturday.
Breckland Council car parks. Adrian Joel said that Breckland Council were carrying out an asset review to help increase revenues due to cuts in funding from the government and had to make up a shortfall in the coming years. Breckland Council spend £300,000 per year on car parks and they were now considering introducing charges for their use. They would be undertaking a public consultation on the matter. Adrian Joel asked for parish councillors’ view on the matter. All parish councillors said there had to be free parking period before charges came in to force otherwise it would severely damage local shops.
Planning decisions received from Breckland. Barkers Cottage, Ragmere Road. Proposed detached garage and store. Permission granted.
Cotman Housing Association. Land adjacent to St Andrews Close. Erection of 3 single storey dwellings and erection of 11 two storey dwellings. Permission granted.
Planning applications. Land at corner of Grove Road and Crown Road. Extension to existing stable block plus new hay barn/field shelter. There were no objections, Paul Boggia and Sarah Dye declaring an interest and not voting.
18 Oaklands. Garage conversion to bedroom with side porch extension and new single garage to front. No objections, agreed unanimously.
2 Chapel Loke. Replacement of glass roofed conservatory to rear of dwelling with facing brick and pantile kitchen/dining area. No objections, agreed unanimously.
East View, Attleborough Road. Decking area (retrospective). No objections, agreed with 9 for and 1 abstention.
Eel Farm, Fen Lane. Removal of condition 8 on planning application, new garage and alterations. No objections.
Chairman’s report. Tim Ing said that it was not possible to have a mirror sited at the junction of Mill Road at Stacksford. Norfolk County Council Highways have said they are illegal. He then said that the Parish Council were seeking advice on how grit bins could be used. The Parish Council had tried to get Hargham Road on the gritting route but Norfolk County Council had refused.
District Councillor’s report. Breckland Council are looking to put on a Jubilee exhibition as an archive to pass on to future generations and hope people will donate photos of their celebrations.
Parish Councillors’ reports. Tom Johnson had attended a meeting of the Village Hall management committee and they said that the village had won £500 and they wanted assurance the money would go to them, this was agreed. Also a quiz night would be held on Friday 16 March at 8pm in Village Hall at a cost of £4 per team of four. The Parish Council agreed to enter a team on the night. Sarah Dye said the playgroup held a meeting to decide what maintenance equipment to buy, Tim Ing is to arrange the purchase. John Frost thanked Tim Ing for doing the Christmas service reading. DVDs of the service, which was attended by about 500 people, were available from Sarah Dye at a cost of £5 per disc. Derek Smalley said there had been no meeting of the SNAP team. He had also attended the remembrance service on behalf of the Parish Council and on Monday 2 January had attended a fly in at the airfield. Jonathan Kemp said the Norfolk Games meeting was yet to be arranged. Tim Ing raised the matter of trees being planted on the recreation area and Carol Marshall said they would look at the matter Carol Marshall then raised the subject of a letter sent by a resident to which he had not received a reply. It concerned parking on the Green and the Parish Clerk to look into it. Adrian Joel raised the matter of the oil buying scheme and asked how it was progressing. Derek Smalley said they were used by about fifty residents and gave some details on prices being obtained. Adrian Joel also said that he had been contacted by a resident concerning the path which was full of pot holes which ran from the Clinic to the old Baptist Church. The Parish Clerk is to speak to Highways on the matter.
Parish Clerk’s report. The Clerk informed the meeting that he would not be available for the February meeting. Tim Ing said he had arranged for someone else to do the minutes at that meeting.
Highways. It was reported that the road sign at corner of the Green and Hargham Road was down outside ‘The Kenyons’. It was also reported that the gullies in Abbey Road from the High School all down the road were overgrown. The Parish Clerk would contact Highways on both these matters.
The Green. Tim Ing said parking issues had been raised and some ideas were being discussed. He was hopeful that matters could be resolved once a new Green Right Proprietors’ chairman had been found.

The next meeting of Old Buckenham Parish Council will be on Thursday 2 February at the Village Hall starting at 7.30pm.