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.