At the 9th July Meeting the Council discussed complaints concerning long outstanding repairs to Freebridge Community Housing (FCH) properties in Hatherley Gardens and resolved that the Clerk take up matters with the FCH CEO. The Council was pleased to learn that all the repairs had now been carried out and the Clerk was thanked for dealing with the matter so expeditiously and successfully. The thanks of the residents had been passed on to the Council for a job well done.
A new Internal Auditor will be required for the financial year ending 31st March 2015. This is to be considered over the next two months and discussed again at the November meeting.
Concern was expressed that a notice has appeared on the BT kiosk in Eastmoor saying that BT would be removing the kiosk. The Parish Council believes that it adopted this about 5/6 years ago and therefore it cannot be removed by BT. The Clerk will contact BT to inform them of the situation.
A new mobile Post Office service has started in Fincham following the closure of the Post Office. It is situated in the lay-by opposite the Memorial Hall from Monday to Friday between 12.05 and 12.35. It was agreed that the Clerk should ask if this service could visit Barton Bendish.
The next meeting of Barton Bendish Parish Council will take place on Wednesday 12th November, 2014. This will be an Ordinary Parish Council Meeting starting at 7.00 pm in the Village Hall.
The meeting was chaired by Cllr J.R.Bostock, who was re-elected as Chairman for the coming year, 3 parishioners attended. The Chairman welcomed Sarah Thorpe to her first meetings as the newly appointed Parish Clerk. Reports were received from the illage Hall Trustees and the Poor’s Charity Trustees
The end of year accounts for 2013/14 were approved by the Parish Council and documentation completed for the External Auditor.
Ordinary Parish Council Meeting
A grant had been award for £350 to cover planting of poppy seeds and a social
evening to commemorate the centenary of World War 1. The social event is to
take place in the Village Hall on Saturday, 2nd August. Further details to follow
on this matter.
Although numerous patching road repairs have recently been done within the Parish issues remain on Church Road, from Hatherley Gardens to the end of Church Road. NCC Highways have been made aware of this matter.
The next meeting of Barton Bendish Parish Council will take place on Wednesday 9th July, 2014. This will be an Ordinary Parish Council Meeting starting at 7.00 pm in the Village Hall.
Repairs to areas of damaged road surface will be on-going for some weeks and, as a result of a productive meeting with the NCC Highways Engineer, the bell-mouth at the junction of Church Road and Fincham Road is to be improved by kerbing both sides of the junction. This will prevent vehicles from continuously eroding the grass verge and will ensure better visibility, particularly for vehicles entering Church Road. Signs to the village centre were also discussed at this meeting. The village does not, apparently, qualify for 30 mph signs as its accident record is too good!
A sub-committee, chaired by Councillor Webster, has been set up to recruit a new Parish Clerk as Lt Col Berchem will be retiring from the post on 31st March, 2014.
Councillor Bostock has made arrangements for the on-going maintenance of the footpaths to St Mary’s and to Chapel Lane.
Barton Bendish has been listed in the latest version of the Borough Council Local Development Framework as being not liable for any future building development.
Councillor Webster is endeavouring to get a better Broadband service for the Parish.
Five Councillors, the Parish Clerk and four members of the public attended. Cllr R.J.Bostock was re-elected as Chairman and Cllr P.A.J.Carter was re-elected as Vice-Chairman.
The Projects Sub-Committee will continue under the chairmanship of Cllr McAlister. The Footpaths Sub-Committee has been discontinued.
Cllr Webster delivered the annual report from the Poor’s Charity. There have been three meetings of the trustees in the year ending 31st December, 2012 and the accounts are in good order. The annual reports from the Chairman and the Village Hall Trustees were delayed until the July meeting of the Parish Council.
The Accounts for the year ending 31st March, 2013 were approved.
Ordinary Parish Council Meeting
Attendance as for Annual Meeting.
1. As the Chairman has not received a reply to his letter to The Brecks
Partnership regarding the sign on the A1122, the next step will be to approach
the County Surveyor.
2. The Coronation Tree plaque will be unveiled on Gardens Open Day, 2nd June.
It is hoped that the work around the base of the War Memorial will be completed
before the July Council meeting.
3. Cllrs expressed their dismay at the drastic cut-backs of hedges and trees
around the village and the lack of any communication from Albanwise giving
advance warning of such activity. The Parish Clerk will write to Albanwise
accordingly.
4. The sewage smell has once again appeared in Buttlands Lane. Anglian Water
will be asked to take appropriate action.
The next meeting of Barton Bendish Parish Council will be held on Wednesday, 17th July 2013 starting at 7.00 pm in the Village Hall.
2. The Council is most unhappy about the “Welcome to the Brecks” sign which has appeared on the A1122 near the junction with White’s Road. This view has been communicated to The Brecks Partnership and the next step is being considered.
3. The Council has adopted the national rules governing Cllrs’ Code of Conduct.
4. The continuing problem of sewage smell is being pursued yet again with Anglian Water. A very positive and constructive meeting was held in the village with a senior team from Anglian Water on 28th September, 2012. General points were discussed with the Council Chairman, Cllr English and the Parish Clerk. Cllr English then discussed the particular problem areas in and around Hatherley Gardens with them.
The Projects Sub-Committee is examining;
i. Cutting back the Coronation lime tree on Buttlands Lane (this has subsequently
been done by Albanwise) and replacing the Coronation commemorative plaque.
ii. Tidying up the base of the War Memorial; volunteers are being sought to assist
with this task.
iii. Repairing the church clock.
iv. Creating a Village Hall sign
v. The Footpaths Sub-Committee is examining the practicality of self-help to
maintain the footpaths around the village.
The Council approved the annual donation to St Andrew’s church funds of £250. The next meeting of Barton Bendish Parish Council will be held on Wednesday, 21st November, 2012.
1. A framework has been put in place whereby Trustees of both the Village Hall and the
Poor’s Charity will be required to hold at least two meetings per year. They will also
submit to the Parish council in time for the Annual Parish Council Meeting each year an
Annual report and Statement of Accounts as prepared for the Charities Commission.
2. Anglian Water will be requested once again to investigate the cause of the sewage
smell which regularly permeates the village.
3. No progress has been made with Community Payback regarding footpath
4. The Diamond Jubilee Sub-Committee has been disbanded with profuse thanks to Cllr
A.V.McAlister and her team for a most successful village Jubilee celebration. The
accounts for the entire programme of events were closed showing a small credit balance.
5. A new Projects Sub-Committee has been created to handle such projects as the
Parish Council might wish to undertake. Should parishioners have any suggestions they
should pass them to Cllr A.V.McAlister who is Chairman of the new Sub-Committee.
The date of the next Parish Council meeting will be Wednesday, 26th September, 2012 and not 19th September as previously indicated owing to the absence of the Chairman on the latter date.
a. Cllr J.R.Bostock was re-elected as Chairman of the Parish Council.
b. Cllr P.A.J.Carter was re-elected as Vice-Chairman of the Parish Council.
c. The Diamond Jubilee Sub-Committee will continue until the aftermath of the Jubilee celebrations has been cleared up.
d. The Footpaths Sub-Committee will remain in being for the foreseeable future.
e. An annual report was submitted on the doings of the Trustees of the Village Hall and the Poor’s Charity.
f. The Parish Council Annual Accounts were approved.
g. The programme of Parish Council meetings for the coming year was approved as follows (all on the third Wednesday of each month):
(1) Ordinary Meetings: 18th July, 19th September, 21st November 2012, 16th January, 2013, 20th March and 15th May.
(2) Annual Parish Meeting - 20th March, 2013
(3) Annual Parish Council Meeting - 15th May, 2013
2. Ordinary Parish Council Meeting Attendance as above.
a. The main item for discussion was the preparations for the Diamond Jubilee celebrations in the village.
(1) Grants have been received from Norfolk County Council (£100), the Norfolk Foundation (£200) and the Easter Coffee Morning (£135).
(2) All mugs were received and distributed by mid-May.
(3) The finalised programme of events was as follows:
(a) Saturday, 2nd June - Flag-raising ceremony, drinks and nibbles at Holly House (40 attended).
(b) Sunday, 3rd June - The “Big Lunch” (over 60 attended but due to the weather the wheelbarrow and lawn-mower races had to be cancelled). This event was attended by the press.
(c) Monday, 4th June - BBQ at pub followed by “An Evening of Entertainment” in the Village Hall (again over 60 people attended) and finally the lighting of the beacon by Count Luca Padulli at 10.15 pm.
(4) On display at the “Big Lunch” were the wrought iron pot-holders which will be placed on either side of the Memorial Bench. They have yet to receive their final coat of paint.
b. The War Memorial A plan is being drawn up as to how best the 2nd World War names tablet can be tidied up and better positioned.
c. Footpaths
(1) The Footpaths Sub-Committee is arranging with Community Payback for a trail run on footpath maintenance some time in June.
(2) Various steps are in-hand to address the problem of dog-fouling of the footpaths.
d. The next meeting of the Parish Council will be held in the Village Hall on Wednesday, 18th July, 2012, starting at 7.00 pm.
a. The meeting was attended by ten members of the public. The Parish Council Chairman, Cllr J.R.Bostock, took the chair and the Parish Clerk made the record of the meeting.
b. Mrs M.Buck asked whether, now that the War Memorial has been refurbished, it is intended to sort out the 2nd World War tablet which is loose. The Chairman confirmed that this would be pursued and discussed at the next Council meeting on 16th May, 2012.
c. The Parish Clerk reported that the Rectory has been bought by a Mr and Mrs M.Belton who plan to refurbish the existing building and grounds.
d. A hearing induction loop is to be installed in the Village Hall. Mr W.Tasker sought a degree of financial support from the Parish Council for this project. The Chairman said that it would be considered once it was completed.
e. Mr T.English asked why there are no direction signs to the Village Hall. The Chairman said that this too would be pursued and would be discussed at the next Council meeting.
2. Parish Council Meeting
a. This meeting was attended by seven Parish Cllrs, the Parish Clerk and four members
of the public.
b. Diamond Jubilee Celebrations
(1) The mugs are now ordered.
(2) There will be no activities for children.
(3) Mrs L.Kinsey will supervise the entertainments programme for the evening of
Monday, 4th June.
(4) A grant of £100 was received from NCC.
(5) The Easter Saturday Coffee Morning takings will be split 50/50 Village Hall/Diamond
Jubilee.
c. Footpaths
(1) The possibility of having the village footpaths maintained by working parties from
Community Payback is being pursued with the King’s Lynn Probation service.
(2) The damaged gate on the footpath to Chapel Lane from Church Road will not be
replaced.
(3) There is a dog-fouling problem on the village footpaths. The co-operation of dogowning
parishioners is sought in helping to overcome this problem.
d. Anglian Water is to be asked to examine the sewage smell problem again.
3. The next meeting of Barton Bendish Parish Council will be the Annual Council Meeting, to be held on Wednesday, 16th May, 2012 in the Village Hall starting at 7.00 pm.
For some years recently the stability of the granite Memorial has given rise to increasing concern as it has continued to tilt very slowly but surely towards its rear right-hand corner. Parishioners were in no doubt that it would eventually have fallen over and probably been damaged beyond repair.
The problems for the Parish Council were to identify the best means of levelling and stabilising the Memorial and at the same time find the necessary funds without any burden falling on local Council Taxpayers. By far the major credit for solving those problems goes to Parish Clerk, Ian Berchem, whose ingenuity and dedication have helped ensure that the project is now completed and the War Memorial is secured for many generations to come at no cost to Parishioners.
A fixed price contract was negotiated with Uretek a nationally recognised firm specialising in stabilisation projects. The essence of the method is to pump a polymer product into the ground which later sets as hard as glass and this is carried out with lasers guiding the insertion of the material to ensure the rectification of the former tilting within the finest possible limits.
The major part of the funding was obtained by virtue of a grant from WREN (Waste Recycling Environmental Limited). WREN is a company limited by guarantee and a nonprofit making Environmental Body registered to fund projects under the Landfill Communities Fund with its income coming from the landfill tax levied by Waste Recycling Group. The Pennycress Trust also contributed generously.
Uretek did not find their work easy. At the first attempt the pumped polymer was escaping from the intended site of the damage. The Uretek team returned two days later but attempts to contain the polymer again failed. A third visit achieved the necessary results by means of hydraulic jacks placed appropriately to guarantee perfect levelling before the polymer was finally pumped into place. A good job our Clerk had negotiated a fixed price contract.
Parish Council notes usually appear over the name of parish Clerk Ian Berchem. I have taken over on this one occasion only because Ian would never have taken the huge credit which is properly his for an exercise so successfully completed.
The Memorial is a lasting reminder of all those from Barton Bendish and Eastmoor who were lost giving their lives for their country. No more poignant example of such loss is that the names inscribed on the Memorial of those lost in the Great War include three brothers William, Robert and Sidney Button with a second Sidney Button from the next generation killed in the 1939-45 War. We will remember them.
2. The Rectory has been placed on the open market by Ely Diocese. Cllr English said that it might be wise to establish firmly the exact boundaries to the Rectory plot of land as advertised by the Estate Agents as those which had been shown on the recent planning application were objected to by the Parish Council. The Parish Clerk was directed to make relevant inquiries. (Afternote: The advertised plot does not include the grass verges.)
3. The Council has decided to install a grit box at the junction of Eastmoor Road and Oxborough Lane. An application has been submitted to NCC Highways Department and the area Highways Engineer, Mr A.Wallace, is visiting the Parish Clerk on 6th January, 2012.
4. The Parish Council will be changing the company which provides its insurance cover on 1st June, 2012, currently Allianz. The new company is Zurich who will provide slightly better cover for an annual premium £110 less than Allianz.
5. The Diamond Jubilee sub-committee, under Cllr McAlister, already has firm proposals regarding the planned celebrations. A Diamond Jubilee flyer is enclosed with this issue of Group 4.
6. In spite of an article which appeared in the Eastern Daily Press apparently challenging the legality of NCC’s decision to discontinue automatic regular cuttings of the footpaths around the village, normal maintenance work is now the responsibility of the Parish Council. NCC will become involved only when there are health and safety issues.
7. Mr K.Laws has the refurbishment of the Eastmoor BT call box firmly in hand.
8. The next meeting of the Parish Council was held on 18th January, 2012.
2. Appointment of Trustees of the Poor’s Charity and Village Hall
The following were appointed subject to their acceptance:
a. Poor’s Charity Mr J. Richardson, Cllr T. English, Cllr P.A.J. Carter and
Cllr Dr Webster.
b. Village Hall Mr J.Richardson, Cllr T.English, Mr W.R.Chapman (Jnr) and
Cllr P.A.J.Carter.
3. The Diocesan planning application to develop the Rectory site has been refused by the Borough Council.
4. The problem of sewage smell is once again being pursued by the Parish Clerk.
5. Mr K.Laws and Mr W.R.Chapman (Jnr) have undertaken to repair and paint the BT call-box at Eastmoor which is now the responsibility of the Parish Council to maintain.
6. RAF Marham have once again asked for nominations to attend their annual Christmas Lunch. A list will be submitted to Marham by 28th October, 2011. Attendance will, however, depend upon the individual(s) receiving a formal invitation from RAF Marham.
7. The external audit of the Parish Council accounts has been successfully completed.
8. The Diamond Jubilee sub-committee is now up and running and is already drawing up plans for next year’s celebrations. Mr W.R.Chapman (Jnr) has undertaken to find a parishioner in Eastmoor who would be willing to be co-opted on to this sub-committee. Any volunteers? The committee is also seeking suggestions from parishioners for a permanent memorial in the village for the Diamond Jubilee; Mrs J.Mason has suggested repairing the church clock. Any others ideas should be passed to Cllr V.McAlister.
9. The next meeting of Barton Bendish Parish Council will be held on Wednesday, 16th November, 2011 in the Village Hall starting at 7.00 pm.
2. RAF Marham have reported that their tests reveal no signs of aviation fuel having contaminated the ground around the village.
3. A new planning application for the Rectory site is due. (Received 3rd August.)
4. The Parish Clerk is to establish the background to the recent appearance in the village of brown “Heritage” signs to St Mary’s church.
5. A sub-committee of Councillors has been set up to plan for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations.
6. A second sub-committee has been created to assume responsibility for the management of footpath maintenance in anticipation of the County Council ceasing to be responsible for this activity.
7. The Parish Clerk is to request from the Charity Commission a written copy of the constitution of the Trustees of the Village Hall.
8. The Parish Clerk will contact Anglian Water again over the re-emergence of sewage smell.
2. Councillor J.R.Bostock was re-elected as Chairman.
3. A ballot was held to co-opt three additional members of the Council. The following were elected: Dr T.M.Webster, Mr P.A.J.Carter and Mr P.Carter
4. Councillor P.A.J.Carter was elected as Vice-Chairman.
5. A letter has been sent to the Diocese expressing the Council’s dissatisfaction over the lack of communication from the Diocese regarding the archaeological dig at the Rectory about which neither the Parish Council nor the PCC knew anything.
6. The Parish Council Accounts for the year ended 31st March, 2011 were approved and despatched to the external auditors and PAYE has been introduced for the Clerk’s salary.
7. Future meetings of the Parish Council in 2011 will be held on 20th July, 21st September and 16th November all in the Village Hall starting at 7.00 pm.
2. The Ordinary Parish Council Meeting which followed directly was attended by seven councillors, the Parish Clerk and two members of the public. The Chairman welcomed Cllr W.R.Chapman back after his recent illness.
3. The latest report from Anglian Water on the steps which they are taking to eliminate the sewage smell was well received. It seems to have been reduced.
4. The planning application for the rectory has been withdrawn largely, it is thought, as a result of the points raised by the Parish Council.
5. The War Memorial stabilisation project progresses. The Parish Clerk has applied for a 100% grant from Waste Recycling Environmental Ltd (WREN). The Pennycress Trust has made a grant of £200 which will be used to help pay WREN’s 11% land-fill fee; with luck the ultimate total cost to the Council should not exceed £140.
6. The chairman postponed a decision on the acquisition of additional grit bins until the Council’s financial situation is known having received this year’s precept payment. The War Memorial project will require the 11% fee payment and VAT which can, of course, ultimately be recovered. It is, however, anticipated that the grit bin for Eastmoor will be acquired this coming autumn.
7. The Chairman shelved any further consideration of installing speed limit signs for the foreseeable future in view of the expense involved should the Parish Council go ahead on its own. The Borough Council has no funds to spare at present; the cost of installing three sets of 30 mph signs would be in excess of £10,000.
8. Plans for the visit of our MP, Mrs Elizabeth Truss, on Friday 1st April 2011 were finalised. Afternote: The visit went off very well, the event being attended by three Parish Councillors, the Parish Clerk and ten members of the public.
9. The Parish Clerk’s salary and expenses will carry on at the present agreed rates, £8.919/hour for a six-hour week and a £10 per week flat rate for expenses. PAYE will come into effect in April 2011.
10. The next meeting of the Parish Council will be the Annual General Meeting on Wednesday, 11th May 2011 starting at 7.00 pm in the Village Hall and followed immediately by an Ordinary Meeting.
1. The density of housing is felt to be too great. This will in turn lead to parking problems as most families these days have two cars. There was considerable concern that parking Reduced density could possibly permit provision of double garages.
2. The Council is currently working with Anglian Water to try to remove the long-standing problem of sewage smell. This is particularly noticeable in Buttlands Lane. There is concern that additional sewage will exacerbate this problem.
3. There is some doubt over the proposal for the “affordable” unit as the application does not appear to have submitted the relevant Section 106 obligation to deliver one of the semis as an “affordable” unit. The Council wishes to have an assurance, enshrined in the Section 106 obligation, that this “affordable” unit should be available only for local need and, if none exists in Barton Bendish, is cascaded out to surrounding villages.
4. The scheme as presented is of good quality and proposes the use of appropriate materials that reflect the local vernacular. The Council would be seeking similar quality in the event of amendments to this proposed scheme.
5. The drawings of the three houses on Buttlands Lane are inconsistent in that one shows three driveways and another shows only two (only two gates detailed). Assuming, however, that three are proposed, Councillors would like this to be reconsidered; they feel that two drives on to Buttlands Lane should suffice.
6. The Council wishes to have re-assurance that the listed BT call-box (referred to as being “on the property”; it is on County Council property) and the village bench and sign would all be unaffected.
7. The Council was concerned that the Planning Department be reminded that this area of Barton Bendish is a site of significant archaeological potential and, as such, could merit the requirement that an archaeological assessment is carried out before planning permission is granted.
8. There are too many properties in the village owned by one party and then let which results in an over-large transient population; if it can be a valid condition, the Parish Council would prefer a requirement that the properties, when built, must be sold to owner/ occupiers only. It would be bad for the village if the development were sold en-bloc to one party who then let all the houses out on a rental basis.
9. Finally, a small point. The application includes the statement that Norwich is within easy reach using public transport. This is not true; there is only one bus to Swaffham every Saturday morning.
2. Anglian Water is continuing to address the sewage smell problem; another report is due in time for the next meeting in March.
3. There had been considerable concern about the fact that the Borough Council will be passing down to Parish Councils a share of the costs of the May elections. It is now clear that these costs will not be charged to Parishes until April 2012. This being so, it was decided that no increase in the precept for 2011 was necessary and that the 2010 precept of £4,600 be retained for a further year. It was felt that this would demonstrate that the Parish was playing its part in the fight against unnecessary increases in public expenditure.
4. The Parish Clerk has been pursuing the possibility of speed restriction signs for the village either in the form of 30 mph signs or flashing speed reminder signs. As it turns out the latter are very expensive, around £3,000 each, and the former need to be considered by a Borough Council committee which is currently very short of cash. The possibility of “Please Drive Slowly” signs, similar to that on The Lodge corner sign, being fitted to the village name boards is also being considered.
5. The need for gritting on Eastmoor Road, particularly at the junction with Oxborough Road, was raised. It is not possible to get this done by the road gritters so the alternative could be to have a grit-bin located at that corner. This again has cost implications which are being considered.
6. The quote for levelling up the War Memorial is £3,100 +VAT. The Parish Clerk is currently seeking sources of grant funding.
7. 5th May Elections: The Parish Clerk ran through the procedures connected with the nomination, election and installation of candidates for the position of Parish Councillor (7 vacancies). The Clerk will arrange to make candidate registration forms available to all who are interested; it is then up to the individual to complete them and return them to the Borough Council.
8. The dates of the next meetings of Barton Bendish Parish Council are:
a. Annual Parish Meeting (open to public) followed by Ordinary P C Meeting -
Wednesday, 16th March
The immediate post-election meeting for installation of the new Council and
AGM - Wednesday, 11th May, 2011
2. Anglian Water has taken action to remove the sewage smell and will be monitoring its success or failure in removing this problem. Input from villagers (to the Parish Clerk) would be appreciated in this respect.
3. The RAF has taken soil samples (early November) to establish whether or not aviation fuel has contaminated ground in and around the village. Their report is awaited.
4. County Cllr Rockcliffe gave a short presentation on the proposed King’s Lynn waste incinerator and answered questions from both Cllrs and members of the public. Some areas of concern, however, remained unanswered; it is therefore hoped that a representative of the preferred bidder for the contract may be able to attend a future meeting to address these areas.
5. The question of speed limit signs around the village was discussed. Cllr Rockcliffe supported the advice previously received from NCC that 30 mph signs would have little, if any, effect. He suggested that the possibility of installing flashing speed reminder signs on Beachamwell and Fincham Roads might be pursued. The Parish Clerk has done this and a reply is awaited from NCC.
6. The War Memorial list to right and rear was discussed. Cllr Rockcliffe suggested a contact which resulted in an on-site meeting between the Parish Council Chairman, the Parish Clerk and a representative from Uretek, a company which specialises in levelling structures. Their report and price estimate are awaited.
7. Our MP, Mrs E.Truss, will be visiting Barton Bendish early in 2011*. The Parish Clerk is currently arranging a suitable date with her office.
8. Mrs S.Brooking has been formally appointed as internal auditor for the Parish Council accounts.
9. The next meeting of the Parish Council will be on 12th January, 2011.
2. Three new Parish Councillors were co-opted as follows.
a. Mr J.R.Bostock; b. Mrs A.V.McAlister; c. Mrs P.A.Baird
3. Cllr J.R.Bostock was subsequently elected as the new Parish Council Chairman with Cllr P.A.Carter continuing as Vice-Chairman.
4. The Board showing Parish Council Chairmen from 1894 to 2010 is to be delivered on 11th October and will be mounted shortly in the Village Hall.
5. RAF Marham have replied regarding aircraft noise; they have said nothing that has not been said several times already. They are still investigating the fuel smell issue.
6. At the next Parish Council meeting on Wednesday, 17th November 2010 (starting at 7.00 pm) County Cllr R.Rockecliffe will be talking about the proposed re-cycling plant at Saddlebow which has raised considerable opposition. He will be accompanied by a speaker from the possible contractor.
2. As a result of the meeting arranged by the Parish Clerk for 8th June, Anglian Water has now produced a report on the action which they plan to take to remove the sewage smell which regularly affects the village. The Borough Council Environmental Health Dept is also planning a visit as a result of the recently submitted “smell logs”.
3. The Parish Clerk has written to the Station Commander at RAF Marham to register the villagers’ dismay at the way in which their complaints about noise and smell are virtually ignored by the RAF. An acknowledgement that these problems do indeed arise from the proximity of the airfield to the village has been requested as the very least they can do as this could assist villagers when applying to the Borough Council for a reduction in Council Tax (unlikely but possible!).
4. Forms have been requested from the Borough Council to complete regarding the constantly barking dog(s) within the village. The RSPCA will also be contacted.
5. A special item about the May 2011 Parish Council Elections will appear in the October issue of G4N. This will be asking for nominations for candidates who wish to stand for election as Parish Councillors.
6. The Parish Clerk explained in detail the nature and content of the Parish Clerk’s job in order to clear up the very apparent misconceptions held by some councillors which were revealed at the 14th July Council meeting. He clarified the nature of his contract, hours worked, salary due and expenses. He also pointed out that the recent increases in the Precept were made by the Council in spite of his proposed alternative of keeping the Precept unchanged and using funds carried forward from the previous year to meet the small shortfall created by a rise in other costs eg insurance premium, St Andrew’s donation, society subscriptions etc.
7. At the end of the meeting one parishioner made known, forcibly, her strongly held opinion that the Parish Councillors and their Chairman were totally ineffective. The result of this was that Councillors J. and E. Richardson resigned from the Council with effect from 16th July, 2010. Councillor W.R.Chapman (Snr) has also resigned for unconnected reasons.
8. The next meeting of Barton Bendish Parish Council will be on Wednesday, 8th September, 2010 in the Village Hall starting at 7.00 pm. The Parish Clerk has now posted notices requesting the names of people who would be willing to be co-opted on to the Parish Council; three new Councillors can then be co-opted at the meeting on 8th September and a new Chairman elected.
2. Norfolk Highways have been asked to action several items concerning the roads and
verges around Barton Bendish, including:
a. Hedge and verge trimming at the junction of White’s Road and the A1122.
b. Digging out of drainage traps on all roads.
c. Repairs to the verge beside Mason’s clamp on Fincham Road.
d. Repair to tarmac around manhole in Church Road.
3. Councillors Richardson and English are arranging an on-site meeting with Anglian Water to discuss the smell from the sewage plant.
4. A new gritting route for the village has been requested which will mean that the gritting lorry will turn left from the top of Fincham Road and come round through the village via Buttlands Lane and Church Road. It is hoped that this change will be implemented for next winter.
5. The Parish Council is still negotiating with BT and the Borough Council regarding the retention of the red telephone boxes in Barton Bendish and Eastmoor. There is no danger of losing them but the bureaucracy grinds on!
6. Councillor R. Lord has proposed that a board be prepared which shows the names of all the Chairmen of the Parish Council since it was created in 1894. The next issue of Group Four will contain this list and the Council would be very grateful if those whose memories go back far enough could check name spellings, dates in office, etc and advise the Parish Clerk of any identified errors.
7. The Council took note of a letter from Ely Diocese regarding the future of the Rectory as it is not intended that any future vicar of St Andrews should live there. Correspondence on this matter is currently on-going between the Parochial Church Council and the Diocese.
8. The next meeting of the Parish Council will take place on Wednesday, 5th May, 2010 in the Village Hall. This will start with the Annual General Meeting which will be followed by an Ordinary Meeting.