Beckham East and West Parish Council

Page 269
Draft Minutes of East and West Beckham Parish Council
Annual General Meeting Held on Thursday 14th May 2026
Present. Cllrs. D. Barrass,(chairman), J. Dovey, G. Place. T. Toyn
County and District. Cllr. Callum Ringer. J. Stibbons (clerk)
The meeting opened at 7.10pm.
1. Apologies for absence. Cllr R. McNeil Wilson, R. Batt,
2. Election of Chairman and Vice-chairman for the coming year.
It was proposed by Cllr. Dovey that Cllr. McNeil Wilson should be asked to continue. This was seconded by Cllr. Place. There being no other nominations this proposal was approved.
It was proposed by Cllr. Toyn that Cllr. D. Barriss should continue as Vice-chairman. This was seconded by Cllr. Dovey and approved.
3. Declarations of Interest. Cllr. Barrass declared an interest in item 12.
4. The minutes of the meeting held on Thursday 12th March 2026. having been previously circulated, it was proposed by Cllr.Toyn that they be approved as correct. This was seconded by Cllr. Dovey and carried.
5. Matters arising from the Minutes.
The new notice boards have been installed. The council wanted to thank Stuart Thurtle, Geoff Place and Andrew Clarke for collecting the boards and fixing them in place.
The hut has been removed from the Playing Field.
6 There were no Comments and Questions on the agenda from members of the Public.
7. Reports County and District Ringer The chairman congratulated Cllr. Ringer on his recent election to the County Council.
Cllr Ringer began by detailing changes in County Council boundaries, The new Erpingham Division was created and he succeed in being elected as County Councillor for this division
This has been a quiet period for district council business due to elections. The report also touches on the County Council election results, the new council’s inexperience, and ongoing local issues.
Cllr. Ringer then commented on the updated A148 road safety proposals, presenting data on accident hotspots and a funded proposal to reduce the speed limit. The timeline for this implementation is uncertain, but it is expected to go through a consultation process. Other road safety initiatives in the wider network are mentioned, including funded and unfunded elements for crossing points and improvements to existing infrastructure like bus shelters and signage.
Cllr. Place reported that the seat in the playing field had been vandalised. It was agreed that the seat should be repaired and placed near the notice board on the Sheringham Road to replace the existing seat which needed to be removed for safety. 8 Update on Grant Applications. A further application cannot be made to Grantscape until the next application period has passed.
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Other funding opportunities are being investigated including a Lottery grant and funding from the County Councillor.
The grants committee will meet and report to the next meeting.
9. Planning . There was no planning applications received after the publication of the agenda.
10. Bulletin. It was suggested that the bin collection rota for East and West Beckham should be included as not everyone has online access.
11. Playing Field Safety Inspection by Playsafety is scheduled for June.
At the March meeting the insurance renewal cover was discussed as the player equipment was quite a large amount. It was decided to reduce the equipment cover and include cover for the new fence.
When contacted, the insurers could not agree to do this until we informed them which play equipment we were reducing, Were we destroying it? Was it staying there? If it is staying there and is no longer in a satisfactory condition it will not be covered by the policy.
The clerk added the cover for the fence for an extra charge on the premium without other changes.
The meeting agreed to discuss equipment safety and insurance at the next meeting after having seen the June Playsafety report.
12. Felbeck Trust Tree Nursery It was agreed to offer two plots on the East Beckham allotments at the same rent as the other allotment holders (I.e. £25 per plot).
13. Financial matters.
Bank Balances at 14/5/2026: —
Current a/c £4643.83 Savings a/c £537.47 Investment a/c £45036.37
Outstanding invoice to be approved and cheques signed
J. Stibbons Salary and expenses £803.83
HMRC PAYE £166.14
NALC Subscription £127.06
Zurich Insurance of Playing Field fence £75.73
Audit.
The Certificate of Exemption from full audit, The Accounting Statement and The Annual Governance Statement were approved by the meeting and signed by the chairman and clerk.
During the discussion of the Annual Governance Statement it was suggested that there was a need for a formal risk register, beyond individual risk assessments, to cover broader organizational risks.
The low interest rate on the current bank account is also discussed, with the decision to defer further discussion on Insignis and the interest rate to a future meeting. The meeting concludes with a brief mention of the Ramblers Association’s request for parish councils to audit footpaths.
14. Correspondence
The Ramblers Association’s request for the parish councils to audit footpaths was noted.
15. Matters for information only or for the next agenda.
Use of Notice Boards Risk Register.
There being no further business the chairman closed the meeting at 8.37pm
The next meeting of Beckham Parish Council will be held on Thursday 9th July 2026

Page 267

Draft Minutes of East and West Beckham Parish Council
Meeting Held on Thursday 12th March 2026

Present. Cllrs. R. McNeil Wilson, (chairman),D. Barrass, R. Batt, J. Dovey. G. Place, T. Toyn,
County Cllr. E. Vardy, Dist. Cllr. Callum Ringer. Stibbons (clerk)

The chairman opened the meeting at 7.00pm.

1. There were no apologies for absence.

2. There were no declarations of interest

3. The minutes of the meeting held on Thursday 8th January 2026. having been previously circulated, it was proposed by Cllr. Dovey that they be approved as correct. This was seconded by Cllr. Barrass and carried.

4. Matters arising from the Minutes.
Two notice boards have been delivered and will be installed during the next week.
The Felbeck Trust agreement has been signed by both parties and will be deposited with the clerk.

5. There were no comment or questions on the agenda from members of the pubic.

6. Reports from Councillors
County Cllr. E. Vardy from May 7th budgets will be in place for small grant applications from parish councils. These will cover Highways or other community benefits. Grants payable are up to £2500, any amount over this to be raised by Croud Funding. Submissions for grants should be made to the County Councillor for the district. Cllr. Vardy left the meeting at 7.16pm

District Cllr. Callum Ringer An update meeting to discuss the A148 is planned for 19th March. Funding is now in place for a 50mph speed limit from Holt to Felbrigg. A final decision awaits consultation with Norfolk County Council.
Planning permission for a round-about at the top of Holway Road has been approved but funds are not available for construction.
North Norfolk District Council have no power over an independent school trust. With the planned closure of the sixth form at Sheringham it will be difficult for pupils from Beckham to travel to North Walsham.
From February 2027 there will be a weekly collection of food waste in North Norfolk.

7. Horsey 3 Community Fund. Cllr. Barriss (chairman of the grants committee)
The grant application has been refused with no reason given. It was agreed to maximise input from other grants and fund raising before re-submitting the application. This would allow for a smaller amount of grant to be requested.

8. Planning. There were no Planning applications to be considered at this meeting.

9. Playing Field. Safety inspection completed. The Hut will be removed.
An email was received from Finding Fitness with the offer of obtaining a grant for the installation of a Monkey Challenge wall. Further enquiries are to be made.

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10. Policy Statements.
Copies of the following updated policies had been sent to members. These included:-
Data Protection, Freedom of Information, Financial Regulations, IT Policy, Risk Management, and Standing Orders.
It was proposed by Cllr. Toyn that these updated policies be approved and adopted. This was seconded by Cllr. Dovey and approved by the meeting.

11. Insurance review.
Insurance cover from April 2026 to March 2027 is due for renewal. Included in the list of additional items covered was a sum of £24156.09 for Playground equipment but there was no cover for the new fence and gate.
It was agreed that Zurich be asked to reduce the cover on equipment by half to include cover for the fence.

12. GDPR review
The meeting was informed that the necessary, signed, agreements needed to comply with GDPR would be reviewed to ensure they were current.
The only details held were those of allotment tenants.

13. Financial matters.
Bank Balances at 12/3/2026.
Current a/c £4815.23 Savings a/c £534.47 Invest a/c £45036 (+£130.78 interest)
The following outstanding invoice are due for approval and payment:-
Greenbarnes Ltd. Noticeboards £2342.76
Zurich Insurance Renewal £666.64
Village Hall Hire (Jan26) £36

Repairs are needed to the water collection tanks on the allotment.
The meeting approved a sum of £100 for repairs.

14 Investment returns.
Cambridge Building Society, who hold the council reserves are not paying a satisfactory return.
The chairman suggested that the council considers placing funds with Insignis.
Insignis gives access to a range of savings products from a panel of UK Banks and Building Societies, all through a single platform. Deposits would be placed on the Parish Council instructions thus managing cash across multiple institutions efficiently.
The chairman will investigate further.

It was agreed to set up internet banking if possible. Any transactions to be approved and posted.

15. Matters for information only or the next agenda.
Agenda items:- Bulletin contributions. Insurance update
Felbeck Trust. Select an area for a tree nursery.

There being no further business the chairman closed the meeting at 7.54 pm.

The Annual General Meeting of Beckham Parish Council will be held on Thursday 14th May 2026

Page 265
Draft Minutes of East and West Beckham Parish Council
Meeting Held on Thursday 8th January 2026
Present. Cllrs. R. McNeil Wilson, (chairman),D. Barrass, R. Batt, J. Dovey. G. Place, T. Toyn, J. Stibbons (clerk)
The chairman opened the meeting at 7.00pm.
1. Apologies for absence. County Cllr. E. Vardy, Dist. Cllr. Callum Ringer.
2. There were no declarations of interest
3. The minutes of the meeting held on Thursday 13th November 2025. having been previously circulated, it was proposed by Cllr. Toyn that they be approved as correct. This was seconded by Cllr. Dovey and carried.
4. Matters arising from the Minutes.
The latest edition of the Bulletin has been delivered.
The two new noticeboards have been ordered.
5. There were no comments or questions on the agenda from members of the pubic.
6. Reports from Councillors
Written reports from County Cllr. Vardy and Dist. Cllr, Ringer were circulated to members, both councillors unable to attend due to illness.
7. Horsey 3 Community Fund. Cllr. Barriss (chairman of the grants committee)
Cllr. Barrass reported that further details were required by Grantscape to clarify certain details of the application. Replies have been sent. Also, a letter of support from District Councillor Ringer.
It was suggested that the necessary quotations for equipment should be prepared. If this application is not successful, then necessary details will be in place to try again.
Cllr, Dovey agreed to obtain the necessary quotes.
8. Planning . There were no Planning applications to be considered at this meeting.
9. Felbeck Trust The councillors had been sent copies of the ten-year rolling agreement with Felbeck Trust. This agreement is due for renewal. The agreement can be terminated if this becomes necessary.
It was proposed by Cllr. Dovey that the agreement should continue. This was seconded by Cllr. Batt and unanimously approved by the members.
The Chairman will sign two copies of the agreement on behalf of the Parish Council.
The completed copy will be retained on file.
10. Playing Field. D Barrass will make the inspection for January/February
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11. Policy Statements. (Updates) The clerk reported that there will be a new requirement as an
addition to Section 3 of the Annual Governance Statement.
This is referred to as Assertion 10.. .Its aim is to strengthen trust in local government by ensuring that digital communication and data handling are secure, accessible, and legally compliant. It mitigates risks of data breaches, loss of data, non compliance penalties, reputational damage, and ensures that public information is accessible in a fair and lawful way.
It aligns smaller authorities with modern expectations around digital governance and helps them to operate responsibly in an increasingly connected world.
In view of these new regulations it was decided to review, and update if necessary, all Beckham Parish Council policy statements, These policies, which, in their present form, have been approved by the Council in the past include Data Protection, Freedom of Information, Financial Regulations,
IT Policy, Risk Management and Standing Orders.
12. Felbeck Trust Donation It was proposed by Cllr. Place that a donation of £300 should be
made as in past years. This was seconded by Cllr. Toyn and approved by the meeting.
13. Financial matters.
Bank Balances at 8/1/2026.
Current a/c £2398.23 Savings a/c £534.47 Invest a/c £47607 (+£923.92 interest)
The following outstanding invoice are due for approval and payment:-
J. Stibbons Salary and expenses £803.83
HMRC PAYE £166.14
Felbeck Trust Donation £300
S. Thurtle Ground Maintenance £808
14. Correspondence
There has been no correspondence received since the last meeting.
There being no further business the chairman closed the meeting at 7.54 pm.
The next meeting of Beckham Parish Council will be held on Thursday 8th January 2026

Page 263

Draft Minutes of East and West Beckham Parish Council
Meeting Held on Thursday 13th November 2025

Present. Cllrs. R. McNeil Wilson, (chairman),D. Barrass R. Batt, J. Dovey. G. Place, T. Toyn,
Dist. Cllr. Callum Ringer. J. Stibbons (clerk)

The chairman opened the meeting at 7.00pm.

1. Apologies for absence. County Cllr. E. Vardy

2. There were no declarations of interest

3. The minutes of the meeting held on Thursday 18th September 2025. having been previously circulated, it was noted that Cllr. Batt had agreed to deliver Daffodil bulbs to the new residents of the affordable housing complex. This was not recorded in the draft minutes. After this amendment was agreed it was proposed by Cllr. Toyn that they be approved as correct. This was seconded by Cllr. Dovey and carried.

4. Matters arising from the Minutes.
No applications have been made to fill the vacancy for a Parish Councillor.
Two possible names were suggested, and further enquiries will be made.

5. There were no comment or questions on the agenda from members of the pubic.

6. Reports from Councillors
Cllr. Ringer. There is to be a new allocations policy for affordable homes, but this does not involve many changes.
Bodham parish council have been briefly running the village hall due to the resignation of the former committee. A new committee has now been appointed and includes two members from Beckham.
A partnership between adjoining parishes to purchase a SAM3 was being discussed. An initial contribution of £500 per parish was being considered to start. Awaiting comments from other likely councils before this can be taken further.

7. Horsey 3 Community Fund. Cllr. Barriss (chairman of the grants committee) The completed draft application had been sent to members.
It was suggested that bird, bat, and owl boxes should be included on the allotment.
A static B.B.Q. could be installed and access improved for wheel chairs. It could also be useful if Felbeck Trust were involved.
The village survey conducted before the first grant from Hall Farm Solar was still relevant and could be used if necessary.
A minimum contribution of 20% from the Parish Council was necessary.
The draft application suggested that a contribution from the Parish Council of 30% was more likely to receive a positive reception. After further discussion it was proposed by Cllr. Toyn that the contribution should be 30%. This was seconded by Cllr. Wilson and unanimously approved.
Cllr. Barrass will submit the completed application before the deadline.

8. Planning. There were no Planning applications to be considered at this meeting.

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P
9. Bulletin.
The Bulletin is almost ready for publication.
Some new volunteers for distribution would be appreciated

10. Playing Field. Discussed in item 7.

11. Notice Boards Cllr Barrass had details of a double-door notice board in composite material for £1000. It was agreed that two notice boards were needed.
It was proposed by Cllr. Place that the two boards should be purchased. This was seconded by Cllr Wilson and unanimously agreed by the members present.

12. Clerks’ salary review A copy of the Local Government Services Pay Agreement 2025/26 was presented to the meeting. This shows that the LC1substansive benchmark from the annual pay agreement for employees on SCP12 has risen to £14.82 per hour.
It was proposed by Cllr. Dovey that this rate should be approved. This was seconded by Cllr. Toyn and agreed by the councillors. It was noted that this was the clerks first salary increase since 2022.

13. Financial matters.
Bank Balances at 13/11/25: –
Current a/c £4204.17 Savings a/c £1805.20 Investment a/c £47607.89 + interest £773.27
The following invoices due for approval and payment.
West Beckham Church Grant (3rd of 3) £1000
Bodham & Beckham village hall Rent £54
J. Stibbons Salary and expenses £803.83
HMRC PAYE £166.14

14. Budgets for 2026/27 The proposed budget for 2026/27 was presented to the meeting.
After discussing the budget forecasts, it was proposed by Cllr. Toyn that the precept for 2026/27should be £5750. This was seconded by Cllr. Batt and approved.
This was an increase of £750, but it was noted that, due to the ten new houses being built in the parish the actual amount per household would not greatly increase.

15. Correspondence The following correspondence was received:

The County Councillors report was circulated to members.

A Police request for support with Operation Radium. This is a plan to try and combat Courier Fraud. The object is to respond quickly when there is a spike in Courier Fraud within a specific area over a short period. The Parish Council agreed to participate. The clerk will be the point of contact to receive trigger alerts from the police and share these promptly with the list of contacts.

There being no further business the chairman closed the meeting at 9.24 pm.

The next meeting of Beckham Parish Council will be held on Thursday 8th January 2026

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Draft Minutes of East and West Beckham Parish Council
Meeting Held on Thursday 18th September 2025

Present. Cllrs. R. McNeil Wilson, (chairman),D. Barrass R. Batt, J. Dovey. G. Place, T. Toyn,
Dist. Cllr. Callum Ringer. J. Stibbons (clerk)

The chairman opened the meeting at 7.03pm.

1. Apologies for absence. County Cllr. E. Vardy

2. There were no applications to fill the vacancy on the Parish Council. Members will make further enquiries to find a suitable candidate.

3. There were no declarations of interest

4. The minutes of the meeting held on Thursday 11th July 2025. having been previously circulated, it was proposed by Cllr. Toyn that they be approved as correct. This was seconded by Cllr. Batt and carried.

5. There were no Matters arising from the Minutes.

6. There were no comment or questions on the agenda from members of the pubic.

7. Reports from County, District and Parish Councillors
Dist. Cllr. C. Ringer Bodham and Beckham Village Hall committee has resigned. A new committee is to be formed. Members form East and West Beckham are also needed to be included on this new committee. A meeting to form a new committee has been called for 29th September and a full meeting of the new committee will be held in February or March 2026.
The full written report from Councillor Ringer, sent to members before the meeting, is attached at the end of these minutes.

8. Horsey 3 Community Fund. Cllr. Barriss (chairman of the grants committee) preposed six pieces of play equipment costing about four thousand pounds each should be included in the total figure of the application. Costings are also being prepared for the Allotment access, the water saving scheme and the provision of Family allotments and a community orchard. Full costings will be available at the next parish council meeting.
This general plan was approved by the meeting and the final proposals will be discussed and confirmed at the November meeting.

9. Planning. There were no Planning applications to be considered at this meeting.

10. Bulletin. The need for new committee members for the Village Hall to be publicised.
It would also be useful to have events at The Wheatsheaf and church services published

11. Playing Field. The Playsafety report was discussed. It was agreed that no action should be taken until the outcome of the grant application was known.

12. Notice Boards. Quotations for replacement notice boards are to be considered at the next meeting.

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13. Financial matters.
Bank Balances at 18/9/25: –
Current a/c £1704.17 Savings a/c £1799.23 Investment a/c £47607.89 + interest £670.55
There were no invoices due for payment at this meeting.

14. Correspondence The following correspondence was received:
A letter of thanks for the donation to the Air Ambulance

There being no further business the chairman closed the meeting at 8.42pm

The next meeting of Beckham Parish Council will be held on Thursday 13th November 2025

District Councillor Report – Cllr Callum Ringer
September 2024
Local Government Reorganisation
On 17 September, I will be voting on the council’s position regarding the Government’s proposals for local government reorganisation. The expectation is that NNDC will continue to object to the
process entirely, as many of us feel it is being imposed without sufficient local input or
consideration. However, we also have to face the reality that reorganisation will go ahead, and the
council is therefore likely to support a three-unitary council approach as the most workable model
for Norfolk should it proceed.

West Beckham Affordable Housing
It was a real pleasure to welcome so many parish councillors to the new affordable housing site in
West Beckham during early August. I hope this visit acts as a catalyst for similar future schemes
Across the district. These are known as “exception” schemes—they can only be delivered on land not normally allocated for housing, and they require a local connection for those applying. This ensures that homes go to people with genuine ties to the parish or surrounding area. I am very pleased to report that in Beckham, families have now been assigned properties and will be moving in shortly—a positive step in addressing local housing need.

Progress on the A148 Road Safety campaign
Since the tragic fatalities of Sheila and Campbell Welsh, I along with other local councillors and Steff
Aquarone have called for a comprehensive review of the A148 from Holt Roundabout through to the
Felbrigg Roundabout. Following a stakeholder meeting in February highways agreed to this. Over
the summer highways have been reviewing traffic data – not just vehicle movements but pedestrian
and cyclists too. £20k has been extracted from the developers of the old Pineheath nursing home
which will specifically contribute towards enhanced pedestrian crossing. Draft proposals should be
known later in the Autumn but the final sign off – we are told – will need to await any
recommendations from the inquest for which no date has been set.

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Graveyards at Risk of Coastal Erosion

Across England, a number of coastal graveyards are at risk of loss to erosion, including three in
Happisburgh, Trimingham and Mundesley. In response, Coastwise, working with the Diocese of
Norwich, has commissioned a study looking at policies, legislation, and practical options for
communities facing this issue.
Graveyards are of deep cultural and emotional significance, yet there are currently no plans in place
to manage them when threatened by erosion. The report sets out potential options—ranging from
doing minimum, defending, ceasing use, relocating, or long-term management—and highlights the
importance of community involvement in decision-making.
Workshops and engagement events will continue in coastal communities to help shape local
transition plans, ensuring respectful and proactive approaches for the future.

Norfolk Churches Trust Sponsored Cycle Ride
On Saturday 13 September, the annual Norfolk Churches Trust Cycle Ride took place, raising vital
Funds to support the upkeep of our churches. I cycled on behalf of Bodham Church, and if you’d still like to sponsor me, I’ve included a link below.
It was a wonderful community event — we cycled 60 miles, taking in 50 churches along the way. We are very grateful to all our sponsors for their support, and I’d also like to congratulate everyone who took part across the county.
https://www.justgiving.com/page/callum-kathryn-bodhamchurch

Email: callum.ringer@north-norfolk.gov.uk
I’m always happy to deal with any issues between meetings—please don’t hesitate

 

 To all members of the Beckham Parish Council     

A Meeting  of E. & W. Beckham Parish Council 

will be held on Thursday 18^th September 2025 at 7.00 pm 

J. Stibbons   Clerk to the Council 11^th September 2025                                                                                                                                                                                                           

The Public are invited to attend the above meeting

AGENDA 

1. Apologies

2. To consider any apploications for Co-option to the council

3. Declarations of interest.

4. To approve the minutes of the meeting held on Thursday 10^th July 2025.

5. Matters arising from the Minutes.

6.    Comments and Questions on the agenda from members of the public.

7. Reports from County, District or Parish Councillors.

8 Horsey 3 Community Fund. (Update)

8.    Planning. To consider any appliations received after the publication of this agenda

9. Bulletin. Suggestions of future items for inclusion.

10. Playing Field.   Report from Playsafety    Safety Inspection Sept/Oct J. Stibbons

11. Notice Boards

12. Financial matters. Bank Balances at 18/9/2025:– 

Current a/c £1704.17  Savings a/c £1799.23   Invest a/c £47607.89 (+£670.55 interest)

There were no outstanding invoice to be approved   

13. Correspondence The following correspondence was sent to members by email:-

Letter of thanks from East Anglian Air Ambulance  

14. Matters for information only or for the next agenda

Page 258

Draft Minutes of East and West Beckham Parish Council

 Meeting Held on Thursday 10^th July 2025

Present. Cllrs. D. Barrass (chairman), R. Batt, G. Place, T. Toyn,     

              Dist. Cllr. Callum Ringer.  J. Stibbons (clerk)

The chairman opened the meeting at 7.00pm. 

The meeting was given the sad news that Bob Lewis passed away at Priscilla Bacon Hospice in Norwich last evening. All the councillors expressed their condolences. Bob has been a member of Beckham parish council for several years and he will be greatly missed.

It was agreed that a donation of fifty pounds in remembrance of Bob should be made to the Priscilla Bacon Hospice. 

The funeral will be at 12 noon on Friday, 8th August, at Cromer Crematorium. 

1.            Apologies for absence. Cllrs. R. McNeil Wilson, J. Dovey

2. There were no declarations of interest

3.   The minutes of the meeting held on Thursday 8^th May 2025. having been previously circulated, it was proposed by Cllr. Toyn that they be approved as correct. This was seconded by Cllr. Place and carried.

4. Matters arising from the Minutes. A padlock has been placed on the playing field gate. The combination was given to the members present.

5. There were no comment or questions on the agenda from members of the pubic.

6. Reports from County, District and Parish Councillors

Dist. Cllr. C. Ringer SAM2 and SAM3 speed cameras are now available. A group of three or four councils would need to make the project viable. Cllr Ringer is investigating if there are enough councils interested. This will be taken further if there is seen to be a need. Beckham parish council will consider the idea but were not committed at present.

Bidding for the Affordable homes is in progress. These will be allocated to applicants who have a local connection. The district councillor does not have any influence in the selection of tenants.

The District Councillor had suggested some improvements to the Affordable Housing project, including the provision of a bicycle rack at Bodham.

An up-to-date report on the Wheatsheaf ACV will be sent to councillors soon.

7. Horsey 3 Community Fund. It was intended to have detailed proposals to submit to the September meeting.

8.     Planning. There were no Planning applications to be considered at this meeting.

9. Bulletin. Reports are being sought for the November publication.

10. Playing Field. The Playsafety report was difficult to open. Its findings will be discussed at the September meeting.

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11. Allotments Fourteen plots out of the twenty-four  are let and rents paid.

12. Notice Boards. Quotations for replacement notice boards  are to be considered at the next meeting.

13. Financial matters.

Bank Balances at 10/7/25: –

Current a/c £3633.17 Savings a/c £1793.27 Investment a/c £47607.89 + interest £569.93

There following invoices were approved and cheques signed.

J. StibbonsSalary and expenses£664.60

HMRCPAYE£140

DonationAir Ambulance£100 (already approved)

PlaysafetyInspection£96

NALCWeb hosting£84

Village HallHire fee (3 meetings)£54

Priscilla Bacon HospiceRemembrance of Bob Lewis£50

14. Correspondence The following correspondence was received:

NNDCDevolution informatio0n

15. Matters for information only or for the next agenda.

Notice of change of date. The next meeting of Beckham Parish Council will be held on Thursday 18^th September, not 11^th September as originally advertised.

There being no further business the chairman closed the meeting at 8.08pm

The next meeting of Beckham Parish Council will be held on Thursday 18^th September 2025

  Page 256

Draft Minutes of East and West Beckham Parish Council   

 Meeting Held on Thursday 8^th May 2025

Present. Cllrs. R. McNeil Wilson, (chairman), R. Batt, J. Dovey, G. Place. T. Toyn 

 Mr.&Mrs.P. Spurgeon, (Village Hall Committee)   Dist. Cllr. Callum Ringer.                J. Stibbons (clerk)

The meeting opened at 7.10pm. 

1.            Apologies for absence. Cllr.D. Barrass, P.C. Hayton

2. Election of Chairman and Vice-chairman for the coming year.

It was proposed by Cllr. Batt that Cllr. McNeil Wilson should be asked to continue. This was seconded by Cllr. Dovey. There being no other nominations this proposal was approved.

It was proposed by Cllr. Toyn that Cllr. D. Barriss should continue as Vice-chairman. This was seconded by Cllr. Place and approved.

3. There were no Declarations of Interest.

4. The minutes of the meeting held on Thursday 13^th March 2025. having been previously circulated, it was proposed by Cllr.Toyn that they be approved as correct. This was seconded by Cllr. Place and carried.

5. Matters arising from the Minutes. Land registry. Enquiries were made to ascertain the cost of registering the Nature Area, the West Beckham Old Allotments, and the East Beckham common. The registration would need to be undertaken by a solicitor, could be involved, and costly.

It was decided not to progress registration at present.

The large pothole near the Village Green has been filled in.

6 There were no Comments and Questions on the agenda from members of the public and former committee members of the Solar Community Fund.

7. Reports    District Councillor C. Ringer

A date is to be confirmed and invitations sent to Parish Councillors for the official opening of the Broadland Housing development.

See full report at the end of these minutes for complete report – including          . 

The Reorganisation of Local Government.

Funding to support North Norfolk businesses and communities.

Consultation on Dog control measures.

Norfolk Marathon and Little Lift run.

     

8 Horsey 3 Community Fund. A further meeting is to be held soon.

9.    Planning. There was no planning applications received after the publication of the agenda.

10. Bulletin. There was a request from the editor of the Bodham monthly newsletter to amalgamate with Beckham in future issues. The cost would be £10 per month for seventy-five copies.

As the Beckham Bulletin was a popular publication it was decided to keep publication of the bulletin and join with Bodham for the newsletter.

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11. Playing Field      Safety Inspection by Playsafety is scheduled for June.

The shed needs to be removed and will be investigated by the Chairman.

Cllr. Place was asked to purchase three combination locks for the new gates.

12. Allotments This is to be included in the July agenda

13. Notice Boards. To be discussed at the next meeting.

14. Financial matters.

Bank Balances at 8/5/2025: — 

Current a/c £3633.17    Savings a/c £1793.27          Investment a/c £47557.93

The Certificate of Exemption from full audit, The Accounting Statement and The Annual Governance Statement were approved by the meeting and signed by the chairman and clerk.

Outstanding invoice to be approved and cheques signed.

J. Stibbons Salary and expenses £664.60

HMRC PAYE £140

15. Donations        A donation of £100 to the Air Ambulance was approved.

 

16. Correspondence The following correspondence was sent to members by email: –

NNDC – Devolution information.

17. Matters for information only or for the next agenda.

The Chairman of the Bodham and Beckham village hall asked the meeting why a bicycle rack was

being installed in the village hall car park. This will further restricted parking places and the village hall

committee was not consulted. It was understood that the rack is being provided by the Affordable

Housing project on Sheringham Road, West Beckham. The rack is thought to be in place of a waste bin

store at the Sheringham Road site. 

The councillors felt that if this was the case it was unfair on the future residents of the new

development. The clerk. was instructed to arrange a site meeting between the Parish Council, a

representative of Broadland Housing and a representative from the NNDC planning department.

There being no further business the chairman closed the meeting at 8.37pm

The next meeting of Beckham Parish Council will be held on Thursday 10^th July 2025

 

Dist. Cllr. C. Ringer Councillor Report May 2025

Reorganisation of Local Government

There have been some important developments recently around the way local councils in Norfolk are set to change.

District Council Response: North Norfolk District Council has now voted to object to the government’s plans for Local Government Reorganisation. If the changes are forced through, our preferred option is for three new unitary councils in Norfolk to retain some local accountability. Norfolk County Council favour a single county authority.

It was slightly ridiculous that NNDC Conservative councillors abstained from this important vote.

From Three Tiers to… Three Tiers?

The current system of Parish/Town, District, and County Councils would be replaced by:

• Parish/Town Councils (unchanged),
• New Unitary Councils combining district and county responsibilities,
• A Combined County Authority with an elected Mayor for Norfolk and Suffolk.

Although this keeps the same number of layers, in reality it centralises power, making local decision-making more distant.

Cancelled Elections

Norfolk County Council elections, which were due to take place last week, were cancelled—requested by the Conservative-run County Council and approved by the Labour government. Liberal Democrats strongly opposed this move. It undermines democratic accountability at a time when major structural changes are underway.

North Norfolk District Council’s current term runs for another two years.

Parishes and the Future

Parish and Town Councils will remain, and some are already considering sharing clerks or collaborating to save costs and manage staffing challenges. This is something for parishes to explore locally.

What’s Next?

NNDC and Norfolk County Council are expected to cease to exist later this decade, replaced by the new unitary authorities. Boundaries are still under discussion, and draft 1/2/3 tier models still under discussion. 

I remain concerned that these changes are being designed without enough understanding of rural communities. In particular there are concerns that there is no reference to tourism and coastal protection from government, both key issues here in North Norfolk. This issue won’t go away, and I’ll continue to update you.

New Funding Secured to Support North Norfolk Businesses and Communities

North Norfolk has been awarded an additional £842,354 from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), to be used by March 2026. This follows the successful delivery of business and community support programmes funded through UKSPF and the Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF) between 2023 and 2025.

Achievements from Previous Funding Round (2023–2025):

• 1500 local businesses received direct support.
• £2.7 million in government funding was used.
• £5.5 million in total investment was generated through match funding.
• Projects supported jobs, skills training, climate resilience, and rural community development.

The delivery was led by the Council’s Economic Growth Team, who previously won awards for their pandemic-era business grant work. Their effective, partnership-led approach has been praised for more than doubling the original investment value and creating long-lasting benefits for residents.

Plans for the 2025/26 UKSPF programme will be released soon. Updates and case studies can be found on the Invest North Norfolk website, where parish councils and residents can also register for news on upcoming support initiatives.

Rural Services Network – Monthly grantfinder digest

The RSN publishes a monthly list of grants that are available to rural parishes and towns. Not all of these will be relevant but there are some that may well be to you or to village halls, playing fields and churches within your village, so do share. This link is for April, and the May list is due imminently: Rural Funding Digest – April 2025 – Rural Services Network https://rsnonline.org.uk/rural-funding-digest-April-2025

Public Space Protection Orders for dogs: 

North Norfolk District Council is currently carrying out a public consultation about our dog control orders, which are currently in place across our non-coastal public areas. The Council is legally required to review our dog orders every three years. In 2022, the orders were reintroduced to restrict dogs from being present or to be on leads within certain public areas.

The orders below expire on 11 June 2025. The Council is considering extending them for a further three years. Under the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act (2014), the Council must carry out a public consultation and consider the views of the public and other associated bodies before implementing its decision.

The consultation is open from Wednesday 30 April 2025 and closes on Tuesday 13 May 2025 at 11.59pm. Any comments after this time will not be considered.

You may respond to the consultation as an individual, public body, or organisation.

The consultation webpage with the link to the consultation web form is now live on the website here: Home | PSPOs on dog restrictions for non-coastal public areas. The webpage has also been added to the consultation page: Home | Council consultations

Norfolk Marathon & Little Lifts 10k run

At the start of April, I completed my first ever marathon — the Norfolk Marathon — in a time of 4 hours, 28 minutes and 9 seconds. It was a tough course (turns out Norfolk isn’t as flat as people say!), and by the end I could barely move. But I’m proud to have got round it, and even prouder to have raised £1,185 for Bodham Playing Field Charity. With Gift Aid, that total should be closer to £1,400 — a really welcome boost for the upkeep and improvement of this valued village space.

Then, 13 days later, I took part in the Little Lifts 10K run, which started and finished at Barningham Hall. It was a fantastic event — really well organised, with a great atmosphere — and it felt brilliant to support a locally organised run taking place entirely within the Gresham Ward. Huge credit to everyone involved in putting it together.

Thank you again to everyone who supported my fundraising efforts and cheered me on — whether from the roadside or from afar. It’s been (mostly) a pleasure to do something active that also benefits the community.

Litter Picking equipment:

Don’t forget, NNDC have signs, pickers, hoops, and sacks for community litter picks.  These can be borrowed from NNDC by emailing clearing-house-norfolk.gov.uk – Please agree with them a location where you will leave any collected waste and SERCO will collect this.

  Page 253

Draft Minutes of East and West Beckham Parish Council

 Meeting Held on Thursday 13^th March 2025

Present. Cllrs. R. McNeil Wilson, (chairman), D. Barrass, R. Batt, J. Dovey, G. Place. T. Toyn 

Dist. Cllr. Callum Ringer.  J. Stibbons (clerk)

The chairman opened the meeting at 7.00pm. 

1.  Apologies for absence. Cllr.R. Lewis. 

2. There were no declarations of interest

3. There were no Comments and Questions on the agenda from members of the public.

4. Dist. Cllr. C. Ringer  

A Report from Broadland Housing was read to the meeting.

Both sites are progressing well internally and now moving onto external works, roads, driveways and landscaping. We are working towards a completion in Mid-May, all being well and with hopefully the end of the wet and cold weather.

We will be looking to host a formal opening ceremony at some point in the summer, after    completion and when we have a better steer of a fixed completion date and residents have moved in. In advance of that we are looking at holding a pre-completion community event. This is an opportunity for us to come to the Village Hall late afternoon/early evening, with some site layouts and floor plans to show people what we have been doing but mainly to try and tease out and inform residents who would be eligible to bid for the new homes under a local connection and let them know about the advertising process etc. It is our intention to hold this event 09 April, from 4-7, however, is still tbc while we make final arrangements.

Cllr. Ringer continued: – Between practical completion and the first lettings taking place we will have an opportunity to invites local councillors to both sites to have a visit – again date tbc but I will give you good notice when we have a proposed/fixed date.

I will chase this up, I was hoping that someone from Smiths would have made contact to discuss directly but leave it with me to finalise.

In addition, please again accept my apologies for the parking over the last couple of weeks. I have informed site this is unacceptable in the strongest possible terms.

Wheatsheaf. The application for creating an Asset of Community Value has been withdrawn as the landlords have bought the freehold.

The meeting agreed that the withdrawal of the application should have been decided by the parish council. There should have been an emergency meeting called.

It was proposed by the chairman that the application should be re-submitted. This was seconded by Cllr. Barrass and agreed by the members present.

Cllr. Place reported on the meeting that was held to discuss road safety on the a148.

Present.  Stefan Aquarone MP, (Chairman).  

Sarah Taylor, the Police and Crime commissioner for Norfolk  

Senior police officers and Norfolk County council highways department. 

Representatives of most of the parish councils along the A148 were also present.

Sarah Taylor has 25 years in transport and engineering experience which led to a national role in road safety she is an advocate for the safe system approach to road safety which is good towards preventing road deaths and serious injury rather than waiting for an accident to occur and then doing something about it which is a more Pro preventative and proactive approach

Page 254

From East and West Beckham parish council attention was drawn to the speed on the road, the quieter the road the higher the speed of many vehicles. 

Some people would sooner leave the village through Badham in preference to the Lodge Hill junction because of the lack of visibility and high speeds of oncoming traffic. 

It was queried how the 40 mile limit in High Kelling was instigated at the wind farm site and yet nothing can be done elsewhere on the road. 

Village bus services have been lost because of the reluctance of the drivers to cross the Sheringham Park junction. 

It was formerly agreed a full review of road safety on a148 would take place and councillor Callum Ringer would keep all parties informed. 

 

5.   The minutes of the meeting held on Thursday 9^th January 2025. having been previously circulated, it was proposed by Cllr. Batt that they be approved as correct. This was seconded by Cllr. Dovey and carried.

 

6.    There were no Matters arising from the Minutes.

 

7. Information Commissioners Office. It was proposed by Cllr. Barrass that Beckham Parish Council should register with the Information Commissioners Office. This was seconded by Cllr.Dovey and approved.

The fee  will be paid by direct debit.

 

8. Horsey 3 Community Fund. The committee met on Monday 3rd of February 2025

Present David Barris(chairman) Julia Dovey, Rosabelle Batt, John Stibbons. 

Object.  To take forward the application for funding from Horsey 3

After discussing the requirements needed for completing the application it was decided to consider two projects.

 Playing field. The renewal of existing equipment apart from the swings bracket and the rock band. The addition of further items to include half children’s and half adult fitness equipment. 

Allotments It was agreed that a community orchard and rewilding at the top of the allotments could be considered. The repair of the roadway would be necessary.

The notes from Grantscape detailing the requirements for completing the application stated:-

   The projects need community support, and they must demonstrate a benefit to the community and have an environmental benefit

Costings are to be obtained before the next meeting.

9.     Planning. 

PF/24/1570  Camp Farm Building, Osier Lane, West Beckham   Extension to commercial workshop to provide workspace and w/c on ground floor and first floor welfare space.

Full planning permission granted.

PO/23/2643 Land East of Williams Barn, Beckham Appeal against decision to refuse planning permission for erection of dwelling and car port

10. Bulletin.  

11. Playing Field.  The hedge on the roadside has been cut back to improve the vision splay from the affordable housing.

Page 255

12. Financial matters.

Bank Balances at 13/3/25: –

Current a/c £1857.08  Savings a/c £1793.27 Investment a/c £47607 + interest £175.30

There following invoices were approved and cheques signed.

Zurich Insurance£646.82

NALCSubscription£127.06

 13. Correspondence The following correspondence was received:

Letter of thanks from Community Transport for donation.

N. Norfolk local plan. Consultation

Horsey 3 newsletter

Banking Hub. Holt

 

14. Matters for information only or for the next agenda.

A discussion on registering the East Beckham allotments, the West Beckham old allotments and the Nature area with the Land Registry. The costs and necessary information required are to be investigated and reported to the next meeting.

Cllr. Place reported that a large hole had appeared on the verge next to the nature area. A car has already grounded and needed to be recovered. Highways to be informed.

 

There being no further business the chairman closed the meeting at 8.57pm

The next meeting of Beckham Parish Council will be held on Thursday 8^th May 2025

Page 251

Draft Minutes of East and West Beckham Parish Council
Meeting Held on Thursday 9th January 2025

Present.
Cllrs. R. McNeil Wilson, (chairman), D. Barrass, R. Batt, J. Dovey, G. Place. T.Toyn
Dist. Cllr. Callum Ringer. J.Stibbons (clerk)

The chairman opened the meeting at 7.00pm.

1. Apologies Cllr. Bob Lewis., County Cllr. E. Vardy

2. There were no declarations of interest

3. There were no Comments and Questions on the agenda from members of the public.

4. Dist. Cllr. C. Ringer
Cllr Ringer paid tribute to the late District Councillor Pierre Butikofer who died in December.
Consultations have begun to replace the County and District councils with a unitary Council for Norfolk.
Road safety. A public meeting is planned to discuss the speed limits on the A148. Details to be confirmed.
Cllr. Ringer is to contact Broadland Housing to inform them of the danger of workers cars being parked on the
Sheringham Road. This is on a difficult bend and when the sun is low in the sky it is impossible to see ahead.

County Cllr. E. Vardy. A written reports was received and is attached to these minutes.

5. The minutes of the meeting held on Thursday 14th November 2024. having been previously circulated, it was proposed by Cllr. Barrass that they be approved as correct. This was seconded by Cllr. Batt and carried.

6. There were no Matters arising from the Minutes.

7. Wheatsheaf. An email from the owner of the Wheatsheaf was read to the meeting stating that he was making a formal objection to the application to designate the Wheatsheaf as an Asset of Community Value (ACV). Over the past thirty years there have been many tenants putting in significant investments. All have had to cut their losses and admit defeat. The Wheatsheaf is now being run by a syndicate with the ambition of growing a viable and sustainable business.
Could the Parish Council indicate if any financial support could be made available.?
Cllr. Ringer pointed out that an ACV puts no burden in the parish council and if successful could be a material consideration in any future proposed change of use. The pub is an asset as it provides employment for local people. A survey could be taken to determine the opinions of the village.
It was unanimously agreed that a letter to the owner should be drafted and sent to all members for approval.

8. Horsey 3 Community Fund A committee is to be formed to bring forward detailed proposals to the council after further considerations of suitable projects for inclusion including the play equipment and the allotment.
The committee members will be David Barrass as chairman, Julia Dovey, Rosabelle Batt and John Stibbons.
The first meeting is to be arranged in early February.

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9. Planning.

PF/24/1570 Camp Farm Building, Osier Lane, West Beckham Extension to commercial workshop to provide workspace and w/c on ground floor and first floor welfare space.
The parish council supports this application.

PF/24/1571 Camp Farm Building, Osier Lane, West Beckham
Installation of ground mounted solar panels.
The parish council supports this application.

10. Bulletin. J. Dovey is to co-ordinate items for inclusion. Publication was suggested for May and November assuming this is suitable to Kathryn Lord. This to be confirmed.
This item will be included an future agenda.

11. Playing Field. It was noted that the gate, the seat and the kickboard will soon need replacing.
Inspection for February by D. Barrass

12. Financial matters.

Bank Balances at 14/11/24: –
Current a/c £2723.05 Savings a/c £2523.33 Investment a/c £47582 + interest £3.13
Cheques signed:-
J. Stibbons Salary and expenses £664.60
HMRC PAYE £140.40
S. Thurtle Grass maintenance for 2024 £834

13. Correspondence The following correspondence was received:
Letter of thanks from N. Norfolk Community Transport for the donation.

14. Matters for information only or for the next agenda.
The notice board on Sheringham Road has become unusable due to water ingress. A request for a replacement has been made to Broadland Housing as a good will gesture.
Prices for a replacement to be sought in the meantime.

The post with the timetable at the bus shelter has fallen down. NCC to be contacted,

The “Slow Down” signs on the A148, which should be activated by traffic entering the A148 from the Sheringham Road at Lodge Corner are not working. NCC Highways to be informed.

There being no further business the chairman closed the meeting at 8.49pm

The next meeting of Beckham Parish Council will be held on Thursday 13th March 2025