Beckham East and West Parish Council

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Draft Minutes of East and West Beckham Parish Council
Meeting Held on Thursday 14th November 2024

Present.
Cllrs. R. McNeil Wilson, (chairman), D. Barrass, R. Batt, J. Dovey, G. Place. Kathryn Lord (Beckham Bulletin). J.Stibbons (clerk)

The chairman opened the meeting at 7.00pm.

1. Apologies Cllr. Bob Lewis. Tracey Toyn, County Cllr. E. Vardy Dist. Cllr. Callum Ringer.

2. Cllr. Barrass declared an interest on items in agenda item 9. Felbeck Trust.

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

4. Reports.
Kathryn Lord The November edition of the Beckham Bulleting has been published. There was a considerable
amount of work to prepare the layout for publishing. More feedback from councillors and residents was
required for items to be included in future copies.
This will be discussed at future meetings with members providing copy.
Kathryn was thanked for the hard work she had put in to provide the publication. (Left the meeting at 7.26pm)

Dist. Cllr. C. Ringer A written reports was received and is attached to these minutes.

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

5. The minutes of the meeting held on Thursday 19th September 2024. having been previously circulated, it was proposed by Cllr. Batt that they be approved as correct. This was seconded by Cllr. Barrass and carried.
The chairman then signed the minutes.

6. Matters arising from the Minutes.
Broad land Housing have agreed to renew the chain-link fence around the playing field. It is hoped they will remove the old shed at the same time.
The Wheatsheaf has re-opened and is now being run by Joint tenants who live locally. It has not yet been confirmed if this is to be an Asset of Community Value (ACV).

7. Bulletin This item is to be included as an agenda item for future meetings to enable articles and ideas can be collected for future editions.

8. Horsey 3 Community Fund.
It was suggested that an application could be made as a Community package with the emphasis on health and well-being. This could include improvements to the play area and allotments.
A publication is to be prepared and circulated to the parish summarising what the grant is about and asking for suggestions It could be children and adults equipment for the play area or other items.
The Chairman is to inspect the play area and suggest items which need providing or replacing.
A final decision can then be taken, with costings, on what is to be included in the application.

9. Felbeck Trust. It was decided to renew the ten year agreement. The chairman is to inform the trust.
Cllr. Barrass reported that their donation from the parish council has helped to purchase the equipment required.

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10. Playing Field. As noted above, Broadland Housing have agreed to replace the chain link fencing.

11. Financial matters.
Bank Balances at 14/11/24:-
Current a/c £4517.05 Savings a/c £2523.33 Investment a/c £46440 + interest £942.63
Cheques signed:-
Bodham and Beckham Village Hall Grant £750
J. Stibbons Salary and expenses £664.60
HMRC PAYE £140.40
Chevertons Printing £85
Bodham and Beckham Village Hall Hire fee £54

Budget. The proposed Budget for 2025/26 was discussed. It was noted that donations were to be paid from investment interest.
It was proposed by Cllr. Dovey that the budgeted Precept amount of five thousand pounds (£5000) should be requested. This was seconded by Cllr. Batt and approved by the meeting.

12. Correspondence The following correspondence was sent to members by email:
North Norfolk Community Transport, A request for donation towards the cost of running the Community Transport.
This service includes Beckham within its catchment area. A local time-table is to be published in the next edition of the bulletin.
It was proposed by Cllr. Batt that a donation of £100 should be made. This was seconded by Cllr. Dovey and approved.

13. There were no matters for information only or for the next agenda.

There being no further business the chairman closed the meeting at 8.51pm

The next meeting of Beckham Parish Council will be held on Thursday 9th January 2025

Page 247

Draft Minutes of East and West Beckham Parish Council
Meeting Held on Thursday 19th September 2024

Present.
Cllrs. R. McNeil Wilson, (chairman), D. Barrass, R. Batt, J. Dovey, R. Lewis, G. Place, T. Toyn,
County Cllr. E. Vardy, PC. Jack Houghton, Mr.&Mrs. P. Spurgeon (Village Hall Committee) J.Stibbons (clerk)

The chairman opened the meeting at 7.00pm.

1. Apologies Cllr. Bob Lewis. Dist. Cllr. Callum Ringer.

2. Cllr. Barrass declared an interest on items in agenda item 8. Felbeck Trust.

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

4. Reports.
Dist. Cllr. C. Ringer A written reports was received and is attached to these minutes.

County Cllr. E. Vardy. Due to the election there was not much to report. Not many meetings had
been held. Due to the change of Government, devolution is unlikely to happen. Government funding
has also been withheld for the Holway Roundabout and a firm decision is awaited from the new
government.

PC. Jack Houghton. The priority issues for the Police at present are Anti-social Behaviour and Speeding. Speedwatch has become important in some areas. There was no crime reported in Beckham during the last quarter.
The next Police Priority meeting will be held at Sheringham on 17th October at 7pm.

Mr. Pat Spurgeon. The target for installing solar panels on the village hall has been reached.
The total cost is £16,500 of which Horsey 3 Project have given a grant of £13,200 and donations of £3808 have been received.

Broadland Housing. Further information regarding the renewal of the fence at the play area is awaited.

5. The minutes of the meeting held on Thursday 11th July 2024. having been previously circulated, it was proposed by Cllr. Toyn that they be approved as correct. This was seconded by Cllr. Dovey and carried.
The chairman then signed the minutes.

6. Matters arising from the Minutes.
Wheatsheaf. It was agreed that the Wheatsheaf was a good community resource. There was still some concern amongst councillors regarding the exact wording of the forms and what impact an ACV would have on the parish council.
It was proposed that a further meeting should be held, asking Cllr. Callum Ringer to be present, specifically to discuss the way forward.
The date will be the earliest which is suitable to Mr. Ringer who is abroad on holiday at the moment.
Dates suggested were 26th September or 3rd October

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7. Horsey 3 Community Fund.
David Barrass suggested that one area needing improvement was the allotments. It would be useful to have a wooden shed for storage and an improved water saving system.
Providing family plots could also be an asset as this would encourage younger children to take an interest in growing vegetables. Possibly some play equipment could be provided to encourage youngsters.

8. Felbeck Trust.
Felbeck Trust have asked for a donation of £1500 towards match funding for the purchase of a mower.
Also ask for the ten year lease, which has already been in place for five years to be extended to a ninety nine year lease.
It was proposed by Cllr. Dovey that a donation of £750 should be made towards the purchase of equipment and the lease should remain as a ten year lease which could be reviewed in the future and carried forward when the renewal date was approached.
This proposal was seconded by Cllr. Toyn and unanimously approved by the meeting.

9. Suggested articles for the Bulletin.
Cllr. Dovey noted the several suitable topics suggested and will liaise with Kathryn Lord in the preparation of the next edition.

10. Playing Field.
The inspection report by J. Dovey noted further deterioration of the kick board.
A reply is still awaited from Broadland Housing regarding the replacement of the fence.

11. Financial matters.
Bank Balances at 19/9/24:-
Current a/c £1967.05 Savings a/c £4556.29 Investment a/c £46440 + interest £771.15
Cheques signed:-
Felbeck Trust Grant towards mowing equipment £750
Beckham Church Grass maintenance grant (2ndyear) £1000

It was agreed that the above grants should be paid from the Savings account

12. Correspondence The following correspondence was sent to members by email:-
NNDC New Draft housing allocation scheme.
Bodham and Beckham Horticultural Show. A letter of thanks for sponsoring the show. Volunteers are being sought to run the show in 2025.

13. Matters for information only or for the next agenda.
It was noted that there had been a serious accident on the main road with four people taken to hospital.

There being no further business the chairman closed the meeting at 8.51pm

The next meeting of Beckham Parish Council will be held on Thursday 14th November 2024

Page 243

Draft Minutes of East and West Beckham Parish Council
Meeting Held on Thursday 11th July 2024

Present.
Cllrs. R. McNeil Wilson, (chairman), D. Barrass, R. Batt, J. Dovey, R. Lewis, G. Place, T. Toyn,
J.Stibbons (clerk)
The chairman opened the meeting at 7.00pm.

1. Apologies County Cllr. E. Vardy, Dist. Cllr. Callum Ringer.

2. There were no Declarations of interest on items in the agenda.

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

4. Reports.
Written reports were received from the County and District Councillors and are attached to these
minutes.
Felbeck Trust
The chairman and Cllr. Dovey had a meeting at the West Beckham Allotments with the Felbeck Trust.
The plants are looking in a very good condition.
A new information board has been installed.
The Felbeck Trust had come second at the recent annual Norfolk Biodiversity Awards for habitat creation / restoration work at W BOA – providing county-wide recognition.  They also came first in the Group awards.
Community relations with neighbouring residents at each of the sites is good.
No Turtle Doves have nested yet but they have started nesting on Kelling and Salthouse Heath. Qualified bird ringers are now working with the trust and have created net rides through the boundary hedges at WBOA which are closed off with slip rails when not in use.
Roe Deer have been visiting the site. Two ponds have been constructed on the site and a hide has been installed for use by members of the public.
East Beckham common has been opened up at the top (the South west corner of the common) and the volunteers have created a small dew pond and extra seating in this area.
The ten year programme will soon be completed. To maintain future grants they need more than a six year agreement with the Parish Council. Ideally a long-term agreement with match funding for the upkeep of the projects would be ideal.

Broadland Housing
It was noted that members of the Parish council were not invited to the opening of the Broadland Housing site. The Parish Council have been supporting the affordable housing developments.
It was noted that a bicycle rack will now be provided instead of a bin store and a second site access has now been created over the footpath.
The parish council agreed that as Mr. Ed Mumford-Smith was no longer involved in the project it would be helpful to invite his successor to the September parish council meeting.

5. The minutes of the meeting held on Thursday 9th May 2024. having been previously circulated, it was proposed by Cllr. Toyn that they be approved as correct. This was seconded by Cllr. Barrass and carried.
The chairman then signed the minutes.

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6. Matters arising from the Minutes.
Wheatsheaf. It was agreed to ask District Councillor Ringer to progress the application to establish an Asset of Community Value (ACV) If the Wheatsheaf is to stay open if needs a good tenant to make it successful.

7. Horsey 3 Community Fund.
Cllr. Barrass has investigated the requirements for application to the fund. There are several chances to bid and it would be beneficial to carefully consider what the most useful project would be to the parish.
Initial suggestions were play equipment, a sensory garden or outdoor exercise equipment. Improvement of the East Beckham allotment track was also suggested. One of the categories for consideration was special Nature and environment projects.
It was decided that councillors would each consider their own ideas and discuss at the next meeting in September. It was felt that any application should try to be unique. There would probably be many schemes for play areas and footpaths which would reduce the chance of our application being successful.

8 Gov.uk website There was no interest in having individual council emails for members.

9. Allotments
All the plots at the top of the track on the right have been cleared.
Plots near the car park need clearing but most other plots are fully let.

10. Playing Field
The bench is in poor condition.
It was agreed that any new purchases of play equipment made in the future should be metal, the wooden equipment is very prone to rot.

11. Financial matters.
Bank Balances at 11/07/2024:–
Current a/c £2060.65 Savings a/c £4556.29 Investment a/c £46440 + interest £524.42

The following invoices were approved for payment:-
J. Stibbons Salary and expenses £664.60
HMRC PAYE £140.40
Bodham Village Hall Rent £54
Playsafety Inspection £93.60

12. Village Hall
Bodham Parish Council have approved a grant of £750 towards the installation of solar panels on the village hall which Beckham parish council agreed to match.

13. Correspondence The following correspondence was sent to members by email:-
NALC News update
Ørsted’s Community Benefit Funds – Spring 2024 Newsletter

14. Matters for information only or for the next agenda.
The Horticultural Show will be held on Saturday 20th July.

There being no further business the chairman closed the meeting at 8.27pm

The next meeting of Beckham Parish Council will be held on Thursday 19th September 2024

Page 243

Draft Minutes of East and West Beckham Parish Council
Meeting Held on Thursday 9th May 2024

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

The meting opened at 7.20pm.

1. Apologies Cllrs, R. McNeil Wilson, R. Lewis, PC. J. Horton.

2. The clerk called for nominations for Chairman for the coming year.
It was proposed by D. Barrass that R. McNeil Wilson should continue as chairman.
This was seconded by J. Dovey and approved by the meeting.
It was proposed by G. Place that D. Barrass should be elected as Vice-chairman. This was seconded
by R. Batt and approved.

3. There were no declarations of interest.

4. The minutes of the meeting held on Thursday 14th March 2024 having been previously
circulated, it was proposed by J. Dovey that they be confirmed as an accurate record. This was
seconded by T. Toyn and approved by the members. The chairman then signed the minutes.

5. Matters arising from the Minutes. There was still no firm commitment from Broadland Housing
to replace the fence at the playing field. Ed. Mumford Smith has left Broadland Housing and is
replaced by Alf Williamson.
The meeting was thanked by T. Toyn on behalf of the Horticultural show committee for the donation.
An item in the next agenda will seek suggestions for articles to be included in the Bulletin.

6. There were no comments or questions on the agenda from members of the public.

7. Reports from County, District or Parish Councillors.

Disr. Cllr. C. Ringer. Work is to start on three sites for affordable housing, two at Beckham and one at Salthouse. It is proposed to name the Church Road site “Church Close” and the Sheringham road site after Charlotte Edwards, the first lady member of Beckham parish council and the wife of Sir George Edwards.
The donation be Bodham PC towards the solar panels for the village has not yet been agreed. Beckham PC is intending to match the Bodham donation.
Cllr. Ringer noted that the Wheatsheaf was not on the Parish Council website.

County Cllr. E. Vardy. Cllr. Vardy has a budget for trees or other environmental projects.
Traffic flow is being investigated for the round about at the top of Holway Road. This could be in place within twelve months.
The re-cycling centre is under discussion and could be replaced within a year. There will be a shop to re-sell items and the money will go to charity.
Cllr. Vardy will again raise the question of a speed limit at Lodge Corner.

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8. Allotments. There are 26 plots. 16 are taken, 5 pending, 2 vacant and three at the top being cultivated by Mr. Green. Fees are £25 per plot.

9. Playing Field The shed is rotten and should be removed as it could be dangerous. It was suggested that it could possibly be removed by the Affordable Housing contractors when they were clearing the site.

10 Financial matters.
Bank Balances at 9/5/2024 Current a/c £3895.85 Savings a/c £4534.16 Investment a/c £46440

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

The following outstanding invoices were approved and cheques signed:-
NALC Subscription (£126.20) and web hosting (£70) £196.20
J. Stibbons Salary and expenses £664.60
HMRC PAYE £140.40
Felbeck Trust Donation £300

11. Grants.
As the grant to Felbeck Trust is usually made in May it was proposed by R. Batt that the sum of £300 – as last year – should be donated. This was seconded by J. Dovey and approved.

Horsey 3 Community Fund. Funds are over ten years with two application periods a year. The next application deadline is November. Funds are from £500 to £5000 and from £5000 to £25000.
This will be an agenda item for the next meeting to start discussions on a plan of what is required.

12. There was no correspondence

There being no further business the chairman closed the meeting at 8.35

The next meeting of Beckham Parish Council will be held on Thursday 11th July

WWW.beckhamewpc.norfolkparishes.gov.uk

Page 239

Draft Minutes of East and West Beckham Parish Council
Meeting Held on Thursday 11th January 2024

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

The chairman opened the meeting at 7.00pm.

1. Apologies County Cllr. E. Vardy, PC J. Houghton

2. There were no Declarations of interest for items on the agenda.

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

4. Reports from County, District or Parish Councillors

County Councillor E. Vardy.
A written report was circulated to members and is attached to these minutes.

District Councillor Callum Ringer.
Affordable housing – a breakdown of households on the waiting list was given. It is hoped that building work on the affordable houses will start soon.
Biodiversity – contact details for the link to Statutory Biodiversity duties for public bodies.
NNDC will dispose of Christmas Trees
NNDC can supply equipment for litter picking and disposal of the rubbish collected.
The full text of these report are attached to these minutes

5. To approve the minutes of the meeting held on Thursday 9th November 2023.
It was proposed by Cllr. Toyn that the minutes of the meeting held on Thursday 9th November 2023 should be agreed as correct. This was seconded by Cllr. Dovey and approved by the members.

6. Matters arising from the Minutes.
The map board in East Beckham has been replaced.
Tree guards have been delivered and will be put in place.
Litter is still being dumped in Long Lane.

7. Planning There were no planning applications to consider.

8. Broadland Housing (Update email from Ed Mumford-Smith 7th Dec.2023)
The planning application for the proposed affordable housing has been approved.
Sewage disposal will be by the existing sewage system. On-site treatment is not possible as The Environment Agency that regulates permits to discharge from on-site treatment works, is unwilling to permit on-site treatment where a main sewer exists, however poor its performance.
It was noted that no reply had been given for our request for a gate and fencing to be provided to the playing field. Ed. Mumford-Smith is to contacted further for clarification.

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9. Allotments It was agreed that the tenancy agreements should be revised to bring them up to date.
All plots are taken. Six plots are used by one tenant. These have been rent free for the last year to clear the land. It was agreed that if the keeps all plots clean he will be asked for payment for three.
It was proposed and agreed to raise the rent to £25 per plot.

10. Playing Field Safety Inspection Jan/Feb. D. Barrass
A letter is to be sent to Broadland Housing to clarify that they are to install a gate from the new housing development to the play area and provide new fencing as agreed.

11. Financial matters.
Bank Balances at 11/01/2024 Current a/c £ 3052.80 Savings a/c £39537.33
It was noted that the final payment from Grantscape (Hall Farm Solar) is overdue. Reminders are to be sent again.
The following outstanding invoice to be approved and cheques signed:-
Bodham village hall Rent £81
S. Thurtle Land maintenance £893
J. Stibbons Salary and expenses £664.60
HMRC PAYE £140.40

12. Savings account. The savings account with The Cambridge Building Society is now open and arrangements are to be made to transfer £35,000.

13. Correspondence
The following correspondence was sent to members by email:-
Planning Roadshow 1st Feb. 2024 at Holt
Ostead Community Benefit newsletter
NALC final collection for 2023
NALC subscription notice

14. Matters for information only or for the next agenda

The Beckham Bulleting are ready for distribution. A letter of thanks for preparing this edition is to be sent to Kathryn Lord.

Cllr. Toyn(chair of the village shop committee) reported that the village shop project is not progressing very well. The committee are now considering a “Pop-Up” shop which would visit the village every week.

There being no further business the chairman closed the meeting at 8.25pm.

The next meeting of Beckham Parish Council will be held on Thursday 14th March at 7pm.

Written report from County Councillor E. Vardy.

SHORT BREAKS FOR CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES
Proposals to increase the range of short breaks for children with disabilities and open them up to siblings and other family members are to be discussed by councillors tomorrow.
Norfolk County Council wants to change how it supports children with disabilities, by funding short breaks that best meet children’s needs, are closer to their homes and can support their wider family.
It follows consultation over the summer, which looked at moving from a model that assigns a specific budget to a family, based on a child’s disability, to a new approach that would look at a child’s needs and work with their family to find the right activities to help them flourish.
The budget for short breaks will continue to be £3.5m per year and the council has pledged that children will not have their activities reduced. The approach, which is also used by other local authorities, is much more focused on children’s outcomes and interests, rather than their disability. It also means the council has greater flexibility to buy services for multiple children from some activity providers, meaning that more children could benefit from a break.
The council wants to expand the activities it buys for families, to offer more options and flexibility. This might mean changes in some of the funding parents receive to buy activities directly, but the value of the package of breaks will remain the same, or increase.
Part of the council’s strategy is also to support existing activity providers to support children with disabilities, where it is appropriate for the needs of the child, so that they can access fun inclusive activities in their own community alongside their peers.
The proposals and the feedback from public consultation will be discussed by the council’s People and Communities Select Committee when it meets on 17 November.
Cllr Fran Waymark, Chairman of the People and Communities Select Committee, said: “Short breaks provide fun activities for children and respite for their families. We know that they are a real lifeline for families, which is why it’s important that we get any changes to what we are offering right and why we consulted with families who use the service before implementing any changes.
“I welcome any proposal which focuses on looking at what is best for individual children, and their families, and which provides greater choice and more local activities, particularly given the rural nature of Norfolk.”
Norfolk County Council ran a consultation with families between 27 June and 2 August and had more than 200 responses, 43% of people agreed or strongly agreed with e change in the assessment process and 31% disagreed or strongly agreed. The remainder didn’t answer, didn’t agree or disagree, or didn’t know. Eighty-two percent agreed or strongly agreed that activities should be opened up to family members, including siblings.
If agreed, the changes would apply to new children accessing short breaks from April 2024. Other children would move to the new model gradually, as their package comes up for review.

County Deal for Norfolk update for a directly elected Leader.
At a full council meeting on 12 December 2023, Councillors accepted a £600 million devolution deal for Norfolk. The deal will also mean that decisions can be taken in Norfolk, for Norfolk.
The council voted to accept a county deal devolution agreement with the Government to transfer significant funding, powers and decisions to Norfolk.
Government funding will start transferring to Norfolk next summer if councillors vote in July 2024 to stage the first election for a leader in May 2025.
The full council agreed the following recommendations:
Council:
• Recognises the work carried out during 2023 to consult with the public, inform Members and prepare plans in relation to the ‘in-principle’ County Deal brought to Council in January this year
• Commends the work undertaken by the Leader and Officers to secure additional benefits for the Norfolk County Deal and resolves that the Deal should be accepted
• Agrees that the election for the Directly Elected Leader should be held alongside the county council elections in May 2025 to enable the widest possible engagement with the electorate
• Agrees that the resolution adopting the new governance arrangements should be brought to the Full Council meeting on 23 July 2024 to facilitate that election date

Report from District Councilor Callum Ringer – Gresham Ward

Affordable Housing

Before Christmas all parish council’s should have received a copy of a leaflet explaining the numbers of those households with strong connections to each parish who are currently on the housing waiting list. I hope that this information will provoke conversations at parish councils about whether there is potential for new small affordable housing schemes in our villages. These would be exception housing schemes which would meet LOCAL housing need, rather than the general housing list. The district council’s affordable housing enabler Anna Clarke can speak to councils, landowners etc to discuss. Two recently approved schemes in West Beckham (5 homes each) are due to begin soon and are being built to an exceptional environmental standard. For the Gresham ward this shows:

Christmas Trees

Residents with garden waste subscriptions are able to leave their Christmas trees alongside their brown bin for nndc collection until 20th January. Alternatively they can be taken to the tip, and some animal sanctuaries are taking them too.

Statutory biodiversity duties for public bodies.
I know some councils have already embarked on this process of considering biodiversity, and others have wanted more information. This link provides a summary of what the duties for public bodies are: https://gowlingwlg.com/en/insights-resources/articles/2023/statutory-biodiversity-duties-for-public-bodies/
Attached I have a template biodiversity which has been shared with me and may be useful for parish councils developing their plans.
Late last year I did share a link to the Norfolk County Council ‘Trees for connectivity’ programme which is funding tree planting in certain areas. https://www.norfolk.gov.uk/What-we-do-and-how-we-work/Campaigns/1-Million-Trees-for-Norfolk/Get-involved/Grant-funding-in-North-Norfolk-and-Breckland-areas
There is also tree packs available to public bodies from The Woodland Trust. Applications open shortly for November 2024 https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/plant-trees/schools-and-communities/ NNDC can also provide litter pickers, sacks, hoops and collection of waste for communities wishing to hold a litter pick. Let me know and I can sort that out. The Great British Spring Clean (organised by Keep Britain Tidy) is taking place in March.

Footpath Challenge

As I have previously reported, I have been walking every mile of every footpath in the Gresham Ward over the past couple of months. There are over 100 in total. So far I have walked 31 of these, covering 41.3 miles (correct as of 7/1/22). I am reporting things as I go round.
NNDC Planning Roadshow

North Norfolk District Council are organising a series of sessions across the district that aim to provide an introduction to Town & Country Planning and how Town & Parish Councils can best respond to and get involved with the Town Planning system.
This initiative was launched at the Town and Parish Council Forum today with the first session being held on 20 November at The Maltings in Wells. The next event is in Holt
Date: Thursday 1 February 2024
Venue: The Meeting Room, St. Andrews Church, Holt, Norfolk, NR25 6BB
Time: 6.30pm
The session should finish by 8.30 at the latest.
Any member of a town or parish council can attend. Please register interest via the link below.
https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=0S9nn4KYRUWRKz6BMQvmcnTU8AeLjHJMo3mI9XalHD1UQklHVzVOT1hZVExBUFI5MFU0U0lCQ041US4u

I have a facebook page, where I post useful community information, just search Cllr Callum Ringer – Gresham Ward. I try and keep it updated with community events, relevant NNDC information (and county where appropriate). Do give it a ‘like’ if you are on social media.

Page 237

Draft Minutes of East and West Beckham Parish Council
Meeting Held on Thursday 9th November 2023

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

The chairman opened the meeting at 7.00pm.

1. Apologies were received from Cllr. R. Lewis.

2. There were no declarations of interest.

3. There were no members of the public or former committee members of the Solar Community Fund present.

4. The minutes of the meeting held on Thursday 14th September 2023 having been
previously circulated it was proposed by T.Toyn that they be approved as correct.
This was seconded by G. Place and carried.

5. Matters arising from the Minutes.
Map Board, East Beckham. D. Barrass agrees to move the board to the allotments until the posts can be repaired.

6. Reports from County, District, Police or Parish Councillors

PC Jack Houghton introduced himself as the new Beat Manager. He was involving himself with the local community.
His priorities will be speeding and anti-social behaviour.
He reported that for the Chaucer Ward from 1st July to 30th September 38 crime investigations had been recorded, although most of these were welfare related. There has been an increase in fraud and scam calls across the whole of the district. The Chairman thanked PC Houghton for attending the meeting.

County Cllr. Eric Vardy. A full report from Cllr. Vardy is attached to these minutes, but he also noted that trees are still available from N.C.C.
The consultation on the re-cycling centre will be held next year.
Discussion is still ongoing regarding the measures for traffic control at the top of Holway Road with the junction of A148. It will either be a round about of traffic lights.

District Cllr. Callum Ringer. The housing report from NNDC showed applications for accommodation rose from 321 to over 900 in two years. This is partly due to the decrease in the private rental sector. The high prices of houses makes rental too expensive for families on benefit.
It is planned to re-cycle food waste from March 2025. This will generate natural gas and return the waste to the land.
Cllr. Ringers full report is attached to these minutes.

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7. Community Connectors Introduction by Coralie Martin (NNDC)
All areas of the North Norfolk District are covered by the Community Connectors which are part of Social Services. They will attend community groups, advise on funding and best practices and are there to help people with special needs. They also have help for people who are not on line and they can help with loneliness and isolation.

8. Broadland Housing. Discussed in item 12 (Planning)

9. NCC grants – Grants for tree planting up to £10,000. part funded but small number of trees can be funded by Cllr. Vardy from his budget allocation.

10. Tree Guards The purchase of two tree guards for the memorial apple trees was approved at £90 each plus delivery. The chairman will arrange the purchase and delivery.

11. Playing Field Cllr. Toyn carried out safety inspections on the play equipment during October. The top kick board will soon need attention.

12. Planning PF/23/1578 Amended plans for affordable housing on Sheringham Road.
The parish council objects to this application. Further clarification is needed as the boundary has changed from the previous application and now includes the verge to the edge of the Highway. The extra land claimed is already in use for the Post Box, the council notice board, the seat for walkers and the Grit bin. The proposed boundary also covers part of The Loke which is the access to several houses and is a Public right of way.

13. Speed limits A148 Cllr. Callum Ringer intends to call a meeting of representatives from all
the parishes which border the A148 to discuss further safety measures.

14. Bulletin Items for inclusion in the Bulletin were discussed. Kathryn Lord has kindly agreed
to edit and publish the magazine.

15. Financial matters.
Bank Balances at 9 /11/2023 Current a/c £ 5292.50 Savings a/c £39400.13
The following outstanding invoice to be approved and cheques signed:-
NNDC Election fee £30.70
J. Stibbons Salary and expenses £664.60
HMRC PAYE £140.40

16. Budget and Precept. The proposed budget for 2024/25 was submitted to the meeting.
After discussing the projected figures it was proposed by Cllr. Place that the precept for 2024 – 2025 should be set at £4500, this was seconded by Cllr. Batt and carried.

17. Savings account. To approve and sign savings account application to Cambridge B/S

18. Correspondence The following correspondence was sent to members by email:-
NALC News letter 20/9 (Hedgerows) NALC weekly update 29th Sept.
D. Baker MP Meeting re speeding NALC Chief executives bulletin 19/10/23

19. Matters for information only or for the next agenda

Beckham Parish Council will meet during 2024 on the following Thursdays at 7pm.
11th January, 14th March, 9th May, 11th July, 12th September, 14th November

Norfolk County Council report November 2023

Computer data helps target support to those at risk of a fall
New technology is being used in Norfolk to help prevent people from having falls, prevent hospital admissions and reduce demand on social care and the NHS.
Norfolk County Council is piloting the approach using a computer algorithm that helps to identify those at risk of falling. The council then writes to those people and offers them a range of support, such as assistive technology, help with their mobility or home fire safety checks.
So far, the council has sent out 700 letters and made 530 calls to people at risk, making referrals for 234 individual interventions.
The new technology brings the power to read and analyse millions of lines of social care records to find trends and patterns which it would take many months for any person to do manually. It learns as it goes and through this process it predicts which individuals are at most risk of a fall so the council can approach them and hopefully prevent this happening. 
The council has ensured that it is fully compliant with General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) in implementing the pilot.

We know that prevention is far more effective than cure and, as pressure on services continues to grow, we must look at new ways to support people and reduce demand on our services.
Our falls work is getting a lot of national interest and is a real opportunity to use new technology to improve the lives of our residents.
The support on offer to people includes chair based exercises from the council’s Norfolk First Support Service, support from Active Now and help preventing social isolation from Voluntary Norfolk. 
The pilot is still in its early stages and the impact of the interventions will be assessed in the coming months. It is hoped that it will be reduce falls, associated hospital admissions, people needing to move into residential care and the size of care packages. This will improve outcomes, support people to live independently for longer and reduce pressures on social care budgets. 
One participant said they were very happy with the weekly fitness arranged through Active Now and felt they were getting stronger.   Another said they were very pleased with the support provided as they would now be able to access their garden more freely.
The project is part of the £6m Connecting Communities programme, being delivered in Norfolk 

Household Support Fund
Norfolk County Council is offering extra support to households this winter.
Earlier this year, Norfolk County Council announced it would receive further funding from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to run the Household Support Fund until 31 March 2024.
The council is receiving £13.4m from central government and adding an additional £400,000 to make the total programme of support worth £13.8m. It is working closely with district, borough, and city councils, VCSE and public sector partners to identify and implement a range of support measures to meet the needs of vulnerable households.
Since the fund began (October 2021) the impact on Norfolk communities of the fund so far has been significant:
We have supported over 130,000 households throughout the life of the fund.
• We continue to provide food vouchers for over 30,000 eligible school children.
• We have provided over 17,000 awards through our application-based Client Hardship Service (formally the Norfolk Assistance Scheme) ranging from food support through to providing white goods and winter essentials.
• We have made over 546,000 awards in total through use of the fund across all rounds to date.
• Support has also been provided through our libraries (grab and go bags), the Nourishing Norfolk food hubs (store credit), our district council partners with a range of both proactive and reactive support and by working with our local VCSE community to directly support the most vulnerable Norfolk families.

NCC Nov 23 report Page 1

Norfolk County Council in partnership with Busseys has today launched a grant scheme to help local communities plant new trees and create greener and cleaner areas to live. The scheme is part of the council’s one million trees initiative and aims to support tree planting projects across the county and contribute to ambitious net-zero targets.
The Busseys Community Tree Grant has made £10,000 (maximum of £2,500 per
application) available to community organisations in Norfolk who are passionate about tree planting. Applications must be for planting trees that provide a tangible community benefit.
As the Cabinet Member for Environment and Waste, I commented “This collaboration represents a significant step towards enhancing the county’s green spaces, nature recovery, and ecosystem. I am thrilled that we are working with the Busseys family and that together we can promote and support tree planting across our picturesque county through this initiative. We all know that money doesn’t grow on trees – but this scheme will provide local communities with the money they need to make trees grow! I encourage local communities to develop their plans and apply for this fantastic scheme.”
Busseys managing director, Paul Bussey, said: “We have a long-standing commitment to environmental sustainability. Our Tree Planting Initiative, which began in 2007, has allowed us to plant trees for every customer who purchases a vehicle from us or donating to Foodcycle for meals. We are excited to expand this initiative in partnership with Norfolk County Council to further promote greenery, cleaner air, and overall community well-being in Norfolk.”
To ensure the success of this project, an application process has been put in place to guarantee that all trees are planted in suitable locations to maximise their survival and provide a meaningful community benefit.

This grant initiative is open to anyone in Norfolk who possesses the necessary land permissions and space to undertake tree planting project

County Cllr. E. Vardy

NCC Nov 23 report Page 2

North Norfolk District Council Report November 2023

Housing: Cabinet earlier agreed an annual action plan, included in this is a pledge to share data about the number of
permanent, affordable, second and holiday
homes, empty homes and numbers of local people on the housing register at a parish level
on an annual basis so that there is a very clear understanding of the context of local housing
issues at a local community level. It would be expected that sharing this information widely
would generate more support for a pipeline of affordable housing schemes across the
District through Community Land Trusts and Rural Exceptions schemes. Here are some key
district wide statistics which highlight the scale of the challenge.
As at 30 September 2023:
o 2,492 on Housing List
o 595 Band 1 Urgent Need
o 491 homeless presentations in first 6 months
o In 2011 NNDC placed 38 families in temporary accommodation. By 2022/23 this
number was in excess of 200 including 142 children.
o The costs associated with placing families in temporary accommodation in 2021/22
was £548k – Government made a small contribution to this but NNDC still had to
find £371k. For 2022/23 this figure was £993k (£714k cost to NNDC). The
forecasted figure for this year is over a million pounds with most of that financial
burden being on NNDC

· Footpath Challenge: Over the next few months I have set myself the challenge to walk every
footpath in the Gresham ward. I enjoy walking so it is not a tough one but it does give me a
good opportunity to get out and about, report any maintenance issues to the county council.
I have walked 14 footpaths so far but there are many more to go!

· Waste Collections for the future: The government have announced the results of the
standardisation of waste collections consultation. 7 Bins was never on the horizon,
whatever Rishi Sunak tried to allude, however one additional bin collection that has been
mandated is for food waste collection. A lot of authorities already offer this service and
North Norfolk will be following suit. The deadline for commencement of this service is
March 2026 but I expect we will be making efforts to implement this as soon as possible.
There are also changes coming to what can be recycled, and this will include more plastic
packaging – this is still a couple of years away however. With NNDC already offering to
collect batteries, small electronic products, and soon to be food waste, there are fewer and
fewer items that should be ending up in the residual waste bin. Food Waste collected will be
anaerobically digested, a process that produces natural gas for the grid and the digested by-
product is used as fertilizer.

Cllr Callum Ringer – Gresham Ward
callum.ringer@north-norfolk.gov.uk – 07824381519

Page 235

Draft Minutes of East and West Beckham Parish Council
Meeting Held on Thursday 21st September 2023

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

The chairman opened the meeting at 7.02pm.

1. Apologies were received from Cllr. D. Barrass, Cllr. J. Dovey, County Cllr. E. Vardy,
Dist. Cllr. Callum Ringer and Coraline Martin (NNDC)

2. There were no declarations of interest.

3. There were no members of the public or former committee members of the Solar Community Fund present.

4. The minutes of the meeting held on Thursday 13th July 2023 having been previously
circulated it was proposed by T.Toyn that they be approved as correct.
This was seconded by R. Batt and carried.

5. Matters arising from the Minutes.
It was requested that the Parochial Church Council should provide copy invoices to the Parish Council for work carried out using the approved grant money.

6. Reports from County, District or Parish Councillors
County Cllr. E. Vardy. A written report from Cllr. Vardy was circulated to all members and is attached to these minutes.
Dist. Cllr. C. Ringer A written report from Cllr. C. Ringer was circulated to members and is attached to these minutes.

7. Community Connectors
Coraline Martin was unable to attend the meeting.

8. Follow up on NCC grants
This item will be discussed at the November meeting.

9. Tree Guards
Prices and availability are awaited.

10. Playing Field The Safety Inspection for Sept./ Oct carried out by Cllr. Toyn found everything satisfactory.

Page 236

11. Planning PO/23/1720 Land at Williams Barn, West Beckham.
Due to the deadline for comments to this application being 15th September an emergency planning meeting was held on 14th September.
Minutes of this meeting and conclusions reached are attached at the end of these minutes.

12. Speed limits A148
The speed limit on the A148 where cable installation was being carried out has been reduced to
40mph. but a reduction of speed limit was not allowed at Lodge Corner. A letter is to be sent to
Highways asking for an explanation.

13. Bulletin.
A new edition of the bulletin is to be discussed at the next meeting.

14. Financial matters.
Bank Balances at 21 /9/2023 Current a/c £4257.50 Savings a/c £39400.13
The following outstanding invoices were approved and cheques signed:-
Playsafety Inspection £90
Grant to PCC Maintenance £1000

15. Savings account. Signatures are required for the savings account application to Cambridge B/S. Applications will be completed at the November meeting.

16. Correspondence
The following correspondence was sent to members by email:-
NALC news letters – 19/7, 2/8, 16/8.
NALC Chief Executives reports – 6/8 and 23/8

A letter of thanks from the Bodham and Beckham Horticultural show Committee for the donation received. was read to the meeting.

From Duncan Baker M.P.
A public meeting is to be held on Friday 29th September at North Walsham to discuss what can be done to reduce speeding on rural roads.
Cllrs. Lewis and Place agreed to attend and report back.

17. Matters for information only or for the next agenda
The clerk reported that the parish council are registered with HMRC for quarterly payments of salary to staff.
In November 2022 HMRC imposed a fine of £200 in for failure to submit the monthly report for months with no payment. As this appeared to be an error made by the clerk the fine was paid personally to avoid further late payment penalties.
An appeal was submitted by the parish council claiming this fine was incorrect.
This claim went to appeal in August 2023 and was finally resolved in October 2023.
The fine has been cancelled and the £200 will be returned.

There being no further business the chairman closed the meeting at 8.11pm

Page 232

Draft Minutes of East and West Beckham Parish Council
Meeting Held on Thursday 13th July 2023

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

The chairman opened the meeting at 7.00pm.

1. Apologies Dist. Cllr. Callum Ringer

2. To elect a vice-chairman. It was proposed by Cllr. Lewis that Cllr. Barrass should be elected as vice-chairman. This was seconded by Cllr. Place and approved.

3. Cllr. Batt declared an interest in item 9 (Affordable housing)

4. There were no comments or questions on the agenda.

5. The minutes of the meeting held on Thursday 11th May 2023 having been previously circulated it was proposed by R. Lewis that they be approved as correct. This was seconded by J. Dovey and carried.

6. Matters arising from the Minutes.
Felbeck Trust sent their thanks for the donation of £300 received.
A certificate for lawful development had been granted to Camp Farm in error.
The pot hole near allotment lane is to be repaired.

7. Reports from County, District or Parish Councillors
County Cllr. E. Vardy. A written report was circulated to all members and is attached to these minutes.
Cllr Vardy also informed the meeting that he has a small budget which is available for parishes for such uses as providing young trees which will help with climate change. These could be made available in November. They can be used for hedging at the burial ground if required. Boxes for nature conservancy i.e. Bat and Bee boxes can also be provided.
Funds could also be avaiable for advisory traffic signs.
Cllr. Vardy left the meeting at 7.16pm

A written report from District Cllr. C. Ringer was circulated to members and is attached to these minutes.

8. Playing Field Safety Inspection It was noted that the basket ball net needs replacing. A full safety report from RoSPA is due in the next few days.

Page233
9. Planning (applications already circulated)
PF/23/0799 Erection of detached domestic outbuilding (office/workshop/store) with car
port Location: 1 Pinewood Park, Holt Road, Upper Sheringham, Holt, Norfolk, NR26 8TU
No comment

PF/23/1065 Erection of 5 dwellings (affordable homes) with associated access, parking and
landscaping Location: Land To The North Of Church Road, West Beckham, NR25 6NY,
This application was discussed at an emergency planning meeting held on 15th June.
The following comments to the application were submitted to the planners.
– It was indicated at an earlier presentation by Broadland Housing that the developments
would have their own sewage system. The plans show connection to the existing sewage
system which already has problems with overloading during wet weather.
– A gate is shown leading to the village playing field. If this is installed the boundary fences
will need replacing.
– The houses should be rental only for tenants with local connections the aim being to
revitalise the village.

10. Financial matters.
Bank Balances at 13 /7/2023 Current a/c £5438.43 Savings a/c £39294.08
The following outstanding invoice to be approved and cheques signed:-
J. Stibbons Salary and expenses (Nov-Jan) £677.16
HMRC PAYE £140.40
D. Barrass Hedge cutting (P.Buck) £150

11. To Consider Savings Accounts.
Three application forms have been downloaded and the clerk was instructed to select the
one which was felt to be the easiest to administer.

12. To consider request for donation to Graveyard improvements.
After a lengthy discussion of the proposed budgeted costs of approximately £3000
submitted it was proposed by Cllr. Barrass that a maintenance grant of £1000 per year,
payable for the next three years should be offered.
This was seconded by Cllr.Toyn and approved.
Maintenance is to include grass cutting and the sum will be reviewed after three years.

13. Correspondence
The following correspondence was sent to members by email:-
NALC Chief executives bulletin Horsey 3 Four road closure notices
Horsey 3 News letter NNDC Submission of North Norfolk Local Plan

14. Matters for information only or for the next agenda.
Tree Guards. Follow up NCC grants.

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

Page 230

Draft Minutes of East and West Beckham Parish Council
Meeting Held on Thursday 11th May 2023

Present. Cllr. R. McNeil Wilson, (chairman), G. Place, R. Batt, D. Barrass, J. Dovey, R. Lewis. J.Stibbons (clerk)

The chairman opened the meeting at 7.40pm.

1. Apologies Cllr. T. Toyn, County Cllr. E. Vardy,

2. All members signed an Acceptance of Office

3. To clerk asked for nominations for Chairman for the coming year. It was proposed by
Cllr. Dovey that Cllr. Wilson be elected. This was seconded by Cllr. Batt and carried.
The post of Vice-chairman will be decided at the next meeting when all councillors are present.

4. There were no Declarations of Interest.

5. The minutes of the meeting held on Thursday 9th March 2023 having been previously circulated, it was proposed by Cllr. Barrass that they be confirmed as an accurate record. This was seconded by Cllr. Batt and approved by the members.
The chairman then signed the minutes.

6. Matters arising from the Minutes.
Further questions to the planning department stated that the building at Pylons Farm were classed as Permitted Development.
Investigations into suitable deposit accounts have been carried out by Cllr. Barrass. The interest at present would be about 1.5% to 2%. Further investigation is to be carried out and applications submitted for approval.

7. There were no comments or questions on the agenda from members of the public or former committee members of the Solar Community Fund.

8. Report.
A report forms Dist. Cllr. C Ringer is attached to these minutes.
A report from Cllr. Vardy was circulated to members.

9. Allotments. Most of the rents are up to date.
The hedge at the entrance needs cutting back as it restricts the view when leaving. It was agreed to spend up to £50 to have this work carried out.

10. Playing Field Various Tree Guards to protect the Jubilee apple trees were discussed. It was agreed to make a final decision at the next meeting after further designs were investigated.
Safety Inspection for May/June will be R. Lewis and July/Aug. J. Dovey

Page 231

11 Financial matters.

Bank Balances at 11/5/2023 Current a/c £6362.62 Savings a/c £41062.00

The Certificate of Exemption from full audit was approved by the meeting and signed.
The Accounting Statement was approved.
The Annual Governance Statement was approved.

The following outstanding invoice were approved and cheques signed:-
J. Stibbons Salary and expenses £664.60
HMRC PAYE £140.4
NALC Subscription £189.
McNeight Web hosting £100.66

12. Donation – It was proposed by Cllr. Place that a donation of £300 should be made to the Felbeck Trust. This was seconded by Cllr. Dovey and approved.

13. There had been no further communication from the Horsey 3 Community Fund.

14. Correspondence.
A letter from the Bodham and Beckham village hall assn. Stating that the fee for the hire of the hall is to increase to £9 per hour.
An appeal for a donation from the Priscilla Bacon Hospice.

15. Matters for information only or for the next agenda.
The meeting was informed that builders vehicles are parking on the verge near the notice board and post box opposite Allotment Lane causing restricted viability on the corner of Sheringham Road.

The verge in Otters Lane has subsided almost into the ditch on a narrow part of the road. Highways have been contacted regarding this problem in the past. Highways to be contacted again.

There being no further business the chairman closed the meeting at 8.43pm

The next meeting of Beckham Parish Council will be held on Thursday 13th July.