Parish Council Meeting of 16th April 2015

The Annual Open Meeting of 16 April 2015 was well attended and reports were received from many of the groups, societies and clubs within the village. Of particular note for this year was the success of the Forncett Flyers village games team winning the “small village” category at the Village Games held at the UEA and the “outstanding” report from OFSTED for the school. Keith Fromings also reported on the defibrillator project, initially discussed at the annual open meeting in May last year. Following fundraising activities, the defibrillator was installed in the telephone box at the bottom of Mill Road in March  and is ready for use, should it ever be needed. A wide range of activities were represented, from the bowls club, to the allotment association, showing that there really is something for everyone and the community spirit is thriving.

The Parish Council meeting held immediately afterwards was attended by Councillors Brian Frith, Beverley Humphreys, Gilly Barnes, Jackie Bowers, Claire Jordan and David Peacock. Also present were District Councillor Bob McClenning and nine members of the public. 

Some of the main items discussed at the meeting are mentioned here. Full minutes of the meeting will be available here - in draft form until agreed by the Council at the next meeting (21st May).

The following planning applications were discussed:

• 2015 / 0617 : Atbara, Tabernacle Lane, Forncett St Peter – two storey side extension.
• 2015 / 0648 : The Barn at the Croft, Cheney’s Lane, Forncett St Mary – demolition of existing link building and construction of garden room.

Both plans were discussed and, as no objections were raised, were recommended for approval.

Unfortunately, several complaints are still being received about people who do not clear up after their dogs. The cost of providing dog waste bins is currently being looked into and this will be discussed further at the next meeting.

The new bus shelter is in use and the old one will shortly be demolished.

As the parish council elections were uncontested, Forncett parish councillors from May 2015 will be Brian Frith, Jackie Bowers, Bev Humphreys, Andrew Coleman, Gilly Barnes and Claire Jordan. This leaves one vacancy on the parish council. If anyone is interested in this, please contact the clerk. No specific skills or knowledge are needed, just a commitment to attend eleven evening meetings a year and act in the best interests of the community. Training sessions are available for anyone taking on the role and wishing to gain a wider understanding of their responsibilities. 

The next meeting will be on Thursday 21st May 2015. This will be the first meeting of the new Parish Council, when the Chair and Vice-Chair will be elected. The agenda will be published about a week before the meeting, but if you have any matters to bring to the attention of the Parish Council in the meantime, please contact the clerk, Anne Rayner, on 01508 570700 or by email