Parish Council Meeting of 17th November 2016

The Parish Council meeting on 17th November 2016 was attended by Councillors Brian Frith, Beverley Humphreys, Andrew Coleman, Graham Gale, Dawn Welsby and Sarah Allen. Also present were the Clerk and four members of the public.

Some of the main items discussed at the meeting are mentioned here. Full minutes of the meeting will be available in draft form until agreed by the Council at the next meeting (15th December 2016).

The following planning applications were discussed:

• 2016 / 2408 – Grove Barn, Wacton Road – Demolish existing garage & replace with new – This application was discussed and Councillors raised no objections.
• 2016 / 2637 – The Homestead, Low Rd – Insertion of windows to east & south elevations – Councillors raised no objections to the plans but agreed to submit comments confirming this, on the understanding that the listed buildings officer is satisfied with the plans.
• 2016 / 2526 –Chestnut Tree Farm, Bustards Green – Prior approval for conversion of piggery from agricultural building to dwelling – The application is subject to new legislation introduced in 2015 and, as such, Councillors agreed to raise no objections, subject to the plans meeting current legislation.

The Hope Valley planning appeal was heard at South Norfolk Council offices on 25 October. It was well attended and lasted for approximately five hours, including a site visit. The decision is expected around Christmas time.

The “Better Broadband for Norfolk Project” is facilitating the provision of Superfast Broadband in areas of Norfolk where installation is not commercially viable. A new communications cabinet is to be installed on Low Road to serve residents and businesses in the surrounding area. The new cabinet should be offering services within a year. When operational, residents will need to contact their Internet Service Provider in order to upgrade their Broadband package.

The Greater Norwich Local Plan organisation have recently published the results of their call for sites. This shows areas put forward by landowners for possible development. The sites will be assessed by South Norfolk Council for suitability, after which point the standard planning procedure would need to be followed. Six sites have been put forward in Forncett, which can be seen here: http://www.greaternorwichlocalplan.org.uk

The proposals put forward being considered by the Boundary Commission following the electoral review of South Norfolk, would see Forncett share a ward with Tacolneston, Hapton, Tharston and Wacton, rather than Tacolneston, Ashwellthorpe and Fundenhall. The aim of the changes is to ensure Councillors have a similar amount of constituents within their Wards. The consultation is open until January.

As a result of data submitted to the police from the parish council’s SAM (Speed awareness machine), the police have confirmed that they will be attending the worst sites in Forncett. Data from the machine consistently shows that the worst road for speeding is Mill Road, which is extremely concerning, given the proximity of the school. 

The next meeting will be on Thursday 15th December, commencing at 7.30pm. 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  .