REPORT OF THE PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AT  MEETING OF WORSTEAD PARISH COUNCIL HELD ON 22 JANUARY 2008 IN THE QUEEN ELIZABETH HALL

 

PRESENT: Cllrs. S. Henderson (Chair), L.Lattimer, S. Cole, R. Barrett, S. Harris,

                    S. West and G. Paterson

 

APOLOGIES: Cllr. K. O’Hara,

 

ALSO PRESENT: 17 members of the public, PCSO Wibberley, District Cllr. Wilkins, Mr.

                               Foss (press).

 

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PCSO WIBBERLEY:

 

PCSO Wibberley reported that in the last 2 months garden ornaments were moved around in the gardens of senior citizens; tractors at the Heinz factory moving too fast and leaving mud on the road; a solar lamp was found; problems with scaffolding and a trailer in Swanns Yard; 5 calls about Briggate Mill; 1 crime: sl tyres at the New Inn; vandalism at the youth shelter: lowering of the hedges may help, when the young people feel they can be seen; youth on the roof of the Village Hall, which the PCSO attended, 1 broke his leg; more damages to the Hall: anti-vandalism paint may help.

 

BRIGGATE MILL:

 

Activities on the mill site which had been left unattended for 30 years, by a “new” resident: putting up a fence, an industrial polytunnel and removing trees and scrubs, leaving only the granary building, the electricity substation and another large structure, without any discussion and has upset residents in Briggate.

He has claimed adverse possession, even though he has only been there for 2 years (12 years is the limit), he has not applied for planning permission for the change of use of land, erection of polytunnel or the fence; the fence has since been removed.

There is an absentee landowner who is being contacted via a solicitor who dealt with them at the time.

District Cllr. Wilkins contacted various agencies, because of the wildlife on the site and the Norfolk Wildlife site adjacent to the site, but they are not very cooperative. She asked for wildlife surveys, but these are not forthcoming, apart from 1 from 1998.  There have been changes in legislation to protect wildlife, but no one will take action under them.

The intentions of the “new” resident are unclear. The residents would like to see a village green and wildlife site(with Norfolk Wildlife Trust?), working together with the Parish Council. If the land will not be freed up, maybe paying a rent may be an option. A suggestion was made to set up a “fighting fund”. At present parishioners are concerned about gypsies entering the site now there is no fencing at all.

Norman Lamb attended a meeting on 13.01.08 with the parishioners and has now sent letters to the 2 solicitors and the Land Registry (who are asking money from the residents who wrote to them)

Unhelpful is the fact that Norfolk County Council and North Norfolk District Council do not seem to agree on the boundaries. Honing Estate may have a partial interest in the site.

The residents are a frustrated, because of legal issues which are a minefield.

Concerns were passed on about wood and flammable goods were left close to a fence of a property with young children.

PLANNING:

 

3 Members of the public had objections to the planning application at 30 –32 Windy Ridge(first one withdrawn, new application: infill, not in keeping, light and privacy will be severely reduced, proposed parking area being too narrow, water and sewerage problems, access into Honing Row too dangerous. The new dwelling is now bigger than the 1st application.

A parishioner complained that the new dwelling would be right up to her boundary, overlooking her garden thus reducing her privacy immensely.

The applicant informed everybody present, because of building rules he can not built anywhere else. The sheds and bungalow behind Windy Ridge will be demolished to be replaced by a recommended “village cottage”

 

ACTION BY

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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DISTRICT / COUNTY COUNCILLOR

 

Cllr. Wilkins asked whether the information about the Surveyors Allotment were available, but the Clerk had not been able to go to the Norfolk Records Office, to be carried forward to the next meeting.

 

The residents of Briggate have set up a working group, of which she is a member, and she wondered if one of the Councillors would be interested to join.

 

Heinz: several complaints about the ditches and rats in the area were passed on to the Environmental Department.

The Environmental Protection has served notice on Heinz about noise pollution.

 

Bridge at Briggate: this bridge has been damaged some time ago and has been cordoned off but nothing has happened since. Cllr. Wilkins will discuss this with Highways.

 

Westwick: she has found out that the causeway has been built on bundles of wood and is subsiding.

 

Co-option: Mrs. Wilkins mentioned that one member of the Briggate working group was interested on coming on to the Council. The lady in question now lives in North Walsham, but within the 3 miles from Worstead (as the crow flies from her house to the boundary of Worstead). As there are more parishioners interested, she, and the others will be invited for an “interview”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Clerk

 

Public participation finished at 20.17 with 16 members of the public and PCSO Wibberley leaving.