2019 April newsletter
29TH APRIL 2019
Sandringham Parish Council news The Parish Council met on 6th March at Wolferton Social Club, with all but one Councillor present. Two members of the public attended.
Matters of particular importance that we discussed were:
Precept – it was confirmed that alternative arrangements are in place to fund reasonable and unavoidable expenses incurred by the Parish Council. This means that unlike most across the country, you will not be charged extra on your Council Tax to fund the parish council. King’s Lynn & Hunstanton railway line – there is much debate about the future of this line and also about traffic levels and safety on the A149. Norfolk County Council has developed what it calls its “Greenway” plan for the route, which would turn it into a foot and cycle path. It seemed that little thought has been given to where the route would go in places which have been built over, and how to cross the A149. Two Councillors attended their consultation and were a little bit unimpressed, and we’ll report our views to the County Council.
Parish Council website – all public authorities are required by government to have a website, and for those of us without a precept they provided a grant to fund the cost of running it. Without notice, they ended that last April, so the site has continued using private funding sources until now. From April or May it will be incorporated in the Sandringham Estate website’s new ‘community’ section and at a suitable date after that ours will be closed down.
Parish Assembly – we are also required by government to hold an annual Parish Assembly, to provide an opportunity for clubs and societies and other community facilities to highlight their work. We plan to hold our first such assembly before the Annual General Meeting on 8th May at the Sandringham Club in West Newton. We’ll be asking a number of groups to provide a written account of their activities during the past year, together with contact details for those of you who want to contact them. Postal addresses in the parish – we all received a letter from the Royal Mail during February telling us that our postal addresses had changed to include the road name as well as the house. This follows on from the naming of roads undertaken – to an extent against our will – by the Borough Council, to comply with central government legislation. Spare a thought for the one resident, just one, in Wolferton who has also got to contend with a change to their postcode. Hopefully this will be the end of the matter.
A new postal service for West Newton – we have been contacted by the Post Office to confirm that their new van service will visit West Newton, parked by the Church opposite the shop, on Monday afternoons from 4pm to 5pm and Wednesday afternoons from 1.30pm to 2.30pm. This is exceptionally good news and it is really important that the service is used, so please do all you can to spread the word and use it yourself. Wolferton is also eligible on the Post Office criteria to have a visit but the earlier attempt by the Post Office to provide a service there came to nothing. Later bus from Lynn to West Newton and on to Hunstanton – this is an important matter for a small number of residents but also for a larger number of visitors and staff at Sandringham. Until 2017 there was always a bus on what is now the 35 route from Lynn at about 5pm routed via West Newton and Sandringham to Hunstanton. In 2018 it was suddenly dropped with the demise of Stagecoach on the route. The parish council received a number of negative comments and addressed them to the County Council which got agreement from Lynx to provide one from this Summer. They have now not included it in their Summer schedule, and the parish has again brought this to the attention of the County Council, being the responsible body.
A149 road safety issues – a lot has been said and written about this for a considerable time, and the County Council eventually voted to broaden its initial plan just to install average speed cameras from Knights Hill to Heacham, to include two sections with a lower speed limit and to look at redesigning some of the more accident backspot junctions. One of the lower speed limits will apply from Babingley Cross to Dersingham Roundabout, and the Parish Council wholeheartedly endorses that change. We are waiting for the County’s officials to show us and take our views on its plans to change the design of junctions in the parish and will go back to them with our local view as soon as we see what they have in mind. We are completely in support, in principle, of the range of measures now proposed by the County Council.
Sandringham Women’s Institute – is holding a Memorabilia Exhibition in West Newton village hall on 25th, 26th and 27th May from 10am to 5pm, promising crafts, stalls and refreshments. For more details contact Yvonne Browne on 01485 540255.
CarersMatterNorfolk – this is a service to support unpaid young and adult carers alike, across Norfolk, which has been arranged by the County Council and local NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups. The service is being delivered by Carer Connectors, people who will work with carers in their own homes or a place of their choice. It helps you find your way around the local services available to you, benefits, housing etc and provides emotional support and assistance. CarersMatterNorfolk provides:
- 7 days a week Freephone advice line
- Emotional wellbeing support in the carer role
- Education and training in carer responsibilities
- Grants for local groups
- Other services
Local elections – the four yearly election of Councillors to the Borough Council is being held on Thursday 2nd May. Following the change to the boundaries, we will be part of the Dersingham Ward. That makes no difference to the Parish Council’s work which will continue, it is just that we are represented at the Borough in a different way. The seven Councillors who make up the Parish Council is also up for election on the same day and nomination forms for both elections can be collected from the Borough offices in King’s Lynn and have to be returned there by 4pm on 3rd May 2019. Our March meeting was therefore the last of the Parish Council as currently established.
Wolferton village news There’s a growing list of events taking place in Wolferton, some are long-established but others are being planned this year to raise money for the urgently needed repairs to the roof of St Peter’s Church. The church needs about £90,000 to carry out the immediate repairs, and have so far raised over £50,000, which is quite a milestone. The fundraising group is confident that it will get that up to over £70,000 during the Summer, and plans to arrange a roofer to start work in the Autumn. A number of events is being planned specifically to raise the extra needed, and then start the process of raising about another £150,000 needed to fully repair the building, so make sure they’re in your diary, to include:
- 26th April – a Spring Quiz and BBQ in the Social Club. Food at 6.30pm, quiz at 7.30pm. Tickets at £7.50 each from Dr Judy Scott on 01485 542887.
- 11th May – a plant sale held on the village green from 10am to 4pm. At the same time, refreshments, including a raffle, sale of books, sponsor a tile etc in the Social Club.
- During the summer months – a number of events are in planning, more details once finalised 11th October – the ever popular Harvest Quiz and Supper in the Social Club. More details to follow.
Church matins or family services at St Peter’s will be held at 9.30am on the second Sunday of each month, followed as always by tea or coffee, biscuits and the chance for a good chat. The Social Club continues with its various activities, including room hire at competitive rates. Special events include:
- The Wolf Folk Club meets at the Social Club fortnightly on Thursdays. Forthcoming dates are 11th and 25th April and 9th and 23rd May.
- Cash Bingo evenings in 2019 will be held at the Social Club on 7th April, 12th May, 9th June, 7th July, 4th August, 1st September, 6th October, 3rd November and 1st December.
- Prize Bingo evenings in 2019 will be held at the Social Club on 16th April, 12th May, 18th June, 16th July, 20th August, 17th September, 15th October, 19th November and 17th December.