Thetford Town Council Full Town Council Meeting 29th April 2025

Summary

The Thetford Town Council meeting on April 29, 2025, covered numerous topics, ranging from public participation and council tax issues to updates on community services and events. Discussions included the prioritization of youth programs, the community's safety initiatives, and ongoing infrastructure projects like the establishment of a banking hub. The town addressed various concerns, such as anti-social behavior and council tax legislation, illustrating its dedication to enhancing residents' quality of life. Additionally, environmental efforts and plans for upcoming community events, including Anglia in Bloom and other cultural initiatives, were highlighted, showcasing Thetford's commitment to sustainability and community engagement.

Highlights

• Council meeting sheds light on youth program importance to combat antisocial behavior 🧒.
• Introduction of Anglia in Bloom plans to enhance town's aesthetics 🌺.
• Detailed discussions about council tax regulations stirred community interest 💰.
• Plans for a temporary banking hub ensure continued access to financial services 🏦.
• The council emphasizes environmental efforts through rainwater harvesting projects 🌧️.

Key Takeaways

• Thetford pushes for improved community safety with proactive measures to curb antisocial behavior 🚓.
• Council's commitment to environmental initiatives shines through with plans for Anglia in Bloom 🌸.
• Community engagement is pivotal; Thetford actively seeks public involvement in decisions 👫.
• Youth programs and facilities remain a critical focus to prevent antisocial behavior 🏃.
• Infrastructure projects, like the banking hub, aim to support both residents and local businesses 🏗️.

Overview

The Thetford Town Council meeting kicked off with discussions on public participation and concerns ranging from council tax to security at public events. There was strong emphasis on transparency, encouraging public involvement in decision-making processes. This set the tone for a meeting focused on active community engagement and responsive governance.

As the meeting progressed, significant time was spent discussing the town’s environmental projects and the upcoming Anglia in Bloom initiative. The council showcased its commitment to sustainability with plans to improve local greenery and promote eco-friendly practices across the town. This included rainwater harvesting, showcasing Thetford's dedication to environmental responsibility.

Infrastructure and community safety were also key topics. The meeting addressed the creation of a temporary banking hub, ensuring that residents maintain access to essential financial services. Additionally, there was a call for increased focus on youth programs and facilities to counter antisocial behavior, demonstrating Thetford’s commitment to a safer and more inclusive community environment.

Chapters

• 00:00 - 01:00: Apologies and Declarations The chapter titled 'Apologies and Declarations' opens with a formal setting where attendees are preparing for a meeting. It begins with a polite greeting and a mention of a specific number, possibly a session or a reference ID. The initial part of the transcript indicates a procedural start to a formal gathering, marked by the announcement of absentees. Apologies are noted from individuals, specifically labeled by name, indicating their absence and the implications this might have on the proceeding. This suggests a structured environment where roles and presences are acknowledged, likely within a council or formal committee setting.
• 01:00 - 20:10: Public Participation The chapter 'Public Participation' begins with Counselor Evans acknowledging someone's input. There is a brief mention of a declaration of any disclosable procurement interests, but none are made. It is noted that if anything arises during the discussion of items, it can be mentioned then. The text concludes abruptly with a reference to '6 through 724 public,' likely indicating a continuation or an item on the agenda related to public matters.
• 20:10 - 60:18: Council Business and Reports The chapter 'Council Business and Reports' outlines the procedure for public participation in council meetings. Members of the public are invited to ask questions and provide comments on town-related matters. The public participation policy, detailed on the council's website, specifies that each participant is allowed three minutes to speak, with a total period for questions lasting fifteen minutes. It is necessary for participants to clearly state their names prior to speaking.
• 60:18 - 87:43: Antisocial Behavior and Policing The chapter titled 'Antisocial Behavior and Policing' begins with a discussion on the apparent lack of security during a council election. There is a sense of frustration or disbelief about the absence of security measures, suggesting a need for better policing or security provisions in public settings. The transcript briefly touches on perceptions of safety and the necessity of security even when threats seem minimal.
• 87:43 - 106:30: Signal Box Working Party In this chapter titled 'Signal Box Working Party,' there is a discussion regarding procedural regulations for approving tenders, particularly focusing on the security of the tendering process. The conversation highlights a discrepancy between the external requirement for tenders over £30,000 to go out for bidding versus the internal regulations which mandate this threshold at £10,000. The individuals involved seem to be clarifying the rules and procedures to ensure compliance with both sets of regulations.
• 106:30 - 110:00: Exclusion of Press and Public The chapter discusses regulations about the exclusion of press and public in certain scenarios. The narrator mentions that the details of these regulations can be accessed online. Inquiries about security matters will be addressed via email once all necessary information is gathered. The speaker recalls a previous visit to a church.

Thetford Town Council Full Town Council Meeting 29th April 2025 Transcription

• 00:00 - 00:30 Good evening. Thank you. Uh 16524 please. Apologies have been received from councelors Kevin. Apologies have been received from
• 00:30 - 01:00 councelor Evans Jefferson and Terry. Thank you. Is there any others? No. Thank you so much. 62624 declaration of any disclosable procurement interests. Anyone? No. If anything does pop up, you can mention it during the the item. Okay. 6 through724 public
• 01:00 - 01:30 participation to receive questions and comments from members of the public on any matters affecting the town. Attention is drawn to the council's public participation policy which could be found on the website. Each one is three minutes and the question last 15 minutes your name in that please. You just state your name. We didn't get your name. Sorry.
• 01:30 - 02:00 Thank you very much. Here we go. Now the council order for the election. You all improve our head and all the rest of it and there was no security to be seen anywhere. So if you're out here with no security, why do you mean nothing against you? Why do you need it here? Because that's air,
• 02:00 - 02:30 not necessarily yours. Okay. And the other thing was to see when the um security was put out, would you put out the tender and it regard it regarding the tender, the 10 clock and that? Um, regarding the tender state that anything over £30,000 go out to tender and our our regs for internal says £10,000. Okay. Well, which be shitty to me? But
• 02:30 - 03:00 well, it's all in our regulations, you can read them online. Uh, and in regards to security, what I'll do is I will if you leave your email address, I will respond to that um via email once I get all the information together. again church. Well, last time I came in,
• 03:00 - 03:30 I asked the council questions on council tax for some residents who were in trouble. Uh, you told me to send you some information. I thought I'd better get me head into the legislation before I get in. Now I just want to tell you one more follow up on the legislation and finish with the question. The legislation says the court may make a liability order for one person for one amount. It also says it can make one liability order for more than one person
• 03:30 - 04:00 and more than one amount in the full schedule. Now, I was in North Court last week studying a council tax case for somebody who's local and the courts admitted that they have 550 people on the schedule for that afternoon. Now, I asked if I could call how you can see 550 people on one day and he said he can't. And then he would engage me in conversation. I got further
• 04:00 - 04:30 into the legislation chair and it says formate provided to draw up liability orders was removed from law on the 10th of July 2003 in Wales on the 1st of October 2003 in England and falls being substituted in its place. So what we're starting to see down or we're not that experienced on our lower end there doesn't seem to be any liability. The courts are cooking the box and it's not £550 to go to court. They're £550 to
• 04:30 - 05:00 come in an afternoon. Now I was on the council as a counselor and I see the council bolt off council tax. I was actually involved in the board. So I normally do it. We've got there's no one who's being shed by the ARP locally and Bristol and Sutter. They've tried to pay a re with the council. The council are not interested and Bristol shooter is saying that they've got to pay there. This is
• 05:00 - 05:30 his paperwork. It says you must pay Bristols helps. The council will not take a payment. The council will not take a payment and these privateeers are trying to get the money off and from what we can see there's no liability over it. Can somebody at the Breton level especially do some digging on this? Get some clarity and find out why 550 people are turning them up to court with liability or not because they are on what the hell is going on. Thank you for that. As we said, thank you. As I
• 05:30 - 06:00 explained to you last time, the idea council taxes tax collection nothing to do with the town council whatsoever. Heard it. I'll just pause a minute. I listen. I listen to you that question to the Briters. Some you told you get them off the hook. There's no way they can't. There's no reason why they cannot go away. I listen to your research. So I I listen to you in silence. I didn't interrupt you at all.
• 06:00 - 06:30 Yeah. Um where did you get your information from? Manchester. Where did you get your information from with regards to liability orders? Because I can't find that they have been abolished in this country. It's in the text. It's in the church. It's in the counc. It's there. It's in the council church who they've been they've been
• 06:30 - 07:00 taken away. Would you like me to pose this question to Breckman directly for you? Well, really that's the job of the that's the job of the elected member. I know how hard you man I'd like to see the elected members especially ones at the breath level doing some due diligence. We come back with some answers. No, if we've got this morning, that means that the council
• 07:00 - 07:30 council sorry could just sit down in 3 minutes. We just give you long a minute, but I'm asking you now. Your time's over. You sit down. I can't hear you. Sit down, please. Your time is up. I can't hear you. Thanks J. Uh thank you. Um I think this is a
• 07:30 - 08:00 pretty easy question to answer. I'm a mele council. Uh I'm very happy to take your case work or any residents um whatever party uh wherever they are around the town. Uh nobody's come to me with this case work so I can't really take it on. If you're going to grandstand at full count Mr. Taylor, then you're not going to get anything done. And Tim, you come to us counselors and ask us to do something. Please be easy. I've
• 08:00 - 08:30 just watched you time out. Anyone else? Just about. Yeah. Well, we got a couple questions ready. The first one is um based on the last story I spoke to you. Have you managed to um have a discussion and um um author a statement retracting your
• 08:30 - 09:00 your climate emergency declaration? I spoke about this last time I said I'm going to talk to you on a personal level about the climate thing do to certain extent I couldn't opinion you didn't give us any facts so that's fine because I've got some more stuff for you. I've now amount to 107 case 107 documents that back my name. Okay, so this is just one little part of it. In the 1960s, this is kind of an emergency thing that didn't actually happen but led to higher taxes.
• 09:00 - 09:30 So we had the 60s we're going to run out of oil in 10 years. 70s the ice age within 10 years acid race 90s over 2000 blackford town council issues right how long you'll be adding on currently uh in the 2010 one side of the chat grew but the other side me CO2 and net zero and then this week they're going to bend the sun because
• 09:30 - 10:00 the sun's dangerous for us now now all of these things resulted in higher taxes, but none of those taxes were withdrawn. Put your hand there. None of those taxes were withdrawn after the 10-year period when these didn't have. So, uh, it's quite actually that they they announced that they're going to dim the sun off. They told everyone to put their solar panels in their roof and with France, Spain, and Portugal in high-end net zero
• 10:00 - 10:30 countries, they have now So, so anyway, so obviously you haven't done any research of your own. That's some basic stuff. My other question is it was towards Terry Le. You tapped on my father-in-law's door and ended up in a phone conversation with it um about the heating allowance and you said to him over the phone, you didn't agree with the heating allowance um but you went
• 10:30 - 11:00 through the party policy and that was what he got from a lady. That was what he got from a lady um within the council that sorted him out £300 towards his heating. Okay. So, so based on the fact that party policy is more important than the constituent, can I ask Terry Lamb and Germany as you're following party policy and as the your Labor party follow and support Israel? Are you in favor of genociding a whole nation
• 11:00 - 11:30 Palestine? Fine. Send me a response. Just syrup. Hang on, Terry. Trans first. He's got a head turn up first. Hi. Yeah. Um I'm going to answer your climate question because I'm actually really proud um the discussion that we all had as a council and the decision that we came to. We had an unspend because of some shrewd financial decisions from this council getting a boiler, a cheaper boiler than what we
• 11:30 - 12:00 budgeted for. We had an unspend. We chose to put that towards green initiatives. I'm incredibly proud of that. Do you know what those green initiatives have achieved? They've gone towards electric vehicles and rainwater harvesting. The fact that I think some people would have a problem is is is ridiculous to me. I'm also incredibly proud that we have I haven't finished speaking around as well. green health um to doctors on our council whose advice that I listened to as well and and um people who were heavily involved in in
• 12:00 - 12:30 in um green initiatives. What I also find quite interesting is we put it in a manifesto that we put out to the public who elected us on that. We had a discussion if we were going to choose to adopt that manifesto clearly stated if we were going to adopt a green initiative. Every council voted to support that including your own. So maybe you should have brought it up at that point. No, I did three minutes. Hang on. Just Thank you, mayor. Um, I think you got your facts wrong a little bit. I
• 12:30 - 13:00 can say this. This is Do you want to let me finish? I was I was replying to you. I think you should show me the same courtesy. I spoke to I don't know who your father is. That's the first thing to say. I wouldn't say that I'm for or against. I wouldn't comment on the £300. What I would comment on the fact is um that I resource £300 for this person as a good local counselor would as I do and I think that's what you need to worry
• 13:00 - 13:30 yourself about. I'm not commenting on national policies or even international policies because it's not in my opin sorry as a member of the Labor Party. Aren't you sworn an allegiance to that? Oh, sure you are. Evan Adam, sorry. I'd just like to say that um you've come up with lots of things. You have absolutely never given us any
• 13:30 - 14:00 peer-reviewed information. You've just quoted there a few things that you said was coming up in the 60s. But now, excuse me. Could you let me finish? Thank you. You don't female finish. No, you you put things on Facebook all the time and you did the other day and you had absolutely no nothing to back it up. No peer reviewed scientific evidence. You and and some
• 14:00 - 14:30 things you put on there just are not logical. That's enough reviewed stuff with peer reviewed scientists. Thank you so much. Yeah.
• 14:30 - 15:00 15 minutes up. Sit down. Can I just Can I just say this is a public meeting? If you if you've got questions for the MP, you can send it through to his parliamentary constituency. This is participation is over. Okay. Right. We're going to give you an initial warning there. Sit down.
• 15:00 - 15:30 Sit down. All the way. Unbelievable. You got now this lady. Why don't we get for a minute? Sit down, please. Can you sit down? That's it. Thank you. Right. Yes. 62724. Sorry, 628. Confirm the minutes of the full council meeting held on the 25th of March. It's a true record. All in favor?
• 15:30 - 16:00 You want the public politician is done. Sit down. Sit down because 15 minutes is over. No, you cannot say anything. The 15 minutes is over. Sorry. Sit down. Sit down, please. I asked at the beginning if anyone wants to speak. You took up. Can you sit down, please? You took Can you sit down, please? People like that are aggressive.
• 16:00 - 16:30 We get our statements made. Okay. Sit down, please. Something you call is over. 3 minutes. No. Done. Finished. Sorry. Give me three minutes. Sit down, please. Honestly. Sorry. Sit down. 15 minutes. 15 minutes. that comes in, you need to do a better
• 16:30 - 17:00 job because you haven't got a lot to follow up. You really haven't. As the mis No, don't respond. Please don't respond. Cara, don't respond. Please. Can I ask and appeal to everybody? This is a environment. Can this all calm down, please? Sit down. Sit down. for everybody. Sit down, please.
• 17:00 - 17:30 And they're going to give you your your first initial warning. Okay. No arguments. Okay, thank you. Right, we move on.
• 17:30 - 18:00 62924 acting council and town council reps on other bodies. Councor James. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Um I spent some years hopefully and has been nearly done. So I start now. So really really pleased to let you all know that some of my longunning jobs have finally come to fruition. The third mile rounds have now been painted at key points on the roads around Bford. Hopefully encouraging guys to tailor bike choices in relation to
• 18:00 - 18:30 their speed around and the twins mile signs are now being installed on the coil estate specifically roto rock way and Charlotte there is another round to be painted on Mford road. However, as there is surface dressing work scheduled for that area later this year, which will come after the closure that's obviously not that's between the 5 and the 10 and night time between 7 a.m. and 6 a.m.
• 18:30 - 19:00 which do those carriageway repairs just outside of the round will be done after the resurfacing work because nobody wants anybody to do a job twice. I reported in February that I was exploring a number of options to support pedestrians and road users relating to signage along n bridges. I now have that further information and utilizing my local Memphis highways fund. We've agreed to specific interventions to come forward for the area. These include pedestrian
• 19:00 - 19:30 awareness sites, motor motorists even slow markings written on the road and a carriedway edge continually slowly down. What we'll do hopefully with the assistance in hell here in the town council around the sound regime will gather some dating once that have been done before and actually see what kind of impact those measures have had. Um, I've also agreed the locations for some of the more service works along Green Lane, building
• 19:30 - 20:00 on those that I previously had undertaken to get rid of those bottle patches. And hopefully in the last couple of days, you have noticed the tidying up down the Norwich Road, Mford Road, round about the rubbish and buildup, whatever it is. Well done to the highways team for getting that sorted out for us. I've today been made aware of Bridge Street that unfortunately local businesses weren't made aware of. Regular wanderers around this area will look for the cape of works earlier this month um on the brick
• 20:00 - 20:30 area. This enclosure is a continuation of those works and I'm really today that four-way lights are being set up imminently by cadence to allow gate to be opened up in the inter room. So really mindful that it's it's a tight junction but they will be dealing with that. M they could be there anywhere between three to five weeks and those were said to address issues with an old gas pipe actually win the bridge on Bridge Street. Uh the repairs that have
• 20:30 - 21:00 been made to the roundabout by the marketplace are temporary. I hope you all managed to see those emails that people hang around. Um there are waiting for the like like um delivery of the fence. Um frankly, it's better that than the roundabout being left in a state of different and look to restored to its former glory. After being contacted by a frustrated resident regarding the pothole next to a manhood cover on station road, I contacted our highways team and a temporary repair was made
• 21:00 - 21:30 within 24 hours and further surface issues have been identified for repair along there. Finally, my next surgery will be effective on Saturday 10th of May between 10:30 and 12 noon just in time to then build down to Bman for the BJ day B day commemorations celebrations. um happy to hear president or fellow counselors are all we're all here to help and to get stuff done for Bford happy to take any questions should you wish them that's all right thank you
• 21:30 - 22:00 cer James um in relation to marketplace rain boat I am pleased that that is going to be repaired light for like however could we have the lights that round boat all the same style please we have two in one style even those two don't match with different colors and Maybe they can get I know it's not the highways engineer but it's the lighting side but if war are doing it they will do it right. I will add it to my persistent nagging list for you.
• 22:00 - 22:30 Anyone else? Anyone else? Thank you very much. Thank you table man. Thank you Mr. And as u alluded to I hope going around helping resident in all sorts of different ways um poverty people struggling because they are and uh and other issues and
• 22:30 - 23:00 it's been it's been a really largely quite pleasurable experience comes out in fairly fast. Thank you very much. Councelor back. Yes. Thank you, chair. I'd just like to remind everybody that the recent snap meeting, the safer neighborhood action panel occurred on the 10th of April and we're still waiting on the police
• 23:00 - 23:30 priorities from that. So, I've sent an email to chase them up because that's been quite a while. The next meetings occur on the 9th of July in Oxborough and again back in Steepford on the 7th of October. In the meantime, I'd like to congratulate this council on leading more heavily towards support of our communities who are trying to make us a safer place in particular the community speedwatch is which is being supported by the council on some of its website.
• 23:30 - 24:00 So, thank you for that. Okay, councelor Brendle. Counc, thank you. Um, not too much to report on the Charles Bal front. Again, I'm very happy to be a board member on there along with um, Councelor Brindle. Um, we had a board meeting recently. Um, went through a large array of issues. Been there for quite a few hours. Um, I'm incredibly happy to see the center grow and the center thrive. Um, we have a
• 24:00 - 24:30 large amount of new tenants. Obviously, it's a shame to see some tenants going because the businesses have grown, which is fantastic. Um, and I'm equally as proud to see we have a large amount of new tenants joining us. A lot of this is down to the hard work of the center manager at Wellm and the staff who work tirelessly to keep the center going. So, I'll never miss an opportunity to give a a shout out to the Charlesboro Center and the staff. Thank you. Thank you. Councelor Ryan, anything? No. Okay. Anyone else? transfer is someone else.
• 24:30 - 25:00 Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Um, I don't have anything specific to report regarding the the groups that are in, but I do want to make a small announcement with my upcoming membership. I figured I wonder now so and it is it is getting close to the time. Um first of all apologies to everybody that's attending today for disruption and hopefully full count from now on and we can all get on with our work. Um secondly um as part of
• 25:00 - 25:30 fundraising as a mayor um I have already sort of chosen my three charities which are invol um and one of the initiatives that I want I'll put out there to try to fund raise and contribute as much as possible for those charities is to create a rotation of events throughout the year by my mayorship. Um for that I'll read small statement that is in here which I have to thank M counselor right for helping me out to put this together because it does take a village by myself and have quite a bit of
• 25:30 - 26:00 support on you know a few counselors right McDonald etc um and any others and and I welcome any help my shape any guidance as possible uh so content this be it will be a rotation of events throughout the different leading businesses throughout the year and my announcement now is really an opening invite to any business in the world participation. The primary aim of these events is to encourage all sections of desert community to mix
• 26:00 - 26:30 together share experiences in places though you should be them uh meeting new friends along the way etc. Uh so what that's made famous um worry queen green um and I thought identify you know female here with the mayor and um I'm not putting up but I thought it is our tradition after all I'm all broke through preserving tradition and and making it use and recycling it and in the upcoming times um so during the
• 26:30 - 27:00 mural year we'll have variety of um uh venues that will participate uh particip in music, heritage, culinary experiences, etc. So, park, clubs, any facility that has the space that they usually accommodates events on this nature are welcome to participate. Uh, feel free to, you know, drop me a plan, an email or phone call to try to arrange a date throughout the year so they can host one of them. And I have to thank in advance for anybody want to come. There is a couple in places, but we want to
• 27:00 - 27:30 fill up the the calendar with as many as possible. So we give every sector of technology and every time a business an opportunity to participate and be part of this common uh you know event for fundraising for charities that support. Thank you. Thank you. I'm also a rental counselor. So despite comments I'm quite proud of my record. I've been out this week despite being incapacitated trying to deal with residents problems. Luckily
• 27:30 - 28:00 enough, we had I had a major issue with the local resident, elderly, disabled. Within three days, we sorted it, which is beneficial for Breckland and our residents. I'm proud of the work that us all councilors achieve. As councelor L said earlier, we don't just sit here. I don't just dress up in robes and a silly hat and go about things. I go, we do lots of other stuff for the residents. And uh there we go.
• 28:00 - 28:30 Okay, let's be double. Okay. Right. 630 24. I know. I'm just waiting for As you can see this is what we've done. Myself and the lady may rest sit over there in the corner attended several of this stuff. They haven't just gone because of the time being our fancy dress party on Saturday which was really funny. And if you'd have seen with my weekend headband, you'd have glad you
• 28:30 - 29:00 didn't go, you know. But it was really good and we raised more money for our charities. The steam opening was really interesting. Yet again, we need to support our local steam here and keep it going. And then as you can see, I've not been idle despite that demanding. Thank you. 63124 D Clark report. Do we have any questions for the Dan Clark? No. How come she gets away with
• 29:00 - 29:30 it? Okay. 63224. Progress on actions from previous meetings day. Anyone got any questions? Dear have swapped doors, I think. Okay. 633284. the banking hub in the to receive an update on the process of establishing a banking hub in consider potential terms and conditions should attempt be hosted.
• 29:30 - 30:00 Deputy Tan Clark. Thank you Mr. Mayor. Um, one of the things that the link organizations the banking hub will link to the banking organizations uh have done is looked at Zford it used to have vibrant banks those banks have disappeared. So basically what they've done is they've come back to to to present they looked at two particular
• 30:00 - 30:30 issues. One is to establish a permanent banking hub. Uh they have a team that does that separately and then they have a a team that looks at temporary banking hubs. Now that team that looks at temporary uh banking hs met with my the council uh um um our local MP uh um and his office and they we had a look at certain venues. uh uh one of the issues was that the uh small court was identified as potential hub. So part of this particular item is to look at some
• 30:30 - 31:00 of the decision making around there. How it works is that the permanent hub uh team will go out if they haven't sourced a permanent hub by the end of July. We will the temporary team will then have to set up a hub and the time frames are actually quite quite uh narrow. So there's a whole lot of officer recommendations. The first one is to agree for this council to agree to the to permit the use of the small port as a temporary banking hub. Uh to consider whether the location agreement which is
• 31:00 - 31:30 a standard agreement they use for all temporary banking hubs around the country whether that would be acceptable and in the in the in the actual report that information is set out and the third thing is to authorize the man to sign if the council is so minded to enter into that. Thank you Jeremy. Thank you Mr. Thank you Alan for that uh update. Um it's a sad sign of the times that uh banks are closing at the rate they are. Um and uh frankly there are other places that are um in an
• 31:30 - 32:00 even worse position than we are because uh the last bank um closed in down market before uh obviously the banks are going to be closing in Fetford. They've already got a banking hub um which is very successful. There's one in Watton. Um the key point with banking hubs is that they are able to receive cash and check deposits. I think it's really important not just for residents but also particularly for small businesses that we keep an option available for people to bank cash. It's you know it's
• 32:00 - 32:30 absolutely crucial and the banking hubs provide that. uh which is why uh I've been pushing uh link and cash access team to make sure ideally before but at the very least when the banks close the two Halifaxs and Lloyd's close in Fedford we have that facility available there cannot be a gap they've got to be uh working in tandem um I think it's quite odd that they have a temporary banking hub team and a permanent banking hub team and it's bureaucracy gone mad frankly it's two different teams and I
• 32:30 - 33:00 didn't get much impression they actually talk to each other very much. Um, but we are going to be getting a permanent banking hub in Vetford, which I think is to, uh, be, uh, welcome. Uh, for those of you that don't know with a banking hub, uh, different banks use it on different days of the week. So, if you're a customer in Barclays, for example, Barclays is long gone in Fetford. Um, but actually, if you're a Barclays customer still, it's an improvement because you will be able to bank with Barclays in Fedford. And the same with HSBC, um, or other banks, for
• 33:00 - 33:30 example, that have have closed. So it's an improvement in that sense. Um the temporary hub uh needs to go somewhere and the team were very keen to work with a public body in most places where they set up temporary banking hubs. They work with councils, they go in libraries, they go in different locations. Um they looked at a number of properties in Fetford. Uh and they thought the large court was very suitable for a temporary banking hub. And I think, you know, if we can help ensure that people have the
• 33:30 - 34:00 ability to still uh bank in the town, I think we as a town council should be supporting that. And there is actually a typo in the report because uh it' be worth double checking this, Alan. Um because it talks about £300 being a rent payable. Um in my notes from when I met with them, that's £300 per week they will be paying Fairtown Council to host in the small court. So, you know, we're not currently receiving rent for the small court. It's not a room that we rent out. So, our costs will be covered.
• 34:00 - 34:30 Um, and we will be supporting residents of Fetford to bank. It may not be needed because they may get their act together and sort the permanent one out, which would make more sense, frankly. Um, but if they don't and we need a temporary one, uh, then, uh, small court seems to be a good option, uh, in my book. Uh, so I'm very happy to support the recommendations. as a bridle just one or two practical questions really seeking information. One is um
• 34:30 - 35:00 the proposal is that we uh open up the main doors here. Go to Michael and don't you can hear Easy Mag. The proposal is is that we open up the main doors to allow access to this corridor along here. Um is is there has thought been given to how we deal with the public coming in which wouldn't normally be the case and accessing other rooms and for example and it's a
• 35:00 - 35:30 different example uh if the public toilets are going to be open that will add to the cleaning bill. Has that been taken into account? And in terms of how it works is we have no access to the small we would have no access to the small court. We lock up all our rooms when they're not in use. So if this room as soon as this room uh finished meeting it gets locked up. Uh
• 35:30 - 36:00 the um council chamber the rooms are empty they are locked because we are used to having public events where someone might come to one room and not need the other rooms. and the the toilet cleaning bill I think in terms of the £300 I think that could more than compensate uh for that. Thank you. And if I may ask my other question please which is um really relates to something that councelor Jeremy said and thank you for your information um which is that um from what you said it would appear I'm again I'm checking is this true that any
• 36:00 - 36:30 particular van will be only available on one day a week. If that's the case I don't see that as much in the way of progress. So people may be able to go on a particular day designated to to their bank. They may find it inconvenient that day. So is that correct that we'll all be reduced from five days a week to one day a week? Please uh how I understand it uh you will be
• 36:30 - 37:00 able to go into the bank uh any day of the week. There will be services available uh uh each day but on specific days there will be staff working for specific banks. So if you are a Barclays customer and you want to access more than just banking money and checks you want to ask a question about one of their products a specific bank account that will be on a specific day but you will be able to use the basic services all of the time. Thank you. Chancellor
• 37:00 - 37:30 Land anyone else could I add? What they did indicate is that they would look at the profile of Theftford banking. So for example, if Barclays had 40% of the market, they would then allocate 40% of the time that those staff members were in Theford that would be 40% that they would be available. Councelor R. there. Um as a reminder
• 37:30 - 38:00 um we will be impacted by this decision and um aesthetic society want to have alternative venues um given to us if that's possible. Obviously, I appreciate the need short term and uh so I'm happy to support the motion obviously small court but um do we have any indication of time scale until the permanent one's found because knowing things in the past
• 38:00 - 38:30 where things have become started temporary they tend to be longer term on the few months that we usually expect and I'm just conscious that we are market large as a venue handled in S overflow room um is needed to make this venue viable um so I wouldn't want that to be tied up for period of
• 38:30 - 39:00 time I think what we would do is we'd look at each case we look at it on a case by case basis uh we we do have weddings booked in uh the heritage and events manager will have a look at those and we'll come up with some solutions to ensure that those uh events are served seamlessly. Uh we have we do have a problem in the bar and that it's got to be a fridge bar only. We've been trying to sell draft beer through there and it is it really has resulted in significant wastage. So that
• 39:00 - 39:30 would probably supplement that. We could move fridges out for example uh run a service between the bar and the kiggy and here need be. I'm sure we could come up with some proposals uh uh you know organizations that produce small court just out of interest the difference between a small court and and the counter chamber charge is not that significant so it wouldn't be significant loss of income this room obviously would be uh would have an impact on I just wondering uh if you guys know if
• 39:30 - 40:00 there's a timeline for this February let's just say that they don't find the location is this a limit time to deliveration to get result if temporary position go for as long as necessary. Do you guys know if they are going to do a temporary hub? They start their planning in July. Uh they would want to have it at the beginning of September and officially launch it at the end of September. So that would actually have a three-week period and the permanent hub has to be established by the end of December. So
• 40:00 - 40:30 it might overrun by one or two months. Thank you. Yes. Just a comment really on on um I would assume that we are going to look favorably on groups that do I mean I I support this whole but if there are groups that are displaced temporarily before that I'm sure that we can come to some arrangement with them that they're not financially disadvantaged by use bigger room.
• 40:30 - 41:00 Yes. What we'll do is we'll look at other rooms and if they've hired that room at that price, we will give them the other room and we will stick to that price for the groups that hire every month so they will not be displaced. We will find somewhere for them. Anyone else? Thank you. I'd like to do all three at once in being proposing second council pets. All in favor quite unanimous to me. Okay, thank
• 41:00 - 41:30 you. 63424 Ramsey Clust to receive a report regarding eviction of a new fence at the front of the green space on Ry turn. Okay, I'll give you a bit of background. Um on the 4th of March this year, the community environmental services committee um received a report regarding fencing at Ramsey similar to the one presenter today. The committee considered an approved fencing installation and approved a and
• 41:30 - 42:00 appointed a contractor. However, since that decision, the chosen contractor has informed the council that he no longer wishes to fulfill this contract due to changes in his product services. Under normal circumstances, standing order 7A prevents council decisions from being reconsidered within 6 months unless specific procedural conditions are met. However, in this instance, the counterpart has advised council that significant new information has arisen
• 42:00 - 42:30 since the committee's original decision, namely the withdrawal of the appointed contractor. To enable council to reconsider this matter, it will be necessary to suspend standing order 7A under the provisions or alternatively have a motion which is attached in appendix where six counselors have signed to bring this back to full council. So that in accordance with standing order 1R, council suspends the standing orders and allows reconsideration of the decision relating
• 42:30 - 43:00 to fencing. Any questions? Okay. Can propose council follow second. All those in favor. Sorry, Mr. Chairman. Don't make a comment. if you must. I never understand why we have to make things more complicated than they actually are. Um, but basically, we've agreed to put up a new fence. We agreed
• 43:00 - 43:30 to pay a specific contractor. That specific contractor can't do it. So, we now have to make a decision to appoint another contractor. I just think it's important for the benefit of the public that can follow these meetings that we try and be clear. Do you have any comment for whatever that procedure where Manson speak? No, I agree. There is procedure and there is common sense. Okay. Right. This one seems exciting.
• 43:30 - 44:00 63524 governance and risk management policy to receive and agree the updated governance and risk management policy and dependence. Deputy Dan Clark. You're not going to read all that. No. I think um one of the things that this council has been doing well one of the things that this council has been doing well in over many years certainly the years that I've been here is around his risk assessments these have been thoroughly interrogated by by
• 44:00 - 44:30 various committees the old finance committee the corporate services committee and I think what we have is actually a very good document but Tai Clark has added to that by putting in the policy framework uh so you'll see that in the document and that just really helps makes sense of all the colors and the the calculations that you see and determines how that's all calculated. Um the part of the governance structure is that this risk assessment is tabled before council uh
• 44:30 - 45:00 uh every year. We have the internal audits coming next year. So we just we're cutting it real fine. But hopefully uh this council have would be able to have a look at this improvement and take it forward. Thank um as Alan said, we have made a few changes. Um the reason why it's come to this committee meeting is um it's normally tabled at the first council in May. Um but unfortunately this hasn't been tabled this year and so we're
• 45:00 - 45:30 getting it in in this meeting before the beginning the end of this um mail year. You will actually see this document again making because that's when you actually meant to agree this document. Just wait. There's about 900 more pages. Come in for a proposal, please. Chances are syrup. Second, trans. All else in
• 45:30 - 46:00 favor. Thank you. Anyone again? All right. Thank you. 63624 health and safety policy. Another interesting thing to apply. Yes. Um every four years um we go out to contract uh we currently use work nest for our health and safety and they supply us with the new they also check all of our risk
• 46:00 - 46:30 assessments statements and this is the document for you to agree. Yes. Europe. I think I tried to do my due diligence and read through all these book. It's about 750 pages long. So I skimmed. Um so my question is to be honest is mainly yourself and Alan. Are you guys happy with this? Are the ones who are implementing it and having to abide by and have had the meetings. Um do you feel we get adequate service from them and the information they provide?
• 46:30 - 47:00 No pressure. T my shoelaces. Um, I just like to thank Mark and others who worked on this document. Um, it's a it's a fairly hefty piece of work. We' all agree and um it's going to make this arena a better and safer place to work and I'm all for that. So, it's very much Okay. proposal. Can we propose a please? Do you want to
• 47:00 - 47:30 answer my question? In answer to your question, um, honestly, they could do a little bit better, but we have had a conversation with them. they are giving um some us some free courses this year um because they didn't give us as much as online learning as they did in the previous four years but with they're making up with courses including IOS for our managers to make sure that they can
• 47:30 - 48:00 manage staff safely. So hopefully over the next four years this is an improvement and it also makes sure that um all of our faces are covered so that our staff are safe and the council is covered legally with regards to health and safety. Thank you. And I managing safety cost to make sure that managers can manage the staff within the requirements required by the health and safety legislation.
• 48:00 - 48:30 Black just okay just briefly um I did skim through some of that clos it's all yours was you really so it is sorry about that um it's okay having that do we actually use it bearing in mind we had an issue not that long ago where someone fell off a lap and it's okay having the policies having the procedures having the handbook but are
• 48:30 - 49:00 we actually going to make sure that all the staff are aware of it and use it. The um community and environmental services manager has gone through this document with his staff. They have regular meetings. They have regular briefings. Um they have um um toolbox talks and everything else. So he does all of his due diligence. I would say yes, he doesn't resist sort of at the start. I was sure that was the case, but thank you. really sorry, but what is a
• 49:00 - 49:30 toolbox talk? A toolbox a thing you keep to talk to when you go do this alone. I think shut up where you sit and have a meeting about what you're going to do for the day and you think about health and safety, the way you got to do it, what tools you got to use, and whether you got them. Okay. So, why don't they call it the second? Because they're called toolbox. Just carry the times. Still okay proposer
• 49:30 - 50:00 please land second chance to black wall all those in favor that was pretty nan as well okay then thank you very much 63724 angular in bloom to receive a report who's doing this who's doing this you are Um, I didn't actually write this report. Um, the community environment services
• 50:00 - 50:30 manager did. Um, but basically we were asked for an update on what we're going to do for Angller and Bloom this year. Um, we've just um received over4,000 in donations um from local companies around the area. Um and what we're going to do um is some of the planters that are being vandalized on a permanent basis, we're moving these and a more um robust planter for the square. Is that correct?
• 50:30 - 51:00 Correct. Yeah. For the square um which we want to plant up, but we're also trying to work alongside the school and um another company who I've forgotten the name of. um regarding um having a new feature. We're going to be looking at the school um creating a design and the uh manufacturing company producing the
• 51:00 - 51:30 either a train or a shell or something like that we can plant up. Um we have started the planting. Um we are now in May going to fill out the um pocket park. So bigger plants will go into the pocket park. Um it will be filled out more and we're hoping to put more trailing plants and more substantial plants in this year to try and get us over the line to that gold. We're also hoping that with the new um rain water
• 51:30 - 52:00 harvesting this will help as will be using what they class as gray water which is water that runs off of buildings. Just one you say you don't Yeah. Can we have a bottle of steam engine Charles? Um I don't know how creative these children I will ask. Okay. I've forgotten you where the hand. Was it
• 52:00 - 52:30 Terry? Council. Okay. Thank you. Um this is quite as somebody who's put a little bit of effort into uh into anger and broom this uh this report feels very reassuring. The two issues that prevented us from getting last time were and volunteer activity. So if we look at the show judges do look into town right be able to achieve the result for the town. Thank you
• 52:30 - 53:00 Jeremy. Thank you. Um we've been making in incremental improvements over the last few years. I remember it's probably about two or three years ago now we were awarded silver for Anglia in Bloom and then last year I think it was we were silver guilt. So that's next one up. Obviously we've got an aspiration as a council to achieve gold. We're in a bit of a disadvantage because we're in the large town category and there's a lot of large towns. Uh I think in the coastal town category there was only one
• 53:00 - 53:30 entrance so we're at a bit of a dis disadvantage. which they did very well getting in gold. Um, but I am pleased to see this report because we've got to continue to make progress. Um, obviously, you know, I would be very pleased to to achieve gold and I think actually the public out there are starting to notice the improvements and every year we're getting comments about the hanging baskets and the floral displays. So, um, my question to the town club would be, have we got the capacity to make the improvements this year? Because we've taken on additional
• 53:30 - 54:00 responsibilities. We've now bought toilet cleaning in house and we've got lots of other responsibilities as a town. Do we have enough resources to give this the right priority and will the things that council mention particularly the rainwater harvesting not only is it a requirement for the judges but it's actually expensive to routinely water plants you know using the tap. So this is an investment to save money the rainwater harvesting and it's probably you know we've got uh trained ecologists on here that probably tell me the environmental benefits of
• 54:00 - 54:30 rainwater versus tap water. I'm sure there are some. Um, but will that be ready for this year? Yes. Um, we have I have authorized the purchase of the rainwater harvesting. Um, and I know that the community environmental services manager has put in order for it. Um, we're not going with the company now. Um, we actually have um part of the team that works with the community environmental services believe that they can fit this theirelves. It's not that difficult. And so we're going
• 54:30 - 55:00 to be saving about6,000 pounds where it was what be about 10, it's now will be about four and we're doing it in house. Um we're also saving on the watering because we bought that in house. We do believe that we can deliver best chance this year for getting gold. the community environment services manager. I did ask him if he needed anyone extra and he reaffirmed that he thinks he'll be okay, but he said if he does need anyone, he'll come to council and ask.
• 55:00 - 55:30 Thank you. Anyone else? Council, sorry. Council Dolman. Uh, thank you, Mayor. Um, I'd just like to add a couple of other things. Firstly, I think it's really important that we do incrementally change what we do every year. the status quo isn't good enough and the the pocket park that we've got the rainwater harvesting and all the stuff that was done last year is is so good it can only get better but we must keep on looking to change and improve. This is how places like Brandon do so well because they have a theme each year. So I I I um I think that's really
• 55:30 - 56:00 um good progress on behalf of the council. I'd also say that um the work done by the volunteers is vitally important and that kind of news is starting to seep out across the town. As an example, the Norwich Road Estate is looking to see how we can support the town in its effort for gold. And what we've decided to do is do some fundraising to buy some new planters that hold rain water already in them. So
• 56:00 - 56:30 they've got reservoirs. So that's ongoing and they'll be in by April. And that was done purely partly to save on volunteers time but also because this councelor supported that group in the past. So I think that the the the road runs two ways. We must keep engaging with our volunteers and on a final point if we are new planters have uh water reservoirs in summer is the better. Thank you. April.
• 56:30 - 57:00 Okay. Then just I'm in May, not April. Okay. proposal. Donald again 63824 town board to receive a verbal update regarding the new town board.
• 57:00 - 57:30 Councor Peters, please. Thank you very much, chair. Uh yeah, the um the board has met once uh fishing once um since it's come back into life and we had a second meeting with just the elected members which was basically to establish red lines um and the ground of how we're going to go about delivering this because we we need to get it certainly in place by April when the
• 57:30 - 58:00 money is becoming available but also So um by the end of the year we need to have it a guide of what we're going to do. Um the the elected members have decided that we we need to minimize the amount of consultation. Um the town's already been over consulted on on the variety of things but there are a couple of areas that we do need to consult on a little more and that's mainly the health police and the youth because unfortunately it's
• 58:00 - 58:30 been very difficult to engage with all three of them but we are looking to do it. We've we've looked to adopt the town plan which um pleased me greatly because there was a lot of work went into that initially and it is the direction that this council has has pushed. Um there are other documents that are include the walking cycling and and stuff like that. We we we're looking at main areas and the early early ends
• 58:30 - 59:00 of the project. It's quite pleasing that the ones that are in now are in included but not exclusive are St Peter's Church, the Child Bar Museum, um King's Gardens back in the Heritage Master plan. Obviously, I was mentioning youth um and my favorite subject that I banging on about sports foundation. They're quite keen to to support us on that one. uh opening up the river path and and cycling and and walking. Um supporting
• 59:00 - 59:30 us with the guild wall cargi in updating it and bringing a better arts and and and um that sort of entertainment venue for us. uh building on the museum quarter which is Charles Bum ancient house um and maybe putting a boat house on on the river to open up the river as far as boating uh and and then they're looking
• 59:30 - 60:00 as well to uh expand on further education within the town. I'm not quite sure where they're planning to do that one. Um but there is talk of a new further education college. Um that I mean I did question that and and said that the the further education we've got in the town of is inadequate. So we do need to support it somewhere and it's something that will be looked
• 60:00 - 60:30 at. That's pretty much it. The next meeting is going to be the 17th of July. Um, I am happy if anyone wants to contact me to to discuss matters with it as always. Uh, I can update you with anything you want. Uh, and if you've got ideas, they'll always, you know, um, Stuart, you put in a couple of documents. They were quite well supported. um as was most of the stuff
• 60:30 - 61:00 that we put forward, but we do need to prioritize on stuff and get what they quick wins so that next year we're actually spending some money on establishing those quick wins. Is there any anything to say? Uh no, the only thing I would uh add is uh I would encourage um certainly members of the council also anybody else to lies with councelor Peters. is our representative as a town council on the
• 61:00 - 61:30 on the board. Uh I think it's an important process that should involve as many counselors as possible. Uh you know all ideas are welcome. Do feed in uh ideas and suggestions. Obviously I attend in a different capacity but equally you know please do talk to myself and councelor James who gone but councelor James is the north county council rep. So the three of us live in the town. We are on the board. Um we want to make the best possible use of this money for the future of Eford. It is a big opportunity. Um you know no
• 61:30 - 62:00 idea stupid frankly everything is welcome. Uh there are some big ideas there are some small ideas. Um but this is a period of 10 years 20 million pounds for Fetford. Let's make it work. Okay. Is is is it why it's got a different name now? Uh it was the towns fund. It's now the neighborhood fund. Uh, I keep calling it the towns fund, but yes, it is the neighborhood fund. Deser. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Looking at the page of the
• 62:00 - 62:30 vandalism um in our um papers is quite depressing. Uh and certainly I approve of the idea that we should try and get more help from the police. I think however there's a more fundamental issue which is the age group in our society which is most often neglected and that's teenagers. Teenagers are people who are confused as to their identity. They're confused as to what we should be doing. Some of them can take leadership. Others
• 62:30 - 63:00 need to be led. The majority need to be led. And it is not possible for them to organize for them to organize themselves properly during those times when they're not actually somewhere else such as in school or in bed. What used to happen is that we had Northolk County Council providing youth clubs. There are a few in the town run by the churches. they do hit a small proportion of the children. But the fact
• 63:00 - 63:30 is that for most young people, that kind of support that used to exist and used to do such a great job no longer exists. And at the very least, I would like to see our county council pressing Norfolk County Council to find some way of introducing something similar. It might have more up to-ate name and style, but the fact is we need to offer opportunities for young people apart from sport. That's great, but it doesn't fit everybody. So, let's please consider
• 63:30 - 64:00 the real cause of the problem, which is not the police, although we're short-handed. It's the fact that children are bored and don't have the ability to organize themselves. We spend most of the time helping them do that. We can come to next time. Look at me. Councelor Right. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Um, supportive of councelor Bringle's comments there and something that we have waiting properties in the town which could be
• 64:00 - 64:30 utilized in achieving some of the aims that he has put in, but it needs revenue funding. He needs long-term funding and obviously the T fund name fund as we should say um is going to be there in 10 years. Um at the same time there will be calls various calls money uh whether the new unitary authority will take ownership of the um delivery of the what we call the youth service it was in the
• 64:30 - 65:00 past um I think it's too big a job for the town council to run its own way it needs to be exposed to health education and police um I think it's got to be around delivery um but in so I something new to be worth and what that supporting and if council fees can take that forward to the board. That's a counter on C side. I would like to see some improvements in our CCTV cache. Um at the moment having
• 65:00 - 65:30 been at least every other day in the last month in certain behavior factors, I'm constantly told that the cameras are either pointing the wrong way. religious patterns or more quality uh so rely on the tangs for CCTV rather than the um camera on the Red Cross building here. Um so they have a conflict of purpose. We do need a review of those cameras and we also need to think we do need
• 65:30 - 66:00 additional cameras to move with them or do we think that and the um talking to a police who now was with us to um another area that could be seen is independent recognition um which would help in finding some of but who are up to no good who sometimes are unable to
• 66:00 - 66:30 find the hours of CCD. So I think you know that's something which is beyond the agenda for the to consider. Thank you. And in answer to that the CCTV uh upgrade is on the list. Um it wasn't put in the top 12. Personally me I think that's the number one but it's not that
• 66:30 - 67:00 um it's what the ball all feel it is on the list to be done over the next few years but it's when we get to that one but I agree it is um important. Thank you Mr. Mayor. on a subject of uh youth engagement. It was recently raised at a uh police and uh neighborhood meeting uh which was jointed by Breland about what we could do in this town and
• 67:00 - 67:30 Breland were actually looking to see what Theford could offer. It was pointed out to them that they have a vacant um building in the Riverside development. There's a a unit in there that's never been filled uh since it's opened and we suggested they look back at their own development to house somewhere for youth uh opportunities. So I would encourage anybody who can who can poke that um that nest that would be an easy fix for
• 67:30 - 68:00 them being as it's never been filled in any case. Thank you. Thank you. Just following up on what councelor Peters said, there is uh 12ish follow information about what the moment which ones are focusing on and by which one they think is the most um needed. Thank you very much. Okay. Yeah.
• 68:00 - 68:30 Currently the focus on all of them and seeing when they can deliver them. But until the world actually meets we uh we we can't sort of define exactly what we're going to do. But they are focusing on all of them. is is quite although 20 million in the big scheme of things isn't a great deal of money is a lot of money to that we need to spread around and what they are looking at is where we can spend that money and also lever in
• 68:30 - 69:00 other money so like with I keep knocking on about the sport the sports foundation we set it up but then we can get money in from sport England with with the um Gildor CargI, we would look to support the arts and um and some entertainment, but we could possibly lever in some money from um the dramatic side and whatever, but
• 69:00 - 69:30 it it's about where we can lever in extra money as well. So, it isn't just about how we spend that money ourselves. We come back to that. I understand the concept of using a seed money some projects to attract more investment. Um um I think my question was uh you already mentioned sports and culture is within the top priorities are those top priorities at the moment or is there any others they are focusing more on that's what I was trying to get at what are the top priorities for the group at the moment I know they're not fully decided
• 69:30 - 70:00 but what was what's the different bullet points that they're looking at if you could we get a breakdown please at the moment all of that list can that's the best we can do all of that and and it's following the town plan, the heritage master plan, building on the the museum quarters, uh St. Peters Church, Barl Museum, connecting with the youth sport, river path, cycling and and and
• 70:00 - 70:30 that is one of the the big ones actually is the walking cycling routes. I appreciate that. starting in Windsight looking at that and as a matter of feedback if you could pass it on to the board if they have to make decisions by this year and they're still looking at 20 without the definition where they going to center their attention I think they'll find themselves with very little time to to decide to prioritize where to put their efforts and that's why I was
• 70:30 - 71:00 asking if there's already a definition that if there isn't then I'm asking you if you could pass on the word to the board and let them know we need to get on with this they got to move time. Absolutely. And I I will pass that on. Can I just clarify the date because in my diary it says the 15th of May, but as we all know, I'm not very good with dates. Do that after the meeting. After I'll
• 71:00 - 71:30 check it after. Okay then. So for we don't have to do Right. 63924. antisocial behavior in the town to receive a report regarding antisocial behavior the security of the town first. Um I was asked by councelor Stewart to update council on ASB. Um so I'll come first and then I will pass over to councelor Stewart. I produce a report and it highlights a list of
• 71:30 - 72:00 issues that has been experienced over the last year regarding antisocial behavior in the town. and u I'll pass over to councelor Stewart. Thank you councelor Stewart. Thank you very much. Um thank you for the short notice. I appreciate your time getting this on here and the report as well. Um it's quite disheartening to see the the the sheer amount of of um issues antisocial behavior we've been having. Um specifically an incident I witnessed myself I've been working with the police on. And just a quick caveat to that on record. I do council on the right wrote
• 72:00 - 72:30 something I thought was really quite poignant that the EDP chose to focus on the um damage that was inflicted to the box outside, but they didn't seem to promote any of the good work that had been done. I just I wanted to note that. Um but it's it's a um an absolute shame um and what's going on. However, I do think it's really important to note we are not responsible for policing this town. The police are. I completely understand the police are on demand um
• 72:30 - 73:00 at the moment. I I I genuinely appreciate that. But I want to know what initiatives they have in place. That means they don't need to attend these things because there are initiatives in place to prevent that. Um there's there's an awful lot of graffiti here. Um criminal damage. Um I'm happy that we have a lot of CCTV, specifically the incident I witnessed myself. The police said, as um Ger um mentioned earlier, the cameras are facing the wrong way. Um, luckily the one on the car I believe caught which was fantastic. Um, that's
• 73:00 - 73:30 one incident where we managed to catch the thing is such a shame um that the the um cameras weren't facing the right way. Um, so as the the recommendation, thank you for putting it into words so nicely. I'd love to invite the police um either in person or a written report from them so they can explain to us I'd prefer in person if possible um so they can explain to us on record and to the people of the what they are doing um to help uh police our neighborhood and um counter antisocial behavior because it
• 73:30 - 74:00 is rife at the moment and I just want to know what they're doing about it that that is outside of we don't have enough bobbies on the beach. I appreciate that. So, what else are you doing to mean you don't need people out and about? Your cameras, um, other initiatives, where are you spending your money on this sort of enable of policing? Um, so, thank you for putting into words for me. But, um, it's such a shame to see in black and white in front of you, the the sheer amount of of damage and things going on that that we have to pay for out of um, the residents money. Thank you. Um,
• 74:00 - 74:30 thank you for that. Um, I was absolutely staggered when I was given these uh, statistics. Um I was actually I didn't realize how much AFB we encounter um the community environmental services manager normally deal with but I don't normally get involved and to see it in black and white like you saying it is it's not good enough. Okay, we'll start back. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. over
• 74:30 - 75:00 grounded there is really to us what it doesn't cover is the things like which is something continualism and again it comes out the um the public person historic heritage and in yeah he really puts this experience down to have all Harris fences down there I know a local business has been had the doors kicked in when they had
• 75:00 - 75:30 had um police come along the cameras in the wrong way. The bus station toilets happened recently. Again, there's something there. The dad's argument about what we've talked about, but it's got to a stage now where people are lining their bicycles in the line are meeting to try and get some action because you know it's getting out of hand. There are federal roughing about courses made here. So I welcome us
• 75:30 - 76:00 taking a stand to try to get something done. But I think it's got to be across agency roles and police do need to be kind of work because there's lots of teams where people had stuffed and they can't reported because of the house and they have to go through to J. Thank you. I mean I think there is a particular issue at the moment with uh antisocial behavior in the town center specifically. I mean I've certainly
• 76:00 - 76:30 heard from a number of people who are reluctant to come into the town center particularly of an evening um because of groups of children young people uh misbehaving and that actually has a huge impact on uh local economy uh people's uh confidence. Um we heard earlier from councelor McDonald about stack. I remember when the police led stack. It was a police uh employee who organized the meetings, undertook the minutes, and drove that cross organization process
• 76:30 - 77:00 forward to reduce crime and antisocial behavior. It was created under the crime and disorder reduction act years ago. All of that's been eroded over time. The accountability of the police has been massively reduced. We're now reduced to a stag meeting covering Fedford happening in Oxra. And I just find it incredibly frustrating. they are um uh somewhat unaccountable. Um I reminded myself, apologies, but I picked up a copy of our manifesto that many of us were elected
• 77:00 - 77:30 on and we've all adopted as a scheme of work. And there's a section about prime minister social behavior and it says, "The town council's role in addressing these issues can be limited, but we must use the council's considerable influence to address residents concerns. We will request an annual meeting with Norfolk Police and Crime Commissioner and the Chief Constable to raise concerns related to crime and antisocial behavior locally. We are not the organization that's going to police the town. We've been very generous in contributing to town wardens and they've been uh
• 77:30 - 78:00 relatively successful. But what we should be doing is putting pressure on the police uh uh from the employee point of view and the chief gun, but also from the Democratic elected police and crime commissioner. we should be getting them here to say what are you doing about crime and antisocial behavior in Fedford. It's not for us to provide all the solutions but we have said that we would organize a meeting with them and I I think we should do that. D um thank you Mr. Mayor. Um just a couple of points on that. So firstly the
• 78:00 - 78:30 antisocial behavior has been a steady increase for such a long time. The thing that this council is doing much better is people like Nick are engaging with the police. They're reporting these facts and the the reason we're seeing so many incidents is we're actually taking note of what is happening to our property and when it's happening. So we're we're aware of what's happening more than we were before. What he's doing is really good because it is keeping the pressure on the police. Again, RMP mentioned it the town wardens
• 78:30 - 79:00 have been a great scheme and we shouldn't um think that they're not doing some good work. Again, they're highlighting stuff that we didn't know was happening. So I'm trying to look at this with a glass half full kind of thing. What I would recommend is those SNAP meetings are now chaired by the police. I don't think there's any minutes of any kind, but I would recommend that as a council, go there on mass, have our say, you know, because if it's the same faces such as mine, it has
• 79:00 - 79:30 less of an impact. go there and embarrass the police at a public meeting and tell them what you want because they will have to do it. And finally, I would go back to the police and crime commissioner who when she came here when first elected was very on side and spent a lot of time disproportionately in Theford looking at our problems. It's time we called her back and said, "Okay, you had a look when you first how's it going?" So, what I'm saying is back to us. We need to engage with those people
• 79:30 - 80:00 personally. Thanks. Okay, then you're happy. Hello. Sorry. Can I just uh quickly make a slight amendment to it? Um, can we ensure that the It says the Norfolk Police S&T. Can we make sure that includes the chief console and the police and crime commissioner as well? Um, let's get them all here while we're doing We got We're running one opportunity. Might as well get everyone there. Um, I
• 80:00 - 80:30 might not be able to get all of them in, but I'll try my best. Thank you very much. It's all you can do. We need second, please. Propos. Did you want to say something else? I did want to say something. Oh, sorry. Good. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I think I'm going to vote against this. Um, it seems so so poor and minimal. It is not going to solve the
• 80:30 - 81:00 problems. Asking the police are unfavorable. Yeah, we should be working with police. Of course, we should. That is not the essence of the problem. The police didn't cause the problem and they can't cure the problem. We need an attempt to get further down and to say, I mean, I listen to you mentioning 20 million quid. Wonder what proportion of that is going to be spent on teenagers. Throttles. I I don't see the plan as to spend money to deal with this particular group of people who are so I'm I know
• 81:00 - 81:30 I'm repeating myself because I care passionately about it. We need to deal with our teenagers in a more positive way and it's not positive to stick more wardens and police on corners and it's not positive to stick more cameras on corners. It's positive to give them good things to do. Can we please make some effort to do that? Thank you. Mike, completely agree with Mike there. When we came to the town, there was youth
• 81:30 - 82:00 clubs. There was quite a bit going on for for younger people. So, I I completely agree with what Mike has said. I understand that. I used to go to youth club. We had the Latin Street. We had a youth club down in dog market street to go to that, you know. So it was good fun. Thank you so um councelor Windom I uh can relate to the sentiments. It is
• 82:00 - 82:30 frustrating. Uh we all bang the drum about we need more youth services ultimately. It is one of those things that is above the level council what we can do as a unit and the council and the council that are on the ground and belong in desert and understand this issues. One of them is being done which is reporting more. Numbers are important because numbers shows them what's really going on and that that's one thing the agencies tend to look at is the numbers because they act on it. Um the other
• 82:30 - 83:00 thing is that we can do is through the lobby and as I was mentioned is and comes from mentioned quite frankly if we want to achieve something we have to be more more serious. I think yeah this is one of many things about Christ um which is a bit bizarre uh but okay so I think at some point we need to organize ourselves and actually decide each one of our own to take that action as individual counselors and as a collective to go there and tell them in
• 83:00 - 83:30 one s way this is a problem we can't is getting out ahead and it's getting worse is affecting business is affecting welfare of the residents and it's not doing anybody any favors Soon enough, you're going to be dealing with private energy industries and it's going to cost you three times more to try to control things and actually put money in taking prevention and measures. I agree with both of the governments. I think it's up to us as council to come together with some put our foot down and put some noise because others they're not going to see us. They
• 83:30 - 84:00 they will just brush us off. Thank you. Okay. I'll be there to change. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Glad to bits it in. Coming. Proposal in a second at least. Councelor McDonald. All those in favor. All those against I'd like my name recorded please if possible with remark to go why. Yeah.
• 84:00 - 84:30 No problem. We can do that. Yeah. We can do that. We will. And will we say it's because we said it was inadequate and negative. We can do that. Okay, I'm going to abstain. I'm going to abstain. Council was abstaining. Okay, okay, thank you so much. Right back. Okay. 64024 Bford signal. Do
• 84:30 - 85:00 we receive a report on the signal box? Deputy Tan Clark. Um, if you recall, and I am going back a bit in time, in September 2023, this council approved a letter to be signed by the then mayor to go to great network rail regarding the uh signal box. Uh, it kind of got lost in the the post somewhere and resurfaced in November. Um, there was a meeting held, the team's meeting held, just a kind of touch base
• 85:00 - 85:30 meeting in in November. uh uh the Breaker Council, the Atra partnership manager, someone from Network Rail kind of uh met, someone from the 12 B museum met and we just had a general chat. Uh the followup of that was that they needed to get some involvement from the council. So what they really suggested is that we form a working group uh which is the the gist of of this to get some ideas as to what can be used. uh the
• 85:30 - 86:00 challenge that we have and and and this is really fundamental is that it's so close to the railway lines unlike other signal boxes. So so that is a challenge but the idea is that we get a working group together we can look at potential use and then we can take next steps but what they require is some buyins from the town council initially uh before we engage with other stakeholders. So the recommendation and the next steps is really around that. I remember right
• 86:00 - 86:30 Nick Terry said one of your take anything to say. Yep. I'm incredibly frustrated about the signal box. It's one of the first things you see as you come into Fetford on the train. If you live in Fetford, you stand on the platform. You look at the boarded up box uh repeatedly. I do certainly when I stand there. Um and it's one of only six in the country. We should be really celebrating this part of our history, that whole site that um is listed, but the signal box in its own
• 86:30 - 87:00 right. Uh I do laugh when I see comments like there's an issue that it's so close to the train line because uh it's no closer than the railway cottages that people live in. It's no closer than the platform that people stand on to get a train. It's no closer than the public footpath that runs alongside. But you know that aside, health and safety gone mad. Um I have given this some thought and the problem in Fetford is we are not short of community buildings to hire. That would be the obvious use. It's small. Um uh you could have a little
• 87:00 - 87:30 meeting room there if you wanted but it's not really got practical use from that point of view. It's too small. Um and uh we've got other buildings. Um looking at examples around the country um I would be quite keen and uh apologies if this seems slightly odd but I would be very keen for us to explore the use as an Airbnb. Other signal boxes around the country have been converted to an Airbnb. It's quirky. It's got plumbing. It's got electricity. Um, you know, we do have a demand for tourism in Fetford. Uh, I think actually if we were
• 87:30 - 88:00 interested as a town council, we could lease it from Network Rail. Uh, look for a grant to do it up and actually book it out from an Airbnb example. It's being used elsewhere. Um, I think that could be an end use that actually uh gets it restored, brings in some money and actually makes a feature of it. Thank you and I have been a lot of my many years getting it into a dish so
• 88:00 - 88:30 they so it doesn't look chemist as you say it's the first thing people see as they come into Denver and give a good impression. We're listening for the historic um area there. There's not just the signal which is station the brow pl is all in this tank as a group example. Um so there was an
• 88:30 - 89:00 obligation issues of um trackside has been brought up. We tried to get the station master's house back into use many years ago. Again, Dem were reluctant to have it as a residential site because it had been um used elsewhere. They seem to have a way to get ban on using residential beit when you look at numerous places and Airbnbs
• 89:00 - 89:30 on old station buildings. So I welcome the idea of storing the Airbnbs because um you know the friends in the station did look at it and were told that it's um to leave the train track that to do the maintenance. That means if if it can get the maintenance done by Brown it's handed over in a good condition then there's no reason why it can't use for purpose uh with adequate fencing there. I've always said the idea of having that
• 89:30 - 90:00 old new citos so that the quirkiness there is accentuated. So you can have captain mics that's sitting standing by the door windows there but practicalities are it wouldn't be disabled friendly to get up onto the first floor but saying that because it's a list you can get around that um and still repurpose it. So I really want people at least they're talking to us about
• 90:00 - 90:30 experience. So let's you know have further explanation and see where we go. Anyone else regarding any issues having a department sorry thanks. Um yeah, I just wanted to add I think an Airbnb is a really interesting idea, but I wondered whether we could also explore um options like Airbnb or you know companies that don't have the
• 90:30 - 91:00 ethical issues that Airbnb has. Sorry, regarding the working party anymore. You've been waiting for that. I have been all night. every morning to do it. Yeah. Okay. Any volunteers working, please? Council
• 91:00 - 91:30 council. Okay. So, we do agree. Can we have a proposal, please? Is that a working boy? Councelor Jeremy second. Councelor Right. All those in favor in anyone again. Notice. Okay. Right. Here we go. Now 64124.
• 91:30 - 92:00 Exclusion of press and public to consider resolving that pursuant to the public bodies admission to meet his act 1916 the press and public be excluded for any remaining lives of business on the grounds of publicity would be prejuditial to the public interest by reason of the confidential nature of the business to be discussed. Are you all in favor?