Necton Parish Council

Dogs are for many the best friend in life.  But unfortunately, their mess left on our footpaths causes great distress and is also a risk to our health.  We are receiving an increasing number of complaints about this and we are reporting it onto Breckland Council and their Dog Warden services.  This report is secondhand and it may lose some valuable information in the translation.

If you have a complaint about dog fouling or any dog related matter, the best action is to ring the Breckland Dog Warden on 01362 858500.

Also, you might have heard that Breckland are focusing very much on dog-fouling and will be taking enforcement action if needed.  Read more about their commitment to this in our previous post.

Breckland Council has joined up with a national environmental charity to launch a new campaign aimed at reducing dog fouling in the district.

The ‘We’re watching you campaign’ was successfully piloted by Keep Britain Tidy last year at sites across the country. It is aimed at dog walkers who don’t pick up after their dogs.

Breckland will soon roll out a small number of signs at carefully selected sites in each of the district’s five market towns and surrounding areas. The posters include the image of a pair of eyes and the slogan ‘bag that poo, any bin will do’ to remind dog owners to make use of the nearby general waste and dog poo bins.

The signs are made from a material which remains visible after dark, so the message can be seen no matter what time of the day dog walkers are out with their pets.

The innovative campaign has been informed by research which has shown that dog walkers are more likely to pick up after their dogs when they think that they are being watched. The Keep Britain Tidy pilot, which used the posters and was funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), saw an average reduction of 46% in the levels of dog fouling.

Cllr Lynda Turner, Breckland Council’s Executive Member for Community and Environmental Services, said: “The vast majority of dog walkers are very responsible and pick up after their animals. This campaign aims to remind those who may be tempted to leave it that it is not acceptable.

“Dog fouling isn’t a big problem in the district, but when it does occur it is deeply unpleasant for residents, who often tell us that it is by far the worst type of litter. We’ve teamed up with Keep Britain Tidy to help make sure our outside spaces remain enjoyable for everybody.”

Dog owners should pick up after their dog and dispose of the poo bags in the nearest general waste or designated dog poo bin, or by taking home to dispose of it in their own household waste bin.

Residents can inform the council of litter and dog mess by using the ‘report it’ button on Breckland’s website: www.breckland.gov.uk/content/report-litter-and-dog-mess.

Each year the Council’s Annual Return is audited by an auditor appointed by the Audit Commission.  Any person interested has the right to inspect the accounts to be audited.

These documents will be available on reasonable notice on application to the Parish Clerk, Gabrielle Joyce.  The inspection period is 1 July to 28 July 2015.

For full details of this notice, click here.

For full details of your rights as an elector, click here.

To view our Annual Return 2015, click here.

Norfolk County Council has launched a final consultation on its draft Local Flood Risk Management Strategy to ensure residents and businesses have a further opportunity to express their views.

The consultation, which includes a number of drop-in session that begin next week, is open until 25 May, and the Local Flood Risk Strategy, subject to responses received from the public, will be formally adopted later in the year.
The Council, as a Lead Local Flood Authority, has a duty to manage flood risk from surface water, groundwater and local watercourses across the county.

Jason Slack from the Flood & Water Management Team said: “Flooding can have a significant impact on the people and the economy of the county. Whilst it is not possible to prevent all flooding, we can consider and find ways to manage flood risk and its potential consequences.

“The draft strategy sets out the framework for how we want to manage, and where possible, reduce local flood risk. We will do this in partnership with key organisations, including the Environment Agency and Anglian Water, as well as local communities.

“We are inviting residents, businesses and local groups to have their say before the strategy is adopted. This will enable us to be as prepared as possible to deal with local flooding incidents that could arise in the future.”

A series of consultation drop-in sessions to discuss and feedback thoughts on the strategy will take place on and at:

May 5th (11am – 4pm), North Walsham Town Council Office, New Road, North Walsham, NR28 9DE.
May 6th, (9:30am – midday), Aylsham Town Hall, Market Place, Aylsham, NR11 6EL.
May 6th, (1pm – 4pm), The Hub, 27 Fairland Street, Wymondham, NR18 0AW.
May 11th, (11am – 4pm), East Dereham Library, 59 High Street, Dereham, NR19 1DZ.
May 13th, (11am – 4pm), Kings Court, Chapel Street, King’s Lynn, PE30 1EX.
May 14th, (11am – 4pm), Great Yarmouth Town Hall, Hall Plain, Great Yarmouth, NR30 2QF.
May 15th, (11am – 4pm), Millennium Library, The Forum, Millennium Plain, Norwich, NR2 1AW
The consultation closing date is Monday 25th May 2015.
To read the draft strategy and download the consultation questionnaire, go to the Norfolk Citizenspace website at https://norfolk.citizenspace.com

Paper copies of the draft strategy are also available for inspection in the county libraries, district & borough council offices and at County Hall.
Additional copies of the questionnaire can also be requested by emailing [email protected] or phoning 0344 8008020.

The Annual Parish Meeting was well attended this year, perhaps helped by the lovely refreshments laid on by the Council before the meeting began.

The highlights of the evening included hearing from many local organisations who provide essential services to the village – Community First Responders, Necton Lunch Club, Little Oaks pre-school, Necton Parish Church and Ladies Friendship Club were only some of the organisations represented.

Cllr Woodward, Chair of the Parish Council was delighted to be able to hand out money – the 2014 grants agreed by the Council.  The organisations that benefited were Necton Sports & Social Club, Necton Parish Church, Little Oaks and Pandora Project.

A wonderful surprise came from Ms Kari Hege Mørk, Stakeholder Manager for the Dudgeon Offshore Wind Farm in the form of a commitment to provide funding to 3 projects within the village – Community First Responders, Necton Primary School and a new bus shelter on the A47.

Read the minutes and reports from this years APM here.

The Breckland View also sent along their community reporter, Paul Young, and you can hear his report here.

The next meeting of the village forum is on April 14th at 7:30pm, at
Necton Rural Community Centre on Tuns Road.

The Agenda for the evening includes:

An up-date on Wind Farm sub station project
Formation of ‘The Friends of Necton’ society
Future of Necton Village Hall
Reports from Groups
Important events in next 6 months and Parish meeting 23 April
Funding for projects
Reaching out to Necton villagers

After almost 15 years based at Robertson Barracks in Swanton Morley, the Light Dragoons will be leaving Norfolk to move to a new base in Yorkshire.

Breckland, together with Norfolk County Council, Dereham Town Council and Swanton Morley Parish Council is organising a Farewell Parade through the streets of Dereham on 16 April, to give the regiment a rousing send off.

Come out and line the streets along the Parade Route to give our soldiers a fantastic final farewell, and demonstrate the support and appreciation of the people of Norfolk.

Further details including car parking and road closure arrangements will be put on a dedicated website – lightdragoonsparade.wordpress.com as they become available.

There have been a spate of break-ins across the towns and villages of Breckland in the past few weeks.  Swaffham Safer Neighborhood Team (Police) have published some tips to help you be safer in your home.

1. Ensure all windows are shut when leaving your property including communal ones.

2. When leaving your property ensure the front door is locked and if you have an alarm, set it.

3. If you have one, bring your wheelie bin in after rubbish has been collected.  These are ideal for burglars to use to store stolen goods in or to help them climb into your back garden.

4. Mark your property with an ultra violet pen or dedicated marking kit, available from your local police, ring 101 and ask for the Dereham Safer Neighborhood Team for further details.

5. Photograph any valuable belongings and make a note of any serial numbers if applicable.

6. Register your property on www.immobilise.com

7. Please report anything suspicious.

For more details on keeping you and your property safe, log onto www.knowurstuff.co.uk

If you have any questions, queries or would like a visit from a crime prevention officer, please contact the Dereham Safer Neighbourhood Team on 101.