Precept and Budget

In December, Acle Parish Council met to set its budget and to decide on the precept. The precept is collected by Broadland District Council via your council tax bills and pays for village facilities and services.

The Parish Council manages most of the streetlights, benches, grit bins, waste bins and bus shelters. It also pays for the youth club on Tuesdays, for the hanging baskets, Christmas lights, and most of the grasscutting. By giving grants, it supports the Acle War Memorial Recreation Centre, Acle Good Neighbours, Acle Lands Trust and other local charities.

The Council owns the play equipment at Beighton Road, Damgate Lane and Springfield, and the Fletcher Room (used by the Pre-school). It manages the village centre public toilets. It employs a part-time cleaner and a part-time parish clerk.

The Council has been campaigning for many years to buy additional land for a new cemetery north of the village. Its request for a Compulsory Purchase order is (still!) with the Government. The sale proceeds from the land north of Springfield were invested in the purchase of the Barclays Bank building, andgenerate rents from the bank and from private tenants in the upstairs flats.

As well as managing these assets, the Council also puts some money away each year in an earmarked fund to pay for futurerepairs and replacement of the various assets and facilities.

In order to meet these costs it was decided to increase the precept by 10% to a total of £102,210 for the year. Each household willpay an amount depending on the council tax band of your home. For an average Band D property, this precept represents a total cost for the year of £105.15, or 28.8p per day.

Youth Club

Each Tuesday evening has now been split into two sessions (£1 each):

6.30pm – 8.00pm - a fun/ active session for years 7 and 8, or

8.15pm - 9.30pm -a quieter time for year 8 and older.

Community Speedwatch

Many people have concerns about vehicle speeds in the village. One option is to set up a Community Speedwatch group. You may have seen the volunteers in Panxworth!

A minimum of 6 volunteers is required for a scheme to start. Training is given by the Police. Your commitment is as much or as little time as you want to give. Please contact the clerk at the address below if you would like to help set up a group.

Commuter parking

The current draft proposals are:

The Street by Crossway Terrace – double yellow lines along west side to support parking bays for 7 cars on the east side, restricted to 2 hours, Mon-Fri, 9am to 4pm. Double yellow lines at junction with Bridewell Lane and South Walsham Road.

Old Road – double yellow lines on north side, as far as Carters, to support parking bays for 5 cars on

the south side, restricted to 2 hours, Mon-Fri, 9am to 4pm.

Mill Lane – double yellow lines at junction with Glebe Road and Mill Crescent. On the section of Mill Lane near to The Street single yellow lines to prohibit parking Mon-Fri 9am to 4pm.

Birtles Way – double yellow lines at junction with The Street.

Reedham Road – double yellow lines from junction with The Street.

Market Manor – double yellow lines at junction with Reedham Road.

New Road – double yellow lines at junction with Springfield, New Close, Broadland Way and turning for the BP Garage/Starbucks/Travelodge. Double yellow lines along entire north side. Parking unrestricted on south side, east of Broadland Way.

We hope to have plans available for public consultation at the Annual Parish Meeting on 23rd April.

No Cold Calling Zones

The No Cold Calling Zonefor Hermitage Close has been set up.

Councillors are delivering survey packs to those households in Peter Avenue/St Edmunds Road/Glebe Road, New Road/New Close/Elm Close/Broadland Way and the Englands Road estate who have not yet indicated their support or opposition for the scheme. 75% support is required in order for a NCCZ scheme to go ahead so please send back your form. Even if cold calling does not bother you, it can be distressing for other people.

Housing on Land off Norwich Road/Mill Lane

Norfolk County Council’s outline planning application was discussed by the councillors at an extra meeting on 15th January. Whilst the application is for “up to 140 dwellings” and only gives an indication of how 140 homes would fit on the site, with some open space, the councillors have raised several questions about the plans, from capacity at the medical centre and with the sewage system in the village, and concerns about ensuring there is enough parking for each of the new homes. Some of these issues are not strictly planning questions, and others will only be resolved when a detailed planning application is received, but the councillors wanted to raise these issues as soon as possible….

Websites

The company hosting our websiteAclepc.norfolkparishes.gov.uk has changed the way people can subscribe for updates. If you go to the home page you can “subscribe to blog” on the right-hand side. Then you’ll get sent an email when I post something on the site so you’ll be sure of being kept up-to-date.

Dates for your Diary

The next Parish Council meetings are Mondays, 26thFebruary, 26th March and 30th Aprilat 7.00 pm in the Methodist meeting room, with refreshments from 6.45pm. The Annual Meeting of the Parish is on Monday, 23rd April – further details to follow nearer the time. All residents are very welcome to attend all meetings. Meetings are advertised on the board in The Street, and on the websites.

Pauline James – parish clerk