Parish Information    (last edited 5/7/2009)

BEESTON REGIS PARISH COUNCIL
ANNUAL PARISH MEETING WEDNESDAY  6th May 2009

CHAIRMAN’S ANNUAL REPORT

Firstly I would like to thank all the parish councillors for their support in what has proved to be another busy year.  In November we were pleased to co-opt  to the Council former Councillor Michael Church which brought our complement up to the full11 councillors. As I reported at this time last year Mike Tacchi was intending to move to France with his family which duly occurred and he resigned from the Parish Council which vacancy we have yet to fill. Again I would ask that any one who is interested please see me after the meeting. To qualify you have to be 18 years old and live or work in the Parish or live within 3 miles of our Boundary.

We have made progress in our efforts to attain  “ Quality Parish Status” and we are now  striving to tick all the  remaining boxes and I expect our application to go forward in the next few months.. The decision on how Norfolk is to be governed in  the future is now expected in July. The  role of Parish Councils may change so it is important that we are ready for any challenges that may arise.
A major initiative, started by Margaret Roffe in 2007  was the establishment of  “No Cold Calling Zones “ within the Parish . During the year Church Close and latterly Hillside Road have  joined Robyns Road, Abbey Park and Regis Avenue . Priory Close is now in the pipeline.
The Parish is a consultee on many issues and responses have been or are being  made on important matters which could directly affect the Parish  some of which are:-

The Provision of Permanent Gypsy and Travellers sites within East of England and particularly in North Norfolk ( Not to be confused with the provision of Temporary sites within the Cromer/Sheringham  and Fakenham areas.) I will have more to say on this later.
Minerals and Waste Strategy for  Norfolk  which could see the workings at  “Stone Pits” in Britons Lane be extended. This Consultation continues

Coast and Shoreline Management plans. There is little to report on this at present although I understand that work is about to start on a new set of steps to give access to the beach from the Caravan Park but they will be open to all members of the public.

Local Development Framework This has now replaced the previous Local Plan and Beeston Regis is now part of what is deemed “countryside” and  previous development boundaries have now been abolished which means that very little development in the future will be  permitted  within the Parish. Planning Applications have virtually dried up . Some may welcome this but the very restrictive conditions which apply throughout the “ countryside” together with the economic climate is having a detrimental effect on builders and allied trades within the North Norfolk Area with the consequent loss of jobs.
Never the less we are consulted on all Planning applications within the Parish and also those within close proximity to our boundaries. When appropriate the Council makes verbal representations either for or against in the slot allocated at the NNDC planning committee meetings.
The Sheringham Area Partnership has now completed its work and has been replaced by The Upcher Community Partnership and I am pleased to report that one of our Councillors Paul Kemp has been elected to the board of the that organization.
The new partnership embraces the town of Sheringham together with the neighbouring parishes of Beeston Regis, Upper Sheringham, East and West Beckham,
Weybourne, Salthouse,  Kelling and Gresham. It is early days for the Partnership but two suggestions .one to open a branch of the Norfolk Credit Union in Sheringham and two to promote an Arts & Literature Festival with Cromer in the autumn of 2010 seem to have merit. There is an open meeting on 14th May 2pm to 6pm  at The Belfry Arts Centre Cromer Road  Overstrand  to discuss the latter.

We continue to press for Tree Preservation Orders on important trees which we have specifically identified within the “Sheringwood” area and have enlisted the help of the Woodland Trust which now manages the adjoining area of Pretty Corner Woods.  I will have something more to say on this later. .

I am pleased to report that the bottle bank continues to be well used and will earn again earn over £200 a year after costs have been deducted.

Last year I mentioned that we were looking at how the Parish Council, its businesses and residents could become a Carbon Neutral Community.  However we had little response from our business community which was very disappointing so no progress has been made

A few words about finance. Our only source of revenue is the Parish precept which is collected within your council Tax. In 2008/9 this worked out at an average of £30 per household and in 2009/10 it will be about £35 per household.. Precise details of where the money goes will be published in my Annual Report which will go out with the next issue of Beeston Regis News. Suffice to say the highest percentages are for clerk’s salary and expenses closely followed by street lighting and maintenance.
During the year we have reviewed the Parish lighting some of which is reaching the end of its life and provision has been made in the precept for replacement and renewal when required. We have also agreed that in future any new lamp will be of “ softer white light “as distinct from the “orange light”. If any resident finds the lighting intrusive please let us know as our contactors can fit deflectors in appropriate situations.
Cutting of Communal Grassed areas- The NNDC appear to have relented in their plan to restrict the cutting to 5 times per year. However we have not been told anything officially so we will wait and see.
Beeston Common. Whilst this is not within our parish it is used by many of our parishioners and we have been concerned about “ English Nature’s” work including the apparent return of much of the common  to bog land. We are in discussion with Sheringham Town Council and hope to be able to participate in further discussions.

Apart from the important  items I have already mentioned I and my councillors have attended many meetings throughout the year on a wide area of subjects including “ Jet Ski’s”, Preservation Society, Church matters, Various Charity concerns, Area and Community partnerships, the new Planning Portal- to name but a few. Again my thanks to them all and in particular my vice Chairman Mike for keeping our website up to date and together with Margaret Roffe the publication of “Beeston Regis News.

Finally I must pay tribute to our Parish Clerk Peter Bullimore who deals most diligently with the affairs of the Council. His knowledge is invaluable.


G W Roy Beckley
Chairman

BEESTON REGIS PARISH COUNCIL

INCOME & EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT-Year to 31st March 2009.

2008

INCOME

2009

10500

Precept

12,000.00

108

Interest

       42.47

    210

Bottle Bank

     220.00

10818

 

12,262.47

 

 

 

 

EXPENDITURE

 

 

 

 

 

ADMINISTRATION

 

268

Postages, Printing, Stationary etc

    306.61

264

Use of Room as Office

    264.00

89

Telephone

      90.20

41

Travelling

      50.20

221

Hire of Rooms & Hall

    268.00

630

Insurance

    657.87

   195

Audit Fees

    205.00

3,448

Salaries

 3,533.04

278

Other- Subscriptions

278.94

45

-Training (incl. text books)

116.50     

            200

-Notice Board etc (new)

-----

            106

-Non Contested election

-----        

70

-Website Expenses

 40.00 

            309

-Open Day – 50th Birthday

-----

            14

-Sundries (notice board repair)

 21.15 

 

LIGHTING

 

1,293

Supply of Electricity

 1,279.64

   684

Routine Maintenance

    684.00

   931

Additional Maintenance (incl replacement lights)

 3,040.51

 

OTHER

 

   489

Emptying Dog Bins

    520.00

   700

Cleaning Shelters/Repairs

    723.99

   750

Donation re Churchyard (£450) & Section 137

    485.00

11025 

 

12,564.65

 

List of Organisations serving the Beeston Regis Area.

Organisation                                            Contact Details………….

Beeston Regis Church                              Rev.Peter Davis                  01263 838773

Beeston Regis Scouts                               Leader, Paul Henrikson     01263 712288     

Sheringham Womens Institute                 W.I.Adviser,Janet Rose     01603 624580

Sheringham Youth Centre                        Leader, Diane Stothers      01263 822928

Young Peoples Drama Group                   Manager, Ms.B.Robinson  07748 96880

Sports Association                                    Sec., Clive Rayment           01263 822302

Preservation Society                                 Chair., Reg Grimes             01263 824343

Sheringham Cricket Club                         Sec., Stuart Smith                01263 825176

Age Concern, N.Nfk.                                Manager, Ms.L.Battrick     01263 823126

St.John Ambulance                                   Sec., David Easton              01263 588082

Yesu Charity                                             Manager, David Bloggs      01263 825516

Sheringham Library                                  Manager, Mrs.S.Parker      01263 822874

Amateur Dramatic Group                         Sec., Gregory Pope              01263 513287

Sheringham Carnival Group                     Chair., Mrs.H.Beresford     01263 823463

Ottendorf Twinning Assoc.,                     Sec., Evelyn Meakin            01263 823818

Sheringham Horticultural Soc.,                Sec., Clive Mitchell             01263 837397

Lobster Potties                                          Chair., Tony Chadwick      01263 821514

Folk Club                                                  Sec., Eddie Bailey               01263 821129

Sheringham Choral Soc.                           Sec., Rose Moreton             01263 825146

Sheringham Shantymen                            Chair., Bob Hawkins           01263 824112

Street Lighting.

Further to the article in the Autumn BRNews, the parish council has now completed a comprehensive survey of our lighting inventory and is now in a position to formulate a complete lighting policy for the near future. There are obviously many issues to consider, primarily the safety aspects and environmental impact of any decisions taken; we also have to give due consideration to the costs – all of which have an ongoing effect well into the future.

We are grateful for the views expressed by parishioners to date, and took note with interest the considerable reaction to the recent outages in Priory Close.

At its February meeting, the Parish Council decided to continue with the dusk-to-dawn lighting regime, and to pursue a policy of replacement of obsolete lanterns as and when they fail. These will be replaced with more energy efficient equipment in an effort to mitigate the costs and provide the most environmentally suitable solution without compromising safety and residents' wishes.

Parish Council Vacancy. Following the resignation of Councillor Mike Tacchi in February, the Council has now filled the resulting vacancy. Mr Geoff Dyson was co-opted to the Council at the May meeting and we are pleased to return to our full complement of eleven councillors.

Sheringham Trails details a 10 kilometre walk that can easily be broken into short sections, and is basically a circular tour around Sheringham and Beeston Regis. A very informative booklet has been produced and is available from the SheringhamPlus shop, or can be viewed on the Experience Sheringham website here.

21st Century Village.  Local Action - Global Impact is an initiative aimed at helping to make your local village a better place by encouraging the use of local shops and produce, making homes more energy efficient, making less use of our cars and creating and conserving spaces for wildlife. It also encompasses measures to reduce waste and improve recycling. It is supported by all the County Councils in the East of England and you will find useful links to Rural Action East and the East of England Rural Forum, where there is a wealth of information, on our Links page.

Don't forget that Beeston Regis now has its own Bottle Bank, conveniently situated on the car park at the bottom of Britons Lane. This facility is now providing a very significant revenue directly to the Parish Council. The amount of money raised is dependant upon the amount of glass actually recovered, so do try to make every use of it! 

The bottle bank has been filled and emptied many times since it was first put in place, averaging around once every two to three weeks, and is on target to provide the Parish with a significant income for the coming years - the first receipt was banked in April 2007 and amounted to £158.23, this has been followed by amounts of over £200 (2008) and £400 (2009). Well done to the residents of Beeston Regis!

On the subject of recycling, please note that the West Runton Scout Group are very happy to accept your waste paper at their HQ by the railway bridge. This is the principal revenue source for the Scout Group - illustrating again how a little effort can greatly benefit our immediate community.

No Cold Calling Zones.  Basically, a No Cold Calling Zone is a designated area where the resident community have declared that they no longer wish to accept traders calling at their homes without an appointment. The zone is defined by the installation of signs at the entrance and exit to the zone and residents are supplied with door stickers and further advisory information.Whilst the initiative is administered by Trading Standards, the zone is created by the wishes of the residents. There is a necessity for a majority requirement on the part of those residents, and certain other criteria may have to be met, but the Parish Council will, in principle, support any application for a No Cold Calling Zone.

Five areas in Beeston Regis: Robyns Road, Regis Avenue, Church Close, Hillside Road and Abbey Park, have already attained the status, and were officially declared as "No Cold Calling Zones" during 2008 and 2009.
Following the latest successful applications by the residents, both Hillside Road and Priory Close have now become No Cold Calling Zones, making the total in Beeston Regis a remarkable seven. 

If you would like further information, our Clerk, Peter Bullimore has the necessary forms and details

.

 

The Sheringham Safer Neighbourhood Team covers the parishes of Beeston Regis, East and West Beckham,Gresham, Kelling, Salthouse, Upper Sheringham and Weybourne. One of the Team's priorities has been to focus on criminal damage in Beeston Regis.

Safer Neighbourhood Teams are there to listen to, understand and help resolve the issues that are affecting you and your community, and also to offer feedback on any resulting action and success. Your local PCSOs are an integral part of your community – they are there for you.

Contact details: 0845 456 4567 ; e-mail SNTsheringham@norfolk.pnn.police.uk  Visit www.safernorfolk.co.uk to find out more.

Finding information about domiciliary care can be difficult - however, a new resource can be delivered to your computer every Thursday, free of charge.
It is difficult to access information, keep up with the news, keep up with changing legislation and keep up with the general day to day aspects that affect people generally or individually from a domiciliarycare prospective.
Able Community Care is a provider of live in, carer schemes and has been established since 1980. Angela Gifford, Proprietor of Able Community Care and Expert Witness (Care in the Community) writes on domiciliary care issues in many publications throughout the UK and has appeared on both radio and television.
Each week Angela writes a free, weekly Newsflash which can be delivered direct to your desktop in an email format.
The Newsflash contains information on such topics as the latest nursing home and residential care home news, domiciliary care news, facts and figures re carer's pay, costs of care, relevant legislation/directives and statistics which are of interest to elderly and disabled people and people who work with them.
A simple way to keep up to date in the domiciliary care field.  If you would like to receive a copy every Thursday morning, please subscribe at:  http://www.uk-care.com

Coastal Protection.  Lots of information regarding the ongoing situation regarding this very sensitive and important issue, including the latest statement from the North Norfolk District Coucil, can now be found on the NNDC website. http://www.northnorfolk.org/coastal/

No Smoking Legislation applied to Bus Shelters.  The Norfolk County Council has decided to apply the No Smoking legislation to certain enclosed bus shelters. Would parishioners please note that as of 1st. July 2007 it became illegal to smoke in the brick built shelter on the south side of the A149.

The Council normally meets on the second Wednesday of each month at the Scout Headquarters  starting at 7.00pm.

Members of the public are welcome and time is set aside for their participation in the meeting.   

We are striving for Quality Parish Council Status

Beeston Regis 2020

Have you ever wondered what Beeston Regis will be like in 2020? Perhaps you feel that whatever the outcome there is very little you can do to change it. Well, not necessarily. A Parish or village can change for the good or bad and it really is up to the people who live within it’s borders to help mould it’s future. 

How?

By thinking of all the ways you would like to see your community develop over the next few years, all the issues you foresee, which features and local characteristics you value. How you want your community to grow and develop, or not as the case may be. These ideas, form the embryonic stage of a Parish Action Plan, which put simply  is a statement about how a Community sees itself developing over a period of time.

The next step?

This involves you the Parishioner, for without your input all these ideas remain just that, ideas. So, come and talk to your councillors, attend the Parish meetings, and tell us how you perceive the Beeston Regis of 2020.