27th July 2017 Minutes SCFC

Held at The Bodham and Beckham Village Hall
Present: Julia Dovey (Chair) Kathryn Lord (Secretary), David McNeight, Anthea Sweeney, Lorraine Marks
The Meeting opened at 7:10pm
1. Apologies
  • Simon Wakeford
  • Rosabelle Batt – on holiday
  • Mike Baker
2. Review Minutes of last meeting
It was agreed the previous minutes were a fair reflection of the meeting.
3. Review July 2017 Audit written by Julia Dovey 
(& additional items added at SCFC Meeting)
General comments were made how much HAS been achieved when listed out and all of a sudden projects were coming to fruition. Other comments had been made by Mike Knowles (District Councillor) and Sarah Butikofer (County Councillor) regards their interest in the achievements of the Parish Council with the Solar Fund money.
So following is a mix of the Audit report and items discussed at the meeting.
Where we are so far 
Getting around  – transport and road safety
  • improvements made to the Lodge Hill junction on the A148
  • village ‘gates’ ordered and due to be installed soon
  • parish maps to show location by each of the three parish noticeboards
  • enquiries made into possibility of running a Saturday Market bus to Sheringham – results of questionnaire have been analysed and possibilities being explored (RB to report)
What next?
  • Further village gates or speed calming options such as formal illuminated speed signs or informal such as ‘Slow you down’ 
  • Mirrors for Allotment Lane and Long Lane
Footpath network and cycleways
  • new fingerposts where East Beckham footpaths 1 and 2 leave the road
  • yellow waymarkers supplied for the paths – are they installed? (JD to follow up with RB)
  • Licence obtained for the use of Ordnance Survey maps where needed for the parish
  • village walk ‘A Stroll around the Beckhams’ devised, tested and published.
  • Working towards identifying any public rights of way which may need to be claimed by 2026
What next?
  • Could we promote cycling (family friendly & also speedier?) with some routes published as the walk above? (Ask Norman Dovey to suggest options)
  • Trod for school children and others walking along both Sheringham Road and Church Road.
  • Parish Walk Leaflet to be distributed via The Bulletin, next issue asap – KL to produce Bulletin for issue asap
Health and safety
  • purchase and installation of defibrillators in East and West Beckham
  • food growing moved from the West Beckham allotments to East Beckham allotments because of possible contamination from buried waste tip – (‘duty of care’ obligation by the parish)
  • step installed to improve access to the post box outside Chestnut Farm
  • trees overhanging the paths in East Beckham Common and West Beckham Green inspected and remedial work carried out. Trees to be inspected every other year in future -(‘duty of care’ as above)
  • the large chestnut tree on the verge outside Chestnut Farm to be inspected by NCC Highways because of recent bough drop.
  • Parish noticeboard to be removed to bus shelter because of the high bank
What next?
Village infrastructure
  • Roll of Honour of those who served in World War 1 has been renewed and installed
  • step installed to improve access to the post box outside Chestnut Farm
  • bus shelter has been refurbished with new noticeboards and a new seat to become a village Information Centre
  • the village sign is in need of a few minor repairs and a re-paint. (Quote from Fiona Davies £1250 +£160, aluminium newly created by Village Sign People £2500, await additional quote)
  • Cemetery Entrance to be improved to accommodate modern vehicles. Quote accepted and work to begin soon. (October date given for commencement)
  • Playground is now regularly mown. New equipment has been ordered and will be installed in September.  This equipment is all regularly inspected for safety by RoSPA
  • disused telephone box will house the defibrillator in West Beckham, and the Barn wall opposite East Beckham Village Sign
  • photos of the East and West Beckham signs to be displayed in the Bodham and Beckham Village Hall to match those of the Bodham sign.
  • contribution made to the Bodham and Beckham Village Hall (subject to certain conditions) to help with the refurbishment of the disabled toilet provision.
  • Social interaction with monthly lunches taking place at the Wheatsheaf pub, and a shop/Deli has recently opened
  • 4 Benches purchased (2 x East Beckham and 2 West Beckham)  & 2 picnic tables also to be installed
  • Removing the Double Parish Noticeboard in West Beckham and install at East Beckham. 
  • Newly purchased Map boards x 3, ‘You are Here’ to be installed. (New Parish Notice Board, with magnets, to be purchased)
What next?
  • Old play equipment to be revitalised/refurbished
  • New Parish Notice board for West Beckham to be purchased.
  • Fix old East Beckham noticeboard in the bus shelter in West beckham
Environment and bio-diversity
  • the woodland areas belonging to the parish have been cleared of some of the invasive species such as bracken and bramble to allow a wider variety of wild flowers and plants to re-establish themselves and also to provide breeding habitat for the White Admiral butterfly. 
  • A  5 year management plan for East and West Beckham has been established via TCV – JD sent SCFC the TCV management plan by email for review in September 
  • bird and bat boxes have been ordered and will be installed at both sites 
  • Environmental surveys are underway in the churchyard and cemetery to establish a base for future management to enhance their ability to support wild life in many forms.
  • Nectar mix has been sown on the site of the West Beckham allotments – paths will be cut once the mix is established.
  • We have had a request to join a pond survey – Norfolk has one of the largest number of ponds of any English county.
  • Work is underway to look at the inclusion of the parishes into the Glaven and Bure valley projects with Natural England and the CPRE
  • we have a resource – Norfolk Wildlife Trust Parish Wildlife Survey Kit – to allow anyone who is interested to look at any aspect of wildlife in the villages.
  • Chestnut Farm Chestnut tree is sick and under investigation by NNDC highways.
  • Bat Survey data via Norfolk and South Scotland Bat Survey – KL/DM
What next?
  • Forming a wildlife group? Are you interested in joining  – please let us know.
  • Put up bat and bird boxes in other areas like the Cemetery and private gardens
  • Purchase and install owl boxes
  • Planting of native trees with deer guards in West Beckham Green and in East Beckham Common
Communication
  • Household Information Sheet prepared and distributed – update?
  • Bulletin Quarterly Newsletter now a regular part of village life – editor Kathryn Lord
  • Parish noticeboards refurbished and newly created
  • Bus survey, bird survey distributed via Bulletin
  • Website set up but a ‘work in progress’
  • ‘Information Centre’ located in the bus shelter, West Beckham
What next?
  • a sub committee for interaction and direction regards the detail and actual use/content of the website? (KL to suggest date in August to meet so we can view the internet/website)
  • Ongoing progress of projects and village news via Bulletin
  • Reporting a Neighbourhood plan via website?
  • Facebook page to help publicise the website
Allotments
East Beckham
  • initial work to improve driveway and create a car park completed
  • quotes now being obtained to improve the entrance and driveway as well as enlarging and improving the car parking area
  • hedge cutting on the roadside to be completed
  • provision of water for allotment holders still under consideration but many solutions investigated so far would involve a very substantial rise in the allotment fees.
  • Vacant allotments to be made available to people outside of the Parish
West Beckham
  • nectar mix June sown 2017 to improve soil quality and help bees/insects/birds and later mow paths to walk through.
What next?
  • we are still open to suggestion for future uses of West Beckham site
  • suggestions include an enclosed paddock fence for grazing / dog walking, create a tennis court, use for a village amenity field.
  •  Input from current allotment holders in East Beckham welcome for possible low cost solutions to water supply
Housing
  • the playground area is leased from the NNDC  (we have obtained a copy of the lease and there are 11 years left to run) and they retain the right to build social or affordable housing on the site should the need arise.
What next?
  • Consideration of the provision of social housing with the rise in the number of second homes and holiday cottages?
  • Rentable Social housing?
  • Could we ask Highways/Victory housing to put in a decent lay-by in front of 1 – 8 Church Road like the one in front of 9 – 12 because of the dangers from the increasing size of farm vehicles making access difficult at times when cars are parked outside houses.  Match funding?
Local history
  • Copies of archive material has been purchased from NCC for future use on the website etc
  • Information on RAF West Beckham via web site (as collected by Mike Digby)
What next?
  • Old rights of way to be investigated before 2026
  • Form a local history group – formal/informal? – memories and oral history, old photographs, information for booklet and website
  • Find suitable sites for information boards, get any permissions necessary then commission the boards – possibly RAF West Beckham, Cold War monitoring station, current churchyard and Cemetery?
4. AOB
 
None
9. Date of Next meeting at B&B Village Hall, 7PM – 8:30PM
  • August would be a holiday, but an extra meeting will be established to discuss the website. KL to advise.
  • 21st September
  • 12th October
  • 23rd November

Meeting closed at 9:00pm

3 Comments on “27th July 2017 Minutes SCFC

  1. As a recent newcomer to the village it would be useful to know where the locations mentioned are located (e.g. the Playground) as the OS map is not sufficiently detailed. Perhaps the name of the road could be included please.
    Moving from London we have seen what havoc cyclists cause on footpaths and we would urge the utmost caution in encouraging cycling (especially the speedier type) on walking routes without proper division.

    1. Thanks for your comments. Good points and we will take them on board and maybe a village(s) drawing with locations could help everyone!
      Did you get a copy of the Bulletin Newsletter and therefore are commenting on the idea to encourage the cycling route? Understand your fears about reckless cyclists, although around here it is often the four wheel vehicles that are more scary and plentiful. I’m sure that after a short while you will find life in the Beckham’s Parish very different from London – I did.
      In answer to your specific question regards the playground – this is opposite the small flint Church (St Helen’s and All Saints) in Church Road (East side of West Beckham)
      Many thanks for getting in touch. If you are interested in making suggestions/getting involved we would be very happy to include you – consider joining the Solar Community Fund Committee?
      Kathryn Lord (Parish Cllr)

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