Page 6 - Town & Around - May 2025
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6  Town & Around May 2025                                                           Tel: 01485 540620 email: editor@townandaround.net
       Borough Council news

       Cllr Terry Parish, Heacham Ward which includes Sedgeford and Fring
            n even leaner month. I still   This may already be happening   hedgerows uprooted. It is a piece
            have no knowledge of the   as older properties up for sale   of land which maintains some
       Atree removals that have   seem to be on the market for a   separation between Heacham and
       taken place close to Heacham nor   long time, sometimes a very long   Hunstanton which both the
       any idea of the work going on just   time. The new flats in Southend   existing Neighbourhood Plans
       past Lidl’s towards Snettisham. I   Road, Hunstanton, have taken an   have as policy. The last thing the
       must say that whatever it is, the   age to build and I have been told   A149 needs is more traffic
       layout is very tidy. New trees have   that there is difficulty in selling   flowing onto it.
       also been planted and I hope some   them.  They were controversial   A couple of details in the   available for visitors. Car park
       native  hedging  might  be   when they came to planning   Borough’s budget have raised ire.   fees are a major revenue earner
       considered – if you are the owner   committee some years ago as they   Parish Councils don’t like the very   but I believe reasonable limits to
       please get in touch.      are built on what was a major car   significant rise in fees for   their cost have now been reached,
        The Cheney Hill development   park. Locals did not want to lose   removing dog bin contents as they   perhaps surpassed.
       site is like an episode of Dr Who   that facility for a load of holiday   had set their precepts before   I now cast my mind back 6
       or a version of Groundhog Day. I   apartments. It took several   knowing of the increases which   years when the Independent
       expect we will wake up one   attempts to get it through   doubled costs. Some Heacham   Group  was  the  principal
       morning to find houses have   committee and I was instrumental   residents don’t like the huge rise   opposition. One of my members
       appeared only to see them blow   in ensuring that they would be   in annual beach car park permits –   was Cllr Bob Lawton, a man of
       away in the morning mist. I walk   sold to locals and maintain their   from £58 p/a to £121.60 p/a. There   varied and wide experience a little
       around that field and the adjacent   local connection. However, it has   is an online petition about this   older than many of us, who
       one every day as do many others.   been whispered that the Borough   organised by Ms Nicky Bailey:   brought simple common sense to
       The development will be a sad   will put them on the open market   https:www.facebook.com/share/p/  many of the airy fairy debates
       loss though it will provide some   and, so, they will likely become   1BtBSsvJ3G/   politicians enjoy. Like me, he was
       houses that locals may be   holiday flats. They would not have   I have to put my hands up to   not a politician and I enjoyed his
       interested in. However, given that   got planning permission on that   missing this item when the budget   blunt responses in planning
       the number allocated is twice that   basis.         details were revealed. I assumed   committee debates. Bob was a
       the Local Plan determined as   Land nestling between the   car park charge increases were of   valued member of the group
       necessary and given the ever-  Hopkins Estate and the A149 has   the order of 10%. Years ago, I tried   which I led and, learning of his
       growing number of new houses   been acquired by developers. This   to get car park passes for residents   recent death, I offer my sincere
       popping up in Hunstanton, I think   land was ‘trashed’ to an extent   which covered both Heacham and   condolences to his family and
       there will be an excess over   during Covid when no-one in   Hunstanton but it was refused   friends. He will be remembered by
       demand.                   charge was looking with trees and   despite such passes then being   all who knew him at the Borough.


       King’s Lynn Ferry Campaign

       Norfolk County Councillor Alexandra Kemp,Clenchwarton and King’s Lynn South
       01553 630 329    07920 286636
           here is good team working between   responsible for the Rennie Jetty.
           Norfolk County Council and the   I sent the County Council Team back to the
       TBorough Council to put the King’s   Borough Council Team, to push for a solution.
       Lynn Ferry back on the river. I brought in   The Harbour Master met with the
       technical assistance from the County to help   Borough’s Health and Safety, a week after.
       the Borough Council, as a result of my   Both agreed that a new guard fence, above
       meeting in February, with the County Council   the new handrail on the  West Lynn Side
       Chief Executive, Tom McCabe.      would be acceptable to allow the Ferry to re-
        In March, I requested more help.  The   open.
       County Council has now provided financial   Now the work goes out to tender for all the
       assistance to the Borough for essential repairs.   repairs to the Landing Stages and associated
       The campaigning and support across the   works.
       Borough, shows how important the Ferry is   But the continued delay in the re-opening
       and the importance of listening to residents.   of the key Public  Transport facility and
        I paid for a course that the Borough wants   transport route into Lynn from the west, raises
       the Ferryman to take.  I would like to thank   concerns about routine attention to critical
       Chris Starkie and Ian Parkes at County,   infrastructure and emergency response. Safety
       Martin Chisholm, Kate Blakemore, Louise   is an operational matter and should be
       Gayton, Michael de Whalley at the Borough   embedded in inspection regimes.
       for their hard work focussed on bringing the   A blast to the past. In the 1800’s, the
       Ferry back into operation as quickly as   Borough  Council  (then  called  the
       possible,                         Corporation) set up a special Ferry Committee
        Everything now centres on the Rennie Jetty,   from time to time, to repair the West Lynn
       the two-hundred-year-old structure, that   Landing Stage. This local oversight enabled   brought three Budget  Amendments to the
       protects the Ferry berth from strong tidal   the Ferry to run for 700 years. In fact, there   Councils, and four safety and feasibility
       currents on the Ouse.             used to be two ferries. One for passengers,   reports followed, paid for by the County and
        The Environment Agency met the Harbour   one for animals and carriages.    Borough Councils. But when contractors
       Master in April. The Environment Agency   Residents and I were raising powerful   moved in to repair the landing stages on 14
       went home to deliberate whether it was   concerns about the Ferry steps for 6 years. I   continued on page 8
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