LANGHAM PARISH COUNCIL

Minutes of the Meeting of the Parish Council held on Tuesday 3rd September, 2024 in the Village Hall at 7.00 p.m.
                                 
Present: 
Patrick Allen (Chair) 
Anne-Marie Coe 
Louise Goodenough
Ben Phelps
Peter O’Hare 
Matthew Reynolds (co-opted at the start of the meeting – see item 3)
The Clerk
One parishioner

1.        Apologies for Absence
Sir Richard Gozney

2.       Declarations of Interest
None

3.       Co-option of new member
Matthew Reynolds was proposed by Peter O’Hare and seconded by Anne-Marie Coe. All in favour. He was welcomed to the Parish Council by the Chairman.

4.   Minutes of the last meeting held on 2nd July, 2024  –  approved by all members.  The Clerk stated that the agreement by all to credit him with a working from home allowance of £26 per month had been omitted from the minutes. 

5.         Updated information and matters arising from the previous meeting:
All matters arising would be covered in the minutes under items specified in the following minutes. 

					1/8
						
6.      Finance
Income
2/9/24     Bank interest (4/7/24 to 2/9/24)					         £37.16
2/9/24     Transfer of funds from Business Saver account			    	   £3,000.00
				     			
Expenditure
3/9/24     K & M Lighting Services (street lighting maintenance – July)                              £21.36
3/9/24     K & M Lighting Services (street lighting maintenance – August)                         £21.36
3/9/24     S W Horticulture (pitch line marking and swing seats raising)	                        £20.00
3/9/24     S W Horticulture (mowing – 9th mow)       		       		       £100.00
3/9/24     S W Horticulture (mowing – 10th mow)             			                      £100.00
3/9/24     S W Horticulture (mowing – 11th mow)             			                      £100.00
3/9/24     S W Horticulture (hedge trimming)					        £250.00
3/9/24     S W Horticulture (mowing – 12th mow)				                       £100.00
20/8/24   Drax Energy (agreed street light charge – 0523 to 0724) – d/d                      £1,112.49
3/9/24     SCS Accounting Solutions – quarterly payroll			                        £12.00
3/9/24	   D. M. Bracey (Annual Play Inspection)			                                    £120.00
3/9/24     North Norfolk District Council (dog bins waste collection)	                      £268.32
3/9/24     K. Webb (A. Simnor – new e-mail addresses for members)                                  £30.00
20/8/24   K. Webb (quarterly computer allowance) – standing order	                         £20.00
													
Acceptance of expenditure approved by all members. (Proposed by Louise Goodenough and seconded by Ben Phelps)

Balances of Bank accounts:- Current - £3,923.68 credit, Business Saver- £6,016.76 credit  (as at 2nd September, 2024)

7.	      Specific duties of individual members
The Chairman had identified eight Parish Council areas of operation and had suggested various members to be involved with certain items. The list is to be circulated for further individual consideration.

8.         Langham Village Recreation Ground update
Mrs. Goodenough reported that a successful pamper evening had been held with another one due before Christmas. £350 was raised on the tombola at the Street Fayre. A Halloween bingo evening is to be held. The hedges at the Playing Field have been cut but it is still to be decided how much of the tops are to be removed. Some rubble near a fence on the Playing Field is to be removed by the householder responsible for it.	

					2/8		 
9.         Banking arrangements
The Clerk had investigated the possibility of transferring the Bank accounts from Barclays to the Unity Trust Bank. UTB provides all the usual banking facilities – current accounts, savings accounts, statements, cheque books and on-line banking. The existing rate for a normal, immediate access savings account is 2.77%. An average balance of £6K on a savings account with UTB would produce an additional sum in interest of £76.20 per annum at today’s prevailing rates (i.e. UTB 2.77% and Barclays 1.50%). A monthly fee of £6 (£72 per year) is charged by UTB which effectively wipes out the additional interest obtained. It was agreed by all not to take any action at present although the position will continue to be monitored on an ongoing basis. 

10.       Streetlights update
Mrs. Goodenough is to proceed to carry out research on the possibility of running the lights on solar energy. An agreement has been reached with Drax. The sum of £1,112.49 has been paid in respect of electricity provided from May 2023 to July 2024. The new agreement will see monthly direct debits of approximately £100 per month (excluding VAT). 

11.       Website
Messrs Phelps and Reynolds are to meet with the webmaster to explore ways in which more effective use can be made of the website. Mr. Rutt feels that, at this stage, it is merely a holding page for meeting documents. There is potential for it to provide much more content and it is the intention for options to be discussed.

12.       Proposal for a new food outlet in the village
A request has been received to position a horsebox, a permanent structure, in the village, selling coffee, cakes, bread and milk to local people and visitors. The intention would be to have seating with pots and plants, creating a hub for people to come together. The initial idea was that the horsebox could be placed on the Village Green but this was not considered to be appropriate. An application is being made for a grant. The members were, in principle, fully supportive of this proposal.

										
13.       Planning applications and determinations.
	Applications
a)	Installation of replacement windows and doors to north and east elevations – Old Salts Barn, 16A Holt Road, Langham - PF/24/1770 – no objections.
b)	Detached single bay carport to front of dwelling – Chalkstone Lodge, Holt Road, Langham – PF/24/1341 – no objections.

3/8
Determinations
a)	Extension and external alterations to dwelling including insertion of rooflights, replacement roof to single storey section. Alterations to some windows and doors; alterations to detached outbuilding including insertion of rooflights and canopy to front; swimming pool – Old Haybarn, Holt Road, Langham – PF/24/1259 – approved.
b)	Detached single bay carport to front of dwelling – Chalkstone Lodge, Holt Road, Langham – PF/24/1341 – approved.

14.	Correspondence		
1)	Police Priority Setting meeting 9/7/24.
2)	Police Priority Setting meeting 7/10/24.
3)	Royal British Legion Centenary Celebrations at Blakeney – 28/9/24.
4)	Request to support the Save Benjamin Court campaign – members to consider the e-mail and attachments.
5)	New public maintenance agreement from K & M Lighting Services Ltd – accepted by all.

 15.       Reports from County Councillor
             August 2024 County Council report
Council confident new Government will back devolution for Norfolk
Confidence remains high that more powers and funding will come to Norfolk, after councillors supported devolution talks with the new Government.
County council leader Councillor Kay Mason Billig told today's full council meeting she was seeking a meeting with the new Government, to ensure support for Norfolk's £600 million-plus devolution deal.
Councillors backed an amended motion, moved by Cllr Mason Billig and seconded by Cllr Watkins, to delay a decision until after discussions had taken place with the Government.
The current devolution deal would mean:
•	Having a council leader who is directly elected by the public, enabling Norfolk's voice to be heard by the Government
•	Targeting funding and resources to Norfolk's own priorities, with a £20 million per year investment fund - worth at least £600 million over 30 years
•	Unlocking housing and employment sites
•	Investing in the skills we need and attracting and retaining key businesses
•	Opening the door to more - further powers and funding in future

4/8

Over 1 in 3 traffic collisions in Norfolk caused by distracted drivers.
Recent road safety figures* show that 42% of all driver related traffic incidents in Norfolk are caused by some form of driver distraction and a loss of concentration at the wheel.
This is not surprising, given that more than half of Norfolk residents (57%) admitted that they had arrived somewhere by car but had no clear recollection of parts of the journey, in a recent road safety attitude survey**. This indicates that driving on autopilot is increasingly common, particularly during familiar routes such as driving back home.
To help influence drivers behaviour and enable more people to travel to their destinations safely; Norfolk County Council Public Health's Road Safety team have partnered with Drive iQ, Norfolk Police, Norfolk Fire and Rescue, East of England Ambulance Service and experts in behaviour change to launch a Stay Focused campaign offering businesses and drivers access to free online training and resources to improve focus whilst driving.
Our autopilot is not a good driver and with the evidence that switching our attention from one task to another is exhausting and doing so affects our performance, it has never been so important to remind businesses, drivers and passengers of the practical tips that can improve our focus and safety when we travel. The Stay Focused resources are available at www.norfolk.gov.uk/stayfocused and show you how you can train your brain to keep your mind alert when driving. It includes an interactive quiz developed by the Open University to test how focused you are when you drive and a Mind Coach podcast, offering valuable insights and techniques to train the brain for enhanced focus during driving.
Making Norfolk Roads Safer Survey conducted in March 2023 amongst 600 Norfolk residents stated the following:
•	1 in 4 drivers will start their journey with good focus but will start to lose their concentration towards the end of the journey.
•	22% of drivers claim they have missed a turning on a familiar journey in the last year.
•	30% of drivers admit to becoming distracted whilst at the wheel.
•	The top 5 causes of distraction were:
1.	Other passengers
2.	Using satnav
3.	Fatigue
4.	Radio
5.	Other road user

Bus Passenger figures continue to increase across Norfolk
There were more than 6.9 million journeys taken by bus during April, May and June 2024 compared to6.1 million for the same period in 2023.

						5/8
This follows the figures released in April which confirmed an annual rise of 16% for April 2023 to March 2024.
It's now two years since Norfolk County Council received £49.55m of funding from the Department for Transport (DfT) to improve bus services across the county and increase the number of journeys made by bus.
Some of the highlights of bus service improvements delivered over the last two years include:
•	Bus stop upgrades meaning 84% across the county are now fully DDA compliant.
•	9 stops across the county are now our 'Gold Stop' standard with 22 to be completed by 2025.
•	Almost every bus stop with suitable infrastructure in Norfolk now has a QR Board linking to both scheduled and real-time information. Since installs began these have been used more than 180,000 times.
•	Improved journey times for passengers thanks to infrastructure changes delivered using both BSIP funding and other funding streams. (See case studies 1 and 2 in the Norfolk Bus Service Improvement Plan (PDF) [8MB].)
•	More than 40 services have been enhanced with increased frequencies, evening and weekend services and some brand-new services starting. (See case study 3 in the Norfolk Bus Service Improvement Plan (PDF) [8MB].)
•	Reduced fares, by implementing a £1.50 single journey fare cap in Thetford, King's Lynn and Great Yarmouth and a 25% discount on weekly, monthly and group tickets. Norwich Park & Ride fares have also been simplified and discounted, with an adult day ticket now costing only £3 and additional passengers just £1 each.

CLLR Michael Dalby
Michael.dalby.cllr@norfolk.gov.uk
07306886552

County Councillor Report September 2024
NCC celebrates the success of GCSE students
As students consider their next steps, whether in further education, apprenticeships, or work with training, the council offers continued support with a range of resources available, to help guide them in making informed decisions about their future.

There is also plenty of help and advice for those who may have not done as well as expected, have changed their mind about their plans, or who don't have anything in place for September. 
			
					6/8		

•	Speak to the careers teacher/adviser at the school they went to - they will be able to offer help and advice.
•	Get in touch with the sixth form or college they have applied to - find out whether they will still give offer a place on their chosen course. Even if they have not achieved the grades required for the course they may still be able to get a place on another suitable course.
•	Norfolk County Council's Help You Choose website has impartial advice and information about options including CV writing, apprenticeship vacancies, and information about different careers. It can also support parents to help them understand the different options for their child. You can use the automated chatbot feature or speak to an adviser on 0344 800 8022.
•	Norfolk and Waveney Children and Young People's Health Services offers support for those struggling with their mental health with a range of information and advice on the Just One Norfolk website and text chat and helpline offers.
•	'Get the Jump' Skills for Life content hub on the National Careers Service website offers information about education and training choices. Students can also chat directly to an expert adviser via webchat or by calling the National Careers Service exam results helpline on 0800 100 900.
•	For more information about what to do on results day see The Student Room GCSE results advice.
Norwich Western Link Planning Application
The planning application for the Norwich Western Link is now available. The Norwich Western Link is a 3.8 mile dual carriageway to connect the Broadland Northway from the A1067 Fakenham Road to the A47 west of Norwich.
View the Norwich Western Link planning application FUL/2024/0022
A hard copy of the application is also available for inspection by appointment at county hall. To book an appointment email nwlplanning@norfolk.gov.uk or phone 0344 800 8020.
The statutory consultation period has ended, and all representations received are being considered. You are no longer able to submit comments using the comment button at the link above as this has been removed. However, if you still wish to make a comment on the application please email nwlplanning@norfolk.gov.uk or write to Planning Services, County Hall, Martineau Lane, Norwich, NR1 2DH.
Remember to include the planning application reference number FUL/2024/0022.
CLLR Michael Dalby
07306886552
Michael.dalby.cllr@norfolk.gov.uk

					7/8

16.	Public Participation
A village Millennium Book had been produced in 2000. It was suggested that there should be a similar book to commemorate the first twenty five years of the century. The matter will be placed on the agenda for discussion at the next meeting.

17.	Any other matters (for information)
Mr. O’Hare asked if the village had a bottle bank. It was explained that there had been one several years ago but various problems and difficulties had let to it being discontinued.

18.        Agenda items for next meeting   
i)           Suggestion for a book to commemorate the twenty five years from 2000 to 2025 (see item 16 above)

 19.	Date of next meeting :   Tuesday, 19th November 2024 at 7.00 p.m. in the Village Hall 
(The Clerk will produce a draft list of dates for Parish Council meetings in 2025)

             

There being no further business, the meeting closed at 8.36 p.m.					

					
											
					8/8