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The Annual Meeting of the Parish of Acle held on Monday, 20th April 2015
held in the Methodist Church at 7.30 p.m.
Present:
Parish councillors – John Harriss (Chairman), Tony Hemmingway (Vice-chairman), Annie Bassham, Angela
Bishop, Jackie Clover, Barry Coveley, Lana Hempsall (also district councillor), Janet Kenealy, Rodney Perry,
Malika Steed and Pat Watson, also PC Ian Kennedy, Rev’d Martin Greenland and 41 residents.
John Harriss welcomed everyone to the Annual Parish Meeting and the parish councillors introduced
themselves.
Apologies: County Councillor Brian Iles
Police Matters:
PC Ian Kennedy gave a report for the year; The Acle Safer Neighbourhood Team comprises one Police
Constable and four PCSOs, all based at Acle Police Station. The team covers 23 villages from Acle to
Reedham to Thorpe End. 24hr response cover is provided from Sprowston Police Station, with a 24hr Roads
Policing and Armed Response base at Acle.
There were 88 recorded crimes over the twelve months from 1st April 2014 to 31st March 2015, including 15
assaults, (a mixture of domestic incidents and incidents between people who know each other), 12 criminal
damages, (including damage caused at Acle Memorial Recreation Centre), 28 various thefts (7 during two days
in June) ranging from theft of bread and milk to a van and catalytic convertors from exhaust systems. There has
been 1 Burglary into a storage container and one reported burglary in a house.
This is the same number of crimes reported for the previous period. Also during the same period the Police
attended 31 Domestic Incidents and dealt with 39 juvenile incidents, many of these are due to our involvement
with Acle Academy.
Currently the skate park and tennis courts at Acle Memorial Centre are the SNAP (Safer Neighbourhood Action
Panel) priority which has highlighted this area as a problem area due to damage caused at this location. Those
involved have been dealt with, but the Police will continue to patrol this area.
Acle is still a very safe place to live. Residents were reminded to be vigilant and to report any suspicious
activity on 101. PC Kennedy reminded residents that they can arrange a free crime reduction survey.
Ian Kennedy was thanked for his report and for attending the meeting while off-duty.
Minutes:
The minutes of the meeting of the Annual Parish Meeting held on 14th April 2014 were agreed to be correct,
and were signed on behalf of the meeting by the Chairman of the Parish Council, John Harriss.
Matters Arising:
1. The Acle Neighbourhood Plan was approved by a majority of those Acle residents who voted. It has now
been adopted formally by Broadland District Council and by the Broads Authority. The Plan must be taken
into account when a planning application is considered. The parish will also benefit from additional funding
from the Community Infrastructure Levy on new homes.
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2.
Broadland District Council gave outline approval for the Norfolk County Council site at Mill Farm,
Norwich Road, for up to 140 homes.
3.
Acle Good Neighbour Scheme has been operating for a year and has about twenty volunteers helping
various residents in the village. New volunteers are always welcome to join.
4.
The Parish Council gave a donation of £300 to the Acle First Responders.
Chairman’s Report:
John Harriss read his report on the work of the Parish Council for the year to 31st March 2015 which was also
delivered to all residents with the agenda for the Annual Parish Meeting. John also thanked Bob Crowe for
looking after the village clock in The Street and the parish clerk, Pauline James.
Seven people stood for election in Acle so all are automatically elected and become councillors on Monday,
11th May. John Harriss remains as chairman, and Tony Hemmingway as Vice-chairman, until immediately
after the election of a new chairman at the meeting on 18th May.
The new councillors are Sally Aldridge, Annie Bassham, Angela Bishop, Jackie Clover, Barry Coveley, David
Burnett and Tony Hemmingway. The Parish Council will seek to co-opt residents to fill the remaining five
places at the Parish Council meeting on 18th May. Residents interested in being considered for co-option were
asked to contact the parish clerk.
Tony Hemmingway thanked all the outgoing parish councillors, especially Rodney Perry and John Harris who
have been councillors for over forty years.
Broadland District Council:
Lana Hempsall gave a report: the four years since election had been a steep learning curve. She has been very
busy and thanked the residents for their support. Work in the village included dealing with anti-social
behaviour, refitting the play park, getting a skatepark, setting up a community gym, helping with the Economic
Masterplan and Neighbourhood Plan which highlights several projects for the village including a crossing for
the A1064, improving footpaths and pavements.
Lana is on various committees at Broadland District Council including Overview and Scrutiny, and has worked
for the changes to recycling, and bringing in the local lettings scheme. The Parish Council’s listing of
community assets had highlighted the importance of the Herondale site and the district is now working with
Norfolk County Council to try to bring a Housing with Care scheme for the site.
Lana was thanked for her report.
County Council:
A report from Brian Iles was read to the meeting; £40m of cuts have to be found for the forthcoming year, with
a further £110m over the following two years. This will be very difficult and will result in reducing
discretionary services. There was some good news: and extra £150m from the Government for road
maintenance, faster Broadband for many homes in the county, extra money for school expansions, increases to
the Parish Partnership fund, investment at Coltishall and the freezing of the Council Tax for a further twelve
months. The proposed charge for people using the local waste recycling centre was stopped.
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Report on Acle Resilience Plan:
Volunteers are needed to join the committee. The aim is to gather together a list of people who could help out in
an emergency, to supplement the work done by Norfolk County Council and Broadland District Council.
Report from Acle Recreation Centre:
David Burnett, Chairman of the Trustees, gave a report: the new trustees have only been in post for three weeks.
A full health and safety survey has been done at the Centre, and a fire risk assessment. The committee will
continue to build on the relationship with the Parish Council and is writing a business plan, as requested, and
working together on sorting out problems at the skatepark. The changes to recycling rules have meant a drop in
income for the Centre so residents were asked to continue to bring their glass to the banks at the Centre as the
committee benefits from the recycling credits. David thanked the trustees for the work done over the past years.
He urged residents to continue to support the Centre.
David was thanked for his report.
There was a question about the Social Club, which is a separate entity to the Recreation Centre Management
Committee, and which rents the room from the Centre. Residents who are members of the Social Club were
reminded to attend the forthcoming AGM.
Parishioners’ Forum:
1. A resident asked for speed calming measures on Old Road from the Village Green to at least Fletcher Way.
The parish clerk has contacted Norfolk County Council but they have replied that traffic calming is
extremely expensive and they prioritise locations where there have been incidents.
2.
There was a complaint about the slope of the pavement outside The Limes. This will be raised with Norfolk
County Council again.
3.
The clerk was asked to report carriageway damage on A1064.
4.
There was a request for improvements at the junction of Mill Lane with The Street. This has been raised
with NCC before, without success.
5.
It was suggested that signage within the village would be helpful for tourists. The Parish Council would
have to pay for this, and may consider new signage once some funds have been received from CIL or from
the sale of land.
6.
There was a complaint about the low light levels on the pavement outside The Limes. The Parish Council
will contact the owner again.
7.
A report of mud at the pedestrian access to the playing fields was passed to the Recreation Centre Trustees.
8.
In response to a question it was confirmed that the public toilets in The Street are not marked for closure; it
is the toilets at Acle Bridge, owned by Gt Yarmouth Borough Council, which may be closed.
9.
There was a complaint about the parking space on the corner of Old Road by the Green. It was noted that
the spaces were put in, in response to requests from local businesses, but it was not expected that this last
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space would be so close to the corner. NCC has inspected the road markings and has confirmed that the
spaces meet their standards.
John Harriss thanked the public for attending the meeting and said how much he had enjoyed his time on the
Parish Council. Residents were invited to stay for refreshments.
There being no further business the meeting was closed at 8.15 p.m.
Signed....................................................................
Chairman of the Parish Council on behalf of the Meeting
Dated...............................................
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