A meeting took place on Monday 21st October at 7pm at Freethorpe Village Hall. Our District Councillor highlighted grants available for winter pressures and training in carbon literacy. He also advised that Reedham’s Neighbourhood Plan was now complete. Parish Council finances are stable. The tree wardens are concerned about diseases that are affecting oaks and sycamores and will be carrying out checks of the trees in our parish. There are opportunities for free trees for planting this winter, the difficulty is finding places where they can be planted. Concerns about the costs and stress of increases in fly tipping were discussed. Parish Council discussed the advice received on dealing with the invasive weed in Wickhampton Pond. It was agreed to get prices for fencing as a first step in our duty to combat the spread. Concerns about the shortage of affordable / social housing in the parish were discussed and have been raised by our District Councillor.
The Freethorpe Remembrance Ceremony will take place at the War Memorial (in the Methodist Church Cemetery) on Sunday 10th November at 10:50. Wreaths will be laid by the Parish Council and the Cub Scouts. Parish Council has been successful in applying for grants that will enable the Village Hall Kitchen to be refurbished. This project is part-funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. The Parish Council is grateful to Broadland District Council and to the Paul Bassham Charitable Trust for their generous support and to the Village Hall Committee for managing the work, which should be complete by the end of December. The Bowls Club, the Football Club and the Methodist Church Popin/Lunches have also benefited from Broadland’s Keep It Going grants. The football club’s new leaf collector has been purchased with Section 106 grant money.
Speed management figures are for September 2024. On the Green by the Manor House, 85th percentile speeds were down to 30.4mph, with 27758 vehicle, 84% kept within the 30mph limit. On The Common, 85th percentile speeds were up slightly to 31.8mph. 75% kept within the 30mph limit. THANK YOU FOR DRIVING SAFELY IN OUR VILLAGE.
No new risks have been identified at the play areas at Freethorpe and Wickhampton. Great work is being carried out by Parish Councillor Andrea Rowlands with the flower displays in Freethorpe. It was great to have the school helping with bulb planting at the Village Hall in September. A completion report was approved by the Parish Council, with grateful thanks to Andrea and all who have helped. The grant of £300 received from Broadland for ‘Clean-up and Bloom’ has been very well used. People are asked NOT to use the general waste bins at the Village Hall for dog poo – this is a health and safety issue for the volunteers who empty the bins. Please use the dog bins provided near the telephone kiosk and electricity sub-station.
The next meeting is 18th November 2024. Meetings for 2025 were agreed, monthly except for August and December. For further information please visit the Parish Council website or contact the clerk at freethorpe.pc@gmail.com or 07979 096892.