north elmham village .org.uk

Written by Mike Wyatt
Thursday, 04 March 2010 15:51
The Forestry Commission have just published the results of two consultations that took place recently entitled "The long-term role of the Public Forest Estate in England: consultation" Click for reports The main consultation took place last year over a 12 week period and the results represent the responses of over 2200 people to that public consultation. In addition there was also a shorter questionnaire that was made available at the Forestry Commission's visitor centres - this produced an additional 2200 responses. Question 3 of the surveys was enlightening Question 3 The Public Forest Estate may provide the benefits below. Taking an England-wide perspective, what are the benefits that the Public Forest Estate in England can best deliver over the next few decades (please tick up to five)? Of the 15 choices listed, there is broad consensus on four benefits that the PFE can best deliver: Provide places for wildlife to live; agreed by 80% of respondents Plant woods and forests to help combat climate change; agreed by 76% of respondents Improve and protect the landscape; agreed by 53% of respondents Provide places to walk in; agreed by 50% of respondents Provide minerals for construction was ranked last of the 15 choices with just 2% of respondents agreeing on the main survey and 1% on the short survey ! When asked about support for commercial opportunities only about 5% of respondents said they would support minerals extraction. Quote: "There is strong support for Timber, Payment for Ecosystem services, Leisure businesses and renewable energy, and strong opposition to mineral activities and housing. Respondents place heavy emphasis upon overall management remaining in the publicsector, ensuring the sustainability of the forests and maintaining access." Since the Overview of findings tends to stress the value that the FC place on the publics views and perceptions, it has to be wondered why they are still going forward with the Bintree Woods application when clearly the publics opinion is merkedly not in favour. It has to be wondered at just who is driving the application, is it the Forestry Commission or is it their agents who boast of rarely losing a planning application for their clients. Food for thought... .. would it not be better for the Forestry Commission to drop their plans for Bintree Woods and bow to the weight of public opinion - especially as 78% of respondents said that local people should be involved in decision making about the public forest estate - Norfolk County Council have involved the public, the Forestry Commission have not..

Police Surgery - What is it all about?

Simple answer - the Police getting to know you and you getting to know them.

Thursday evening marked the first Police Surgery to be held in the Railway, a throwback to the '50's really when the law was an integral part of local society.
The new incarnation saw two very pleasant representatives of the Force, PC1657 Woodgett (Vanessa) - North Elmham is her patch - Far right of the photograph - and PCSO Powles (Angie) - second from right. attend the first of what is hoped to be a regular getting to know and understand you session over a gentle pint in the bar of the Railway Freehouse.

It is a format that has proved popular in other villages in Norfolk and helps all sections of the community communicate with the law without the occasionally daunting surroundings normally associated with it.
Hopefully these will become a regular feature of village life and will help you communicate any problems or fears that you have to the appropriate people, we will let you know the future dates as soon as we have the information.

Vanessa's intention is to supplement the high visibility patrols she normally does with frequent foot patrols around the village - so be warned, if she sees you she is quite likely to stop and have a chat in case you have any issues that need attention, if you haven't it will just be to get to know you - remember the name - VANESSA

If you need any help or advice before then phone 0845 456 4567 and ask to speak to, or leave a message for, PC1657 Vanessa Woodgett.

Lets hope it can banish the us and them attitude that can so easily exist by helping us all to understand each other.

Tracks and the Railway February 2010

DNA at Tracks, Sat 27^th Feb 2010.

DNA Saturday night saw the return of Kings Lynn based rockers, DNA; a three piece cover band, fronted by Dan Ashby, who sings and plays lead guitar whilst his dad (Mal Ashby) also plays the drums along with Adi Thompson on Bass guitar.

Starting off to an almost empty room, the band kicked off with Eric Clapton's Cocaine. They then moved swiftly through classic covers such as Dire Straights' Money for Nothing (which included a moment of Postman Pat!), Robert Johnson's Sweet Home Chicago, ZZ Top's The Range, The Doors' Roll Baby Roll, Black Sabbath's Paranoid and surprisingly (well to me anyway,) Blondie's One Way Or Another. The first set wound down to the sublime Shine On You Crazy Diamond by Pink Floyd. I was much too sober at this point but it was still brilliant none the less!

Change to Cathedral Signs

Please - am I alone in being distressed to read that our Heritage brown notice and direction signs to our CATHEDRAL (cathedral/chapel/castle) are about to be changed to something less than impressive?

I am sure we are all aware that the Chapel is indeed the most venerable (but far from extant) property in the village, but the Cathedral is of what we are very proud - and have remains to wander round with our visitors on sunny days. The Chapel is all but gone (is there any of it standing above ground?) but the Cathedral is still easily discernible and a site of great interest and antiquity for close to a thousand years.

Please think again about this suggested change. The numbers of visitors will surely fall away. It is to be found on all the tourist maps and even the big gazetteers of places of interest. Much confusion could easily be lessened by a discreet sign on St Mary's railings gently advising of the location of the senior edifice.

John Labouchere

WI - March 2010

It was such a cold, bleak, damp January day, but getting together for our first meeting of 2010 gave us the opportunity for much laughter and a warm up, as we got together to chat over a bread and cheese lunch and pay our membership subs. for the year.

We discussed our exciting programme, chose where we plan to go for our annual outing as well as ideas for our entry into the Norfolk Federation Cator Cup. We did very well last year. So now we are raring to go.

At the time of writing we are looking forward to our February meeting on 24th at 7.30pm, which will be a chance to be time travellers without the Tardis, when Christine Humpheries tells us about 'Life in a Norfolk village in the 1900's'. Will we be envious of life then? Supposedly taken at a slower and gentler pace than today, or horrified by the hard work and toil of the life of a countrywoman then. I think I know which it will be!

Today has been such a wet and gloomy day and even walking the dogs over the past few days there has still been snow and ice on the ground, so it's hard to think that by the time you read this, spring should really be on the way. Our meeting at the end of March on the 31st at 7.30pm is a talk on 'Norfolk Island'. All I know about the subject is that the descendents of the Mutiny on the Bounty moved from Pitcairn Island to Norfolk Island. I look forward to hearing more about it.

Cricket Club Quiz Night

Think you are a Quiz Buff?

Come and prove it at Tracks at the Railway 20th March starting at 7:30pm.

The event is a fundraiser for the North Elmham Cricket Club and your support would be very appreciated.

Team Entry is £10 per team (max of 6 people) with a first prize of £25 - there will also be a raffle at half time

Community Planning Group March 2010

The hard working members of the Community Planning Group have completed the draft parish questionnaire, and it will be going out for consultation to parish organisations over the next few weeks.

Once any comments have been incorporated into the final questionnaire, it will be printed ready for delivery to all 650 households during May.

The questionnaire contains all the key questions about how North Elmham could develop in the years to come. So, now is your chance to express a view. The success of the enterprise does depend on finding 30 volunteers willing to deliver the questionnaires, answer questions on the doorstep and then go back a week or so later to pick them up.

Once all the questionnaires have been collected we will analyse the results and produce the Community Plan. This will identify those key areas where the community feels there is a need for change. If you are happy with the parish entirely as it is and don't want to see any changes, then the document gives you every opportunity to say so. However you feel, please don't lose your opportunity to HAVE YOUR SAY.

We must find 30 volunteers to do the deliveries. Each volunteer will only have a small number of questionnaires to distribute and collect. Meg White and Alan MacKim have offered to put together the list of volunteers. If you feel you can assist please contact Meg on 668302. We really do need your help to make this work.

Peter Wade-Martins,

Chair of the Community Planning Group.