Reepham Life

Phillip Leeder (Letters, 20 December 2017) appears to believe that a “small minority” of people in Reepham objected to the proposed convenience store on School Road.

However, from Les Patterson’s letter (8 January 2018) this does not appear to be the case.

The Town Council meeting that discussed the planning application was well attended by residents as well as business people.

Does Mr Leeder really believe that there is space in this small town for another small supermarket?

He may think that Spar’s prices are high, but does he consider the “convenience” of having this store so nearby?

The recent “Beast from the East” cold spell has certainly reinforced how well used and valuable this shop is, in addition to Robertson’s butchers, Diane’s Pantry, Meloncaulie Rose, Johnson’s, the Library, the Bircham Centre and Reepham Home Hardware, not to mention Motts Pharmacy.

Would any of these businesses survive if we had a Tesco’s, however small it might be?

The prices might be competitive to begin with – until all other shops had closed for lack of business. We might then see how high those prices might go.

Fortunately, we are not going to see this happen in the immediate future.

We have a small, exclusive and individual town centre with open shops, whose owners know their customers and give personal, friendly service.

Reepham might be growing (whether we like or not), but those new residents will be less likely to use the local amenities.

Many will work outside the town and shop in the larger supermarkets, where they can do their week’s or month’s shop in one, convenient trip. More houses will not mean we need more “convenience” stores.

I like Reepham because of its individuality, personal service and community spirit. I would like it to stay that way, but I know it will inevitably grow.

However, I don’t think that another small supermarket would do anything to benefit the town; it would more likely kill the local, individual businesses, and Reepham would lose its character, community feel and the heart it, at present, possesses.

I’m glad the planning application has been withdrawn. The site was originally designated for housing, in keeping with the existing properties.

We are constantly being told that we need more houses, so small plots of infill would help to provide some of those needs.

They might also prevent the need for a large development of 100 houses or more, which would certainly make a significant difference to the town.

Brenda R Palmer, Chapel Close, Reepham

It is refreshing to read that our local county councillor has decided to forego the 10.5% increase in councillors’ allowances recently voted by the majority of those Norfolk County Councillors who did not absent themselves from this vote.

At a time when council tax is likely to rise by around 5% or more, it seems that those councillors who voted for their 10.5% increase, or left it to colleagues to do so, demonstrated a lack of leadership and morality, and political naivety to the extent that one wonders whether they are in touch with popular feeling.

While I agree that councillors should be adequately recompensed for the work they do, now is not a good time for an increase (as the councillors were formally advised), and the argument that Norfolk allowances are well behind those in other counties does not entirely wash.

Other counties should look at the comparison with, and example previously set by, Norfolk and restrain their allowances – they do not always have to increase in hardened times.

The money raised through council tax for Norfolk County Council is around £350 million a year and the 10.5% increase in allowances totals £142,000, which equates to an increase of 0.04%.

I am minded to withhold that percentage of my annual council tax payments – in my case that would be approximately 70p.

If everyone did that, the council could recover the shortfall by all councillors following our local councillor’s example.

Certainly, as the position stands, the incomes of elected county councillors will increase by a lot more than the rise in their personal council tax bills, whereas the incomes of most of their electors are unlikely to increase to meet the hike in their bills.

One law for the elected, another for the electors.

Perhaps the answer is to stand for election as a county councillor – although not in Reepham.

Rupert Birtles, Pettywell, Reepham

I have read with utter amusement the reports of the last Town Council meeting during which the proposed new store on School Road was rejected by the council following a debate.

From reading between the lines (unfortunately I was not able to attend), the local business community were against the proposal for one reason only – their concerns for their own profits.

I have lived under the impression that we live in a free-market society, where you can set up a business to sell what you want so long as it is lawful. I served in the navy to uphold this very principle.

So how is it that the local business community (which I happen to belong to as a self-employed consultant) can now dictate what facilities we have in this beautiful town of ours?

No one objected when champagne glasses were offered for sale.

What thought has been given to the people in Reepham that cannot easily travel to the larger supermarkets to buy their groceries or any of the other articles that may be offered for sale?

The Spar shop provides a service to the community, but it is overpriced and does not stock a range of goods worthy of such an organisation.

Comments have been made regarding the traffic chaos that would ensue should a shop be located on School Road. But has no one noticed the chaos that occurs when an articulated lorry delivers goods to the Spar?

(I made comment a few months ago regarding the unsightly stack of waste that is allowed to accumulate on the pavement outside this shop as there is no other suitable location for it.)

I challenge the Town Council to hold a referendum for the people that actually live in Reepham so that the silent majority can have the freedom to choose where they shop.

Let us be fair on this important issue; let us get a true feel for the wishes of the town and not be persuaded by the short-sighted, profit-driven lobby that the minority have put forward.

This town is expanding against my wishes, but that is progress. (With a smaller population there were once four food shops in Reepham.)

We therefore have to cater for the demographic mix that we enjoy and not be blinkered by the few.

Phillip Leeder, Cawston Road, Reepham

It is sad to hear that our PCSO, Stephen Bridges, is going to be made redundant at the end of March 2018, after being a regular, reassuring and welcome face in Reepham.

It is short-sighted of Norfolk Constabulary to dismiss all local PCSOs in this way.

Stephen has been in post for more than 10 years. He knows many local people and is well known by many.

His presence helps to make people aware that there is a police presence and any potential wrong-doers are probably well known to him

 Once he has gone, I cannot see that the newly appointed police officer will be able to cover the same ground in the same, informed way as Stephen.

He will be thinly spread over the local area and, however willing and dedicated he may be, it will take a long time for him to be as aware and knowledgeable as Stephen.

His dismissal can only lead to more crime and anti-social behaviour, with no-one on the spot to do anything about it.

Brenda R Palmer, Chapel Close, Reepham