The Town Council has been offered a “Tommy” memorial statue to commemorate the centenary of the end of World War I and it was agreed at its last meeting that the offer would be accepted.

Possible sites for it to be displayed were considered, including the Whitwell Road cemetery, the “Pound” at the eastern end of the Market Place and the garden at the rear of the Bircham Centre.

Although both the cemetery, which contains war graves, and the Bircham Centre, which was used as a hospital during the First World War, would be suitable, it was agreed that the Pound should be chosen as a more obviously visible location in front of the church and on the approach to the existing war memorials in the church.

The Council intends to liaise with local representatives of the British Legion regarding the erection of the statue.

Retirement complex/convenience store at former station site

A planning application for the creation of a retirement complex accessed from Stony Lane and a convenience store and office block facing Cawston Road has been approved.

While the Town Council supports development of the brownfield site, serious reservations concerning the size of the proposed buildings and the loss of trees and hedgerows were expressed.

In response to these objections the design was amended to reduce the height of the care home buildings and clarify other issues that had been raised.

However, councillors were still concerned about the access to the care home complex from Stony Lane, the loss of mature trees on the site and the scale of development that was not in keeping with the surroundings, and comments to that effect were made to Broadland District Council.

The application was called in by Reepham District Councillor Graham Everett for consideration by the full Planning Committee at its meeting on 9 January.

The concerns of the Town Council were raised in person at the meeting by Cllr Paul Mitchell, supported by Cllr Mark Lester, acting in a personal capacity as a local resident, and others.

After some discussion, the Planning Committee agreed by a majority decision to approve the application. It is anticipated that work will commence later this year.

Proposed convenience store in School Road

Following the closure of the former Reepham Motors workshop on School Road some years ago there have been a number of proposals for the redevelopment of the site.

The latest proposal was for the demolition of the existing building and the construction of a convenience store. This would have been set back from School Road, allowing for limited customer parking in front, and for the existing footpath to be extended towards the Townsend Corner crossroads.

Following public meetings to discuss the application the Town Council agreed to object to the proposal, principally on the grounds that it would create a road safety hazard caused by vehicles entering and leaving the store and that there would not be adequate provision for delivery vehicles to load or unload.

Other objections concerning the size of the building on a relatively small site, the impact it would have on adjacent dwellings and that it would not be in keeping with the local area were also made.

Broadland District Council supported the Town Council and rejected the application. The developer appealed against the decision, the appeal being held before a government planning inspector who supported Broadland’s decision principally on the road safety and traffic concerns raised, with the result that the appeal was rejected.

Future events

Wednesday 13 February: Town Council meeting followed by Stimpson’s Piece Trustee meeting
Wednesday 6 March: Town Hall Management Committee meeting
Wednesday 13 March: Town Council meeting followed by Stimpson’s Piece Trustee meeting

All meetings are held in the Town Hall, Church Street, Reepham, commencing at 7.30 pm, unless otherwise advertised.

Local residents and members of the public are welcome to attend and to make their views known to councillors at the beginning of every meeting.

Contact: Reepham Town Council, Town Hall, Church Street, Reepham, Norfolk NR10 4JW. Tel: 01603 873355. Email: clerk@reephamtowncouncil.org.uk