By now we have probably got over all the excitement of the local elections. There were only eight candidates standing for the 12 vacancies for councillors on the Town Council so all candidates were returned unopposed.

In the district council elections, Stuart Beadle was elected as the new district councillor for the Reepham Ward and we are looking forward to working closely with him on behalf of the community.

We would like to express our appreciation to the outgoing district councillor, Graham Everett, for all the outstanding work he has done on behalf of our community over the last few years and we wish him well for the future.

We would also like to commend all those residents who voted in the local elections. A total of more than 900 votes were cast which, for a small community like Reepham, was a high turnout, even by general election standards.

Annual Town Meeting

The Annual Town Meeting held on 8 May was an informal forum well attended by local residents, who had the opportunity to meet their newly elected councillors and discuss any matters concerning them and the community. The chairman, Cllr Les Paterson, also took the opportunity to outline the achievements of the Town Council over the past 12 months.

In particular, he drew attention to the support the Council was able to provide for local community groups by making grants ranging from £180 to £1,500 to groups including the Reepham Archive, the Bircham Centre, Mini-Scrapbox, the Festival of Light and the annual food and music festivals, and by arranging the necessary closures of the Market Place and providing road barriers and signs.

Attention was also drawn to the work the Council is doing, in conjunction with Broadland District Council and the Reepham Town Team, to alleviate parking problems in the town centre by re-designating the Station Road car park for short-stay parking and promoting the use of Stimpson’s Piece for long-term parking, together with a campaign encouraging people to walk in to the town centre rather than add to the congestion.

The chairman also expressed his appreciation to town clerk, Jo Boxall, and finance officer, Sally Gill, for their advice and support and to all councillors, both past and present, for their hard work on behalf of the community over the past 12 months.

The chairman also reminded everybody that there are still vacancies for councillors and that the Town Council welcomes applications from anybody who would like to serve the community on a voluntary basis.

Being a councillor involves attending about a dozen meetings, normally lasting around an hour, a year and as much time as you feel you are able to devote to Council business.

Annual Town Council meeting

The first item on the agenda for the Annual Town Council meeting, also on 8 May, was the election of the chair and Les Paterson was elected unanimously. The Council then resumed its normal routine business.

Councillors considered five planning applications, one of which generated a significant number of comments from members of the public at the beginning of the meeting. This application is for outline planning permission to build a single-storey dwelling on Monastery Field on The Moor.

Having considered comments made by members of the public, councillors expressed their concerns about the development within the conservation area outside the settlement limit and the impact it would have on nearby listed buildings. It was agreed that the Council would register its objection to the application.

Future events

• Wednesday 12 June: Reepham Town Council meeting, followed by Stimpson’s Piece Trustee meeting
• Wednesday 3 July: Town Hall Management Committee meeting
• Wednesday 10 July: Reepham Town Council meeting, followed by Stimpson’s Piece Trustee meeting

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

Local residents, businesses and organisations and other members of the public are welcome to attend to raise issues and 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