Swaffham Newsletter

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Annual Report: Mayor’s overview of the year – a final report by the Mayor Cllr Paul Darby given to the Annual Town Assembly on 26th April 2017 picked out the following (Skatepark, MUGA & Neighbourhood Plan updated above):- •The Church Gates have re-appeared at the end of Church Walk after a long absence. The new gates and replacement fencing was managed by the Town Council and the PCC jointly, with the Town Council putting is approximately £5,000, the Town Estate £6,000, £1,000 from the PCC and the remaining £3,000 from an anonymous benefactor. •Work is in progress repairing the Church Wall, in partnership with the neighbouring property owners. A structural engineer looked at the stability of the wall and this resulted in the section of wall being repaired at a cost of just over £10,000. Town Council contributing around £5,000. •A TROD pathway has been constructed as a rear entrance to the Infant School in Whitsands Road. The access comes via the Oaklands open space/play area. The Town Council gave a grant of £1,500 to this project, working in partnership with the School and a number of other contributors. •Our Gritting volunteers had another easy year, this is the third consecutive year we have had a mild winter. We will again hold a meeting in the Autumn for gritting volunteers to try and encourage more people to volunteer, as it is a worry that we could get caught out by a bad winter. •The Swaffham Newsletter completed its third full year under the ownership of Iceni Partnership with Jonathan Read being its Editor and we thank them for continuing to produce an excellent community newsletter. Our team of volunteers are also appreciated, as they are available every last Thursday in the month delivering to every door in the town. We need more deliverers, please put your name forward at the Town Hall; we also need someone to help out sorting the rounds. •In September last year, Swaffham welcomed visitors from our twin towns in Couhe and Hemmoor. The Civic Twinning takes place every two years, in 2018 Couhe will host the 50th year of Twinning, a real achievement. Swaffham will next host in 2022. The Council have now agreed a new policy to run alongside the proposed new ‘Declaration of Partnership’ to replace the current Twinning Charter. •The Local Plan consultations have continued this year, as Breckland Council acting as the planning authority seek to update their planning policies. The final round of consultation is due to take place this summer June/July, and the plan should be adopted early next year. •The Council are actively considering offers received for Days Field, they have meetings coming up in May which will determine what the future holds for this land. Whilst the potential buyers have been narrowed down to two, there are a number of options still being considered: The outright sale of the freehold; a combination of capital and houses to rent; finally, the possibility of a 50/50 arrangement to build out the site and retain houses to rent. A decision will be taken in the not too distant future. 30 Annual Report: Budget & Accounts by the Town Clerk Swaffham Town Council decided to put up their Precept (Council Tax) at £146.78 at Band D at their Budget meeting in January for 2017-18, an increase of £7.11 per year. Councillors also agreed to take advantage of an increase in their Council Tax Base from 2313.20 to 2436.30 as the Town is expanding there are now more people living in the Town to share the Council Tax burden, otherwise that increase would have been much higher. This has meant that the Town Council have been able to increase their Precept from £323,090 to £357,605, thus following a 5.3% increase for the previous financial year with a 5.1% increase in the year from 1st April. As the Town expands it means that the Town Council is taking on more Play Areas, Open Spaces and Street Lights, so the additional income will be needed to pay for more services delivered locally. For 2017-18 Breckland Council continue to reduce the Council Tax Support Grant year on year. It was £25,308 last year, it will be £17,334 this year, reducing in future years until it reaches zero in two years’ time. The Town Council must now manage this loss of income by monitoring its expenditure to ensure good housekeeping. The Council Tax payer in Swaffham at Band D last year paid £1,617.38 this was shared out as follows: £1,190.79 - County Council £73.98 Breckland Council £214.94 Police £139.67 Swaffham Town Council The general revenue reserves balance has been consolidated this past year. Our Councillors and Staff work hard to put the Town Council in a position to make a difference for the benefit of all who work, live and visit Swaffham. Swaffham Town Council – Synopsis Of Annual Income & Expenditure Accounts 2016-17 INCOME DETAILS EXPENSES 472 Bank Interest/Charges 543 323,090 Precept 0 1,025 Un-earmarked Capital Reserves 6,178 133,924 Earmarked Capital Reserves 42,062 0 Earmarked Revenue Reserves 27,722 9,735 Town Hall 31,791 131,479 Administration & Misc. 157,192 32,857 Market 19,828 4,187 Market 800 778 0 Northwell Pool 956 8,199 Allotments 8,653 6 Toilets & TIC 18,166 19,955 Cemetery & Churchyard 30,136 0 Open Spaces 45,642 42,267 Amenities & Agency 76,101 959 Recreation Ground 11,849 708,155 TOTAL 477,597
Downham Grange State of the art, loving care in Downham Market Welcome to Downham Grange Care Home, a striking new purpose-built development in Downham Market. We provide meaningful person-centred exceptional care for those in need of residential, respite, nursing or dementia care. From the Mayor’s Parlour It is an honour to be your mayor for the next year and I will strive to do my absolute best for you, the people of Swaffham. As most of you know, I have lived in Swaffham for over 40 years and brought up all of my 4 children here. I have seen a lot of changes during this time, but what remains constant through all of this is the spirit of Swaffham and the people who make it. They are vibrant, interesting and loyal. This year we have a solid cohort of 13 dedicated town councillors working with your best interests in mind. This could not run without the volunteers that support the town in so many ways. We all appreciate them and know the reality of the bigger picture. The aim of my year will be one of working together to maximise a positive impact, implementing positive agendas. I hope you will join me. I have an open door policy and welcome any ideas or questions you might want to put to the council. I anticipate a busy year with lots of decisions being made and action being taken. Cllr Jill Skinner, Mayor of Swaffham Boasting 62 en-suite bedrooms, the home has been finished to the most luxurious standards, with extra-wide corridors, a variety of large spacious and comfortable lounges and dining rooms with kitchenette areas that help to promote independence and social inclusion. The home has been designed to meet the needs of people who require nursing and dementia care. This exciting new development meets our Kingsley care ethos, responding to individual needs and providing the highest standards of care. Like all Kingsley Healthcare Homes, our care is focused around each person’s individual needs and wishes. We value and respect how each person chooses to spend their day. Our strong ethos of person-centred care runs through everything we do. Our staff are all highly experienced and receive on-going training to make sure that we deliver only the very best quality care. We really want to make a difference to the lives of the people we care for. With this in mind we have built the home to the highest specifications, giving particular consideration to making the design and layout suitable for people living with a dementia. This new home will enable us to continue to provide high-quality surroundings and environment. It will ensure our staff deliver quality of service and improve the quality of life of our residents every day. The staff at Downham Grange go that extra mile to make the home feel comfortable and relaxed. We like Downham Grange to feel like a ‘home from home’. We encourage people to take part in the daily living activities as well as other ongoing activities that take place throughout the day. Highways Highway problems should be reported to Norfolk County Council: Tel. 0344 800 8020. Faulty street lights can be reported at the Town Hall during office hours or by telephoning Norfolk County Council 0344 800 8020. Reports should give a precise location of the light and the number on the column. Alternatively visit www.norfolk.gov.uk. Search: Street Lights/Pot Holes Swaffham Relief in Need Charity Registered Charity No. 1072912 Relief in Need is a Registered Charity which meets 6 times a year, offering grants for a specific purpose for the relief of persons resident in the area of benefit (i.e. Swaffham) who are in need, hardship or distress. Application Forms are available from the Town Hall or reliefinneed@swaffhamtowncouncil.gov.uk “It took me just a few days to feel at home because the staff are so welcoming and caring” Downham Grange Care Home Clackclose Road, Downham Market, Norfolk PE38 9PA Tel 01366 387054 Fax 01366 385861 downham.manager@kingsleyhealthcare.co.uk www.kingsleyhealthcare.co.uk Agencies at Swaffham Town Hall Swaffham Museum Gift Shop & Tourist Information Centre Open: Mon-Fri, 10am – 4pm & Sat 10am - 1pm 01760 721230 Breckland Council Room 1: Open 9am – 1pm & 1:30pm - 4pm every Monday. 9:30am – 1pm every Tuesday, Thursday & Friday. Council Tax & benefit enquires. 31
Page 1 and 2: June 2017 SWAFFHAM newslet ter Nect
Page 3 and 4: Contents 4 Upcoming Events / Regula
Page 5 and 6: Little Treasures and Breastfeeding
Page 7 and 8: The Nicholas Hamond Academy Student
Page 9 and 10: Sunday 18 th June 2017 The Iceni Pa
Page 12 and 13: http://tnha.org.uk/ WANTED - NEW GO
Page 14 and 15: Life By The Tale Following the succ
Page 16 and 17: Poppi Interiors! Fine Interiors & D
Page 18 and 19: Swaffham & District Lions Over sixt
Page 20 and 21: Swaffham Rotary Club President’s
Page 22 and 23: Quality Legal Services in Swaffham
Page 24 and 25: Age Concern Swaffham & District At
Page 26 and 27: Can you spare a couple of hours eac
Page 28 and 29: Swaffham & Litcham Home Hospice Wha
Page 32 and 33: In Touch With Your Town The section
Page 34 and 35: Mind, Body & Spirit Not too sure wh
Page 36: THE HOMESTORE WITH SO MUCH MORE Are

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