Mardler February 2019 JS

REPORT FROM COUNCILLOR MARTIN WILBY
I recently attended a conference called Norfolk's “world-class
environment”
The conference discussed how to balance the needs of
agriculture, the environment, wildlife and tourism within the
Norfolk countryside. Hosted by the Norfolk Rural Strategy
Steering Group, the event aimed to establish a new partnership
to develop a local environment plan for Norfolk and Suffolk,
which could become a vital tool in prioritising initiatives and
secure funding. I found some interesting annual figures on the
Visitor Economic Value – economic impact of tourism in Norfolk,
which I thought you would like to see. 49,709,000 day and
longer trips, 3,266,000 longer stays. Total visitor spend
£2,300,033,875. Total Tourism Value £3,245,136,875. Full time
equivalent jobs 48,934.
We have shortage of retained firefighters in Norfolk, with more
than 50 vacancies across the county; this has promoted a
recruitment drive to ensure the county is properly protected. Of
Norfolk's 42 fire stations 39 of them rely upon on-call firefighters,
of which there are 468, to keep communities safe, but there are
shortages in all but 11. On-call firefighters must live or work
within five minutes of a retained fire station and many juggle their
lifesaving work with other careers. For more information contact
www.norfolk.gov.uk/safety/norfolk-fire-and-rescue or call into your
local station.
NCC has four farm holdings that will be let in 2019 within its
agricultural estate, which offers tenancy opportunities for farmers
looking to expand or start new ventures. The Norfolk County
Farms estate comprises 16,738 acres of publicly owned land,
supporting 145 farming tenants. Farmers hoping to take on a
tenancy will need to produce a sound business plan, and
demonstrate how they meet the council's goals, which include
providing a framework for local produce and services, creating
rural employment and developing business opportunities.
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