Swaffham Newsletter

In Touch With Your Town
'In Touch with your Town' is put
together by the Town Clerk Richard
Bishop or occasionally by the Deputy
Town Clerk Claire Smith. It deals with
some of the most topical items of
the day and the odd item where the Council want to
share information with the Town.
Christmas Market Weekend
Well, who would have
thought that a Weekend
where the weather was
so cold and wet, that
it would leave us all
feeling the warmth of
our community here in
Swaffham! Thank you to
everyone who attended
our fun packed weekend
and a big thank you to
our fabulous volunteers,
sponsors, donors,
as so cold and wet, that it would leave
traders, entertainers and all our Councillors and Staff.
nk you to everyone who attended our
sponsors,
If we
donors,
start singling
traders,
out
entertainers
people, we will get in trouble
will get for in leaving trouble someone for leaving out, someone you all know who you are
not have and the been part possible you played, without it any just of would not have been
e Lantern January
possible parade without
Editorial was a any success of you.
2022 on Perhaps the we should give a
shout out to Father Christmas, as the Lantern parade
In Touch with your Town January 2022
was a success on the Saturday and approximately
400 children managed to receive a present and have
the ‘Santa’s Grotto’ experience on the Sunday, there
was one very hard-working Elf that probably needs a
Christmas Market Weekend
mention too!
'In Touch with your Town' is put together by the Town Clerk Richard Bishop or occasionally by the Deputy Town Clerk Claire Smith. It deals with
some of the most topical items of the day and the odd item where the Council want to share information with the Town.
By the time you read this we will have already had
our wash-up meeting and started to look ahead at
what could be done in 2022. As with every event we
can all be wise after it has taken place, the Ice Rink
was a roaring success with 95% of those 700+ skaters
enjoying something different in our Town Centre over
the two-days. There was disappointment expressed
by some who we were unable to satisfy with the right
size skates and others who expected ‘real ice’ rather
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than a synthetic surface that means you can set
something like this up in a couple of hours in a Town
Centre, at a reasonable cost. Perhaps these same
people don’t believe that our Santa Claus really does
come from the North Pole, of course he does… The
magic of Christmas allows him to appear at events
and stores all around the country at the same time, so
this event was all about creating an illusion through a
bit of magic for Christmas, and in that we had bucket
loads.
others has been at the forefront and I am so proud
of our community and how we have continued to
support each other.”
At the Town Council meeting on 8th December, it was
agreed to site the plaque at the side of the front door
to the Town Hall/Museum – to enable everyone in the
Town a chance to see it.
Asset Review – conducted by Ingham Pinnock on
behalf of the Town Council will be released to the
public on their website www.swaffhamtowncouncil.
gov.uk the options under consideration will feature
in the remaining 18 months of the current Council
and any financial strategic plans as part of the budget
process.
Archaeological Dig – agreed for Campingland in
2022. The town Council agreed that the Cultural
Consortium can carry out an Archaeological Dig on
Campingland in the Summer of next year. The dig
would be looking for an 18th Century building in the
centre of Campingland, Artefacts from Medieval to
modern eras and Saxon artefacts which might indicate
Well, who would have thought that a Weekend where the weather was so cold a settlement.
and wet, that it would leave
us The all feeling Town Mayor the warmth Cllr Judy of our Anscombe community comments
here in Swaffham! Thank you to The everyone Barn who & Swimming attended our Pool – recent decisions…
fun “A packed year ago, weekend and were a big sad thank that you we to our couldn’t fabulous deliver volunteers, sponsors, agreed donors, traders, entertainers
and the all Town’s our Councillors Christmas and Staff. Lights If we event, start singling and out to people, make we will get 1. in trouble That for the leaving Council someone engage the Swimming Pool
out, up you for all missing know who a you year are Town and the Council part you decided played, it to just do would not have Association been possible and without ascertain any of if they wanted to take on
you. Perhaps we should give a shout out to Father Christmas, as the Lantern parade was a success on the
something bigger and better for December 2021. the asset and operate it as a community pool.
A Working Group was formed, and volunteers and
organisations were canvassed to support with all the
tasks required. The businesses came on board with
raffle prizes and sponsorship and the result was the
Christmas market weekend, a great event, enjoyed
by all ages and attracted visitors to our town. Yes,
it rained, but that didn’t stop the enjoyment of
Swaffham Swimming Pool Charity – are meeting
with Council representatives in w/c 13th December.
2. That the Council organise the refurbishment and
rental of the flat ASAP to generate income.
The Town Council – are starting this process at their
Finance meeting on 21st December and Budget
meeting on 24th January.
all the attractions and the entertainment offered 3. That the Council analyse all capital and
around the town centre. The buzz and the feeling
of the town joining together in the community spirit
that Swaffham has shown in the last year, was
something special. Thanks to everyone involved in
a great team effort”
Christmas Raffle Drawn at the Christmas Market
Weekend – All winners have been notified and at
the time of writing are in the process of picking up
their prizes from the Town Hall – thank you for your
support.
The Town Mayor Cllr Judy Anscombe reports
“As part of the Christmas event,
refurbishment costs and report back to the Council
with a costing proposal, based on what is immediately
needed, and to include external funding options.
The Town Council – are starting this process at their
Finance meeting on 21st December and Budget
meeting on 24th January.
4. That the Steering Group produce a draft proposal for
the Barn as a working venue, to include Governance
Model with marketing, anchor tenants, hirers etc, to
be delivered to the Council at the March 2022 Town
Council meeting, or before if possible. If the Steering
Group are unable to fulfil this action, then the Council
we were delighted to be will explore other options.
presented by Lady Roberts,
Deputy Lieutenant of Norfolk,
with a Memorial Plaque, to
commemorate the resilience
of our community during the
pandemic. This is to mark a year in
which our community care and consideration for
The Barn Steering Group – are meeting informally on
a regular basis to move matters forward as described
above. They are planning to undertake market
research in the form of a survey, possibly through
Survey Monkey (details will follow shortly). There will
be an opportunity for the public to look around the
Barn sometime in February 2022.
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Breckland District Council
www.breckland.gov.uk
01362 656 870. For all enquiries regarding: Planning,
Refuse Bins, Housing, Recycling, Licensing & Benefits
Your Breckland District Councillors:
Cllr. David Wickerson
01760 725 741
david.wickerson@
breckland.gov.uk
The Town Council
Mayor - Cllr Judy Anscombe
CllrAnscombe.SwaffhamTC@gmail.com
Deputy Mayor - Cllr Stewart Bell
CllrBell.SwaffhamTC@gmail.com
Cllr. Lindsay Beech
CllrBeech.SwaffhamTC@gmail.com
Cllr. Nayna Bass
CllrBass.SwaffhamTC@gmail.com
Cllr. Wendy Bensley
CllrBensley.SwaffhamTC@gmail.com
Cllr. Paul Darby
CllrDarby.SwaffhamTC@gmail.com
Cllr. Graham Edwards
CllrEdwards.SwaffhamTC@gmail.com
Cllr. Colin Houghton
CllrHoughton.SwaffhamTC@gmail.com
Cllr. Shirley Matthews
CllrMatthews.SwaffhamTC@gmail.com
Cllr. Kurt Oliver
CllrOliver.SwaffhamTC@gmail.com
Cllr. Ian Pilcher
CllrPilcher.SwaffhamTC@gmail.com
Cllr. Les Scott
CllrScott.SwaffhamTC@gmail.com
Cllr. Jill Skinner
CllrSkinner.SwaffhamTC@gmail.com
Officers:
Richard Bishop – Town Clerk
townclerk@swaffhamtowncouncil.gov.uk
Claire Smith – Deputy Town Clerk
deputyclerk@swaffhamtowncouncil.gov.uk
Cllr. Ian Sherwood
07795 236 878
ian.sherwood@
breckland.gov.uk
Cllr Ed Colman - also your Norfolk County Councillor
07940 406 356
ed.colman@breckland.gov.uk / ed.colman.cllr@norfolk.gov.uk