Village News Archive

News from the Winterton-on-Sea Parish Council & the village February 2020

SEAL MURAL: The public lavatories at the beach could be the site of a mural featuring the grey seal colony.

An international artist has offered to create one to help educate people about the wild creatures that come ashore each winter to have their pups, attracting huge numbers of visitors.

But permission has to be sought from Great Yarmouth Borough Council, which owns the building and has said it is concerned the artwork might mean more maintenance costs.

Winterton Parish Council is considering paying the cost of the specialised paints and for the west-facing wall of the block to be primed. But it says it wants more information before it agrees to go ahead.

Visit our blog to read how the loos were saved by local businesses.

STICKING AN OAR IN: Parish councillors from a neighbouring village want Winterton’s backing in a bid to get the Broads Authority to remove a reference in its latest flood risk planning document to managed coastal retreat.

Chairman of Somerton Parish Council Richard Starling said his colleagues were concerned about a sentence that could trigger a repeat of the problems that followed Natural England’s report seven years ago.

It caused panic when leaked to the press because it called for sea defences between Winterton and Horsey to be done away with and for there to be a managed retreat that could go as far inland as Potter Heigham.

They withdrew it, funding came from the Government to maintain sea defences and the shoreline management plan is to hold the line until 2055, he told councillors at Wednesday’s meeting.

But now there is concern at the Broads Authority’s statement that “….other options may be investigated such as managed re-alignment on a retired line of defence further inland.”

Cllr Starling said: “That’s got us worried.”

He said while Somerton had no coast, any decisions made about the coastline at Winterton or Horsey would well have implications for his village.

But he had spoken to the Environment Agency which had confirmed the Broads Authority was not a flood risk management authority under the Coastal Protection Act.

Because of that the Somerton councillors felt the sentence should be removed. “The Broads Authority put this in a planning document and we don’t think it should be in it,” he said.

“The next phase of talking with the Environment Agency starts this summer. We feel that’s the time to start talking in public.”

He asked the Winterton councillors to consider writing in support of their neighbours. Chairman at the meeting Mark Bobby said: “We appreciate you bringing this to our attention.”

GROWING FAST: A new 35-bed residential field studies centre is almost ready to open at Winterton Primary School less than two years after it was threatened with closure.

When it took over the school in autumn 2018 the Consortium Multi Academy Trust said it wanted to expand the use of the site and make the most of its location close to a beach and nature reserve.

Norfolk County Councillor Ron Hanton told the parish council that as well as the field studies base, the school now had a revamped nursery and early years provision.

He said: “This is a real success story. We were going to lose it. The school has 50 pupils and growing.”

GARAGE SALE: A new group of volunteers has been formed to run events in the village and first on their list is the yearly garage sale.

John Smithson told fellow parish councillors: “I know last year the garage sale was a bit of a disappointment. But this year there’s a strong group who want to run this.

“I’m hoping it will happen towards the end of May. That group is very enthusiastic.”

TABLE TENNIS: The village hall is to be equipped with a table tennis table.

The parish council agreed a budget of £200 to buy a table, but it might not need to spend the money.

Cllr Emma Punchard said she had one she could let the council have if it was suitable.

Her colleague Cllr John Smithson said there was already a small group of enthusiastic players and he hoped more would join. Session are being held on Wednesday evenings at 7pm

NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN: A blueprint for future development in the village will go on show to the public in April.

The neighbourhood plan, which is being drawn up by a committee of volunteers is set to go before statutory bodies for examination before going out for consultation with local people.

It is set to go on display at the village hall on 2nd April between 2pm and 6pm when visitors will have a chance to quiz councillors and view the proposals. Details will be posted in the village and the consultation will run until 2nd May.

ALLOTMENTS: Parish Councillor John Smithson has taken over responsibility for the allotments.

He asks anyone who has a problem to speak to him when he’s there or they can leave a note on his allotment shed, number 14.

STOP PRESS

Winterton Village Hall Garage Sale will take place on Sunday 10th May. As it's VE75 weekend, there will be a theme based around VE Day.

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