Meeting with Breckland Council

1. Who decided the make up of the Growth Point Board with only 2 elected representatives from Thetford and when was this going to be communicated to the town that their future is once again in the hands of non residents.

2. The people of Thetford are not reassured that Breckland really has its finger on the pulse of what’s happening in the town.  No senior officers live or even work in the town, no cabinet members are from Thetford.  The recent remark about 4 museums in the town, the publication of out of date photos (one was actually reversed) of the Town in the Council Tax booklet and on the website all add to the lack of confidence.  What reassurance can you give that Thetford is represented at Breckland?  Over the years many at Breckland have taken the attitude, “Oh well it doesn’t matter, it’s only Thetford”.

3. Given the town and hopefully, the town centre, is earmarked for development, is it wise to keep allowing planning permission for piecemeal residential developments in the town centre when there is no overall strategic view of the needs of the town?  When we come to looking for sites for supermarkets, leisure facilities, bus stations etc we will find that all the potential sites have been lost because developers will have been given the nod that they can be developed for housing, giving them a greater return.

4. The town has a number of listed and other historic buildings which are poised for development however it seems to residents that these are being left to deteriorate until they fall down in order for developers to have a blank canvas.  Surely some enforcement action with regard to these buildings is required; it happens in other areas.

5. What is the latest situation with regard to moving the Bus Station?  It is at least 16 years since it was indicated that this was to happen.  Grant money previously earmarked was wasted on a hastily concocted plan for an unsuitable site at the Chase traffic lights.  If Growth Point money is to be thrown at another feasibility plan does this mean we are years away from a much needed facility?

6. Given that Breckland is wishing to relieve itself of the responsibility of Public Toilets but knowing that a new Bus Station is supposedly around the corner would it not have been a helping gesture to the town to keep the toilets at the Bus Station open until the Bus Station is moved.

7. What guarantees do we have that earmarked facilities within new housing development e.g. schools, shops, play areas, green spaces will actually be ring fenced for these purposes and not subsequently developed as has happened in the past.

8. Given Breckland closed and demolished the pavilion servicing the Barnham Common football pitches which then allowed them to fall into disuse, will Breckland now be putting money into a scheme to reinstate the facility there or elsewhere?  Especially as the sale of land for the Healthy Living Centre and the indoor bowls rink have eaten into the only managed recreation space in the town.  Thetford is already underprovided for managed recreation space with the existing population.  Growth Point money should be providing facilities for the new growth, not making up for the lack of investment in the past.

9. Breckland have amassed a considerable amount of cash as a result of the land transferred from the town.  Also a large proportion of the receipts from the sale of the Council Houses were from Thetford stock.  There must be some kind of moral obligation to recycle this in the town.

10. Breckland are transferring all play areas to the town council.  The one off sum to maintain these facilities will clearly not be sufficient to service all facilities transferred.  Breckland previously stated it was going to upgrade all play areas in the district before handing them over to the towns.  I believe Dereham & Swaffham had their upgrades but once the enormity of the job was realised in Thetford the policy was amended to handing over the areas in their current state.  It seems that once again we’re getting the dirty end of the stick.

11. One of the needs identified by the youth of the town is a skate park.What help is Breckland giving to facilitate this?

12. Breckland seems to pay lip service to consultation exercises e.g. the traveller’s site where the consultation van was covertly parked up with no notice in the local press and to top it all we found the planning application had already been submitted!  Is the same policy going to be adopted for all consultation exercises and what guarantee do we have that the ‘post it’ notes used recently will be recorded and taken note of?

13. When will the Market Place and adjoining footways be resurfaced?

14. When will the footpath from Bridge’s Walk to Spring Walk be upgraded and the broken railings repaired?  This area was also to be landscaped when Breckland took ownership of the land. Another empty promise.

15. One of the projects earmarked in the Growth Point programme is the review of car parking in the town.  Surely Breckland should be doing this anyway not trying to divert Growth Point money to fund its existing responsibilities.  What other existing responsibilities will Breckland be trying to use Growth Point money to fund?

16. When will Breckland help sort out signage in the town?  For example old ‘Service Area’ signs, signs for toilets that no longer exist, tourist information signs that need moving, no signage for museums or hotels.  Surely these are things that are easily achievable and will not cost the earth but are vital to the promotion of the town.

17. Will Breckland compulsorily purchase Riverside Walk shopping area and charge affordable fairer rents.

18. Why are owners of vacant buildings in the town centre not forced to make them safe or make them secure e.g. the Angel & the Anchor sites?

19. How much of s106 money raised through new developments will actually be for the benefit of Thetford, rather than actually filling Breckland coffers?

20. How much actual Breckland money was spent on Thetford in relation to the millions referred to in Mr Nunn’s letter?  As I believe we are all aware, a great amount of this came from European and central Government and Breckland acted as the accountable body through which it flowed.

21. What is Breckland’s policy with regard to working with organisations in the town rather than dictating terms?  Many organisations have had experience that Breckland is only willing to play if they can be in control of the whole project and it fits Breckland’s own agenda.

22. We are supportive of the Community Rangers programme.  Can this be extended so that ideas for enhancements to areas can be fed in to the system (e.g. upgrades to footpaths, lighting improvements, green space improvements)?

23. When will Breckland planners wake up to the fact that developing redundant garage blocks (Ladies Estate/Barnham Cross) into more dwellings will create further horrendous parking and traffic problems?  By all means develop these eyesores but do not replace them with high density housing.  Open space or detached housing with its own parking would be far more sensible.  Put high density affordable housing elsewhere.

24. Are planners aware of the earmarked development north of Croxton Road which will make this a major route into the town?  The proposed development of the old tip, opposite Rosemary Musker School, for high density housing removing much needed parking for the school, shops and church seems to want to create further traffic problems.

Breckland officials read out answers to these questions on the night.  The Thetford Society has asked them to supply their written responses so they can be added to this page.

 A list of action points (below) has been prepared by Breckland Council as a result of the meeting and these will form the basis of a follow-up public meeting scheduled for October, where it is hoped there will also be representatives from the Town and County Council.