Spooner Row Message Board

Date: Jan 4, 2019

this years elections and new Council

Date: Jan 4, 2019

All of you will have recently received a letter explaining about the fact that you will in a new local Council after April. I expect many of you will ask what implicatons will this have you as amember of the new Community Council?

Annoyingly South Norfolk refused to call it as we wanted which was the Community council of Suton, Wattlefield and Spooner row so not a good start. However the implications are in very brief and they may be some I have not thought of are as follows:-

there will obviously be a gap between when we come into existence and the members of that council are elected . This is not a done deal !!
the Community field will require mowing and maintenence and the dog bins will need to be emptied and paid for
the precept or charge for the parish will almost certainly be set as the same as for Wymondham Town until probably next year
how much we receive as settlement is still in the air but Robert Foster is on the case, but this does not mean his election is set in stone any more than my appointment
we need to appoint a part time clerk who will service the council and process planning applications and the council comments once formed because of time constraints a planning meeting usually has to meet once a fortnight but how often the council sits or needs to sit will be decided by the council once it comes into existence
What projects and their priority again will be early items for consideration by the new Council but we have to realistic ( please)
The future of the street lamps ( if any)
Adoption of standing orders and policies which I guess will closely mirror those in Wymondham Town but once again that is up to the council to decide
What already happened is that burials will be charged at the full 'outside the parish' rate post the split and there are currently no allotments for the new CC's residents to access. Tentative enquiries at Morley are in train for burials.
It may not be clear to all but for District council representation we will REMAIN part of the new Wymondham SOUTH district council Ward with 2 district councillors not 1 as now and we will be geographically linked to Silfield and Harts Farm estate. To be clear we will not have a separate District councillor of our own but that does NOT mean any newly elected DISTRICT councillor has to be resident in those locations or within the new community council area. The 2 councillors will however be charged to represent ALL of the Wymondham SOUTH residents.

I am sure there are things I have forgotten but that is probably enough for now but please ring or post if you have queries and I will do my best to answer them

Julian Halls

Date: Jan 7, 2019

as predicted matters to be added

The playing field car park and its fencing
the TWO play areas , the small and big one plus the oddity in the middle
any street furniture ( benches and seats at the play area and opposite the Boars)
the planters opposite the boars and outside the village hall
the recycling bins at the playing field are potentially a small income stream so again we need to discuss retention

I think it important to emphasise that the village hall is NOT the responsibility of the existing or any future council

Date: Jan 7, 2019

There will be income from the land on which the mobile school building stands as it was placed on the playing-field car park.

Will the new parish include Spooner Row, Wattlefield and part of Suton only? And will the new South Wymondham District Area include these 3 villages plus Silfield and Harts Farm with the District Councillors covering 2 separate parishes? I'm getting a bit confused. What about how we stand with the County Council, are we with Forehoe/Wymondham? It would have been better if we had made a clean break with Wymondham.

Date: Jan 8, 2019

Minimal income that I am aware of

3 questions

yes

County council remains unchanged at this time

Agree totally with the last but boundary commission dictat and they say they are completely independent from Govt. I am bound to say that multiple member wards always favour the existing controlling party and the only one member ward that survived ( i think ) was that of the Council Conservative leader.

You may draw your own conclusions

Date: Jan 9, 2019

It doesn't look very well thought out that the two newly elected District Councillors would need to cover two totally separate parishes. We will be establishing a new parish from scratch and I am concerned that we may not get District Councillors representing the newly formed parish. The last thing we need is a District Councillor who makes election promises to get elected and then doesn't deliver. We need someone local. We also need District and Parish Councillors who will be prepared to engage and support the needs of the residents and not be at the beck and call of developer/landowners.

Date: Jan 11, 2019

It is my intention to stand as parish/Town councillor in both Wymondham and the new Spooner row community council as well as District councillor.

Yes this is allowed and I hope will bridge the changeover period as well as represent the new ward of South Wymondham in its entireity.

The difficulty is that 2/3rds of the electorate live in the North bit of the the new South Wymondham ward i.e. Silfield and Harts Farm so might see me as having a bias towards the minority which of course is the opposite position to that expressed.

I agree totally this has not been well thought out at all but I think it is clear that I disagree the current free for all attitude towards developers and new housing WITHOUT CLEAR BENEFITS in infrastructure that work and are delivered

Before anyone cries foul this is a course of action open to anybody who wishes to do the same but I have no illusions about it being very hard work if it transpires .

Date: Jan 11, 2019

I'm delighted to hear this Julian. You definitely have my support.

Date: Jan 13, 2019

I was surprised when you didn't get in at the last local election as a Councillor for the District. I remember that other candidates (mainly Tories) had low numbers of spoilt papers which were mainly in the single figures, but you had a whopping 80+ spoilt votes. That did look very strange. Maybe you should have contested that at the time. I hope you are successful this time.

Date: Jan 15, 2019

I suspect the the absence of a Labour candidiate in the Ward empowered some to be rude on the ballot paper but probably more about the opposition than myself. A complete waste of time in all respects as achieves nothing.

Date: Mar 16, 2019

I hope that the new community parish council candidates are politically neutral / independent. This would be a refreshing and welcome change from the political tribal attitude of WTC (our current parish council) where it is very evident that the Conservatives are more concerned with party political loyalty to their masters at the Conservative-controlled District Council. At grassroot level people are more important than party politics, they should leave their party ideology to the Government.

These local elections are for both the District and Parish Councils. I would very much welcome a change from the existing Tory-controlled District Council, they've had a long stretch in power and have left many disillusioned. I don't care who gets in, I just want a CHANGE, which could only be for the better.

Date: Mar 18, 2019

Notice of Election for 2nd May 2019. A new Parish for Spooner Row

Date: Mar 21, 2019

RE: this years elections and new Council

Date: Apr 4, 2019

RE: Notice of Election candidates

Date: Apr 4, 2019

RE: Notice of Election

Date: Apr 5, 2019

For our District we have a straight fight between two tories and two Lib Dem for two district positions and as outlined above for the second election in a row the existing Tory District councillor has jumped ship once again

Date: Apr 5, 2019

On the list of candidates is states that DAVILA Paco (Conservative Party) lives at The Cottage School Lane?? I thought that was the concrete mixing company. That address must be a mistake.

Who are the district council candidates?

Date: Apr 5, 2019

I have to say that I and others believe the SRCC will be non political body and will be acting for the three villages alone , not Party politics so it is disappointing to note that two candidates have expressed a political allegience.

I have always advocated that Wymondham Town council should also be non political and it is a big mistake we must not make here. In the town's sub committees we do good work and it is very rarely influenced by a so called higher authority.

Of course I am a badged member of the Liberal democrats BUT that has never caused me to vote for anything other than local interests and I am on record as saying that if it came to vote which is against Lib dem Policy, local factors and opinion will win out every time.

Date: Apr 5, 2019

As requested DISTRICT COUNCIL candidates for Wymondham South

HALLS Julian Lawrence 2 Chapel Loke, Spooner Row, NR18 9LSLiberal Democrat

LEMON Martyn Henry Brian Queensland, Station Road, Spooner Row, Wymondham, Norfolk, NR18 9JRConservative Party

McLEOD Craig 13 Chapel Road, Morley St Botolph, Wymondham, Norfolk, NR18 9TFConservative Party (Name amended by Webstation)

NURI Suzanne15 Silfield Avenue, Wymondham, Norfolk, NR18 9BD Liberal Democrat

-- Edited by webstation on Saturday 6th of April 2019 02:54:10 PM

Date: Apr 5, 2019

Please note that Mr Halls has incorrectly named my running mate on this website as Michael McLeod Craig for District Councillor.

His name is Craig McLeod

For the parish elections I believe that that we should be totally transparent in our political allegiance and not cloak where our allegiance lies.

Date: Apr 6, 2019

this years elections and new Council

Date: Apr 6, 2019

Notice of Election

Date: Apr 6, 2019

RE: Notice of Election for 2nd May 2019. A new Parish for Spooner Row

Date: Apr 8, 2019

I was also expecting a non political community council. From the conversations I had with those residents pushing for the community council over the last 2 years it was clear that they wanted to bring the communities together without the need for politics. You only need to look at the mess that Wymondham Town Council got themselves into over the King’s Meadow debacle to see that party politics should not play a part within our community.

And I wish to take issue with Mr Lemon’s comment suggesting that Julian Halls was cloaking his Liberal Party connection. What a petty comment. Mr Halls has always made clear that he was standing as a resident when it came to the community council and his nomination makes this clear. It is you Mr Lemon that decided not to stand as resident but instead chose to stand as a Conservative Party candidate. However, you are not alone, as it would appear that Paco Davila (a person who I have never heard of in the village) has also decided to stand as a Conservative Party candidate and not as a resident. Given that it was you Mr Lemon who proposed Mr Davila I would suggest that it is you who wishes to politicise the new Spooner Row Community Council.

Date: Apr 10, 2019

I hope we don't get a Conservative takeover. I've heard rumours that the recreation ground is wanted for development and other uses. This is not what it's use was intended for.

Date: Apr 10, 2019

This is worrying as the local Conservatives have an appalling reputation for wanting to develop community open spaces such as the King's Head Meadow in Wymondham, which was a horrendous fiasco. There was rumour of possible development on the Spooner Row recreation ground as well. The recreation ground is for the benefit of this community and not for going under concrete.

I'm concerned about the intentions of the Conservative Candidate Paco Davila as he lives at The Cottage, School Lane where the business of MK Andrews Concrete Pumping is based. Is Mr Davila a part owner of this concrete company? What are his intentions on the recreation ground? Leave the recreation ground as a field, please! The website for the concrete business at The Cottage where Mr Davila lives: http://www.mkandrewsconcretepumpingltd.co.uk/

We want new local parish councillors to represent what residents want and not what the local Conservative Party wants - many of us want to get away from that baggage.

Date: Apr 11, 2019

Any suggestion that the field will turn into a devlopment site I am very firmly against

Date: Apr 11, 2019

I'd heard a rumour that the Lib Dem candidates in the upcoming district elections were in full support of the new proposed traveller site on the B1172. Not sure if this is true or not but I won't be taking the risk by voting LD this time around!

Date: Apr 11, 2019

The Lib Dem’s who are standing for the new Spooner Row council by stealth ie, pretending they are independents, must be getting worried, to put such utter rubbish about the Conservatives wanting to build on the playing field.

Date: Apr 12, 2019

Yawn......The Conservative Candidate address at The Cottage says it all.

Date: Apr 12, 2019

OKAY let me be very clear here. Any suggeston that I as a Lib dem am in support of the taveller site bearing in mind that I spoke in front of about 40 people at the Planning meeting AGAINST this site , as did my running mate is a cheap damn right lie worthy of the gutter press.

All my posts are open named but there are those ( ANON) , who we assume are getting worried about being openly badged as Tories which is proving to be a classic own goal WHEN very clearly and from the off, I and others have said we want the new Council to be non political and work for the community NOT Party policy

The point that someone made about how the Tories nearly closed the Play area completely at the Kings Head meadow , when one of their own lived next to it and complained bitterly that they could hear children playing !! but were forced into a compromise solution is a matter of record. I did not make that point but someone did and I can name names dates and events which are not based on fatuous rumour.

Any future actions regarding the playing field which will pass to the new council must be agreed by the Council and for such an important asset I would be in favour of asking everyone in the three villages what they want to happen BUT of course there is I believe a covenant or some legal document that says it was left for the benefit of the whole community, so such discussions might be academic.

You might guess from the tone of this message I am angry. I am, and this kind of cheap attack based on lies, is worthy of the commons NOT the three villages.

ANON if you believe I am supporting the Gypsy site perhaps you could provide a single shred of evidence to that effect.

Nice to see the Tories NOT engaging with the biography requests. Do they think the arrogant assertion that they are tories is sufficient cause to vote for them ?

Apopletic does not come close

Date: Apr 13, 2019

The only local party that I know of that has supported gypsy & traveller sites in the local area is the local Conservatives. A few years ago it was the Conservative District Council to wanted to force through council-run G&T sites so much that it didn't even tell the residents of Spooner Row, Suton & Wattlefield or the Spooner Row landowner on whose land the G&T site was destined for. The landowner and residents were outraged. This was the local Conservatives who did this - ask around or do internet searches for more details.

I am a floating voter with no allegiance to any party, but I will say that when the local Lib Dems previously ran the District Council for about a decade or so things were a lot happier. I remember the Lib Dem Cllr Di Hockaday, a very nice lady. I think the last few years up to the current date of Conservatives at the District Council has brought a lot of distress and strife to residents on several issues. I would like to see a change at District Council as well as a non-political parish council....I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Date: Apr 15, 2019

In reply to the earlier Anonymous Poster...

...The Lib Dem’s who are standing for the new Spooner Row council by stealth ie, pretending they are independents, must be getting worried, to put such utter rubbish about the Conservatives wanting to build on the playing field.

I am not a Liberal Democrat and given that I have never declared my personal political leaning I find it strange that those Conservatives linked to Wymondham Town Council are still repeating the statement that I am a closet/stealth Liberal Democrat. I first heard this misrepresentation when I spoke at South Norfolk Council in favour of setting up the Community Council. The words “closet Liberal” as applied to me were spoken by a Conservative Town Councillor. It is worth reminding residents that we won the final vote that night by 22 votes to 11.

I have never made the statement, as attributed to me, that “Conservatives are wanting to build on the playing field”. Clearly the inference was that I or others on the Community Forum were spreading falsehoods to further our own ends. We are not. This statement did not originate from us and I believe it to be fictitious. What I and those around me want to see on the playing field are facilities returned and new additions made in order to increase its use by residents. It is a community asset, one that we all should use and cherish.

After the successes last year of getting the fibre broadband upgrade finally achieved and prodding Norfolk Highways during the Station Road drainage upgrade to provide a pedestrian crossing and pathway extension outside the school gate, I turned my attention to the playing field. So have I been talking to Sports England about funding for a new pavilion? Yes. Have I spoken to South Norfolk’s Community Team and the Lawn Tennis Association about what is involved in getting a tennis court for residents? Yes. Have I been in discussion with Pétanque England on the costs and works necessary for the community to build a court? Yes. These suggestions came about from the earlier resident consultations for the Community Governance Review.

Throughout the Review and now during the final push towards the first elections for our Community Council, I have maintained a strongly held view that politics should not form part of what I hope will be a progressive Community Council for the residents of Spooner Row, Suton and Wattlefield.

However, ask yourself a simple question, why are Conservative Councillors and others linked to Wymondham Town Council apparently taking such a negative interest and trying to influence the elections for our Community Council? Their agendas are not yet clear, whilst I am happy to discuss my hopes for the future with any resident.

So let’s stop the negativity and the anonymous political sniping and look forward to a Council that will bring about positive change for the residents of Spooner Row, Suton and Wattlefield. If you believe in local democracy then please exercise your vote on the 2^nd of May.

Date: Apr 16, 2019

Some very disappointing posts here, and not what many of us hoped for the new Parish Council. Have politicians at all levels not realised that the electorate is not interested in petty party political sniping and point scoring? What an incredible waste this whole exercise will be if people disengage because of councillor in-fighting.

This is a novel idea, how about those elected put the residents first and not their own political allegiances? There is evidence of this above, which is promising, and we all know those who have done a lot for Spooner Row. So a message to our ‘Magnificent Seven’, whoever you turn out to be, put self-interest aside and please do your best to make our already lovely village a better place.

Date: Apr 17, 2019

I agree with Toby, we definitely want a parish council for the community without all the political nonsense.

What is also important is that these local elections in May are for both the New Parish Council and for the District Council. The District Council is where politics do count as this is where many of the decisions to be made will impact on you. The Conservatives at South Norfolk District Council have won and dominated the District Council here for over the last three elections (12 years), before that the Lib Dems controlled the District Council. There are four candidates representing these two parties. No other party is standing in South Wymondham which covers the Spooner Row and surrounding area. So be sure with your vote and choose between what we have been getting from the Conservatives, or something different from the Lib Dems. Remember these will be the people making decisions such as allocating more housing developments and changing the Development Boundaries within the new and emerging Norwich Area Local Plan. Spooner Row is in this emerging Local Plan as a Norwich Service Village, which many are not happy with. More housing developments in Spooner Row will spoil the landscape, damage wildlife by removal of historic hedgerows and trees, and increase flooding. Going by the current track record, the Conservatives at the District Council haven't done Spooner Row or Suton any favours - that's my opinion.

Date: Apr 20, 2019

There seems to be some confusion about voting

For the three villages there will be TWO ballot papers

One with FOUR candidates where you MIGHT want to choose TWO for District AND

A ballot paper for the Community council of NINE candidates where you can choose up to SEVEN

The important message here is that if you only choose to select ONE candidate on either ballot paper that is perfectly okay although writing on the paper as to ‘where is the Labour candidate’ is not a good idea as your ballot paper will be rejected as spoilt.

Please note this post is as neutral as I can make it although I refuse to be ANON

Date: Apr 24, 2019

I note the fact that you, Mr. Halls, are, unfortunately, the subject of false accusation regarding your views on the traveler site proposal.

I was at the meeting and can assure everyone that you did, indeed, clearly speak AGAINST the traveler site proposal.

I too am not "Anon" - my name is Lynn Kingsley and I too vehemently speak AGAINST the traveler site proposal !!

I fail to understand how grown people, who are putting themselves forward as "persons of some standing" to be considered as "councilors" in the forth coming local elections, think that acting like children in a school yard is the way to gain votes - come on guys - wise up - cheap back stabs don't cut the mustard - us voters are much smarter than you think - seriously!!

Date: May 1, 2019

Parish Election flyer May 2019 by spoonerrow, on Flickr

Date: May 2, 2019

What's the difference between the community forum and the community council?

Date: May 2, 2019

The community forum is a precursor we hope to the Community council. Obviously whether this badge is adopted by the the new council is entirely their choice and quite obviously the community Forum cannot assume anything until post election, but it wa felt there was a need to communicate what is going on and something which WTC were not good at for the three villages. Let us hope that changes post today's elections

Date: May 2, 2019

Good morning

The Forum Members are those of us that campaigned for Spooner Row, Suton & Wattlefield to form its own Community Council. It has taken 2 years to get to this first election.

If you have spoken to a resident in relation to the earlier Community Governance Review and received a positive response, then the likelihood is that you spoke to one of us. Some of those that campaigned against our own Community Council, often alongside certain members of Wymondham Town Council can also be found on the ballot paper.

Those of us from the Forum are standing as residents and not politicians.

If you have not already done so, please take a moment to enjoy the sunshine and walk up to the Polling Station at the Village Hall to vote.