Do you have strong views on the environmental issues facing our village and more widely across North Norfolk? North Norfolk District Council would love to have your input and so is inviting local residents to attend an Environment Forum on Thursday 15th August. The Forum will include a drop-in session between 2pm and 5pm and a structured workshop and key speakers between 6pm and 8pm. Find out more about the Environment Forum.
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Konectbus 5B Update
Hoveton Parish Council recently reported concerns raised by the community about changes to the Konectbus 5B service. The 5B timetable was substantially amended in April when the Sanders Coaches X11 was withdrawn. This left a number of villages with the possibility of having no bus services at all. In order to provide a service to these locations, Konectbus decided to amend the 5B route, which was not covering its costs at the time.
We contacted the Konectbus Network Manager, Steve Royal, about the possibility of getting extra journeys for our village. Steve has agreed to look at this again and see what can be done. He has asked that the community lets him know the times they would use a bus and how often, so he can gauge when best to add buses to the timetable. You can contact Steve directly at feedback@konectbus.co.uk or send your feedback to us and we will pass it to Steve on your behalf. We work for you.
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What Is A Parish Council?
Hoveton Parish Council exists to represent the interests of the local community, to maintain and improve quality of life for local residents, and to deliver services to meet local needs. The Council is responsible for a vast number of facilities and services across Hoveton, and the work of the Council is far more involved than many realise. Just as Hoveton is described as the ‘Heart of the Norfolk Broads’, Hoveton Parish Council operates at the very heart of Hoveton, representing local residents at a truly local level.
Your Parish Council is responsible for providing numerous services throughout the village, including grass cutting, landscaping, litter picking, and street lights, to name just a few. It also maintains a number of amenities, such as Granary Staithe, Riverside Park and Pocket Park (via a joint agreement with the Broads Authority and North Norfolk District Council) and Hoveton Village Hall (in its capacity as sole trustee of the Village Hall charity). The Council also acts as a community liaison, maintaining good working relationships with other local service providers (such as Norfolk County Council and Norfolk Constabulary) in order to achieve the best possible results for Hoveton.
Did you know, however, that despite this heavy workload and ever-increasing list of responsibilities, members of your Parish Council are volunteers, who are not paid for the extensive work they undertake on behalf of the local community? It is disappointing to report, therefore, that only seven of Hoveton Parish Council’s twelve available seats were filled as a result of this year’s Parish Council elections (all by existing members of the Council). This essentially means seven volunteers are currently carrying out the work of twelve people. With demand for the Parish Council’s services increasing, it is vital that more local residents come forward to join the Council.
The role of a parish councillor is both rewarding and fulfilling. It is an enjoyable way of contributing to your community and helping to make it a better place to live and work. Have you ever thought about becoming a parish councillor? Please do give the idea some thought. Get in touch with our Parish Clerk (07572 349600 or clerk@hoveton-pc.org.uk) or with any member of the Parish Council if you would like to find out more about what’s involved, or please come along to our next meeting.
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VE Day 75
Hoveton Parish Council was recently contacted about VE Day 75, which is being organised to celebrate/commemorate the 75th anniversary of the end of WW2 in Europe. VE Day 75, taking place the weekend of 8th to 10th May 2020, will be an international celebration of peace – a time to remember, reflect and pay tribute to the millions who played such a vital part in achieving that peace. Further details can be found at www.veday75.org. Your Parish Council has been invited to take part in these celebrations, but we will need the help of the local community to do so. Are there any community groups or local volunteers who would be willing to help organise VE Day 75 events for Hoveton? Please contact Cllr Jilly Gourlay (07818 214 277 or email twinklingjilly@gmail.com) if you’d like to get involved.
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Changes To Bus Service
Hoveton Parish Council was recently contacted by a local resident with concerns about changes that have been made to the konectbus 5B service. The resident’s specific concerns included buses on this route running less frequently than before and the reduction in the number of buses on this route servicing bus stops near Hoveton and Wroxham Medical Centre, meaning residents at the top end of the village are facing either a long walk to the village centre in order to catch the 5B or a longer waiting time (causing difficulties for residents with mobility problems or for all bus passengers in the event of bad weather).
Hoveton Parish Council intends to contact the bus company concerned, Konectbus, in order to raise this resident’s concerns, but the Parish Council believes that individual representations to the bus company about this matter from all residents affected will have the greatest impact. While petitions are not recommended (as these are only seen as one signature), anyone facing similar problems with the 5B bus service is advised to contact Konectbus directly to raise concerns about the changes made to this service.
Konectbus can be contacted on 0330 053 9358 (phone lines are open Monday to Friday, 7am-6pm; Saturday, 7.30am-6pm), by email (feedback@konectbus.co.uk), or by post to Konectbus Ltd, Norwich Bus Station, Surrey Street, Norwich, NR1 3NX. Feedback can also be given via Facebook and Twitter).