Traffic Calming Plan - click to enlargeThe 2024 Parish Meeting will be held at the Village Hall at 19:30 on Monday 11th March. It is a statutory requirement to hold an annual Parish Meeting at which parishioners can discuss issues relevant to the village. If you want to come to the meeting then please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. so that we can provide appropriate seating. We will answer questions on the items below, Please also let us know if there are other items that you would like on the agenda.
Traffic Calming & speeding
In June 2023 we paid £22,000 to NCC to implement the Traffic Calming that was discussed at the 2023 Parish Meeting. We are very disappointed that NCC has not yet given us a start date for the works and raise this regularly with our NCC Cllr.
The main points of the proposal are (see the plan) -
- Extend the existing 20mph zone on Mill Rd down School Lane as far as Braymeadow - there will be 20mph signs and 20 painted on the road
- Highways have suggested that the 20mph zone will include Burnthouse but this has not been confirmed,
- Relocate the existing 30mph 'Slow Down' signs to Green Lane and lower down School Lane - there are very few places where there is space to install them. The current 30mph signs will be replaced with school warning signs that flash during school hours
- Provide speed cushions either side of the school
- Provide a village entrance on Burnthouse at the start of the 30mph zone.
- We did ask for the 20mph zone to extend onto Burnhouse and for the 30mph zone to be extended south on Burnthouse but Highways would not agree to that. (We have pointed out that Burnhouse is used by children going to school and asked that the speed limit be reduced to 40mph, also on LM Road as much of that road is now in a housing estate).
- 20mph repeater sign on Mill Rd - we were unable to find a place where an additional speed hump was acceptable.
Some parishioners have requested that a zebra crossing is provided where the dropped curbs are at Sinclair Close due cars parking there at school times. NCC Highways have dismissed this proposal as being too expensive. Unfortunately, every change to the road requires an expensive legal process to be followed.
In response to complaints from parishioners, the PC suggested that the 40mph speed limit on the B1108 should extend from the roundabout to the Stocks Hill junction and to include the Green Lane junction - this request has been rejected by NCC Highways as not being justified. The recommended visibility on a 50mph road is 160m - Green Lane only has 80m visibility to the roundabout - less if a car is parked in the entrance to the garden centre!
Lorry Traffic
HGVs passing through the 7.5t weight restriction on Burnthouse Lane are an ongoing source of complaint.
- We regularly ask the Police to do spot checks and issues fines. LMPC chair has visited all the businesses at the Food Park and has asked them to educate their suppliers and customers about the lorry route and have provided a web page that can be used. LMPC will forward pictures of HGVs in the weight restriction zone to the Food Park businesses so that they can contact the haulier.
- NCC have provided additional signage at the B1108 roundabout that directs HGVs to the lorry route via Thickthorn. We have asked National Highways to sign the HGV route on the A47 before the B1108 exit.
- We have asked NCC to start the long legal process that would enable us to install a camera to record HGVs in the weight restricted zone.
Click for link to Local Plan at SNC - map and site assessment
Local Plan
See the 2023 article. The amendments to the Local Plan have been accepted by the inspectors, more detail about what is planned for further development at Elm Farm is expected at some point. It is hoped that off road parking for school drop off will be included.
Other matters
- The tennis court was resurfaced in Oct 2023.
- SNC has offered to fund a new doctor's surgery at Hethersett, LMPC continues to press fro progress to be made.
- LMPC continues to press for completion of the cycle path along Colney Lane and which forms an important part of the Hethersett planning consent (2009) - https://www.hethersett-travelplan.co.uk/
- We are still trying to establish who is responsible for the maintenance of the road leading to the Village Hall
- Installation of solar panels at the village hall was examined in detail but the roof is not ideal and the bulk of electricity is consumed during the winter. The tariffs available to domestic consumers are not offered to commercial premises.
- Maintenance of the playing field is challenging - we are now using the third contractor in as many years.
- The regular maintenance of the trees that are owned by the PC was completed in Feb 2024
- The skate ramp was decorated by a street artist so as to discourage graffiti
- Village Hall - maintenance of windows and car park (soakaway is subsiding) - extension to car park is planned
- It is planned to replace the basket ball area with a new pad located near to the scooter ramp
- The Parish Precept has only increased by 1% this year and is only a few pence more than it was in 2020.
Help
We are a small council but with as big a workload as larger councils - our facilities at the Village Hall and Playing Field are used by many from outside the village. We are always open to offers of help from people who are prepared to deal with suppliers, contractors and council officers! We get an overwhelming amount of information to pass on and would like help from people who are comfortable with computers and social media. Please This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or come to the Parish Meeting.