Author: alpington-yelverton-admin

This is the latest “Operation Randall” newsletter from the police, from the team specialising in rural crime around Norfolk.

Pigot Lane in Framingham Earl will be closed 19-23rd Aug 2024, for fibre network installation. The full details can be found here.

From the official notice:

…affecting the C188 Pigot Lane from its junction with 7P519 Walnut Tree Drive to its junction with C188 Fox Road (the “Road”) in the Parish of Framingham Earl to facilitate works for installation of a new fibre network, the Road will be temporarily closed (except for pedestrian access) for the duration of the works/period the closure is necessary which is anticipated to be from 19th to 23rd August 2024, but may continue to be closed/restricted until the 4th October 2024 where the closure is still required beyond the anticipated dates…

…Alternative route is via: Pigot Lane, Long Road, Hall Road, Gull Lane, A146 Loddon Road, Fox Road (Framingham Pigot, Framingham Earl, Kirby Bedon, Yelverton).

A message from the Parish Council on the latest development in the VCHAP house building plan for Norfolk:

You will recall that some sites were deemed unsuitable in the overall plan, necessitating a shortfall to be addressed elsewhere. South Norfolk Council carried out a Focused Regulation 18 consultation on alternative sites in January 2024. This affected Alpington, as one of the alternative sites under consideration was for 12 houses on land south of Wheel Road, Alpington (reference SN0433). This was in addition to the preferred sites for 25 houses at Church Meadow, Alpington, and 25 houses at the old concrete works in Bergh Apton, already included under the VCHAP.

South Norfolk Council has confirmed that the Wheel Road, Alpington site is not included in its Regulation 19 Village Cluster Housing Allocation Plan Pre-submission Addendum document, which outlines a small number of new site allocations.

Thank you to those who made representations at the consultation stage.

For further information and enquires please contact the Council’s Place Shaping Team on 01508 533805 or at localplan.snc@southnorfolkandbroadland.gov.uk

Lesley McNulty Parish Clerk
clerk.alpington@gmail.com

The Parent Champion programme is a great opportunity for parents, carers, or people that work with families to get involved in the community and support other parents. As a Parent Champion, volunteers share their experiences, skills, and knowledge with other parents, and help them access the information and services they need. They also benefit from the training, mentoring, and networking opportunities that the programme offers. Volunteering as a parent champion, helps to make a positive difference in the lives of other parents and children, and gain valuable skills and confidence as an individual. There is no minimum number of hours that we ask from our volunteers, making the role flexible and adaptable. 

We have training booked around the county, with more dates in different locations to be added later in the year.

The dates for South Norfolk are here, and both days need to be attended.

Wymondham, Hope Church 

Tuesday 15 October 2024 

Tuesday 22 October 2024 

10.30am – 1.30pm 

And other locations are available, see the attached flyer and the website.

If you would like any further information or would like to become a Parent Champion, please contact us by emailing parentchampions@norfolk.gov.uk or by visiting our website norfolk.gov.uk/parentchampionvolunteers

A coffee morning will be held on Saturday 17th Aug 10.30am-12 in the Wheel of Fortune pub garden in Alpington.

Free admission.

Coffee and cakes, Raffle, Tombola, and a selection of crafts, gifts and bric-a-brac, books and plants

(Please note – payment will be by cash donation as we have no electronic card facility)

Organised by the Friends of St Mary’s Church.

In 2024 work will be completed by Norfolk County Council working with Norfolk Wildlife Trust, to designate 189 new Roadside Nature Reserves (RNRs) in addition to the 111 we have already protected. Currently, we have protected 85.76 kilometres of wildlife rich verges since the mid-1990s.

For further information please visit the website. There’s an interactive map which shows exactly where they all are:

https://www.norfolk.gov.uk/article/57402/Norfolks-Roadside-Nature-Reserves

In the Alpington and Yelverton Parish, a RNR will be located on Slade Lane by the end of 2024. A post with a plaque will be installed on the verge at each end of the RNR to identify the length that has been designated.

Be safe and responsible when visiting roadside verges

Visiting roadside verges can be a rewarding experience. When you visit a roadside verge, you are responsible for your own safety and the safety of others, including road users. You should also respect the environment and the wildlife that live there.

A notice from Alpington with Yelverton Parish Council about the new work at Yelverton pond to establish a fully accessible seating area.

—

Dear Parishioners,

We are delighted to announce that work on the new seating area and access at Yelverton Pond will commence on 22nd July and the project is expected to take approximately six weeks to complete. The design and scope of this project were shared with and consulted upon by parishioners last year. During the interim period, we successfully secured match-funding from the UK Shared Prosperity Funding (UKSPF) Pride in Place Community Grant. Additionally, with contributions from our own Community Benefit Fund (the solar farm money), we can proceed as planned.

Following a tender process with pre-qualified eligible contractors, we are pleased to announce that Russell Civil Engineering will be carrying out the construction. Due to limited space at the Pond, they will use their Alpington headquarters to store materials and provide welfare facilities. Although there are no plans to close Framingham Earl Road, temporary fencing will be installed at the roadside to ensure the safety of both the public and the workers. During this period, public access to the Pond will be restricted in certain places.

The new seating area is designed to be accessible by everyone, unlike the existing grass bank, which has posed access challenges for some visitors. It will feature a ramped access starting from the recently installed section of footpath. The ramp will include a handrail for safety and convenience, and there will also be separate steps for those who prefer to use them. Once completed, we look forward to this being another valuable community asset that can be enjoyed by all.

If you have any questions or comments regarding the work, please contact the Parish Clerk at clerk.alpington@gmail.com

This is the latest “Operation Randall” newsletter from the police, from the team specialising in rural crime around Norfolk.

A few days ago there were four reports made from South Norfolk residents (located in Diss, Wymondham, Framingham Earl and Alpington) about being contacted by fraudsters pretending to be police officers.

During the calls they were encouraged to withdraw/transfer large amounts of money from their bank. Unfortunately, one attempt was successful and the victim has lost £4,000.

We would like to remind you that the police will NEVER ask you to withdraw or send money, ask for your PIN or send a courier to collect money from you.

Please share this message with your friends and family, especially those who may be vulnerable to this fraud.

More info can be found here: https://www.norfolk.police.uk/news/norfolk/news/news/2024/july/four-reports-of-courier-fraud-in-south-norfolk

July is often one of the hottest months of the year and usually a great time to sit out and enjoy your garden. But after a promising June, drizzly weather has returned. A very different outlook to this time last year, but I guess it means you don’t have to worry about watering your plants too much!

Some scented plants to enjoy in July

Fragrance is essential in a summer garden so if you can, try to dedicate a space to growing richly scented plants, either in the ground or in pots or containers.
• Buddleia – has a gorgeous honey fragrance. It’s also called the butterfly bush as all pollinators love it – especially butterflies, bees and hummingbird moths.
• Star jasmine – a very reliable and richly-scented, profuse flowering, evergreen climber. Best grown in full sun with some shelter from the wind.
• Tobacco plants – All tobacco plants (nicotianas) have a powerful evening scent,
• Abelia – pretty shrubs producing scented, trumpet-shaped flowers from midsummer and into autumn. Plant in full sun and shelter from cold winds.
Other plants flowering in July include Delphiniums, Agapanthus, Lavender, various Clematis, Dahlias, Sweetpeas, Day Lilies, Honeysuckle and Roses.

General garden maintenance

• Support tall perennials such as lupins, delphiniums and gladioli.
• Liquid feed containerised plants and keep well-watered in dry spells.
• Feed late-flowering border perennials with a liquid quick-acting fertiliser.
• Start collecting seed from plants you want to grow next year, especially annuals such as Calendula, poppies and love-in-a-mist.
• Inspect lilies for the scarlet lily beetle whose larvae can strip plants in days. Pick off any you spot by hand.
• Watch out for aphids (greenfly and blackfly) on stems and leaves of young shoots.
• Sudden collapse of apparently healthy clematis, especially the large-flowered cultivars, could indicate clematis wilt. Cut out the wilted growth – new shoots should grow from ground level.
• Look out for and treat black spot on roses. Remove and destroy affected leaves to try to reduce disease next season.

Flowerbeds and Pots

• Autumn-flowering bulbs, such as autumn crocuses, Amaryllis and Nerines, can be planted now.
• When Delpinium, Foxglove and Verbascum flowerspikes have faded, cut back to just below the seadheads as the small buds lower down the spike often produce a second flush of flowers.
• Cutting back plants in baskets followed by feeding can encourage new growth and help revive tired displays.
• Keep deadheading Roses, annuals and perennials flower borders regularly to prolong flowering.
• Divide clumps of bearded iris.
• In dry weather a silvery white coating may appear on the leaves of plants such as clematis, roses and Lonicera, caused by the fungus powdery mildew. Although it’s unsightly, it’s not usually harmful to the plant.
• Some flowering perennials, like Nepeta, Alchemilla Mollis, Hardy Geraniums can be cut back and fed now, so they produce fresh green growth to liven up the border and will often produce a second flush of flowers.

Fruit and vegetables

• Pick peas and beans whilst they are young. This will encourage the plant to keep flowering and setting more seed.
• Broad beans are very prone to black fly and to prevent this, keep pinching out the tips to stop the black fly setting on the new growth, this also stops the plant growth and encourages more flowers and bean production.
• In July you can raise new strawberry plants from the runners. Peg the runner into the ground, water well and leave for a few weeks until well rooted. Cut off excess runners.
• Depending on the weather, once they have flowered, salad potatoes and earlies should be ready to harvest in July.
• Water tomatoes regularly and try not to let them dry out. Nip out all side shoots, and cut off excess leaves to allow light into the centre of the plant. Once the plant has set 3/4 flower trusses, pinch out the growing point to stop the plant growing taller. Support plants well and secure with soft ties.