The ongoing problem at the junction of Post Office Road and Manor Road was raised at the June meeting of the parish council.

Councillor Andrea Smith talked of concerns over planned work to discourage parishioners from parking there. She reported that a number of residents had commented that this would simply transfer the problem of parking onto other areas of the village and the surrounding roads, causing further hazards to motorists and pedestrians.

She also asked whether it was intended that the parish council be liable for the maintenance of this area once the works, as authorised by Norfolk County Council (NCC), had been completed. The acting clerk read out communication from NCC stating their plans for planting shrubs on this piece of land.

There followed discussion among the parish council and general concerns were raised that this action had been taken without a decision being verified by the full council.

Vice-chairman, Cllr Keith Manship, responded that this subject had been discussed some time ago as there was a persistent problem with parked cars blocking motorists' view when coming out of Post Office Road onto Manor Road.

It was agreed that a letter was to be sent to NCC informing them that the parish council had never agreed that this work be carried out and that, instead of the low-level shrub planting that was planned, the parish council wished to see the area cobbled instead.

There followed further discussion about whether this would actually solve the problem of parking on this piece of verge and the outcome was that the parish council resolved to request cobbles with shrubs planted intermittently in this cobbled area.

The state of the village again dominated discussions at the latest meeting of Dersingham Parish Council. Discussions were held over ongoing issues as well as those caused by recent additions to the village.

The meeting began with a parishioner raising the subject of footpath grass-cutting within the village and he reported that a number were now overgrown and impassable. Irene Woods, the acting clerk, reported that many of these were already being looked into by the parish council and it was agreed that these problems would be reported to the footpaths officer at NCC.

Cllr John Houston voiced his concerns over the installation of two new bus shelters in Dersingham. He referred to a consultation letter which had been sent to residents living near to the intended location for the two new shelters, in which the style and contents of the proposed shelters were clearly defined.

Cllr Houston stated that he was concerned that the environment committee had commissioned the shelters which were now in situ and they did not resemble those which the consultation letter had outlined. He also raised the point that these shelters had been purchased with council finances (more than £6,000, as stated in official parish council documentation) and that there had been no ratification of this decision by full council.

Cllr Houston's point repeated comments made by Cllr Val Brundle at the May meeting in which her distaste for the design of the new bus shelters was formally recorded. She had taken issue that there should have been a seat incorporated in these shelters, a point which Cllr Tony Bubb had responded to by stating that there were no seats in any of the bus shelters in the village as these were seen to encourage anti-social behaviour and act as gathering places.

In response to Cllr Houston's comments, Cllr Manship, chairman of the environment committee, informed the meeting that a decision on new shelters had been awaited for the last two years but recently a 70 per cent discount had been made available by the passenger transport unit.
Hence, the committee had taken action to buy the bus shelters. This was alongside the news that a further discount could become available if two shelters were bought at the same time. Supporting Cllr Manship's comments, Cllr Bubb said the shelters were, in fact, similar to those which had been documented in the consultation letter.

At the end of the discussion, Cllr Houston said slabs laid at the base of the shelters were a trip hazard and were also unstable. It was reported that a trip hazard had been identified at one of the shelters, but the contractors had been contacted and had ground off the corner of the slab affected.

It was decided there would be an inspection of the shelters by members of the parish council and that where any residual issues were found, the contractors responsible would be contacted to rectify the problems.

In his update from West Norfolk Council, Cllr Roy Johnston reported that in response to the local government revision, the Boundary Committee was due to report its findings. In explaining the process following this disclosure, he reported that there would be a short period of time available for the borough to formulate its response and that the boundary committee would then consider any comments and make their final recommendations.

Following the confirmed closures of a number of rural post offices in the surrounding area, Cllr Johnston reported that the borough council was looking at ways of establishing a system whereby small village shops could be supported by installing council information points. He stated that this initiative was intended to prevent the closure of these stores and to offset the loss of the post offices in the affected villages.

In his absence, Cllr Johnston reported that Cllr Paul Burall had raised the subject of the enforcement of statutory conditions against unoccupied properties at a full borough council meeting. Cllr Burall asked that proper consideration be given to bringing these properties back into residential use and Cllr Johnston reported that the borough's housing officers were to look into the statutes and whether these could be applied to unoccupied and derelict properties within Dersingham, most notably Caxton Cottage.

In reply to Cllr Johnston's update, Cllr Smith raised the issue of the borough's draft green space strategy which had been circulated to parish councillors and on which their comments were requested. She reported that she was concerned over the contents of the strategy and the survey on which it was based. She also raised the matter of the length of time allowed for considered responses to the strategy documented. Cllr Smith informed the meeting that responses had to be formulated and submitted within two weeks of receipt despite the fact that the document was dated December 2007. It was decided that these matters would be raised alongside comments on the strategy document itself.

In the parish council's sub-committees, the finance, general purposes and administration committee heard from Cllr Ann Chapman that the parish council's website had not been updated for some time and that this reflected badly on the council. The committee was advised that other members of the council were also concerned and it was considered that it may prove necessary to pay for a website service. Cllr Burall, as chairman of this committee, proposed that two quotes be obtained.

All members of the committee were in favour of this as a way forward and it was agreed that the approval of full council be sought.
Within the same committee, Cllr Johnston reported that he has been approached by Inspector Dave Buckley of Norfolk Constabulary who wished to use the current parish office as an "outpost" of Hunstanton Police Station as somewhere for administrative tasks to be carried out. Cllr Johnston stated that he has raised concerns over this suggestion but had received no further communication regarding the matter.

Cllr Houston advised the committee that a number of pledges and donations had been received from individuals and organisations for the war memorial enhancement project and that the acting clerk was keeping records of the pledges received. Cllr Houston reported that pledges would be accepted until grant funding was secured.

Cllr Johnston advised that he had inspected the wooden village sign and proposed that a new aluminium sign be commissioned, cast from the old wooden sign. This suggestion was supported by Cllr Bubb but Cllr Burall reported that as there had been no provision for this made in the 2008-9 budget the original resolution of having the wooden sign renovated at Wayland Prison would have to be adhered to. It was resolved that this course of action would take place and the committee will consider budgeting for a new sign in the new financial year.

County Cllr Janice Eells was unable to attend this meeting and it was decided that matters arising needing her input would be sent to her by letter.

These included the discussions previously reported on the cobbling of the area at the junction of Post Office Road and Manor Road, a smaller library sign being provided by the county council, the need for the zebra crossing near Budgens to be re-painted and the poor state of appearance of the tithe barn.

In other matters, the acting clerk reported that there had been one assault, two thefts and four incidents of criminal damage in the village in the preceding month, none of which had resulted in any arrests.

Cllr Douglas McNeil was attending his first full meeting as a parish councillor having applied and been co-opted at the May meeting.
Following a vote by parish councilors to exclude press and public, an agenda item on the village hall working party was moved to the end of the meeting.

Miss Kimber, 11 Meadow Close, North Wootton. PR30 3PU. Tel: 01553 631712.