Looking back to July 1989 in Narborough, North and South Wootton, West Lynn, North Lynn and Wretton
Residents of Narborough were told in by North West Norfolk MP Henry Bellingham in July 1989 that they could expect at least a four-year wait before the proposed A47 by-pass could go ahead.
Mr Bellingham is pictured receiving a petition signed by Middleton residents which was handed over by parish council vice-chairman Colin Skipper.
The petition had been signed by hundreds of villagers whose concern was growing about the number of accidents. Mr Bellingham said he would push for the earliest possible action to be taken on the A47 running through East Winch, Middleton, West Bilney and Narborough.
On this week: July 16 – 22, 1989
Families were rushing round making eleventh hour alterations to wedding plans following a fire at South Wootton Church that left the organ gutted and the roof extensively smoke damaged. For the immediate future, all services at the church had been moved to the nearby All Saints at North Wootton – and that includes marriages planned for the picturesque St Mary’s. Fire chiefs suspected that arsonists may have started the blaze, which could have been far worse without the quick action of a passer-by in raising the alarm.
Anxious parents at West Lynn Primary School had spoken out against a plan by headmaster Roger Turner for next term, which they feared would affect their children’s education. From September the school would reduce from four to three classes, and that would mean children of three age groups being taught together. The reduction in classes resulted from the fact that one teacher was leaving and parents were unhappy that the head teacher was not taking on the fourth class himself.
Wretton villagers voted against a plan to build 17 houses at a site in the village centre when there were already plans to build up to 12 on land next to it. The small estate was felt to be totally unsuitable for the site close to the historical centre and the church. During an open meeting of the parish council, fears were expressed at the extra traffic generated by up to 29 houses using the narrow village lane and that drains would be inadequate to cope with the extra housing. In a show of hands, 22 people voted against the plan and only one for it.
Members of West Norfolk Council’s policy and resources committee were to consider urging Norfolk County Council to build a second fire station in Lynn. A motion calling for another station in the south or west of the town was referred to the committee during a meeting of the full borough council. Some councillors feared the fire service was not reaching blazes to the south and west of the town fast enough because of Lynn’s ever-increasing traffic snarl-ups.
Norfolk ambulance crews were considering working to rule if the Government failed to meet pay and conditions demands. Staff disappointed by the current 6.5 per cent pay offer were calling for more money as well as a formula for working out pay and scaling down the retirement age. Unions were
to meet in the next few days to decide what action would be decided in a national ballot.
Someone broke into Lynn’s King Edward VII High School on Monday night – and stole 24 haddock fillets. The thief also made off with a bag of peas and a quantity of bread rolls. The total value of goods stolen was put at £6.
Hundreds of acres of North Lynn land was opened for possible development by the new £700,000 North Lynn pumping station. The Crossbank Road station was officially opened by former Gaywood Internal Drainage Board chairman, Eric Lane. It had taken two years to build and was designed to swerve the whole of northern Lynn for 20 years. Gravity combined with the fully automatic pump to take storm water from North Lynn into the Ouse and the station could pump 850 litres a second if needed.
Local firms were tld they must play their part in supporting West Norfolk and Fenland’s Relate marriage guidance service so it can meet the need in the area. During the annual meeting of Relate, its chairman Martyn Royall made the appeal for more financial support, especially as the cost of training just one councillor was put at more than £3,000. He said substantial further funding from the community was necessary if Relate was to provide the service necessary for the area.
The suggestion that a pink flamingo visits Narford Lake was greeted with disbelief and produced a rare light-hearted moment at the Narborough by-pass inquiry. Commander Andrew Fountaine’s claim prompted a witty retort from solicitor Ben Pearson: “What does it feed on, red herrings?” But doubters had to eat their words. The Lynn News visited the Narford Estate and bobbing around in the middle of the lake was the flamingo.
