01. Full Council Mins 10.02.26

The Council Office, Diamond Jubilee Lodge, Wood View Road, Hellesdon, Norwich, NR6 5QB
Tel: 01603 301751 www.hellesdon-pc.gov.uk email: clerk@hellesdon-pc.gov.uk

               Minutes of the Full Council meeting held on Tuesday 10 February 2026 at 7pm in
                            Council Chamber, Diamond Jubilee Lodge, Hellesdon.
   Present:        Cllr David Maidstone (Chairman)
                   Cllr Bill Johnson                           Cllr Lacey Douglass
                   Cllr David Britcher                         Cllr Roy Forder
                   Cllr Nigel Barker                           Cllr Greg Britton
                   Cllr Shelagh Gurney                         Cllr Robin Sear
                   Cllr Andrew Locke                           Cllr David Fahy

In attendance
Jonathan Hall (Parish Clerk & Responsible Financial Officer)
PC Sam Hales.

1. Apologies and acceptance for absence

Apologies were received from the following Councillors and Accepted: Cllr Ian Duckett, Cllr David Fahy and Cllr Sue
Holland.

2. Declarations of Interest and Dispensations

None

3. Minutes from Full Council meeting held 13 January 2025

The minutes of the meeting held on 13 December 2026 had been previously circulated. It was RESOLVED to accept
these minutes as a true and accurate record of the meeting after the following amendments were approved.

5 b. Cllr Gurney said that Broadland District Council had awarded Hellesdon Parish Council’s Environmental
Committee a grant of £5000; Cllr David Maidstone had successfully applied for the grant on behalf of the
committee. The grant was to extend the mini forest and additional shrub planting to the existing wildlife area on
the recreational grounds.

8 c. Village sign renewal. Cllr Gurney said she had made enquires to Richard Pearson Norfolk County Council, and
could use part of her County Council member’s Highways grant to go towards the cost of the new sign,
approximately £7500. Also £2500 could be applied for from her Norfolk County Council Community Fund to go
towards the sign, providing the Parish Council would match fund the amount. It was RESOLVED to agree to match
fund. Cllr Gurney asked the Clerk to apply for the money via the Norfolk County Council website.

8 d. Recycle bins in the Community Centre. Cllr Gurney advised that part of her community member grant could go
towards the purchase cost of new recycle bins for the Community Centre. An allocation of £1000 could be accessed
providing the Parish Council match funded the bin purchase. It was RESOLVED to match fund the bin purchases.
Clerk to apply for the money from the Norfolk County Council fund.

4. Public Participation

PC Hales gave a verbal report, informing the Council that the past month has been busier than normal. An individual
in the Parish had been quite draining on Police resources and has been issued with a Community Order Warning as a

Approved…………………………………………………...…
Cllr David Maidstone
Chairman of Hellesdon Parish Council

Date………………………………………

Hellesdon Parish Council, Full Council Minutes 10 February 2025
 result. This maybe upgraded to a Community Protection Notice if behaviours do not improve. In addition, there had
been an incident of exposure in the Co-op on Reepham Road which is being actioned to bring about a resolution.
Parking around schools is an ongoing issue and patrols are taking place when capacity allows.

PC Hales leaves at 19:18

5. Council Reports
a) To receive a report from the Clerk and to note
Report was previously circulated to Council members. Report was noted.

b) To note verbal reports from District and County Councillors
Cllr Lacey Douglass informed the Council that she her District Council grant was been award to Hellesdon Youth Club
to help continue their good work in the community. There would be a £10 reduction in the council tax bill for 26/27
for Hellesdon residents from the special expense raised for streetlighting.

Cllr Bill Johnson advised that his District Council grant had been utilised by purchasing new defibrillator batteries and
pads for the various defibrillators situated in the parish.

Cllr Shelagh Gurney advised that she had “called in” the planning application 20260127 for the installation of the
telecommunications mast at Hellesdon Community Centre. This means that the District’s planning committee would
decide the application and would not be delegated to officers. Cllr Gurney also reported that she had received
numerous forms of abuse from members of the public, possibility the worse ever encountered as a councillor, since
being elected in 1997. Work in building the new Firside School was underway with the new entrance being started in
half term week (16-20 February) and continuing until 26 February 2026. Various reports of flooding in the Parish were
being investigated, with drains being cleaned out around the Dixons Shopping Centre site. The loose inspection
chamber cover outside the chemist on Middleton’s Lane was scheduled to be repaired but the work will required four
way traffic control.

Reports from District and County Councillors were noted.

c) To Receive any Updates from the Chairman
Nothing to report.

6.   Financial Matters
a)   Approval of Payments – 1 October 2025 to 31 December 2025.
b)   b) Earmarked Reserves Summary- 1 October to 31 December 2025.
d)   Approval of Receipts – 1 October 2025 to 31 December 2025.
e)   Detailed Income and Expenditure 1 October 2025 to 31 December 2025.
     Details of receipts received were not available due to the ongoing work in switching accounting software providers.
     The reports received were APPROVED by the Council.

f) To consider financial request from St Mary’s Church to help with grass cutting maintenance costs.
The Parish Council RESOLVED to pay £1600 to St Mary’s Church to cover two financial years 24/25 and 25/26.

7. Committees
a) To receive Staffing committee report and draft minutes from the meeting held on 14 January 2026 and to note any
decisions made.
Cllr Britcher advised that the recruitment of a Deputy Clerk had started and that interviews for the position had been
scheduled for week commencing 2 March 2026. The draft minutes of the committee meeting held on 14 January
2026 were noted.

Approved…………………………………………………...…
Cllr David Maidstone
Chairman of Hellesdon Parish Council

Date………………………………………

Hellesdon Parish Council, Full Council Minutes 10 February 2025
b) To consider the requirement for an interview panel of five councillors for the Deputy Clerk recruitment process,
and to approve the appointment of Cllrs Britcher, David Maidstone and Gurney to the panel as recommended at
the Staffing Committee meeting held on 14 January 2026.
It was RESOLVED for the recruitment panel to be constituted as Cllrs Britcher, Gurney and David Maidstone. Cllrs
Locke, Johnson and Forder would act as substitutes.

Other Business
8. To receive a verbal update from Cllr Britcher concerning the Western Link meeting held on 21 January 2026 and to
note.
Norfolk County Council has asked for the Government to undertake a survey of all the possible options again. This is
estimated to cost around £1m. The Government has yet to respond. However, any road that gains planning permission
will be single carriageway due to environmental concerns. The report was noted.

9. To consider granting permission for the Safer Neighbourhood Action Panel (SNAP) to use the Council Chamber at
no charge for the next SNAP meeting to be held 16th March 2026.
It was RESOLVED to grant permission for the SNAP meeting to be held on 16th March 2026 within the Council Chamber
at no cost.

10. To consider date, time, venue and content of the 2026 Annual Parish Meeting (APM).
The Parish Council delegated to the Clerk to arrange the APM on a suitable date in May 2026. It was suggested that
Trevor Holden, the CEO of Broadland District Council is invited to attend to speak about how Local Government
Reorganisation would affect Town and Parish Councils.

11. To consider request for routine emails received by the Parish Council office to be forwarded to all members.
The Members RESOLVED to request that emails from the principal councils (Norfolk County Council and Broadland
District Council) are forwarded, especially issues that relate to Highways.

12. It was RESOLVED under the Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960 to exclude the press and public for the
duration of item 13 in view of the confidential nature of the business to be transacted.

Meeting closed to press and public at 8:09pm

13. To consider quotes from contractors for the cutting of grass verges.
It was RESOLVED to award a one year grass verge cutting contract to Norse for the season March 2026 to October
2026 at a cost of £11,263.

Meeting closed at 8.21pm

Cllr Lacey Douglass offered her apologies for the March 2026 Full Council meeting as she would be attending a meeting
at Broadland District Council.

Approved…………………………………………………...…
Cllr David Maidstone
Chairman of Hellesdon Parish Council

Date………………………………………

Hellesdon Parish Council, Full Council Minutes 10 February 2025