Annual Parish Meeting 30th May 2023

The Annual Parish Meeting will be held at The Chapel School Room on Tuesday 30th May starting at 7.00pm. You will be able to hear reports from local Village organisations and our District and County Councillors. It is also hoped there will be representatives from The Broads Authority and Norfolk Wildlife Trust.

This is a great opportunity to for you to discuss anything you consider to be of value to the people of the Parish. Refreshments will be available. Thank you.

Road Closure

NORFOLK COUNTY COUNCIL proposes to make a Temporary Traffic Regulation Order (NTRO6621) affecting the Hickling Lane/Sea Palling Road from 305m northeast of its junction with Whinmere Road to its junction with Stalham Road in the PARISH OF SEA PALLING to facilitate BT works.

The road will be temporarily closed (except for access) from 22nd May to 9th June 2023 for the duration of the works expected to be about 19 days within the period.

Alternative route is via: Stalham Road, Sea Palling Road, Mill Road, Calthorpe Street, Whinmere Road, Sea Palling Road (Sea Palling, Hickling, Ingham).

If necessary, the restriction could run for a maximum period of 18 months from the
date of the Order.

Penalty: £1000 maximum fine on conviction and/or endorsement for contravention.

In the event of the start date being delayed the new start date will be displayed on
site in advance.

The team dealing with enquiries at Norfolk County Council is North Area Streetworks (Community and Environmental Services Department) contactable by telephone at 0344 800 8020 or email at streetworks@norfolk.gov.uk. Details are also available at https://one.network.

Dry berths available

We currently have a small number of dry berths available for boats up to 17 feet in length, if you are interested please contact the Clerk for further details.

Winter is Coming

With the Met office issuing weather warnings for cold weather and even possibly snow for Norfolk, we can be sure that winter is well and truly with us. We know that many amongst us will struggle to stay warm and fed this winter.  Below we offer some general advice on how to stay warm without spending too much money.

Wrap up well

• Wear plenty of thin layers rather than one thick one is the best way to keep warm in winter.
• Wear clothes made of wool or fleecy synthetic fibres (cotton is only effective if the garment stays dry)
• Keep your feet warm with rugs and slippers.
• Wear bed socks and thermal underwear at night
• Putting on a coat, hat, scarf, gloves and warm shoes or boots when you go outside. If you’re heading out, make sure you take some extra layers – even if you don’t need them immediately, it’s a good idea to be prepared because the temperature can drop significantly when the sun goes in.

Heat where you need it

• Only heat the rooms you use – heat the living room during the day and the bedroom just before going to sleep.  Turn the heating in other rooms down or completely off.
• Keep doors and windows closed.
• The ideal temperature is 64°F (18°C) for your bedroom and 70°F (21°C) for your living room. Check your thermostat or use a room thermometer to monitor temperature, and keep your bedroom window shut on a winter’s night.
• Draw your curtains and tuck them behind the radiator to avoid cold spots.
• Use a hot-water bottle, wheat bag or electric blanket to warm the bed, but never use a hot-water bottle and electric blanket together as this can be dangerous.
• More tips at MoneySavingExpert.

Eat well

• A healthy balanced diet will help keep you warm and healthy in the winter. Make sure you and your family eat at least one hot meal a day like soup which is nutritious, keeps you warm and is inexpensive to make or buy.
• If you have them, microwaves, slow-cookers and airfryers are often the most cost (and energy) efficient ways of creating hot meals.
• Batch cook and reheat in a microwave.
• Get your 5 a day.
• Avoid comfort eating.

Stay active and stay in touch

• Staying active is good for your health. Walking, for example, can be good for you. If the weather prevents you getting outside, stay active indoors by catching up on all the household tasks you’ve been putting off.
• Stay in contact with friends and family, especially if you’ve been stuck in the house for a few days. If you have elderly relatives or neighbours who might need help, check up on them.

The cold weather could be just one of many reasons why someone has tumbled into crisis and needs help and support. Good places to try first are as follows:

Norfolk Assistance Scheme can help you get support and financial assistance for food, energy, water, and other household essentials including white goods. You can apply yourself or a support organisation, such as Age UK Norfolk or Citizens Advice can apply on your behalf. 0344 800 8020.

Citizens’ Advice – CABx can offer help with energy bills and with advice on how to reduce your ongoing energy requirements. 0800 144 8848

Norfolk Community Foundation’s Nourishing Norfolk food hubs provide a range of food support. This includes community fridges and larders, food pantries and community supermarkets

Cost of living vouchers – if you are eligible for free school meals you will now receive a monthly ‘cost of living’ voucher. The vouchers will be £15 per month per child with an additional payment of £30 per child in December.

Anglian Water provides an Extra Care Support Service for people who need help paying their water bills including advice, payment breaks, flexible payment plans and discounts. 0800 169 3630

Worried about paying bills?

Don’t panic, help is at hand.  The most important thing is don’t hide your head in the sand.  Talk to someone and see if you can work something out.

Avoid loan sharks!  It may seem tempting to take out a short-term unregulated loan to get you out of a fix, but this can lead to huge problems down the line, including violence and intimidation and paying back many times what you borrow. 

The first port of call should be your G.P. practice – ask to be referred to a social prescriber, in some areas they are called community connectors or living well connectors.  All GP services in Norfolk are connected to a team of social prescribers who are themselves connected to a range of advice and help providers and they can help you find the support you need in the quickest possible way.

The document below produced by Norfolk Association of Local Councils details a range of other agencies who may be able to help.

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