SHOTESHAM PARISH COUNCIL.
Becmead, Shotesham St Mary, NR15 1UJ
01508550358 shoteshampc.clerk@outlook.co
Minutes of the meeting of Shotesham Parish Council held in the Trinity at 7.30pm on Tuesday 12th of August 2025.
1. Apologies for absence were received from H Walker and CC A Thomas.
2. Minutes of the meeting of 10th of June were signed as a correct record.
3. The planning application 2025/1769 Mapletree House was considered and supported.
4. East Pye…..
The formal submission of the parish council has been made and East Pye have confirmed that it has been added to the totality of submissions.
Concern was expressed regarding the inadequacy of the ‘public consultation or information meetings’ held. The people staffing the meetings were polite but had no direct awareness of East Pye’s thinking, merely attending to politely explain the many boards but not East Pye’s thinking. No East Pye team members were present in any of the meetings.
5. Urgent Matters …a number of urgent matters were raised. They were…
· Request from a member of the public [not a resident of Shotesham] to be sent copies of NCC officers’ emails regarding the current situation re FP8.
It was agreed to contact the officer/county council to clarify ‘protocols’.
· The bec. Concerns over the ‘quality’ of the water in the bec has been raised by a parishioner who lives next to it . Additionally, there is concern that any ‘run-off’ from the proposed solar farm will exacerbate matters.
It is understood that the sewage farm was not a direct cause of any noted falling of water quality. The clerk will follow up earlier contact with the appropriate authority.
· Data Protection. The clerk will contact colleagues over the need/process regarding ‘Data Protection’ for the parish council.
· The Breckland position to oppose Solar Farms was discussed and the meeting agreed to call on SNDC to vote through a similar “raft of measures” which aim to protect local communities from vast solar projects. These included:
· Supporting the position taken by those local MPs (Freeman and Jeremy) and NCC who have called for a more strategic and locally accountable approach to renewable energy development
· Opposing large scale solar farm development which lack local support….
· Writing to the Secretary of State to reinforce the concerns
· Calling for a review of energy distribution and infrastructure policy…
DC John Cook shared the following items
· The Ford. Still no information/copy of consultant’s report and officers’ response to that report. The matter was deemed ‘urgent’ in May.
The clerk will contact with CC A Thomas to stress that all PC
members were of the opinion that NCC should make available the promised copy of the consultants’ report, any update on the situation and the arrange a site meeting at the ford with relevant personnel as soon as possible to agree the way forward.
· Electoral Roll is still not available to the PC. DC John Cook stressed that officer responsible will offer help in achieving same. The clerk will prioritise its acquisition.
· The decision that the ‘old’ DC HQ is to be demolished was shared with the PC.
J K Gough, The Clerk