

At Breckland Council’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) in May, Cllr Keith Gilbert was selected as the council’s Chairman for 2024/25.
Cllr Gilbert has over 30 years’ experience in local government and, as Chairman, will oversee the running of Council meetings for the year.
The Chairman role is apolitical and will see Cllr Gilbert representing the council at official events over the coming months. So, if you have any upcoming events you would like him to attend, get in touch via chairman@breckland.gov.uk
It is tradition for the Chairman to raise funds for a local charity during their tenure and Mr Gilbert will be raising money for the Big C Cancer Charity and East Anglia's Children's Hospices throughout the year. The council’s previous Chairman, Cllr Wilkinson, raised over £4,500 for Stillbirth and Neonatal Death (SANDs) charity and Swaffham and Litcham Hospice during 2023/24.
Swaffham is to benefit from a further £1m investment to enhance the town and protect its rich heritage.
Having now secured the major investment from Historic England and The National Lottery Heritage Fund, the High Street Heritage Action Zone (HSHAZ) Partnership recently celebrated the successes so far. The partnership comprises Breckland Council, Historic England, Swaffham Town Council, and the Swaffham Cultural Consortium.
Going forward, this collaborative effort will focus on empowering local businesses through community grants to renovate historic buildings and further enhance Swaffham's high street.
The joint-effort has already seen the Assembly Rooms restored, heritage shop fronts repaired, and public spaces enhanced with new benches, landscaping, and directional signage for historic assets to boost the town’s tourism offering.
Did you know almost 80% of Breckland residents now pay their Council Tax by Direct Debit?
Paying by Direct Debit is safe, hassle-free and reliable, so you never risk missing a payment. You can also choose a payment date that suits you.
You can also go online to review and manage your account and apply for discounts, for example, if only one adult lives in a property.
If you haven’t already, sign up for Direct Debit today at: www.angliarevenues.gov.uk/breckland
With the summer holidays fast approaching, we wanted to let you know about some fantastic events taking place across Breckland. Visit our website for even more events and attractions. Running an event? Make sure to let us know via our events webpages: www.breckland.gov.uk/whatson
First Friday of the month: Short Walks www.derehamwaw.org.uk
Second Tuesday of the month: Easy Walks - as above.
18 August: Beowulf, Dereham Windmill (7-9pm) www.derehamwindmill.co.uk
24 August: Outdoor Cinema, Fleece Meadow
24-26 August: Flower Festival, St Nicholas Church aboutdereham.org
25 August: Classic Car Fayre, Recreation Ground (10am-4pm) www.swaffhamtowncouncil.gov.uk
27 September: Macmillan World’s Biggest Coffee Morning (10am-12pm) www.swaffhamtowncouncil.gov.uk Watton
14 July: Summer Carnival, Sports Centre
4 August: Wayland Show agricultural event waylandshow.com
24 -25 August: Watton Bike Weekend www.wattonbikeweekend.online
3 August: Pride Event, Queens Square (10am-6pm)
10 August: Battle of the Businesses Quiz Night, Connaught Hall (from 7pm)
1 September: Woof Fest 2, Gaymers Meadow (from 12pm)
2-4 August: InThetford festival, including outdoor cinema, theatre, museum entry and more! linktr.ee/InThetford
2 & 30 August: Friday nights on the Market Place –activities and food (from 5pm)
15-18 August: Nostalgic Summer Days and Continental market leapinghare.org
To find out more about community events and local attractions in your area, scan the QR code above!
Like local authorities across the country, Breckland Council is facing unprecedented demand for housing support. Particularly since the pandemic, the need for social housing is far outstripping supply, there is a shortage of new homes being built, and rising prices for private renters.
This means people are currently waiting longer to be housed and we are facing increased costs while people wait in temporary accommodation. We have been putting in place a number of changes and improvements to help improve our service, but there are steps you can also take to help us focus our services on those who need our help the most.
We have updated our Allocations Policy. This means that only people who have a genuine need for a social rented property can apply to the housing register and those with the greatest need will be given the highest priority. You can read the policy and the reasons for changes on our website at www.breckland.gov.uk/ housing-strategic-housing
For those who are eligible, we have purchased some homes and are leasing them as temporary accommodation within Breckland.
While we may not be able to offer a house to people who are less vulnerable or lower on the priority list – for example, people who are single, with no medical issues or family in the area – our team will still try to work with you to help you find a suitable alternative.
We have also increased our Housing team to help people with their housing challenges. We are working with private landlords, to increase the quality and safety of local homes. Improvements are being made to some of the worst housing and some landlords have been given financial penalties.
If you have a spare room, please consider whether you could take in a lodger. This could give you extra income and could help someone who is unable to rent their own place. See www.gov.uk/rent-room-in -your-home/the-rent-a-room-scheme for details on how to do this and earn up to £7,500 a year tax free. Do you have a property that you could rent to the Council for us to use as temporary accommodation? Contact us on housing.advice@breckland.gov.uk
Our Housing Team doesn’t just match people with properties. The team also spends a lot of time listening to people’s concerns and helping to find housing solutions that work for everybody.
For example, Helen and her partner were expecting a baby and living at home with her parents. The parents asked Helen to leave before the baby was born, so our Housing Team talked to the parents to understand their concerns. We were able to help them all to make an arrangement that addressed everybody’s concerns, like who would be taking responsibility for the baby and how they could support each other at a level that worked for everyone.
Our Communities Team then helped Helen and her partner to access support for new parents. This approach meant they could all live together in a stable home while Helen and her partner looked for a property for their growing family.
Are you planning an event this summer? Did you know you can let Breckland Council take the stress out of the post-event cleanup, with our reliable, affordable, no hidden fees service?
Our Business Waste collection service already picks up rubbish from more than 330 businesses across the district, but we can also provide waste collection for one-off events too. Our experienced team can provide bins in a range of sizes – 240, 360, 660 and 1100 litres – and then pick up the rubbish after your event has taken place.
Let us handle the waste so you can focus on creating a memorable experience for your event-goers. For more information and a free, no-obligation quote visit waste.breckland.gov.uk or speak directly to our expert team by emailing businesswaste@breckland.gov.uk
Run a Breckland club, sports team, business or another group? Get in touch for a tailored quote with no hidden charges.
Tired of dealing with piles of leaves, branches, and piles of cut grass? Don't let garden waste stop you from enjoying your garden.
Our convenient Garden Waste Collection Service makes it easy to keep your garden looking at its best and saves you the hassle of taking garden rubbish to the local waste and recycling centre. Sign up to receive fortnightly brown bin collections for £60 for a 12-month subscription (the equivalent of just a fiver a month!). So take back your weekends and keep your garden green with Breckland Council.
For a limited time, you could win your subscription free for a year as we will be refunding the yearly cost for four lucky winners.
How to enter: To be in with a chance of winning the cost of your annual subscription back (worth £60), sign up for a new subscription via www.breckland.gov.uk/rubbish/garden-waste, then forward your confirmation email to competitions@breckland.gov.uk. You can also sign up by calling 0344 109 9220 - remember to mention this competition to be entered into the draw.
This competition is open to anybody taking out a renewal, new or additional garden bin subscription between 15 July and 11 August 2024. Email entries must be received by 11.59pm on 11 August 2024. Four lucky winners will then be selected at random and receive the value of their 12-month subscription back. Terms and conditions can be found at www.breckland.gov.uk/CompTerms
Breckland Council wants to build on the many strengths of our local communities so that everyone can lead happy, healthy, fulfilling lives. We care, and we want to be there when people need us most, by supporting them through targeted services that make a difference, alongside our partners. We want all our residents to enjoy quality of life, have a place they can call home in Breckland, and feel proud to be here. So after initially investing £1m in 2020 to fund a three-year programme, we’ve now committed a further £1.1m to continue delivering our award-winning Inspiring Communities initiative. These pages give a taster of some of the things we’re delivering to support you and your communities. You can find out more about all of these services at www.breckland.gov.uk/community
We’re launching an exciting new support hub in the heart of Dereham. ‘The Link’ is situated at our Breckland Business Centre site, on St Withburga Lane, and is providing people with physical and mental health support, financial advice, and skills and employment opportunities.
Working with Norfolk and Waveney Mind, we’ve brought together services from the council and mental health charity, alongside the NHS, the Department for Work and Pensions, Citizens Advice, the Daisy Programme, and more.
We recognise the challenges people face can be complicated, so bringing these services under one roof means people can access comprehensive support when they need it most.
We’re investing up to £300k to support a range of community-based projects in Breckland. The money will be released as Inspiring Communities grants in quarterly funding rounds over the coming three years, ensuring a fair opportunity for current and future projects, and regular investment into Breckland communities between now and 2027.
We’ll be prioritising projects which help reduce vulnerability and health inequalities in Breckland and which have a long-lasting, positive impact on community wellbeing. This includes addressing domestic abuse, mental health, social isolation and loneliness and early intervention projects which prevent a crisis.
Since the launch of the Inspiring Communities Programme in 2020, Breckland Council has helped over 2000 people to access affordable low-cost food as part of our commitment to tackling health inequalities and enabling our communities to live healthier, happier lives. This has included supporting local community supermarkets food banks and our roving Breckland Food Bus.
This service has now gone from strength to strength and the new service will b e bringing affordable food to a village near you soon. The Shelf Pop Up Pantry will be coming to a village near you, bringing not only food prepared by our partner at The Pantry, based in Kenninghall, but offering expert advice from Citizens Advice officers and other partners who can help you access the support you need.
The Breckland Mindful District Partnership (BMDP) was established to enable a community-led approach to mental health and raise awareness of the support available to residents, endeavouring to make Breckland a'Mindful District'.
Communities can achieve 'Mindful Town' or 'Mindful Village' status through free mental health education and awareness training programmes and explore opportunities to develop mindfully-focused community activity within their local areas. So far 10 of our towns and villages have signed up to the project with over 300 Community Champions trained across Breckland to support residents when they need it most.
If you're an organisation which specialises in delivering training or valuable support services around mental health or issues that impact a person's mental health, or if you would like to find out more about the Mindful District Partnership, we would love to hear from you. Find out more and get involved at www.breckland.gov.uk/communities/mindful-townsdistrict-partnership
A Breckland resident – we will call him ‘Jack’ - living with bipolar disorder, social isolation, and excessive alcohol consumption was referred to our Social Prescribing Team over three years ago. Through our Team ‘Jack’ engaged with a Health & Wellbeing Coach, joined an NHS weight loss program, attended the ‘Well-come’ Mental Health Support Group, and participated in Menscraft’s Pit Stop meetings. During a particularly acute episode, they were connected with a mental health practitioner at their GP surgery, and Gateway House in Wymondham, which helped address their alcohol consumption. Today, ‘Jack’ continues to attend the ‘Well-come’ Group. They are no longer drinking, are employed, and will soon to be married, attributing this wonderful turnaround to the support they received, demonstrating the life-changing impact that Social Prescribing can have. For Social Prescribing referrals or more information about the service in the Mid-Norfolk Primary Care network, contact your GP surgery or visit www.breckland.gov.uk/social-prescribing
Breckland Council is proud of our district and we are working hard to make it a place where local people and businesses can thrive, inspiring people to want to live, work, visit or do business here.
Our Corporate Plan sets out what we're going to do to make this happen between 2024 and 2028. But we know we can't do this alone, which is why we work together with others to make a greater impact. Our priorities are grouped across three key themes:
Inspiring Communities – focused on supporting our residents (see pages 6 & 7)
Thriving Places – helping our businesses to thrive
Working Smarter 2035 – embracing modern, efficient ways of operating
These pages outline some of our areas of focus, but you can find out more at www.breckland.gov.uk/corporateplan
• Continue to deliver Community Grants
• Provide early support to vulnerable residents
• Prevent homelessness
• Make sure you have a suitable, safe, and secure home
• Take a robust approach to Anti-Social Behaviour
• Tackle health inequalities
• Enhance leisure and wellbeing provision
• Offer waste collections to local businesses
• Increase recycling rates
• Protect our natural environment
• Plant more trees
• Monitor air quality
• Deliver priorities identified by residents
• Improve the number and quality of local jobs
• Help provide skills and training opportunities
• Attract more visitors to our high streets
• Increase the number of houses to meet demand
• Work with partners to ensure transport, digital, walking and cycling infrastructure needs are understood and supported
• Shape our planning service to deliver sustainability goals
• Attract national funding
• Increase availability of electric vehicle charging points
• Use data to better predict people’s future needs
• Use technology to improve our customer’s experience
• Give customers more choice, control and convenience in how they access our services
• Deliver a financially sustainable council budget
• Maximise external funding income
• Ensure the council is well-governed, democratically accountable, and legally compliant
• Work towards a target of NetZero by 2035
• Make our buildings more energy-efficient
• Attract high-calibre staff and be a partner of choice to provide the best possible services
Did you know that Breckland Council owns a range of warehouses, office spaces and other assets and we rent these out to local businesses?
This brings in around £3m each year in rent – around the same amount as we receive in council tax – which helps to fund not only core services but the additional services that we know mean so much to you, such as leisure facilities and help for the district’s most vulnerable (pages 6 & 7). It also means we can keep tax rates as low as possible while supporting more than 200 local businesses to operate from reliable premises, which in turn protects local jobs.
As well as using the spaces we own to generate income and balance our books, we sometimes use spaces we own to create new opportunities and services hubs for local residents and businesses. This includes The Link in Dereham (page 6) and a similar service called The Hub in Thetford. If you run a business in Breckland and want to know more about how we can work with you, visit www.breckland.gov.uk/commercial-property
Thetford is set to benefit from £20m investment to support its ongoing regeneration and growth. The money was announced by Central Government in the spring.
Breckland Council has been calling for major investment for some time as Thetford is the gateway to Norfolk with huge potential for the future. The money will help Thetford deliver local priorities and ultimately have a positive impact for people and businesses in the town and across the district. We’ve recently been working to create a new 'Town Board', made up of representatives from across Thetford which will steer how the funding will be used.
The Board will be Chaired by local businessman, Jo Pearson. Jo is Vice-Chair of the Thetford Business
Forum, Chair of Open Road West Norfolk and charities too. Jo is born and bred in Thetford and continues to run the four-generational Thetford-based family business as well.
The first task for the new Board will be to lead the engagement which will help shape an initial delivery plan for the money, which should start being made available from next year and then ongoing for the next 10 years.
Foodies in Thetford are enjoying a brand-new restaurant and supermarket after Breckland Council agreed to rent out buildings we own to the food business operators.
The new 7 Pecados restaurant is serving up authentic Portuguese food from the Thetford Riverside Leisure Complex, on Anchor Way, replacing the former Dough and Co and Burger Amour restaurants. The owners of the restaurant have also been working on opening a new supermarket over the river on Minstergate, transforming the former Wilko shop into a supermarket featuring a deli, bakery, and butchers. Both of these buildings are owned by Breckland Council and by engaging with local businesses we will not only bring in rental income to the council but also foster a vibrant, diverse, and thriving community.
Breckland’s new Local Plan will set out how the district should grow over the next 25 years and we’re seeking your views on where new houses should be built, how we’ll create new jobs, leisure provision and infrastructure like roads.
We’d like to say a big ‘thank you’ to everyone who has already shared comments on the Local Plan so far, but there will still be more opportunities to have your say.
The council has recently been inviting views on the Full Update Preferred Options draft which is our current proposal based on views gathered through previous community consultations as well as planning policy requirements.
You can see the latest plans, answer questions to share your thoughts, and look at proposed development sites on an interactive map at brecklandlocalplan.commonplace.is
The Local Plan is a valuable policy document that helps to make sure planning decisions are made in the best interests of Breckland’s communities. Reflecting what local people have told us, it sets out a vision for Breckland to:
• Be a thriving place which grows sustainably
• Offer diverse job opportunities
• Maximise connections across towns and villages to support the rural economy
• Provide high quality homes for local people to provide choice and match local needs
• Consider the infrastructure, businesses and homes needed to make the district fit for the future
• Enhance our outstanding natural, built and historic environment through high quality design that helps to tackle climate change
We’ve been to local markets, town halls, leisure centres and held virtual workshops to listen to the views of local people and make sure the new Local Plan reflects what is important to our communities.
You’ve told us that the housing market isn’t working and generations feel like they’re facing a struggle to get onto the property ladder or afford rent. We’ve heard that protecting Breckland’s countryside is an important priority.
As a result, the Preferred Options draft of the Local Plan prioritises affordable, quality homes for residents so future generations can continue to call Breckland their home and measures have been put forward to enhance the natural environment.
Having recently received lots of resident feedback on our Preferred Options Paper, a proposed final version of the Local Plan will now be prepared. There will be a further opportunity for you to review it, before it is submitted to the Government later in 2024, so look out for more updates on our social media, website and the next Your Breckland magazine. Following an Examination in Public, the new Local Plan could be adopted (replacing the current Local Plan) by the end of 2026.
Breckland Council has distributed over £20,000 of grant funding to help local communities come together to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day and recognise the efforts – and sacrifices – of our Armed Forces.
The funding helped around 50 local groups hold tea parties, remembrance events, military displays and to light beacons, which brought residents together to recognise the importance of the events of June 1944. This is part of our ongoing commitment to supporting our communities and enabling opportunities to get residents together.
D-Day marked the Allies’ invasion of Normandy and was a pivotal moment in the eventual defeat of Hitler. This grant scheme is part of a £300k grants commitment that we’ve made, which you can read more about on page 6. You can see recent funding we’ve invested into our communities on our interactive map at www.breckland.gov.uk/ funding-map.
Solar panels have now been installed at Dereham Leisure Centre, making it more environmentally-friendly and helping to cut costs
The solar panels have been mounted to the roof of the building, on Station Road, to help meet its electricity needs, while reducing its carbon emissions by as much as 47 tonnes each year.
The upgrade was funded after Breckland Council successfully bid for a share of the Government and Sport England's £60 million investment programme. See page 14 for your chance to WIN A FREE FAMILY SWIM this summer!
Breckland Council recently launched a ground-breaking Low Carbon Regeneration Programme to help businesses save money and become more environmentally-friendly.
Delivered in partnership with Opergy, a net-zero sustainability consultancy, the programme was announced at our Net Zero Conference held in Saham Toney and will give businesses the opportunity to access advice and support to become more energy-efficient.
As your district council, we will look for opportunities to bring together businesses so they can work with their neighbouring businesses to access funding support, jointly put in place initiatives which cut their energy use, save money on their energy bills, and make greater use of renewable energy sources.
At our business conference, attendees heard from a number of local businesses that we’ve already helped to cut their carbon emissions. And we want to help even more local businesses, so if you’re a business owner and would like to find out more about the environmental benefits of starting your Net Zero journey, as well as the economic benefits, scan the QR code or visit our website at www.breckland.gov. uk/business-growth/NetZero
At Breckland Council we are always trying to find new ways of engaging with our residents, businesses and partners and now we’ve launched our very own podcast which we’re calling our ‘BreckCast’.
While we can’t promise thrilling murder mysteries, delicious recipes or sports analysis like some podcasts you may already listen to, our new podcast will give you a unique opportunity to hear from elected officials and council staff about the work we do behind the scenes to deliver the services you rely on and our areas of focus going forward.
Our ‘BreckCast’ will cover a wide array of topics, looking at how services are having an impact on the lives of our residents, how they are helping Breckland businesses to thrive, and how we work with our partner organisations on the projects and initiatives that matter to you. So make sure you 'like' and subscribe to our podcast now so you don’t miss any future episodes.
The first few episodes are now available and cover: the council’s new Corporate Plan commitments and what it means for your day to day services; how the council has worked with partners to bring in millions of pounds of funding to protect the district’s heritage; and our work with local businesses to adopt environmentallyfriendly practices. Search for BreckCast wherever you get your podcast and find out more by scanning the QR code or visiting our website at www.breckland.gov.uk/podcast
We’ve teamed up with Parkwood Leisure, the provider of our leisure centres in Dereham, Thetford, Attleborough and Watton, to offer ten lucky readers a free family swim pass.
Winners will each receive a ticket for up to four people (two adults and two children) to swim for free at a public swim session held at either Dereham or Thetford. Both brilliant leisure centres boast 25m main pools, as well as learner pools for little ones. And Thetford also has a water slide, wave machine and a fountain to enjoy. Swimming is a fantastic family activity for you, your children or grandchildren so whether you win or not, make sure you make a splash at a pool near you soon!
Simply send your name, address, contact telephone number and which pool you'd prefer tickets for (Dereham or Thetford) to competitions@breckland.gov.uk or write to Swimming Pass Competition, Communications Team, Breckland Council, Walpole Loke, Dereham, NR19 1EE. Deadline for entries 11 August 2024. Terms and conditions can be found at www.breckland.gov.uk/CompTerms
10 family swim passes up for grabs!
Did you know that the UK's telephone network is currently being upgraded? While you can still have a landline at home, the change will see older analogue landlines upgraded to newer landline services using digital technology. This is collectively known as ‘the digital switchover’.
Digital landlines use an internet connection for calls, so you'll need internet access at home for this to work. If you already have broadband, the new system will use this. If you don't, providers like BT and Virgin Media O2 will supply a connection at no extra cost.
The timeline for this change will vary by your provider. If you’d like to know more about how this might affect you, please contact your telephone service provider.
You should particularly consider getting in touch with them if you fall into one of the categories below, to make sure they know you may need a little extra assistance:
• You have a healthcare pendant or other alarm
• You don’t already have broadband
• You have poor mobile phone signal
• You have previously disclosed any additional needs to your telecom provider
Age UK has prepared a handy guide too, which is at https://shorturl.at/p4EfA
We want Breckland to remain a safe and enjoyable place for our residents and an attractive place for visitors to come to. That’s why we continue to work closely with Norfolk Police to review how we can best work together to support our communities.
In light of some recent reports of antisocial behaviour (ASB), such as street drinking and vehicle-related nuisances, we are reviewing whether a district-wide Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) would help maintain the standard of behaviour that most of our residents would expect. It would also provide Police and Council enforcement officers with the opportunity to engage early when they believe behaviours may fall below that standard, before situations worsen.
We already have PSPOs in place in some parts of the district and this is helping to address ASB issues. To find out more about what a Breckland PSPO might mean and have your say on the idea, visit www.breckland.gov.uk/consultation/pspo
The closing date of the consultation is 31 August 2024.
You can apply for lots of services we provide at www.breckland.gov.uk/ applyforit By clicking online you can apply for housing and council tax benefits, building control inspections, garden waste collections, council tax E-billing, voting registration and more!
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Your Breckland brings you news and information on the services and support provided by Breckland Council and its partners. Your comments and ideas are very welcome. If you need this magazine in large print, or in an alternative version, or you know someone who has not received their copy, please get in touch by calling 01362 656870 or via www.breckland.gov.uk/contactus
Your Breckland is printed on chlorine-free paper from managed forests. Information correct at time of going to print. Breckland Council, Elizabeth House, Walpole Loke, Dereham, NR19 1EE. Local centres: www.breckland.gov.uk/visitus
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Breckland Council