Charlotte Cane                Tel. 742509

District Council Notes (March 1998)

The Local Plan was discussed by the Strategic Development Panel on 5^th February.  I attended the meeting and spoke in favour of Reach, Swaffham Bulbeck, and Swaffham Prior retaining 'Infill' status.  The Panel  decided to recommend 'Infill' status for our three villages to full Council. When the Local Plan was discussed by Full Council on 26^th February they agreed that these three villages should retain 'Infill' status.  Unless any of the Objectors press their objections to the Local Plan Inquiry, our villages will retain 'Infill' status until 2006 when a new Local Plan comes into force.

Another aspect of the Local Plan which was agreed on 26^th February was a policy to protect commercial amenities in villages.  Under this policy the Council will require evidence that a village's shop, pub, or post office is neither viable nor likely to become viable before planning permission will be granted to change its use to a house.  I have asked our planning officers to ensure that this policy is followed in assessing the application for change of use for 'The Kings'.  I have stressed that in my view the pub could be viable.  I am sure that the volume of letters from all of you will provide further evidence that Reach needs a pub and that local residents will support a pub.  I look forward to adding to your arguments in seeking to persuade my fellow members of the Planning Committee to refuse the application for change of use.  If you didn't get chance to write to the Council before the 12^th March, please write to me and I can add your views into the discussion.

The other major decision which we took was setting the Council Tax.  We have had to increase our tax this year just to maintain services.  In the past we have drawn on reserves to fund our running costs, but this could not continue for ever.  I was not involved in the budget discussions, but it appears to me that every effort is made to provide our services as efficiently as possible and I shall watch next year's budget setting very carefully to ensure that this is the case.

At my first meeting of full Council on 29^th January, I was elected onto the Planning and Licensing Committees, and the Computer Working Group.  I have already attended two meetings of the Planning Committee and it is clearly a very interesting committee to be on. I attended a special meeting of the Planning Committee at