Town Council chairman reviews the past year

Reepham Town Council is looking for new councillors that will take an active role in working for the local community.
 

Reepham Town Council chairman Les Paterson

 
Addressing the Annual Town Meeting on 10 May, Town Council chairman Les Paterson noted that over the past year two councillors had resigned: Jack Mortimer and Andrea Wilson.
 
Mr Mortimer had “made his mark as probably the youngest vice-chairman of any town or parish council in the country”, Mr Paterson commented.
 
Mrs Wilson was the Council’s longest serving councillor and had been instrumental in organising, and getting funding for, many of the recent improvements and refurbishments of the Town Hall.
 
She was also secretary of the Town Hall Management Committee, supporting the promotion of the Town Hall in co-operation with the various user groups.
 
Meanwhile, over the past 12 months, three new members have been co-opted to the Town Council: Marion Korman, Cathy Miller and Mike Pinchin.
 
“There are still vacancies for councillors and if anybody is aware of any issues that need our attention please speak to us, or better still join us as councillors,” said Mr Paterson.
 
Local improvements
 
Following improvements to the toilets in the Town Hall the roof has been refurbished together with the replacement of the guttering in keeping with the original Victorian structure.
 
The Town Hall Management Committee is currently looking to erect a new entrance lobby to the hall and creating a dedicated storeroom.
 
Responding to public demand the Town Council has paid for the installation of improved warning signs on Dereham Road near the doctor’s surgery to enhance safety for pedestrians crossing the road.
 
Meanwhile, as many of Reepham’s streetlights are now obsolete, the Town Council will be replacing them with new low-energy lanterns over the next two years. At the same time, the lights will be fitted with timers so that they will be turned off between midnight and 5 am.
 
Support for community groups and events
 
Mr Paterson noted that the Town Council has also been active in supporting local community groups and events over the past year. Grants ranging from just under £150 to nearly £650 were awarded to the Day Care Centre, the Festival of Light, the Reepham Food Festival, the Good Neighbour Scheme and Whitwell Common Trustees.
 
In addition, events such as the Festival of Light, the Classic Car event and the Food Festival have been supported by the Town Council, which has arranged for the Market Place to be closed to traffic.
 
In conjunction with the Broadland District Council’s Grow Your Community initiative the Town Council supported mental health training for young people at the high school and also took part in the All About Reepham event held in St Michael’s, together with many local community groups, organised by the Town Team.
 
Appreciation
 
The Town Council also nominated Edwin Rose for an award for service to the community at the Broadland Community at Heart Awards in recognition of the voluntary work he has done for the community over many years.
 
“Finally, I would like to express my appreciation for all the support that Jo [Boxall] and Sally [Gill], our town clerk and finance officer respectively, have given me and the other councillors over the past 12 months,” said Mr Paterson, who has been re-elected as Town Council chairman for a further year.
 

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