By Geoff Fisher 
It’s been two months since I was elected as county councillor for the Reepham division and in that time, I’ve attended numerous parish meetings, met a lot of new people (names will take me a while to remember – apologies in advance) and in turn gained a large amount of new casework. It’s what the role entails so I won’t complain.
A new administration at County Hall means a new direction, new ideas and some level of engagement. Yet this hasn’t occurred. There have been cuts to pots of money and political assistants without much in the way of consulting other members. It’s frustrating, but as opposition councillors you work within the environment as best you can.
The removal of the local member fund (£11,000 for highways) is one that eliminates a constructive element that county councillors can positively impact local communities. This has been historically used for contributions to traffic regulation orders, bus shelters, double yellow lines, village gates – it’s quite a long list. It will now be a longer, more convoluted route to get some of these actions in the future, if at all. In any event it will make these harder to achieve.
But it’s not all bad news – there is still a huge range of grants and funding options for groups across the community from both Broadland District Council and Norfolk County Council.
Lastly, my next councillor surgeries are:
- Saturday 18 July at the New Frost Hall, Claypit Road, Foulsham;
- Saturday 15 August at the Bircham Centre, Market Place, Reepham;
- Saturday 19th September at Cawston Village Hall, High Street, Cawston;
- Saturday 31 October at the Bircham Centre, Market Place, Reepham;
All run from 10 am – 12 noon and everyone is welcome, whether it’s casework, a complaint or you wish to simply have a chat; I am very approachable.
I have a Facebook page that anyone is welcome to follow wher you can see what I am up to.
Please stay safe in this hot weather.
Cllr Dave Thomas
Tel: 07903 820140
Email: dave.broadlandlibdems@gmail.com
Photo: Norfolk County Council