On this week in Heacham, Marham, King’s Lynn, Downham Market and Swaffham: April 28 - May 4 2014 and April 1992
In our regular On This Week column, we look back through the pages of the Lynn News from April 28 - May 4 2014, as well as a picture from April 1992…
A historic parkland where Pocahontas stayed when she visited Norfolk is up for sale and villagers have launched an ambitious bid to buy it. Campaigners want to raise up to £550,000 to snap up Heacham Park to preserve one of the village’s last open spaces for future generations. With a lengthy battle against a large scale housing scheme for the outskirts of Heacham fresh in their minds, villagers fear that if they don’t acquire the land it will be “lost forever” to developers. They are hoping to use £385,000 which was set aside in a youth and community trust fund several years ago, but never used, to give themselves a fighting chance.
BAE Systems has agreed a £125 million pound deal with the Ministry of Defence that secures at least 500 jobs supporting RAF Marham’s Tornado GR 4 fleet. BAE Systems has 250 employees at RAF Marham, two-thirds of whom are technicians working on the aircraft and the remainder office-based admin support staff. In addition, there are a further 250 sub-contractors who work for BAE Systems at the base in technical roles. The news was welcomed by South West Norfolk MP Liz Truss.
International speedway rider and captain of the King’s Lynn Stars, Rory Schlein, has set a target of raising £10,000 for Breast Cancer Care by the end of the season. The popular racer was inspired to support the charity after 31-year-old Gemma Boxall, the sister of mechanic Lee Broughton, lost her battle with the disease. Schlein said: “We have lots of things planned during the season and I hope, with the help of supporters, we will reach the target.
Downham shoppers will now be paying to use the Wales Court Shopping Centre car park, with Napier Parking introducing charges ranging from 60p to £5.40. The plan has been supported by some businesses close to the site, which is known as the Iceland Car Park, who feel the spaces are mostly taken by people working in the town. One trader said: “The car park is full be 9am and unavailable for shoppers. This will free up a lot of spaces which can only be good fortrade.”
Developers have submitted detailed proposals for the initial phase of a major new housing scheme on the edge of Swaffham. Outline planning permission has already been granted for 250 homes on the Swan’s Nest site off Brandon Road. Abel Homes has applied for permission to build the first 82 properties on the site, which they say will boost the economy and help to meet the town’s housing needs. Around a quarter of the homes in the development will be affordable housing.
A seven-year-old squirrel supermum has stunned wardens at Pensthorpe Conservation Trust by producing her 48th kitten in six years. Tortoiseshell, the red squirrel, has surprised the staff by producing three more kittens after they feared she would never breed again following the death of her last partner, Tweedledum in 2012. But her latest match with Bryn has also proved to be a successful. Partnership. In the wild, red squirrels only survive in a handful of locations in the UK.
Sue Holderness will take the role of the Wicked Queen, Narcissia, in this year’s Corn Exchange pantomime, which follows four increasingly successful and critically acclaimed shows. Sue is best known for her role as Marlene in Britain’s best-loved sitcom, Only Fools and Horses, which she played from 1984 until the final episode in 2003, and also co-starred with John Challis in four series of the spin-off The Green, Green Grass. It has also been revealed that KLFM’s popular breakfast show host, Adam Newstead, will be returning for a second year and taking to the stage as Herman the Henchman.
West Norfolk Council could buy the site earmarked for the Lynn incinerator project to make absolutely sure it cannot be built. Although Norfolk County Council voted to terminate its contract for the scheme with Cory Wheelabrator, concerns remain that the plant could still be built if planning permission were granted. It was suggested that the move would not only stop an incinerator being built on the land, but it would also allow the Material Works consortium, which has a contract for dealing with West Norfolk’s waste, the chance to buy the site in the future.
The first renovated homes at The Orchard, a unique housing development on the site of the former RAF West Raynham, have been released. The homes were formerly the family homes of senior airmen and officers on the base before it was closed by the Ministry of Defence in 1994. On offer are a selection of detached or semi-detached three to seven-bedroom homes, all with large landscaped front and back gardens.
