Member News

Norwich City Council have released their latest economic barometer. The report highlighted:

Locally

• The plans to expand a city hotel could see a top celebrity chef opening his first restaurant in Norwich.
• Around 35 per cent of Norwich’s office workers have returned to their desks in the city
• A buyer has been found for the former Debenhams store in Orford Place – a sign of good news for the high street.
• Norwich University of the Arts has been rated second in the world for Design Education Institution by the World Brand Design Society awards.

Nationally

• Strong growth in output across the UK private sector being among the fastest since January 1998.
• Manufacturing remained in a strong growth phase, with rates of expansion in output, new orders and employment among the best seen during the near 30-year survey history.
• The recovery in UK construction output gained further momentum, with overall construction activity expanding at the fastest pace since June 1997.

  For full details of the latest economic barometer, click here.

County Council’s proposal for the Long Stratton Bypass moves a significant step closer today after the Government confirmed vital funding for the project. Approval of the council’s Outline Business Case, submitted in January, has now been received from The Department for Transport along with a funding commitment of £26.2 million towards the cost of the building the new road, which will cut congestion and support the local economy for years to come. The council is working in collaboration with developer Norfolk Homes Ltd/Norfolk Land Ltd to bring forward the proposals for the long-awaited bypass, which will feed into a revised planning application expected to shortly be submitted to South Norfolk Council by the developer. As part of the planning process, South Norfolk Council will then complete a consultation on the planning application details. Cllr Martin Wilby, Norfolk County Council’s Cabinet member for highways, infrastructure and transport and member of Transport East said: “This is fantastic news and a most timely announcement from government, particularly in view of the Covid-19 recovery. The A140 through Long Stratton is a real pinch point that affects thousands of road users, and the people who live and work in Long Stratton, on a daily basis. We want to deliver this vital scheme as soon as possible to cut congestion, help the local economy and vastly improve this major regionally important route linking Norwich and Ipswich. The bypass is set to create hundreds of new jobs and homes, open up improvements for cycling and walking, and solve traffic and transport issues local people have been facing for more than a generation.”

South Norfolk District Councillor, Alison Thomas said: “Having campaigned for a bypass for Long Stratton since 1997 I am delighted that funding has been agreed as we have lobbied hard and the government has listened. Our role now will be to ensure the project is delivered within budget and timescales to improve the safety and well-being of all those living, working or travelling through Long Stratton. This is a great day for Long Stratton residents and one many feared would never come!” The proposed new A140 bypass will be a single carriageway road that will provide a new junction at Church Lane to the north, extending from this junction on the east side of Long Stratton in a southerly direction for approximately 3.9km, where it will re-join the existing A140 just south of Oakside farm. The estimated overall cost of the bypass is £37.44m with the remaining funding primarily sourced from local developer contributions and Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL). Subject to receiving all of the necessary statutory approvals, including planning permission, the target date for work to start on construction is mid-2023, with the road open to traffic before the end of 2024.

• Flagship Group is carrying out consultation with residents of the Abbey estate in Thetford to shape the future of their community;
• After the first step of consultation in June, local people are being invited to give their views on three possible options and solutions which have been developed based on community feedback;
• The consultation comes after Flagship carried out extensive community engagement between 2019 and 2020 to understand what matters to local people;
• Further consultation will be carried out this autumn for local people to identify a preferred option for the Abbey.

Residents on the Abbey estate in Thetford are being asked to help to shape the future of their area as community consultation gathers pace.

Last month, Flagship Group began consulting local people on possible options and ideas for the Abbey which had been developed in response to themes highlighted by the community.

Four options and a range of improvements to tackle issues such as anti-social behaviour, parking, use and condition of the garages, and safety and connectivity across the estate were presented to residents for their views.

These included improvements to the garage courts, a new neighbourhood park, new homes, a wider choice of shops, new play facilities, better lighting, and suggestions for the river area, amongst others.

Around 440 local people took part in the first step of the consultation which revealed:

• Improved facilities for young people, better parking across the estate, and better lighting were the most important improvements for local people;
• Better lighting across the estate and a new neighbourhood park were the ideas people liked most;
• An adventure playground and trees and planting were the top choices for a new neighbourhood park;
• Improved parking was the most important improvement residents would like to see on their street.

Residents were also asked to choose which of four options for the estate they would like, with the least preferred option now removed from further consultation.

Based on the feedback, Flagship Group is consulting again and is presenting solutions to the issues and themes raised in step 1. This includes parking improvements and more detail on a new neighbourhood park. And, people will this time be asked to rate three possible options for the estate.

Peter Hawes, Chairman of Flagship Group said: “Thank you to everyone who shared their views in the first step of our consultation with Abbey residents.

“We have listened to what you’ve told us and as a result, we’re presenting solutions in response to the issues and feedback that emerged from step 1 of the consultation.

“We are committed to the Abbey estate. We know it’s a place with a great community spirit but with a number of challenges too. We want to work with local people to tackle these, bring significant and sustainable improvements, and make the estate an even better place to be for today’s, and tomorrow’s, residents.”

Every resident on the estate is receiving a brochure that sets out the possible options and solutions and they can have their say by completing the form sent out with the brochure – returning to the neighbourhood centre or in the freepost envelope – or online: www.givemyview/abbeyestate/polls  The closing date for feedback in this step of the consultation is Monday 9 August 2021.

Flagship is also offering residents the opportunity to find out more about the consultation by taking part in a 121 drop-in at the neighbourhood centre on these dates:

• Monday 26 July                 12pm – 5pm
• Wednesday 28 July          4pm – 8pm
• Thursday 29 July               12pm – 5pm
• Friday 30 July                     12pm – 5pm

The consultation comes on the back of extensive community engagement between 2019 and 2020 to find out what matters to local people in their area, with drop-in events and online polls held to gather feedback.

Peter Hawes added: “I would urge Abbey residents to please tell us what you think. We want to know what you want for your community, what you would like to see, and what improvements are the most important for you.

“We don’t know yet what the future will look like – and these are long-term plans – but we do know that we will do something: because of the feedback we’ve heard, doing nothing is not an option. But, whatever we do will be shaped collaboratively.”

Flagship is committed to working with community partners and organisations, including Norfolk County Council and Breckland Council. In November 2019, Norfolk County Council and Breckland Council agreed to work collaboratively with Flagship Group for the Abbey estate.

Norfolk County Councillor Graham Plant, deputy leader and cabinet member for growing the economy, said: “I’d encourage all Abbey estate residents to come forward with their views on how to transform the estate, its surroundings and its services. I look forward to seeing what ideas emerge.”

Cllr Paul Claussen, Breckland Council’s Executive Member for Economic Development and Growth, commented: “This is an exciting opportunity for local people to help shape the future of the Abbey estate, from the housing there to community facilities and services. I urge residents to come forward to share their views and outline what is most important to them, so Flagship can shape their proposals with people’s comments in mind.”

This is just the second step in a process which will see further consultation later this autumn when residents will be invited to choose the option they want for the Abbey.

Any resident wishing to find out more can do so – www.givemyview/abbeyestate or Abbey Engagement Updates | Facebook Residents can also get in touch: 0808 168 4555 or abbeyengagement@flagship-group.co.uk

To start season 5 James and Mark respond to a specific listener request to chat about a very important topic; men’s mental health. They share their personal experiences and offer ideas and practical tips to help promote better mental well-being (which are applicable regardless of gender). As usual, they sprinkle the episode with references to a mix of credible authors and speakers, along with some light-hearted musical links!

Special thanks to Louise Newby at Three Eggs Training for inspiring this episode. If you would like to learn more about the work Louise does with Three Eggs, you can visit their site here.

To jump to a specific top tip skip to the below:

03:08 Tip #1: Buddy systems

14:20 Tip #2: Journaling

21:08 Tip #3: Positive Role Models

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever else you get your podcasts. Whilst you are there, we would really appreciate a review, as this helps other people find our podcasts!

Listen here

21 June 2021: Residents and businesses across Norwich will benefit from a £50m digital infrastructure project with the build set to begin in early September. 

CityFibre, the UK’s largest independent full fibre platform, is mobilising ahead of work starting and has now appointed a contractor to deliver the build programme. This will see full fibre connectivity laid across Norwich, giving almost every home and business in the city access to the game-changing technology.  

Utilities specialist Telec Networks will serve as contractor and will use a range of construction methods while working in close partnership with Norwich City Council and local communities to deliver a fast rollout while minimising disruption to residents. 

Norwich is one of a growing number of locations in the UK to benefit from CityFibre’s £4bn Gigabit City investment programme which will bring new and better broadband infrastructure within reach of up to eight million homes and businesses nationwide.  

To spearhead the project, CityFibre has appointed Charles Kitchin as City Manager. As City Manager, Charles will be the main point of contact between stakeholders and the CityFibre team, ensuring the project continues to be implemented with minimal disruption to Norwich communities.  

Charles Kitchin, CityFibre’s City Manager for Norwich said: “The next chapter in Norwich’s story starts here. Our builders will soon get to work on a city-wide full fibre network – and we think people will be blown away by the difference it will make, both now and for generations to come. We cannot wait for residents and businesses to see what is possible with digital connectivity that propels you forward rather than holds you back. 

“The appointment of a contractor is a major step forward for us as we prepare to bring full fibre connectivity to the city at the same time as creating new jobs and opportunities. I look forward to working closely with Telec Networks, residents of Norwich and local authority partners to deliver this vital project which will future-proof the city’s digital infrastructure.” 

Peter Butler, Operations Director at Telec Networks, added: “We’re delighted to be CityFibre’s chosen build partner for this exciting full fibre roll out programme.  This is a great opportunity for the local community, as well as businesses including homeworkers, as digital technology becomes increasingly integrated into our lives. The project will also create local employment, and we are already engaging with Norwich for jobs to support recruitment, as well as sourcing local suppliers for our supply chain.” 

Unlike copper-based ’fibre broadband’ services available today, full fibre networks use 100% fibre optic cables to carry data at lightning speed all the way from the home to the point of connection. This gives users consistently speeds of up to 1,000 Mbps for upload and download, near limitless bandwidth so everyone at home can work, study, stream or game simultaneously, while providing connectivity users can depend on.  

Alan Waters, leader of Norwich City Council, said: “Norwich is an amazing place for people to live, work in and enjoy and investment in its digital future is paramount to achieving one of the five key ambitions in our 2040 vision for the city: a connected city. 

“We’re so pleased to be working with CityFibre, Telec Networks and Charles to deliver this important project and are really looking forward to our residents and businesses taking advantage of the benefits it will bring. 

“This project is an extremely important step forward as we seek to restore the local economy and support local businesses as part of our key priorities in our covid-19 recovery plan.” 

As work is completed in each neighbourhood, internet service providers (ISPs) will ‘light up the network’ with some of the fastest and most competitive broadband packages available in terms of both data and price.  

In Norwich, services will be available from an increasing range of broadband providers. Across the UK, CityFibre is already working with launch partner Vodafone to supply full fibre infrastructure for customers on selected Vodafone Pro Broadband plans, while TalkTalk and other providers are expected to join the network soon.  

Residents interested in giving their home broadband a boost can find out more about the build, pre-register their interest and find out when new ISPs join at www.cityfibre.com/residential.  

Meanwhile, Telec Networks is currently looking to recruit new members to its team to support the rollout programme, with 100 jobs set to be created during the life of the project. Local people interested in finding out more about job opportunities can register their interest at https://buildthenetwork.cityfibre.com/.

ENDS 

Issued on behalf of CityFibre by Weber Shandwick. For more information or images, contact: Scott McLeod smcleod@webershandwick.com   

Notes to Editors:

About CityFibre:   

CityFibre is the UK’s third national digital infrastructure platform. With existing networks in more than 60 towns and cities, CityFibre provides wholesale connectivity to multiple business and consumer service providers, local authorities and mobile operators.  

CityFibre has network rollouts underway with plans to pass up to 8 million homes and businesses with open-access full fibre infrastructure. A growing number of Gigabit City projects have been announced for full-city rollouts and CityFibre continues to prime its existing network assets for expansion. 

CityFibre is based in London and is jointly controlled by Antin Infrastructure Partners and West Street Infrastructure Partners.

With increasing rhetoric and fears of shortages being experienced in Northern Ireland and more concerns being raised by major High Street retailers, the Prime Minister has today acknowledged that the current solution for Northern Ireland is unworkable.

“Unfortunately, one vital area of this partnership is not working well – the arrangements relating to Northern Ireland set out in the Northern Ireland Protocol’ … It is increasingly clear that we cannot solve the problems simply by a rigid and unpurposive application of the Protocol in its current form.”  Boris Johnson You can read for yourself the changes proposed by clicking here To help I have picked out a few highlights from the document that was released just a few hours ago. What are the key Issues Businesses of all sizes have faced new requirements for customs declarations whether goods are staying in Northern Ireland or not. Those moving agri-food goods have faced additional burdens in securing multiple health certificates for each of the thousands of items making up consignments, even when they are destined for sale on shelves in Northern Ireland. Supply chains have been disrupted and costs increased, with staff redeployed to deal with new bureaucracy, impacting investment and growth. Consumers have seen real impacts: at least 200 companies in Great Britain have stopped servicing the Northern Ireland market

• plants and trees long-sourced from Great Britain can no longer be stocked in nurseries or garden centres in Northern Ireland;
• supermarkets have reduced their product lines due to the delays and barriers in moving goods; and the costs of deliveries for those who do serve the market have continued to increase.

The effects are felt more broadly too.

• Medicines are at risk of discontinuation because the hurdles to clear to reach the small Northern Ireland market make supply unviable.
• And pet owners, including those reliant on assistance dogs, have faced the prospect of unnecessary vaccinations and treatments, and bureaucratic certification hurdles simply to travel

What can we do about it? Option 1: Invoke Article 16, the safeguard mechanism in the agreement. If you remember the EU used Article 16 amid the row over vaccines supplies in January this year, but quickly back tracked. Article 16 can be invoked “Where the application of the Protocol has led or would lead to serious societal and economic difficulties liable to persist, or where diversion of trade is borne out in practice or would occur” Option 2: Rather than use Article 16, we can try to find a consensual path i.e. negotiate a new deal on this with the EU. ‘”We now need urgent talks that can try to find a new balance for the Protocol: one that fully respects Northern Ireland’s place in the UK market, while maintaining the integrity of the EU’s own market” What needs to be reviewed?

• Customs – formalities
• Sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures – certification and checks
• VAT and excise – costs
• Enforcement – reciprocal data-sharing arrangements
• Unfettered access – Documentary requirements from NI to UK
• Circulation of goods within Northern Ireland – full dual regulatory regime in Northern Ireland
• Subsidy control – Northern Ireland remains part of the EU’s subsidy control framework in certain areas
• Governance – putting in place new institutional arrangements making the UK and EU into a partnership of equals
• Consultation and legislative processes – EU/UK consent mechanism to be agreed

What next? Freeze things as they are. “To provide space for these discussions, the Government believes it is vital to provide certainty and stability for businesses in Northern Ireland in the short term. Accordingly, we believe we and the EU should agree a ‘standstill’ on existing arrangements, including the operation of grace periods in force, and a freeze on existing legal actions and processes, to ensure there is room to negotiate without further cliff edges, and to provide a genuine signal of good intent to find ways forward.” “We invite the EU to join us in an intensive process that resolves these issues on a durable, sustainable basis, and enables us to look forward to the better future beyond.”

How much could you raise with £50?

St Elizabeth Hospice’s Accumulator Challenge is back for 2021!

Are you looking for new ways to energise and inspire your team or colleagues?

How about joining together to have fun and raise money for a worthy cause?

Choose one month between August and October to turn £50 into as much money as you can for your local hospice.

You can be creative as you like – anything goes, as long as it’s safe and legal.

We will have an online leaderboard so you can see how your efforts stack up against other local businesses and there will be a trophy on offer for the winning team.

The world is your fundraising oyster!

Get in touch with our corporate team to find out more: corporateteam@stelizabethhospice.org.uk

Beryl prides themselves on changing the way cities move, by providing sustainable travel in the form of bikes and scooters (electric and manual). The business has recently taken part in the Kickstart scheme, which helps young people get valuable experience in the workplace, and now they have launched an exclusive offer for any young person taking part in the Kickstart scheme. 

“Any young person on the Kickstart scheme can take advantage of a half-price bundle for the duration of their Kickstart placement (six months max),” says Phil Barrett, Community Engagement and Events Lead for Beryl. 

“This means they can get 400 Beryl minutes for just £10. We hope that this will help all Kickstarters with their travel costs.”

Beryl has partnered with Norfolk County Council on the scheme, which is a great way for young people who may not have access to transport, to travel actively and sustainably.

Find out more about the scheme here.

You can also download more information below.

Norwich Airport and Loganair have restored connectivity between East Anglia and the South West by launching a new Exeter route.

The launch comes one week after KLM resumed flights to Schiphol Airport, once again providing a direct link between East Anglia and Amsterdam’s global connectivity hub, offering onward travel to several destinations in the United States, Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

In total, Norwich Airport has now launched 19 destinations in 9 countries, all available to book for 2021/22. This is excellent news for business and leisure passengers and a welcome boost for regional airports who have been hardest hit by restrictions on domestic and international air travel.

You can download the latest issue of FLY Norwich 2021/22, detailing each of the destinations available from Norwich Airport and the flying schedule, below.

Norwich Airport today celebrates the return of holidays to the Balearic Islands, with the first TUI flight of the Summer 2021 season departing for Majorca (Palma) at 13:45.

The popular route will operate twice weekly- on Tuesday and Saturday (from August) – throughout the summer, until 23 October 2021.

TUI has already confirmed its summer 2022 schedule from Norwich Airport, with flights to Spain (Ibiza, Menorca, Majorca, Tenerife), Greece (Corfu, Crete, Rhodes), Cyprus (Paphos), and Turkey (Dalaman) resuming in May 2022.

In total, Norwich Airport has announced 19 domestic and international destinations in ten countries for 2021/22.

Richard Pace, Managing Director of Norwich Airport, said: “We’re delighted to relaunch holidays to Majorca with TUI. Majorca is one of the most popular destinations from Norwich Airport, and it’s great to finally give holidaymakers longing to escape to the sun the opportunity to do so with all the ease and convenience of flying from their local airport.

“We’re working closely our airline partners to ensure safe travel through the airport, and we look forward to more routes returning over the coming weeks and months. We urge all passengers to consider their health and safety and show respect to fellow passengers by adhering to all safety measures. Above all else, we welcome the return of passengers to Norwich Airport and wish them a very happy holiday.”

For the latest destinations and timetable from Norwich Airport, download a copy of FLY Norwich 2021-22.

Latest COVID-19 information

Norwich Airport has partnered with an established healthcare provider, GPDQ, to provide a range of COVID-19 testing options. GPDQ is one of the UK Government’s approved test providers for travel and you can book a COVID-19 tests directly via the airport website.

From 19 July 2021, in line with the latest Government recommendations, everyone entering the airport terminal building, whether to travel or for any other purpose, is asked to wear a face covering.

Please check the latest Government guidelines before booking.

Dear Consultee,

Please find attached a letter concerning the details about consultation on the above plan and supporting documents, which starts tomorrow and closes at 5pm on Thursday 9th September 2021.

All of the documents, including the Representation (comment) Form, are available to view online on Breckland Council’s website from tomorrow at https://www.breckland.gov.uk/article/4284/Neighbourhood-Plans

If you have any comments, it would be very helpful (administratively) to complete the Representation Form or provide it as an attachment to a letter.  If this is not possible, please include all the information being requested e.g. comment, justification and proposed change, as well as the information on pages 1 & 4 of the form.

Please send any comments to ‘neighbourhoodplanning@breckland.gov.uk’ rather than this email address.

Many thanks

Nick oversees the well-known, and well-respected, Imperial Hotel, in Great Yarmouth. In February 2020, the business won the title of ‘Customer at the heart of everything’ at the Norfolk & Suffolk Tourist Attractions awards. No sooner had they got the award on the mantle-piece, COVID-19 hit and Nick reflects on the headless chicken feeling they experienced. As a hotel that could remain open, they found themselves constantly moving goalposts and pivoting at every turn. They were offering rooms to the East Anglia 1 wind farm offshore teams but, whilst servicing key workers, they still needed to follow guidelines, and protect their staff. Nick talks in detail about their experiences in the early stages of lockdown, and what they have learned and implemented.

Chris also chats to Nick about the pitfalls, and necessity of TripAdvisor; how investment is key for seaside towns and businesses; and the importance of a USP – in their case, Nick’s knowledge as a wine sommelier and the experience they offer connoisseurs in the region. They also talk all things ‘supply and demand’ in the world of COVID-19 delays and Brexit inflation; not being afraid to price things at what they are worth; the importance of first impressions; whether Eat Out to Help Out really worked; and what councils need to do to help support seafront businesses in particular.  

Nick also treats us to a history lesson, as he looks back on the early days of hospitality in Great Yarmouth, as well as the foresight his father had and investments they have made. Also, Nick advocates for businesses to become members of UK Hospitality Association, who were a support to their team during lockdown.

You can find out more about the Imperial Hotel here, and can contact Nick on LinkedIn

Thank you for listening, and for supporting the podcast into series three! Don’t forget you can still catch up on previous episodes, and subscribe, on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Audible, or wherever else you get your podcasts! We would love you to rate and review us where you can, it helps others to find our podcast. You can also catch up by visiting our website here.

We are taking a break for a week, as we head towards ‘Freedom Day’ – but Chris will be back with a chat with Desmond McCarthy from BBC’s Normal for Norfolk, and owner of Wiverton Hall Farm, as he looks to the future, and we will be speaking to other businesses who will reflect on the new opening parameters. Subscribe so you don’t miss out! 

Listen here!