Latest news with #BrecklandCouncil
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Council seeking enforced sale of derelict restaurant abandoned a decade ago
A derelict Indian restaurant which has been abandoned for 10 years could be sold under pressure from the local council. Breckland Council is pursuing an enforced sale of the former Akaash restaurant in Dereham town centre. During a hearing last year, Breckland Council secured a court order requiring the owners of the property to make urgent safety repairs and reimburse £6,000 in legal fees paid by the authority. However, the owners failed to comply within the specified timeframe, meaning the council had to carry out the repairs instead. The authority hopes to force the sale of the property to recover debts incurred through its work on the building. The derelict restaurant must now be repaired (Image: Denise Bradley) Ray O'Callaghan, a Dereham councillor, told a meeting last week: "I appreciate some emergency work has been carried out. "However, residents are rightfully upset that news concerning the building seems to have dried up." Sarah Suggitt, deputy leader, said: "It is a lengthy process but we are working towards an enforced sale of the Akaash. "It has taken longer than we would like but the team are doing the best they can in a tricky, sensitive situation. "The property is not in the best of health and I appreciate that it has caused a huge amount of frustration. But these things do take a long time." A spokesman for the council said the process had been complicated amid confusion over the current ownership of the building. READ MORE: US chain to open first Norfolk megastore... with 600 parking spaces The Akaash pictured in 2003 (Image: Newsquest) The former Akaash restaurant at 23 Market Place has sat empty since its closure in 2015 and been subject to several break-ins as it continues to deteriorate. Breckland Council issued an enforcement notice in 2022 requiring improvements to the property but this expired without repairs being delivered - resulting in the authority taking the owners to court last year. The required works included securing the lean-to roof, replacing damaged roof tiles, fixing rainwater guttering, and boarding up one of the windows.
BBC News
18-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Swaffham solar farm frustrated by 'zombie project' delays
Work on a large solar farm that should have started last summer has still not begun because of delays getting it connected to the grid, a developer has for the JAFA farm development near Swaffham in Norfolk were approved in February 2023 and it was hoped it would become operational this month, energy regulator Ofgem backed reforms to remove "zombie projects" from the connections queue and make it quicker for viable proposals to get hooked up to the power firm behind JAFA, Low Carbon, said it welcomed the reforms but the wait had been "frustrating". When the project was put before planners at Breckland District Council, it would have been one of the biggest solar farms in the 233 acres (94 hectares), it was said it could generate enough power for 16,500 homes a has been dwarfed by more recent proposals for "megafarms" in Norfolk, some as large as 5,000 acres (1,618 hectares). Nonetheless, there was some controversy around JAFA, with nearby Great Dunham Parish Council "totally opposed" to it because of the loss of good quality farmland and the visual impact on the Little Dunham Parish Council gave its support to the plan, voted through by councillors on the basis that Breckland needed more low-carbon on the site was due to start last summer, but has yet to begin as there is currently no way of connecting it to the grid."It is really frustrating," said project manager Ed Birkett."There's a real issue across the industry, where there are so many projects in the grid connections queue that are waiting to connect. It's leading to really long delays - up to 10 or 12 years in some cases." The system has been clogged with so-called "zombie projects" – proposals that show little sign of progressing but are in the queue for a has now approved reforms to the system that will give priority to viable Minns, of the Tyndall Centre at the University of East Anglia in Norwich, welcomed the reforms but warned there was "a massive, massive backlog of projects" that had been stalled across the country."We are so far behind on generating the green renewable energy that we need for energy security – we are decades behind where we should be," he Birkett said he hoped his company could now get JAFA built and connected in "the next one to two years". BBC Politics East will be broadcast on Sunday 18 May at 10:00 GMT on BBC One in the East of England, and will be available after broadcast on BBC Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Yahoo
19-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Florist to create sculpture exhibition to showcase town's history
A florist from Attleborough has received a grant to showcase moments from the town's history through sculptures. Lydia Bustin, the owner of Armeria Floristry, got the £2,000 grant from Breckland Council to help fund her upcoming exhibition. Breckland Council offers the 'Love Your Market Town' grant to groups and local businesses to help boost footfall in towns across the district. What first started as a hobby has now become Lydia's business venture for the past three years (Image: Lydia Bustin) After pitching her idea last year, the 29-year-old received the money to help launch a 'large-scale sculpture exhibition' that will represent moments from Attleborough's history. With the town's history dating back to Saxon times, Armeria Floristry is collaborating with Attleborough Heritage Group to display 'floral sculptures that tell you about a period of time'. 'Once it got to the point where I really liked my work and the way I designed I decided to push the business,' Lydia said. The exhibition will be held in St Mary's Church in Attleborough (Image: Lydia Bustin) 'I think it is going to be really big for the town as it is something different for Attleborough. ''It's nice to be able to use my creativity and skill to do something like this.' The exhibition will be held in St Mary's Church in Attleborough from June 20 to June 22.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Yahoo
Council to put brakes on nuisance vehicle meets
A council has introduced a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) to tackle antisocial behaviour linked to nuisance vehicle meets. The order, which takes effect on Tuesday across the entire Breckland area of Norfolk, will address persistent incidents of disruptive car meets and inappropriate vehicle use across the district. Breckland Council said it would remain in place for three years before being reviewed. Conservative councillor Tristan Ashby said: "The [public] responses to our consultation helped shape the new PSPO on vehicle nuisance, and we're proud to have worked collaboratively with the community to address this concern." Under the new PSPO, activities such as unnecessary engine revving, loud music from vehicles, stunt driving, street racing, and excessive speeding will be prohibited. The order also targets behaviour that causes noise, harassment, or distress to the public, as well as littering and the use of abusive language from within vehicles. Failure to comply with the order may result in a £100 fixed penalty notice or a court summons. Both Breckland Council officers and local police will be authorised to enforce the new rules. Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. Boy racers face noise-detecting camera crackdown Police to take 'positive action' to tackle rat run Breckland Council
BBC News
08-04-2025
- BBC News
Breckland Council introduces PSPO to tackle nuisance car meets
A council has introduced a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) to tackle antisocial behaviour linked to nuisance vehicle meets. The order, which takes effect on Tuesday across the entire Breckland area of Norfolk, will address persistent incidents of disruptive car meets and inappropriate vehicle use across the district. Breckland Council said it would remain in place for three years before being councillor Tristan Ashby said: "The [public] responses to our consultation helped shape the new PSPO on vehicle nuisance, and we're proud to have worked collaboratively with the community to address this concern." Under the new PSPO, activities such as unnecessary engine revving, loud music from vehicles, stunt driving, street racing, and excessive speeding will be prohibited. The order also targets behaviour that causes noise, harassment, or distress to the public, as well as littering and the use of abusive language from within to comply with the order may result in a £100 fixed penalty notice or a court summons. Both Breckland Council officers and local police will be authorised to enforce the new rules. Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
