About Michael Hill

Wreningham Parish Council Chair

Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) in Norfolk

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The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) recently launched a consultation on proposals for Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) in Norfolk. All three proposals submitted for Norfolk are now open for consultation until 11 January 2026.

The proposals:

  • South Norfolk Council’s proposal for a two-council model
  • Other districts’ proposal for a three-council model
  • Norfolk County Council’s proposal for a single unitary authority

The consultation is here: Consultation on Proposals for Local Government Reorganisation in Norfolk and Suffolk – Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government – Citizen Space

You are invited to respond to the consultation and to share your views. Your input will help in shaping the future of local government in Norfolk.

For more information contact

Sinead Carey, Strategic Advisor & Deputy Monitoring Officer sinead.carey@southnorfolkandbroadland.gov.uk

Planning Application – Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) and infrastructure with landscaping – West of Wymondham Road, Bracon Ash

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Reference: 2025/0806
Applicant: Mr Poole
Location: Land West Of Wymondham Road, Bracon Ash [Road connecting B1113 to Flordon]
Proposal: The installation of a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) including associated infrastructure and landscaping
Application Type: Full Planning Permission

This planning application has been resubmitted for public consultation following a request from Norfolk County Council as the Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA) for a clearer statement on drainage on site. Comments to South Norfolk by 31 December 2025 [although it is noted that the LLFA have asked for an extension to 15 January 2026].

Tel 01508 533813 / 01603 430509
planning@southnorfolkandbroadland.gov.uk

All the planning documents can be accessed here. Documents on the South Norfolk website detail this application and include:

Landscape and Visual Assessment document dated March 2025 (2025_0806-LANDSCAPE_AND_VISUAL_ASSESSMENT-8714520.pdf)

Pg5/6 offers a description of the site:

“2.2.3 The development would comprise of the following:

  • The batteries will be housed in containers running in parallel rows across the site.
  • The containers will have a maximum built form of 3m.
  • The BESS containers will require site levelling and small-scale groundworks for the implementation along with slab foundations.
  • A Developer and District Network Operator (DNO) substation compound and associated access and infrastructure.
  • Cabins including a switchgear / meter room.
  • Internal service roads will run through the site.
  • Underground and overground cabling.
  • 2m high security fencing would be erected around the site boundary to restrict access to the site with CCTV at regular intervals.
  • Associated landscape works.

2.2.4 The site would be accessed from Wymondham Road with new access roads connecting traffic from the road to the development area.

2.2.5 The development is expected to be operational for 35 years. At the end of this period, the development will be dismantled, and the site restored, or an application would be submitted to extend the life of the development….”

Pg 67 – visibility assessment for a radius of 3km from the site

Community Engagement

2025_0806-STATEMENT_OF_COMMUNITY_INVOLVEMENT-8714505Download

Norwich-Tilbury – Road closures & construction traffic

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We have received information from the campaign group and I have extracted the document relevant to this area.

For number of HGVs on roads near you, see page 10 onwards: click here.
For road closures & diversions, look for the blue dashed/dotted lines in the maps for your area.  
The information is in documents by section called, “2.5 Access, Rights of Way and Public Rights of Navigation Plans”:
Section A – Norwich to Roydon [See section A, sheets 3, 4 and 5 for an indication of the planning affecting the areas from Bracon Ash, Top Row, Flordon, Hapton]
[Other sections removed]
For the full document library, click here.   

To see what the pylons will look like, do ctrl-F in the document library and search for ‘Visualisations’. For detailed maps for your area, do ctrl-F and search Land Plans.
You can also search for Trees and Hedgerows to find the documents showing which will have to be removed.
From Rosie Pearson and the Essex Suffolk Norfolk Pylons team
Offshore better, faster, cheaper
Donations welcome:  Fundraising – Pylons East Anglia
07766 650208
pylons180@gmail.com

Drones in the area – Norwich to Tilbury

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Norwich to Tilbury – November 2025 Project Update

 
Norwich to Tilbury is a proposal for a new electricity transmission connection. It will play an important part in connecting low carbon, more affordable electricity from where it is generated to where it is needed. 
 
We’re taking to the skies
We’re carrying out drone flyover surveys this week along the Norwich to Tilbury route to gather fresh data. These surveys will give us detailed views of the route to complement the information we already have.
The flights will be carried out by Stirling X, a Norwich-based company with fully certified pilots operating under enhanced permissions from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). The drones will fly at around 100 metres (about 400 feet), capturing high-quality video footage to keep our information accurate and up to date.
Man flying a drone
 
What you can expect
Man with drone controller
Our drones will only record footage relevant to the route and surrounding landscape. Each flight is managed by a qualified pilot, supported by trained observers along the route to ensure everything runs smoothly. 

We’ll mainly use public rights of way and other accessible areas for take-off and landing, so disruption will be kept to a minimum. We’re also coordinating with local airfields, including Wattisham, to make sure operations are safe.

Noise levels will be very low – similar to an electric lawnmower during take-off and landing – and once the drones reach operational height, you won’t be able to hear them. 

Norfolk County Council want your views on where to spend (or not)

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Norfolk County Council are inviting you to let us know your thoughts on our annual budget consultation proposals.  

  • We want to find out what people think about our 2026-27 budget proposals.  
  • The consultation runs from Monday 27 October 2025 and closes on Monday 15 December 2025. The consultation is available here: www.norfolk.gov.uk/budget   
  • We will feed back the findings from our consultation to our county councillors as part of the evidence they will use to help them come to a decision about our budget proposals. Final decisions about the about the budget will be made by the council in February 2026.  

Our proposals  

We have ideas for how to save money – this year there are 50 new budget saving proposals, and we are also proposing to increase council tax, which provides a large part of the funding we need to provide our services. We are also interested to hear any ideas you may have for saving public money.  

  How to take part 

  • There is an online feedback form, and print at home, large print and easy read versions are available. There is a BSL video giving an overview of the consultation too.  
  • If people need a copy of the consultation documents in a different format they can email haveyoursay@norfolk.gov.uk, call 0344 800 8020 or Text Relay on 18001 0344 800 8020 (textphone) and we will do our best to help.   
  • For more detail and to have your say, visit: www.norfolk.gov.uk/budget