Thetford and Brandon Letters Page 09.02.11

My letter to Thetford and Brandon re: Sweyn Close

Dear Editor, Following the article last week regarding the housing scheme at Sweyn Close on Barnham Cross, I should like to comment further and clarify some points. Particularly considering there has been much misinformation in this debate. A group of organisations have been working to improve the Barnham Cross community for several years, its loose title has been Barnham Cross Regeneration Steering Group. It has achieved some notable accomplishments, not least the redevelopment of redundant garage sites at Fir Road and Ash Close. Further improvements will take place this year in the form of increased parking and landscaping and further dwellings constructed at Mingay Road in the shape of much needed bungalows. The primary focus was always on the regeneration of Sweyn Close given the deterioration of those houses. Much consultation took place across the Barnham Cross community regarding Sweyn Close, many meetings were held and plans were drawn up – I was involved with this process and devoted many, many hours to it. At every step along the way, the regeneration at Sweyn Close was going to consist of a ‘mixed tenure’ – in other words, there would be a significant number of social housing units (what many people will know as ‘council houses’) and there would be several privately sold and some for shared ownership. For me, and others – this mixed tenure was crucial, for several reasons. 1. Primarily because all national guidelines state that a mixed tenure development is the right choice. Not compacting as many of one type together. 2) There were people that owned their house at Sweyn Close that had to move out for this scheme to go ahead, and expressed an interest in returning to the area if they could, and we do need more homes for sale in general towards the South-West of Thetford. 3) Shared ownership – I have had several people contact me, desperate to get onto the housing ladder and were keen for shared ownership properties to be incorporated into this development. I know from personal experience having just bought my own house (on the Barnham Cross Estate!) that it is incredibly difficult to get onto the housing ladder. Furthermore, the community consultation and the planning application to the Town Council and Breckland Planning Committee stated there would be a mixed tenure development. The planning application does not have to be looked at again because of this change. In many ways, this application was viewed under false pretences. Last Wednesday, I requested that Thetford Town Council put onto its Agenda a motion that, if agreed, would call for a letter to be sent to the Homes and Communities Agency (the national organisation that awards money for social housing, and the ones we were told that were insisting for entirely social housing in this development) I explained my reasoning for this at the council meeting, and explained that I thought it was unfair for a national organisation to be dictating to Thetford how this should proceed. We were told it was this way, or there would be no money, effectively scuppering the whole thing. I was delighted that 6 councillors supported me (2 did not, and 3 abstained). However, since then, the council and councillors have come under considerable pressure. Senior Breckland Council officers have told us that our actions may cost this entire re-development and the investment of £10 million pounds into Thetford. I have spoken with the HCA, they respect that Thetford Town Councillors have a democratic right to express the views of the people they represent. What sort of world do we live in where councillors cannot do this, in fear of national organisations acting like small children and taking away their toys? I am disappointed that 7 Thetford Councillors have now called for our original decision to be re-tracted. A special meeting of Thetford Town Council has been called, on Wednesday 9th February 2011 at 7pm in the Town Council Chambers. I thought on this issue Thetford Town Council may put the people of this town first. I hope after Wednesday night this remains to be the case. Yours sincerely, Terry Jermy Thetford Town Councillor – Saxon Ward Elm Road, Thetford

EDP 31.12.09

hmmmmm, just a thought, has anyone (other than Breckland Council) actually spoken to these individuals?

Inquiry requested following death

Taken from EDP website on 27/12/09. Article written by Ian Clarke. Norfolk's chief constable has been asked to order an urgent inquiry after a Polish man froze to death in a tent in Thetford. The body of Mariusz Fidos, 33, was found at Barnham Common five days before Christmas and he had been sleeping rough in the area with other men, including his twin brother Piotr. It remains unclear how long they had been staying in the area, but there are reports they had been there for several weeks. Peter Smith, Labour parliamentary candidate for South West Norfolk, said he was “extremely concerned” about the events surrounding Mr Fidos's death, especially what had been done to help him and other men . Breckland Council said four men were found sleeping in the area in October, but the Fidos brothers were not among them. Mr Smith said: “I am alarmed that a situation, which was known about for some weeks, was not acted upon in sufficient time to prevent this completely avoidable death.” In a letter to Norfolk police chiefs, Mr Smith said: “What we now see is a concerted effort by Breckland Council to promote the idea that officers and councillors had done everything possible for Mariusz and his fellow 'campers'. This is so evidently not the case.” Mr Smith added: “I am therefore asking you to initiate an urgent police inquiry into all the circumstances surrounding this tragedy, including the roles of all the agencies involved. It is indeed an irony that the Safer Thetford Action Group, knowing in advance of this developing situation, was unable to ensure the safety of this unfortunate man.” A post-mortem examination revealed early indications are that Mr Fidos died from hypothermia. The case has now been passed to the coroner. Police said the man's death remains “unexplained” but a spokesman said there were no suspicious circumstances. Police did not want to comment on Mr Smith's letter. Thetford town councillor Terry Jermy said: “I think we owe it to Mr Fidos to properly examine what happened and learn lessons so that this cannot happen again. I cannot believe that in this country today, someone can be allowed to die from the cold in a tent.” A Breckland Council spokesman said: “In early October, the housing advice and homelessness service visited Barnham Cross Common to offer advice to four men who had been reported as sleeping in a tent. Mariusz and Piotr Fidos were not among the men who were occupying the tent at that time.” A statement said the men were offered help to travel to their home countries, but they declined and expressed a wish to continue living in the tent on the Common. The council has not said how long it though the Fidos brothers had been on the Common.

Homeless man dies on Barnham Cross Common from hypothermia

Taken from the EDP website, story printed on 22nd December 2009.The body of a man who had been sleeping rough in sub-zero temperatures has been found on the outskirts of Thetford. The dead man, who was from Poland and was found in a tent on Barnham Cross Common has been named as 33-year-old Mariusz Fidos. Yesterday team rector of Thetford, Canon Bob Baker and Thetford mayor, Pam Spencer, both spoke on behalf of the town of their sadness over the tragedy. "The people of Thetford are shocked and saddened. We don't know what the circumstances are surrounding this man's death but clearly, if there are lessons to learned, we must learn from them and ensure that this does not happen again," said Canon Baker. Mrs Spencer said: "My thoughts are with the relatives and friends of the deceased at was must be a particularly difficult time." It is understood that Mr Fidos was sharing the tent with his twin brother and a friend, all three being Polish nationals. A fourth man, also believed to be Eastern European, was in a tent on his own by the dead man's tent. The three other men have since been provided with emergency accommodation in Norwich. Mr Fidos was found dead on Sunday. A post-mortem examination carried out later that evening revealed early indications are that he died from hypothermia. The case has now been passed to the coroner. Police said the man's death remains "unexplained" but police said there were no suspicious circumstances. John Walker, of Breckland Council's housing advice and home-lessness service, described Mr Fidos' death as an "appalling tragedy". He said that the authority was not aware that Mr Fidos was sleeping rough on the Common and had not had any direct contact with him. He said Breckland Council was working hard with the police and other agencies in the Thetford area to ensure that everyone was aware when people were sleeping rough and then provide what help they could. Council officials, had, however, been aware in October of three men sleeping rough on Barnham Common. The group were advised of their housing options and also offered assistance to travel to their home countries but they declined such help. "We can't force people to return to their home countries if they do not want to go," said Mr Walker. Thetford town councillor Terry Jermy, whose ward covers the Barnham Common area, said that although housing officers were aware of people sleeping rough on the Common, he did not feel it was a priority to them. He was angry at the situation and suggested that a caravan could have been provided on the town's travel-lers' site which had not yet been used. "At least on that site they could have been free from harm," he said. He is calling for a serious look at the homelessness issue in Thetford. There is a facility for the homeless in Thetford at John Room House but it is currently closed for major refurbishment. Breckland Cabinet member with responsibility for housing, Paul Claussen said the authority took the homelessness issue very seriously and would be working with partner agencies to ensure that such a tragedy did not happen again. Mr Claussen stressed he was not aware of all the details of the case, but Mr Walker and his team did their utmost to find accommodation for people in difficulties. "We do encourage people to be our eyes and ears and let us know when they are aware of people facing difficulties with accommodation," he said

£400,000 from the Government for Saxon and Abbey Wards

Community radio planned for Thetford 13 August 2009 PLANS for a youth drop-in centre and a community radio station were unveiled last week as part of a £400,000 project to help raise the aspirations of young people in Thetford. North Norfolk charity The Benjamin Foundation is set to expand its reach after successfully getting a share of a government 'inspiring communities' fund. The organisation, which provides a range of services for young people, will team up with the Thetford Education Partnership to try and improve the ambitions of the town's youth. The Benjamin Foundation received £400,000 from a £10m pot of money from the Department for Communities and Local Government to help encourage youngsters in deprived areas to “think big.” A drop-in youth centre and café, a training base, a community horticulture scheme, and a youth community radio station are being proposed in Thetford over the next two years. Sharon Matthews, operational manager at The Benjamin Foundation said Thetford was the only place in Norfolk to benefit from an Inspiring Communities partnership. She added that the long-term goal was to establish self sustaining social enterprises run by the town's young people. “This funding represents a wonderful opportunity for the young people in Thetford. The Benjamin Foundation is incredibly excited about being able to meet and work with people in these vibrant communities. We look forward to forging some long lasting partnerships with both individuals and groups living and working in the area,” she said. The charity is set to work with local schools, Fulmerston Family and Community Project, Keystone Development Trust, Connexions Norfolk, Moving Thetford Forward, and Norfolk County Council Children's Services. Christine Davies, manager of the Thetford Education Partnership, added: “We are thrilled and very excited at the prospect of what this grant will bring to the community. We know that in Thetford there is already a great deal of positive activity and that our young people, their families and the wider community have a great deal to offer. This grant gives us the opportunity to build on what is already here.”

Pine Close ASB / Crime Roadshow - 13th July 2009

On Monday, we had an anti-social behaviour and crime related roadshow at the front of Pine Close shops. The idea being to encourage more people from the community to report crime and asb that occurs to ensure the figures represent the reality of what goes on in the area. A good number of people went along to it, could have been more, but the opportunity was there. Change does not happen overnight but you have to chip away at it. Click here to view our latest Barnham Action Group newsletter which was delivered around the estate prior to the event; http://www.terryjermy.btik.com/documents/2624576209.ikml

Pine Close problems make front page of this weeks Bury Free Press

'Vandals are creating a ghost town' By Lindsey Newton The centre of Thetford's Barnham Cross estate has been branded a ghost town and eyesore after becoming a target for vandals. Now residents are calling for something to be done about the smashed windows, graffiti and dumped rubbish. Flats above shops in Pine Close have been empty for 18 months and, despite the owners spending thousands of pounds securing the site, anti-social behaviour continues and residents want the area to be regenerated. Shaun Pickering Merrett, of Pine Close, said: "It's a real state and something should be done to clear it up. "It would be great to see some of the shops reopened, as it looks awful with all the shutters down." Other residents said the area was 'an eyesore' and looked like a 'ghost town' because of the empty shops. Terry Jermy, Keystone Development Trust community worker for Barnham Cross, said: "The flats are a real mess and something should be done, rather than leaving them to rot. "A recent tour involving local agencies took place where residents expressed concern at the area being such an eyesore." The Barnham Cross Action Group and other agencies had managed to get funding to secure the site, but the gates had been broken, added Mr Jermy. "There is a lot of good work going on in the area but this damage is really dragging down the community," he said. The landlord responsible for the affected flats and shop units did not want to be named but said: "It's a real problem but there is nothing we can do about it. "I look after the properties for the owner, who wants to get them up and running again, but they keep being vandalised and it is so expensive to keep repairing – I've spent between £20,000 and £30,000 on them." A Breckland Council spokeswoman said: "Two of the flats have been boarded up and we are in discussions with the owner, while another two are being refurbished and are nearly completed. "We are aware of the flytipping problems and we have spoken to the owner about the bins, while a lot of time has been spent at Pine Close by our environmental services team." Rachael Ashley, a Thetford PCSO, said: "We are consulting with the shop owners on a daily basis. They are working with us to help to identify the individuals responsible for this spate of criminal damage. "The neighbourhood policing team is conducting extra high visibility reassurance patrols in the area and is encouraging anyone who has any information about the vandalism to contact the police."

New Road Signs for Barnham Cross Estate

The signs are good on estate By Lindsey Newton Walking to school is now much safer for pupils living on Thetford's Barnham Cross estate, thanks to a new road safety scheme. Pupils from Queensway Junior School took part in a competition to design road signs to display alongside those warning of a 20mph zone which has just been introduced. The project, which has been welcomed by parents, pupils and residents,was made possible by a collaboration between Barnham Cross Action Group, Norfolk County Council, Norfolk Police, Keystone Development Trust, Sure Start Children's Centre, Queensway infant and junior schools and Charles Burrell Humanities School. Charlie Wilson, eight, who had two of her drawings turned into road signs, said: "It's really important to get drivers to slow down to make it safer for us going to school. "I drew a school with children coming out to make people think about their driving and I thought the competition was really fun, because it's great looking at my pictures on road signs." Katie Stevens, eight, Georgina Baldwin, nine, Jiorjia Flint, nine, and Rebecca Grimmond, 10, have also had their drawings turned into road signs. Tim Lovejoy, chairman of Barnham Cross Action Group, said: "The school's previous headteacher, Ralph Headley, set the ball rolling by getting all the various groups together and getting funding together through the school travel plan. "It has been a great project to work on, as it has brought everyone together for a worthwhile cause." The full article contains 241 words and appears in BFP Thetford newspaper.