Loddon Town Council Watch

16/03/2026

📢 Community Consultation – Proposed Housing Development on Proctor Road

Hopkins Homes is consulting the local community on plans for a proposed residential development of around 140 new homes in Chedgrave, including affordable housing.

In addition to the homes, the proposal includes:
• Areas of public open space
• Sustainable drainage features
• Enhancements to local biodiversity and landscaping
• Vehicle access from Proctor Road, with a secondary emergency access from Big Back Lane

Residents are invited to attend a public consultation event to find out more and share their views.

📍 Location: Loddon and Chedgrave Jubilee Hall, George Lane, Loddon, NR14 6NB
📅 Date: Friday 20th March 2026
⏰ Times: 4:30pm – 8:00pm: Members of the public

Representatives from Hopkins Homes and their project team will be present to discuss the proposals and answer questions.

If you are unable to attend, the consultation information and feedback form will also be available online at: www.proctorroad-chedgrave.co.uk from 20th March 2026.

Chedgrave Parish Council encourages residents to attend and share their views on the proposals.

14/03/2026

The consultation on The Hollies actually raises serious questions about whether Loddon Town Council should be taking on yet another ageing building and loading more cost, risk and liability onto local residents.

Yes, the report shows that people value The Hollies and that existing users would be affected if it were lost. But it also shows a building in poor condition, with references to black mould, rotting doors and windows, poor heating and lighting, outdated kitchen and toilet facilities, and ongoing cleaning and maintenance issues. That is not a small job — that is a potentially expensive long-term liability.

The report also admits that the building is underused, that many residents did not even know it was available for hire, and that some people suggested selling it, using the site for housing, or merging activity with other venues. In other words, even within the consultation itself, there was no single clear consensus that council ownership is the right answer.

Most importantly, the practical support needed to make this viable simply does not appear to be there. The summary says the overwhelming majority said “no” or “not at present” when asked about becoming trustees, and only 5 people clearly expressed interest. It also records mixed willingness around helping with fundraising and management. That matters, because the report’s conclusion depends on professional grant management, project leadership, promotion and partnerships to make the venue sustainable.

That is exactly why we do not agree with the conclusion. The report moves from “people care about this building” to an optimistic claim that it can become a “thriving, versatile community hub”. But the same report shows underuse, poor awareness, major repair needs, weak trustee support, and uncertain delivery capacity. That is not proof of a viable future plan — it is evidence of a building that could become a major financial burden unless somebody else is willing and able to fund and run it properly.

Residents should be asking some hard questions:
Why should taxpayers be expected to underwrite another deteriorating building?
What will the real refurbishment and running costs be?
Who will manage it?
Who will fund it when the grants run out?
And why is the council even considering taking on more risk when other liabilities already exist?

Wanting to preserve community space is understandable. But sentiment is not a business plan — and residents should not be handed another open-ended bill based on optimism rather than evidence.

the report can be found here
https://www.loddontowncouncil.gov.uk/_files/ugd/b062bd_cfb806bd3ec64983858a225299b9ac14.pdf

14/03/2026

https://www.loddontowncouncil.gov.uk/_files/ugd/b062bd_cfb806bd3ec64983858a225299b9ac14.pdf

11/03/2026

09/03/2026

Public Toilets… Public Liability?

For months, Loddon Town Council minutes have referred to the possible transfer of the Staithe public toilets from South Norfolk Council to Loddon Town Council.

At first glance that might sound harmless — but the council documents raise an important question:

What liabilities could local taxpayers be taking on?

Council minutes show that discussions about the Staithe area include ongoing repair and maintenance issues, including infrastructure surveys and investigations into repairs in the area.

At the same time, the possible transfer of the Staithe toilets has been repeatedly discussed without a final decision being confirmed.

This raises some obvious questions.

Residents may reasonably ask:

• If the toilets are transferred, who pays for repairs and maintenance?
• What is the expected annual cost of running them?
• Has the council seen a full condition survey of the building?
• Are there any hidden liabilities that could fall on taxpayers?

Public toilets are an important service — but they can also be expensive assets to maintain, particularly if they require refurbishment or structural work.

Before taking on additional responsibilities, residents deserve to know:

What exactly is being taken on… and what it could cost.

Loddon Council Watch – keeping an eye on local decisions.



Sources

08/03/2026

Our view of the March Agenda

Residents of Loddon will be pleased to know that the Town Council is once again preparing for another action-packed evening of municipal productivity.

The latest agenda runs to several pages and promises the usual mixture of reports, updates on previous reports, and discussions about matters that may one day lead to further reports.

Local government at its finest.

Order! Order! (But don’t record it…)

Proceedings will begin with the customary reminder about meeting etiquette and whether anyone wishes to record the meeting.

This is, of course, a sensitive topic.

Some residents may recall that last year the council threatened to halt proceedings entirely when a member of the public attempted to legally record and livestream a meeting, and would not continue until the individual left the room — despite the meeting being open to the public.

Still, one assumes the council has now fully embraced the spirit of transparency.

Or at least the concept of politely reminding people not to test it too much.

The Great Report Industry

The agenda features an impressive array of documentation including:

• Chairman’s Report
• Clerk’s Report
• Administration Officer’s Report
• Parish Warden’s Report
• Biodiversity Warden’s Report
• Finance Report

Plus various updates, working parties and committee matters.

One might be forgiven for thinking that Loddon Town Council has accidentally become a small but thriving report-production factory.

Whether all these reports eventually lead to tangible results remains, as ever, a topic for future discussion.

The Staithe Toilets Chronicles

The Chairman’s report reveals that the chairman has once again been called upon to repair the door of the gents cubicle at the Staithe toilets.

Apparently this is the second time this particular issue has arisen.

At this point the council may wish to consider adding “emergency toilet maintenance” to the official list of civic duties.

Vandalism: The Gift That Keeps Giving

The reports also mention ongoing damage and vandalism at the Staithe toilets, including broken taps, basins and cubicle doors.

Undeterred by this steady stream of maintenance headaches, the council is still exploring the possibility of taking on full responsibility for the facility.

Which is an admirable level of optimism.

After all, if something is already frequently damaged and expensive to maintain, why not make it entirely your responsibility?

The £25,000 Question: Traffic

Another highlight is the proposal for a traffic study, beginning with cameras monitoring George Lane and the High Street.

The first stage alone is expected to cost around £9,000, with the full exercise potentially reaching £20,000–£25,000.

The study is expected to reveal several groundbreaking discoveries, including:

• Cars exist
• Cars move through Loddon
• Sometimes there are quite a lot of them

Residents who had previously reached these conclusions for free may feel slightly vindicated.

Now You See It… Now You Don’t

Later in the meeting councillors will decide whether to exclude the public and press from part of the proceedings.

Because nothing says “open local government” quite like important conversations taking place once the audience has been ushered out of the room.

Meanwhile… Another Building

No recent council agenda would be complete without another update on the council’s interest in purchasing the former bank building on Church Plain.

Another building.

Because if there’s one thing parish councils enjoy, it’s acquiring historic property like they’re halfway through a game of civic Monopoly.

Questions Residents Might Be Asking

With all the reports, studies, committees, maintenance issues and property ambitions, residents might reasonably be wondering:

• How much is all this actually costing?
• What exactly are the council’s priorities?
• And who is keeping track of the spending?

These are questions that tend to arise whenever public money is involved.

And in Loddon, they seem to be asked with increasing frequency.

Loddon Council Watch – keeping an eye on local decisions.

07/03/2026

07/03/2026

⚠️ 7 GOVERNANCE RED FLAGS IN LODDON TOWN COUNCIL MINUTES

A review of Loddon Town Council’s published minutes and transparency documents raises a number of serious questions about how public money is being managed.

These documents reveal several governance issues that residents deserve answers to.

1️⃣ Quotes obtained — but not recorded

In several decisions the minutes state “quotes were obtained”, but the public record does not show:

• which companies submitted quotes
• how many quotes were received
• what the competing prices were

Without this information, residents cannot see whether best value was achieved for taxpayers.

2️⃣ Contractors not clearly identified

In one decision the minutes record that the council:

➡️ “Resolved to proceed with Contract A.”

But the contractor receiving public money is not identified in the minutes.

3️⃣ Contracts awarded through “Invitation to Quote”

Several contracts worth over £30,000 per year were awarded through Invitation to Quote, including:

• grass cutting
• cleaning services
• Christmas lighting

However the public documents do not show which companies were invited to quote.

4️⃣ Heavy redactions in the minutes

Some discussions relating to contractors appear heavily redacted.

Councils can exclude the public for certain legal reasons — but excessive redaction can raise transparency concerns.

5️⃣ Possible conflict-of-interest questions

Public records suggest links between a contractor and a council officer.

If this is the case, council rules normally require:

• formal declaration of interests
• withdrawal from decisions
• recording the declaration in the minutes

Residents cannot easily see from the published minutes how this was handled.

6️⃣ Procurement decisions with little explanation

In several places the minutes simply state the council “resolved to proceed with the quote.”

But they do not explain:

• why that quote was chosen
• whether it was the cheapest
• whether it represented best value

7️⃣ Limited financial detail in public records

Transparency reports only show payments over £500, meaning smaller payments are not visible in the same reports.

This can make it difficult for residents to see the full picture of council spending.

Why this matters

Town councils spend taxpayers’ money.

Residents are entitled to clear answers about:

• how contracts are awarded
• whether competition takes place
• how conflicts of interest are managed
• whether public money is delivering value

Transparency is not optional — it is essential for public trust.

A simple request for clarity

Residents may reasonably ask the council to explain:

👉 How many quotes were obtained for contracts?
👉 Which companies were invited to quote?
👉 How decisions were made between competing bids?

Because when public money is involved, openness should be the default.

06/03/2026

🧽 £44,000 FOR CLEANING — PAID BY LODDON TAXPAYERS

Council documents show that Loddon Town Council pays £14,812 per year for cleaning services covering the town council office and the Staithe public toilets.

The contractor providing this service is Top2Bottom Cleaning.

Because the contract runs for three years, the total value of the agreement is roughly:

👉 £44,436 of public money.

Payments already recorded in council minutes include:

• £840.00 – Cleaning services
• £978.00 – Cleaning
• £950.50 – Cleaning
• £1,624.80 – Cleaning
• £1,745.04 – Cleaning office & Staithe toilets

These appear as ongoing payments under the contract.

But here’s another question…

Loddon Town Council already employs a street cleaner / parish warden role.

So residents might reasonably ask:

❓ If the council already employs staff responsible for cleaning and maintenance in the town…
❓ Why is an external contractor being paid over £44,000 to clean the toilets and office?

Adding to the questions, the street cleaning role is connected to the family of another council employee, which may raise further questions about how roles and responsibilities are organised.

How was the contract awarded?

The council’s transparency document confirms the cleaning contract was issued through an “Invitation to Quote.”

This means the council invites selected companies to quote, rather than running a fully open public tender where any business can compete.

Residents may reasonably ask

• Why outsource cleaning when the council already employs cleaning staff?
• How many companies were invited to quote?
• Is this the best value for taxpayers?

Because £44,000 for cleaning is not a small amount of public money.

Residents deserve transparency, accountability and value for money.