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Petition Tag - norfolk
1. Fair funding for concessionary fares 
Many councils in England are struggling to fund the national concessionary fares scheme, which allows eligible older and disabled people to travel free on buses.
Central government has passed the funding of the scheme to local authorities, but in many cases with large shortfalls in what it actually costs to run it.
Rural English shire counties are suffering the most, with their funding from the government to run the scheme reduced by over £60 million.
In Norfolk alone, the funding shortfall this year compared to last amounts to £4.5m.
A similar story applies across the country, in counties East, West, North and South.
The concessionary fares scheme is a very positive one. All councils support the principles behind it and recognise the value it offers pass holders.
But the present funding shortfall is resulting in them having to cut public transport budgets elsewhere to meet the gap meaning other transport users are suffering.
If you think it is only fair the government thinks again and provides adequate funding – sign our petition now.
Norfolk County Council plans to close the Unthank Centre in Norwich and replace the Family Centre Team with six workers across the county. This will be a reduction of about half of the practitioners with no dedicated space for the work to happen. The impact of this plan will be that children and families will not benefit from the multi disciplinary approach available to them now, nor the security offered by a centre specifically resourced for this purpose.
The Unthank Centre works with children under 12 and their families who live in Norfolk. The children will have experienced very difficult life experiences, including abuse, neglect and trauma. The families are always struggling with complex difficulties and are looking after their children in difficult circumstances.
The Family Centre has a multi disciplinary team including early years workers, social workers and therapists. They help the families stay together to heal and overcome trauma and to develop secure relationships together.
There will be a meeting of the County Council on February 14th 2011 when this petition will be presented.
3. Save Our Norfolk School Music
Tory Norfolk is planning to cut music in schools and especially the Schools Music Service. The Music Service works with over 8,500 children and young people every week, in little villages, towns and the City. As it says on the Norfolk’s own website; “Music is a powerful, unique form of communication that can change the way pupils feel, think and act.”
You have only to see the music that comes from the schools, and the music that comes from over 20 Music Service orchestras, bands, and ensembles from all over the county, from the Norfolk County Youth Orchestra and Norfolk County Intermediate Youth Orchestra, the Norfolk Students Jazz Orchestra, the Wymondham Area Schools Brass Band and the other Jazz Ensembles, and others like the Norfolk Keyboard Orchestra, Norwich String Ensemble, to the Norfolk Schools’ Wind Band & Symphonic Wind Band, to know how important they are to the pupils, the schools and our whole County. The teaching of music develops pupils' ability to listen and appreciate a wide variety of music and to make judgements about musical quality. It increases self-discipline and creativity, and fulfilment.
Most orchestras in Britain contain Norfolk Music trained players, and of course we have Alan Brind the 1986 BBC Young Musician. Norfolk Jazz graduates have been nominated for and won Mobo, Mercury and other awards, plus Norfolk musicians are found in orchestra pits in theatres and West End musicals. Many have been on tour with artists like Eric Clapton, Peter Gabriel, Van Morrison and the late Johnny Dankworth. And let’s not forget those who are the mainstay of amateur groups, play for friends, or just now for their own pleasure, and relaxation, and are passing on their skills to others. Do we want to cut all that?
Of course, the County Tories are cutting far more important things They are putting lives in danger by switching off the lights and cutting our Fire Engines and fire fighters; cutting the Sensory Support unit for deaf and blind people; making our older people’s lives far worse in so many ways; attacking young people’s futures with the cuts in transport, and much, much more. But the parents of the children who will suffer the Music cuts may have voted Tory or Lib Dem and they have got to stand up and fight for their children’s future, and stand up and fight for so much more that Tory Norfolk are bent on destroying.
4. Protect Norfolk's Care Services
Please sign this Norfolk-wide public petition today for the protection of crucial social services. Some are facing potentially devastating cuts of 50% and others, such as the Sensory Support Unit, could almost be withdrawn completely.
The petition’s aim is three-fold: maintain prevention services, maintain the Sensory Support Service, and maintain care for those with 'substantial' needs.
Services under threat include: home care for people who have an inability to carry out the majority of personal care or domestic routines; Specialist Support Workers who make it possible for sensory impaired people to live independently and access public and community services; grants to voluntary organisations who provide supportive services such as day care; assistive technology for the elderly and disabled; and Homeshield, a service which flags up potential problems at an early stage.
As numerous studies have shown, preventative services save money and resources in the long run by preventing deterioration in the health of the elderly and vulnerable. For example, Swifts & Night Owls is a call out service, used to prevent the need for hospital admissions. Cutting the budget to this service will mean that far greater financial strain will be placed on the NHS, a bill that will inevitably be picked up by the taxpayer.
Cutting support for people with substantial needs is against government advice, which also points out that it tends to lead to a longer term rise in the demand for social services as people's needs become critical as a result of not receiving earlier care. The council have indicated they may not make this particular cut this after all, but it’s important to keep up the pressure so they stick to their word.
There may be ways to save the threatened services – for instance, the Sensory Support Unit could be operated as a shared service with other authorities. However, the cuts are coming so deep and fast, that a nationally recognised service such as this is not being given the chance to find a way to continue. This is surely scandalous.
Please give your support today by signing our petition. Thank you!
The Norwich to Ninety campaign aims to persuade the Department for Transport to include a range of improvements to the Norwich to London line as part of the new Greater Anglia franchise specification.
Whatever is included in the new franchise will be the service that is delivered for rail passengers on the Great Eastern Main Line for the next decade.
We want:
• A ninety-minute journey time between Norwich and London.
• More reliable services, improving upon recent performance.
• New Inter-City style trains including features such as wi-fi.
• More train capacity - but without down-grading the Norwich to London service to commuter-style carriages.
• Station improvements, including better car parking and facilities for waiting passengers.
We will also be campaigning for other improvements including:
• Cleanliness and comfort
• On-board facilities such as wi-fi and catering
• Measures introduced to reduce engineering disruption
• Improvements to rural lines
The Norwich to London line is a crucial economic artery, linking Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex to London. Investment is essential to bring it into the 21st century and to allow these counties to remain competitive.
For example the 115 mile journey from London to Norwich takes around 1hr 50mins, yet Birmingham (118 miles) can be reached in only 1hr 23 mins and York (180 miles) in 1 hr 59mins.
A shorter journey time in high quality trains would encourage more people to switch from cars to the railway, reducing road congestion and carbon emissions, as well as improving the economic competitiveness of the city and county.
Please sign the petition and encourage others to do so and ensure the Department for Transport listens to commuters and train users in Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex and train users in general to ensure the new franchise includes the much needed improvements.
Follow us on twitter and have your say on the trains
http://twitter.com/Norwichin90
6. Save the Denver Windmill Heritage Project
In 2000 Denver Windmill reopened to the public as a heritage, education, leisure and tourist site following a massive funding grant to the Norfolk Historic Buildings Trust.
By 2007 the project was in financial trouble and in June 2008 Denver Mill Ltd leased the site in order to turn the failing business round and establish a long term sutainable project in conjunction with the Trust.
The Trust have failed in their responsibilities for the maintenance and condition of the site to such a degree that Denver Mill Ltd and the project will close at the end of January 2009 with the loss of 13 jobs and business to over 25 local suppliers unless immediate pressure is brought on the Trust's governing organisations, the Norfolk County Council and Campaign to Protect Rural England (Norfolk) to move the project forward.
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UPDATE 17th Jan: Meeting with the Trust on 13th January.
The current work schedules on the Cottages and Windmill were confirmed along with repair work to stop water entering the building in various places. However it is apparent that there are differing opinions within the Trust as to its responsibilities, both as a commercial landlord and to the project.
The Concluding Report of the Dispute Resolution states “NHBT seems not to have understood the needs of Denver Mill Ltd, as having a working mill and cottages in good, lettable condition as the basis of their business, neither the impact on the business of delays…” and “…in the case of Denver Mill, the mill is both the property and, in a real sense, the business; it is integral to both and to the interest of both parties … and its implications may not have been appreciated by the Trust”.
Within the proposals is stated “… a claim for loss of income … is understood to be legitimate within the terms of the lease …” This has now been confirmed by a specialist lawyer and the position of the project on the 1st February hangs entirely on the decision by the Trust at the end of January to honor this debt without the financial and commercial damage litigation will cause.
Both the Norfolk County Council and CPRE (Norfolk) continue to work with us to maintain this project and ‘cautious optimism’ prevails.
7. Support zoning for expansion of community facilities by New Hope United Church of Christ
The City od Norfolk is trying to rezone property located at 115 E. Liberty Street. The property is currently zoned as Commercial and they are trying to rezone it to Residential for the purpose of building eight (8) single family homes.
The rezoning of this property will prevent the future expansion of New Hope United Church of Christ.
8. Dual the A11
Norfolk County Council is fully committed to achieving a start on dualling the final stretch of the A11 and is working with MPs, business leaders and Suffolk County Council to press the case for an early start on this long-awaited scheme.
We believe Norfolk can’t afford to wait any longer for this vital piece of infrastructure to be put in place and have successfully argued the case for the A11 Fiveways to Thetford to become a top priority at regional level.
Full dualling of the A11 is not only vital for the future prosperity of Norfolk, it will also bring urgently needed improvements in safety along what is a notorious bottleneck.
Businesses tell us the negative impression given by the single carriageway stretch of the road is the biggest issue affecting confidence in the local economy and a study has put the benefits of the scheme at more than £600m.
Recent discussions with MPs and the Secretary of State for Transport have raised hopes that there is a real opportunity to achieve a breakthrough and finally get the A11 out of the slow lane.
Norfolk County Council is joining forces with Suffolk County Council and business leaders to set up a petition which will be in Norfolk's libraries and offices of the Eastern Daily Press during September.
We then intend to deliver paper and online versions of the petition to the Secretary of State during Autumn in the hope of achieving a start on work by the end of 2010, if at all possible.
Please sign the petition and encourage others to do so and ensure the Secretary of State listens to people in Norfolk and Suffolk, and road users generally, and is left in no doubt about the very strong support for this vitally important scheme.
9. My fight against Norfolk FA
I'm a 15 year old manager, looking to gain qualifications, but the norfolk FA have denied me because im too young.
That i agree with, but as a manager don't i technically have the right to the same education as other managers?
10. Halt new building in Estabrook
It is our understanding that the Chesapeake Preservation Act has weakened the protection laws in regards to the wetlands and protective buffers in the City of Norfolk.
