Local News Stories (Suffolk & Norfolk) from 2019 to date

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Latest post of the previous page:

Norwich to receive 50 new street maps as part of revamp

New "visitor-friendly" signs are being installed across Norwich as part of a £92,000 scheme to make it easier for tourists to explore the city. More than 50 locations in Norwich have been selected for the revamp project which will see the "miniliths" erected to help newcomers navigate the most popular destinations. With two maps on both sides, the signs are tall and thin and contain detailed information about areas within a three-minute walking radius. They also show where the person is located in the wider area and in relation to eight "wayfinding" districts, which cover the Creative Quarter, the Cathedral Quarter, the King Street Quarter, Business District, Riverside, Chapelfield, Norwich Lanes and the Castle and Market Place district.

https://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/news/23 ... rt-revamp/

I wish Lowestoft had had these installed, instead of those silly pink signs.

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Guided tours of Somerleyton swing bridge on broads

For more than 100 years it has helped train passengers reach Lowestoft and Norwich by swinging into action over the River Waveney. Somerleyton swing bridge was built in 1905 to carry the double-tracked Norwich to Lowestoft line over the river, replacing a previous single-tracked bridge. Operated by Network Rail, it still opens to allow river traffic several times a day using much of its original mechanical equipment - and every now and then is known to get stuck in position due to faults.

And now people are being offered a rare opportunity to tour the Edwardian bridge and its control tower. Guided tours of the bridge will take place on Saturday, September 9 and Saturday, September 16 as part of the Lowestoft Heritage Open Days Festival. The Wherry Lines Community Rail Partnership and the Lowestoft Central Project are organising the tours in collaboration with Network Rail. Network Rail Anglia operations manager, Ian Martin, said: “Somerleyton swing bridge is a marvel of Edwardian engineering which is usually out of bounds to the general public.
As part of the Heritage Open Days Festival and through our great relationship with the Community Rail Partnership, it is a pleasure to give people the chance to see the original equipment first-hand.”

Apply for tickets by emailing lowestoftcentral@gmail.com or you can purchase them at the Community Rail Shop and Tourist Information Office at Lowestoft railway station. With its remote location within the marshes, those attending tours must be able to walk approximately one mile on uneven ground and be able to climb several steps. Those applying for tickets will be allocated a time slot and meeting point where they will be escorted to and from the bridge.

https://www.lowestoftjournal.co.uk/news ... ge-broads/

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Five Guys hoping to open new Norwich restaurant in Riverside

An American fast-food giant is planning to open its second Norwich restaurant in the former Frankie and Benny's in Riverside. Five Guys is hoping to open at Unit One in Wherry Road in an attempt to build on the success of its Orford Place burger joint. It comes after Frankie and Benny's announced the closure of its Norwich branch in May after its owners the Restaurant Group said it needed to cut restaurants in order to increase profits. In a planning application to Norwich City Council, Five Guys said it is planning to install new indoor and outdoor signage ahead of its planned opening.

The burger chain opened its first Norwich store in October 2016 creating 35 jobs in the process. It is yet to announce its opening hours for the new restaurant, although the Orford Place branch currently opens from 10.30am to 11pm from Sunday to Thursday, opening until midnight on Friday and Saturday.

https://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/news/23 ... riverside/

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Essential gas mains work to start in Oulton Broad, Lowestoft

Essential gas mains work in the Lowestoft area is set to cause six weeks of disruption for drivers. The work involves essential upgrades to the gas network in the Oulton Broad area.

Phase one of the work will start at Bridge Road and the approach to the roundabout for Bridge Road will have traffic lights and will be down to one lane from Monday, September 4, to Friday, September 15. In phase two, the roundabout will continue to be down to one lane and Gorleston Road will be closed from the main roundabout up to the mini roundabout at the Hall Road junction. A diversion will be in place between Monday, September 18, and Friday, September 29. In phase three traffic management will be in place in Hall Road between Monday, October 2, and Friday, October 13.

https://www.lowestoftjournal.co.uk/news ... lowestoft/

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Residents' anger with build of Gull Wing Bridge Lowestoft

Two years ago it was a quiet and peaceful residential street on the edge of a seaside town. But people living in Waveney Drive in Lowestoft say they have lived "through hell" as the construction of a road for the new £126.75m Gull Wing Bridge shook their homes and felt "like an earthquake". The works on the access road to the bridge, called Colin Law Way, have now been completed - but occupants are fuming about the damage caused to their homes and the lack of sympathy from developers Farrans.

Scott Humphrey, 33, has spent thousands of pounds improving his family home which he bought in 2015. But now he is having to shell out for repairs to the roof as cracks and holes emerged during road's construction. He said: "When the house was shaking and the vibrations it felt like an earthquake, and it is no exaggeration. We had water coming into the kids' bedrooms. I've had to patch up the cracks as I go and spent £7,000 on having the roof fixed. We had spent loads of money on the house and trying to settle down as it was and now facing an uphill battle and getting no compensation at all. They offered us £300 which was just insulting."

Mr Humphreys's neighbour, an elderly woman who is partially sighted, was also disturbed by the works. The woman, who asked not to be named, said: "When the bed, bath and toilet were shaking it was traumatising. Dust and noise we expected from the development, but the vibrations were terrifying. Try getting out a bath when the house is shaking and your vision isn’t very good, I could easily have fallen and hurt myself. It was like being at the other end of a shockwave."

https://www.lowestoftjournal.co.uk/news ... lowestoft/

[boatbuilder]

Lowestoft carers thanked for spotting scam on 101-year-old


Image: Suffolk Trading Standards

Two carers have been thanked for their efforts after they discovered a 101-year-old woman was being scammed. Sally Mills said she "smelt a rat" when the woman from Lowestoft asked her to post a letter that contained cash.

She raised the alarm and a subsequent investigation established the woman had been scammed into sending more than £48,000. Suffolk Trading Standards awarded Ms Mills and her boss Paul Watts in recognition of their intervention.

Ms Mills said she was caring for the woman, who turned 103 last week, when she was handed some post to send. She said as she put the woman's mail on the passenger seat of her car, money fell out of a pre-printed envelope for an address in Austria.

Ms Mills, who has been a community support worker for two years, said she was quite sure the victim did not know the person the money was being sent to and was "highly suspicious" that cash was being sent. She reported the matter to Mr Watts, director of Caring Moments Limited, who then contacted Suffolk Trading Standards. Mr Watts had attended training that Trading Standards had given and he spotted that the victim was sending money to clairvoyant scammers.

Trading Standards said it worked with the team at Caring Moments to put support and prevention in place to prevent the victim sending any further money, and Ms Mills and Mr Watts helped provide statements for an international investigation.

Ms Mills said for the scammers to prey on the woman was the "cruellest thing". She said she was so "glad and relieved" she was able to help the woman.

Suffolk Trading Standards presented Ms Mills and Mr Watts with flowers and "Suffolk Says Thanks" badges for their intervention. It said the team also nominated them for a certificate of merit at the Suffolk Fire and Rescue Awards, which they will collect at a ceremony on 27 September.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-66689441

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Somerleyton Swing Bridge tours sees heritage group 'inundated'

The introduction of tours on a 118-year-old swing bridge has seen a heritage group "inundated with requests". The Somerleyton Swing Bridge, over the River Waveney on the Norfolk-Suffolk border, was built in 1905. The bridge, near Somerleyton, Suffolk, carries the double-tracked Norwich to Lowestoft railway line over the river. Tours of the bridge, which is normally "out of bounds", will be held on Saturday and on 16 September.

"It is fully booked", said Martin Halliday chair of Lowestoft Heritage, which will run the tours. "We've been inundated with requests and received more than 1,000 calls from the public. "We can bring 150 people to visit the bridge. It has to be carefully controlled." Those attending may find themselves having the rare opportunity to view the bridge and its control tower, but that is dependant on the weather. If it is too hot it can often cause the bridge to get stuck. Bridge operator Carl King said those coming to the tour will get to see the bridge action. "They'll get to see us manually swing the bridge and see how it all works," he said.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-66742505

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Exhibition showcases long-lost fishing village in Lowestoft

It was once home to 2,500 people, 13 pubs, three schools, two churches, shops and cafés. And Lowestoft’s long-lost fishing village is set to be the focus of a new pop-up photographic exhibition. Rare archive photos will be displayed in the special exhibition showcasing an area of the town known as The Grit, providing an insight into the past, present and future of the area's connection to the sea.

The exhibition will feature more than 40 photographs, including new finds from the collections of Jack Rose and Bert Collyer and a selection from the book of 'The Grit', co-written by Mr Parkin and Mr Rose. Originally published in 1997, it quickly became a local bestseller with a redesigned second edition – with 100 new photographs, extra interviews, an additional chapter plus specially commissioned illustrations by Paula White – published in 2019. Mr Parkin said: "It's great to get a chance to share these wonderful old photographs of Lowestoft's fishing village at The Grit Arts Centre — the super local venue that has taken its name from the village. "It's been such a pleasure to sort through the photos again and pick out my favourites. "There's some fantastic views of the fishing industry at work – it'll be a real treasure trove."

Lowestoft's fishing village - known as either the Beach Village or The Grit - declined after the Second World War, the 1953 flood and the demise of the fishing industry with the area cleared in the 1960s as new industries moved in. Copies of The Grit book are available at paper-works* shop in The Grit Arts Centre and Mr Parkin will be at the exhibition on both days to sign copies.

https://www.lowestoftjournal.co.uk/news ... lowestoft/

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New Royal Plain fountains part of Lowestoft Seafront Vision

New fountains look set to be installed as part of a major seafront redevelopment that includes an outdoor gym and a new play area. A series of works to improve Royal Plain, Royal Green and South Quay in Lowestoft could see "a popular attraction reinstated," provided plans get the go-ahead. A scheme has been lodged that would see the popular fountains outside East Point Pavilion replaced as part of a wider seafront vision. Plans centring around the "public realm spaces" of Royal Plain, Royal Terrace, Royal Green and the adjacent seafront esplanade, plus the South Quay areas of Lowestoft have been submitted to East Suffolk Council.

An application featuring "New fountain installation in existing location at Royal Plain - including hard and soft landscape improvements with plantation and boulder features, raised planters with trees, and lighting improvements" is currently "awaiting decision" with the council. The plans have been lodged by Untitled Practice, as part of the Hemingway Design team, on behalf of East Suffolk Council. It also includes "new access routes and soft landscape improvements" at Royal Green, including "trees with bespoke seating and outdoor gyms, plus East Point Pavilion courtyard improvements, and new play area, also cycle hub to existing car park." It would also see "hard and soft landscape improvements as a pocket park" at South Quay.

With final designs unveiled in July, a design and access statement - submitted by Untitled Practice - states: "The site in its present condition represents significant opportunity for improvement." It adds: "Royal Plain fountains not functioning and in need of renewal to attract footfall. Refurbishment of the existing installation is not feasible, therefore a replacement installation is proposed." The work - the first phase of the London Street, Lowestoft High Street Heritage Action Zone (HAZ) and Seafront Masterplan - is due for completion by May 2024.

https://www.lowestoftjournal.co.uk/news ... nt-vision/

[boatbuilder]

Person rescued from house fire in Carlton Colville, Suffolk

One person was rescued from a burning building this morning.

Fire crews were called to reports of a house fire in Hall Road in Carlton Colville at 5.14am today (September 13).

Five appliances from Ipswich East, North Lowestoft, and Lowestoft South attended the scene.

The fire service rescued one person from the building and extinguished the fire using hose reel jets, main jets, and short extension ladders.

Emergency services are still at the scene and the road is currently closed.


Image: Suffolk Fire & Rescue.

https://www.lowestoftjournal.co.uk/news ... e-suffolk/

[boatbuilder]

Laxfield owl gets stuck in car licence plate

An owl spent a night with its head wedged behind a car licence plate after being hit by the vehicle.

The car owners were driving near Laxfield, Suffolk on 5 September when they saw an owl flying nearby but had not realised they had struck the bird.

However, the next morning they found the tawny owl hanging from the front of the car.

It was taken to Suffolk Owl Sanctuary where it is recovering.





https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-66817533

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Flats and retail units earmarked for new scheme in Lowestoft

New flats and two retail units could be unveiled at the site of a private car park in a coastal town - provided plans get the go-ahead. A new scheme to redevelop a site that originally formed part of a historic hotel in Lowestoft has been submitted. With plans lodged to redevelop part of the former Imperial Hotel site in Lowestoft with the construction of a three storey building for eight self contained flats in October last year, an amended scheme was submitted to East Suffolk Council last month. The scheme now centres around "construction of six flats and two retail units" at a "site off Denmark Road" in Lowestoft - with the proposed development of a private car park site at the back of Bevan Street East and part of the former Imperial Hotel on Denmark Road.

A design and access statement prepared by agents Paul Robinson Partnership (UK) LLP on behalf of the applicant David Wyatt Holdings states: "The proposed building occupies the site of a private car park and part of the Imperial Hotel, which was partly demolished in the mid-20th century. The current application is still live, however, the design did not go far enough to overcome the officers' concerns regarding the scheme. Our proposed solution involves modifying the scheme to incorporate six self-contained flats and two retail units situated at ground level." With the application site "currently used as a private car park", proposals centre around six, one bedroom self-contained flats and two retail units by "constructing a building with three levels." With the main access to the flats and the retail units "from Denmark Road," it concludes: "The proposed development will deliver much-needed housing to the area."

https://www.lowestoftjournal.co.uk/news ... lowestoft/

[boatbuilder]

I hope they catch the culprit who did this.



Screenshot from: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-66849818

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Lowestoft: The Grit arts centre to close

The Grit arts centre in Lowestoft which only started up last year is due to close later this month. It's based in the Old Court House in the town. It draws its name from the original fishing village which stretched between the building's location and the sea, before being demolished in the 1930s.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0gfdwzn

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Revamp vision for historic building in Lowestoft steps up

The first phase of development at a historic building in a coastal town is under way. There has been lots of excitement over the last few days for a prominent amateur dramatics society. For a new scheme to "greatly enhance the look" of a former fishermen's mission in Lowestoft is gathering pace at the home of Britain's most easterly theatre.

The Lowestoft Players, which owns the historic former Bethel building that is set to mark its 125th anniversary next year, have started work at the Players Theatre. With the first stage of the theatre’s development plan to ‘Re-Light My Frontage’ having begun, it includes a giant sized illuminated Players Theatre sign being installed high up on the front elevation of the historic building on Battery Green Road, along with two vertical illuminated Players Theatre signs to the left and right.

https://www.lowestoftjournal.co.uk/news ... oft-steps/

[boatbuilder]

Building firm wins battle with O2 over £10k fraud

The owners of a small building firm said they were left worried for the future after a fraudster racked up a £10,000 bill using the company’s name.

A scammer took out four mobile phone contracts with network provider, O2 claiming to be from Palmer’s Building Services, based near Norwich.

Business owner Lisa Palmer said she had “cried down the phone” to O2 when trying to tell the firm the contracts had nothing to do with them.

O2 said it had since closed the fraudulent account, wiped the debt and amended the victim’s credit files.

Mrs Palmer said the experience had left her feeling "sick to the bottom of her stomach" and "really emotional".

Before taking out the contracts with O2, the fraudster had attempted something similar with the network providers Vodafone and Three.

Both companies closed down the accounts due to suspicious activity.

The scammer also attempted to sign up to a John Lewis store card.

But Mrs Palmer said that O2 remained convinced that the four contracts had been taken out by her family business.

She claimed that every time she tried to communicate with O2’s customer services team over the phone, she was unable to pass the security steps as she did not know the passwords set up by the fraudster.

Mrs Palmer and her husband Liam were later contacted by debt collectors who threatened to take action.

An O2 spokesperson said: “This account was opened by sophisticated fraudsters using a substantial amount of the victims’ personal data and identity documents which allowed them to successfully pass security and credit checks in one of our stores.”

According to the National Crime Agency, £2.46bn was lost by businesses and individuals, external to fraud in 2021/22.

It said that all cases of fraud should be reported to Action Fraud, external, the UK’s national fraud and cyber crime reporting centre.

The O2 spokesperson added: “We regularly evolve our processes to keep consumer safe from fraud, and last year alone we prevented £70m of fraudulent activity.”

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cev7ldgpr2jo