Norfolk and the East are at the forefront of some of the most exciting sectors of tomorrow – across science, research, innovation, technology and engineering.
That’s why, throughout my time as an MP, I have done my utmost to put the Norfolk Innovation economy on the map. (See my campaign page here).
These sectors are already spreading prosperity in our area, creating the jobs of tomorrow for our local people and increasingly seeing more and more exciting businesses “spinning-out” and establishing themselves in our local towns and villages, breathing fresh life into our communities and services.
I am determined to ensure our area grips those opportunities, which is why I was delighted to visit the Hethel Engineering Centre again this past week to meet with their CEO Alice Reeve.
Hethel is one of a number of fantastic hubs driving this revolution in our area and it was great to discuss with Alice how we can better support that growth in the months and years to come.
To find out more, please see the video below.
Who is ultimately responsible for the health and welfare of children? The state? Schools and teachers? Parents?
We all have a role but for me it’s parents. It’s not fair on teachers or school to expect them to provide all of the parenting some parents don’t.
It cuts both ways. Parents have rights and responsibilities too – and for me the right to know what schools are teaching our children (especially about gender, sex and religion) is one of them.
Happily most schools and teachers get this right – with few complaints here in Mid Norfolk – but I support making clear that parents who are concerned can see the material.
To find out more about the Government’s announcement, please visit the Gov.uk website here.
Flooding has long been a concern for many in our part of Norfolk – which is why it has been a major campaign of mine throughout my time as the local MP.
Over the years, I have supported a number of households, businesses and communities affected by local flooding and, in response to the awful flooding during the winter of 2020/21, I established the Mid Norfolk Flood Partnership – to give local councillors, community groups and affected individuals a stronger voice and hold the authorities responsible for flooding response and water management more firmly to account. I have been proud of the progress made to date, but continue to support my Mid Norfolk communities as we work to ensure these problems are treated with the seriousness they deserve.
(Full details of all my work can be found on my website campaign page here – including the list of 14 recommendations developed by the MNFP, which were almost entirely adopted by Norfolk County Council’s then newly formed Norfolk Strategic Flooding Alliance and have since formed the basis of much of the positive work being done across the county to improve future flood responses and strengthen long term flooding resilience)
Storm Babet has shown again why we must not be complacent – and brings into even sharper focus the importance of local services like the Norfolk Urban Search and Rescue team that I helped secure a funding extension for earlier this year. (See more here and here)
In the past few days, I have been in contact with several affected individuals, as well as their local councillors, and continue to offer what advice and support I can.
I intend to reconvene the Mid Norfolk Flood Partnership for another summit with Norfolk County Council, Anglian Water and the Environment Agency – and will continue to ensure Mid Norfolk’s voice is being heard at the highest levels.
While I am pleased that various Mid Norfolk flooding “blackspots” (Necton, Watton, Saham Toney, Mattishall, Yaxham, Cranworth, Dereham and Shipdham) have been included in the NSFA’s early tranches for improved support following individual and MNFP representations, there is still much more work to be done. I am determined to do all I can to help ensure all our local flooding “blackspots” are getting the attention they require – with more done to improve our overall flood resilience too.
If YOU have been affected by the awful rainfall over recent days, please visit the Norfolk Strategic Flooding Alliance’s website here and/or call the Norfolk Flood Helpline (that the MNFP recommended be established) on 0344 800 8013 – where you will be able to access urgent support.
To see more about my work, please see the video below.
The Wymondham Railway underpass has long been a serious “bottleneck” causing traffic disruption and putting pedestrians and cyclists at risk.
That’s why I welcomed the commencement of works this month to deliver improvements at this vitally important location in the town.
A decade ago, I wholeheartedly supported South Norfolk Council as they worked to protect the Tiffey Valley and ensure new housing was instead located to the south of the town close to the railway line and A11. As part of that work, South Norfolk secured a commitment that the developers would address this problem “hotspot” and construct a new subway that better supported drivers, pedestrians and cyclists.
Enabling works for the building of a new, additional subway located between Wymondham Station and the Station Road Railway Underpass have now finally begun – with the existing footpath under the Station Road Underpass also being removed, helping to enhance the flow of traffic.
Full construction of the new subway and completion of the works should be completed by the end of 2024.
This is hugely positive news and I remain committed to working with South Norfolk Council as they work to deliver further improvements at this location.
I also continue to work with South Norfolk on the Wymondham Station Access issue at Platform 2 – which I believe should be Step 1 of a wider regeneration plan for the entire Station site. (More information can be found on my campaign page here)
To find out more about my wider campaign work on Road and Rail Improvements in our region, please click here and here.
My thoughts are with the woman mauled by her American XL Bully dog in Brisley.
This is a very sad and tragic case, and I’m aware of the distress also caused to the local community.
The American XL Bully dog has been disproportionately involved in serious and fatal dog attacks this year, which is why I recently welcomed the Government’s decisive action to ban the breed.
Banning these dogs has been under consideration for some time, but this has been complicated by the fact that the XL Bully is not formally recognised as a breed in the UK. For this reason, the Environment Secretary and the Home Secretary has urgently convened experts to define the American XL Bully breed type, including police, canine and veterinary experts, and animal welfare stakeholders. The Government will then legislate to add the XL Bully to the list of breeds banned under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 – with these changes expected to be in place by the end of this year.
The existing XL Bully population will also need to be safely managed moving forward – and I understand there will a transition period for them.
I continue to follow DEFRA progress on the ban and the subsequent transition period closely and will ensure that Mid Norfolk’s voice is being heard.
Building enough houses to make sure everyone in our area has the chance for a roof of their own, while also making sure we protect our rural landscape and heritage, is often a difficult balance.
What we need is a long-term local plan.
Which is why I have always been a strong advocate of the spirit of Localism and have actively supported our local councils (district, town and parish) as they develop plans on how they would like to see themselves grow over the next 15-20 years.
Breckland is currently reviewing its Local Plan – the plan that covers issues such as the number and type of new homes that should be built in the district, which areas of the area are best for future growth, the economy and jobs, transport connections, protecting the natural environment and addressing climate change.
The new Local Plan will be a guide for the growth and development that will shape the district to 2046 – and Breckland want to hear from the community.
Please take a moment to share your views on the Issues and Options stage of the Local Plan. This phase of Breckland’s community consultation will be open until 30th November 2023.
You can share your views:
- Online via the Breckland portal here: brecklandlocalplan.commonplace.is
- Via email at planning.policyteam@breckland.gov.uk
- By post at Planning Policy Team, Elizabeth House, Walpole Loke, Dereham, NR19 1EE
You can also join consultation events:
- Wednesday 11th October, 6.30pm-7.30pm – via Zoom (sign up at brecklandlocalplan.commonplace.is)
- Saturday 14th October, 12pm-3pm –Swaffham Market, Market Place, Swaffham
- Tuesday 17th October, 10am-1pm, Dereham Market, Market Place, Dereham
Next year, there will be another opportunity to review and comment on the draft version of the new Local Plan.
It’s VITAL that local residents, community groups and businesses have their say.
To find out more about my work supporting my Mid Norfolk constituents on planning matters, please visit my ‘Planning and Protecting Our Rural Landscape and Heritage’ campaign page here.
Dental health is a crucial part of NHS services and it is vital that EVERYONE can access the support they need when they need it.
Over the past 3 years, I have actively campaigned to secure improvements to NHS dental provision in our region and some positive progress has been made.
However, there remains much more to be done.
That’s why, as part of my ongoing efforts with parliamentary colleagues, NHS officials and other stakeholders, I recently welcomed the chance to hear more from the Norfolk and Waveney NHS Integrated Care Board with regards to their Short Term Dental Plan.
The Plan, which has been designed to address the most urgent priorities in dental provision and look for quick methods by which the local sector can be stabilised and access to services for patients can be improved, has been developed following extensive engagement with local dental providers and stakeholders like Healthwatch.
Although it will not solve all of the challenges facing NHS dental provision in our region, the Short Term Plan does intend to deliver tangible short term benefits, while giving the ICB time to develop the Longer Term Plan that will ensure Norfolk has the first class dental provision it needs for years to come. I understand they remain on course to publish that longer term strategy by Spring 2024.
I believe the best people to drive forward progress are the local clinical and care sector leaders and professionals who are working on the frontline – and who have first-hand expertise of the issues being faced. I am therefore delighted to see the ICB using the new powers they acquired following the transfer of local NHS dental commissioning from NHS England to themselves earlier this year in exactly the manner intended.
(Full details on the ICB’s dental plans, including the Short Term Dental Plan, can be found here)
In Westminster, I recently co-signed joint-Norfolk MP letters to both the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and the Chancellor – in which we reiterated our support for the establishment of a full undergraduate School of Dentistry at UEA and called for additional NHS dental service improvements in the East.
From my ongoing conversations with ministers, I understand that the Government will shortly be publishing its own plan aimed at increasing access to NHS dentistry, and that further discussions are also taking place between NHS England, the British Dental Association and other stakeholders with a view to reforming the NHS dental contract so that dentists are better incentivised to take on more NHS work.
Rest assured, I will continue to follow developments closely and will continue to work with fellow Norfolk MPs to drive forward positive progress.
I am acutely aware that access to NHS dental appointments remains one of the biggest concerns locally for my constituents. I am determined to do everything I can to ensure Mid Norfolk (and Norfolk as a whole)’s voice is heard at the highest levels.
To find out more about my long running campaign on these matters, please click here.
Road safety has long been a major focus of mine – which is why, throughout my time as local MP, I have always been vocal about the need for proper investment into our Mid Norfolk road network, with proper measures implemented to tackle accident blackspots.
The tragic news of the death of a man at Guist last month brought into sharp focus once again the dangerous stretch of the A1067 that runs through the village. My heart goes out to his family.
Enough is enough.
This speeding blackspot has increasingly become a serious issue locally – with a number of recent near misses and recent crashes. The Norwich Road traffic is growing ever faster, and local residents and road users are rightly concerned about road safety at this location.
That’s why I have been in touch with local councillors Bill Borrett and Gordon Bambridge, as well as Guist Parish Council, and why I have contacted the Regional Director of National Highways to make clear that urgent safety improvements are required here. I’ve also asked that a review into the road following this tragic death is conducted.
There’s no doubt that measures need to be taken. Rest assured, I am determined to make Mid Norfolk’s voice heard.
To learn more about my ongoing work to improve road safety (including the recent improvements I helped secure at Necton), please visit my “Making Our Roads Fit for the 21st Century” campaign page here
The A47 is a major transport artery into, and across, our great county – which is why dualling along its entire length remains a key priority of mine.
Full dualling is vital for the long term safety of motorists and absolutely necessary if we are to help Norfolk unlock its full economic potential – delivering thousands of jobs, as well as the growth and prosperity needed, to help us ‘Build Back Better’ and ‘Level Up’.
That’s why I was delighted to be involved again in the A47 Alliance’s latest summit earlier today, and why I continue to actively work with fellow parliamentary colleagues, councillors, businesses and community groups as part of the A47 Alliance campaign to ensure the Department for Transport, National Highways and other key stakeholders are left in no doubt as to why A47 dualling and improvements are so important.
Our collective efforts are very much ongoing and I welcomed the discussion today as progress was reviewed and further actions were agreed.
This very much remains an ongoing campaign of mine – and I also continue to actively work with National Highways and NCC Highways on a number of more local, Mid Norfolk specific projects such as safety improvement works at Necton (see more here) and the dangerous junction at Guist.
To learn more about my historic campaign work on A47 dualling and improving Norfolk (and the East)’s roads more generally, please click here.
Unlocking the true economic potential of Norfolk (and the East) and ensuring that commuters have the rail services they need to travel and get to work have been two of my key missions since becoming an MP back in 2010.
That’s why the Government’s recent announcement that Ely North Junction will be upgraded is such welcome news.
Having helped launch the campaign for Ely North Junction improvements a decade ago, and continued to actively lobby government and Network Rail for the works, I am delighted that the Government has listened to MPs like myself, as well as local councillors, businesses and campaign groups (such as Transport East and Eastern Powerhouse), and has now said it will fund these crucial improvements.
This is a huge step towards the vision of an “Innovation Express” between Norwich and Cambridge!
Despite being only 50 miles apart, travelling between these two internationally recognised science, research and innovation growth hub clusters is difficult and takes too long. By unblocking the Ely North “bottleneck” and linking these two cities (as well as all of the communities in between – Ely, Brandon, Thetford, Attleborough, Wymondham) better together with a half-hourly service with first class Wifi, we can unlock a world class “Innovation Corridor” that creates thousands of new jobs in, and spreads prosperity and positive, cleaner, greener growth for, our region – improving the lives of us all.
The improvement works would also allow passenger service upgrades on a number of other regional rail lines and enable increased freight to move from the port of Felixstowe – which in turn would significantly reduce lorry journeys and, therefore, costs and carbon output.
Rest assured, I will continue to work closely with parliamentary colleagues and other key eastern stakeholders to push this vital work forward.
To learn more about the recent Government announcement, please see the EDP articles here and here
To see more about my work on Ely North Junction specifically, please see my historic updates below.
To learn more about my wider campaign work on Norfolk rail, please visit my campaign page here.