Chairman calls for Thetford to oppose council plans

A resident's association chairman is urging Thetford people to vote against Breckland Council’s plans to keep the town’s boundary the same.

Rob Butler, chairman of the Cloverfields and The Willows Residents Association, is helping to fight to get 5,000 new homes within the town's boundary after Breckland Council said the response from Thetfordians from the first consultation was not a ‘significant amount’.

He said: "Young families will find it difficult for school places or dentist spaces if it stays the same. That will be a huge problem and is why people need to disagree with the proposal."

If the boundary does stay the same the Kingsfleet housing development, which is set to sell its first new homes in spring 2019, will be in the

parishes of Kilverstone, Croxton and adjacent to Brettenham.

Mr Butler is concerned that these parishes will struggle, he said: “I believe Kilverstone and Croxton will have huge issues coping with the amount of residents on the new housing development and it may fall on Thetford Town Council to assist them."

A stall in the market square, which already has had 1,900 Thetfordians signing up, is there every Tuesday and Saturday and has been set up to help people fill out forms as well as one in King's Square, opposite Boots opticians, every Friday, both from 9am until 3pm.

He said: "We have had great support so far but we are looking for around 5,000 forms.

"Anyone over the age of 18 can fill out a form and it is not one form per household, so come down and support us."

Alternatively, the form can be accessed online, go to www.breckland.gov.uk/article/7478/Thetford-Second-Stage-Consultation