Castle Acre Parish Council

The Droves September hearing timetable starting w/c 7th Sept 2026 at The Dukes Head Hotel, King’s Lynn:

https://national-infrastructure-consenting.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/projects/EN0110013/examination-timetable

Sign up link below.

(Please sign up to attend and/or speak by 1st Sept 2026!)

https://forms.cloud.microsoft/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=mN94WIhvq0iTIpmM5VcIja0fdjcp8sNOpLPgIuSrB51UOU1TSjJMM0pJVVI1OTExM01GMUk4RTFOWSQlQCN0PWcu

 

Download Poster here: James Wild Solar Poster

Residents, please be advised that RAF Marham will be conducting essential night flying training on Tuesday 11^th and Thursday 13^th August. This night flying will see the aircraft returning to RAF Marham just after midnight on each night.

Castle Acre Parish is incredibly lucky to have the River Nar running through it. The river and surrounding areas are an internationally important habitat, a unique chalk stream that is classified as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). The river area is enjoyed by many people carrying out a variety of activities e.g. naturalists, ramblers, dog walkers, club fishing and occasional swimmers.

Part of responsible dog care is ensuring they are kept free and healthy from parasites. One flea can lay up to 15,000 eggs in a month, rapidly creating an infestation and leading to serious health issues for the animal. Ticks are commonplace all year round due to increased wildlife hosts and can transit serious conditions to dogs and people e.g. Lymes Disease.

The use of preventative antiparasitic medication is an important way of controlling such parasites. However, a potential side effect of using flea and tick treatments is that some can contaminate natural water sources, affecting important insect life in the habitat. Less modern flea products carry a greater risk as they are often topical in their action (stay in and on the dog’s coat and skin) and are often water soluble. This includes products containing fipronil or selamectin. These treatments can wash off a dog’s coat when they swim in water. Most modern flea treatments have been developed with active ingredients that can be given orally or by periodic injection. This means the active ingredient remains within the body rather than topically (externally) in the hair and skin. As they are more targeted, they can be given at lower concentrations.

All medications or byproducts must be excreted from the body; modern medications are often passed in dogs’ faeces. If left these can cause localised contamination but as they are not water soluble, they do not enter water courses. As part of being a responsible dog owner, dog faeces should always be picked and cleared up being disposed of in dog or general waste bins rather than “green” waste (in garden bins) as this material is recycled.

Historically, some of the older active ingredients have been used in agriculture which has played a role in environmental exposure. This is an area that is increasingly more tightly regulated with several products now indeed no longer available for use.

Currently, products available for use on pets are undergoing further scrutiny, likely leading to their reclassification. Changes may include availability only from sources where advice is given at the time of purchase as to responsible and targeted use, e.g. what is the best product to use if my dog swims,  rather than being purchased ‘off the shelf’ in supermarkets and garden centres or bought from online retailers with limited or no advice given at the point of purchase.

Best advice would always be to seek guidance from a Veterinary Surgeon or other suitably qualified person for the most appropriate product if your dog is allowed in water.

Article by Cllr. Liam Manson, July 2026.

On Thursday 11th June 2026, Castle Acre Parish Council (PC) held its regular monthly meeting, no members of the public attended.

Statutory Consultation ref: U22074 /U33280 Castle Acre – South Acre Road Ford – Prohibition of Motor Vehicles Traffic Regulation Order.

Castle Acre Parish Council would like to remind Residents and Visitors that the Temporary TRO restriction has been extended to 27^th August 2026. Consultee’s comments on the ‘delegated powers report’ are under further review by NCC / NP Law. CAPC accepts every Ford has its own unique concerns with South Acre Ford being a mix of both Health & Safety and Biodiversity/wildlife habitat protection as it is bisected by the River Nar (a rare chalk stream) and designated Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), as such, CAPC continues to await a final decision and will update…

It has been noted that some instances of unlawful, (in breach of the current TTRO regulations) car parking have been occurring at the Ford, CAPC have received reports that pedestrians/mobility scooter users found access to the pathway at the barriers was blocked due to inconsiderate car parking. Please park considerately in our Village. Thank you.

 

Interested in becoming a ‘First Responder’ with the East of England Ambulance Service!  The Clerk recently discovered in conversation with the East of England Ambulance Service that the nearest registered ‘First Responder’ to Castle Acre is located at Swaffham. Community First Responders (CFRs) are trained Volunteers that could arrive first at emergencies to provide immediate assistance, stabilise situations and save lives. The training itself comprises of a sixday intensive course (e learning and face to face, with assessments and further ongoing learning provided).

If this is a role you might be interested in and would like to provide this service for Castle Acre, please investigate the possibility/check criteria, visit: https://www.eastamb.nhs.uk/join–theteam/volunteering–and–volunteers/community–first–responders

 

The Droves Solar ‘Farm’ / Power Station. 

CAPC would like to remind Residents the DCO for ‘The Droves Solar complex’, (approx. 825 hectares), North of Swaffham and South of Castle Acre has now entered the ‘Examination Phase’ of the NSIP (Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project) process, the initial hearings (held in person / Teams) commenced on May 6^th & 7^th. CAPC Solar Group Interested Parties have now submitted further representations to the Planning Inspectorate, as cited at the May hearings all done by the 2^{nd of} June deadline. The Planning Inspectorate confirm that the next round of hearings is provisionally booked for the w/c 7^th September 2026.

To sign up for project updates independently, please visit: Get updates | The Droves Solar Farm

Note: The proposed site would have a construction period of at least two years, with approximately 622 daily traffic movements on surrounding roads. The site includes Solar PV Units, Mounting Structures, Transformers & Switchgear, Inverters, sub-Station, Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) and additional Pylons, with a potential lifespan of 60 years!

The Droves Solar Farm – Castle Acre Parish Council

 

To view Council Minutes and finances go to: http://castleacreparishcouncil.gov.uk. Castle Acre PC’s next meeting is 7:30pm, Thursday July 9^th, 2026, at CA Village Hall. Clerk- Amy Hart Tel: 07815430777 Email: clerk@castleacreparishcouncil.gov.uk

Castle Acre Parish Council, May 2026.

On Thursday 14th May 2026, Castle Acre Parish Council (PC) held its AGM, followed by its regular monthly meeting, six members of the public attended.

Annual General Meeting.

As a matter of usual business, the Chair, Cllr Tim Hubbard and Vice Chair, Cllr Neil Patrick stood down from their posts at the start of the Annual General Meeting. After a vote to elect new officials Cllr Tim Hubbard was re-elected as Chair and Cllr Neil Patrick as Vice Chair both for a further year’s term!

Cllr Tim Hubbard (Chair) presented his third annual report 2025/26. Several projects have been undertaken in the Village and the PC want to thank all members of the community who have helped and supported the Village and Parish Council in anyway over the last twelve months. CAPC recognise the PC has found time stretched further than usual due to The Droves planning process. CAPC would like to thank the Solar Steering Group, Residents, Cllrs & MP’s who have engaged with the process and supported the PC. News Reports can be viewed online: Hearings over Droves Solar Farm take place in King’s Lynn | Eastern Daily Press

Thanks to the volunteers who gave up their time to weed and mulch the 350 hedging plants on East Green, to the Village litter-picking volunteers and helpers, SAM2 Operator, the Heritage Volunteer Group, volunteer Carpenter (who has fixed the Village Map, Noticeboard and Gates), Village Committees, especially CAPFA and Village Hall and of course, our dedicated group of Cllrs. We are grateful for all you do, thank you.

For copy of Chair’s annual report, contact the Clerk.

The Droves Solar ‘Farm’ / Power Station. 

CAPC would like to inform Residents that ‘The Droves Solar complex’, (approx. 825 hectares), North of Swaffham and South of Castle Acre has now entered the ‘Examination Phase’ of the NSIP (Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project) process,  wherein the initial hearings (in person/Teams) commenced on May 6^th & 7^th at the Dukes Head, Kings Lynn. At the opening hearings, amongst a variety of interested parties, the representations/questions of our Chair, Steering Group/CAPC and Residents of Castle Acre, South Acre & Sporle by Palgrave & James Wild MP were put forward to the Applicant’s (large) legal Team, via

Antony Johnson, the Governments Independent Planning Inspector. The Examination

Timetable will be published by the Planning Inspectorate, on Droves section of the Planning Inspectorate website 27^th May case ref: EV2-001. In the meantime, a recording and transcript of the 7^th May (issue specific hearing) is available in the examination library. Note: The proposed site would have a construction period of at least two years, with approximately 622 daily movements on surrounding roads and a potential lifespan of 60 years. The site includes: Solar PV Units, Mounting Structures, Transformers & Switchgear, Inverters, Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) and Pylons.

The Droves Solar Farm – Castle Acre Parish Council

 

To view Council Minutes and finances go to: http://castleacreparishcouncil.gov.uk. Castle

Acre PC’s next meeting is 7:30pm, Thursday June 11^th, 2026, at CA Village Hall. Clerk- Amy

Hart Tel: 07815430777 Email: clerk@castleacreparishcouncil.gov.uk