Matthew Senior

Hunters Chocolates and Hunters Academy of Food plan to relocate from Home Farm House in Helhoughton to a larger barn in Hindolveston. Demand surged after the business appeared on the James Martin Saturday Morning Show, generating about 600,000 website visits and nationwide orders. The new facility would separate chocolate production from cookery classes, include visitor viewing areas, a tasting and retail space, and café seating. The proposal is being considered through North Norfolk District Council’s planning process.

Repairs to the front of the former Silver Taxis office on Market Place in Dereham may proceed after part of the listed building was demolished without consent. Breckland Council enforcement officers halted the work and required the shopfront to be made safe. Councillor Alison Webb said council officers were discussing a resolution with the tenants, but any repairs must be agreed with the listed building officer.

French's Fish Shop has submitted plans to convert the former Quayside Amusements building on the Quay in Wells-next-the-Sea into an extension featuring customer seating, queuing space, and food storage and preparation areas. The proposal also includes removing the warehouse's corrugated roof and adding a second floor for storage. North Norfolk District Council will decide the application, reference PF/26/1200, at a later date.

Catherine Al-Bay, a 60-year-old retired teacher from Dereham, died at the scene after her Vauxhall Corsa collided with a Ford Transit on the A47 at North Tuddenham on August 3. Her family described her as a passionate traveller, musician, swimmer and craft enthusiast whose death has left a deep void. An inquest at Norfolk Coroner's Court recorded a provisional cause of death as multiple trauma from a road traffic collision and was adjourned until a pre-inquest review in March 2027. The van driver was arrested and released on bail while the investigation continues.

An inquest heard that only part of Sergei Voitechovic’s remains had been recovered from a field near Walton Highway, Norfolk, seven years after he was reported missing. DNA testing identified the remains, but the cause and circumstances of his death could not be established. Norfolk Police found no evidence of foul play and suggested wildlife and farm machinery may have scattered or buried the remains. Witnesses described unusual objects being left around the field, although police found no link to the death. The coroner recorded a narrative conclusion after hearing evidence about Voitechovic’s disappearance, personal circumstances and the subsequent discovery.

A petition led by Councillor Liz Vickers urges LINK to reconsider its decision not to recommend a banking hub for Fakenham. LINK identified deficiencies in the town's cash access but instead proposed expanding assisted cash services. Vickers argues that Fakenham's remaining bank, Nationwide, cannot adequately serve residents, surrounding villages, market-day visitors and local businesses. The campaign follows the rejection of plans for an ATM at Nationwide's branch because of concerns about damage to its Grade II-listed Georgian building.

Upgrades at Anglian Water’s Foulsham Water Recycling Centre in Norfolk have been completed. The project included converting existing chambers into a pumping station, installing new pipework and improving flow-monitoring equipment. Anglian Water said the work forms part of an £11 billion investment across the East of England aimed at maintaining and improving water recycling infrastructure.

Wells Carnival in Wells-next-the-Sea returned with 10 days of live music, craft fairs, contests, family entertainment and a parade featuring floats and fancy dress. Organisers praised the volunteers, participants, sponsors and local community who made the event possible, while photographs by SmithGelder Photography showed thousands attending. The next carnival is scheduled for July 30 to August 8, 2027.

Shaun Cross has applied to convert The Butler’s Cottage in Swanton Novers, near Fakenham, from staff accommodation for the adjacent Swanton House care centre back into a residential home. The property is no longer needed for staff because employees live at home and commute. The planning statement says no alterations are proposed and that the change would not adversely affect heritage, landscape, noise, neighbouring amenity or traffic. North Norfolk District Council will decide the application.

A free gaming party van will visit Dereham Market Place on August 19, followed by free outdoor film screenings at the town’s Memorial Hall on August 26. The events are part of a Breckland Council programme designed to increase footfall, support local businesses and provide family-friendly activities across Dereham and the district’s other market towns.