While cold enough for the lake at the UEA to freeze, a solo otter appeared in front of volunteers, as a new nature trail was officially opened this lunchtime.

According to a recent UEA survey, the otter is one of 2000 species found along the 5km trail around the UEA estate.

Next month there’s a chance to learn about after-school tuition at an Open Day at The Forum.

With over 200 children (many doing both subjects) already on their books, the director of First Class Learning talks about what they offer in our Features section: “Every child can do better given more practice and support.”

One local centre, which has over 200 pupils on its books, is holding an Open Day at The Forum next month for parents who want to find out more.

First Class Learning run centres in Cringleford as well as Taverham and Thorpe.

They aim to offer extra support and practice in English and Maths to help children get nearer to their full potential. Director, Charles Nevick, says they come for a range of reasons: “Some children come because they’re struggling and some come because they are bored at school. You get very bright, even gifted children who need to be stretched.”

The pupils range from age 4 upwards to GCSE. The director of First Class Learning explains: “No school can be all things to all children. Even the best schools are constrained by the other things they have to do, so the time spent practising Maths and English has been reduced.”

The children do a little work every day, typically 10-15 minutes per subject. During the sessions, the children are offered one-to-one support if they need it as they work through the programme: “Every child can do better with a little practice and support.”

Children who sign up with them, find they become more confident in key areas: “We get children who say ‘I know I’m thick’ which is a terrible thing for a child to say at any age. Given practice and help, practically everyone can do better. We get children coming almost every week who say they’ve moved up a set in school and they’re so pleased.”"

The work is linked to the National Curriculum, with practice papers provided for Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 tests, and GCSE. First Class Learning also run additional sessions for Year 6 children coming up to the change from primary to high school: “A lack of understanding in Year 6 inevitably means allocation to a “low set” on arrival at high school, with the associated disadvantages that brings.”

A free trial is available at any time, subject to capacity. The cost of First Class Learning is £50/month for a child doing one subject.  For a second subject, or for a sibling, the cost is £35/month.  There is a one-off £15/family enrolment fee. There are no set times for arrival; parents drop at staggered times during a session. The centres are open on three afternoons per week after school, Saturday mornings and for part of the school holidays.

Prospective parents can call 01603 423405 for an information pack.

The Open Day at The Forum outside The Millennium Library is on Saturday 25th February 2012 between 9am and 4pm, giving parents a chance to see examples from the programmes, pick up leaflets, and talk to staff and current students.

It’s among the first to test out this new power.

The first step is to ask the village what it wants, which got underway today.

A public exhibition opened today at Cringleford Pavillion on Oakfields Road. The aim is to gauge local opinion on the size and shape of future development in the village. Having already doubled in size in the last 10 years, Cringleford has been earmarked for a further 1200 homes.

While these homes will almost certainly be built, by being a front runner, the village can put together a neighbourhood plan, explaining how the development could fit into the area. Anne Barnes, clerk to the parish council said: “It’s a wonderful opportunity to shape the future of our village.”

According to the government, these new powers will give local people “unprecedented influence to determine the future of their areas[..]neighbourhood planning will allow communities to shape their own vision for their community, from deciding the locations of shops, offices and schools to setting standards of design for new housing and protecting green spaces of value to the community.”

The community has the final say on whether a neighbourhood plan comes into force. If more than 50 per cent of people voting in a local referendum support the plan, then the local planning authority must bring it into force. Anne Barnes added: “We won’t know if the plan will have any power or not but we’re hopeful.”

Speaking at the launch of the front runner initiative, Planning Minister Greg Clark said: “For too long local people have been shut out of the planning process with no real voice to affect decisions about the places where they live. Unpopular regional strategies left people without the ability to influence the future of their community and this fuelled resentment towards growth. Neighbourhood planning will hand power back to communities to decide the vision for their area as they see fit, encouraging people to plan positively for their future. This is localism in action and the enthusiasm across the country for neighbourhood planning shows how keen communities are to get involved.”

Each front runner’s local council is being given £20,000 to support work on neighbourhood planning and free advice from planning experts will be available for the local community.

The public exhibition continues tomorrow at Cringleford Pavillion on Oakfields Road.

The incident happened on the Norwich-bound carriageway just before 8am involving a lorry, a van and Renault Clio.

Emergency services remain on scene and traffic is being diverted through Wymondham via the B1172.

A female had to be cut out of the Renault although her injuries are not believed to be serious.

At the UEA, there’s a chance to hear from an architects in charge of the London 2012 Olympic Stadium project.

FANN-XI, the Festival of Architecture in Norwich and Norfolk runs from Monday 10th through to Friday 28th October 2011. The programme is packed with special events, many of them free.

On offer will be exhibitions, lectures, films, opportunities to visit architects’ studios, an architects art trail in galleries and other venues across Norwich. Phillip Johnson of Populous Architects, partner in charge of the Olympic Stadium project, will be giving the annual Norwich Lecture and at Cinema City architects will present their work with 20 images in 20 seconds.

• The Architect Talks – a series of lunchtime talks in The Forum featuring architects included in an exhibition at The Forum. Daily, including McArthur Tring, Allman Woodcock, NPS (South East), Chaplin Farrant, Hudson Architects, Frith Associated, David Marris, CEA and Lucas Hickman Smith. Free event.

• Phillip Johnson of Populous Architects, partner in charge of the Olympic Stadium project: London 2012 Olympic Stadium: Designing to be Different, Thursday, October 13, 6.30pm for 7pm, UEA Lecture Theatre One. Free event.

• Film and Form – a season of architecture themed films at Cinema City Norwich.

• Art Architecture Trail – a series of exhibitions in venues across Norwich showing art created by Norfolk architects, plus work from Norfolk artists who get their inspiration from the built environment. Locations include The Grapevine Gallery, The Bicycle Shop Café Bar, Norwich Playhouse Playroom, The Workshop Café Bar, St Andrew’s House, Expresso Café, Studio Urban Blu and Gallery 18/21 (16-28 October).

• Open Buildings – seven buildings open between 10 and 22 October including Cedar House in Cringleford – full details online.

• Sainsbury Centre half term architecture workshops for young people at the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts.

A red Peugeot 206 was heading towards East Dereham on the A47 just after midday on Sunday 2nd October, when it lost control as it passed over the Thickthorn flyover.

The vehicle left the carriageway and went down an embankment. The male driver died at the scene. A female passenger was treated for minor leg injuries and discharged from the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital later that day.

Witnesses to the collision are sought and should contact the Serious Collision Investigation Team at Wymondham on 0845 456 4567.

In July, two kayaks were removed from the activity centre off Church Lane. One was recovered on the river but the second – a blue and white Pirana G3 multi-purpose kayak – is still missing.

A couple of days before this, two further kayaks had been moved to different points on the river.

A month later, another kayak was removed from an external storage unit on the same site. The kayak was seen with a man on board travelling on the river towards Harford Bridges. This kayak is a red Kiwi two-seater.

Officers want to speak to anyone with information about these thefts. Calls should be made to PC Matt Wright at Earlham, Larkham and Marlpit Safer Neighbourhood Team on 0845 456 4567 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Described as “utter carnage and devastation”, the driver who killed one person after colliding with six cars on the A47 was today sentenced to 6 years.

It comes with a warning that some people may find the footage distressing.

Despite denying the charge, Simon Bothamley from Ramsey in Cambridgeshire was unanimously found guilty of dangerous driving at Norwich Crown Court on Thursday 25 August.

He had been driving a DAF heavy goods lorry on the A47 last July when, close to the A146 slip road at Trowse, he collided with a line of slow moving traffic: initially with a Ford Mondeo, before then hitting three of the other vehicles involved including another Ford Mondeo, a BMW 320d and a Landrover Discovery.

The front seat passenger in the first Ford Mondeo, received fatal injuries as a result of the collision.

Steve Matthews, Head of the Serious Collision Investigation Team, commented on the sentence saying: “Any lapse in concentration whilst driving can have horrifying consequences.  Today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of such events and demonstrates that both Norfolk Constabulary and the Courts will not tolerate such lapses in driving behaviour.  I hope the footage we have released will help other drivers to consider their actions more thoroughly whilst travelling on Norfolk’s roads.”

PC Chris Tremlin, Wymondham Roads Policing, who attended the scene moments after the collision described it as: “utter carnage and devastation – it was like the scene out of a film”.  He added: “I have attended numerous serious and fatal road collisions over the years and without a doubt this was one of the most horrendous scenes my colleagues and I have witnessed.  I find it remarkable that only one person has died.”

Plans to build on a green open space off Bluebell Road have been submitted to the council.

With a month to go before the consultation closes, we ask: should this land be built on?

Where:

5.47 hectares of land in Eaton, west of Bluebell Road, Bartram Mowers Ltd

What:

Building between 150-200 units of housing for the elderly. The area was previously used for nurseries, with the site under glasshouses until the 1960s. Much of the site is now semi-natural grassland.
Adjoining land in the Yare Valley is mainly undeveloped.

The landowner proposes:

• a new footpath linking the Yare Valley Walk to Bluebell Road

• the area bordered by the dotted line will be made available for public access and recreational open space

• potential public access to the land in the Yare Valley that could link up with the adjoining University Broad

Main constraints:

The site is in a river valley, is partially classed as urban green space, and is linked to the core cycle network. The land was previously discounted by the city council due to concerns relating to loss of green space. The current proposal is based on a reduced site boundary with a different use proposed.

Comments:

The Yare Valley Society are meeting to discuss their response. Local councillors in Eaton have been knocking on people’s doors, informing local residents about the consultation, finding some residents in favour and some against. Eaton councillor, Caroline Ackroyd, said: “Despite the smaller area proposed for development it constitutes a loss of green space with access onto a busy road.  It represents an intrusion into an unofficial ‘green belt’ between the built area and the Yare Valley which offers opportunities for leisure and wildlife rich in biodiversity. There are other sites in Norwich which are more suitable for development.”

Consultation:
The consultation closes on Friday 30 September 2011. To make your views known, go to the city council’s website and select “current consultations” from the left hand side.