North Lynn Borough Councillor Austen Moore: September 2026 Update | King's Lynn & West Norfolk

As September comes to a close it's time for my North Lynn Borough Councillor monthly update.

I attended an event that was hosted by Reform UK in Thetford. There were several guests at the event including Colin Sutton who is the new Reform Police and Crime Commissioner for Norfolk. It was good to meet Colin in person and since meeting him I have been able to talk to him directly about issues faced by residents in North Lynn and the rest of the Borough of King's Lynn and West Norfolk. He has been able to take these comments directly to the Chief Constable for them to discuss and come back with solutions. I think the best way to describe Colin is good old fashioned policing that many of us grew up with. I don't think Colin would be advising Police Officers to prioritise hurty words on Facebook.

I also had the opportunity to meet Siobhan Whyte, whose daughter Rhiannon was tragically murdered in October 2024. Rhiannon, aged just 27, was attacked at Bescot Stadium railway station in Walsall after being followed from the hotel where she worked. She was stabbed 23 times with a screwdriver by Deng Chol Majek, a Sudanese asylum seeker who was subsequently convicted of her murder and sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 29 years.

Since losing Rhiannon, Siobhan has been campaigning for changes to the asylum system and what she believes are stronger safeguards to prevent other families experiencing the devastating loss that her family has endured. Meeting Siobhan gave me an opportunity to hear first hand about Rhiannon, the impact her murder has had on her family and why Siobhan is determined to keep her daughter's memory alive while campaigning for change.

I also met Lucy Connolly, whose case has become part of the wider debate about how people have been treated by the criminal justice system following the Southport murders and the disturbances that followed.

Lucy was arrested on 6 August 2024 and held in custody until her sentencing in October. She ultimately pleaded guilty to stirring up racial hatred and received a 31 month prison sentence. However, she explained to me that the circumstances surrounding that guilty plea are an important part of her story. Having been denied bail, she faced the prospect of remaining in prison while waiting for her case to come to trial. She told me that pleading guilty appeared to offer the quickest route home to her daughter.

What particularly struck me was Lucy's comparison with Ricky Jones, the then serving Labour councillor who was filmed at a demonstration saying that people should “cut all their throats”. Jones was granted bail, went to trial and was subsequently acquitted by a jury. Lucy believes the contrast raises serious questions about consistency and fairness in the criminal justice system, and whether political considerations have influenced the way some cases are handled. While that does not establish that the judiciary has been politicised, I believe the questions Lucy raises are important when considering public confidence in our justice system.

Lucy also spoke about the experiences of many women in prison, particularly those who have suffered abuse, trauma and addiction. Her concern is that women can be imprisoned without properly addressing the underlying problems that contributed to their offending, leaving them at risk of returning to the same circumstances and ultimately back into prison.

This is not simply a personal observation. Government, parliamentary and NHS evidence has identified high levels of trauma, domestic abuse, mental health problems and substance misuse among women in the criminal justice system. NHS England has specifically highlighted gaps in support for women whose addictions are linked to past trauma and the importance of continuity of care and safe accommodation after release.

Our conversation left me with an important question: what do we actually want the prison system to achieve? Punishment and protecting the public are clearly essential, but if women leave prison without addressing the addiction, abuse or trauma that contributed to their offending, are we really doing enough to prevent them from returning?

New play equipment in North Lynn

The Edma Street Play Area has had some new play equipment recently installed by the West Norfolk Borough Council outdoor parks team. They do an amazing job keeping our public spaces clean and well kept.

At KLAC, we received a presentation on the play equipment across the Borough. If I simplify it down to what I basically took from the meeting, it was: "We have a great deal of equipment at the end of its life, but we don't have the funds to replace it all."

You can take a look at the presentation we were shown by clicking HERE

I struggle to accept that we don't have the money. When we can find millions for the Guildhall, lose £1.4 million on the Lynnsport Project and no one faces any kind of accountability, it seems that it's more about how the money is spent, and in some cases wasted, than whether we have enough money.

Remember, this is your money, not the council's money.

The new swimming pool

The council voted in favour of spending a further £845,609.17 to determine whether the new pool should be located next to the Kaset building at Lynnsport. The council says this funding will take the project through RIBA Stages 2 and 3, with a full business case due in March 2027.

So, in total, around £2.25 million will have been spent on just deciding where the pool can go. I've never seen anything like this in the private sector in my career.

Reform, along with Councillor Brian Long from the Conservatives and a few other councillors, suggested that we don't vote this through in Council, as we felt there should be a pause to make sure we understand exactly what the costs really are to refurbish St James' Pool. We couldn't seem to get accurate figures at Corporate Performance Panel, and we also wanted to take a few more weeks to understand whether this location really was the best option before a further £845,609.17 was invested.

It's worth keeping in mind that when I questioned the £1.4 million previously spent, I was told it wasn't wasted because we'd learnt some good data from it. I don't know what data was obtained, but I'm confident it wasn't worth £1.4 million of your money, and none of that data appears to have saved us money on where they are placing the new pool.

It's also worth considering that the new location wasn't even included in the previous list of locations as part of the £1.4 million project, but now we have been told that this is the only location.

Really? A location you didn't even properly consider before is now the only one that is viable?

Ultimately, this administration could have waited a few more weeks to present more information to everyone so an informed decision could be made. Unfortunately, the majority of councillors just couldn't wait a few more weeks, so they have voted to spend a further £845,609.17 instead.

I have plenty of people from North Lynn and elsewhere in the Borough who were furious about the £1.4 million that was spent. When I try and discuss it, they act like it's just my opinion and I'm the enemy. They don't seem to realise that I'm the voice of you, the people who are unhappy and want answers.

Some of you may be completely happy, but I still need to speak on behalf of those who are not.

Holding a Councillor surgery

I want to make it easier for residents to come and speak to me in person, whether you have an issue you would like to raise, need help with a council matter, have an idea for North Lynn or simply want to have a chat about what's happening in our community.

I have been speaking with The Beacon Church about holding a regular councillor surgery there, where I would be available for a couple of hours once a month.

The aim is to provide a regular, informal opportunity for residents to come along, meet me and discuss anything that is important to them.

I'll announce the dates and times as soon as they are confirmed. I hope this will give more residents the opportunity to have their voices heard and help me understand the issues that matter most to people living in North Lynn.

As always, my aim is to keep North Lynn residents informed about what is happening in our community and to make sure your concerns are heard at the Borough Council.

There is still plenty of work to do, and I will continue to challenge decisions where I believe it is necessary, support local residents and businesses, and work with community organisations to find practical solutions to the issues affecting our area.

If there is something happening in North Lynn that you think I should be looking at, or an issue you would like me to raise with the Council, please get in touch. I may not always be able to resolve every problem, but I will always do my best to listen, represent you and make sure your voice is heard.

Councillor Austen Moore

Borough Councillor for North Lynn

King's Lynn & West Norfolk