News

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YVS and local Parishes join in protest

YVS and Colney and Cringleford Parishes have written a joint letter to South Norfolk District Council Planning Department expressing their concern that UEA has failed to address important issues raised by objectors to UEA’s most recent Rugby Cub planning application (2018/1830).

An email dated 26th September 2018 from the UEA’s Agent claims to respond to objections, but instead ignores any reference to many of the legitimate planning concerns that the objectors, including the CPRE, have raised.

A major concern (amongst several) is that car parking spaces are built within the Yare Valley protected green space for a Rugby Club facility that does not exist and may never exist. The text of the letter can be found here.

Go to our Planning page for more background information on this application.

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Strawberry Field enhancement delayed

A notice posted at the Bluebell Road entrance to the Strawberry Field suggests that work on improvement of paths, signposting, interpretation panels etc. would be taking place this autumn, and that the field would be shut in order to enable the work to be done.

Strawberry Field Notice

YVS now understand that the work will not now take place until the spring because of the need to complete some formalities. In the meantime, the field will not be shut, and the public will be able to enjoy use of the Field.

 

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“Bridge of Dreams” now open

The Colney/Bowthorpe bridge linking a Colney bridleway with an ancient track into Bowthorpe is now open. The dreams of half a century have been realised. There are reports of it already being used by “green” commuters between the Norwich Research Park and Bowthorpe. It will not be long before other  users of the Valley green space include this tranquil crossing in their circular excursions.

Bridge of Dreams
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Latest Rugby Club application 2018/1830

More information and comment on this application is on now on our Planning page.

The YVS view is that SNDC should stand by the conditions of the original approval, and refuse the application, to avoid possible unintended consequences of approval being granted.

The Yare Valley Society objection letter to this application can now be viewed here

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UEA seeks to change conditions on Rugby Club development

Planning Application 2018/1830

The UEA is applying to split the Rugby Club Sports Park Development Approval at Colney Lane into two phases, and to vary conditions 2, 3 ,4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 23, 27, 28 and 31 from planning permission 2016/0233 placed upon the Development

Documents relating to the application can be found at South Norfolk Planning. Search under 2018/1830. It is best to start with the “Section 73 Application Statement” under the documents tab.

YVS is examining the proposals closely, and observations about the application will appear on the Planning Page in shortly.

The closing date for comments on the Application is 23 September 2018.

You will have a chance to discuss the application at our AGM on the 12 September, (see Home page). Please be there to make your views known and influence the YVS response.

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Uncertainty over Rugby Club Development at UEA

The Rugby Club has so far failed to conclude its negotiations with the developer of its current facilities at Beeston Hyrne. UEA admits in a current planning application with South Norfolk District Council (2018/1830) that the “Timescales regarding when the Rugby Club will be in a position to enter into a long lease are currently unknown”.

The UEA in its new planning application is seeking to split the development into two phases in an effort to secure permission for a Phase 1 which is for “additional parking for users of the sports area and nearby facilities on the NRP”. To achieve this, it is applying for a number of conditions placed upon the original application approval to be changed.

 What if the Rugby Club negotiations are not concluded successfully? What then is the future of Phase 2? Will a car park have been extended in a sensitive area for a facility that does not exist? Will safeguarding conditions have been by-passed?

See the news item above for accessing the application documents.

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A dream for half a century is being realised.

The Colney/Bowthorpe Bridge

The Colney/Bowthorpe bridge over the Yare is approaching completion. After final certification and transfer documentation is completed it will be handed over to Norfolk County Council. The bridge will link the bridleway at Colney to an ancient track at Bowthorpe. It re-establishes a river crossing that disappeared many years ago. In a plan for the Yare Valley published by the Norwich Society in 1968, one of the projects was for the then existing stepping stones be replaced by a bridge. It was a project long supported by the Yare Valley Society. The dream is now being realised half a century later.

 

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Elisabeth Frink Sculptures at the UEA

UEA hope to acquire two Elisabeth Frink Sculptures, Mirage I and Mirage II to display as part of their Sculpture Park.  Positioned on the north-west edge of the lake, the sculptures would be viewable from the Sainsbury Centre and the Yare Valley Walk. The unveiling of the sculptures at the Sainsbury Centre will coincide with Elisabeth Frink: Humans and other Animals, a major exhibition celebrating the work of Dame Elisabeth Frink born in East Anglia in 1930. More details are to be found in Planning Application 18/01120/F at Norwich City Planning.

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Reporting dead fish

We have had a report of dead fish being seen in the river.

If you see any dead fish in the river, or notice any other environmental incident, please note the precise details of the incident and report it to the Environmental Agency using their 24 hour hotline 0800 80 70 60. Examples of the incidents the Environmental Agency want to know about are given at www.gov.uk/report-an-environmental-incident.

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Norwich City Council raises concerns on McCarthy and Stone Bluebell Road Development

Norwich City Council has still to make a decision on the  proposals for Phase 2 of McCarthy and Stone Phase 2 development. Norwich City Council has serious concerns about the proposals, and you can see the details of the concerns on the Planning Portal.  Search under reference 18/00265/F.   Click on the documents tab, and then “View associated documents”. Select document dated 10 July.

Concerns include: Planning use class; Design, layout and character; Transport; Flood risk; Renewable energy/sustainability; and Open space.

YVS shares Norwich City Council’s concerns and wishes them well in their continuing negotiations with the developers.