Category: Environmental issues

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Bartram Mowers Development – Act now!

Respond now to the pre-planning application consultation of LNT Care Developments on their proposals for a 66 bed Care home on the former Bartram Mowers site, Bluebell Road, Eaton. This is a large structure that impacts on the Yare Valley Green Corridor. You have only until Thursday 11th June 2026 to respond.

Care Home would occupy roughly the position of existing building Photo: Lisa Morgan

The proposals are here, and the response form is here.

We feel the present proposals are woefully inadequate for a large structure that will be visible from many directions in the Valley Green Corridor:

Contrary to the claims made by LNT:

  • The design seems very much to be from a standard pattern book, more suited to an inner urban area. There is little evidence of materials (or design) that are “in keeping with local styles” or with the local setting adjacent to the Yare Valley Green Space.
  • The proposals “include new planting and landscaping throughout the site, alongside the retention of the majority of the existing trees”. Unfortunately, the development boundary (inside the red line) is very tightly drawn around the structure, and is far too restrictive for adequate “softening” landscape around the structure, and excludes almost all the existing mature trees. Is it really necessary to remove any mature trees within the site?
  • LNT state that “the existing mature trees along the boundary of the site sit outside of our site area and will therefore not be removed as part of our proposals.” LNT may not remove them, but this is an admission that they have no control over the possible removal of the existing mature trees in the future. Such removal could have a devastating visual impact on the views from the surrounding area including the Strawberry Field. The proposals are unacceptable unless the site boundary can be drawn more widely to include the existing mature trees that would help to screen the structure.
Screening trees are outside of development site. Will they be there in the future? Photo: Lisa Morgan

In the propsals we can find no mention of measures to deliver a net biodiversity gain. Such measures are important for a development adjacent to the Yare Valley Green Corridor.

When completing the feedback form, if you are against the proposals in their present form, please avoid saying anything that might be construed as supporting the development e.g. avoid responding to question 2. Good luck!

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AGM and Presentation on progressing the UEA Boardwalk

All who value the green space of the Yare Valley are welcome to come along to the Yare Valley Society AGM and presentation on progressing the UEA Boardwalk on Wednesday 17th June 2026 at 7.30pm at the Cringleford Sports Pavilion.

The AGM will be held first, and usually takes about 30 minutes. Papers for the AGM are here.

Last year at the AGM, Tom Everett, the UEA Landscape Manager gave a very well-received talk. This year he is joined by the UEA Boardwalk Team, Justine Mann and Orla Condra. Together they will be telling us how installing the Boardwalk might be expected to progress. They will welcome your ideas and suggestions to guide the project.

YVS partnered with the UEA in bids to finance the Boardwalk, and the committee appreciated working with the UEA team and for their exceptional effort in preparing and assembling the extensive documentation. See our post below on the 7th May.

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Conservation Volunteers June 2026

Another full progamme this month, with quite a lot of attention going to the Wensum River Valley. Mark Webster writes:

“…We are all about the flowers this month, protecting newly seeded wildflower areas by removing more aggressive weeds, controlling bracken to enable a much wider range of heathland plants to thrive, and (of course) visiting lots of beautiful riverside sites, many that the public don’t get to see, to remove the dreaded Himalayan Balsam from the Wensum catchment before it can affect the Broads.  We really do get to see some of the loveliest parts of Norfolk from the upper tributaries to almost the heart of Norwich.

So I hope you can send us more people soon, as we go Way Upstream into the Heart Of Darkness Hellesdon and beyond…”

Mark’s full letter, and the June programme is here.

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Take a Walk on the Boardwalk next Spring?

The last few months have been exciting times for the YVS Committee as it has worked with a team at UEA to seek funding from the Greater Norwich Growth Board and the National Lottery Community Fund to replace the UEA Boardwalk.

Firstly though, a big thank you for the generosity of all who have contributed to the fund to replace the University of East Anglia (UEA) Boardwalk, exceeding the target of £5,000. The UEA/YVS bids for additional funding would not have been viable without your clear signal of strong community support.

Added to this is now £260,899 of funding from the Greater Norwich Growth Board. Taken together with funds from other sources, the total now covers the estimated cost of replacement of £439,708. Work on the new boardwalk will begin in Autumn 2026 to a timetable that will minimise the disturbance to wildlife. Completion is due in Spring 2027. See the UEA press release for more detail.

The UEA and Yare Valley Society (YVS) are also seeking funding from the National Lottery Community Fund for a “UEA Boardwalk Community Engagement Project”. The Project is a partnership between the YVS and UEA. It will give opportunities for people to say what they expect for the boardwalk, and their views and ideas for a launch event, for creating signage and interpretation panels, and for guiding promotional and educational materials.

The old boardwalk
The UEA team: Justine and Orla

The YVS committee was thrilled to work with a great UEA team. YVS and UEA worked in close cooperation to seek funds from the Greater Norwich Growth Board and the National Lottery Fund. Regular meetings and correspondence took place, and the YVS committee expresses its gratitude to the UEA team, Justine Mann and Orla Condra for their exceptional effort in preparing and assembling the extensive documentation.

Members of the YVS team, the UEA team, UEA Estate team, the Fringe Project, and Eaton Residents Association on site. Photo courtesy of UEA
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Conservation Volunteers May 2026

All are welcome to join in the conservation activities. This monthly the activities include dealing with invasive plants such as yellow archangel, and in the Yare Valley at Bluebell woods next to Eaton Park, giving some tlc to some recently planted trees. Mark Webster’s full letter and programme are here.

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Norwich Community Gardens Festival

On the 25 to 26th April Norwich Community Gardens Festival will celebrate and make better known the work of many volunteers who give time to caring for green spaces around the City. You can come along and support the volunteers in a range of activities across the City. Included is an opportunity to meet volunteers at Danby Wood in the Yare Valley between 9am and 3pm on Sunday 26th.

Other attractions are a Norwich Tales and Trails Puzzle Walk, a bike ride, a herb propagation workshop and a children’s Spotting and Activity Sheet.

All the details can be found at here.

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Conservation Volunteers April 2026

Mark Webster of the Conservation Volunteers writes:

“Not sure if it’s Spring or not yet?  The weather is variable but we will be staying out all month, although we do have our semi-indoor Jolly Trips this month too: these are our much-loved and much-anticipated ‘works outings’ where we go to places chosen by some of our regular volunteers for a work-free day out.  These ‘thank you’ days are open to all existing volunteers (including Easton students) although if any day is oversubscribed then preference will be given to those who have done the most task days with us already.  Please do ask any eligible people to book for these days as soon as you can by contacting me ( 07740 899 691 / mark.webster@tcv.org.uk ) or telling their leader during a task day.

There are still some actual practical tasks to do as well though, including wildflower planting at two new Broadland sites, removing invasive species (no, not balsam yet!) and various jobs to keep pathways open across Norfolk so that people can get into their local green spaces even when the weeds start to grow up!

Whether volunteers are joining us at Sainsburys in Norwich or on-site, please can I suggest that you ask them to leave enough time to get to the meeting point BEFORE the minibus arrives.  We usually have to get on to the work area as soon as we do arrive, and we don’t want them to miss their chance to join us.  At some sites it can be difficult to find us once we have left the meeting point, but if they are lost or running late they can call or text (or whatsapp) 07740 899 691.  I will see if I can direct them on to where the team are – or get someone to come and find them (if we can do this without disrupting the rest of the team too much).  It is also worth noting that parking can sometimes be extremely limited near to where we are actually working, hence the need for a meeting point with spaces, but perhaps some distance from where we are working.”

The full programme can be found here.

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Come and plant a Woodland Trust tree on the UEA Meadows

Volunteers from the Yare Valley Meadow Makers (YVMM) have in recent years put a lot of effort in improving the meadowland at UEA. With trees from the Woodland Trust, they and the UEA Biodiversity Heroes are taking another step to improve the ecology of the meadows. The trees will add to those already planted in February this year.

Matt Tomlinson of the YVMM writes:

“We have 105 wildlife focused native trees coming from the Woodland Trust and need your help to plant them on the UEA Meadows. The trees will give more shade (better able to cope with droughts), increased habitat diversity and link together the wooded habitats on campus and lake sides. As well as providing an excellent habitat in their own right. In the future they will be coppiced to create valuable scrub habitat.

Species include 15 x silver birch, 15 x hazel, 15 x hawthorn, 15 x rowan, 15 x English oak, 30 x blackthorn”

Join the work party at UEA Meadows on Saturday March 7th 10-12 am

Meet at the same place as in February, at the new sign on the UEA meadows (Bluebell Road entrance near North Park Avenue) What3words ///free.doctor.blocks 

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Conservation Volunteers March 2026

The Conservation Volunteers are looking forward to Spring with their activities this month. The hedge cutting season will end shortly to avoid the main bird nesting season from March to August, but hedge planting will continue apace. There are plenty of other conservation activities as well. If you would like to give your support the monthly programme from Mark Webster is here.

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Plant a tree in the Valley

The Yare Valley Meadow Makers (YVMM) invite you to join with them and the UEA Biodiversity Heroes in planting trees in the university meadow.

Matt Tomlinson (centre of photo) of the YVMM writes:

“To beat the winter blues we have a winter work party planned, joining with UEA biodiversity heroes.

We are planting trees on the UEA meadows. For more shade (better able to cope with droughts), increased habitat diversity and linking together the wooded habitats on campus and lake sides. As well as providing an excellent habitat in their own right. Species are wild pear, spindle, hazel, blackthorn, rowan and wych elm. All excellent for wildlife, kindly supplied by the council and UEA.

[Come along at] 9-12am on Wednesday 11th February, meet at the new sign [in the photo] on the UEA meadow, if you are a little late please walk down the meadows to find us.”

YVMM hope to have another work party in late February, this time planting trees supplied by the Woodland Trust.