“The so-called Nature Recovery part of the Bill is a Trojan horse – it’s a misnomer because, in reality, it is a licence to destroy. It replaces vital nature protections with a weaker substitute, … [and so] … it puts irreplaceable habitats and threatened species at risk.”
Craig is not alone, Beccy Speight, RSPB chief executive, says:
“… the Bill in its current form will rip the heart out of environmental protections and risks sending nature further into freefall. … The evidence clearly shows nature isn’t a blocker to growth. The government has identified the wrong obstacle to the problem it’s trying to overcome, and that has led it to the wrong solutions.”
Even the government’s own body, the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP), has warned that the Planning & Infrastructure Bill will cause “environmental regression”.
The Yare Valley Society believes the Planning & Infrastructure Bill threatens the community’s ability to protect the green space corridor of the Yare Valley. The Bill weakens the present requirement that a development should deliver a “net biodiversity gain”. It allows developers of small and medium developments (the majority) to transfer measures to mitigate environmental damage away from the development site to elsewhere. This means it reduces the likelihood of new developments near the Valley having green spaces that could serve as stepping stones, to link the corridor with the wider green ecology network. One final aspect is that it reduces the protections to globally rare chalk streams, of which the River Yare is one.
Beside the river Yare – a globally rare Chalk Stream Photo: John Elbro
Go to the Wildlife Trusts website to do this easily. It strengthens your message if you can tell your MP why Green Space and Wildlife are important to you personally, ideally by mentioning the Yare Valley.
In the past year or so, representatives from the Yare Valley Society have participated in consultations and workshops to guide the formulation of a new updated Green Infrastructure Strategy for Greater Norwich for up to 2038. The Greater Norwich Growth Board has now approved the Strategy and this month YVS representatives attended its official launch at the Sainsbury Centre at UEA.
UEA Iris has a visitor Photo: Rachel Taylor
The Strategy focuses on “delivering multiple benefits: nature-rich places, active and healthy communities, thriving economies, improved water management, and resilient climate-positive environments. … [It is] … a significant milestone, which paves the way for a greener, more connected Greater Norwich.”
For an overall view of the entire Strategy go to Greater Norwich Green Infrastructure Strategy Story Map.
You can explore the hoped for outcomes of the Strategy by going to the Strategy Documents and selecting the Strategic Delivery Plan 2025-2030 and look at the Proposed Strategic Green Infrastructure Initiatives in its Delivery Programme.
This news item will focus on the initiatives that relate to the key role the Yare Valley has in the Strategy as a Strategic Green Infrastructure (GI) Corridor.
Reproduced by kind permission of the Greater Norwich Growth Board
The Yare Valley Society has long pressed for the Valley Corridor to be regarded as a single entity in planning, and this long held vision is promoted in the “Southern Norwich Yare Valley Parkway” initiative. The initiative will “encourage projects that support development of a major linear park connecting a potential new country park at Bawburgh and Colney Lakes west of Norwich with Whitlingham Country Park to the east, including completion of the Yare Valley Walk and improved links to the city centre, as well as potential links to the Wensum Corridor in Norwich and to the west, and restoration of floodplain fen habitats and riparian woodland along the river corridor”
Other initiatives indicate how the Parkway is to be embedded in the wider green infrastructure.
The Parkway will be linked to the “Norwich Green Grid Corridors” initiative. The initiative will “encourage projects that support enhancement of Green Grid Corridors within the densely built-up Norwich Urban Area, creating a strong and multifunctional green network connecting Norwich to the wider strategic GI network – through access improvements, including new/enhanced green spaces and waterside access, urban greening, food growing spaces, protecting and enhancing wildlife sites, and enhancing the City’s landscape setting (including wooded valley sides and ridgelines in particular)”
The Parkway will also link via green corridors to the Wensum Valley, to the surrounding country towards Wymondham and towards the Waveney Valley Strategic Green infrastructure corridor.
The “South Norwich to the Waveney Valley” initiative will “encourage projects that support enhancement of the Boudicca Way between Norwich and Diss including as access improvements and creating new circular walks linked to the Norfolk Trails network to align with the Norfolk Access Improvement Plan 2019–2029, and improved connectivity and enhancement of hedgerows and woodland habitats.”
The South-West Norwich to Wymondham will “encourage projects that support enhancement of the Strategic GI Corridor linking South-West Norwich with Wymondham including new and improved accessible greenspace, public rights of way network improvements and new greenways, pond restoration/creation, and expanding, strengthening and linking woodland, grassland and hedgerows”
These corridors are also intended to connect the Parkway to the existing Country Park of Ladybelt and to a potential new country park southeast of Norwich. The Parkway itself would provide a link between the existing Whitlingham Country Park and the proposed Bawburgh/Colney Lakes Country Park.
The Potential New Country Parks initiative will “encourage projects for the creation of new country parks potentially located to the west of Norwich at Bawburgh/Colney Lakes, to the south east of Norwich in the Caistor St Edmund area (focused around High Ash Farm/Venta Icenorum Roman Settlement) and to the north-east of Norwich.
These new county parks would provide additional larger-scale accessible greenspace to meet the needs of a growing population. They would also provide Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace to address recreational impacts from visitor pressures of new development on wildlife sites protected under the Habitat Regulations in line with the Norfolk Green Infrastructure & Recreational Impact Avoidance and Mitigation Strategy”
Finally blue space has not been forgotten, of particular relevance to Bawburgh Lakes is the Blue Spaces initiative which will “encourage projects for the creation and enhancement of blue spaces, such as the restoration of gravel pits within river valleys to provide nature-rich wetland habitats and opportunities for access and water-focused leisure activities”
So far so good, and the Yare Valley Society welcomes the new Green Strategy as providing a clear vision for the future. Its success as a Strategy will depend partly on the funding available and partly on how much it becomes an integral part of the thinking for the planning and the policies of all the local authorities of the Greater Norwich Growth Board area.
UEA is moving forward with the support of the Yare Valley Society and other organizations to secure funding for the construction of a new boardwalk to replace the old worn out one.
Funding has now been obtained through the Norwich City Council for the design stage. UEA can now commission the boardwalk design and, if the City Council agrees the full project application is worth putting forward to the Greater Norwich Growth Board Infrastructure Investment Fund, UEA will submit the application in July 2025
Ahead of the design commissioning process, UEA are running two consultation sessions to hear from local organisations, community groups and schools about how the boardwalk could be restored and replaced in a way that makes the facility a more inclusive, welcoming and enjoyable space. The design will be community-informed, and so these consultations are an excellent opportunity to make suggestions and share ideas.
The consultations will take place on
Friday 9th May 9:30-11:30 [Venue: Roy Snelling Lecture Theatre, Bob Champion Building, NNUH. Free parking available.]
and
Tuesday 13th May 18:00-20:00 [Venue: Willow Centre, Round House Park. Free parking available.]
Yare Valley Society representatives will be at the Tuesday consultation.
The last obstruction to accessing the McCarthy Stone green space has now been removed, opening up more possibilities for circular walks in the Valley. In the original plans a stile was proposed for this access point, but YVS argued that a stile was inappropriate for a green space adjacent to a development for the over 55s.
New Strawberry Field/McCarthy Stone green space link. No stile!
The green space has been extensively planted, and so hopefully in a few years’ time the rather stark view from the Strawberry Field into the green space will be softened.
Two of the barriers to the McCarthy Stone green space have now been removed creating two public access points, one of which, with care, is practical for wheelchairs. The planned access point to the Strawberry field still remains blocked by a fence – although able bodied people have found a way round this. On the original plan a stile was envisaged for this point, but YVS has argued that this is not appropriate, particularly for a green space adjacent to an over 55s development, and it has asked for the access to be on the flat.
Wheelchair access from Leander Court/Daisy Hill Court path. Photo: Hilary Hann
One of the two new access points is from the path between Leander Court and Daisy Hill Court apartment blocks, and the other is from the footpath alongside the Cringleford Flyover linking the Yare Valley Walk (riverside walk) with Bluebell Road. The proper opening of the access point from the Strawberry Field will create new opportunities for short circular walks in the Valley.
There has been extensive planting of trees, shrubs and seeding of meadows. YVS asks users of the green space to take care to give the vegetation the best chance to establish itself, ideally by keeping to the surfaced paths.
After much delay planting is now underway on the green space adjacent to the McCarthy Stone development on the Bluebell Road. The landscaped area will have links to the Strawberry Field and to the Yare Valley Walk and will open up opportunities for new green circular walks.
The planting of trees and other environmental mitigations for achieving biodiversity net gain for the development were a condition of the planning approval. From the start of the development the Yare Valley Society has pressed for the completion of the landscaping of the green space and the other required ecological improvements. It has monitored its progress, and provided reports to the Norwich City Council Planning Department. A recent survey by YVS found that most of the environmental mitigations are now in place. Some, such as hedgehog gaps in the boundary fence, and boundary hedgerow infill planting, are still outstanding, and are being followed up.
At most points of entry to the green space there is fencing, and it is probably as well that general public access is restricted until the planted meadow areas have been given time to become established. People have been seen inside the area already. There are surfaced paths, and it is to be hoped they remain on the paths and treat the newly planted areas with respect. Moles already have access:
A consultation is now open on Norwich’s first parks and open spaces strategy. It is at Get Talking Norwich where you can read the draft strategy and respond to questions and say what you think about it. You have the opportunity to use an interactive map to comment on areas of particular interest to you. You will see from the map there are a lot of green spaces in the Yare Valley that you can comment on. The river marks the Norwich boundary. Remember that these green spaces tell only part of the story, because much of the green space of the Valley Corridor lies on the other side of the river, outside of Norwich. What may seem like small insignificant disconnected green spaces on the Norwich side of the river, become linked up once the bigger picture is viewed.
The Yare Valley Society has already taken part in workshops on formulating this new Greater Norwich Green Infrastructure Strategy, and will make further comment on the resulting draft. Please support us by responding to ensure the Yare Valley receives the attention a major Green Infrastructure Corridor deserves.
The consultation is open until Thursday 2 January 2024.
The Yare River Valley and the Wensum River Valley are the two strategic green infrastructure corridors of Norwich. Proposed developments continue to threaten their effectiveness in providing habitat and free movement for wildlife. One threat is the building of roads across the valleys. An additional road across the Yare Valley has been mooted, but there is no definite plan as yet. A new road across the Wensum is now under consideration to carry the Norwich Western Link. A planning application (FUL/2024/0022) for the Link has been submitted, and it is out for public consultation until 18th August 2024 (recently extended to this date).
Norfolk Wildlife Trust, CPRE, Friends of the Earth and Buglife are have joined with other environmental organisations to condemn the proposals because of the ecological destruction that can be expected to occur. Natural England has sought assurance from the developers Norfolk County Council that a nationally important habitat for a protected species of bat will not be damaged. Whether Norfolk County Council can give such an assurance seems in doubt, but the Council have, none the less, gone ahead with a planning application for the road.
Grounds for objection are detailed by the “Stop the Wensum Link” campaign.
Concern has also been expressed that the route is designed only for motorised vehicle use (or fearless cyclists) with little or no provision for more sustainable means of travel such as walking and cycling. There is no effective shadow route for non-motorised users.
The issues are complex, but if you wish to speak up for our green wildlife corridors and/or sustainable travel, go to the plans and consultation website.
A planning application has been submitted to Norwich City Council for the Carrow Works, King Street, Norwich.
You can view everything submitted as part of the application online on the Carrow Works Norwich City Council website.
Public comment on the application should be made before 15th September 2023. You can comment in the following ways: online at planning.norwich.gov.uk by searching for application number 22/00879/F or by email planning@norwich.gov.uk.
The Yare Valley Society has an interest in this application because of the development’s outstanding potential to deliver safe means of sustainable travel from some large residential areas of Norwich to and from the Yare Valley Green Infrastructure Corridor (GISC), and, in particular, to and from the Whitlingham Country Park.
Cycling and walking routes in the development, properly implemented, should reduce vehicular traffic in the GISC. The resulting reduction in noise and pollution should benefit the wellbeing of wildlife and of all who use the GISC for informal recreation.
The Society will be putting the case that, in the interest of safety of walkers and cyclists, and to best encourage a modal shift to sustainable people movement, the cycling routes should (a) be segregated from the walking routes, and (b) follow the recommendations contained in the Department for Transport, publication Cycle Infrastructure Design LTN 1/20 July 2020.
Please give your support to the parts of the application which will improve walking and cycling to and from the Yare Valley corridor.
Planning applications have been submitted to Norwich City Council, South Norfolk District Council, and Broadland District Council for the development of the Deal Ground at Bracondale. The Yare Valley Society is concerned about any development that could impact on the effectiveness of the Yare Valley green corridor, from Bawburgh Lakes to Whitlingham Country Park, in its roles of sustaining biodiversity, combatting and mitigating the effects of climate change, and providing a green space for informal recreation.
The Application Number for Norwich is 23/00774/RM. The proposal is for “Reserved Matters of appearance, landscaping, layout and scale of outline planning permission 12/00875/O ‘Outline planning application (full details of access) for a mixed development consisting of a maximum of 670 dwellings; a local centre comprising commercial uses (A1/A2/A3): a restaurant/dining quarter and public house (A3/A4); demolition of buildings on the May Gurney site (excluding the former public house); an access bridge over the River Yare; new access road; car parking; flood risk management measures; landscape measures inc earthworks to form new swales and other biodiversity enhancements including the re-use of the Grade II Listed brick Kiln for use by bats.”
“The Consultation Expiry Date is 12 August 2023”
You can view comments from the public and other consultees as they are added to the application file throughout the assessment process on the council’s planning website. Search for application number 23/00774/RM and select the Comments tab. You can use the same website to make your own comments, or you can make them by email to planning@norwich.gov.uk.
To view the application made to Broadland and South Norfolk Council please visit their planning website and search for application number 2023/1825
The Yare Valley Society will be examining the application carefully, and will respond as appropriate, particularly in relation to:
Yare Valley Green Infrastructure Corridor and Parkway.
It will look for an easing of the pinch point in the valley green corridor at Lord Boswell’s Green. The pinch point section has recently been further degraded by the removal of mature trees along the drainage channel between the Green and the development. To what extent will the proposals compensate for this damage?
County Wildlife Site
The present County Wildlife Site is outside of the development area. To what extent will the integrity of the wildlife site be protected? How might its biodiversity be improved? How might public access be restricted to safeguard wildlife?
Pedestrian and cyclist links through the site
How might the pedestrian and cycle links through the site contribute to the long-term aim of a Yare Valley Walk from Bawburgh Lakes to Whitlingham Country Park. Will there be a link over Yare linking the development to the Whitlingham Country Park? How will it link with the cycling and walking routes into the City?
Flooding
Will the development increase or decrease the likelihood of flooding upstream and downstream in the Wensum and the Yare? What safeguards are being put in place?
Please have a look at this application and comment on the proposals, perhaps bearing in mind the questions raised above, as well as your own questions.
