One week left to say NO to the Destruction of Thorpe Woods

You only have until the 10th of June to make clear that you want Thorpe Woods saved from the Developers.

Only today we have heard that the owners have contacted the council to inform them that they will be making an application to build housing on the woods within the next few weeks.

YOU can save this beautiful english woodland by emailing Broadland District Council at the following address:

ldf@broadland.gov.uk 

In your email please state that you are responding to the Growth Triangle Area Action Plan Consultation and answer whether: 

1. You think Thorpe Woodlands are suitable for residential development? 
2. You think they are suitable to become publicly accessible woodland? 

In email heading be sure to state 'Consultation response to Thorpe Woodlands Question 23 

Include strong reasons if possible (and there are plenty in this case) they will add weight to your vote.

And remember to include your Name and Address 

The owners are aware that large numbers of local people, councillors and conservation groups are opposed to their plans. With your help we can strengthen this oppostion even further.

 Please email today.

Thank you

Friends of Thorpe Woodlands Press Release:

Local Wildlife Groups and MP call for the protection of Norwich Woodland after discovery of rare Great Crested Newts

The Friends of Thorpe Woodlands are pleased to make an exciting announcement concerning the discovery of a rare species in this threatened woodland.

Over the last two months the Friends together with groups such as the Norfolk Wildlife Trust and the Norfolk Amphibian & Reptile Group have identified and monitored a small population of Great Crested Newts in the eastern area of the woodland.

Local MP Chloe Smith together with local councillors’ residents and members of the Friends of Thorpe Woodlands will be announced the good news at Thorpe Woods on the 27th April. They called for the woods to be saved from development and preserved as a green space for local people.

Site threatened by development and possible link road

The area of the wood in which the Great Crested Newt population has been discovered falls directly in the path of one of the possible routes being considered by Broadland District Council for a link road between Salhouse Road and Plumstead Road. 

In addition to calling for the protection of the woods in their entirety The Friends together with local politicians are calling for the alternate route to be selected which would run to the east of the woods thus avoiding any damage (for your chance to say NO to this development please see below).

Norfolk Amphibian & Reptile Group & Norfolk Wildlife Trust

Philip Parker of the Norfolk Amphibian & Reptile Group together with Helen Baczkowska of the Norfolk Wildlife Trust have positively identified Great Crested Newts on the site. Helen Baczkowska said that this site “must not be built upon” and “Finding Great Crested Newts at Thorpe Woods is exciting indeed. Newts rely on good habitats on land as well as in ponds, so this helps to demonstrate that Thorpe Woods are an outstanding place for wildlife and deserve to be protected and managed as such. Norwich is so lucky to have such a remarkable place just outside the city and it should remain so, for the wild species that live there and for the people who enjoy the quiet and wildness of the place.”

Over the last 2 and a half years the Friends of Thorpe Woodlands, a local group made up of several hundred local residents,  and conservation bodies such as the Norfolk Wildlife Trust, CPRE, and Woodland Trust have been campaigning to save the woods from destruction. The owners of the woods are seeking to build an 800 house development on the site of the woods. Broadland District Council is currently conducting a consultation, which ends on the 10^th June, which asks whether the woods should be considered for development or should be preserved as publically accessible woodland.

 Great Crested Newt Conservation status

Great crested newts are fully protected under UK and European legislation:

• Bern Convention 1979: Appendix III 

• Wildlife & Countryside Act (as Amended) 1981: Schedule 5 

• EC Habitats Directive 1992: Annex II and IV 

• Conservation (Natural Habitats etc.) Regulations 1994: Schedule 2 

• Countryside Rights of Way Act 2000 (CRoW 2000)

Because great crested newts are listed on Schedule 5 of the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981, Section 9(1) of the Act makes it an offence to intentionally kill, injure or take great crested newts. Section 9(2) makes it an offence to possess or control a live or dead great crested newt or any part or thing derived from them. Section 9(4) makes it an offence to intentionally damage, destroy, obstruct access to, any structure or place which great crested newts use for shelter or protection. It is also an offence to intentionally disturb them while occupying a structure or place which it uses for that purpose. Section 9(5) makes it an offence to sell, offer or expose for sale, or possess or transport for the purpose of sale, any live or dead great crested newt or any part or thing derived from them. It is also an offence to publish or cause to be published any advertisement likely to be understood as conveying that great crested newts, or parts or derived things of them are bought, sold or are intended to be. Section 9 applies to all stages in their life cycle.

Their inclusion on Schedule 2 of the Conservation Regulations 1994 affords great crested newts extra protection by also making it an offence under Regulation 39(1) to deliberately capture, kill or disturb great crested newts or to deliberately take or destroy their eggs, or damage or destroy a breeding site or resting place. Regulation 39(2) makes it an offence to keep, or transport, or exchange great crested newts or any part or thing derived from them. Paragraphs 39(1) and 39(2) apply to all stages of their life cycle.

This level of legal protection allows areas to be designated as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and/or Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) for the presence of great crested newts. These designations bring legal restrictions to the management and operations that can occur in such sites, to help conserve the great crested newt and the specific habitats it requires.

The maximum fine on conviction of offences is currently £5,000. The CRoW Act amended the 1981 Act to allow for a custodial sentence of up to six months instead of, or in addition to, a fine. Fines may be imposed in relation to each offence committed, so operations involving many animals or repeated offences can potentially accrue large fines. In addition, items or equipment, which may constitute evidence of the commission of an offence, may be seized and detained. The CRoW Act also amends the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 to render Section 9 offences ‘arrestable’, giving the police significant additional powers.

Act Now to Save Thorpe Woods

For two and a half years we have been campaigning to stop the owners of Thorpe Woods from destroying this much loved green space.

Over the next few weeks the council will be asking local people, as part of a general consultation on where new housing should go, whether they think Thorpe woods should be preserved as a green space and whether a link road should or shouldn’t be built through them.

Thorpe Woodlands – Housing Estate or Public Park?

The first question asks whether you think Thorpe woods is suitable for development or whether it should become a publicly accessible woodland (please click on links provided at the bottom of this post to go and make your own comments) :

Question 23: Thorpe Woodlands

Are you of the opinion that that Racecourse Plantation and/or Belmore and Brown's plantation are suitable for residential development as part of an extended Core Development Area CA1? Yes/No

Alternatively, do you think that some or all of Thorpe Woodlands would be well suited to becoming a publicly accessible woodland? Yes/No.

Please explain the reasons for your answers.

Orbital Link Road – through Thorpe Woods or not?

The second question addresses the issue of the proposed orbital link road between Salhouse Road and Plumstead Road.

One of the options is for the link road to be built through Thorpe Woods which is shown as Route 2 (the Western Route) on the map below.

If a road has to be built we would prefer Route 1 (the Eastern Route) which would do less damage to the woods:

Question 24: Salhouse Road to Plumstead Road Orbital Link

Do you prefer the eastern or western link road route between Salhouse Road and Plumstead Road? Eastern/Western

Do you consider that the link should be open to all traffic but designed to minimise traffic speeds or should it be restricted to public transport, walking and cycling? Do you have a view on restricting traffic from certain directions?

Are there any other route options for the link road which should be considered?

From the 18^th March you will have 12 weeks to answer the above questions

and make clear that you want Thorpe Woods to be protected as a publicly accessible woodland and that you oppose the Western Route for the Orbital Link Road.

To answer the above questions simply click
on the following links and add your comments.

Question 23: Thorpe Woodlands

Question 24: Salhouse Road to Plumstead Road Orbital Link

Alternately you can print off the following response form, complete it and return it to Broadland District Council or you can email your answers, setting out in your email that you are responding to question 23 of the Area Action Plan Options Consultation, the email address is ldf@broadland.gov.uk.

By acting NOW you can SAVE Thorpe Woods

Thorpe Woods Consultation - What to Expect

We have just received further details from Broadland District Council which explain in greater detail the form the consultation will take when it commences on the 18th March:

The consultation itself will be publicised in a number of ways. The spring edition of Broadland News, which goes to every household in Broadland will carry a double page article about the consultation and how to respond, we will notify by email/letter all those members of the public who have registered interest in receiving information about the AAP, we will be publicising through our website and through parish magazines/newsletters in the area, and we will be submitting a press release to the EDP/Evening News.

We intend to run three types of public events in support of this consultation: a series of 3 workshops, similar to those in 2011, but focussing on the consultation document; a series of drop in sessions where the public can come and talk to an officer about the consultation; and, static displays at the Sprowston, Thorpe and Old Catton town/parish council offices. Our intention is that the static displays will be unstaffed on non-drop in session days but will still be open to the public. The workshops will be help in Thorpe End, Sprowston and Rackheath. The drop in sessions will be in Thorpe, Sprowston, Old Catton & Rackheath.

Hard copies of the consultation documents will be available to view either at Broadland’s offices, at the static display sites or at the libraries around the district. Digital copies will be available either through the Council’s website or via our online consultation website. We would not as a matter of course send out hard copy materials. As you can appreciate this would be very costly. However, in exceptional circumstances, where someone genuinely cannot access the consultation material in one of the aforementioned ways, we will provide a CD of the documents or a hard copy of the documents themselves.

The public can respond directly to the consultation in one of two main ways: either through the online consultation website or by letter/e-mail, to which end hard copy response forms will be available either at the static display sites, libraries or can be downloaded through Broadland’s website. 

If you have any questions concerning the consultation or would like to help with leafleting etc. once it has started please contact the Friends at the following email:-lornacbeckett@yahoo.co.uk.

Woods Consultation Update – Consultation to be published 18th March

The Broadland District Council consultation which will decide the fate of Thorpe Woods for the next 15 to 20 years will be released on the 18th March.

 

As can be seen from the following detail taken from the consultation the woods have been identified as area which may be suitable for development or retention as an open space.

The consultation will run for a period of 12 weeks and during that time you will have the chance to make clear that you want the woods to be saved from development and preserved as a greenspace for future generations.

As soon as the consultation is published we will be contacting everybody who has been in contact with us ,including exisiting members of the Friends of Thorpe Woodlands, to explain how they can respond to the consultation.

If you would like to help or would like to join the Friends please contact us at the following email address:

lornacbeckett@yahoo.co.uk.

You will soon have a chance to make a difference and save these wonderful woods  from the threat of destruction. 

Please watch this space for more information.

Happy Christmas

This Christmas the campaign to save Thorpe Woods is nearly two and a half years old. Since July 2010 we have been working to protect Thorpe Woods from the threat of destruction.

The threat to Thorpe Woods has underlined just how well loved and valued they are, not only by local people but also by organisation such as the Norfolk Wildlife Trust, the Woodland Trust and the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE). In fact the only people who don’t appear to value the woods are the owners who continue to press for their destruction so that they can develop the site for their own private gain.

In July 2010 they came forward with plans to build 800 houses on the site of the woods. Since then they have continued to promote these plans, they instructed new architects in 2011 and this year we understand that they are proposing the construction of a Centre Parcs style development coupled with housing, all of this at the cost of the destruction of a County Wildlife Site.

How you can help

The Friends together with local people and councillors have in the last few days reaffirmed their opposition to these proposals. Earlier this month the Eastern Evening News covered the story (Families urged to back campaign for Thorpe St Andrew woodlands) and in response many of you wrote in to voice your support for the woods, thank you for doing this, your support is essential if Thorpe Woods are to be saved.

2013 and the future of Thorpe Woods

In March next year the woods will form part of a consultation which will be published by Broadland District Council. The consultation will consider which sites to the east of Norwich are suitable for housing and commercial development.

Local people and interested bodies will have an opportunity to tell the council that they would like Thorpe Woods to be saved from development and preserved as a green space for wildlife and the local community. This will be your chance to make clear to the council that you want Thorpe Woods to be saved from the threat of development and that they should be preserved for people and wildlife to enjoy for many years to come.

We will update you soon on how you can make your voice heard.

In the meantime thank you, Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year.

Councillors Renew Opposition to Loss of Thorpe Woodland

The Friends are please to report that local councillors for Thorpe St Andrew have once again stated their complete oppostion to any development proposals that would affect Thorpe Woods.

We understand that the owners of Thorpe Woods are once again promoting plans to build houses and possibly some form of Centre Parcs tourist attraction on the site currently covered by the woodlands.

The councillors have issued the following press release and an article covering it should be appearing in the Eastern Evening News early next week.

A consultation which will allow local people to state their views on whether Thorpe Woods should be protected as a greenspace is expected to be published by Broadland District Council in March next year.

Council Press Release :

  

At a full Council Meeting of the Thorpe St Andrew Town Council on Monday evening (3rd December 2012), Deputy Mayor and County Councillor for Thorpe St Andrew, Ian Mackie, as well as Town Councillor and County Councillor for Woodside, Nigel Shaw, restated their public opposition to any moves to develop the Thorpe St Andrew woodlands (Racecourse, Belmore and Brown's Plantations).

The two local councillors for Thorpe St Andrew have once again made clear their opposition to any development proposals that would destroy these much loved and valued woodland, and have backed the Friends of Thorpe Woodlands.

Thorpe woods are a 200 acre woodland on the eastern fringe of Thorpe St Andrew. They are recognised as an important site for wildlife by organisations such as the Norfolk Wildlife Trust, The Woodland Trust and the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE). The woods are a designated County Wildlife Site.

In July 2010 the owner, the Thorpe and Felthorpe Trust, came forward with plans to fell much of the woods and build up to 800 houses on the site. The proposal raised wide spread opposition from local residents who marched through the woods to demonstrate their opposition. Local County Councillors Ian Mackie and Nigel Shaw have worked closely with local residents and groups such as The Friends of Thorpe Woodlands to oppose the proposals and to safeguard the woods. 

On Monday evening the Councillors restated their opposition ahead of any new proposals from the owners for the felling and development of the woods, Ian Mackie said: “These woodlands provide a vital green lung and are home to hundreds of species of wildlife.  In addition, they are home to ancient woodlands, once part of a wedge of woods and heath which stretched from Thorpe to Mousehold Heath.  This area is reputed to have been home to Robert Kett during his fight for just conditions in 1549, as well as his final battle at Dussindale, so the whole area has enormous scientific, social and historical value."

The woods will form part of a growth consultation that will be published by Broadland District Council in March next year. The consultation will consider which sites to the east of Norwich are suitable for housing and commercial development.  Local people and interested bodies will have an opportunity to tell the council whether they would like Thorpe Woods to be saved from development and preserved as a green space for local people.

County Councillor Nigel Shaw said: "Our renewed public opposition to development or inclusion in a growth plan is an early indicator to residents and interested bodies that we are determined to protect this rich environmental heritage.  For far too many years we have lost ancient woodlands and given we already have considerable development planned in Thorpe St Andrew and further beyond, the need for develop on this special site is wholly unnecessary.  We are urging residents to join the Friends of Thorpe Woodlands and make their voices heard when the consultation begins in earnest next year."