ONE YEAR ON ...

July 13th 2010 was the last day of the 'Belmore Park Charette'. It seems hard to believe that a whole year has gone by since Andres Duany's 'final presentation' on the benefits of Broadland Land Group's scheme. Mr Duany spoke for nearly three hours, and managed to avoid any questions on the woodland's ecology for the first two and three-quarters.

Jerome Mayhew, who introduced the presentation told us how the woods were not really woods but "commercial crops to be harvested", a theme picked up by Duany who tried to explain away the unpopularity of his clients scheme by declaring, astutely: "The controversy is that it's wooded". He went on to sweep this irritating trivia under the carpet by repeating that these 'woods' are merely plantations whose useful lives had expired.



Mr Duany went out of his way to inform us how much better the woods would be following their development, and launched into microscopically detailed descriptions of square roundabouts, back-yard parking areas, and how the housing estate would look like a combination of South Creake and a Georgian crescent. The wildlife would, if anything, be better off it seemed.



Towards the end a heated exchange took place between some of the audience and Duany. Audience members were forced to interrupt Duany's flow as, by 9.45pm it was obvious that he would talk about anything other than the woods until the building closed at 10. His suave persona deserted him as he floundered in unfamiliar waters, becoming increasingly angry at those demanding justification for the absurd claim that building a massive housing estate all over Racecourse Plantation would improve and enhance it. Even his own 'Masterplan', liberally splashed with friendly green and blue, couldn't hide the inescapable fact that Racecourse would be reduced to a shell, and the other two woods would be very largely suburbanised.




Mr Duany had promised at the beginning that all in attendance would receive a copy of the video recording that was being made of the presentation. Afterwards we were reassured by his assistants that it would be made available "in a few days".

On 22nd September 2010, BLG wrote to Thorpe St Andrew Town Council, assuring the clerk that: "The full video recording will be available on our website shortly. We are, as you know, keen to maintain an open channel of discussion with the local community, and we will shortly be placing more information and details of the ideas that emerged through the Charette process on our website. We will of course keep you informed of any changes".

On October 1st 2010 they sent an email to FTW supporters who had repeatedly asked when they'd get to see the recording (and who had also sought assurances that the recording would not be edited and sanitised). That email said: "We are sorry it has taken so very long to get the video up onto our website, we have in fact had to change our website providers in order to do this, we really do hope to have it up and running within the next few days. The charette and final presentation were all fully public events: to present an edited and sanitised version would be completely counter to our approach".

We can only judge them by what they have done or failed to do, against what they promised. Did they keep TSATC "informed of any changes"? No. Not even when they changed the number of houses to be built from 631 to 800.

After an entire year there is still no sign of the recording, or any other information. Despite innumerable requests and reminders, nobody from BLG has replied to any messages since last October. Nothing has been added to their website since the last day of their charette. We can only assume that they've realised the only thing to do when in a hole is to stop digging.

After a year, a lot has been acheived towards the goal of saving the woods. Since FTW was formed last August the campaign has communicated clear, factual information to a very wide audience. Virtually everyone in the Thorpe, Heartsease, Thorpe End and Dussindale areas is now well aware of the threat to the woods and the campaign to save them. FTW has succeeded in correcting the numerous misunderstandings among the local community that were generated through BLG's charette. Nobody any longer believes the woods to be tedious overgrown Xmas tree plantations; everybody wants the woods to remain intact rather than see them bulldozed for a housing estate. Thorpe's district councillors have been concerned about the threat from the start, and have worked hard to help the flow of information between their electorate and Broadland District Council. The campaign has received help from many people, not all of them local, including printers, pilots, graphic designers, photographers, artists, ecologists, botanists, landscape historians, cartographers and many others. There have been several events organised and very well attended by local people. The Evening News and EDP have covered the campaign very fairly. This blog has become a popular source of information not only locally but far and wide.

Surveys of the woods have been undertaken to assess the full extent and significance of their biodiversity: we hope to have the results collated and in publishable form before much longer. We are almost ready to publish an updated species list, which now includes considerably more flora and fauna than the original. This will appear as a link on the right-hand side of the blog, with a special post introducing it.

The campaign's relentless pursuit of the truth has exposed BLG for both what they are and what they're not. It has turned out they are not - as it seemed to many a year ago - a group of sincere, earnest and open characters who found themselves faced with a genuine dilemma: an urgent need to do something with the worthless plantations they'd found themselves lumbered with, and who wanted to keep as much of the woodland as possible for public benefit by earning an honest crust from a little bit of development. We haven't forgotten their careless admission, on July 7th last year, that they actually make a "small profit" from the woods as they stand. It has become clear that they are simply a group of wealthy individuals who have spotted an opportunity to become even wealthier by turning the woods so many people love, and which are of enormous ecological importance, into a housing estate.

They may have become silent, but they have not gone away. Millions of pounds are at stake, and their failed attempt to win-over the public won't stop them. All who care about the woods must remain vigilant. Keep watching the blog for updates and, if you'd like to help in any way, from writing a letter or email to delivering leaflets, please get your name on the FTW contacts list by emailing Lorna on: lornacbeckett@yahoo.co.uk

Tree Warden Walk Update

Last weeks Tree Warden walk was a big success.

In spite of bad weather between 80 to 100 people turned up at Belmore Woods.

Marion Amos, Thorpe St Andrew Tree Warden, led the walk and pointed out many of the fascinating and beautiful species present in Belmore woods.

As many of you will know the owners of the wood, The Broadland Land Group (BLG), plan to build over at least a third of Belmore woods and therefore it was a surprise to see one of their number in the form of Gail Mayhew (who is married to one of the Trustees) on the walk.

At the end of the walk some of the Friends tried once again to ask her about BLG's plans but she refused to answer any questions.

The walk was covered in The Eastern Evening News on the 1st of July (please see attached) which once again highlighted the love that local people have for this 'popular beauty spot'.

We would like to thank Marion Amos and Steven Ford for organising the walk, Neil Evans for telling us about the history of the Second World War bunker located in the woods and everybody who turned up.

Hopefully we will be able to join the wardens for another walk before too long around Racecourse woods.

GAIL WARNING!

FTW has issued the following Gail warning, valid for 19:00 hours on 28th June:

Gail Mayhew, consultant to Broadland Land Group and BLG's most loquacious public promoter, has invited herself to a Thorpe tree wardens' walk around Belmore Plantation next Tuesday. The tree wardens' walks are open to anyone interested in trees and woodland, and a high turnout is expected at this one.

It may seem odd that the promoter of a scheme that would involve reducing the 144 acre Racecourse wood to a fringe of trees around a housing estate, would wish to voluntarily appear at a walk through the neighbouring wood. But Gail Mayhew is extremely persuasive and expert at avoiding the fundamental issues by deflecting attention onto minute, theoretical details.

At last year's charette, Gail held forth with an unstoppable stream of near-evangelical praise for her own ideas. She spoke tirelessly about footpaths and cycleways, allotments, self-sufficiency, walkable communities, garden birds and an endless array of other nice, green-seeming topics. A lot of her ideas would be quite nice, if it weren't for the fact that they all hinge upon eradicating a huge area of superb woodland. But Gail's enthusiasm isn't hindered by such details. Questions about the appalling effects of her scheme on the woodland and its ecology were batted away with evasive responses: wouldn't we like to see people growing their own vegetables? don't we think that housing where people can walk and cycle to work would be a good thing? aren't we as concerned as her about global warming and the need to reduce carbon emissions?

A few well-meaning souls left their Gail encounters feeling a tad guilty about standing in the way of such worthy concepts, and forgot about the heart of the matter, ie: that Gail was not describing a development on some brownfield site, but on a 200 acre County Wildlife Site woodland. The ecological diversity and richness of the woods is one of the biggest stumbling blocks to their scheme, and Gail & co have been careful to avoid straying far into that territory. What little they have publicly uttered on the subject has been frankly ridiculous.

They have claimed that only parts of the woods are of CWS quality and that they could build around these small areas without harming them. They are especially keen to play down the ecological value in Racecourse, both because this is where the bulk of the housing would go, and also because this wood has by far the richest ecosystem. Racecourse contains an amazing range of habitats and numerous scarce and rare plant species, including several that are found at only a handful of other sites, and one that occurs nowhere else in Norfolk. To suggest - as they have - that such a unique ecosystem could be not only conserved but enhanced by turning most of it into a housing estate is quite incredible. Either they are well aware of the absurdity of such a notion, or they are genuinely so ignorant about ecology that they honestly believe what they say. Either way, they cannot be trusted on this subject.

The situation in Belmore is slightly different. Only around half of Belmore would disappear under their original 631 houses scheme, with the area closest to the local population supposedly retained with public access. This was the bait: the hope must have been that enough people would care only about the bit of woodland they walked their dogs in, and be sufficiently afraid of losing even that, that they'd gain local support for the scheme. Unfortunately for BLG, the local people have proved far less selfish and gullible than that. We would remind anyone inclined towards this way of thinking that BLG has already increased the proposed housing number to 800, and that during last summer's charette, it was revealed that up to 1200 'units' had been considered an ideal number. Not only that, but keeping 25 acres or so of woodland at the expense of the rest would be a very foolish trade-off.

The tree wardens' walk through Belmore might seem to Gail like an ideal public relations opportunity. We hope she won't try to exploit it in this way; if she does though, many people are ready to provide the counter-argument if necessary.

If you want to come along, the walk is on Tuesday 28th June, starting at 7pm at the South Hill Road entrance to the wood. All welcome!

WOODLAND WILDLIFE WATCH

Broadland Land Group, or Thorpe & Felthorpe Trust as they also call themselves, have commissioned an ecological survey for Thorpe's woods. Their objective is almost certainly to obtain a report that contradicts Norfolk Wildlife Trust's assessment of the woods' habitat quality.

We don't know which ecological consultancy BLG has employed, but we sincerely hope that they do a thorough job and produce an honest report. There are some ecological consultants who will twist results to suit their clients. We will be in a good position to judge whenever we get to see their report, because several experienced local ecologists have been carrying out their own surveys on behalf of Friends of Thorpe Woodlands. The feedback so far is very encouraging. All of the rare and scarce plant species recorded in Norfolk Wildlife Trust's 1997 survey are confirmed as still present, mostly in greater numbers and/or more locations than previously. Additionally, at least 30 'new' species have been recorded, including several more rarities. We will be updating the species list soon (see right-hand column of blog for this), when more survey work has been completed.

While we mustn't pre-judge the quality of BLG's survey, it is fair to say that their reptile refuges (felt mats placed on the ground to attract lizards, slow worms, adders and grass snakes) have not, in many cases, been sensibly located. Many of the 35 or so refuges in Racecourse wood have been placed very close to paths (see photo) and have - predictably - been frequently disturbed by curious walkers. On a number of visits in April & May, several walkers told me what they'd seen under them! Such levels of disturbance render the refuges unlikely to provide meaningful results, and under-recording of all four species of reptiles known to occur in the wood is probable.

For other fauna species, the surveyors have used some quite fancy pices of kit. They fitted an Anabat recorder to one tree (pictured). These digitally record the various sound frequencies emitted by bats flying within detectable range, and the recordings are analysed to determine which bat species are present, and give an indication of numbers. The location they chose was good, but unless we've failed to spot other Anabats, only one in a 144 acre wood like Racecourse will give a snapshot picture at best, and its results won't necessarily enable an accurate assessment of bat species and populations throughout the site.

They also placed a moth/insect trap in another tree (pictured), presumably to gain samples of the range of flying invertebrates present near that location. Again, there only seemed to be one of these in Racecourse, and similar limitations to those applicable to the Anabat must apply. Both of these pieces of equipment had been removed by early June, but the reptile refuges remain in place.

At last November's public examination into the GNDP's Joint Core Strategy, BLG claimed that only parts of the woods are worthy of County Wildlife Site (CWS) status, and that their development of 800 houses plus shops, roads and a supermarket would fit nicely into the woods without harming any important bits. They went so far as to claim that their development would actually enhance the woods' wildlife value!

The woods' CWS status has been something of a thorn in BLG's side for years, as it makes the concept of building on them seem even more unthinkable than it would anyway. Not only that, but all Norfolk councils have policies against developments that would harm or destroy CWSs.

If the report commissioned by BLG concludes - as it should - that the woods in general and Racecourse in particular are extremely valuable ecological treasures that would suffer devastating damage if any development were permitted, it must be within the bounds of possibility that BLG concede defeat and abandon their scheme. However, going by their record to date, this seems highly unlikely. We will have our own survey results soon, and shortly afterwards we will get them written up into a proper report. It will be interesting to discover the extent of contrast between 'ours' and 'theirs'. Watch this space for more news.

Thorpe Woods – Some things are worth more than money

The UK National Ecosystem Assessment

Last week the UK Government was one of the first in the world to publish a report that looked at the social, economic and scientific benefits this country gains from its wonderful natural environment.

The UK National Ecosystem Assessment (UK NEA) is the first analysis of the UK natural environment in terms of the benefits it provides to society and the nation’s continuing prosperity. It is based on the processes that link human societies and their well-being with the environment and emphasises the role of ecosystems in providing services that bring improvements in well-being to people.

It is envisaged that the Ministers who commissioned the NEA will use it to re-shape planning policy.

"The natural world is vital to our existence, providing us with essentials such as food, water and clean air - but also cultural and health benefits not always fully appreciated because we get them for free," said Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman.

"The UK NEA is a vital step forward in our ability to understand the true value of nature and how to sustain the benefits it gives us."

Woodlands, such as Thorpe woods, were identified as a key resource for the wellbeing of the country and its people.

Two-thirds of the UK’s current woodland area of around 3million hectares is productive plantation, mostly less than 100 years old and much of it comprising non-native species. These facts emphasises the importance of Thorpe woods which are largely native, semi natural woodlands that are well over 100 years old.

The benefits of local woodlands

Woodland such as ours were identified as having many benefits, they support biodiversity, carbon regulation, help prevent flooding and contribute to our mental and physical health. In fact the report calculates that the health benefits of merely living close to a green space are worth up to £300 per person per year.

The social benefits of woodlands and other green spaces are often underestimated. Most of us appreciate the wildlife value of our woods but the report identifies their importance as green spaces, particularly when they exist as green spaces in urban areas.

'The growth of the UK population, combined with a trend for smaller households, has driven up housing demand everywhere. This has led both to an expansion of urban settlement into the countryside and also to an increase in housing density in inner cities. In metropolitan areas, per capita
green space provision has therefore declined, particularly in the most deprived areas, adversely affecting health by reducing childhood development, mental and physical well-being, for example through less exercise, less community cohesion, and a diminished sense of security, and by causing the loss of a sense of place. In particular, the sale of playing fields and loss of associated wildlife has reduced opportunities for young people to participate in sporting activities and to study nature. This has affected their education, ecological knowledge and understanding of the natural environment and its importance to them, and risks long-term detriment'.

Recent Forestry Commission surveys found that a majority of people agreed that ‘trees are good because they remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it in wood’, ‘that woodlands are places to reduce stress and anxiety’, and ‘that they felt healthier when spending time outdoors in the woodlands’

This once again underlines how lucky Thorpe and Norwich are to have this wonderful green space that stretches for 200 acres and which enhances all of our lives, it also underlines what a terrible loss it would be if we were to lose such an irreplaceable treasure.

A rare a vital treasure

Only 9% of England is wooded, despite cover increasing by 45% since 1945.Woodlands possibly deliver the greatest number of ecosystem services including carbon storage, recreation, timber and a contribution to water regulation.

This report tells many of us what we knew already, that the people of Thorpe and Norwich are very lucky to have such a beautiful, rich and life enhancing woodland to enjoy, and that if we were to lose it our live’s would be much poorer.

Thorpe Woods are still under threat, the Broadland Land Group are continuing with their plans to cut this woodland down and cover it with concrete and tarmac, their sole concern is money and how much they can make, it would appear they know the price of everything and the value of nothing.

You can save these woods, not only for yourself but for your children, and their children. Over the next few months the Friends of Thorpe Woodlands will be working with our local councillors to ensure the woods are preserved and protected within the joint Core Strategy. Once again we will be asking you to play an important part in in protecting these precious woods.

BBC Coverage

The UK National Ecosystem Assessment

Councillors Speak Out in Defence of Thorpe Woodlands

As mentioned in the previous post, both Councillors Nigel Shaw and Ian Mackie spoke out in defence of Thorpe Woodlands at the Broadland District Council meeting held on 22 March, prior to the Joint Core Strategy being voted in. Cllr Shaw voiced his strong support of the Friends of Thorpe Woodlands and was keen to draw attention to the fact that Thorpe Woodlands are identified as an area of Green Infrastructure on page 29 of the JCS documents. Cllr Mackie then made the following statement, ending in a question to Cllr Proctor (Deputy Leader of the Council and Portfolio Holder for Planning Policy & Conservation):

Chairman, the Growth Triangle obviously contains Thorpe St Andrew and my constituents are rightly interested to know what this may mean for them, in both the provision of community facilities, the impact it could have up to 2026 (15 years. […]

Para 65 – states that some quite large parts of the Joint Core Strategy are not developable because of existence of a range of constraints. Even in parts which have relatively few constraints it will be necessary to ensure that the issue of biodiversity enhancement is kept to the fore of the Area Action Plan. Map on page 205 – shows area of existing green infrastructure. Thorpe woods included as an orange area. Strategic open space and core biodiversity areas. Page 177 – policy for protecting environmental assets – to increase public access to the countryside Page 197 – re-establish the link to Mousehold heath – Policy 12.

With this in mind, I would like to know the answer to my question – what areas are considered not developable in Broadland?

I note that in para 3.6 the inspector notes with praise the cooperation between Anglian Water, env agency and Natural England, indeed the inspector states under 3.7 the growth triangle represents the soundest approach to accommodating the scale of growth in Broadland.

As you know the Racecourse, Belmore and Browns Plantation (Thorpe woods as they are collectively known) are within private hands, but are widely used and form a green lung and are home for an incredible depth of biodiversity. Therefore I welcome that under Infrastructure Framework Priority 1 – page 147/148 Appendix 2 of the report, which states the importance of surrounding countryside. As you may be aware a significant proportion of these woods formed a wedge which linked Mousehold to Thorpe End. Many will know of the name Dussindale that was one of Robert Kett’s battles, as his struggle moved to that area through the woods from Mousehold

Natural England were consulted on a scoping opinion for a proposal in this area in 2007, which was later refused by Broadland District Council, and its response to any future application would cover the same issues. They recognised that until the Joint Core Strategy is adopted all planning decisions should accord with the local sites policy in the Broadland District Local Plan, ENV7. Development which would significantly adversely affect the wildlife interests of areas of local nature conservation importance, including County Wildlife Sites and ancient woodlands identified by English Nature…will not be permitted.

The Joint Core Strategy also provides some protection for County Wildlife Sites in the wording of its Policy 1: Addressing climate change and protecting environmental assets:

In areas not protected through international or national designations, development will minimise fragmentation of habitats and seek to conserve and enhance existing environmental assets of acknowledged regional or local importance.

Just recently the Thorpe woods have come under review again by developers, therefore I am keen to secure the long term future of these woods even within the Growth triangle, whilst and during the gap between the BDLP, JCS and AAP, and beyond. We have seen how important the Country views areas of woodland, given the recent government actions regarding the Forestry Commission. I believe that the JCS provides some security for these woods, via the policy recommendations I have noted above, however I would like to place a minuted response to a question for Cllr Proctor:

Cllr Proctor rightly stated that as part of the JCS the Area Action Plan will also be required to allocate sites which will be retained as strategic green infrastructure, such as woodlands.

Question: Could he assure me that the existing Racecourse, Browns and Belmore Plantations will be included in the new Area Action Plan and retained as that strategic infrastructure?

Reply by Cllr Proctor: Area Action Plan will be considered by the new administration; however, if I form part of that administration I would need some convincing why they should not be included in the new Area Action Plan.

[NB. Following the meeting we were advised that taking into account the legal constraints on Councillor Proctor this statement should be seen as being strongly in favour of the preservation of Thorpe Woodlands.]

To view the minutes please click HERE

Thorpe Woods within the Joint Core Strategy

(Read on for article 'Thorpe woods within the Joint Core Strategy')

Many of you will have seen the announcement in the press last week that on the 22^nd March Broadland District Council voted to adopt the Joint Core Strategy, this will act as the basis for all housing development in the Broadland area for the next 15 years.

Thorpe Woodlands (which is a County Wildlife Site - CWS) fall within the JCS and are situated in a growth triangle that covers the area surrounding Thorpe St Andrews.
The Friends have been working hard to ensure that Thorpe Woodlands unique environmental and ecological benefits are recognised and protected under the JCS.
In the run up to the JCS vote we have been in contact with Natural England who are a statutory consultee in the planning process and are consulted on all Local Development Framework documents. In their latest letter, which was released on the day of the JCS vote, they drew attention to the fact that:
County Wildlife Sites form a vital element of green infrastructure provision for the city, and their value is specifically mentioned in the JCS, supporting Policy 1 - Climate change and protecting environmental assets: ‘Assets of local importance, such as County Wildlife Sites, are valuable in their own right and in combination provide a significant resource.’ (page 25). The policy itself contains a high level of protection for local sites, which requires all losses to be mitigated:

In areas not protected through international or national designations, development will:

· minimise fragmentation of habitats and seek to conserve and enhance

existing environmental assets of acknowledged regional or local importance.

Where harm is unavoidable, it will provide for appropriate mitigation or

replacement with the objective of achieving a long-term maintenance or

enhancement of the local biodiversity baseline.

It would appear from your website and petition that there is a strong case to be made for these County Wildlife Site woodlands to be recognised as of ‘local importance’, and therefore there is a duty enshrined in policy to ‘conserve and enhance’.
In addition to the above the Joint Core Strategy Document itself also sets out the area of green infrastructure for the Greater Norwich Area. Page 29 (see picture) maps all these areas, one of which is clearly Thorpe Woods.

Table 1 of the JCS sets out the priority one infrastructure requirements for the delivery of the JCS. The green infrastructure section of this table (see picture) has amongst its green priorities, the Retention and re-creation of Mousehold Heath to the surrounding countryside. This requirement is required to allow for the growth within the Old Catton, Sprowston, Rackheath and Thorpe St Andrew Growth Triangle. 

As can be seen from the aerial photograph Thorpe Woods forms part of what once was Mousehold Heath and therefore if this priority is to be implemented the woods should not only be conserved, they should be enhanced.

Finally, but most importantly at the Council Meeting held on the 22^nd our local councillors Ian Mackie and Nigel Shaw spoke out in support of the preservation of Thorpe Woodlands. Councillor Shaw drew the councils attention to the fact that Thorpe Woods are identified as an area of Green Infrastruture on page 29 of the JCS documents (see above) whilst Councillor Mackie pointed out that under the pre-existing Broadland District Local Plan, ENV7 it states: Development which would significantly adversely affect the wildlife interest of areas of local nature conservation importance, including County Wildlife Sites and ancient woodlands identified by English Nature …will not be permitted.Councillor Mackie also drew attention to the fact that on page 25 of the JCS under the heading of Policy 1: Addressing climate change and protecting environmental assets it sets out the level of protection that should be afforded to sites such as Thorpe Woods, he asked Councillor Proctor, Deputy Leader of the Council and Portfolio Holder for Planning Policy & Conservation, that in light of this how would any development proposals for the woods be viewed, Councillor Proctor replied that he would "require a good deal of convincing" before he would consider any such proposal, following the meeting we were advised that taking into account the legal constraints on Councillor Proctor this statement should be seen as being strongly in favour of the preservation of Thorpe Woodlands.

Your support together with the support of our local councillors has been vital to the campaign to save and preserve these wonderful and unique woodlands.

In the coming months the council will be drawing up their Area Action Plan which will identify the specific locations for housing development and Green Infrastructure under the JCS. It is vital that all of us work together to ensure that Thorpe Woods are identified as an area of Green Infrastructure, as by doing this we will guarantee their protection for the next 15 years.

We will be in touch to explain how you can help to make sure that Thorpe Woods are protected well into the 21^st Century.

The Joint Core Strategy document can be accessed by clicking HERE