Concerns have been raised about the impact of a massive city housing development on the neighbouring Whitlingham Country Park.
A charity overseeing the 40 acres of woodland and wildflower meadows has warned plans for 670 homes around Deal Ground, Trowse, could “add further demand to an already over-stressed resource”.
The site, near Carrow Works, is part of a massive plan to create thousands of jobs and homes by redeveloping areas around Carrow and Trowse, under the banner of the East Norwich Masterplan.
Plans for the Deal Ground also include new commercial space, a restaurant and dining quarter and a pub.
Fergus Bootman, on behalf of the Whitlingham Charitable Trust, which manages Whitlingham Marsh, said: “It is clear that the addition of 670 new homes [at Deal Ground] will increase pressure on the country park through increasing visitor numbers.
“It is also clear that the proposed development comes forward in the context of a recognised need to provide additional, useable and attractive green infrastructure within the Greater Norwich area in order to mitigate the substantial growth proposed for this area."
Mr Bootman said there needs to be mitigation in place to reduce the impact on the site, pointing out that plans for a new country park at Bawburgh Lakes has gone undelivered.
Having a country park at Bawburgh is more likely to spread out visitors.
He said: “The impacts of increased use of the park were demonstrated during the Covid-19 lockdown period and, whilst visitor numbers have returned to more typical levels since the lifting of lockdown restrictions, the park is still recovering from the effects of that period of increased use and is undertaking extensive repair works to paths, car parks and other infrastructure as part of this ‘recovery’ effort.”
The trust's comments come as the company behind the scheme looks to produce an 'environmental statement' - an assessment of the impact of the project and what mitigation measures will be included, which is needed for large scale developments.
Norwich City Council officials have come back saying “further information” is required to assess the “significant effects” of the development on the environment.
They have asked what mitigation measures are planned for Whitlingham, as well as an assessment of the development’s impact on biodiversity and to look for any invasive Japanese knotweed on the site.
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