Amazingly, there is currently no officially designated Green Belt around Norwich to help protect our green spaces, remaining wildlife and open countryside from excessive, inappropriate and unnecessary development. There are currently hundreds of planning applications to build thousands of houses on green field sites around the periphery of one of England’s most important historic cities.  We all benefit from the rural open character of the hinterland around this fine City and its loss will be a tragedy for us all.  That’s why CPRE Norfolk feels strongly that we must show Government and local authorities how important it is to us and why it needs better protection.

Data on household projections by the Office for National Statistics demonstrates that the number of new houses provided for in local plans greatly exceed requirements. CPRE Norfolk believes that where there is a proven need for new houses, brownfield sites should be considered first, as they are less damaging to the countryside, create less of a carbon footprint, plug into existing infrastructure, are more convenient places to live and help keep the local economy thriving.

As our local authorities begin the process of reviewing the recently adopted local plans for Norwich and its surrounding districts with the likelihood that they will have to accommodate even more growth beyond 2026 until 2036 on top of what we already consider to be excessive growth, it is now more urgent than ever that Norwich has a Green Belt in place to protect the setting of this historic city and the countryside from the onslaught of never ending development and the consequent urbanisation of this rural county.

This petition will be sent to: Broadland District Council, South Norfolk Council, Norwich City Council, Norfolk County Council and the following Norfolk MPs: Richard Bacon MP, Sir Henry Bellingham MP, George Freeman MP, Norman Lamb MP, Brandon Lewis MP, Clive Lewis MP, Keith Simpson MP, Chloe Smith MP, Elizabeth Truss MP.

CPRE Norfolk www.cprenorfolk.org.uk

Campaign to Protect Rural England

March 2016