We Are Drawing the Line — From Highgate to the Fens
The recent dismissal of the developer’s appeal at Shepherds Close, Highgate is a major win for local communities fighting back against environmental and planning abuses. But the fight is far from over — and it is bigger than one tree, one site, or even one town.
When laws protecting nature are ignored, it is not just ecosystems that die — it is the rule of law itself.
At Tamar Nurseries in Norfolk, we are witnessing the same systemic failures:
Unauthorised development
Ecological destruction
Planning misrepresentation
Corporate shell games to avoid accountability
🌿 This is not just about one tree or one site — it’s about a system that’s rigged to let developers trash ecosystems with impunity.
We are drawing a line at Tamar.
We need your help to get this in front of the right people.
I've published a detailed White Paper exposing how developers are bypassing planning law and harming ecosystems without consequences. This is not just about one tree or one field—it’s about whether environmental law is being upheld in Britain at all.
📄 Download the 1-Page Summary or Full White Paper
Please share it with your MP, local councillors, journalists, or organisations who care about planning justice, green space, or public accountability.
Every share matters. Every voice helps. Together, we can demand urgent reform.
📣 Please Share or Send It:
To your local MP
To local newspapers
On social media (tag journalists or activists)
To planning officers or parish councils
To NGOS’s like CPRE, RSPB, Friends of the Earth
The Tamar case alone shows:
Unlawful felling of a mature protected tree under active police investigation
Undeclared water infrastructure totalling over 12 million litres
Corporate concealment to evade Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) payments
Retrospective drainage consents after unauthorised works
Biodiversity Net Gain assessments submitted after destruction of habitats
New Concern: Archaeological Harm and Unauthorised Excavation
Recent findings suggest that unauthorised excavation at the Tamar Nurseries site may have caused potential archaeological harm, breaching Section 16 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).
We demand that the Borough Council of King’s Lynn & West Norfolk immediately investigate these activities.
The destruction of potential archaeological assets without proper survey, consultation, or consent is unlawful and a theft from future generations.
The Council appears to be using the late archaeological comment as a way to paper over the issues we have raised and give the green light to development, despite serious procedural and legal flaws.
⚖️ Legal Notice Issued to Council Over Mishandling of Tamar Nurseries Application
This week, we have formally warned the Borough Council's legal team that their current handling of the Tamar Nurseries planning application (25/00436/FM) may be unlawful.
Our legal letter highlights:
The late archaeological advice was submitted only after unauthorised excavation had already taken place;
The Council's failure to assess cumulative environmental and heritage harm from multiple applications and groundworks;
The current application appears to be a retrospective attempt to fix an earlier unauthorised reservoir rather than a legitimate new proposal.
We have reminded the Council of its legal obligations under the National Planning Policy Framework and case law. If they proceed on a procedurally defective basis, we are fully prepared to escalate this through legal channels.
Thank you for continuing to support us.
This case is now bigger than one site—it’s about how planning, enforcement, and environmental law must be upheld to protect our land, heritage, and future.
We now call for this planning application to be formally called in by the Secretary of State.
The Tamar Nurseries case involves:
Significant unauthorised development
Potential archaeological destruction in breach of national policy
A pattern of retrospective justifications and regulatory evasion
This is not just a local issue — it is a test case for whether the planning system can uphold the law, protect the environment, and restore public trust.
We demand:
Immediate enforcement and criminal referrals where warranted
Protection of rewilded and ecological sites like Tamar and Shepherds Close
National planning reform to close the loopholes exploited again and again
📝 Please continue sharing and supporting this petition. Every signature strengthens our call for systemic change, and every voice makes it harder to ignore the reality on the ground.
We will not allow the destruction of nature to be normalised.
We will not allow planning fraud to be buried.
We will not allow ecological vandalism to be waved through under the guise of “growth.”
We are standing up for Highgate, for the Fens, for all local communities under threat.
➡️ Sign. Share. Stay tuned for the next steps.
IMAGE: LiDAR scan of Walpole Highway TF5113 (source: archiuk.com) showing historic ridge-and-furrow and possible settlement traces near the Tamar Nurseries site. Unauthorised excavation in this area may breach Section 16 of the NPPF concerning archaeological protection.