Environment Project 2022
The Parish Council invited all residents to a village consultation held on 3rd December 2022 on their plans to carry out an environmental project on two acres of the Playing Field and would like to thank everyone who attended and commented on the plans. Thank you also to Nigel Stannett of North Norfolk District Council who was there to answer questions about the proposed Miyawaki forest.
The proposal is to turn part of the Field into a pleasant wildflower meadow with accessible pathways leading to seating areas with benches and picnic tables. Please see draft landscape plan below (we will add a clearer plan when available). We are hoping this project will be funded by environmental grants, provided we are successful in our applications. Be assured, it would not be funded by the precept.
We also wished to take advantage of planting a Miyawaki forest, also funded by a grant from North Norfolk District Council. Details of this can be found on their website, link below:
https://www.north-norfolk.gov.uk/news/2022/july/plant-your-own-mini-forest/
We received comments from two couples who were against all the proposals, but we received lots of helpful comments from those who supported the proposal in principle. The majority of comments were from residents who although supporting the project, but were against including a pond, due to doubts about safety, especially as the play area is within the project area. A suggestion was made for raised beds with lavender and rosemary, pathways were discussed, access for disabled residents, two requests for benches to be nearer the play area, questions about the height and variety of trees in the Miyawaki forest area and whether they could be registered with the Queen's Green Canopy Platinum Jubilee project, schools being involved, the possibility of commemorative trees being sponsored and planted, together with other comments and ideas, all of which have been noted and will be taken into account.
The Parish Council met on Tuesday 6th December 2022 and discussed the result of the consultation. As this was mostly positive, the application for the Miyawaki forest part of the project was submitted. The application for a Sustainable Communities Fund grant has also now been submitted. It was agreed not to include a pond at this point, but to review that in two or three years' time.
Thank you to the Bread & Fuel (Geoffrey Smith) Charity (who own this part of the playing field), for their permission to enable the project to go ahead.
The application for the Miyawaki forest has been successful and the project is now complete. A big "thank you" must go to the management and staff of Albanwise Farming who have offered to plant the trees for us. Thank you again to Nigel Stannett of NNDC who has advised and supported us throughout this part of the project.
