Latest
Eco Homes Opening Their Doors
Our popular annual event ‘Green Buildings Open Days’ is now open for bookings. Guided tours of eco-homes, energy efficient developments and low carbon community buildings will take place across Norfolk from 23rd - 26th September, run by homeowners, architects and builders. Hosting tours this year will be Neatishead Village Hall (the UK’s first straw bale village hall), Mrs Temples Dairy (and her anaerobic digester!), the Low Carbon Community Challenge at Reepham and 9 ‘ordinary homes’ with a range of renewable energy technologies and energy-saving building techniques. Download the event brochure and visit the online booking system from here.
Postwick Hub Orders
CPRE Norfolk are celebrating after the Government Office for the East Midlands confirmed that a public inquiry would be needed into the controversial Postwick Hub planning proposals. CPRE Norfolk had previously written to the Government Office for the East of England (GO-East), the Highways Agency and the Minister of State for Transport over plans to commence work at the Postwick Hub interchange, despite proper community consultation being carried out. Substantial alterations to the junction near the Broadland Business Park were being proposed by Norfolk County Council, even though formal consultations on the Norwich Area Transportation Strategy and the Joint Core Strategy for the Greater Norwich area had not been concluded. A press statement is available below.
Big Beach Clean
Over 70 University of East Anglia students and CPRE volunteers took part in a Big Beach Clean at Waxham beach in June. Over 40 bags of rubbish were collected from the stretch of coastline during a two hour litter pick. Items such as plastic food wrappers, barbeques, string and rope, and plastic drinks bottles were among the most commonly found, alongside a fridge door, an exercise ball, a buoy and a fisherman’s oilskin. All litter was itemised on forms for the Marine Conservation Society, which uses the data to lobby the Government, the shipping industry and packaging manufacturers about the dangers of marine litter to wildlife.
Denver Mill Mediation Process
CPRE Norfolk has a role in the stewardship of the Norfolk Historic Buildings Trust, alongside Norfolk County Council. As widely reported in the local press, there was a dispute between the Trust and the tenants of Denver Mill, and both parties entered a mediation process to resolve the issues. The Trust is committed to keeping Denver Mill open and is doing everything in its power to work with the current tenants to resolve the dispute. For further information please download the short statement below.
Light Pollution Campaign Success
CPRE Norfolk’s Light Pollution Coordinator, David Hook, was recently invited by Norfolk Property Services (NPS) to participate in discussions about future lighting schemes in Norfolk schools. He has subsequently advised on lighting schemes at three Norfolk schools and has encouraged NPS to adopt good lighting practice on all their future education projects. CPRE Norfolk’s Light Pollution Team has also been in discussions with Norfolk County Council over the £25m PFI street light replacement scheme in Norfolk that will see almost 50,000 lights replaced in the coming years. The Team has worked with the council to ensure that full cut-off flat-glass white lights (the preferred type for reducing light pollution) are used almost completely throughout the scheme.
Links and Further Information
Green Buildings in Norfolk - Open Days
Download <Postwick Hub Slip and Side Road Orders - Press Statement>
Download <Denver Mill - Statement from CPRE Norfolk and NHBT>