Growing Norfolk – joined up thinking

Whether travelling by road or rail, using the internet or telephone, having local support services such as schools, shops and hospitals, investment in reliability and availability must remain at the top of the list, for every community both urban and rural. Our current solution of more roads for more cars is no longer sustainable.

We need a new long-term approach to our infrastructure with proper planning and investment in new convenient and affordable public transport alongside cycling and walking.

Norfolk has a major green energy industry which is vital for the UK’s future energy security and environmental protection. Collaborative working with communities must ensure this important business manages its local environmental impacts effectively.

We must become a leader in reducing waste of our vital resources such as food, energy and water, which will support our future prosperity and wellbeing. This includes making all buildings resource efficient by legislation and investment.

Our vision is to create and sustain the environment for Norfolk’s successful business sectors to expand, whether they be in the life sciences, higher education, food processing, financial services, the creative industries as well as tourism, agriculture and energy.

Do you agree we should:

• Work together to keep a thriving tourism industry and make sure an unspoilt ‘green’ Norfolk is available to future generations?
• Develop and invest in an innovative, bold, new transport strategy to ensure we make traffic congestion and deprivation a thing of the past?
• Develop and expand our businesses in a sustainable way, and always value the environment at least equally to economic considerations?
• Ensure we only build energy efficient buildings and invest in enabling all our existing buildings to become more efficient and cheaper to run?
• Encourage energy companies and communities to work together with government support to increase production and develop new ways to harness the power of the environment around us?
• Make the balanced use of water resources a very high priority?
• Protect rural tranquillity including our inspiring dark skies and dark landscapes?

It is common sense to tackle these issues as a priority.