Object
Preferred Options consultation document
Representation ID: 93722
Received: 04/10/2019
Respondent: Ms Deborah Hardy
I strongly object to the proposal to extract mineral from the land at Woodrising Rd, Cranworth (Min 116) for the following reasons:
The land is bordered by a bridleway and adjacent to a restricted byway which form a circular route with adjacent lanes for local walkers, horseriders and cyclists. This route remains the only local off road access to the countryside and is widely used by locals from Woodrising, Southburgh and Hingham. Mineral extraction would completely spoil the environment and render it useless for public amenity purpose.
The lanes adjacent to the site (unmarked lane known as Grove Lane or Peters Lane locally), Pye Lane, River Lane and Woodrising Rd are all narrow and poorly maintained. In many places there is only room for a single car to pass slowly without forcing walkers up onto banks,ditch edges or hedgerows. It is already hazardous for walkers, riders and cyclists when any vehicle passes and the conditions are wholly unsuited to large, heavy gravel lorries. All the lanes are lined with mature oak trees and typical of rural communities, there are no pavements. Widening the roads would detract from the rural character of the area and involve destruction of useful wildlife habitat.
Whilst the application states that vehicles would travel along Woodrising Rd towards Hingham, I submit this claim is disingenuous. The reality is that large heavy vehicles would filter through the local lanes to Woodrising Village, through Southburgh and onto Cranworth. No lorry headed towards Dereham is likely to travel through Hingham when there are equally inadequate and more direct routes elsewhere. Most of the local housing dates back to the early 1800s and is built of clay lump on brick plinths without modern foundations. The risk to the integrity of these buildings with heavy vehicles passing, even at moderate speeds, (in the case of my home) within approx 15 feet of the front door should be considered.
The proposed site has, until recently, been surrounded by broad grassy headlands. As a regular walker I can testify to the presence of Kites, Barn Owls, Hobbys, Buzzards, Skylarks, Deer, Hare and a proliferation of wildflowers and grasses beside the bridleway and the restricted byway, Gypsy Lane. Hence the attraction of the site to local walkers and riders. Again, this habitat/flora and fauna would be threatened by the site.
The essential character of the whole area is that of rural, agricultural countryside. There are attractive views towards Southburgh church and across the fields to the extensive woodlands of the Woodrising Estate and the Blackwater valley/water meadows. The headlands/hedges of the fields form essential wildlife corridors. Effectively dropping an industrial mineral extraction site into the area and claiming that a bund/hedges would protect 'the view' from local properties is unreasonable.
It is further claimed that dust/noise from the site would only affect properties within 250m of the area. Given that on occasions dust from the sahara falls on Norfolk, and seeing the extent of snow drift across the fields during periods of extreme weather ( effectively blocking the Woodrising Rd on more than one occasion in the 13 years I have lived here), I feel strongly that the consequences of mineral extraction would be far more impactful on local communities than admitted by the landowner.
My last issue is that it is apparent that many local people who would be affected by the development of the site remain unaware of these proposals. A small number of local residents are trying to address this through personal contact, but time is pressing.
I strongly object to the proposal to extract mineral from the land at Woodrising Rd, Cranworth (Min 116) for the following reasons:
The land is bordered by a bridleway and adjacent to a restricted byway which form a circular route with adjacent lanes for local walkers, horseriders and cyclists. This route remains the only local off road access to the countryside and is widely used by locals from Woodrising, Southburgh and Hingham. Mineral extraction would completely spoil the environment and render it useless for public amenity purpose.
The lanes adjacent to the site (unmarked lane known as Grove Lane or Peters Lane locally), Pye Lane, River Lane and Woodrising Rd are all narrow and poorly maintained. In many places there is only room for a single car to pass slowly without forcing walkers up onto banks,ditch edges or hedgerows. It is already hazardous for walkers, riders and cyclists when any vehicle passes and the conditions are wholly unsuited to large, heavy gravel lorries. All the lanes are lined with mature oak trees and typical of rural communities, there are no pavements. Widening the roads would detract from the rural character of the area and involve destruction of useful wildlife habitat.
Whilst the application states that vehicles would travel along Woodrising Rd towards Hingham, I submit this claim is disingenuous. The reality is that large heavy vehicles would filter through the local lanes to Woodrising Village, through Southburgh and onto Cranworth. No lorry headed towards Dereham is likely to travel through Hingham when there are equally inadequate and more direct routes elsewhere. Most of the local housing dates back to the early 1800s and is built of clay lump on brick plinths without modern foundations. The risk to the integrity of these buildings with heavy vehicles passing, even at moderate speeds, (in the case of my home) within approx 15 feet of the front door should be considered.
The proposed site has, until recently, been surrounded by broad grassy headlands. As a regular walker I can testify to the presence of Kites, Barn Owls, Hobbys, Buzzards, Skylarks, Deer, Hare and a proliferation of wildflowers and grasses beside the bridleway and the restricted byway, Gypsy Lane. Hence the attraction of the site to local walkers and riders. Again, this habitat/flora and fauna would be threatened by the site.
The essential character of the whole area is that of rural, agricultural countryside. There are attractive views towards Southburgh church and across the fields to the extensive woodlands of the Woodrising Estate and the Blackwater valley/water meadows. The headlands/hedges of the fields form essential wildlife corridors. Effectively dropping an industrial mineral extraction site into the area and claiming that a bund/hedges would protect 'the view' from local properties is unreasonable.
It is further claimed that dust/noise from the site would only affect properties within 250m of the area. Given that on occasions dust from the sahara falls on Norfolk, and seeing the extent of snow drift across the fields during periods of extreme weather ( effectively blocking the Woodrising Rd on more than one occasion in the 13 years I have lived here), I feel strongly that the consequences of mineral extraction would be far more impactful on local communities than admitted by the landowner.
My last issue is that it is apparent that many local people who would be affected by the development of the site remain unaware of these proposals. A small number of local residents are trying to address this through personal contact, but time is pressing.