Norwich is hostile to nature, say Greens

More needs to be done to help nature thrive in Norwich, according to councillors who want the city council to insist developers think about wildlife when it comes to planning new buildings.

Green councillors say the city is currently 'largely hostile to nature', with many developments just masses of concrete with hardly any thought given to nature.

Denise Carlo, Green city councillor for Nelson ward and her party's spokesman for planning and transport. said: 'Norwich needs a new vision for greening the built environment in which nature is fundamental.

'Currently, the city is largely hostile to nature.

'There are too many hard surfaces and some new developments have been built with barely a blade of green in order to reduce maintenance costs and create off-street car parking.

'Concrete, Tarmac and bricks absorb heat and as a result we are creating a hot city, at risk of flooding from intense rainfall and with lower resilience to climate change.'

At a meeting of the city council's sustainable development panel yesterday, she asked officers to consider working into the council's policies a need for developers to think of nature when submitting planning applications, praising the 'green wall' being created as part of the expansion of Marks and Spencer in the city centre.

It was agreed officers should draw up a paper looking at ways to maximise providing green space across the city, which will be presented at a future meeting.

Do you think more should be done to help nature thrive in Norwich? Write to Evening News Letters, Prospect House, Rouen Road, Norwich, NR1 1RE, or email eveningnewsletters@archant.co.uk