Cautious optimism for £800,000 Cringleford country park

It comes after a boost for the plans was announced as part of £10m plans from the Greater Norwich Growth Board, from a pool of cash generated by the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL).

The award of the money is set be formally confirmed in March but will need approval from the relevant councils.

Plans will see just over 40 acres of land in the Yare Valley, next to the University of East Anglia woods, purchased to preserve it as a country park.

Councillors had previously raised concerns over a lack of open space in the area as more housing estates were planned for the rapidly expanding area.

There have also been concerns over a lack of infrastructure such as schools and doctors' surgeries, so Sonya Blythe, clerk of Cringleford Parish Council, said the council welcomed more open spaces.

She said: "We're supportive of land being bought for open spaces rather than more development.

"But at the moment we can't say any more than that."

Caroline Ackroyd, Liberal Democrat city councillor for Eaton, said that while open space was good for the area she felt local services should be the priority for public cash.

She said: "Clearly there's a lot of buildings without infrastructure and there are not enough doctors and schools.

"Obviously it's good for people to have these open spaces as long as it doesn't take away green space.

"Really I would like to think that a doctor's surgery would be the priority given the amount of building that has gone on."

A new 420-place primary school has been planned for the area on land off Colney Lane, however the parish council has raised concerns about the arrangements for dropping off and collecting children, with worries it will lead to increased traffic.

There are already plans for 1,700 new homes to be built on land in areas near the A11 and St Giles Park as part of the Greater Norwich Local Plan.