North Norfolk’s distinctive, ecologically significant environment is under threat as never before. Increasingly, unsympathetic, ill-considered development puts our exceptional landscape at risk.

At the same time, some of those charged with protecting our environment — members of local parish councils, statutory consultees, officials of the NNDC and our elected representatives there — are all too often more interested in the demands of commercial developers, trendy architects and high-profile projects than the views of local people, let alone their responsibility to safeguard our landscape and to protect it from irreparable harm.

Too often, planning and development proposals are given rubber-stamp approval.

– There is no obligation to inform concerned parties of proposals that affect them most directly

– Although designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, too often this coveted official status counts for little when it comes to planning decisions

 – Little is done to alert local communities to proposals that will wreck their environment for generations to come

 – Elected officials ignore the clearly-stated views of their constituents and vote for the developers’ interests instead

 – Statutory consultees such as Historic England are either unable or unwilling to protect our heritage

 – Architects are allowed to act as quasi-official advisors on one hand, while at the same time, on the other hand, submitting their own planning proposals.

 – Local and national planning guidelines are not taken properly into account

The result has been a proliferation of bad planning and development decisions, now threatening to destroy everything that is distinctive, historic and significant about North Norfolk’s landscape. It is no wonder that local people now openly regard North Norfolk’s planning and development system with distrust, disgust or outright cynicism.

This is why North Norfolk Planning Watch exists.

Formed by North Norfolk residents, NNPW has been created to keep the planning process honest, fair and transparent, in a way that has not been the case in recent years.

Here is what NNPW is doing to help:

– Campaigning for genuine, meaningful and serious consultation on planning and development proposals. Those most directly affected by these proposals should be informed directly as a matter of right. All local people should be made aware of proposals through abundant and prominent signage, published material and other more innovative methods such as social media outreach

 – Fighting for greater transparency around the planning process, not least with regard to relationships between developers, architects, consultees and other involved parties, giving residents the opportunity to help shape planning decisions before it is too late

 – Helping residents ensure that proposals are subjected to the full rigour of the planning process as set out in statute, national and local guidance, rather than just let by ‘on the nod’ in the interests of those who are good at manipulating the system

– Holding to account elected officials who do not listen to constituents and do not work to safeguard our precious environmental heritage

– Maintaining strong links with the news media at the local and national levels to encourage transparency and accountability in the planning process

If you care about North Norfolk’s environment, please keep in touch with us via this website, and help us to protect this precious and irreplaceable landscape. Or if you want to support our work, you can do so here.