Norwich beauty spot to benefit from £35,000 boost

Danby Wood nature reserve, where improvements will be carried out due to funding from the Greater Norwich Growth Board. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY (Image: Copyright: Archant 2014)

Danby Wood, off Ipswich Road, has been handed £35,000 from the Greater Norwich Growth Board, using money generated through the community infrastructure levy on new development.

The money will be used to improve access to the nature reserve, a former chalk pit which is now woodland owned by Norwich City Council and managed by Norwich Fringe Project.

The work will see some of the trees chopped down, but those behind the project were quick to stress that was for good reasons.

Matthew Davies, project officer for Norwich Fringe, said: 'Funding like this doesn't often come along and it is giving us a really exciting opportunity to do some extremely positive access improvement and woodland management work.

'We know people have concerns when it appears trees are being taken down for no apparent reason, so we'd like to reassure them of the importance of the work.'

He said some of the trees had reached a height where there is a risk they could be blown down in a gale, while removing selected trees will increase the light to the woodland floor, allowing new saplings to grow and giving other trees space to grow and mature.

Some of the work, due to start next month, will be carried out by local volunteers. Chris Stebbing, vice-chairman of Eaton Village Residents' Association, is one of them.

He said: 'I am pleased to see that the city council and the Norwich Fringe Project will be undertaking tree management work within Danby Wood.

'I am a regular conservation volunteer with the fringe project and have learned much about woodland and conservation management and seen the benefits it can deliver.'

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