Village Initiatives
Proposed Plan for the Top Green
Update 26 Sept 2023: A vote is now being taken as to whether this plan should proceed. If you are a village resident, please check your emails. Find out more about voting here >
Norwood Green is blessed with an abundance of green spaces, whilst enhancing the village they could
be more environmentally beneficial.
It was therefore proposed that some of the areas away from the main greens could be looked at with a view to redesigning and replanting.
Top Green Working Party
Working in conjunction with residents living closest to the Top Green, who had already formed a working party, a design brief was established.
The brief from the working party was to create a wildlife friendly habitat with greater visual appeal, enhances and is sympathetic to the existing surroundings. After careful consideration a simplistic planting plan comprising of native hedging and perennial wild flowers has been developed.
Native Hedgerow
The native hedgerow is planned to be planted below the crest of the green and be maintained at a
height that will not impact on existing sight lines and views from the top green. It will provide
two primary functions:
- Firstly, it will create a fantastic wildlife habitat
- Secondly, it will provide a backdrop for the wild flowers and screen the wild brambles further down the slope. It will give all year round aesthetic interest with lots of blooms, berries, foliage, colours and textures.
Wildflowers
The majority of the grass on the flat top of the green will remain in situ to provide recreational
space for residents and visitors to the village. The hillside, already cleared of brambles and
nettles, will be sown with perennial wildflower seed. The advantages over the existing grass
include:
- Plant diversity that attract and feed a greater range of pollinators; butterflies, bees, birds and mammals
- Different flowering species add a changing palate of colour to the environment through the seasons.
- Active involvement of the local community in managing the site encourages ownership.
Additional benefits include:
- Carbon capture
- Pollution filtration
- Biodiversity
- Reduced risk of soil erosion
- Water management
Charitable Donation
We are delighted to be able to say that we have secured a charitable donation of 480 saplings for
delivery in November from The Woodland Trust which enables the complete planting of the proposed
hedge.
Therefore there would be a remaining cost of approximately £650 to purchase and sow the
wildflower seed.
Planting Time
November is the perfect time to carry out the planting of the saplings and sowing of the seed. A
working group will be required to carry out the changes with an estimated timescale of 2-3 days
(dependant on volunteer numbers).
Steps into Billy Woods
The project to install steps from the green into Billy Woods is progressing separately and awaits
permission being granted from the local authority.
Download larger planting plan >
All sounds very nice.
I particularly commend the decision not to break up the main open area with any new crossing path(s).
I’m concerned about the hedge planting;
a) It will make part of the Green publicly inaccessible.
b) Prunus spinosa – spiny plum – is fast-growing, makes large trees, and perhaps so do some other proposed subjects.
c) The inaccessible part of the Green would then seem to be very easily annexed to adjoining private property.
d) Has the Open Spaces Society – the foremost group concerned with the protection of Greens and recognised by the Planning Inspectorate – been notified?