Guist to get new 17 hectare wetland
The land - equivalent to 32 football pitches – will be turned into a wildlife haven
A new wetland will be built near a rural Norfolk village after the bid was approved by councillors.
An area of land of more than 17 hectares – the equivalent of 32 football pitches – will be turned into a wildlife haven near the village of Guist.
The application by housing developers Persimmon Homes, which has plans to build hundreds of homes in the area, was unanimously approved by Breckland Council members on Tuesday.
It is hoped it will help improve water quality in the River Wensum and create a wildlife haven that will improve biodiversity.
The wetland is part of an effort to create several in the county, which experts hope will ‘soak up’ – or ‘neutralise’ – harmful pollution generated by new housing to prevent it from ending up in Norfolk’s rivers.
It is thought the site will store the same amount of phosphate levels produced by 600 homes a year.
The wetland will be built on land to the south of the Norwich/Fakenham Road (A1067) to the south and southeast of Guist.
The project would create three ponds through which the flow of water from the Foulsham tributary of the River Wensum would be diverted via a dam or small weir.
Persimmon Homes says it will improve water quality downstream and allow it to deliver new home schemes in the river catchment area.
Despite being unanimously approved, some concerns have been raised that it would not do enough to protect the River Wensum against pollution.
Chairman of Breckland Council planning committee, Nigel Wilkin, called it a “good news story” for a change.
“We are not just covering the district in concrete – we also welcome this type of scheme coming forward.”