Published on Wednesday 04 August 2021
Revised proposals for a Nature Park at Throop will be presented at the next Planning Committee meeting later this month.
If approved, Throop Nature Park would open up a substantial area of land to the public and deliver access to the southern bank of the River Stour. This proposal will offer a variety of circular walks, semi-natural spaces to explore and space for dogs to exercise.
The new and improved proposals have been submitted in response to concerns raised in the previous planning application. Spanning c.12 hectares of green space, the Throop Nature Park will encourage local people to get outside and explore the great outdoors, meet up with friends and family, and improve their health and wellbeing.
Cllr Mark Anderson, Portfolio Holder for Environment, Cleansing and Waste, said: "I’m pleased that the application for a nature park at Throop will be considered at this month’s Planning Committee.
"Throop Nature Park will provide green space for local people to explore, whilst also protecting our natural environment and encouraging biodiversity. The Nature Park will help boost the local wildlife population by restoring lost hedgerows and improving habitats for small animals and birds. We want to help our residents lead active, healthy and independent lives. Providing dedicated green space, like Throop Nature Park, will help us realise this commitment."
The revised plans replace previous work that was undertaken to create a Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace (SANG) at Hicks Farm. The council needs to create more green spaces across the conurbation in order to meet the local housing targets being set by Central Government.
Cllr Philip Broadhead, Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Regeneration, Economy and Strategic Planning, said: "Our Big Plan sets out our ambition to lead our communities towards a cleaner, sustainable future that preserves our outstanding environment for generations to come. I believe that the creation of Throop Nature Park is step in the right direction in achieving this.
"We have a growing population, along with big ambitions for our area. Throop Nature Park offers the best location to mitigate future pressures on local heathlands.
"This really is a project that hits so many goals: it provides a wonderful new natural space for people to enjoy, it enables development to continue in our urban centres to ensure their regeneration, and in doing so helps to meet our housing targets there instead of opening up the green belt. It’s not often you can achieve so much with one project!"
Throop Nature Park will be presented at Planning Committee on Thursday 12 August 2021.
For more information about the proposals, please visit Throop Nature Park website.