Local residents and members of the public are invited to drop by and meet the project team, who will be available to share updates and answer questions.

Five events will be held across various locations close to the onshore cable route between August and September.

The event in Reepham will be held on Tuesday 5 August from 9 am – 12 noon in Reepham Town Hall, Church Street, while a drop-in event will be held in Sparham on Wednesday 8 October in the Old School Room, Well Lane, from 4–7 pm.

Public information events will also be held in Aylsham, North Walsh and Walcott.

While the project team will be more than happy to discuss any aspect of the projects, these sessions will primarily focus on the latest activity along the route, including ducting installation, land reinstatement, haul roads and access point removal.

Once operational, these projects are expected to produce enough electricity to power more than four million UK households.

For more information, contact the Vanguard West, East & Boreas Project Team. Email: norfolk@rwe.com

Image: RWE

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Image: Indigo Landscape Architects

After the nearly two-hour meeting, committee members voted by four votes to three to grant a temporary 40-year permission for the scheme, off Nowhere Lane.

The council’s planning officers had recommended approval of the project, despite objections from individuals and organisations concerned about issues such as the scale of the development, increased traffic, the loss of agricultural land and safety concerns over lithium-ion batteries.

Reepham Town Council had objected to the plans, while Greg Peck, county councillor for Reepham, spoke against them, arguing that the project would destroy productive farmland as well as some scenic countryside and wildlife habitat.

Chris Banks, renewables development manager at Albanwise Synergy, said the scheme would contribute to the shift to greener energy, generating enough electricity to serve more than 14,000 homes a year and would offset nearly 6,500 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually.

To move the project forward, the developers will now have to obtain planning permission for an underground cable route to connect the solar farm to the Salle electricity substation near Cawston. This connection has been agreed with UK Power Networks, although the cable route has yet to be decided.

Following Broadland’s decision, Mr Banks said Albanwise Synergy is now working on possible cable routes, either to the north or south of Reepham, with a planning application aiming to be submitted by the end of this year.

It is anticipated that initial construction works for the solar farm could begin from late 2026 into 2027. Access to the site for construction traffic would be via the B1145 Dereham Road.

Read the EDP story HERE.

See our earlier stories:

• Pettywell solar farm set for approval despite objections
• Town council objects to solar farm project
• Public consultation now open on solar farm planning application
• Plans revealed for proposed Pettywell solar farm

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Renewable energy firm Albanwise Synergy said the development, which has a lifespan of 40 years, would generate enough power for more than 14,000 homes.

Around 80 people have objected to the plans, as well as Reepham Town Council and local MP Jerome Mayhew.

Broadland District Council’s planning committee has been advised to approve the solar farm, subject to conditions; download the planning officer’s report HERE.

The planning application will be considered at Broadland’s Planning Committee on Wednesday 23 April, starting at 9.30 am. The meeting will be held in the Council Chamber for those wishing to speak and will also be livestreamed HERE.

See our earlier stories:

• Town council objects to solar farm project
• Public consultation now open on solar farm planning application
• Plans revealed for proposed Pettywell solar farm

The post Pettywell solar farm set for approval despite objections appeared first on REEPHAM LIFE.

This tropical paradise in a 90-foot long flight area features more than 400 butterflies flying free in and around visitors. If you wear bright colours you might even be lucky enough to have one land on you!

At 30°C and with tropical humidity, the new butterfly house provides the perfect living conditions for these amazing flying jewels.

Visitors can visit the flight area once or constantly throughout the day – a useful tip as it can get quite hot inside.

Book now for a visit during the school holidays and remember to book early for a handling experience as spaces book up fast before the day.

See our earlier stories:

• Invertebrate zoo in Lenwade wins business start-up award
• Lenwade insect zoo crowdfunding for conservation area
• Bug Parc gets new additions for summer

The post Tropical butterfly house opening at the Bug Parc appeared first on REEPHAM LIFE.

The fund, which is linked to RWE’s three Norfolk offshore wind projects – Vanguard East, Vanguard West and Boreas – was launched in 2024 and 11 local initiatives, including schemes in Bawdeswell, Elsing and Reepham, have been selected to receive funding that aims to support vibrant, resilient and sustainable projects.

This initial round, known as the Discovery Phase, is designed to build a deeper understanding of the specific needs of communities closest to the wind farm’s onshore infrastructure.

The three local funded projects in this first round are:

• to install solar panels and battery storage at Bawdeswell Village Hall;
• to support Elsing Woodlanders’ nature club for children and young people by erecting a workshop shed with concrete base, covered area and workbench as well as tools for woodwork and tree planting;
• for Field of Joy, Reepham, to continue the teen rangers and sanctuary garden groups for young people and begin a new inter-generational group focused on organic growing, tree planting and wetland/waterway conservation.

Decision-making panel member and Reepham resident Rex Warner (pictured above, second from left) said: “The community panel, which is made up of local people, gives us the opportunity to listen, understand challenges and opportunities in the area, and direct funding to projects that truly matter. It is fulfilling to help fund projects which build stronger, better-connected communities.”

Over their combined lifetimes, renewable energy projects being built and operated by RWE in the UK will invest more than £160 million into Future Bright community benefit funds.

RWE’s Norfolk Offshore Wind Zone Community Fund is working alongside the Norfolk Community Foundation, which has been appointed as the community investment steward.

RWE already operates 10 offshore wind farms across the UK. The German multinational energy company also has nine UK offshore wind projects in development, representing a combined potential installed capacity of around 9.8 GW.

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The NLAF is a statutory body tasked with advising on improvements to open-air recreation.

It is a vehicle for protecting our communities and maximising the mental and physical health benefits of being outside

The next NLAF meeting is at the Bircham Centre, Market Place, Reepham, on Thursday 27 March from 10 am – 12 noon.

This is a planning meeting designed to inject some energy into the group and should provide a good insight into what the NLAF does.

Anyone with an interest is welcome to join as an observer for however long they wish.

For more information, contact: Birgit Griem, Chair, Norfolk Local Access Forum. Tel: 07765 506326. Email: griem9@gmail.com

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The initiative was the idea of race director Leona McConnell and course director Leigh Nobes, who is farm manager at MacGregor Farming Partnership on whose land the race took place, starting and finishing at Whitwell & Reepham Station on Sunday 26 January,

Reepham Runners is a small, inclusive running club that has been active for several decades and is growing in membership, as well as having an interest in supporting local incentives and sustainability.

The club hosts two races each year and is encouraging other running clubs in Norfolk to reduce plastic at their events.

In collaboration with Trees Not Tees, Reepham Runners gave each runner that completed the cross country race an individual tree with a QR code showing where it has been planted.

“The cost of a tree is equivalent to that of a medal but it feels so much more than that, as it is a contribution to nature and the future,” said Ms McConnell.

The decision to replace medals with tree plantings did not appear to reduce the number of entrants for the race, and was greeted with applause on the start line of the event, which is renowned for mud and supportive marshals, and in which 12 junior runners (11−16 years) also participated.

This year 144 trees will be planted. Some of the proceeds from the race will also go towards Reepham & District Rotary Club’s Sunshine Memory Café for those living with memory loss and their carers.

Compostable cups were used at the race finish line for water and these will be given to a local school for seedlings or another gardening activity. Runners were also reminded that they could bring their own drinks, leaving them at the start/finish line for collection.

The only plastic items used at the event were the race numbers. However, next year, with support from the owner of Total Race Timing, who is a club member, unused race numbers from other events will be used to further reduce the impact on the environment.

“I wanted to share this story to show how small changes can generate big results,” Ms McConnell added. “We are so proud of what we have achieved in a short space of time, and we aim to strive to do better each year.”

The Reepham Summer 10K will be held on Friday evening, 1 August and plans to be as plastic free as possible. Entries are now open online.

For any comments, feedback or information on joining Reepham Runners, please contact by email.

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Reepham Town Council has raised objections to the Pettywell Solar Farm planning application following its meeting on Wednesday 15 January, with the four councillors present voting unanimously against the plans.

The meeting was attended by almost 40 members of the public, as well as representatives from the developer, Albanwise Synergy.

The solar farm, which is planned for land east of Nowhere Lane, is a renewable energy-generating project including photovoltaic panels, supporting infrastructure including inverters, transformers, a substation, a battery energy storage system, fencing, CCTV cameras, access tracks, and biodiversity and landscape mitigation.

The project, which also borders Marriott’s Way and the B1145, has a 40-year lifespan, according to Albanwise.

In its submission to Broadland District Council, the town council said the proposed solar farm represents a “significant intrusion on valuable agricultural land, threatens local wildlife and would negatively affect tourism and the local economy.

“The cumulative impact of this development, combined with other major projects, risks overburdening the town and its infrastructure.

“Additionally, the lack of a legally binding decommissioning plan and the uncertain future of the land after the solar farm’s lifespan poses a further risk to the long-term integrity of the site.”

Objections to the plans have also been lodged by local MP Jerome Mayhew, County Councillor Greg Peck, CPRE Norfolk and more than 60 residents. However, no objections have been raised by such bodies as Natural England, the Environment Agency and Norfolk Fire & Rescue Service.

The issue appears to boil down to balancing the need for energy security and decarbonising the country’s electricity network with food security in the face of climate change and uncertain global supply chains.

Many residents and businesses point out that Reepham and nearby villages are already enduring ongoing roadworks, HGV movements and road closures associated with the cable routes passing through the district from two major offshore wind farm projects off the north Norfolk coast.

Residents, led by Hugh Ivins, who lives in Whitwell, next to the proposed solar farm site, noted that, according to government statements, “applicants should, where possible, utilise suitable previously developed land, brownfield land, contaminated land and industrial land, avoiding the use of best and most versatile agricultural land where possible”.

He added that an online petition has so far received more than 100 signatures objecting to the proposal. “The solar farm is simply in the wrong place,” Mr Ivins concluded.

However, Albanwise Synergy renewables development manager Chris Banks points out that the project area is primarily a combination of grades 3a and 3b agricultural land, with some grade 2 – land that is currently used for producing common commodity crops, of which the UK is an exporter, and non-specialist crops that can be grown in many areas across the country.

At the town council meeting, Albanwise said that, as a response to feedback from a consultation, it has reduced the total land area of the project by around 25%, repositioned the battery energy storage compound and made improvements to the proposed landscaping around the edges of the site.

The Hertfordshire-based renewables business also revealed that it is considering proposals to establish a community benefit fund worth £2,000 per megawatt (MW).

As the proposed solar farm has a total rating of 40 MW, which could provide enough electricity a year to power more than 14,000 dwellings, this would also offer around £80,000 for local community use.

The planning application (reference 2024/3676) has a potential determination date of 31 March. A spokesperson from Broadland’s planning department said comments can still be made, via the link HERE, up until 30 March.

See our earlier stories:

• Public consultation now open on solar farm planning application
• Plans revealed for proposed Pettywell solar farm

The post Town council objects to solar farm project appeared first on REEPHAM LIFE.

The planning application (reference 2024/3676) and the related documents can be viewed HERE. Any comments can be submitted directly via this link; the consultation period closes on Sunday 12 January.

Further, members of the Albanwise project team will be available to answer any questions on the proposal at Whitwell Station, Whitwell Road, Reepham, on Monday 6 January from 2.30–7.30 pm.

For further information, see the project’s website or email.

The planning application will also be discussed at the next Reepham Town Council meeting on Wednesday 15 January at 7.30 pm at Stimpson’s Piece Pavilion, Bartle Court, Reepham.

See our earlier story:

• Plans revealed for proposed Pettywell solar farm

The post Public consultation now open on solar farm planning application appeared first on REEPHAM LIFE.

Photo: Susi Arnott

The event is aimed at anyone interested in wildlife who wants to take a more active approach to supporting biodiversity in the local area.

Supported by Vetwork UK, the collaborative workshop will bring people together to share and build understanding of the world around us and the impacts we have on it.

The biodiversity collage is a set of visual, interactive resources based on the work of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES).

During the three-hour session you will work with images and each other’s ideas to explore how ecosystems function, the importance of biodiversity for humankind and the threats it faces.

In a structured but flexible series of activities, you will discover the links between different aspects of biodiversity, creatively present your findings and develop actionable plans to combat biodiversity loss.

This will include:

• interactive learning: coming to an understanding of ecosystems and how they can be disturbed;
• creative collaboration: working together to create a visual representation of biodiversity and its challenges;
• action planning: reflecting on what you have learned and brainstorming strategies to protect and enhance biodiversity in your community.

The workshop will be led by Dr Susi Arnott, a biologist-turned-film maker and qualified carbon literacy trainer, who has worked on various environmental initiatives in the UK and overseas.

To book a place, contact Sarah Morgan on 07584 084026.

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