NWT East Winch common, photo by Richard Osbourne

Wildlife sites and rare species threatened by A47 plans


Tuesday 11 March, 2014


Norfolk Wildlife Trust is concerned that proposals to improve the A47 could result in irreversible damage to sensitive wildlife sites that are located alongside the road.

Two of the Trust’s nature reserves – NWT East Winch Common and NWT Scarning Fen – could be affected by Norfolk County Council’s proposed road improvements. There are also a number of County Wildlife Sites alongside the A47 including at Narborough, Pentney and Wendling, which could be threatened.

NWT East Winch Common is adjacent to the A47 in East Winch village. It is a wet heathland, designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) because it is home to a variety of rare plants, including marsh gentian. Whilst a bypass to the south could serve to take traffic away from the Common, it is possible that the cut created by a new road (north or south) may interfere with the hydrology of the site. In addition, the road could create a barrier for wildlife between the Common and the River Nar.

Despite its small size, NWT Scarning Fen is internationally important for its species-rich alkaline fen, of which it is one of the very best examples in the UK.  Its rare species include a liverwort found nowhere else in the UK; several nationally-scarce flowering plants; and a number of rare invertebrates including the small red damselfly (only Norfolk site) and the nationally-rare Geyers whorl snail. The Fen is next to the A47 in Dereham, and is already surrounded by housing and roads. NWT believes its survival would be threated from any further land-take if the existing road was to be widened.

CEO of Norfolk Wildlife Trust, Brendan Joyce said: “Impacts from new roads are not just restricted to direct loss of habitat under tarmac - they present a wide range of threats to wildlife. Large roads act as significant barriers between wildlife sites and may be difficult or dangerous for wildlife to move across. They can also alter the hydrology and drainage patterns and increase air and water pollution, including run-off from salt in winter. Delicate wetland sites that are close to roads are particularly under threat, as are those sites supporting plants, such as lichens that are sensitive to air pollution.

“There is understandably local authority and business support for improvement to the A47, but we do not believe that this should happen at the expense of wildlife. And while it is clear that some of the proposed improvements will not happen for a number of years, we believe that it is important to flag this up at an early stage so that planners and politicians are fully aware of the risks to wildlife. We call on Norfolk County Council and the New Anglia Economic Partnership to ensure that potential impacts on biodiversity are factored in at an early stage.”
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