Residents in a Norfolk town are pushing for additional land to receive safeguards against housing development following a successful campaign to protect local parkland.
Expanding Protection for Harding’s Pits
A seven-acre parcel of land named Harding’s Pits, located next to the River Great Ouse in King’s Lynn, will be preserved after the county council granted it village green status. The Harding’s Pits Community Association spent three decades campaigning to maintain the area exclusively as a leisure space.
Following this success, the community group aims to extend the protection to the east side of the location. This adjacent area has been designated for up to 50 houses within the local plan formulated by the King’s Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council.
Independent councillor Alexandra Kemp stated that she is urging her authority to modify the local plan. She expressed her desire to safeguard the eastern side of Hardings Way as a village green, remove the planned housing units, and establish community sports facilities, additional trees, and wildlife habitats instead.
She explained that any construction along Hardings Way introduces the danger of increased general traffic, which would severely impact the tranquility, safety, amenities, and local wildlife.
Background and Housing Targets
The local authority received a government mandate to construct over 10,000 new homes by the year 2040. Originally a 19th-century clay pit that later served as a landfill, Harding’s Pits was converted into a public area during the early 1960s.
At present, the location serves as a walking route for dog owners and provides pedestrian access leading into the King’s Lynn town centre. The borough council has been contacted for a response regarding the proposed changes to the local plan.
