A husband and wife have expressed fears for a section of beloved woodland near Great Yarmouth.
Over the past week, posters have appeared on trees in Bradwell, declaring, 'Save Our Bluebell Woods!'
The people behind the signs are Graham and Tiffany Richardson who live on neighbouring Hobland Lane.
They decided to take action after reading the first draft of Great Yarmouth Borough Council's Local Plan, which was published last week and sets out a vision for the future development of the borough.
Among the proposals are blueprints for a new industrial estate on land next to Bluebell Woods - which is owned by the borough council and open to the public.
The plans would see the strip of woodland sandwiched between two halves of the business park, with the new half accessed via an extension of Gawain Road - through the woods.
It is this part of the plan which has concerned Mr Richardson, who said the access road would "cause so much damage to both nature and wildlife".
"They are going to extend the road right through the woods and across the field," he said.
READ MORE: Council says woodland will 'not be built on' after residents' concerns
Last year, a council spokesperson said the woodland around Beacon Park had not been put forward for consideration for development.
Mr Richardson said: "They've always said they won't touch any more of the woods than they did when they built the industrial estate."
He and his wife have been "out and about" talking to dog walkers and people who use the woods."
He said the area was "packed" on Saturday, March 16, and there were "lots of angry people around".
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Bluebell Woods was planted in 1995 by the borough council as a shelter belt for the Beacon Park development.
In 2022, ahead of the publication of the first draft of the local plan, potential sites were submitted to the council by landowners, developers and the community.
One of those sites - which comprises land south of Beacon Park and north and west of Hobland Hall - was submitted to the council by the landowner.
The land comprised privately owned farmland and woodland but did not include the Beacon Park woodland, also known as Bluebell Woods.
The site, however, did include an adjacent private woodland, known as the Hobland Plantation.
Last year, Bradwell Parish Council asked that the proposed extension to Beacon Business Park be moved further back and away from Bluebell Woods.
"The woods are an extremely important area for the people of Bradwell and a green lung for the environment," they said.
"This parish council is wholly against seeing this area of natural beauty ruined for the extension of a business park.
"We are not against extending the business park, we just do not want it built so close to Bluebell Woods," the council added.
The parish council is hoping to buy Hobland Plantation and extend the woods with a car park and picnic benches.
The First Draft Local Plan proposes a target of 7,200 new homes for the borough between now and 2041, alongside an additional 38 hectares of development for industrial and business use.
The draft proposes that the urban areas of Great Yarmouth, Gorleston and Bradwell should be the main focus for growth.
A series of drop-in events will take place in April where council planning officers will be available to talk about the consultation:
April 15, 10am to 6pm – Great Yarmouth Town Hall
April 16, 4:30pm to 8:30pm – All Saints Parish Hall, Beach Road, Scratby
April 22, 4:30pm to 8:30pm – The Old School Village Centre, Green Lane, Bradwell
An online webinar will also take place on Wednesday, March 27.
To attend the webinar, email localplan@great-yarmouth.gov.uk
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