Hales and Heckingham enjoy exceptional assets, both natural (such as Hales Green Common) and built (for example, the newly equipped playing field). The Parish Council is committed to protecting and improving these.
In February 2019 the Parish Council unanimously approved the following policy statement:
“The Council notes that:
a) the recent 2018 IPCC report states that we have just 12 years to act on climate change if global temperature rises are to be kept within the recommended 1.5 degrees Celsius;
b) all governments (national, regional and local) have a duty to limit the negative impacts of climate breakdown, and local government has a key role to play in supporting and promoting effective action;
c) Norfolk City Council, meeting on 29th January 2019, became the latest local authority to recognise the existence of a climate emergency.
Considering the above, Hales & Heckingham Parish Council to agree to:
1) Support Norfolk City and other councils in declaring a Climate Emergency;
2) Take appropriate action to limit the negative impacts of climate breakdown, both at a local level and in support of action by the city council;
3) To continue to support local initiatives such as composting, improved bus services and other actions that are already having a beneficial effect, and to respond positively to new initiatives;
4) To publicise and encourage positive action by and for residents.”
Hales Green Common
Hales Green is a registered common (CL39) and a County Wildlife Site (CWS 141). It includes wet and dry grassland with ponds and a small amount of scrub. It also has damp hollows and dry pits, gappy boundary hedgerow in places, and occasional trees. The site is cattle-grazed from May-November, and is used for various amenity activities. Hales Green Common has been described as “a relatively rare survival of the kind of extensive area of common once typical of Norfolk’s claylands” (Norfolk Heritage Explorer).
In 2019 Norfolk Wildlife Trust carried out a survey of the common as part of their Wildlife In Common Project, and put forward a set of management suggestions.
We encourage everybody to enjoy and to help protect this marvellous asset.
The survey (complete with maps and photographs) and the management suggestions are linked below:
Hales Green Common – Management Suggestions
( Note: high resolution copies of photographs are available on request – please send an email )
South Norfolk Tree Wardens Network
Your parish tree warden is:
Phil Grimes
admin@halesandheckingham-pc.gov.uk
The Countryside Code
