Dereham could become the greenest town in Norfolk as plans for revamping its open spaces take shape.Dereham Town Council has drawn up a Green Vision for the town to make it a haven both for wildlife and people packed with green spaces and cycle lanes and footpaths to link them together.

Dereham could become the greenest town in Norfolk as plans for revamping its open spaces take shape.

Dereham Town Council has drawn up a Green Vision for the town to make it a haven both for wildlife and people packed with green spaces and cycle lanes and footpaths to link them together.

Proposals include a new playing field with football pitch for Toftwood, new woodlands and a green garden scheme.

The full extent of the plans for the town are to be revealed at a public meeting in August where people living in the town are to be asked what they think about the ideas and how important having green space in the town is.

Questions will include:

Are open spaces, parks, Allotments, footpaths and wildlife important? Should these green amenities be protected and improved for now and for future generations?

Should Dereham have more open spaces to cater for its' growing population? If Dereham should have more open spaces where should they be located?

The work stems from a green infrastructure study carried out to see what green spaces there are in the town to help feed into a new planning blueprint for the whole of Breckland being drawn up by the district council.

Lynda turner, mayor of Dereham, said: “We thought this was a really good opportunity to look at the whole of Dereham.

“We have got so much in place already, it is a foundation for a lot of work we could do, from new sports facilities to woodlands.”

The council had a survey of green spaces in Dereham carried out. It looked at where they were short of green space, she said.

It was found areas south of Dereham, particularly Toftwood, lacked open green spaces.

Options for new areas include a sports pitch and new woodlands, green corridors, to allow people to get across the town through connected foot and cycle paths, planting along the A47, encouraging wildlife gardens, planting more trees in built up areas, enabling easier access to the countryside and sports provision.

Other ideas include encouraging wildlife in the cemetery, a green link between Rush Meadow and Etling green and influencing design guidance to make new properties wildlife friendly.

A presentation and discussion of the proposals, including large illustrated maps of potential sites, will be held at a public meeting on August 19 at Dereham Memorial Hall.

The exhibition will be open from 6.30pm with a presentation at 7pm followed by a question and answer session.

For more information contact the town council on 01362 693821.

What do you think? Write to the Times with your ideas to Dereham and Fakenham Times, Bond House, High Street, Dereham, or e-mail julia.carter@archant.co.uk