Harrison's Wood

Harrison's Wood is a 27-hectare publicly accessible Woodland Park near Blue Boar Lane in Sprowston. It was created from an existing plantation that was earmarked to provide green space when a new development was planned at White House Farm.

It was one of the site-specific policies in the Sprowston Neighbourhood Plan. Broadland District Council, working with Sprowston Town Council and the Norwich Fringe Project, turned the plantation into a public woodland park for everyone to enjoy.

The project received a £45,000 loan from the Greater Norwich Growth Board (GNGB), which enabled the project to progress without having to wait for completion of the development's Section 106 agreement. Without the GNGB's support, the project would have been delayed for several years.

The GNGB supported this project because it aligned with the need to make improvements to the Green Infrastructure Network in the area, to serve the planned growth. This woodland park is one of three large public parks created as part of the Growth Triangle Area Action Plan. Improving access to this site helps create a green corridor from Mousehold Heath to the Broads.

The project accomplished the following:

• Created green spaces with a long-term plan for maintaining them
• Established a green corridor that connects existing green areas with key points in planned developments
• Provided the public access to woodland within a reasonable distance from their homes, meeting standards for accessibility and natural green spaces

Land ownership will be transferred to Sprowston Town Council, pending completion of a cycleway in the White House Farm development.