Our Vision

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The village of Filby, largely as a result of its continued success in Britain in Bloom, has been under considerable pressure for development over the last few years. Although Filby is a relatively small village, there have been 28 new homes built over the last six years and there are 26 more with permission. Overall, this is a substantial increase in homes within the parish.

 

This will have an impact not only on the biodiversity of the village but also on the nearby Trinity Broads SSSI and SAC. The area is also heavily arable which has implications for the water quality of the run off into the broad. As a result of the Norfolk Wildlife Trust’s village habitat survey in 2014, it has been an aspiration amongst some of the villagers to establish a Trust to acquire land where possible that can mitigate this development and increase the biodiversity of the area and well-being of residents.

 

Local volunteers have been involved in hedge planting as a result of the survey and an interest group was formed in 2018 to take the idea of a Lands Trust further.

 

An opportunity to purchase a small piece of land and manage another arose in 2019 as the result of a local agricultural development. The site comprised 0.5 of an acre of arable land gifted to the Church as a graveyard. This will not become active for 40 to 50 years and the Filby Lands & Conservation Trust is managing this as a flower rich meadow for this time.

 

A further 0.5 acres has been purchased with the aid of grant funding from Essex and Suffolk Water and turned into a community woodland with a mix of native trees to provide nectar and berry/seed sources. The site is bordered by a hedge laid to provide bird nesting habitat. The arable field boundary has been planted with a native mixed hedge that will eventually be laid also.

 

The Trust will undertake other land purchase, in the future, as the opportunity occurs.