House builder told to re-plant trees in Trowse near Norwich

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has found Serruys Property Company felled 340 trees along the river at Trowse without a felling license. 

Andre Serruys, director of Serruys Property Company (Image: Submitted)

The works - which happened in April 2023 - were carried out as part of the developer's plans to build 670 homes at the former May Gurney and Deal Ground industrial sites.

Serruys has now been ordered to plant "no fewer than 340 trees" which must be maintained for 10 years after planting or "from when the natural regeneration starts to show".

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Failure to comply will result in an enforcement notice being issued, which, if not complied with, may result in a separate offence being committed which carries a penalty of an unlimited fine and court-ordered restocking.

How the stretch of riverbank looked before the tree felling (Image: Newsquest)

The aftermath of the felling work in Trowse (Image: Marion Catlin)

Marion Catlin, who lives nearby and chairs the Trowse Millgate Neighbourhood Group, was furious about the work and welcomed the Defra decision.

She said: "I hope that we will see a good number of mature, native trees planted and not just young whips nor relying on regrowth of the felled trees as, almost a year later, the site still looks very bare and the riverbank is still lacking habitat for breeding birds and animals.

"It will take some years for the site to reach anything vaguely like the previous level of trees and vegetation that lined the rivers, providing much-needed cover for wildlife and drainage.

Marion Catlin, who lives nearby and chairs the Trowse Millgate Neighbourhood Group (Image: Newsquest)

"We have noticed much more flooding this year on the surrounding meadows and marshes and while this is probably not solely due to the tree felling, it is well-known that mature trees help to reduce flood risk, a real issue in this area which includes three rivers and two Broads.

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"It is good that the Forestry Commission has been able to take this action and I hope that it helps to preserve the trees and ecology of this area in the future – it sends an appropriate message to negligent landowners across the country."

Serruys Property Company declined to comment but a spokesman had previously said "we maintain that we have followed all the correct procedures and guidance".

Plans for 670 homes

New designs for a riverside retail and dining area as part of the 670-home development near Trowse were revealed last July.

These included 1,000sqft of cafe and restaurant space, a similar-sized area for shops and commercial development and an 850sqft public square.

Designs have been revealed for a public square in the 670-home Trowse development (Image: South Norfolk Council)The development would include a mixture of housing, leisure facilities and offices (Image: South Norfolk Council)

The site was earmarked for development in the East Norwich Masterplan and outline planning permission was given to Serruys Property Company in 2013.

However, progress has proved slow and the firm was given an extension until April 25 to lodge plans, after completing a public consultation, with nutrient neutrality measures cited as a complicating matter.

Fighting for Trowse

Since news of the felling was first reported, the Evening News has been pushing to ensure a thorough and fair investigation is carried out. 

As part of our promise to hold authorities and businesses to account, we have regularly contacted South Norfolk Council the Forestry Commission, Defra and Serruys Property Company for updates.

The site in March 2024 (Image: William Warnes)

We have also been on the ground talking to those who matter most - our readers - to ensure their voices are heard and their grievances are brought to the attention of the public. 

We're pleased to have had a hand in the outcome of this investigation and hope this now brings the matter to a close.

Got a problem? Don't worry, the Evening News will sort it. That's our promise to you.

If you need help fixing an issue, email our head of news on david.freezer@newsquest.co.uk.

Can the Evening News help you? (Image: Newsquest)