Norfolk must stay different, not sold to prophets of boom

Obstinate delusion?  

More like a shrewd tactic at the heart of a self-preservation programme unlikely to be wrecked by sound, fury and never-to-be repeated offers of a drawn-out general election campaign.

Yes, there will be renewed demands to see the light and move with the times, voiced mostly by prophets of boom with vested interests in items Norfolk could well do without.

Like environment- bashing traffic links and other pothole-creating adventures, more bland housing estates on precious  green spaces for a big surge in commuters, mass tourism projects and armies of belligerent pylons jackbooting across our glorious skyline... a feature which lured and kept so many folk here in the first place.

No, we must not buckle under torrents of jibes  about living in the past, ignoring “harsh economic realities of a changing world” and frightening off generous developers who have nothing but our future betterment in mind. 

Perhaps it’s time to look for unlikely support from a body of highly-trained and well-paid experts at the very heart of our current debate over the way Norfolk is being bribed and bullied into changes some of us fear could completely destroy core values of a much-envied part of the country.

As homegrown journalist, broadcaster and unashamedly proud defender of the Norfolk way of life, I have long enjoyed amiable sparring sessions with key characters involved in determining our county’s fate.

Planners must have thick skins, ready smiles, reasonable answers, useful alibis,  and sound working knowledge of how life ticked over quite pleasantly, thank you, before they came along. 

It seems most of them helping prepare us for challenges  of a tingling new age arrived here on a wave of missionary zeal, ready to light up the  road to nowhere  with glowing texts from more sophisticated parts.

This blatant emphasis on hauling a backward Norfolk into line rather than applauding and supporting a deeply-felt desire to carry on being different has provoked fiercest argument over the past 40 years or so.

To be fair, that debate would have ben even more lopsided without the genial and  passionate presence of John Ayton as head of planning at County Hall. Proud of his local roots, he told me many times that planners did more than most to maintain Norfolk’s unique identity. 

“Planners do not create development pressures; they try to advise planning authorities on how to cope with them”  he stressed in a letter to me after I   launched an outspoken attack on him and his like.

I also recall from 1988 how Brian Murphy, North Norfolk’s chief planning officer, criticised members of the district council’s development committee for ignoring advice from planning officers by approving plans for new houses in open countryside rather than within villages.

“I am very concerned," he said. "The way it has been going in the last few meetings is really quite environmentally disastrous.. They are going quite badly wrong in relation to policy. I have the task of trying to preserve the character of north Norfolk and this is ruinous”.

Murphy’s Law. Ayton’s advice. Seems we could do with a few examples from three and four decades back to boost present campaigns against speculators and spoilers.

Planners might not always be right. I maintain they should speak out when something is undeniably wrong. 

Here’s a little wish list designed to bring  a bit more long-term comfort and joy to a place still envied for being different:

1. Take a closer interest in local affairs  and not just when an issue affects you. Councillors, officers and MPs should be held to regular account.
2. Stop paying lip service to the idea of public transport and use it whenever possible. There’s no shame in being seen on a train or bus even if you do have  smart new car.
3. Encourage children to feel more at home in the countryside instead of using it simply as an escape from urban tedium. “What’s that crop over there?” is a good starting point.
4. Talk to your neighbours. Even it it’s only to tell them how the internet puts you in touch with other side of the world. But communications still begin at home over the garden wall
5. Stay cool in congested corners, especially during the holiday season. Remember how pavement niggle and pub bar nudge can breed nasty thinks like road rage.
6. Ignore all surveys pointing to Norfolk as one of the safest, healthiest, quietest  and cheapest places to live.  Stating the obvious can entice exploitation.
7. Beware all who claim far-reaching alterations will affect them as much as you, for good or for bad, Just tell them “dewin’ diffrunt” can mean leaving well alone.