Although not opposed to the principle of having a new Weather Radar Tower in my constituency, since day one I have had concerns about the Met Office proposals to build one at the Anglian Water site in Old Buckenham.
At the start of 2020, I supported local concerns about the potential impact of the Tower on the nearby Old Buckenham Airfield (a major tourist asset in our part of the world) and offered to work with the Met Office to find another, more suitable location in Mid Norfolk. Sadly, the Met Office did not take up that offer – and the application was not successfully carried through.
I have now received a wave of correspondence from concerned residents in the village in light of the new application that the Met Office have tabled.
While they have heeded the concerns of many about the potential impacts on the Airfield and amended their proposals accordingly, the massive physical and visual concern of the tower on this very rural area is a source of much worry. Furthermore, it has been discovered that there are highly endangered bat species in the area – and there is a desire to do more research into any likely impacts that the weather radar may have upon them.
That’s why I have written the letter below to Breckland Council – highlighting my concerns and once again offering to help the Met Office find an alternative site that is more acceptable to the local area.
Please be assured, I shall continue to follow this closely.