Lion Wood - Woodland Enhancement

Lion Wood, Norwich’s only designated ancient woodland, is a valuable green space for our city. We’re planning to protect it for the future. This includes making it easier for everyone to enjoy, increasing wildlife and reducing flooding.

Many of you know that the main path through Lion Wood, between Wellesley Avenue North and South, is in poor condition. When it rains heavily, water rushes down the slopes, damaging the path and flooding nearby roads, including Wellesley South and Yarmouth Road. Simply fixing the path won’t solve the problem and could make flooding worse.

Norwich City Council is working with Norfolk County Council, the Environment Agency and Anglian Water to address this issue. We’re taking a joined-up approach to understand and manage how water flows through the area, starting with Lion Wood.

We know the accessibility and condition of the path in Lion Wood needs to be improved, so we can make this happen, we need to consider the effects any improvements will have on water flows, and come up with the best solution for, people, wildlife, and water. We feel the best method to achieve the necessary improvements for Lion Wood is using “Natural flood management” (NFM). This method will slow and hold back rainwater, which will help reduce flooding but also improve biodiversity. This is especially important as climate change is expected to bring more intense rainfall and negatively impact on biodiversity.

What we’re planning:

• Improved paths and access: We’ll be making the main path easier to use for walking and cycling, including people with mobility needs.
• More wildlife: We’ll be creating new habitats and managing existing ones to increase ecological value and support local wildlife.
• Better recreation: We’ll explore adding natural play features and making Lion Wood a more enjoyable place to visit.
• Natural flood management: We’ll be using natural methods like leaky dams, ponds and bridges to manage rainwater and reduce flood risks.

How you can get involved:

Your feedback will directly help us shape the final plans. We’re keen to hear your thoughts on how to best enhance access and recreation, improve wildlife, and manage water in Lion Wood.

We do have to work within certain limits, such as existing underground pipes and the need to protect sensitive flora like bluebells. We’ve put together detailed information to explain these constraints.

• Download the frequently asked questions document for more details.
• Complete our survey: Share your views on Lion Wood, recreation and access, wildlife, and natural flood management.
• Share your ideas: Use our online ideas board to suggest improvements and features.

Join us at our in-person drop-in sessions for the Lion Wood project:

We are pleased to announce the dates and times for our in-person engagement sessions. This is a great opportunity to speak directly with the project team, ask questions and share your thoughts. Sessions will be held in Lion Wood. The backup location in case of bad weather will be Pilling Park Community Centre.

Confirmed dates and times:

• Friday 11 April 2025: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
• Wednesday 16 April 2025: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

The consultation will be open from 28 March until 25 April.