22 Orford Street, Ipswich, IP1 2NS
Telephone: 01473 251632 Fax: 01473 217178
Local Authorities, Women's Institutes (WIs) throughout Suffolk and the Suffolk Coast and Heaths Unit have worked together to devise a way of monitoring Suffolk's landscape.
The story so far....
Autumn/Winter 1998
Over 150 squares, each measuring one kilometre by one kilometre were chosen by WI members. Step by step handbooks were sent out to all participating WIs, to prepare local WI members for recording landscape features in their squares.The Suffolk Millennium Challenge Landscape Recording Project,
January/July 1999
Local WI members undertook a winter and summer survey within their chosen square. Information was collected through map recording and panoramic photographs.
Summer 1999
Local WI members produced a detailed map record from their survey work and forwarded these, together with photographs, to the local planning authorities.
Autumn 1999
Local authorities, together with the Suffolk Coast and Heaths Unit, analysed all map records. These results formed the base data from which subsequent landscape changes will be assessed.
Spring 2000
Landscape monitoring results published in the second monitoring report of "Suffolk's Environment...towards sustainable development".
March 2000
'Celebrating Suffolk's Landscape Challenge' Exhibition at BT, Martlesham. Over 110 WIs throughout Suffolk exhibited. Over 1,200 guests attended.
December 2000
The Royal Town Planning Institute Award (east of England) 2000 prize for planning achievement awarded to the Partnership.
Summer 2001
Re-surveys commenced for certain squares in Suffolk Coast and Heaths and High Suffolk Claylands landscape character areas.
January 2002
Winning the Royal Town Planning Institute Planning Achievement Award for Planning for People and Places in Rural England (Sponsored by the Countryside Agency).
March 2003
The Landscape Recording Partnership was awarded a £21,696 grant from the Local Heritage Initiative (LHI) to aid in the commitment to re-survey squares every five years and to encourage new groups to survey different squares.
2004
All 150 squares to be re-surveyed together with new ones....volunteers willing!
2005
Celebrating Suffolk's Changing Landscape exhibition at Culford Hall on 15th and 16th July 2005.
2007
The project gained a reward for ??????????
2009
Full re-survey.
This will unfortunately not be possible as local authorities are not able to provide funding to fulfill this goal. Data collected from this very worthwhile project has been retained at the records office in Ipswich