Forster Country

Forster Country The Friends of the Forster Country. We aimed to preserve for all time the open green space to the north of Stevenage known as The Forster Country.

Unfortunately building work has now begun. In spite of its international and local importance, the Forster Country had no sort of protected status and there were continual attempts to build on it. Since 1946, local people have been campaigning to save the Forster Country from development and to preserve it as a vital 'green lung' for north Stevenage. In 1988, John Hepworth (retired geologist) and

Margaret Ashby (writer & lecturer) both of whom had been campaigning to prevent development in the Forster Country, joined forces to form the Friends of the Forster Country (FoFC), with the aim -
"TO PRESERVE FOR ALL TIME THE OPEN GREEN SPACE TO THE NORTH OF STEVENAGE KNOWN AS THE FORSTER COUNTRY." In the years since we have celebrated Forster Country in many ways. Every New Year we mark Forster’s birthday with a walk. Every year we aim for a new celebration alongside our AGM. The Forster Country Walk was opened at one. When the current series of Newsletters started in 2003, a writer warned us that although Forster Country seemed safe, it could be different if the next twelve years were as bad as the previous twelve. Forster Country has been threatened during those 12 years and certainly we feel now in 2015 that Forster Country is in a more precarious position than ever. Please join us now. Don't leave it until too late and bulldozers smash through OUR countryside. As a Friend of the Forster Country you will receive regular newsletters and invitations to walks and events organised in support of our aim - To preserve for all time the open green space to the north of Stevenage known as the Forster Country.

Our traditional walk to celebrate Forster's birthday on Jan 1 will start from St Nicholas' church entrance on Rectory La...
19/12/2023

Our traditional walk to celebrate Forster's birthday on Jan 1 will start from St Nicholas' church entrance on Rectory Lane at 2 pm. Sadly we will see a lot of fences.
Do join us.

The fairies have decorated the tree again. Thery knew we needed a cheering-up!
01/12/2023

The fairies have decorated the tree again. Thery knew we needed a cheering-up!

30/11/2023

We are so sad and so sorry we couldn't stop these plans for our open space. Stevenage Labour Council has voted to pave over much of the last remaining fields of E. M. Forster's beloved fields, to create an "urban recreation park" with spoil mound, car park, road network, speed humps, bollards, municipal bins. A literary, cultural, wildlife haven is ruined

It should be possible to build the homes that people need, the community spaces that are accessible to all, the parks and spaces so needed for a good life - and to do so in a way that incorporates ancient meadows and history and biodiversity, and involves everyone in the design.

We would like to say Thank You to anyone who wrote to councillors, attended meetings or lodged objections. Thank you for loving the land here as much as we do.

I'd like to remind you of the Council meeting tomorrow Wednesday 1830 @ Council Office by old bus station. Our spokesm...
28/11/2023

I'd like to remind you of the Council meeting tomorrow Wednesday 1830 @ Council Office by old bus station. Our spokesman will be the same as in March; then the councillors thought he spoke sense and we want a show of strength again so they listen again. The Comet have put a report on their website, though sadly not in last week's print edition.

Campaigners are calling on a council to halt plans for a country park in Stevenage, after "metal barricades have trapped local deer".

There are plenty of us who have enjoyed the wild life in Forster Country over the years - deer, skylarks and other birds...
16/11/2023

There are plenty of us who have enjoyed the wild life in Forster Country over the years - deer, skylarks and other birds, badgers and other creatures. We never saw the need for so many metal fences. Here is an example of what can happen when the developers do not appreciate the importance of wild life. This deer has paid a high price.

14/11/2023

We have now heard that the latest version of the plans for our open space is to be considered by a special meeting of the Planning Committee on Wednesday November29th 18.30 in the SBC Council Chamber. We found few improvements compared with the plan deferred by the previous meeting so hope we can persuade councillors to insist on more consultations and improvements. Please come and support us. They do pay attention when people show an interest.

We have a new video about the threat to what Stevenage BC call a Country Park. I call the open space a meadow and thin...
28/10/2023

We have a new video about the threat to what Stevenage BC call a Country Park. I call the open space a meadow and think it should be St Nicholas Meadow. Please click any link or go to
www.forstercountry.org.uk to read our response to Stevenage BC.

Check out Chris Naylor's video.

We have sent in our Friends of Forster Country response on the Country Park application to Stevenage BC. If you want to...
22/10/2023

We have sent in our Friends of Forster Country response on the Country Park application to Stevenage BC. If you want to see it, go to our website www.forstercountry.org.uk and use the link on the front page. There is still a little time to send in your own response as in my earlier post.

17/10/2023

We are very disappointed. SBC have published an updated version of their proposal for our open space. It is very little changed from the early plan that was rejected by their Planning Committee early in the year. We believe the rejection was because our spokesman urged further consultations and we have not seen evidence that they did this.

If you agree with us we need your support. Objections have to be to SBC by Oct 24 – just one week

You can object, quoting planning reference number 22/00781/RMM by email to [email protected] or by letter - post to Stevenage Borough Council, Planning Dept, Daneshill House, Danestrete, Stevenage SG1 1HN

When Stevenage Borough Council decided in 2020 to build 800 houses across the conservation fields near St Nicholas Church, Weston Road and Rooks Nest House, the childhood home of E.M. Forster (inspiration for his novel Howards End). The Local Plan promised the last fields would be protected & restored to the meadows lovingly described in Forster’s works.

We are heartbroken, shocked and baffled that they now intend to press ahead with their broken promise: landscaping the natural meadows, and laying roads, car park, toilet block, paths, bollards, electrical grounding tower and more.

If you've ever been transported by a true English novel, lost your daily worries by walking in nature, or felt proud of the cultural, literary and natural heritage that still remains - please take a moment to help us. Write to the council via the planning site. We thank you.

Sorry I have not posted much - lack of definite news. But I want to say Thank You to the members who came to the AGM an...
05/10/2023

Sorry I have not posted much - lack of definite news. But I want to say Thank You to the members who came to the AGM and helped formulate a plan of how we would like the meadow, ready to send to Stevenage planners

11/07/2023

Croudace Plans for their site of North Road can be viewed until July 21 on http:@//northstevenage.croudacehomes.co.uk

Address

Rectory Lane
Stevenage
SG14DA

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