River Fromus Boardwalk Proposal

BlueSpaces~Saxmundham is a citizen science and community action group formed to ensure that the Saxmundham Town Centre stretch of the River Fromus provides an excellent aquatic habitat for a range of species, protects Saxmundham from flooding and is a place of recreation and relaxation. We seek to improve visual access to the river for the residents of Saxmundham to aid their wellbeing and physical access to the river for managing the health of the river. BlueSpaces~Saxmundham volunteers regularly enter the river to remove litter and invasive species, clear blockages, test water quality and survey wildlife.

We would like all people living in Saxmundham and visiting the town to be able to view and enjoy the river and its wildlife. Additionally, it is important for the town to have a safe entry point into the river and to manage the canopy of trees along the Fromus which continue to impact the health of the river.

Our proposal is to install a boardwalk alongside the River Fromus for all of the community to be able to use, stretching from Fromus Walk to Street Farm Road. Currently, people regularly cross the water meadow (Fromus Green) and this route is not accessible to all and compacts the floodplain. Our plan is to provide an alternative non-slip safe route that provides a nature trail through the existing scrub and woodland. The boardwalk would be constructed using environmentally sensitive ground screw and screw piles and sit above the plain providing new habitats for wildlife below. Our proposal is that part of the boardwalk would include a pontoon which groups such as BlueSpaces~Saxmundham can use to safely enter the river.

Please submit one response per household by end of November.