"Ground-breaking report puts a price tag of Norfolk’s nature"

Todays' Eastern Daily Press story about the recently published UK National Ecosystem Assessment report says that the report's findings "add weight to the argument that ecosystems need to be enhanced and protected, not abandoned or destroyed" and a comment at the end of the article says "if putting some kind of value on them stops the preposterous GNDP from blighting parts of Norfolk it can only be a good thing." We can only hope that the report findings have not come too late to stop the destruction of much of the countryside around Norwich.

The report itself concludes that  "Although contact with the natural world is part of the bedrock of our society, there are justifiable concerns that the ecosystem service concept may lack cultural resonance. This has important implications for raising awareness of the wider benefits of sustainable management of natural resources.

More research is needed into understanding, specifically, losses in aesthetic value, not only in terms of
visual and scenic value but also aesthetic qualities experienced through the other senses. Also, research in
environmental and landscape aesthetics has tended to focus on landscapes. New directions for
understanding the benefits of aesthetics and inspiration ought to include aesthetics and wildlife and the
aesthetic qualities of marine, coastal and water environments.."

Many people choose to live in villages rather than towns or large housing estates. Some people have found that by moving their families from urban areas in order to achieve the benefits of the countryside they are now faced with losing them. Seems that 'common folk' know what they want and why they want it but developers and planners are intent on providing something different and at the end of the day profit is the motivating factor for them.