Recreation, Conservation

Conservation, Recreation, & Access

Report 2008

Contents

Introduction ………………………………………………….… Page 2 Area of Supply ………………………………………………..... Page 2 Company Sites with Amenity Value …………………………. Page 3 Non–Company Sites ………………………………………….. Page 4 Bough Beech Reservoir – Nature Reserve ………………… Page 5 Bough Beech Reservoir – Sailing ……………………………. Page 6 Bough Beech Reservoir – Fishing …………………………… Page 7 Bough Beech Reservoir – Horse Riding ……………………. Page 9 Bough Beech Reservoir – Facilities for the Disabled …….. Page 10 Bough Beech Reservoir – Liaison …………………………. Page 10 Details of Company Holdings…….. …………………………. Page 11 Recreation – The Nonsuch Bowmen ……………………….. Page 12 Recreation – The Surrey Society of Model Engineers …… Page 13 Conservation …………………………………………………… Page 13 Conservation – E-Billing Service …………………………….. Page 15 Conservation – Electronic Version of CAR Report ………... Page 15 Water Conservation …………………………………………... Page 16 Fetcham Pond …………………………………………………. Page 18 Environmental - Recycling ……………………………………. Page 19 Environmental - LPG …………………………………………. Page 20 Community ………………………………………….…………. Page 20 Schools ……………………………………………………….... Page 20 The Bough Beech Education Centre ……………………….. Page 21 Directory ………………………………………………………... Page 23

1 Conservation, Recreation and Access Report for Year Ending March 2008

Introduction

This report aims to inform customers of the resources and pursuits available to them on the lands presently owned or partially maintained by the Company.

A summary of the nature and extent of the Company’s landholdings can be found on page 11 of this report. No land used for recreational purposes was sold by the Company during the year. The Company’s land has been used by a variety of different interest groups from the community, for recreational and environmental purposes. There have also been environmental initiatives on non-Company sites.

Area of Supply

Sutton and East Surrey Water supplies a population of approximately 650,000 within an area of 834 square kilometres in the London Boroughs of Sutton, Merton and Croydon and in East Surrey and West Kent. Across the northern area of supply lies the North Downs, a range of chalk hills, large areas of which are designated as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Chalk is the most important aquifer in this part of the country and supplied all the water the Company needed until the 1950s with the exception of small greensand sources at Westwood which formerly belonged to the Limpsfield and Oxted Water Company who merged with East Surrey Water in 1930.

The greensand ridge lies a few miles south of the North Downs and runs west to east from Dorking to Limpsfield Chart. The greensand is now an important water bearing strata providing the Company with a valuable resource.

Boreholes in the chalk and greensand provide 85% of the Company’s water, the remainder coming from a reservoir at Bough Beech which is fed by pumping from the River Eden during the winter.

2 Most of the Company’s land is unsuitable for conservation, recreation and access being urban sites, agricultural land let for grazing or other agricultural use, and sites in areas of outstanding natural beauty, too small in themselves to be of use, which are maintained to blend in with their natural background.

Company Sites with Amenity Value

Bough Beech reservoir has a nature reserve managed by the Kent Wildlife Trust, sailing run by the Bough Beech Sailing Club, and fishing organised by Honeycroft (BBR).

Chiddingstone river intake allows fishing along a stretch of the River Eden and is let to the South Norwood Angling Club.

North Looe reservoir has land used by the Nonsuch Bowmen, an archery club, who maintain a full programme of meetings.

Fetcham Pond which is situated beside a public footpath is maintained as a visual amenity, and the land nearby is let to the Surrey Society of Model Engineers for a model railway track.

3 Non-Company Sites

Carshalton Ponds has been provided with a new concrete base, laid and maintained by the Company. It is a condition of the Company’s abstraction licence for The Oaks borehole that it augments flows into the ponds, as necessary, by recycling water from the River Wandle by means of a pumping station at Goat Bridge.

A similar maintenance arrangement exists at Bourne Hall Lake in Ewell, where the lake is linked to the Company’s licence to abstract from a borehole at Nonsuch Park.

Both these sites underwent major refurbishment during 1996/7, detailed articles appeared in the report for that year.

In 2004 SESW made a donation to the Surrey Wildlife Trust to help in work securing the future of the Godstone Bay Pond.

Bough Beech Reservoir and Chiddingstone River Intake

The Nature Reserve and Centre

The nature reserve occupies about 18 hectares at the northern end of Bough Beech Reservoir. The whole of the reserve can be seen from the causeway at Winkhurst Green, and it continues to be a very popular spot for bird watching. The Bough Beech Centre is a carefully converted 19th century oast house adjacent to the reserve and its informative displays attract thousands of visitors a year. The surrounding farmland, ponds, streams, woods and orchards set the scene for a peaceful and most enjoyable countryside experience.

The Centre’s displays include; details of the reservoir, its construction and present day working; information on hop growing and how the oast house was used in the past; how the nature reserve provides habitats for so many resident and visiting birds; and details of the many plants and animals which thrive along the nature trail.

The Centre, which is run totally by volunteers from the Kent Wildlife Trust (KWT), is open to the public from April to the end of October on Wednesdays, Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holiday Mondays from 11 am to 4.30 pm. The facilities include toilets, a picnic barn and a small shop, for further details regarding the nature reserve or the work carried out by the KWT their address is detailed inside the back cover.

5 The Company works closely with the KWT and now offer a dual visit for school children. The morning is spent at the nature reserve and Oast House and the afternoon visit is at the reservoir and water treatment works.

School visits can be arranged for Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays by pre-booking through the Company’s educational co-ordinator Jo Hedges. A wide variety of activities including pond dipping and bird watching can be arranged.

As always this year the reservoir has been a great place for bird watching over the last year, with the usual collection of waterfowl, waders and raptors. Highlights this year included several sightings of Red Kites and one of an Osprey.

For further details please send for an Education Services Pack from Jo Hedges whose address is detailed inside the back cover.

Sailing

Sailing on the reservoir is run by the Bough Beech Sailing Club which leases from the Company a clubhouse which underwent a major refurbishment during 2005. The project was jointly funded by the Sailing Club and the Company and now the clubhouse provides excellent modern facilities.

The sailing programme centres around racing for various classes and a handicap fleet on Sundays, with trophies being awarded for success in seasonal series. For classes with a big enough turnout open meetings are held giving an opportunity for helms to sail against visitors on their own water. Saturdays are used mainly for cruising and tuition with opportunities for training activities for juniors or schools to engage in team racing and tactics.

6 The club is a recognised Royal Yachting Association teaching establishment for levels 1 to 5 of the dinghy sailing certificate and up to level 3 for powerboat/rescue coxswain courses. Further information can be obtained from the membership secretary whose address is detailed inside the back cover.

Fishing

Fishing on the reservoir is organised by Honeycroft (BBR), which is run by

Ken Crow who has long experience of running fisheries. Pike fishing took place, as usual, in October. Coarse fishing was undertaken for the rest of the year and the carp fishing is improving year on year.

The pike fishing continues to improve and Bough Beech is still one of the top pike fisheries in the UK. The prize fish of this season is shown over the page below, a four foot monster weighing in at 33 lbs.

Project ‘Little Bough’

During the winter months of 2002/3 Fishery Management Student’s, from Hadlow College, assisted Sutton & East Water in restoring a 200 year old clay pond at Bough Beech Reservoir. More details appear in the 2004 report.

Further information can be obtained from Ken Crow whose address is detailed inside the back cover.

Coarse fishing along the Company's stretch of the River Eden is let to South Norwood Angling Club and further information can be obtained from the Chairman whose address is detailed inside the back cover.

Horse Riding

South Eastern Toll Rides are not, for the time being, using the route allowed them near the oast house, due to problems with other parts of their circuit. We look forward to seeing them back.

9 Facilities for the Disabled

The Company owns a ‘wheelyboat’ for use on Bough Beech reservoir. This is a boat designed by the Handicapped Anglers Trust which can accommodate two people in their wheelchairs and one other person. Although designed for use by anglers it may be used for bird-watching, photography or just cruising. It may be used by contacting Honeycroft (BBR) or the Company - see contact names and addresses detailed inside the back cover.

Liaison

The Conservation Consultative Committee met on 19 September 2007. Most of the time has been spent maintaining the nature reserve and its varied habitats in accordance with well established policies.

The Recreation Consultative Committee which represents all the interests using the reservoir area, together with both Sundridge and Chiddingstone Parish Councils and Sevenoaks District Council, met on Wednesday 19 September 2007.

10 Details of Company Holdings

AREA SITE PURPOSE ENVIRONMENT DESIGNATION (Hectares) REDHILL HQ Office and Depot 1.73 None 214.67 (inc 116.24 Ha of BOUGH BEECH Reservoir and Treatment Works GB, SNCI Water) CHIDDINGSTONE River Intake 11.66 GB, SLA LEATHERHEAD Boreholes and Pumping Station 0.25 None FETCHAM Springs and Boreholes 21.41 GB, SNCI

ELMER AND YOUNG STREET Boreholes and Treatment Works 9.14 GB

DORKING Boreholes and Treatment Works 3.03 GB

KENLEY, PURLEY, AND SMITHAM Boreholes and Treatment Works 4.42 None

CHEAM Boreholes and Treatment Works 2.97 None

WOODMANSTERNE Boreholes and Treatment Works 1.34 None

URBAN SITES 7 sites - service water reservoirs, treatment works, boreholes 3.97 None 25 sites - service reservoirs, water towers and booster CHALK HILL SITES 29.19 AONB (11) GB(21) SSSI (see note) pumping stations GODSTONE Boreholes and Treatment Works 3.95 GB WESTWOOD Boreholes and Treatment Works 1.56 AONB, BG

PAINES HILL Springs and Pumping Station 7.41 GB

GREENSAND SITES 11 Borehole Sites and 2 Service Water Reservoirs 7.78 AONB (5), GB (12)

COLDHARBOUR Service Water Reservoir 0.04 Sch.M. (Anstiebury Camp), AONB, GB

DRY HILL Service Water Reservoir 0.79 Sch.M., GB 7 sites - service water reservoirs, booster pumping station, WEALD SITES 7.07 GB (All) water tower

Environmental Designations: GB Green Belt SNCI Site of Nature Conservation Importance SLA Special Landscape Area AONB Area of Outstanding National Beauty SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest Sch.M. Scheduled Monument

Note: The Chalk Hill Sites include a pumping station at Headley. The Company owns about two hectares of woodland adjoining the pumping station situated at the eastern edge of a SSSI which extends for 1000 hectares and is known as the Mole Gap to Reigate Escarpment.

11 Other Activities

Recreation

The Nonsuch Bowmen

At North Looe reservoir site is an archery club, The Nonsuch Bowmen, shoots on Wednesday evenings and weekends during the spring, summer and autumn. Some members shoot there in the winter too. The Club was formed in 1954 and used to shoot near Nonsuch Park - hence its name. In 1975 it moved to its present range through permission from the Company. The bow most in use today is the recurve bow, the type shot at the Olympic Games. Another sort of bow is the compound as used by the "Rambo" character in films. Both are more efficient than the longbow of historic fame. Club members using each type of bow have represented Surrey at archery tournaments. The Club is mainly for target archery. This means it shoots at North Looe, and at outside tournaments, in an open field at targets set at measured distances between 30 metres and 100 yards. The Club shoots indoors in the winter using an archery shop's purpose-built range. Some of the archers enjoy field archery at other venues during the winter. This type of shooting often takes place in woods and can involve estimating distances to the targets. The Nonsuch Bowmen welcome new members and run "Beginners Courses" every spring starting mid-April. All equipment is provided. After the course it can be hired from the Club for a nominal charge.

Further information can be obtained from the Honorary Secretary whose name and address is detailed inside the back cover.

12 The Surrey Society of Model Engineers

A piece of land at Fetcham Springs is leased to the Surrey Society of Model Engineers, where they have built model railways tracks in four gauges from 2½” to 7¼”, the largest for locomotives capable of hauling passengers. They have a full programme of meetings and further information can be obtained from their Honorary Secretary whose name and address is detailed inside the back cover.

Conservation

Sutton and East Surrey Water’s business is based on respect for the environment. The Company is fully aware of its responsibilities and have identified three main areas of concern - use of energy, leakage and communications. Energy consumption and water abstraction rates have been reduced by control of leakage and bursts.

Our communication is continually monitored to ensure that it is environmentally friendly and effective. In the last year the Company has been involved in a number of conservation projects with other local agencies.

13 At the same time the Company continued with its existing commitments to conservation at its various sites and through its corporate membership of the Kent and Surrey Wildlife Trusts.

A customer magazine is issued yearly to all customers with information on all key Company activities. We also have a website on the Internet which has been visited 115,079 times during the year.

Donation of a diesel engine to museum

During February 2005 we donated one of our 1935 diesel engines to the Internal Fire Museum of Power in Ceredigion, Wales. The engine was removed from our Leatherhead Pumping Station.

14 E-Billing Service Sutton and East Surrey Water (www.waterplc.com) was the first utility company in the UK to give its customers the opportunity of being billed and accessing all aspects of their account details via the Internet. Each customer who wants to use the new service is given a Personal Identification Number, which is used in conjunction with an account number to gain access to the online service. From this secure area of the website the customer can see all details of their current and previous accounts. In March 2000 the Company went live with the e-billing service. Customers are able to log in to the Sutton and East Surrey Water website to view and pay their latest bill. The facility also allows customers to change the payment method, enter meter readings and generally communicate with the company. A particular advantage for customers is that they can obtain information about their accounts or anything else to do with Sutton and East Surrey Water at their convenience at any time of day. All the information we provide to customers is now on our website. From the environmental point of view it will also save a lot of paper and energy. The number of e-billing customers is currently 2548.

Electronic version of the Conservation, Access and Recreation (CAR) Report

Due to the increasing number of requests of the CAR report via e-mail the report is now produced on our website. Anyone wishing to read or download the report is able to do so via the website. If requests are received for a hard copy then we will print this off ourselves and send via the post. This initiative will reduce the amount of paper and energy used in the traditional method of printing brochures.

15 Water Conservation

In the last year a large effort has been made to promote water efficiency by a number of ongoing initiatives.

• Our leakage is still one of the lowest in the country with the effect that the amount of water distributed now is the same as in the mid 1970’s even though the population supplied over the last thirty years has risen by 66,000 from 580,000 to 646,000. Work continues to reduce this level even lower. • In last year 3280 household meters have been installed on change of occupancy. It is envisaged that that this type of metering will lead to a reduction in water consumption particularly during the summer months. A further 2530 meters were installed for those customers opting to have one fitted free of charge.

• A significant part of our customer magazine and website is devoted to water conservation. • Our head office has waterless urinals and recycles rainwater from the roof for toilet flushing. • The Bough Beech Education Centre features many aspects of water conservation, with information and quiz sheets given to schools and pupils on how to use water wisely. • Over 13,400 toilet cistern displacement devices have been distributed to customers on request, at events and to pupils visiting the Education Centre. Each device saves at least one litre of water with every flush. A discounted water butt offer has also been popular with customers. • We are part of a pioneering project to improve water efficiency on a social housing estate in Tadworth, which includes fitting rainwater harvesting (installation of tank shown below) as well as ultra low flush toilets. This is known as the Preston Water Efficiency Initiative.

• We are trialling a new award-winning product which converts existing toilets to dual flush

• Water efficiency audits are being carried out in schools, hospitals, nursing homes and hotels, and are promoted to all businesses and organisations

• ‘Every Drop Counts’ stickers are being distributed to hospitality premises, including hotels and restaurants, to place above sinks in washrooms

• We took part in the sponsorship of water efficient gardens at BBC Gardeners World Live

• We fitted water saving devices at a Sheltered Housing Scheme run by Tandridge District Council, reducing water use by around 12%

• We took part in the Hackbridge One Planet Living project, run by London Borough of Sutton, which focussed on saving energy and water

• We are launching a Green Tap Award Scheme to encourage developers to build highly water efficient new homes

Fetcham Pond

Continues to be maintained with the help and advice of a member of the Leatherhead and District Countryside Protection Society. In this area two conservation projects have been previously undertaken. The first is a wildflower project on the land surrounding part of the pond. In the past the grass was cut on a regular basis, after discussions with a local environmentalist it was agreed to reduce the frequency of cuts to twice per year to allow wildflowers to establish themselves.

The second was a hedgerow planting project on Company land along the boundary of the above site. This was carried out by the Fetcham Residents Association with support from the Lower Mole Countryside Management Project, Sutton and East Surrey Water and the Company’s tenant farmer. The hedgerow will increase the wildlife habitat and make the area more attractive. Also a further tree planting scheme took place around the perimeter of the mill pond using native trees.

Environmental

Recycling

At Bough Beech Water Treatment Works the Company looked for an environmentally better option of disposing the sludge produced to licensed landfill. ADAS conducted grow trials and the sludge was shown to provide benefits to certain types of crops. The sludge is now spread onto farm crops locally to Bough Beech. We are one of the few water companies that soften the water that is supplied to customers. As a result of the treatment process a waste product is produced that

19 consists of grains of sand which are coated in calcium hardness, known as ‘softening beads’ they resemble small ( 1 to 2 mm ) white pearls. Rather than dispose to landfill these softening beads are recycled into other products such as infill material for shower trays. Also office waste paper, plastic cups from vending machines, printer cartridges, batteries, etc. are recycled.

Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) A number of our fleet of vehicles run on LPG which is environmentally cleaner than petrol.

Community Being part of the local community Sutton and East Surrey Water believe that it should actively participate within it. During the year several local charitable causes and cultural events were supported by the Company. Sutton and East Surrey Water continues to seek close relations with its customers and with local interest and amenity groups. Speakers are provided for clubs and societies. Eleven talks were given during the year, this number excludes schools.

Schools

Sutton and East Surrey Water, continues to actively encourage schools in our supply area to take part in our education programme, which supports Key Stage 2 national curriculum science and geography topics. The programme, which is free of charge, continues to be extremely popular. In 2007 3,834 children visited our works at Bough Beech and talks were given to 5,906 children at their schools and other organisations.

School talks can either be pre-visit talks, preparing the children for their visit to Bough Beech Treatment Works and Reservoir, or one of our three school-based talks on ‘Cleaning Dirty Water’, ‘Water for Health’ or ‘Water Efficiency’.

A selection of imaginative resources accompanies each of the talks which are left at the school. Our aim is to attract visits from and talk to all Key Stage 2 schools in our supply area.

The Bough Beech Education Centre

The purpose-built Education Centre at Bough Beech provides schools with a dedicated space with a stimulating classroom environment for the Company’s educational co-ordinator and her team of tutors to stimulate the school children and make learning about water, water efficiency and the environment an enjoyable experience.

A feature of the classroom is a light-chasing display board that is used to demonstrate the flow of the water through the different treatment stages. The information panels are currently under review and the cartoon characters “Flow and Squirt” have been brought up to date.

A bottle display in the corridor brings home to adults and children alike just how much water they use – the 1,100 litres used by the hosepipe in one hour always causes a reaction. The scale model of the treatment works and the relief model of the reservoir and dam are other visual learning tools that help the children to get the most from their day.

An outdoor area, which is surrounded by drought-resistant plants, also makes an attractive picnic area. The Centre was formally opened by Alan Meale MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the DETR on 8th July 1999.

At the end of the tour the children are given a colourful quiz to complete to help consolidate their learning.

A goodie bag is sent home with the visiting children which includes worksheets, support information, posters and every child is given a Save-a-flush cistern displacement bag to take home to reinforce the Water Efficiency message.

Dipping pond Within the grounds of the treatment works at Bough Beech there is also a purpose-built dipping pond which is available for schools to use if they wish to include this as an aspect of their visit.

Richard Rap Supply Manager