Changes at Newlands Corner What’s happening? With its spectacular views, Newlands Corner has been a much loved beauty spot for generations of families. It provides a welcome escape into nature, with its managed paths, seating, toilets, café and large car park. However, many of these facilities are getting tired and need improving.

These improvements will not affect the essential character or beauty of the site but will make it a more pleasant place to visit. They will also mean that people of all ages and abilities are better catered for.

In addition, pressure on council budgets from competing priorities such as education and social care means there is less money available for managing the countryside. Essential everyday tasks such as clearing paths, keeping trees safe and picking up litter and dog mess still need to be paid for, so we need to find new ways to make Newlands Corner self sustaining.

All of this means you will see some changes here at Newlands Corner over the next few months.

Who’s involved? Newlands Corner is owned by the Albury Estate. has had an access agreement for the land for 40 years. manages the public facilities on behalf of the council. Changes you’ll see in 2016

Better toilets There will be a range of charges Where the changes will be depending on the length of your The toilets at Newlands are well stay. An annual season ticket below standard and regularly for regular visitors will cost need repairing, so these will be New timber posts will be installed £40 - less than 80p per week in the verge to prevent people from improved and refurbished. The toilet refurbishment will consist and Blue Badge holders will not of fixing and updating the internal parking there and causing problems be charged when parking in workings, fixtures and fittings. for other road users. the marked disabled bays. The Improved café The outside of the building will be charges will be introduced at the Many people who love the café painted to look more in keeping same time as the much needed with its setting. have said that indoor seating improvements to the toilets and would be a big improvement. café and more information will Additional seating will be provided, So a section of the existing be available closer to the time. visitor centre will be converted some in the visitor centre and potentially more outside under to provide indoor seating. More Car parking income will help an awning. seating may also be provided Surrey County Council cover the outside under an awning. cost of looking after Newlands Three Pay and Display parking meters will Corner and other countryside in accept cash and card payments, including Surrey. The council is facing higher contactless. Additional benches will More seating than ever demand for services be placed on the top There will be new benches on while receiving much less money. of the Downs to allow the slope so people can sit and Parking charges will help make more people to enjoy the view. enjoy the view and some of the sure visitors still get the facilities older benches and picnic tables and well looked after countryside will be replaced. they value and expect. All locations are indicative A separate road safety scheme Parking charges is being funded by the Later this year, if you’re parking Local Committee designed to for more than 20 minutes there slow traffic past the entrance will be a charge, as is the case at and exit of Newlands Corner and many other countryside sites. where the Way crosses the A25. Changes you’ll see in 2017 and beyond

We want the countryside to be open to everyone. An educational Visitor Centre Experiencing nature first hand makes a huge difference The original plan was to bring to our health and wellbeing. However, feedback from trail for children all the visitor facilities, including Children who are unfamiliar with the cafe and an education room, disability and special interest groups has told us that the countryside often need a Newlands Corner may not be the easiest place for together in one building which helping hand when they visit would provide the indoor seating everyone to enjoy. So we are planning changes to somewhere like Newlands Corner. that has been requested. encourage young children, disabled people and older Next year several play pieces people to visit. and a number of educational In view of public feedback features will be installed along we won’t be considering any the all ability trail to encourage proposals for the visitor centre more children to explore nature until the improvements outlined A resurfaced all for themselves. here have all been completed. ability trail Newlands Corner is a 265 acre Any new proposals would be Newlands Corner has many site, roughly the size of 120 steep and uneven paths which developed in liaison with existing football pitches, all of which can and potential future users of the makes it difficult to access for be visited. The pieces on the trail some visitors. Resurfacing the site and would be subject to all the will take up a small fraction of normal planning regulations. existing all ability trail, so it’s this, no more than two acres. even and smooth, will mean people of all ages and abilities, wheelchair users, families with buggies and many more groups of people can enjoy the woodland. This improvement has been informed by feedback and is supported by disability and special interest groups. There will also be additional benches along the trail. Where the new features and benches will go

M B B B M

B B

M

B

Green dots show location of play features Blue dots show location of education features M = Magnifying Post B = Brass Rubbing Post All locations are indicative Black dots show location of possible new benches The red route shows the all ability trail which will be renewed with stone shavings The blue route shown will have the same stone surface extended, subject to affordability

What’s next? You can find out more about this at www.surreycc.gov.uk/newlandscornerimprovements 05.16.RN.CS3352.