CPRE Surrey 'Surrey Voice' Newsletter.Indd
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ISSN 2515-5105 Magazine of the Surrey Campaign to Protect Rural England | Summer 2021 BACK TO NATURE Follow us on Twitter @CPRESurrey Visit our website www.cpresurrey.org.uk Email: [email protected] Go-ahead for Surrey Hills AONB review Protecting Guildford’s countryside for the future Natural England, the government agency responsible one of England’s most beautiful landscapes, as we By Alivia Kratke View of Pewley Down Fields (credit Alistair Williams) for the natural environment, announced on 24 June that build back greener from the pandemic.” There have been four generations of Guildfordians since the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Once-in-a-lifetime opportunity Pewley Hill was spared from development and gifted to the (AONB) will be considered for boundary expansion. community a hundred years ago. Yet, this year, residents of Welcoming the announcement, Heather Kerswell, Chair This is an important announcement and follows the town were called upon, once again, to rally round and of the Surrey Hills AONB Board commented: “We are years of campaigning by CPRE Surrey to secure the protect this special area for the generations to follow. extension of the AONB to take in more of Surrey’s most delighted that work is starting on a proposed extension Pewley Down Fields, farmland adjacent to the Pewley Hill beautiful countryside, allowing it to benefi t from greater to this nationally important landscape. I fi nd it diffi cult to nature reserve, and in the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding protection and to be safeguarded for future generations. understand why the existing boundary was drawn so incredibly tightly and excluded many beautiful natural Natural Beauty, contains diverse and abundant fl ora and The Surrey Hills AONB stretches across a quarter of landscapes. This will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity fauna, and is the chalk grassland home to nesting skylarks the county of Surrey and includes the chalk slopes of to assess how the boundaries should be redrawn to and an impressive species diversity of butterfl ies and moths. the North Downs from Farnham in the west to Oxted benefi t nature and people and to give these areas the In 1921, Pewley Down’s chalk grassland, with glorious views in the east, and extends south to the deeply wooded protection they deserve. We will be working closely with across the Surrey countryside, was gifted to the Borough Greensand Hills which rise in Haslemere. Being in such Natural England and local partners.” and “preserved for time immemorial as a playground for the close proximity to London, an enlargement of the Surrey This is a vindication of CPRE’s fi rm belief in expanding people of Guildford.” Such public concern over the sweeping urbanisation of the countryside was refl ected Hills AONB would give greater access to the natural the AONB. Kristina Kenworthy, Chair of CPRE Surrey, in the foundation of CPRE itself in 1926. The north side of the Down remained in use as private farmland. Yet environment. This would help preserve its rural heritage, explains how the announcement came about and this 37 acres of precious, species-rich grassland came up for sale at auction in May 2021. This raised the promote tranquillity and give more access to nature for what happens next: “Behind the scenes Natural possibility of a developer land-banking these fi elds for future building – even though it is protected by Green the benefi t of people’s health and wellbeing. England have been working away with the Surrey Hills Belt policy and within the AONB – an illustration of the public’s current distrust of the planning system. Announcing the decision to proceed with the boundary team to facilitate engagement with stakeholders in A consortium of local residents – many of them CPRE Surrey supporters – teamed up with Surrey Wildlife review, Allison Potts, Area Manager for Natural England, what will be a collaborative exercise. CPRE Surrey will Trust and rose to the challenge of securing these fi elds for the community. Such was the fear of this area said: “The Surrey Hills is an iconic and beautiful landscape be able to constructively engage once the landscape once again being threatened by unwanted development that the Save Pewley Downs Field campaign encompassing rare habitats from chalk grassland to consultants have been appointed, which won’t be managed to raise over a million pounds in pledges within two months, and was therefore able to purchase extensive ancient woodland and is enjoyed by millions before September as DEFRA’s procurement process the fi eld for posterity, ensuring that it will never be built on. of residents and visitors from all across the region. We takes it time. CPRE volunteers in the fi ve districts are very excited to announce proposals to explore an within the AONB – Tandridge, Reigate & Banstead, Countryside on our doorstep extension to the Surrey Hills AONB, a move we hope will Mole Valley, Guildford and Waverley – will be able to In Guildford, we are lucky to have countryside with sweeping views and green open spaces rich in diverse boost nature’s recovery and help more people access get involved, taking our cues from the AONB team. wildlife habitats right on our doorstep. Our easy access to beautiful and life-enhancing countryside is one of the main reasons the Surrey Hills AONB continues to be voted by The Times as the best place to live in the South East. Yet areas within the AONB and Green Belt in Guildford continue to be under threat from over- development. A short walk from Pewley, by the Merrow Downs, the playing fi elds of Urnfi eld are currently facing a planning application intensifying its use for an artifi cial hockey pitch fl oodlit by eight columns standing at 13 metres tall – nearly three times the height of a double decker bus. Such visually intrusive fl oodlighting is both harmful to the natural environment and to our enjoyment of the countryside by day and by night. It is vital that people continue to rally to the defence of precious and vulnerable open spaces. The Covid-19 pandemic has made us all the more aware of how much access to green space matters. We are beginning to understand the true extent of the health benefi ts (both physical and mental) that come from connecting with the nature and wildlife around us. Such natural assets as tranquillity and dark skies are vital to our wellbeing. One hundred years on, the preservation of our countryside remains as important as ever; but history has repeated itself in a wonderful way – through local residents coming together to protect Pewley Down Fields Panaromic view from Newlands Corner in perpetuity. Let that be an example to all of us. Alivia Kratke is a volunteer for CPRE Surrey CONTENTS 18 Gunpowder Mills restored 2 Go-ahead for Surrey Hills AONB review 19 A natural burial at Clandon Wood “The key criteria under consideration are whether a the Suff olk Coast and Heaths Boundary extension took ISSN 2515-5105 3 Protecting Guildford’s countryside 20 Green Belt housing scam – landscape has outstanding natural beauty, whether it years to complete. Even once their Order was submitted Magazine of the Surrey Campaign 4 From the Chair a personal view is desirable to designate and include an area in the in 2019 it took DEFRA a further year to confi rm the to Protect Rural England 7 Glossary of designations 21 Saving Whitehall Farm from the diggers AONB for its conservation and enhancement of its extension in July 2020. However, the result for Surrey’s PO Box 865, Godalming, 8 Editor’s Comment 22 Music in the Surrey countryside natural beauty, and where the extended boundary countryside will be worth the wait, with a higher Surrey GU7 9LH 10 4x4s causing damage to Surrey Hills 23 Obituaries: Peter Ainsworth should be drawn. Natural England will consult with the proportion (currently 25%) protected for conservation 11 How our Green Belt is being eroded and Max Rosenberg Tel: 01372 700205 County Council and those district councils aff ected by as a Nationally Important Landscape.” 12 Our Surrey Story 24 Community action for the environment Email: [email protected] proposed boundary variations, followed by a full public 14 Planning becomes interesting ________________________________________________________________________________ For more information go to the CPRE Surrey website www.cpresurrey.org.uk consultation. They will then submit an Order extending 15 Gatwick’s Big Enough Surrey Campaign to Protect Rural England (www.cpresurrey.org.uk) and download the Surrey Hills Twitter @CPRESurrey 16 Leading the recovery of our Limited, Registered Charity No. 1106245, the AONB boundary to the Secretary of State for the Boundary Review Report dated 22 June 2021. EDITOR: Andy Smith FCIJ night skies Company Limited by Guarantee No. 04551761. Environment, for confi rmation. The AONB Board are keen to streamline the process, bearing in mind that 2 | SURREY VOICE – Summer 2021 SURREY VOICE – Summer 2021 | 3 Why is CPRE so worried about the Green Belt? FROM THE CHAIR Around three quarters of Surrey is covered by the London Metropolitan Green Belt, and the majority of Surrey’s Green Belt is rural. As a small county so close to London we are naturally highly protective of By Kristina Kenworthy our Green Belt. To see large sites taken out of the Green Belt and allocated for housing is painful for local residents. Take, for example, the release for development of the former Wisley Airfield, Dunsfold Park, and What do we mean when use and value. Public and private landowners are Blackwell Farm, which have all been bitterly opposed by local communities.