CCConservation, RRRecreation, &&& A ccess Report 2002007777 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 7 Bough Beech Reservoir – Fishing …………………………… Page 8 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 13/14 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 19 Community ………………………………………………………. Page 19 Schools ………………………………………………………….. Page 20 The Bough Beech Education Centre ……………………….. Page 20 Directory …………………………………………………………. Page 22 1 Conservation, Recreation and Access Report for Year Ending March 2007 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 10 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. 4 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 Jenny Gow. A wide variety of activities including pond dipping and bird watching can be arranged. During the last year the Reservoir was visited by 2 unusual birds, one extremely rare in the United Kingdom and the other rare at Bough Beech. The first was a White Pelican of unknown origin which was present from the 30th July to the end of August. If this is a wild bird it is one of the first records in the United Kingdom since 2002. The other ones being in Norfolk and and the only others for Western Europe in 2006 being two in Holland and one further up the Rhine. The second was a Ring Ouzel obviously a passage migrant on the way north to its breeding ground which was briefly seen near the Dam on the 20th April. For further details please send for an Education Services Pack from Jenny Gow 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. 6 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. 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. 7 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 stil one of the top pike fisheries in the UK. During the winter season eighty five pike were caught weighing over twenty pounds which made it one of the most successful seasons at the reservoir. 8 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 Honorary Secretary 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.