REIGATE HEATH NEWS Friends of Reigate Heath newsletter Issue 12 Winter 2010 Free mailing list & newsletter. Donations welcome. [email protected] c/o 38 Flanchford Road, Reigate RH2 8AB What’s been happening at the The 2006-2010 Management Plan for the Heath is currently in the final stages of revision. The new Council …. version will be adopted by the Borough Council in A recent application for a five-year January 2011 to guide management of the Heath from 2011 to 2016. This plan aims to balance the extension to extract sand at Tapwood Pit by needs of all the users of the Heath with the Hanson UK has been challenged by Surrey Borough’s obligations to protect it as an SSSI and County Council. Interventions by Councillor Scheduled Ancient Monuments site through Ellacott (Reigate & Banstead Borough frequent liaison with Natural England and English Council’s Executive Member for the Heritage. It is administered by the Reigate Heath Environment), Cllr. Whinney and the Management Steering Group (RHMSG). appropriate Officers at RBBC have ensured proper consideration has been given to this See RHMSG Chairman’s article on the results matter which would have a potentially from the recent public consultation process. adverse impact on Reigate Heath SSSI. Bert Smith, who has been helping the Council Do you feel represented by the with this, gives us an update on page 5. Heath Management Steering Group? The Friends are extremely grateful for these The seats on this Group are intended to represent significant efforts to support the future of Reigate the various interests groups involved in managing Heath. and using the Heath, headed by a local Councillor (currently Cllr. L. Brunt). The professional seats are We hope in the New Year to hear when held by Ian Wright, RBBC Countryside Officer, a the Reigate Area Conservation Natural England representative and a technical Volunteers are returning to the Heath. In advisor, who is independent and voluntary. April 2009 their task leader Simon Elson decided to withdraw them from the site. This was Specific interest groups are represented by a related to various issues he felt needed addressing member each from Reigate Heath Golf Club & properly by the Council such as sporting lease Cricket Club, Reigate Hill Football Club, Surrey breaches, dog fouling and use of imported turf by Archaeological Society and Reigate Heath Riders the Golf Club in mending fairways, all important Group. For locals and walkers, your local issues because they all impact on the special representatives are the Councillor, Reigate Society habitats and wildlife. Commendably, the Council and, of course, the Friends of Reigate Heath. The has put plans in place to sort most of these matters. seat held by the Friends has been occupied by me, its founder, since the group began. Please read on The vols have been working on the Heath for nearly if you are interested to help or perhaps represent 20 years! It is very much down to their practical us. By the way, this newsletter welcomes efforts & Simon’s profound understanding of the contributors (& a new compiler perhaps?); any Heath, in addition to the work of RBBC and the Golf news from the Flanchford Road anti-speeding Club, that has helped turn around its fortunes to campaigners? ensure its protection by its classification today as a A very happy New Year to you all. SSSI (‘Site of Special Scientific Interest’). by Susan Medcalf Much is being revealed by the current survey of the tumuli by Surrey Archaeological Society. An Interim Report came out in July packed full of fascinating details and history. The survey continues through the winter. Contact [email protected] or 01737 276000 if you want to help with survey work. News on the Windmill restoration in our next issue. Reigate Heath News Issue 12 Winter 2010 2 Who are the Friends of Reigate Since its inception in late 2005, we have consisted of a few volunteers running the free mailing-list, Heath? these newsletters, the small pot of donations and The Friends of Reigate Heath grew out of the large raising funds for various small-scale conservation body of concern for the Heath which emerged as a projects such as moth-trapping and supporting result of potential threats to the Heath’s hydrology other events such as the Surrey Heathland from mineral extraction in an adjacent field called Exhibition in 2007 and various guided walks. Shagbrook. This threat was successfully quashed in 2005 How you can get involved… thanks to the efforts of particular individuals and groups, most notably ‘C.A.M.E.L.’ (Campaign Do you want to help make us a more active group? Against Mineral Extraction and Landfill) which was formed at that time, and the work of its consultant Could you run a blog for the Friends? Or write Bert Smith with the generosity of local people. something for this newsletter? Our website is waiting for someone to pour some Chamomile, one of our rare plants imagination into it: www.reigateheath.org only found on the football pitch ) Could you design a logo for the Friends? We need one soon; it will go on the new Heath It became clear that, after the future of the Heath interpretation boards which we are supporting. was secured from this threat, we could either drift back to how it was before, or channel public We are planning a second exhibition in the pavilion interest & concern for the Heath into a non- during summer 2011. For more details see Ian campaign group called the Friends of Reigate Stronge’s article ‘Bringing us together’ on the back Heath. Consequently we gained a seat on the page of this newsletter. Steering Group. by Susan Medcalf Friends of Reigate Heath was founded on these aims and objectives : To act as a means of communication with those who are interested in Reigate Heath through collaboration with all parties who are involved with the Heath to ensure that its unique qualities are not lost through the ever varied and increasing pressures that are put upon it. 1. To represent those who enjoy and have an interest in Reigate Heath. 2. To encourage respect, understanding and enjoyment of the different habitats, landscape and archaeology of Reigate Heath. 3. To help to raise the profile of the Reigate Heath Management Plan and Steering Group and its crucial role in the management of the nature reserve. 4. To assist in developing public awareness about the need for, and methods of, heathland management, and protection of archaeological sites and landscape. 5. To attract resources to the site for projects relating to the protection, conservation and enhancement of Reigate Heath. 6. To develop a strong local network through membership for communicating information, events or planning issues relating to Reigate Heath. 7. To help develop links with educational establishments and similar interest groups to stimulate understanding and enjoyment of Reigate Heath focussing on interpretation and education, including involvement with monitoring and conservation work. Reigate Heath News Issue 12 Winter 2010 3 Bats on Reigate Heath of each. These can be used for hibernation, nurseries and temporary homes when they by Gary Pocklington are out foraging. When they are in their roosts and are resting they can go into a In Germany, bats are called state of torpor. Effectively this is where their ‘Fledermause’ which means bodies shutdown and operate at a minimum 'flying mice'! There are 17 level to stay alive. In winter this will be for species known to be breeding in the UK. longer periods as they are looking to save They range from the tiny Pipistrelle, energy. While, in the summer period they weighing in at around 5g (less than a £1 will arouse on a more regular basis at dusk. coin!), to our biggest bat, the Noctule – It can take up to fifteen minutes for their which is still smaller than the palm of your bodies to become fully operational. So, in hand. This makes them relatively small the winter it can be seen that this becomes mammals. But, they are unique – they are more critical. If they are unnecessarily the only mammals that can fly. disturbed then they will use up precious energy reserves. This can affect their As they are nocturnal, they have to have a survival to the following spring. system to help them navigate and locate their prey. They do this by echo-location Reigate Heath has an active bat population. and they make calls using ultrasound, which Whether there are any roosts is a more the human ear cannot hear. Small electronic difficult problem to resolve. Bats are highly devices called bat detectors convert mobile and commute quite long distances to ultrasound into a range that is audible to the forage. So, it is possible that the bats that human ear. It is then possible to identify are detected on the Heath have flown from individual species. Although, this is not quite another area where their roosts are located. as simple as it sounds as some of the calls are very similar! The bats also use other From April to September 2010 I made methods. Bats also have very good twelve visits to Reigate Heath to check for eyesight so the 'blind as a bat' expression is bat activity. This was a mixture of dawn not true! visits, walking and stopping at set points (transects) and informal visits. Bats live in roosts, which can be sited in a variety of structures such as buildings (old The four identified bats are: Common and new), trees, barns and old quarries or Pipistrelle, Soprano Pipistrelle, Noctule and mines.