Item No: 6

Date:13th July 2016

Report:Review of Partnership’s Annual Tour

Written by:Pennie King and Rob Fairbanks

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Purpose of Report

To review the Annual Tour and consolidate the lessons learnt.

Summary

The Surrey Hills Board is constituted to arrange an annual site visit for the Surrey Hills Partnership as an opportunity for networking between Members, to experience new areas of the AONB and to discuss priority issues relating to the work programme of the Board. The invitation to the Annual Tour is extended to relevant Working Group members, Trustees of the Society, Surrey Hills Enterprises Directors and local parish councillors. There were also representations by the Newlands Corner Campaign that are included in this report.

Following the presentation on Newlands Corner at the January meeting, it was proposed to visit Newlands Corner and the Albury Downs. As well as looking at the issues relating to Newlands Corner, it was an opportunity to be briefed on the North Downs Escarpment Countryside Stewardship Fund, the North Downs Way National Trail, Albury Organic Vineyard,Silent Pool Distiller and the Albury Sand Pit.

This report provides a synopsis of the Tour and highlights some of the main issues that were raised. Denise Furlonger will present photos from the day to the AONB Board meeting.

Recommendations

Members are asked to note the report

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Background papers:

Attached:

Contact details:

Author:Rob Fairbanks

Job titleSurrey Hills AONB Director

Contact no:01372 220650

E-mail:

1. / Introductions
Dave Mir, Chairman of the Partnership, welcomed everyone to the annual Partnership Tour. David Wright, Chairman of the Surrey Hills AONB Board and local Member, gave some background information on Newlands Corner and outlined how the landscape had changed over the years. He confirmed that Newlands Corner is common land, privately owned by the Albury Estate, which is managed by Surrey Wildlife Trust on behalf of Surrey County Council. Rob Fairbanks, Surrey Hills AONB Director, then talked through the itinerary for the day.
2. / Newlands Corner Development Proposals
2.1 / Rob Fairbanksintroduced Julie Brown who had been invited to talk to the Partnership on behalf of the “Save Newlands Corner” group. Julie outlined the reasons why the group was against the proposals Surrey County Council had put forward, including the play structures and the parking charges. The group proposed to form the Friends of Newlands Corner, along the lines of the Friends of the Hurtwood, which would raise funds and take over the management of Newlands Corner. She asked the Partnership to look at their proposals. Rob Fairbanks explained the function of the Partnership and that it was not a decision-making body.
2.2 / Keith McCain, Surrey County Council, attended on behalf of Lisa Creaye-Griffin, Countryside Group Manager, to talk through the proposals. Keith explained that the site carried a great deal of liability and that the base of the car park had been designed for cars but not for coaches so needed resurfacing. The parking charges would help to restructure the car park over the next 10 years. Nigel Davenport, Director, Surrey Wildlife Trust, explained that SWT manages the countryside on behalf of Surrey County Council, an area of over 10,000 acres, at a cost of just under £1m per year. With diminishing budgets it is necessary to find ways to raise funds.
2.3 / 1. Parking Charges: The reason parking charges had been proposed is to make the budget spent with Surrey Wildlife Trust neutral. The parking charges SCC is planning to bring should be advertised next month. Information will be available on the SCC website. He reluctantly admitted that the charges might put some people off visiting Newlands Corner but hoped the improved facilities would encourage new users. Keith confirmed there would be no charge for parking for less than 20 minutes, which would enable people to buy a drink/use the public toilets. Charges would then be £1 per hour, capped at £4 per day and an annual season ticket could be bought for £40. There will be no charge for motorcycles and people with blue badges. There will be an enforcement charge but this has yet to be agreed. There will be two funded wardens to monitor parking.
2.4 / 2. Parking Meters: There will be 3 meters on the site, which will take cash, card and contactless payments. The meters will be under cover, to shelter people when paying in inclement weather and will be discreet.
2.5 / Proposed Play Structures Penny Tyson-Davies, British Horse Society, voiced her concerns over height-restricting barriers which had been put in place at the entrance to many car parks in the Surrey Hills. Keith was able to reassure Penny that there was no intention to put such a barrier at the entrance to Newlands Corner.
2.6 / Gayle Brownrigg, British Horse Society, asked why SCC wanted to erect artificial play structures, when children were happy to play on natural such as fallen trees. Keith said that in 2014 Surrey Wildlife Trust had carried out a survey, speaking to people at Newlands Corner, and the results showed that quite a narrow demographic of people visited the site, including older people and dog walkers. They asked what could be done to make it more family-friendly and the proposed play structures had come about partly as a result of that survey. Keith said the structures would be wooden and had been designed by Davies White, who specialise in bespoke play landscapes and structures. They will be erected on the easy access trail, which will be improved. Leaflets are available for anyone interested.
2.7 / David Kennington, General Manager, National Trust, spoke about the nature play trail that had been erected at Box Hill. It had been put in the woods to encourage children to play and experience “mild peril”. Keith said a Natural England report shows a further decrease in the number of children visiting green spaces and people needed to be encouraged to get out into the countryside.
2.8 / Karen Guest explained that Surrey Wildlife Trust manages access on Newlands Corner on behalf of SCC and the Albury Estate. Karen confirmed that the 7 play structures will be in clearings along the woodland trail and will be in keeping with the landscape. It is hoped that the play structures will draw people away from the car park and encourage them to explore. The 800m woodland trail will be upgraded for wheelchairs and pushchairs. RF agreed to circulate the designs of the play structures to the Partnership.
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5. / Cow Parade. There was a group photo with Gordon Jackson, the Mayor of Guildford, with Frontier, the Cow that was sponsored by the Duke of Northumberland and painted by local royal artist, Alexander Cresswell. The Cow will be located at Newlands Corner over July and August.
North Downs Way A25 Crossing. There was discussion around the crossing of the National Trail over the A25. Keith highlighted that the traffic management was part of wider plan to introduce a 40 mph zone. it was also planned to open up the views and install posts to highlight the crossing. It was suggested that the posts should enhance the sense of place as has been used at as part of the Albury highway enhancement works.
North Downs Way. Peter Morris, the National Trail Manager, outlined his achievements over the past year, including the Google Treker project, and highlighted priorities that included enhancing the condition of the trail, and its marketing and promotion. As this stretch of Trail was a woodland corridor that Michael Baxter explained was secondary woodland on Common Land, there was discussion about the benefits of opening up views. This provided an opportunity for Ali Clark to highlight the inspiring Views Project that she was coordinating on the Greensand Way under the Surrey Hills Arts Programme.
6. / Silent Pool. Following a steep descent off the North Downs Way, the group arrived at the local beauty spot, Silent pool. Michael Baxter of the Albury Estate and Ian Mcculloch, founder of the Silent Pool Distillery, explained the hydrology and the extensive measures that they were introducing to control the algae.
7. / Silent Pool Distillery. Ian Mcculloch introduced the business that takes its name from the spring-fed pool from which it draws its water. He explained the mission was to create high quality, small batch, artisanal spirits of the very highest quality, using the finest local ingredients. The business had undergone a rapid growth and was looking to expand into adjacent farm buildings. He explained it was critical to the integrity of the brand and therefore the success of the business for it to remain at Silent Pool. Michael Baxter also highlighted the proposal for cheese production to be established in an adjacent building for which the Estate was in the process of applying for planning permission.
8. / Albury Organic Vineyard. In continuing the theme of a food and drink hub at Silent pool, lunch and wine tasting was provided at the vineyard. Nick Wenman, the owner, introduced the viticulture process and outlined the growth of the business, again stating that there were future plans to expand the vineyard and associated infrastructure.
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11. / Albury Sandpit. As the site mnager was not available due to late sickness, Michael Baxter explained the history of the site which had been used for brick making, extraction, landfill and gas production. He outlining the restoration process and plans for the estate and the use of the brown field car park area.
GASP Project. The charity’s Chairman and former High Sheriff, Sally Varah, introduced the GASP Motor Project for young people aged between 14 and 19 years living in Surrey to learn basic motor mechanics and practical engineering skills. Qualified mechanics run both the daytime and evening sessions; the daytime programme provides an alternative learning facility for under-achieving and disaffected young people, and the evening sessions are for those in mainstream education.
Wood Hub. Lucy Clark of LC Energy introduced the wood fuel business that was extablished in the Surrey hills about 10 years ago and had undergone significant expansion, with the support of the Surrey Hills. She explained the industries role in helping to generate income for landowners and to get more woodlands back into active management. The potential benefits of clearing the secondary woodland scrub on the top of the North Downs were highlighted.
12. / North Downs Escarpment Facilitation Fund. Following the presentation at lunchtime, Shaun Page, Farming and Wildlife Adviser, explained on the walk back to Newlands Corner some of the farming systems and the flora and fauna interest on the North Downs. The new project would enable the landowners and farmers to share best practice and create a consensus around the future vision for this national important landscape