Board Meeting Summary

25th January 2025

Surrey Nature Partnership board met online on 24th January 2025. A summary of the meeting can be found below. Approved meeting minutes can be found on this page: Partners and Executive Board – Surrey Nature Partnership

Key Topics Covered:

Biodiversity and Planning Conference 2025

25th March | 9-3pm | Dorking Halls

Preregistration now open

Space 4 Nature

Andrew Jamieson kindly gave a presentation to the Board.

Summary Points

The project “Space for Nature” is a partnership between Surrey Wildlife Trust, University of Surrey, Bug Life, and Painshill Park Trust. It focuses on three main areas:

Research and Technology: Habitat mapping using Earth observation satellite data and machine learning.
Habitat Creation and Restoration: Particularly for pollinators.
People Engagement: Involving citizen scientists and community groups.

Key topics from the presentation

Funding
Methodology
Field Work and Data Collection
Habitat Creation and Restoration
Technology and Machine Learning
People Engagement
Future Plans
Additional Research

Surrey Nature Recovery Update

Last week the Draft LNRS measures and priorities for broad habitats were circulated. Species measures will be integrated once finalized.
Farmland measures to be finished.
Delivery levers for each measure are being identified.
Election changes will not affect the LNRS timeline.

Biodiversity Working Group

Meeting Date: 22nd January 2025
Highlights:
- High turnout, maintained enthusiasm, and growing interest.
- Updated on the Old Grasslands inventory project.
- Projects are running parallel but syncing together due to the people involved.
- Introduced Climate Change as a standing item, generating lots of discussion on adaptation measures.
- Discussion on the state of play with Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG).

Surrey Local Sites Partnership

Last Meeting: 28th November
Next Meeting: 27th February
Updates:
- Five sites agreed to be selected.
- SBIC has been preparing the work for designation.
- SNCI selection criteria updated (axiophytes excepted).
- SNP website to be updated with new information.
- Meet with Boroughs about SNCI site boundaries in local plans, joining with LNRS.

Round Table Updates from Board Members

Richard Murphy (Surrey University): Short-term internships available for master’s level students (6-12 weeks, funded or unfunded).
Zoe Channon (Surrey Wildlife Trust): Many projects ongoing, but funding is currently uncertain.
Bill Biddell (Hamptons Estate): Lots of volunteer hedge planting. Molly is leading on Nature Based Solutions. Environment warriors – No Fence collars working well. Public engagement piece is successful for Puttenham Common.
Stephen Rudd (Natural England): Heathland Connections and Wealden Heaths a new super National Nature Reserve hoping to declare legally soon, with a summer launch. Surrey Hills boundary review passing significant milestone, with public consultation analysis underway.
Rob Fairbanks (Surrey Hills National Landscape):
Surrey Hills Extension and Management Plan:
- Extension of the Surrey Hills AONB progressing well.
- Links into the management plan, a statutory document for the area.
- DEFRA outcomes and apportionment tasks need sorting, focusing on delivering national outcomes for national parks and landscapes over the next 5 to 25 years.
Consultation and Ambition:
- Consultation on the management plan expected in March.
- New duty under the law to further the purpose of the designation, a key driver for the plan.
Development Pressure and Mitigation:
- Significant development pressure on housing in the area.
- Emphasis on avoiding, mitigating, and compensating for development impacts, e.g., Gatwick Airport expansion.
Governance and Funding:
- Working closely with SR on governance review.
- Collaboration with the South Downs National Park, which has a trust fund for compensation payments and environmental offsetting, generating about £2 million per annum.
- Hopeful for a rollover of access funding and environmental schemes for the next year.
Partnership Projects:
- Collaboration with the University of Surrey and Dr. Tom Roberts on dogs and their impact on heathlands. “Working with dogs in nature” – signage and practical measures. Seminar to be run in partnership.
- Exploring practical measures like dead hedging and natural vegetation to create sensory areas and mitigate impacts.