Across the country, nature has become increasingly confined to small, fragmented areas with diminishing ecological connections. This hinders wildlife’s essential mobility to find adequate food, suitable habitats, and mates for breeding. Climate change exacerbates this issue, making the ability to disperse, migrate, and colonize new sites even more critical. For example, if a drought causes a waterbody to dry up, aquatic wildlife must be able to move to find water elsewhere.

To address the problem of increasing ecological isolation, the eminent ecologist Sir John Lawton called for a ‘Bigger, Better and More Joined-up’ approach to UK nature conservation, known as the ‘landscape-scale approach’. Initially created in 2010, Surrey’s Biodiversity Opportunity Areas (BOAs) identify areas of the Surrey landscape where focusing this approach will yield the greatest dividends for nature’s recovery.

BOAs are extensive areas where improved habitat management, as well as efforts to restore and re-create Priority habitats will be most effective in enhancing connectivity to benefit recovery of Priority species in a fragmented landscape. They are the basis for achieving Sir John Lawton’s vision of a “coherent and resilient ecological network” in Surrey. They represent a targeted, strategic approach to conserving and enhancing biodiversity and form the spatial basis for planning Surrey’s ecological network.

Nature Recovery Network

This then led to the Government’s commitment to creating a national network of interconnected wildlife-rich places called the ‘Nature Recovery Network’ (NRN). The NRN is a major commitment in the government’s 25-Year Environment Plan and its realisation is now a statutory outcome of the Environment Act 2021 – hence the current legal requirement for Local Nature Recovery Strategies in all English counties.

The purpose and objectives of the Biodiversity Opportunity Areas will eventually all be subsumed into our county Local Nature Recovery Strategy

Making Space for Nature: A review of England’s Wildlife Sites and Ecological Network Report

The following paper explains the role and potential relationship of our Biodiversity Opportunity Areas with the Government’s aspiration to establish a country-wide NRN:

Surrey in the National Nature Recovery Network NRN (February 2020)

Biodiversity Opportunity Areas in Surrey

There are 50 individual Biodiversity Opportunity Areas (BOA) within Surrey, grouped mainly by their respective National Character Areas (NCAs), plus the principal river corridors draining the county. Each BOA outlines the most suitable locations to target specific priority habitat creation or restoration projects.

To see BOAs in GIS: Surrey Interactive Map

Biodiversity Opportunity Areas and Planning

The Biodiversity Opportunity Areas report includes specialist guidance for how strategic planners should incorporate BOAs into strategic planning.

Biodiversity Opportunity Areas: The basis for realising Surrey’s ecological network, September 2019 (revised); (incl. Appendices 1 & 2)

Biodiversity Opportunity Area Objectives & Targets Summary (Appendix 10)

Thames Valley

Windsor Great Park

Runnymede Meadows & Slope

Staines Moor & Shortwood Common

Thorpe and Shepperton

Molesey & Hersham

Appendix 3: Thames Valley Biodiversity Opportunity Area Policy Statements

Thames Basin Heaths

Chobham Common North & Wentworth Heaths

Chobham South Heaths

Colony Bog, Bagshot Heath & Deepcut Heaths

Ash, Brookwood & Whitmoor Heaths

Woking Heaths

Wisley, Ockham & Walton Heaths

Camberley & Broadmoor Heaths

Appendix 4: Thames Basin Heaths Biodiversity Opportunity Area Policy Statements

Thames Basin Lowlands

Wanborough & Normandy Woods & Meadows

Clandon to Bookham Parkland

Esher & Oxshott Commons

Ashtead & Epsom Woodland, Prince’s Coverts and Horton Country Park

Appendix 5: Thames Basin Lowlands Biodiversity Opportunity Area Policy Statements

North Downs

North Downs Scarp; The Hog’s Back

North Downs Scarp and Dip’ Guildford to the Mole Gap

North Downs Scarp & Dip; Mole Gap to Reigate

North Downs; Epsom Downs to Nonsuch Park

North Downs; Banstead Woods & Downs, & Chipstead Downs

North Downs Scarp; Quarry Hangers to the A22

North Downs Scarp; Woldingham

North Downs; Banstead & Walton Heaths

Appendix 6: North Downs Biodiversity Opportunity Area Policy Statements

Wealden Greensand

Puttenham & Crooksbury Farnham Heaths

Thursley, Hankley & Frensham Heaths

Devil’s Punch Bowl & Hindhead Heaths

Hascombe, Winkworth & Hydon’s Heath & Woodlands Blackheath

Chilworth & Farley Heaths

Winterfold & the Hurtwood

Greensand Ridge

Leith Hill, Wotton, Abinger & Holmwood

Greensand Ridge

Limpsfield Heaths

Reigate Heaths

Holmesdale

Albury & Shere Heaths & Parkland

Abinger Roughs

Appendix 7: Wealden Greensands Biodiversity Opportunity Area Policy Statements

Low Weald

Low Weald & West Weald Woodlands

Cranleigh Woods

Wallis Woods

Vann Lake & Ockley Gill Woods

Glover’s Wood & Edolph’s Copse

Newdigate Woodland

Earlswood & Redhill Commons to the River Mole

Appendix 8: Low Weald Biodiversity Opportunity Area Policy Statements

Rivers

Hogsmill

Eden (& tributaries)

Blackwater River

River Wey (& Tributaries)

River Mole (& Tributaries)

River Thames (tow-path & islands)

Appendix 9: River Biodiversity Opportunity Area Policy Statements

Biodiversity Action Reporting Project