News
Plans for a wetland centre develop as Mushroom Farm demolition nears completion
The Horsell Common Preservation Society (HCPS) has engaged The Wildfowl and Wetland Trust at Slimbridge, in Gloucestershire, to design a wetland habitat for its new headquarters and visitor centre at Heather Farm - the derelict mushroom-growing facility off Chobham Road.
Blue Prince Mushrooms Ltd, the former owners of the 17 acre site on the outskirts of Horsell, once produced 70 tonnes of mushrooms a week for Sainsbury’s at the site, but when the supermarket giant switched to imported supplies in 2003, the farm closed, with the loss of 120 jobs. Since then, the site became a target for various development schemes, including an incinerator and a waste plant for Surrey County Council. Plans for the site to be developed into offices and industrial units had been approved in 2009. However last year, in a complex agreement with McLaren, HCPS acquired the site, which allowed the car company to build its new production centre off Chertsey Road, adjacent to Horsell Common.
HCPS chairman, David Robbins, explains; “Our agreement with McLaren calls for most of the site at Heather Farm to be returned to a natural condition in replacement for the Green Belt land that has been developed for the car factory. All of the buildings, except the office block, have now been demolished and, within the next few weeks, all of the concrete hard standing will have been removed. In total, 14 acres of concrete and 155,000 sq ft of buildings
will have been demolished”.
HCPS chairman David Robbins (right) reviews plans with Estate Manager Paul Rimmer
Phograph: Graeme Larter (Woking News & Mail)
A small part of the retained building will become the HCPS headquarters, but it is likely that the larger proportion of offices will become home to the Surrey Wildlife Trust, currently based in Pirbright. Mr Robbins added; “ The Surrey Wildlife Trust would be quite literally our natural partners to share in this exciting project. We still have a lot of work to do in formalising the arrangements, but are all very keen to develop a plan which will benefit both organisations”
Once landscaping has been completed, at least 60% of the former brown field site will become open to the public, with circular paths and viewing points to observe the wildlife in the wetland area. The western section of the site will contain a visitor’s car park and a dedicated area for dog exercise. A wooden footbridge will take visitors across the River Bourne, with extensive access to paths along the river. A 3.5km circular walk will also be a feature of the project, with ample opportunity for dogs to access the river for a swim on hot sunny days! Plans will also include an option for an education facility at some stage in the future, with part of the building set aside for classrooms. Ponds with dipping platforms will be created in the wetland area to enable children to get close to nature.
At a recent meeting, the HCPS Board of Trustees unanimously agreed to name the building BEDSER HOUSE, in lasting memory of the cricketing twins who lived on the edge of Horsell Common for most of their lives and were staunch supporters of the Horsell Common Preservation Society.
HCPS hosts International Nature Camp
A group of international students came to Woking last week to participate in this year’s tri-national nature camp, which had been organised by Woking Borough Council.
The group, from Woking’s twin town of Rastatt in Germany, and their twin town of Farno in Italy, joined local youths from Woking for a three day conservation course on Horsell Common.The team of 35 young people were taught skills including footpath construction, habitat management, hedgerow maintenance, and how to build bird boxes. 
HCPS estate manager, Paul Rimmer, arranged the group into teams to carry out the various tasks; they were also taught the importance and fragility of our local heathland habitat. As a reward for their efforts, HCPS laid on a special barbecue each day, so that the students could relax and get to know each other, and also improve their language skills.
HCPS would like to thank the Surrey Wildlife Trust and the Surrey Heathland Project for their assistance in making the event a success. On completion of the course, Paul thanked the youths for their excellent work and said they would be welcome to come back again to see the improvements they had made, and also to renew their new friendships.
Once again we will be grazing parts of Horsell Common during the summer months to assist us with conservation management. Scrub encroachment is a constant threat to Wildlife. Unless managed, pine and birch trees and some grasses start to dominate making open areas unsuitable for many species. Years ago, people grazed their cattle and sheep on local heaths and commons. These ancient landscapes became rich wildlife habitats. Now, hundreds of years later, the key to survival for many endangered species is the continuation of these traditional practices.
This year, we have six Belted Galloway yearling steers (castrated males). The cattle are a hardy primitive breed which are a scarce breed nationally, though they have now been removed from the Rare Breed Survival Trust's "at risk" list. Their meat is highly prized but due to their slow growth rates and size, do not lend themselves to modern commercial meat production. The gene line of the animals now on Grasslands Common is from Dartmoor but these animals are first generation Surrey progeny, being born at Wisley and raised at Ash Ranges as part of the Surrey Wildlife Trust conservation grazing herd. The breed is known to prosper and has evolved to survive on very rough, poor grazing primarily in Galloway, South West Scotland.
Gordon and Alistair
Belted Galloways or "Belties" as they are affectionately known are small docile animals that do not have horns and are typically distinguished by their white "belt". Black with a white belt is most common, but dun and red also occur occasionally with the body almost the same colour as the belt. With their diminutive size, thick curly hair and big eyes the Belted Galloways do appear very cute, but visitors to the Common will find the animals stand -offish and happier to leave the company of humans, so best to view them from afar.
The Belted Galloway has a magnificent winter coat, which comprises a double layer of hair to give excellent insulation from the cold. There is a long "overcoat" which readily sheds the rain and snow and helps keep the animal dry, and a very soft, mossy "undercoat" which traps the warmth and gives the Beltie the ability to maintain its body weight with 20 - 25% less food intake in cold weather. In hot weather, the coat is shed to a fine cover of hair.
Hamish
We would like to enlist the help of visitors to the common to let us know if they see any problems with the cattle or anything they are unsure of. We would also be extremely grateful if any regular visitors to the site, who may see the cattle on a regular basis, could get in touch with us to see if they would like to join our band of volunteer cattle checkers. Though daily cattle checks are a legal requirement, this isn't an onerous task if someone is visiting the site anyway. It can be as simple as cattle present or not, and cattle seem happy or there might be a problem - it's as easy as that. If you would like to help Please call Paul Rimmer on 07860 712503 or email paul@pinewood.me.uk
Our grateful thanks goes to Marcus Turley and Jenny Page of the The Surrey Heathland Project for their assistance, and to James Adler and the livestock team at the Surrey Wildlife Trust for the supply of the cattle.
HCPS acquires Heather Farm
Most of a 17-acre site will be restored to green belt land for community, environmental and charity use following a major agreement between McLaren and Horsell Common Preservation Society (HCPS)
The Mushroom Farm
McLaren has bought the former Heather Farm mushroom farm in Chobham Road after the HCPS objected to plans at McLaren’s Woking headquarters to build a production facility for the construction of its new sports car.
HCPS was unhappy about the production facility plans at McLaren’s site in Chertsey Road, because the land is in the green belt.
When the racing giants built its headquarters in 2003, it entered into legal agreements to not carry out any further work on the land and a covenant was placed on it.
Before releasing the covenant, HCPS needed a guarantee that a sufficient area of land would be made available by McLaren to compensate for the loss of open land when the production facility is built.
The society suggested the solution of buying the redundant former mushroom farm site and the deal was done.
The site purchase eradicates the threat of a waste plant moving to the former farm site, which at the moment houses more than 155,000 square feet of empty industrial buildings and more than 14 acres of concrete hard standing.
Surrey County Council had earmarked Heather Farm as a possible waste farm site in the Surrey Waste Plan.
David Robbins, chairman of the HCPS, said: “I am very pleased that a solution was found to what seemed to be an intractable problem.
“The members of the society have hugely supported the trustees in achieving this result.”
During the past eight months, there have been extensive negotiations between McLaren and HCPS.
It is not known how much McLaren paid for the former farm site but last year it was up for sale for about £3 million.
McLaren has bought the site and passed on ownership to HCPS.
The industrial buildings will be demolished and the land restored to its natural green belt state.
Paul Rimmer, estate manager for HCPS, said: “We have developed a good working relationship with the McLaren Group over the past 12 years in jointly creating McLaren Park and opening it to the public.
“We are pleased to be extending this partnership further in returning the disused industrial buildings and concrete hardstanding at Heather Farm back to nature.”
Growing cells
The existing buildings at Heather Farm were built in 1986 when in the ownership of the food giant, Heinz. At its peak, it employed more than 120 staff producing over 70 tonnes of mushrooms per week. The site closed down following the loss of a major contract with the supermarket chain, Sainsburys.
Adrian Dawes, finance director for Blue Prince Mushrooms Ltd, who owned the farm site, said he was pleased the site had been sold following its closure in May 2003.
Heather Farm Dumped from the Surrey Waste Plan?
There has been a major development in the long running saga of Heather Farm (The Mushroom Farm) and its inclusion in the Surrey Waste Plan. An appeal under section 78 of the Town & Country Planning Act 1990 had been lodged by the site owners, Blue Prince Mushrooms Ltd, against the refusal to grant planning permission at the former mushroom farm site in Chobham Road. A two day hearing presided by David Richards, an inspector appointed by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, was held in Woking on 29 and 30 September. In his report, the Inspector overturned the planning application refusal by Woking Borough Council and allowed the appeal. This decision almost certainly removes the threat of a waste plant being developed on the 15 acre site adjacent to Horsell Common.
The Inspector's Report may be viewed here.
The purpose-built former mushroom farm has stood empty for over 6 years
The Inspector’s report, which was published on 3 November, considered whether the use of the site for B1(c) (light industrial) and B8 (storage or distribution) use would prejudice implementation of the Surrey Waste Plan, and whether air quality emissions from traffic associated with the change of use would be harmful to Horsell Common, which is part of the Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area and a Site of Special Scientific Interest.
At the Hearing, Paul Uttley, representing HCPS, informed the Inspector that access to the site at Heather Farm is over a track controlled by HCPS, and that the Society had entered into an agreement with the appellant, Blue Prince Mushrooms, to allow the site to be used for limited commercial use. However, Mr. Uttley made it quite clear to the enquiry that HCPS representatives had no remit to negotiate in respect of a potential waste use. In his report the Inspector accepted that without compulsory purchase, the site would be undeliverable as a site for handling waste. Access to the site was a major consideration in making his decision.
Horsell Common Preservation Society has worked closely with Blue Prince Mushrooms Ltd in producing a Unilateral Obligation that is acceptable to the Local Planning Authority and to Natural England on the future use of the site. A key feature of the agreement will be to restrict the number of Heavy Goods Vehicles entering the site to 115 per week. In the event of this figure being breached, the site operator would incur a penalty payment of £500 per vehicle, which will go towards habitat restoration on the Common.
Preservation Society Chairman, David Robbins, said: "Having beaten our heads against a brick wall at the Surrey Waste Plan Examination it was reassuring that our implacable opposition to Heather Farm becoming a waste site was heeded. The Inspector rightly accepted that there was no realistic prospect of HCPS agreeing to the use of the access track for waste purposes and this was a formidable obstacle to a waste use being delivered at Heather Farm. We are happy with the appeal result but must now move forward to find a buyer or occupier for the site who will accept the constraints imposed on Heather Farm by its juxtaposition with the Common - which is an internationally protected wildlife habitat - and a number of residential properties".
Forestry Clearance on the Triangle and Grasslands Common
Work has commenced on the clearance of trees and scrub on the Triangle between Littlewick Road and Station Road, and on Grasslands, as indicated by the shaded areas on the map below. This project is part of a 10 year programme of heathland restoration to be carried out on Horsell Common, which is funded by Natural England through conservation grants.
Aerial photograph of the areas to be felled north of Littlewick Road
Heathland restoration involves the removal of pine, oak and birch trees; the trees will be chipped and used to generate electricity at Slough Power Station. After the timber has been removed, the remaining stumps will be reduced to ground level by a process called mulching. This destroys the stumps and churns up the leaf litter. Some areas will be scraped to remove excess leaf litter. All this work produces an environment with favourable conditions for heathland regeneration from dormant seed.
Heathland is a valued resource, not only for the rare wildlife it supports but also for its cultural and recreational importance. Unfortunately lowland heath is under threat. In order to protect and enhance the local countryside, the Horsell Common Preservation Society is working to conserve and, where necessary, expand areas of lowland heathland. To achieve this some areas of secondary woodland must be cleared.
Woodchips awaiting delivery to Slough power station
Lowland heathland is a globally rare habitat that provides a home for a unique range of specially adapted wildlife. If the heathlands are lost, so is the wildlife. Heathland once covered vast areas of southern England. Since the 1800s, forestry, agricultural intensification, and urban development have contributed to the loss of 75% of this precious resource. The decline in traditional land uses, such as grazing, has also allowed many heaths to become overgrown.
The heathland restoration project on Horsell Common is being funded by Natural England through its Higher Level Stewardship Scheme. HCPS has been successful in its application for a grant under the HLS Scheme, and will receive over £310,000 over 10 years for this important habitat management work.
Sightings of Silver Studded Blue Butterflies
So far 2009 has been a very pleasing year regarding the Silver Studded Blue Butterfly (SSB) on Horsell Common. Whilst this butterfly is not rare, it is restricted to small areas of heathland. Prior to 2004 the SSB wasa to be found regularly on the Common between the months of June and August. We are very pleased to report that both male and females of the species have been seen in the Danewell Gutter. Sightings have also been reported on Grasslands and the approaches to McLaren Park. The food plant for this butterfly is heather, Bell Heather in particular. The SSB looks very similar to the Common Blue but is smaller. However, the distinguishing marks can be found on the underside of the hindwings. The curve of the metallic like turquoise studs are shown on the photographs below. Lee Slatter
Cattle grazing on Grasslands and Horsell Birch
We have recently introduced a small herd of Jersey cattle onto Grasslands Common and Horsell Birch for management purposes. Heathland is not a stable environment and without grazing or removal of trees and shrubs by other means, the heather and other low-growing plants will be shaded out and lost as the open ground reverts to woodland. Cutting down the woody growth is expensive and needs to be repeated at about five year intervals. Grazing is more cost effective and environmentally friendly. This method of heathland management is advocated by Natural England, Surrey Wildlife Trust and the charity Plantlife.
Cattle from Scotchers Farm grazing on Grasslands
In addition to grazing the vegetation, the cattle walk through the shallow ponds on Horsell Birch. This is beneficial as trampling of the pond margins brings dormant seeds of aquatic plants to the surface where they are able to germinate. Some pond plants are dependant on this sort of disturbance. A good example is the three-lobed water crowfoot, Ranunculus tripartitus. This is a nationally rare plant in the buttercup family. It grows in temporary ponds on heathland and has undergone a considerable decline over the last 70 years. Horsell Birch had become the last known site for this plant in Surrey. As a result of cattle disturbing the muddy margins of the pond, there has been a good germination of seeds in the autumn. The plant, which has three-lobed leaves that float on the water surface, produces its diminutive white-petalled flowers during the spring and summer.
Three-lobed water crowfoot
Repairs to the Six Cross Roads Car Park
The car park in Shores Road will be closed from the 16th June for 4 days whilst repairs are being carried out. The work will involve the removal of some damaged trees; refurbishment of the surface; dedicated bays for the disabled; and a new fence at the eastern end. We will also be installing marker posts to depict parking spaces more clearly. New interpretation boards depicting Heathland, its ecological and recreational importance and its future management, are being installed in the car parks and major access points. There are 10 interpretation panels which will be rotated on a regular basis.
Launch of Pegasus
Horsell Common's gift to Woking, Launching Pegasus, one of the most uplifting sights in the town, 
sculpted from a magnificent 250-year old Oak, (irretrievably damaged by a Tornado in November 2007), has been completed on Broomhall Common, opposite the Brewery Road car park.
The Horsell Common Preservation Society (HCPS) commissioned the stunning new tree sculpture named after the winged horse in Greek mythology that was the offspring of Medusa, sired by Poseidon.
Trustee-Directors chose the design from a short list of three that was presented by the famous wood sculptor, Captain Chainsaw, who is the founder of AD-Tree Pirates from Somerset. AD and his team spent a day watching Lipizzaner Stallions so that they could make Pegasus accurately strike the most dramatic pose. The Tree Pirates worked on the project for approximately 2 weeks, before handing over the commission to HCPS at a special ceremony to mark the completion of the project. The Chairman of Horsell Common Preservation Society, David Robbins said, "I was amazed at the joy and excitement which Pegasus engendered in all the members of the public who I spoke to as they passed by. We later discovered that Horsell was named 'Horse Hill' on 18th C maps, and so the design seems now to be very appropriate."
HCPS, Head of Public Relations, Penny Mare, said, "The trustees have been planning to do something special with the tree for quite some time; it was just a matter of finding the right project and the right artist". Mrs Mare went on to say, "This is a very special feature of the Common, made from natural resources. It is a gift to the community of Woking from the members of the Horsell Common Preservation Society. The sculpture has been entirely funded by HCPS from its own resources, and is expected to last for many years, probably decades".
HCPS Estate Manager, Paul Rimmer, who is overseeing the project, said, "We are delighted to have had the Tree Pirates working for us on this ambitious creation. We have received many messages of support from members of the Society and from local residents. We have also been greatly encouraged by passers by, who frequently stop to talk and see how we are progressing. One passing driver turned out to be an ex-paratrooper, whose Regimental Insignia is Pegasus. He was so moved to see the sculpture that he drove home and then returned with his beret and badge and asked for it to be included in some way within the sculpture; so now it is placed under the horse's head.".
A gallery of photos may be found here. You are welcome to download and use them for your own private purpose or for promoting the good works of the Horsell Common Preservation Society.
What's everyone saying about the project?
Photo credits: Hello-Photo.co.uk
Sir Alec Bedser Visits New Trail Site
Sir Alec Bedser, the famous England cricketer, visited the site of the new trail that is 
named in his honour and which is being built by volunteers. Young people from Vinvolved, and companies such as Eli Lilly are wading in to create a 1.5km track that will be to a standard suitable for access by those in wheelchairs and, naturally, for anyone else including runners, those with dogs and so on. The project is being managed jointly by Surrey Wildlife Trust and by Horsell Common; it's been kindly sponsored by Woking Borough Council and is working also with WAVS.
Below we shall be updating the progress made with the footpath's construction.
