Agenda item

To receive an update on the activities of the Strategic Access Management and Monitoring Project Team since the Board’s last meeting.

Ruth Shelton, Strategic Access Management and Monitoring (SAMM) Project Manager, Natural England gave a presentation in respect of the work taking place as part of the SAMM project.  The presentation summarised the project team’s activities since the Board’s last meeting and included updates on staffing, warden activity, educational work and monitoring activity.

It was reported that two additional areas of SANG had been developed since the Board’s last meeting, Runfold Ridge in Tongham and Horsley Meadows in Horsley.  This took the total number of Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspaces (SANGs) across the Thames Basin Heath area to 74.

The Board was informed that, although covid-19 restrictions had impacted on the work of wardens in the early part of the season, wardening of the Special Protection Area (SPA) had continued over the summer and into the autumn.  A successful Heathweek had taken place in July with 14 activities delivered by the SAMM Team and a further 13 activities delivered by partners.  The activities being well received by those who attended and planning for Heathweek 2022 was underway.  One activity ‘Zoe’s Sensory Scavenger Hunt’ had been particularly popular with 110 people taking part and this would be continued outside Heathweek.  Pitstop sessions had been resumed enabling wardens to engage with visitors to the SPA on a more regular basis and between June and October a total of 22 Pitstops had been delivered and 47 events had been carried out.

The SAMM Team continued to develop its educational offer with curriculum linked sessions that could be delivered either remotely, in school or out on the heath and sessions were also available to uniformed groups. A short video had been produced and a Heathland Discovery Pack had been developed to help raise awareness of the resources available to educational settings.  It was suggested that a copy of the pack and details of the sessions that could be delivered by the SAMM Team should be emailed to the Directors of Education in each local authority area requesting that they forward the information to schools.

Visitor data showed an increase in the number of visitors to the SANG during 2021 when compared to previous years however numbers were lower than during the first period of Government restrictions during the pandemic.  In December 2020 a remote SANGS survey accessible via QR codes had been set up at sites across the SPA and by the end of October 2021, a total of 694 replies had been submitted.  With 328 responses being received in High Season (March to August 2021) and 366 responses being received during the two low season periods (December 2020 to February 2021 and September to October 2021).

Analysis of the visitor survey responses had found that the top three main reasons given for visiting the SANG were:

The data collected showed that most visits were of between 30 minutes and 1 hour in duration and that the main way of getting to the SANG during the Low Season was on foot and in the High Season by car.  The majority of those answering the survey gave proximity to home as their main reason for selecting a particular SANG to visit. Other draws to a particular SANG included good parking provision, the ability to let dogs off a lead and the choice of routes available.  When asked about potential improvements to a SANG, 25% of responders stated that no improvements were required; the most common improvement cited by visitors as being necessary was a need for more bins for dog waste.

It was confirmed that in order to ascertain whether the increase in the use of SANG during the pandemic restrictions was a temporary one or if it was the start of a longer term trend visitor numbers would continue to be monitored.  

It was noted that in previous years, similar visitor surveys had been carried out at the SPA sites, and these would be resumed following their suspension during the pandemic.

Whilst proximity to an area was cited as a significant driver for visiting a particular SANG, having spatial data on where new developments were being located would assist Natural England with the planning of new areas of SANG and the improvements that might be needed at existing SANG.  It was agreed that Local Planning Authorities would be approached for this information.  The Board was reminded that it was not uncommon for SANGS to be developed ahead of the housing development associated with it and this did distort figures to an extent.

The Board was informed that the possibility of using anonymised location data from smart phones to measure visitor numbers had been explored however at the current time the data collected was not yet granular enough to be of much use.  The possibility would be revisited as the technology progressed.

It was queried what effect the imposition then subsequent removal of car parking charges on the Surrey County Council owned sites in 2018 and 2020 respectively had had on visitor numbers and whether there was any correlation with the number of visitors visiting SANGs in the vicinity of these sites, for example Chobham, Wisley & Ockham and Whitmoor, during the period. 

The success of Healthland Hounds as a way of encouraging responsible dog ownership was acknowledged and the Board questioned whether more could be done to engage dog owners who were not part of the Facebook group.  It was noted that signs encouraging responsible dog walking were displayed at the entrances to site between March and June.  It was suggested that these could be supplemented by additional signs referencing the Good Dog Guide and information about what a dog under control looks like. The Board was informed that the RSPB had carried out research on signage and this would be shared with the SAMM Team.  It was agreed that the matter would be followed up outside the meeting.

It was requested that Natural England provide the Board with an overview of their work to manage the SPA and their aspirations for the SPA in the Thames Basin Heath area at a future meeting.

The Board thanked the SAMM Team for their informative update.