Keep Our Countryside Free, County Council Survey Shows

Published on: 17 Feb, 2019
Updated on: 19 Feb, 2019

Surrey County Council charging at countryside car parks.

By Rebecca Curley

local democracy reporter

Using Surrey’s countryside as a toilet and needing wings to get there were two bizarre responses in a public survey on how people use the county’s common land.

But keeping the areas free to access was a strong theme from 1,367 answers in the six-week county council consultation last October. Many also wanted more school visits, and rangers to look after the sites. One called for the resignation of Cllr Mike Goodman, lead cabinet member for environment.

Of all responses, 95% said the countryside estates were very important or important to them and 74% said they travelled by car. Of 915 who were asked for further comment, 292 called for SCC to avoid income-generating schemes for the areas and 279 said there should be free parking. The council introduced parking charges to five of the commons last summer.

The survey is part of SCC’s work to develop a 25-year strategy for its countryside estate. The council owns 6,500 acres of countryside, with a further 3,500 acres managed under “access agreements”. A partnership with Surrey Wildlife Trust was formed in 2002 when 10,000 acres of land was leased to the trust for 50 years.

The estate ranges from Ockham and Wisley Commons down to Norbury Park and costs about £2.1 million a year to manage. SCC contributed £425,000 in 2018/19. The council’s aim is for the countryside estate to be self-funding.

Full results of the survey and an outline strategy focusing on education and engagement, access for health and wellbeing and landscape will be presented at SCC’s environment select committee on Friday, February 22.

Responses to Keep Our Countryside Free, County Council Survey Shows

John Oliver Reply

February 17, 2019 at 10:04 pm

When Cllr Goodman ‘consulted’ on introducing parking charges at 15 countryside car parks he received around 1,200 responses of which three quarters said they did not want parking charges and the majority of respondents said, if they were to be introduced, there should be the facility to have cash payments.

But he ignored all that and introduced cashless payment only and claimed that the number of responses was unrepresentative. So, will he regard these new responses as unrepresentative?

A major outcome of this consultation, with its skewed questions, is that the countryside should be free to access. However, he has already pre-empted this by saying categorically that charges are here to stay. So, much for consultation.
Linda Cooper Reply

February 22, 2019 at 9:31 am

So much for democracy and the Conservatives. They ask but they do not listen.