Page 10 - Managing Partner Awards Shortlist
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characteristic wildlife. The biggest transformation is that when you visit you see the
community and visitors walking around and using the site.
Weyburn Meadows
The site consists mainly of former horse-grazed pasture with wet grassland on the floodplain
to the north. There are mature well-established hedgerows and patches of other habitat
present, a side stream to the River Wey, Alder Carr, broadleaved woodland and isolated
patches of scrub.
The site has been improved significantly by clearing invasive scrub from meadow with a
roboflail, improved site drainage by excavating ditch and removing riparian willow, and doing
regular litter picks which have removed three trailer-loads of historic debris and rubble
removed from the meadow. We have installed a ramp at either end for improved access and
repaired the boardwalk, paths have been mown and kept clear, we have worked alongside
contractors who surfaced 160m of path on behalf of Surrey County Council Public Rights Of
Way Team and have worked on the removal of invasive plant species like Ragwort and
Himalayan Balsam.
The site has set up and monitored reptile transect in partnership with the Surrey Amphibian
and Reptile Group and greensands Farming Cluster grant funded the installation of bird and
bat boxes including a barn owl box has future. The site also has plans to include a pond and
a kingfisher bank along the riverside.
We are establishing a link to Surrey Growth team who are a CIC encouraging people with
learning difficulties to obtain confidence and skills to enter employment. They will begin to
help with the site conservation works.
Monkton
As above, with significant improvements to the habitats on site through scrub clearance,
woodland thinning and bulb planting there has been a step change in the biodiversity value
of the site. In addition, a huge stretch of the main thoroughfare through the site had become
potholed through greatly increased use. This has now been completely resurfaced (almost
half a kilometre of path). Many of the other paths through the site have also been resurfaced,
including wood chipping the woodland paths. All of the entrances have been upgraded to
make them more welcoming, including new artworks and this has encouraged even greater
use of the community woodland.