In honour of those who have lost their lives due to conflict, a Remembrance service held on Remembrance Sunday at Seale War Memorial was well attended by residents.

Wreaths were laid on behalf of the Seale and Sands Royal British Legion Branch, Seale and Sands Royal British Legion Club, Seale and Sands Parish Council, Surrey Police and Surrey County Council.

During the service the names of those local men commemorated on the memorial were read out by Graham Bearman, Chairman of Seale and Sands Royal British Legion Branch.

We will remember them.

1914-1918
Pte. Edwin J Amos R.A.M.C.
Pte. Frank Bicknell Queens R. W. Surrey Regiment
Pte. Arthur Butler Royal Fusiliers
2nd Lt. Tudor R Castle Queens R. W. Surrey Regiment
Capt. Michael Chapman M.C. Grenadier Guards
Stoker Henry W C Dodd Royal Navy
2nd Lt. J Lennox Fetherstonehaugh A. & S. Highlanders
Rifleman George Gardiner London Rifle Brigade
Pte. Frederick Gardner Royal Sussex Regiment
Capt. Markham Giradot Oxford L. I.
Pte. James Gray Essex Regiment
Pte. William L Hedger Royal Fusiliers
Lt. Lyulph W M Howard Queens R. W. Surrey Regiment
Capt. Arthur W Macarthur Onslow 16th Lancers
Sergt. Edwin W Parsons Queens R. W. Surrey Regiment
2nd Lt. Arthur B Penlington M.C. R.F.A.
C.S.M. George Ridgers Devon Regiment
Pte. Harry Trimming R.A.S.C.
Pte. Arthur W Turner Hants Regiment
Pte. Thomas S Turner R.A.S.C.
C.Q.M.S. John Wells D.C.M. Worcester Regiment
Lt. Douglas F De Wend D. of W’s W. Riding Regiment
Pte. James A C Woolgar Canadian Infantry

1939 - 1945
Lieut J F Brownrigg Sherwood Foresters
Corpl. A E Bulbeck Royal Hampshire Regiment
Flight Sergt. E G Cass Royal Air Force
Lieut. C P W Cross Royal Navy
Capt. R A Lindsay East Surrey Regiment
Corpl. E A Papworth Sherwood Foresters
Admiral Sir Tom S V Phillips K.C.B.
Capt. S H M Russell M.P. Coldstream Guards
Lieut. R L S Russell Royal Artillery

Surrey County Council have drafted their new Rights of Way Improvement Plan after public consultation. The number of responses they received (over 4000) shows that we value our rights of way.

S.C.C. would like to hear your views on the draft document. More information and link to the plan can be found here.

This consultation is open until 9th February 2025.

We only have a few watercourses/ditches in the parish. If you know you are, or after reading this guidance you realise you are a riparian owner please can you check the watercourse/ditch you are responsible for and maintain it as required.

The following areas in the parish have ditches / watercourses that fall under riparian ownership:

Blighton Lane - The Green - Littleworth Road - Wood Lane - Binton Lane

The following information has been provided by Surrey County Council (Riparian Owners FAQs)

Riparian Ownership; Frequently Asked Questions

What is a watercourse?

A watercourse is…
every river, stream, brook, ditch, drain, culvert, pipe and any other passage through which water may flow. A watercourse can be either natural or man-made. Watercourses drain the land, prevent flooding and assist in supporting flora and fauna. Historically, watercourses have taken water runoff from buildings and roads, as well as fields and parks. In the process of development many have been culverted (piped) or changed in other ways.
In normal conditions a watercourse may be a dry channel in the ground; in heavy storm conditions it may become a raging torrent. Watercourses do not include public sewers but it could be in a pipe under the ground.
A Main River is…
usually a larger stream or river. However, locally important smaller watercourses can be designated as Main Rivers. The Environment Agency has authority, powers, rights and responsibilities for managing Main Rivers in England and Wales; a ‘Flood Map’ detailing their locations can be found on the Environment Agency website at www.environment-agency.gov.uk.
An Ordinary Watercourse is…
any other river, stream, ditch and culvert not defined as Main River. The responsibility for maintenance of ordinary watercourses lies with anyone who owns land or property adjacent to a watercourse. This is known as Riparian Ownership
It may not always be possible to see a clear physical difference between watercourses designated as either Main River or Ordinary Watercourse.

What is a Riparian Owner?

A riparian owner is the person, or people, with watercourses on, next to or under their property. Riparian owners have the responsibility for maintenance of these watercourses. Riparian responsibilities usually lie with the person who owns the land or property but may be the tenant depending upon the agreement in place.

How do I know if I am a riparian owner?

Unless otherwise shown on the Title Deeds, all of the land owners in this picture would normally be riparian owners up to the middle of the watercourse:

House A is responsible for the all of the watercourse running through their garden
House B is responsible for the watercourse behind the fence at the bottom of their garden
House C is responsible for the watercourse behind the fence AND the pond
House D is responsible for the culverted (piped) watercourse buried in the ditch in front of their land AND the underground pipe which runs beneath their property to the pond House E is responsible for the open ditch in front of their house AND the piped section under their access bridge
House F is responsible for the watercourse at the end of their garden behind their hedge
Landowner G is responsible for both the watercourses running along the edges of their land AND the pond

How much of the watercourse am I responsible for?

If both banks of a watercourse runs through (or under) your land, you are fully responsible for its maintenance. If it runs adjacent to your land (even does not fall within your property boundary as set out by your Title Deeds e.g if it is the other side of a boundary fence) then you are likely to be responsible for the maintenance of the watercourse bank on your side, to halfway across the bottom of the watercourse.

Using the example properties above, Owners G and B would each have responsibility for the maintenance of their side up to the middle of the watercourse. So unless the landowners’ Title Deeds show otherwise, it is presumed that each party owns to the centre line of the watercourse.
Depending upon the specific situation regarding land ownership, the responsibilities may vary and local advice should be sought if in doubt.

What are my responsibilities as a riparian owner?

The riparian responsibilities under law are:

• To pass on water flow without obstruction, pollution or diversion that would affect the rights of others.

• To maintain the banks and bed of the watercourse (including any trees and shrubs growing on the banks) and any flood defences that exist on it.

• To maintain any approved structures on their stretch of the watercourse and keep them free of debris. These may include trash screens, culverts, weirs and mill gates.

• Riparian Owners must not build new structures (for example a culvert, bridge or board walk) that encroach upon the watercourse, or alter the flow of water or prevent the free passage of fish without first obtaining permission from the Lead Local Flood Authority (Surrey County Council) or Environment Agency.

Do I have any rights as a riparian landowner?

Yes! Riparian Owner rights are:

• To receive a flow of water in its natural state, without undue interference in its quantity or quality

• To protect their property against flooding from the watercourse and to prevent erosion of the watercourse banks or any nearby structures

• A Riparian Owner usually has the right to fish in the watercourse, provided legal methods are used. A rod licence will usually be required from the Environment Agency.

• A Riparian Owner can abstract a maximum of 20 cubic metres of water per day for the domestic purposes of their own household or for agricultural use (excluding spray irrigation) without a license. Most other types of abstraction will require a license from the Environment Agency. If the water is to be used for drinking the abstraction must be registered with the District or Borough Council.

I’m not sure which land I own. How can I find out?

If you are not sure where exactly the border of your land is there are various ways you can find out; from having a chat with your neighbours and checking your property deeds or contacting the Land Registry. Be aware the title deeds for the property may not show the watercourse within your property boundary.

What if I am a tenant?

Riparian responsibilities generally sit with owner of the land but you still will have a responsibility not to block the free flow of water. It is worth checking your tenancy agreement and talking to your landlord. Even so, you should be careful not to allow things like rubbish or grass cuttings to get into the watercourse as this may cause a blockage.

There is a ditch running outside my property – surely that’s not my responsibility?

If it runs adjacent to your land and even if does not fall inside your property boundary as set out by your Title Deeds (e.g if it's the other side of a fence, wall or hedge), then you are likely to be responsible for the maintenance of the watercourse bank on your side, to halfway across the bottom of the watercourse. So unless the Title Deeds show otherwise, or the land is clearly owned by someone else, it is presumed that each party owns to the middle of the watercourse.

The ditch by my property runs alongside a road – is it the responsibility of Surrey County Council’s Highways Team to manage it?

The riparian owner of any ditches alongside roads is normally the adjoining landowner, as the highway boundary invariably lies along the top of the bank closest to the road. Adjacent owners should not carry out any work on the ditch which would restrict road surface water draining into it. Although the County Council and Highways Agency in their role as the Highway Authority has the right to discharge rainwater from the
highway into these ditches, the
landowner is responsible for
maintaining it.

What about if a stream runs underneath my property?

If a watercourse runs underneath your property or land in a culvert or pipe it is still your responsibility to keep it clear of debris and running freely. Underground culverted watercourses are more likely to occur in urban areas where historic development has taken place. It is important that you carry out regular maintenance, as if a culvert blocks it can causing flooding upstream for which you may be liable. There are many drainage companies that can inspect and clear culverts and offer you specialist advice on management.
If a culvert runs along the boundary of two landowner's land, they are jointly responsible for the culvert. Surrey County Council may be able to tell you if you have an underground watercourse on your land.

Can I just fill in the ditch if it is on my property?

No. These watercourses generally fulfil an important role in preventing local flooding. Plans for any works on ordinary watercourses, other than general cleaning and routine maintenance such as the removal of weeds or debris, must be approved by Surrey County Council. Consent for the work must be secured before starting. This applies to any changes which might affect the flow or capacity and include installation of dams, weirs, mills, channel diversions and in particular, culverting or piping.

How do I maintain the watercourse?

We have produced a guide called “Good Practice for Watercourse Maintenance” which tells you in detail all you need to know, but in summary maintenance should include; keeping vegetation under control (especially preventing large trees from blocking the watercourse), removing any obstructions to the flow of watercourse such as grass cuttings, litter and other debris and regularly removing silt to prevent it blocking the ditch, channel or pipe.

Other things to think about are:

• Your own health and safety; working near water can be dangerous.

• The watercourse may contain invasive species or protected wildlife which may require particular maintenance techniques or specialist advice.

• Consent from the Environment Agency or the County Council may be required for any works other than general cleaning and routine maintenance, such as any change to the size or shape of the watercourse.

More information on these aspects is contained within the good practice guide.

What about the vegetation and wildlife in the watercourse?

Ditches can form very important habitats and may contain important species of flora and fauna that are protected or invasive species which are controlled under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. The ‘Good Practice for Watercourse Maintenance’ document contains lots more information and links to advice.

Why is all this important?

Watercourses are designed to drain surface water away, this helps prevent flooding that puts property, roads, land and infrastructure at risk. If the system of ditches and culverts are maintained to a good standard, any flooding is likely to only affect areas in the floodplain. Not all watercourses transport water, as some act as storage areas, but maintenance of these is important too, as they prevent water collecting elsewhere.
The cost of maintaining a watercourse is minor compared to the cost from flood damage, not to mention the distress and inconvenience caused.

The above information can be downloaded as a PDF here

Where can I find out more?

Find out more about riparian ownership on GOV.UK.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/riverside-ownership-rights-and-responsibilities

The Parish Council realises that as a Riparian Owner, your responsibilities dictate you maintain half the ditch adjacent to your property, however, we respectfully ask that you help the whole community by maintaining the whole ditch and grips when it is adjacent to a road (Grips are the gaps between the road and the ditch that allows the water to run off the road into the ditch). This will help stop flooding on the road and the damage this causes - all of which is ultimately paid for by our taxes. SCC do help by maintaining some ditches that are their joint responsibility but we trust villages will play their part too.

You can contact the Parish Council for more local information too. Ideally send an email to our Clerk with your contact details and detailed query in the first instance.

Amphibian and Reptile Conservation will be out on Crooksbury Common in the run up to Christmas.  Work will involve cutting back invasive and pioneer scrub which will be burnt on site, forthcoming dates are:

17th of November 
26th of November 

These are volunteer days and all are welcome so if anyone wants come along and help out or just pop down to have a chat with ARC about their work or Crooksbury, then they are welcome.

Sadly there was no evidence of Natterjack breeding on Crooksbury Common this year,  this does not necessarily mean no breeding took place just that ARC have no evidence.  Only one person reported seeing tadpoles of any kind this year, which was appreciated,  ARC will be monitoring these areas closely next year. 

ARC say it was a fairly wet and cold Natterjack breeding season which is the main limiting factor and they are hopeful next spring will be warmer. They were also slightly concerned with the number of extremely heavy disturbance instances. The toad's ecology and the fragility of the spawn just can't cope with the amount of pressure that was seen.  

With the continued conservation work and communication efforts, ARC are hopeful people will understand the importance of the site and how necessary it is to protect it, not just because it the last Natterjack site in the county but also because it is home to so much rare and wonderful wildlife. 

If anyone is interested in supporting ARC  here is our volunteer sign up page

The Government is continuing it’s review of the changes to the Surrey Hills National Landscape and has just posted about a new consultation that they are asking feedback on.

How this will affect the Parish remains to be seen so have your say by completeing the online survey here.

The site also gives information on the results of the first consultation and these are reflected in the new survery.

The Government has released a draft proposal to change the National Planning Policy Framework and other changes to the planning system . This includes changes to the Greenbelt boundaries and adds new ‘Grey’ areas within it that allows development on existing sites. These changes may affect how development is consented to in our parish.

Please take a look and make comment ideally through their online survey as they are actively seeking feedback.

You need to act swiftly as the consultation ends at 11.45pm on Tuesday 24 September 2024.

Link to consultation here

Due to an increase in military training at Hankley Common, we have been advised by the M.O.D of the following:

The troop debussing area, also known as, DZ car park / top car park and surrounding area will close from 22:00hrs Sunday 15th September and re-open 07:00hrs Saturday 26th October 2024.

The M.O.D. has asked users of the common to stay well clear of this area.

Due to an increase in military training at Hankley Common, we have been advised of the following:

The troop debussing area, also known as, DZ car park / top car park will close from 18:00hrs Thursday 25th July and re-open 12:00hrs Friday 2nd August 2024.

The M.O.D. has asked users of the common to stay well clear of this area.

New 11 a-side football goals are to be installed at both our recreation grounds after the Parish Council and our incumbent club Ash United Youth FC worked together to secure part funding for the goal posts and the installation. The balance of the funding has been met by the PC and the posts become our property.

Installation of the new sockets is to take place on Wednesday 16th July with the new posts to follow shortly after.

We’d like to take this opportunity to thank Ash United Youth FC for their support in securing the grant from the Football Foundation. This will help to ensure children from the parish and surrounding areas can continue to develop their football skills using our facilities for years to come.

The Parish Council and on behalf of the residents of Seale & Sands, we would like to pay tribute to the brave men and women who took part in D-Day, 80 years ago.

D-Day of 6th June 1944 remains the largest ever seaborne invasion and along with airborne operations was the beginning of the liberation of France and western Europe.

Servicemen from the parish who gave their life during World War II:
Lieut J F Brownrigg Sherwood Foresters
Corpl. A E Bulbeck Royal Hampshire Regiment
Flight Sergt. E G Cass Royal Air Force
Lieut. C P W Cross Royal Navy
Capt. R A Lindsay East Surrey Regiment
Corpl. E A Papworth Sherwood Foresters
Admiral Sir Tom S V Phillips K.C.B.
Capt. S H M Russell M.P. Coldstream Guards
Lieut. R L S Russell Royal Artillery
Lt Col Dudley Ralph Turnbull DSO

We will remember them.

Guildford’s first annual Green Day will be held on Sunday 9 June 2024 from 11.00am to 4.00pm inviting you to “Be part of a Greener Guildford”. 

Guildford Green Day is supporting the national Big Green Week. It will help raise awareness of climate change issues and environmental concerns by promoting climate change initiatives, waste & recycling, vegan food, flood resilience, and local green businesses.

 Guildford Borough Council is coordinating the free, fun, and interactive event, bringing in dozens of local providers, traders, and community organisations, all working together. The event will involve a range of environmental, education and awareness activities, family entertainment, and many different stalls on the High Street. 

Visit our free activities:

• Learn how you can do more to tackle climate change

• Hear from world-class researchers from University of Surrey

• Learn more about recycling with our fun games

• Meet the team from Zero Carbon Guildford

• Roll up, roll up for circus skills

• Meet our fun, friendly, furry recycling champion

• Get information about better insulating your home

• Browse through a selection of plant-based artisan market stalls offering ethically sourced goods

Visit www.VisitGuildford.com for more information

The troop debussing area, also known as, DZ Car Park will be closed for authorised filming and military training during the following periods: Wednesday 22nd May - 29th May and Saturday 1st June - 9th June.

The M.O.D. has asked users of the Common to stay well clear of this activity.

Progress is being made by a group of residents to purchase the freehold of the Barley Mow in The Sands. Many residents have already pledged contributions to purchase shares to help secure the pub for the future. If you would like help bring the pub into collective ownership then this is your opportunity.

Pledges are required by this Wednesday 1st May.

For more details contact the action group to request an information pack at savebarleymowsands@outlook.com

As part of the Local Plan process Waverley Borough Council has made a request to landowners for them to offer land for a variety of uses. 

Suez have reviewed the long-term future of Princess Royal North site and South site at Runfold and have offered the sites as part of this process.  The land is being offered for a mix of uses including Biodiversity Net Gain and Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace (SANG), Community sports facilities, school sports facilities, outdoor activities / leisure / charity use and for housing development. 

The maps below show two options that SUEZ are making to Waverley.  This is the first step in a very long process that may not be taken up by Waverley, however if it does proceed the proposals will be subject to public consultation.

Although the sites sit just outside of our Parish, it is likely that any change of use will have some impact on Seale & Sands.

There is currently no plan for this type of use for Seale Lodge or Sandy Cross landfill sites.

Surrey County Council (SCC) had originally planned a simple solution to increase the capacity of the culvert under Blighton Lane to carry water across, and reduce the risk of flooding, however whilst reviewing  the design they found that there is a large volume of silt for which they would have provided a route to deposit downstream on other properties /  land. They concluded that this would have caused a greater problem for SCC to deal with than the current flooding problem. 

SCC have therefore been looking at alternative systems that do not require ongoing maintenance to such a high level and have been in discussion with landowners, including the Golf Club, about potential solutions before progressing further. The Golf Club is eager to prevent/slow down the discharge of water from the golf course and seems happy to cooperate. 

In addition, the Hampton Estate fields to the east have changed crops. SCC have discussed the issue with the farm, and they will now be implementing measures including silt traps and changing the plough lines to reduce silt and water runoff.

The next steps for the scheme are as follows:

• Complete the drainage investigation of the piped crossing to determine what assets are already in place on Blighton Lane (Planned For April 2024)

• To arrange the expansion of the balancing pond located at the edge of Blighton Lane Situated on golf course land, depending on Legal team agreement, (Expected delivery August-October 2024).

• Create a capillary break formed of Hydro rock to act as a barrier against silt and possible flooding on Blighton Lane and underground culvert to pipe the water across. (Expected delivery August-October 2024).

The Parish Council has lobbied SCC for several years about the issue of flooding at this point. including more recently about the extended time the North Downs Way is flooded. We look forward to all landowners and authorities to come together to address this issue and provide a suitable solution to the problem.

The Barley Mow Public House in The Sands was registered by the Parish Council with the planning authority, Guildford Borough Council, as an Asset of Community Value (ACV) 22nd June 2022. This designation means that if the business and freehold is put up for sale and the potential new owner wouldn’t carry on the same business or if a change of use is applied for, the owner has to notify the planning authority and the Parish Council would be informed and we would advertise the details to the community.

There are various caveats with how an ACV can work for the community and whether it comes into play or not. Please read on to find out more.

The following is an extract from mycommunity.org.uk: ‘Once listed as Assets of Community Value with the local authority, the local community will be informed if they are listed for sale within the five year listing period. The community can then enact the Community Right to Bid, which gives them a moratorium period of six months to determine if they can raise the finance to purchase the asset.

The Community Right to Bid does not give the right of first refusal to community organisations to buy an asset that they successfully nominate for inclusion on the local authority’s list. What it does do is give time for them to put together the funding necessary to bid to buy the asset on the open market. If an owner wants to sell property/land that is on the list, they must tell the local authority. If the nominating body is keen to develop a bid, they can then call for the local authority to trigger a moratorium period, during which time the owner cannot proceed to sell the asset.

There are two moratorium periods. Both start from the date the owner of the asset tells the local authority of their intention to sell. The first is the interim moratorium period, which is six weeks, during which time a community organisation can decide if they want to be considered as a potential bidder. The other is a full moratorium period, which is six months, during which a community organisation can develop a proposal and raise the money required to bid to buy the asset. The regulations list some situations where the Moratorium will not be applied, even when it is an Asset of Community Value on the list. These include:

• If the disposal is a gift

• If the disposal is made between members of the same family

• If the land or building being disposed of is part of a bigger estate

• If the disposal is of a building or piece of land on which going-concern business is operating, provided that the sale is to a new owner to continue the same business (for example if an owner of a pub wants to sell the pub to a new owner, to continue running it as a pub).

During a moratorium, the owner of the asset cannot conclude the sale.’

 To date the Parish Council has not received any notification from GBC on this matter.

From Surrey County Council:

Start date: Monday 25 March 2024

Duration: For 3 days

Temporary Traffic Lights 8.30am – 3.30pm

Please look out for advance warning signs on site for any date changes or check one.network or @HighwaysSurrey on Twitter, Surrey Highway on Facebook and @surrey_highways on Instagram

Information for residents and businesses

We will be carrying out drainage investigation works on Seale Lane and Hogs Back, Farnham.

On Hogs Back, works will be carried out at the junction with Guildford Road, Hogs Back, Seale Lane.

On Seale Lane, works will be carried out outside Whiteways Cottage, at the junction with Guildford Road and Hogs Back

Access to your properties and businesses will be maintained when it is safe to do so. Please speak to a member of staff on site regarding access requirements and they will be able to assist you further.

Please park elsewhere while the works are in progress. : It is essential to keep the road free from parked vehicles to enable the works to proceed. Please park somewhere else otherwise your vehicle may be towed away to a nearby road.

Delays in work : Our work is sometimes delayed by bad weather. We will keep you updated on any changes via the advance warning signs and on one.network

Noise : There will be some noise, but we will try to keep this to a minimum.

Our contractors are to undertake tree work on the woodland at The Sands Recreation ground adjacent to Littleworth road (opposite Long Hill). Work commences at 8am and will take a few days as a number of dead pines will be removed therefore some large machinery will be onsite.

We do not anticipate disruption but some trees are close to the roadside and it may be necessary to manage the traffic when these specific trees are felled. Please avoid using the woodland during these works and take care when using the footpath from the Littleworth Road onto the recreation ground. More updates will follow as necessary.

As many of you will appreciate, we are extremely blessed to have such wonderful open spaces in our neighbourhood. Woodland such as Crooksbury Common offer people within our community and the surrounding areas an opportunity for relaxation and exercise, the benefits of which promote our wellbeing. Whether it is a run, dog walk, mountain biking, horse ride or simply soaking up nature our open spaces should be valued as a free and accessible resource.

Seale and Sands Parish Council is endeavouring to ensure that our woodland and common land is protected and available for all to enjoy and thus we are promoting communication with all those involved in the maintenance and overall management of these spaces. We in turn would like to keep you informed of the projects we are aware of, so it can enhance your enjoyment and inform you when making choices of where to visit. Recently we have been liaising with ARC (Amphibian & Reptile Conservation) and they have very kindly shared with us their management programme on Crooksbury Common.

Guildford Borough Council own Crooksbury Common and lease it to The Forestry Commission which has subsequently passed over some pockets of land to ARC to manage for the conservation of species for a period of 10 years.

Crooksbury is home to many rare and wonderful species, that simply would not be there without ARC’s management.  For instance: the Natterjack Toad, Smooth Snake and Sand Lizard for which populations are incredibly scarce and fragmented.

ARC’s management also benefits rare birds such as the Dartford Warbler (Only 2,200 pairs in the UK), Woodlark (2,300 pairs), and Nightjar (4,600 pairs). Crooksbury is also good for Tree Pipit and Crossbill which all benefit from lowland heath and/or dune systems.

Crooksbury is also home to a remnant population of Glow Worms, a species in decline that would have been far more widespread before the afforestation of Surrey’s Heathlands. 

Here is ARC’s annual plan of works:

Spring - Creating bare ground - We put in sand scrapes, primarily for Sand Lizards as they need fresh sand to lay their eggs in. But this benefits large amount of heathland species, especially rare plants and invertebrates.  

Summer - Bracken control - Because heathlands are so fragmented it is important to control the encroachment of bracken, otherwise it will shade out the dwarf shrubs and rare heathland plant communities leading to a monoculture and less biodiversity.

Autumn/Winter - Scrub clearance / heather mowing - As early secessional habitats it is important to control the levels of scrub and trees. This is done rotationally to insure there are appropriate levels to maintain and mosaic of habitats and maximum biodiversity. 

A similar process is done with the dwarf shrubs, mowing them to achieve a varied age structure.

Both of these benefit a wide range of species, but in particular specialized birds, reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates that have evolved to live in these open heathland habitats.

As you may have noticed many trees on the common have been marked with either orange or green spray paint, possibly for felling, we have contacted The Forestry Commission and ARC for clarification on this regard.

They still don’t have any dates planned for the tree harvesting work to take place at Crooksbury, there is still some timber measuring work to be done which they are seeking a contractor to carry out due to continuing pressures on staff/staffing numbers.

It was thought the trees were to be coming out winter 2023, although this now seems unlikely as we are into spring 2024 at the time of writing. ARC now assume they will come out some time winter 2024/5, although they cannot say for sure. 

With recent controlled fires on Crooksbury Common, ARC understand that trees coming down and burning brash can seem destructive and not very environmentally friendly, but they are assuring us it is of massive benefit to wildlife and the environment. 


The long-term plan for Crooksbury Common can be found online here.

ARC is always looking to engage more with local communities. They currently have volunteering opportunities and attend educational events. They also hope to have some information boards up at Crooksbury Common soon.

Upcoming events:

8th June Churt Fete
8/9th June Heathlands reunited - Bordon

I hope you have found this informative and if you have any questions or observations, please feel free to contact me: Councillor Nicola Collett - nicolacollett@yahoo.com clerk@saspc.info

Rushmoor Borough Council have chosen to extend the period in which the airport’s planning application to increase flights and size of aircraft is to be determined.

This extension is for various reasons but most notably to consider further information requested by Rushmoor from the airport. Rushmoor will consult again based on this new information and will consult those previously included but will extend the consultees further to include those affected by noise.

A full report on this update can be found on Rushmoor’s website here and as shown below:

Details of the current planning application that includes increasing the number of flights at Farnborough airport.

Update on when the planning application will be determined

It was our aim to determine the planning application in March 2024, to meet the 16-week statutory deadline for environmental impact assessment applications.

However, due to the need for additional information (please see below) and the statutory consultation periods, meeting this March deadline is no longer possible.

Due to the considerable public interest in the item and the upcoming pre-election period, we cannot determine the application during this time. The application will now go to a planning committee after the May elections.

At this stage, we expect that the application will be considered by our Development Management Committee during the summer. We would like to avoid the school holidays if possible.

We will be publishing updates about the application, including when the application will go to committee on this web page, and we send them to everyone who has already commented on the application.

Our request for additional information

On 24 January, we made a request to Farnborough Airport Ltd for additional information and clarifications on their application.

This took the form of a Regulation 25 and a S.73 additional information request.

Farnborough Airport Ltd, on 29 of January, submitted additional information and we are currently reviewing this.

We will do a public consultation on the new information that we have received, but we will only consult once we have received all the information required to reach a decision.

We may make further information requests to the applicant if we decide this is necessary.

All comments that we already received will still be considered when we determine the application in the summer.

Consultation on the application

In November 2023 we sent a consultation letter to all properties, including residents, businesses and schools,  in the inbound and outbound flight paths of the airport within the borough of Rushmoor.

We also consulted with the councils and parishes within local authority areas that lie within the 7,000 ft flight path of Farnborough Airport.

We placed newspaper adverts to publicise the consultation in local authorities within the 4,000 ft flight path of Farnborough Airport. 

Following legal advice, we will be extending the consultation area on the planning application.

Extending the consultation area

All those who have been consulted previously or who have commented on the application, will be consulted again on the additional information that we receive from the applicant.

All properties within the projected Noise ‘Lowest Observed Adverse Effect Level’ (LOAEL) area will also be consulted about the planning application – including those who fall within this area but are outside of Rushmoor.

This extension to the consultation area for the planning application is based upon the predicted noise impacts of the proposals on residential properties.

To determine if a property is 'affected' by noise for the purposes of consultation, we have adopted a criterion of a +3dB change between the lowest observed adverse effect level (LOAEL) and the significant observed adverse effect level (SOAEL) and 2dB above SOAEL. This approach has been used by other airports and has been tested in the courts.

The planning application we received in November 2023

On 6 November, Farnborough Airport Ltd submitted a planning application to:

• Increase the maximum number of annual aircraft movements from 50,000 to 70,000 per annum, including an increase in non-weekday aircraft movements from 8,900 to 18,900 per annum

• Amend the aircraft weight category of 50,000 to 80,000 kg to 55,000 to 80,000 kg, and an increase from 1,500 to 2,100 aircraft movements within this category, including an increase from 270 to 570 annual aircraft movements for non-weekdays

• Replace conditions numbers 7 (1:10,000 risk contour) and 8 (1:100,000 risk contour) of the existing planning permission with a new condition to produce public safety zone maps in accordance with the Civil Aviation Authority/Department for Transport requirements

The council validated the application on 10 November, and the planning application reference number is 23/00794/REVPP.

You can review the documents submitted with this planning application on our planning applications website.

Because there are a large number of documents associated with this application, you may want to use the 'filter by' function to help you search for a particular document. You can see a list of all documents submitted with the planning application, including versions, in the Farnborough airport planning application documents list.

Hard copies of all the documents are also available to view at the council offices and at Aldershot library and Farnborough library during opening hours.

How to comment

The deadline for us to receive comments was Sunday 17 December, which is in line with statutory timescales. This is an extension on the original deadline of 4 December. It is at our discretion to accept additional comments after the deadline.

Comment by using our planning applications system

Submit your comments about the Farnborough airport planning application

If you use our planning applications website to provide your comments on the application, there is a 500-character limit for your main comments.

Once you start completing your form for comments, there is also a 30-minute time limit. After 30 minutes, the form will reset, and you will have to start the form again. Therefore, we recommend that you prepare your comments before you start typing them into form.

Comment by email

You can also send in your comments by email at farnboroughairport@rushmoor.gov.uk, where there is no limit for the length of your comments.

If you have any questions, please contact us using the contact details below. 

We are expecting a significant number of public comments and enquiries. We therefore ask for your patience and understanding during this time as we process them. 

We will not be able to reply to consultation comments because of the volume we expect to be submitted.

Contact us

Farnborough airport consultation

01252 398 018 farnboroughairport@rushmoor.gov.uk