Call to protect county's grassland habitats

Nature campaigners have called for "important" grassland habitats to be protected after a project recorded hundreds of sites in Surrey.

Organisations and volunteers including Surrey Wildlife Trust and the Surrey Nature Partnership said they had recorded 460 grassland sites in the county, covering about 15 sq miles (39 sq km).

Sites in the Surrey Important Grasslands Inventory include downs, village greens, parks and churchyards.

Mike Waite, Surrey Wildlife Trust director of research and monitoring, said: "The partners behind this report have worked for two years in rain or shine to make sure our inventory is as comprehensive as possible."

He said a "strong coalition of advocates for nature" was now needed to ensure "these beautiful and important places" were properly protected.

Ancient, historical, unimproved and species-rich grasslands are included in the report's definition of "important".

The inventory aimed to "increase awareness of the location and importance" of the habitats and promote their protection, maintenance and enhancement, according to the report.

Some of the identified sites would be recommended as new "sites of nature conservation importance" - a non-statutory, local designation - according to Surrey Wildlife Trust.

The organisation said the inventory could help to "enshrine the protection of these sites within local and regional planning and biodiversity policies".

Surrey County Council's local nature recovery lead Adam Brown said the work provided "a vital voice" for species-rich grasslands and "the associated benefits they provide to biodiversity and society".

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