LED STREET LIGHTING 

Surrey County Council has a programme to swap street lights for energy-efficient LEDs. You can find out more information here. West and East Horsley are on the schedule to be converted early next year.

WEST HORSLEY BLUE HEARTS

It has been estimated there are nearly half a million kilometres of rural road verge in the UK.  With over 97% of ancient wild flower meadows destroyed since the 1930s road verges are a vital refuge for many bees, butterflies, birds, bats and insects.  Inspired by the work being carried out in Bookham (and beyond), we are approaching Surrey County Council and Guildford Borough Council to ask if some of our verges could be left so we can see what comes into flower.  We will be identifying suitable verges such as those along the A246, and will install ‘blue hearts’ to show which verges should be left uncut. We will also be working with West Horsley WI to look at wildflower planting in suitable places around the village.

For details on how the Blue Hearts Campaign can help to increase biodiversity in grass verges click here.

And if you want to read more, why not read the ‘Plantlife’ Good Verge Guide.

BUG HOTEL

Watch this Space:  During Spring 2022 we will be providing information on how to create your own 'Bug Hotel'.

If you would like to get involved in any of these Climate Change Task Group Projects please email the Task Group Lead, Cllr Young at [email protected].

TERRACYCLE

Teracycle offers free recycling programmes funded by brands, manufacturers, and retailers around the world. As part of the free recycling programmes, members of the public can set up a public drop-off location (a recycling bin in an accessible space) in their community, in order to collect even more waste! Residents will be able to use interactive maps to find these locations and drop off their specific TerraCycle waste.  We are looking into working with a local company to support this and provide a terra cycling point centrally within the village. Start saving your takeaway coffee cups!

 HOMES FOR HEDGEHOGS

Each season we will be featuring a 'top tip' for increasing biodiversity opportunities in your garden. We are looking to involve our Youth Council with this so that we capture the 'hearts and minds' of our younger potential environmentalists. For the Autumn we are focusing on building a home in your garden that is suitable for Hedgehogs. A wealth of advice is available on the Surrey Wildlife Trust website - see links below.

Surrey Wildlife Trust - how to build a hedgehog home.

If you are lucky enough to spot a hedgehog in your garden, you can record it here: 

This link takes you to the British Hedgehog Preservation Society and how they are working to gain support for ensuring hedgehogs are recognised under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 by moving them from Schedule 6 to Schedule 5. There is also a wealth of information about hedgehogs!