Tranquil Wood

Consultation

Betchworth Parish Council has the opportunity to acquire a significant part of ancient woodland called ‘Tranquil Wood’ as a permanent nature-based community asset, to benefit the residents of Betchworth and the wider area, for generations to come.

Through careful maintenance, the biodiversity of the rare native species within the wood will be protected, enabling them to safely adapt to climate change.

Public visitors (with dogs strictly on leads) can gain mental and physical wellbeing from walking through and volunteering within the wood. The woodland will be open to the local school, nursery etc for educational purposes. We have agreed public access would be on foot via an entrance by the Red Lion pub with no off-road parking available.

Please note public access will not be available until the formal opening to allow initial setup works to be completed for safety reasons.

With grant/donor funding, there is the opportunity to restore the old ponds for significant natural flood attenuation and conserve the old grade II listed Folly.

The most significant risk identified by Betchworth Parish Council is that of ongoing financial commitments. We would purchase the woodland and complete initial setup using existing funds. Ongoing essential maintenance such as periodic tree surveys and safety mitigating works, we believe, can be covered from ongoing Council income. Further spending on projects and non-safety related maintenance would be funded from grants, donors and volunteers.

Following a period of due diligence, the Council invited feedback from local residents to help them to make their decision whether to proceed with the purchase. The survey closed on 6th October 2026.

Volunteering with Friends of Tranquil Wood

There will be opportunities for residents to volunteer in the maintenance of Tranquil Wood as part of  the ‘Friends of Tranquil Wood’ group. It’s a great way to help care for our community woodland, learn new skills, connect with nature and meet like-minded people. Tasks will suit all levels of skill and fitness, with volunteering options ranging from a few days a year to regular monthly or weekly involvement. Every contribution, however big or small, will make a difference.

If you would like to find out more, please contact Norman Jackson 4bconservationgroup@gmail.com

Costs

reBetchworth has received a £5000 grant from Surrey County Council to establish and equip a volunteer Nature Conservation Team (Friends of Tranquil Wood) to help with nature recovery work in Tranquil Wood.

The estimated cost of purchasing Tranquil Wood, including legal fees and the initial work needed to make the woodland safe, is approximately £38,800. The purchase will be funded primarily through Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) funds, which need to be used by March 2027.

Ongoing annual safety-related tree inspections and necessary remedial work are expected to cost around £5,000 per year and is planned to be met from the Parish Council’s general funds.

Further maintenance and improvement projects will only be undertaken where funding is available through grants, donations and volunteer support.

Objectives and Strategy

Please refer to our strategy document here: https://betchworth-pc.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Betchworth-Parish-Council-Tranquil-Woods-Strategy.pdf

The Parish Council’s objectives for the acquisition of Tranquil Wood are:

3.1 Benefit – enjoyment, health and wellbeing

To provide lasting benefit and enjoyment for Betchworth parishioners through sustainable and managed access to Tranquil Wood — supporting health, wellbeing and community life — managed so as not to compromise the site’s ecological value.

3.2 Community learning, education and nature recovery

To establish Tranquil Wood as a site for community learning and action — supporting outdoor education, citizen science and public engagement with nature recovery, in partnership with local schools, Forest School and the 4Bs Biodiversity Initiative.

3.3 Biodiversity 

To learn about, understand, conserve and enhance Tranquil Wood’s flora and fauna, with particular regard to the Priority Species identified in Surrey’s Local Nature Recovery Strategy strengthening the site’s role as a stepping-stone habitat connecting North Downs ancient woodland with the River Mole corridor.

3.4 Ancient woodland nature recovery

To secure long-term nature recovery of the ancient semi-natural woodland through active, evidence-led management — including deadwood retention, veteran tree protection and appropriate glade and edge management — in line with Surrey LNRS Measure W1.1.

3.5 Flood risk reduction and wetland restoration

To contribute to natural flood management in Betchworth by conserving, and where appropriate enhancing, Tranquil Wood’s role within the Slough Brook – River Mole tributary system, reducing downstream flood risk to the village and enhancing the wetland and its biodiversity

3.6 Climate mitigation
To manage Tranquil Wood’s soils, deadwood and watercourse and wetland as climate assets in their own right — protecting existing soil carbon, retaining deadwood, and using natural flood management on Slough Brook — in support of nature recovery under Surrey LNRS and in line with national woodland carbon and natural flood management guidance.

Management

A working group has been setup to help Council prepare due diligence including a woodland management adviser, ecological adviser, and reBetchworth nature adviser. Terms of Reference for the working group are here: https://betchworth-pc.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/TRANQUIL-WOOD-PROJECT-TORs-Version-04.docx