Local Information
Tranquil Woods
Betchworth Parish Council are currently completing Due Diligence on the decision whether to purchase Tranquil Woods as a community nature reserve.
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.
