A Load Of Old Rubbish

Andy Smith, Surrey branch director of the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE), makes a plea for a cleaner, greener Surrey

- Andy Smith

WITH its rolling hills, ancient woods and wildflower meadows, its thatched cottages, village greens and sunken lanes, Surrey is surely the epitome of “England’s green and pleasant land”. Unlike much of rural England, the Surrey countryside is on the capital city’s doorstep and is therefore readily accessible to millions of people in Greater London and the suburbs. In fact, our tiny county has more of the Metropolitan Green Belt within its boundaries than any other county, or, indeed, than of London itself, a large proportion of it is covered by the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, thousands of acres of which are under the stewardship of Britain’s foremost conservation body, the National Trust. How lucky we are that so much of Surrey has retained its rural character and is well worth preserving.