A NEW investment model in Surrey is placing nature’s recovery at the heart of the local economy, transforming nature conservation and sustainable growth. 

An award of £426,000 from the Government’s Local Growth Funding initiative administered in the South East by Coast to Capital will enable local charity, Pirbright-based Surrey Wildlife Trust, to deliver a nature recovery network in Surrey.

Surrey Wildlife Trust manages Chobham Common and this new funding is enabling it to deliver a nature recovery network by creating and managing woodlands, community orchards, rivers, ponds and hedgerows in the 1,400 hectare Holmesdale area of the North Downs.

Coast to Capital is the first Local Enterprise Partnership in the UK to invest Local Growth Funding in “natural capital”.

Sarah Jane Chimbwandira, chief executive of Surrey Wildlife Trust, said: “Coast to Capital is taking a transformational approach to sustainable growth, where creating space for nature is valued as important as space for housing and business.”

More information about the investments portfolio and Local Industrial Strategy is available at coast2capital.org.uk

For the full story get the 27 February edition of the News & Mail