Crispin Blunt

Conservative Party | Reigate

Crispin Blunt delighted at reprieve for Reigate Heath

Reigate MP joins campaigners on Reigate Heath

Reigate MP, Crispin Blunt, joined other campaigners on Saturday at Reigate Heath to celebrate the decision of Surrey County Council to preclude sand extraction at the Proposed Mineral Zone 60, or Shagbrook, a site next-door to Reigate Heath. Current sand extraction has already significantly reduced the water table on the heath and this proposal would have seriously damaged the ecology of the area as well as creating an industrial site next door to a ‘Site of Special Scientific Interest’ in an ‘Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty’. Crispin Blunt commented:

‘A formidably capable team was assembled from concerned local residents to work for this result. It has been the product of nearly two year's effort and I am particularly grateful for the expert input of Bert Smith who helped local politicians present the necessary technical and environmental arguments to convince County Council officials that Reigate Heath was at risk from this proposal. Without his advice we may have had a longer and more difficult battle. I am also grateful to the local campaign groups, in particular CAMEL and the Reigate Society. The other contributor of note has been local County Councillor Simon Harding who, since he succeeded Cllr Susie Garnier, has followed up her campaign by getting our arguments across to the relevant county council officials in an effective way.’

Borough Councillors Susie Garnier and Christopher Whinney helped marshal the campaign effort from local people and made them aware of the threat. Crispin Blunt added:

'The hundreds, if not thousands, of letters to the County Council helped convince the relevant county officials that this was a site the County should protect in the face of Central Government pressure.'