After removing 1,500 tons of rubble and tarmac, a new 85 acre nature reserve has been created near Epsom.
Surrey Wildlife Trust (SWT) has transformed the site at Priest Hill, off Banstead Road, Ewell, from abandoned playing fields, tennis courts and car parks into a wild space for the benefit of wildlife and the local community.
Developers, Combined Counties Properties, funded the restoration work and the building of a new house, complete with solar panels, swift boxes and a bat hotel as a base for SWT's site manager.
The site and house has been transferred to the trust in advance of the developer building 15 houses on adjacent land - a development which has secured the future of the reserve that has now been designated a Site of Nature Conservation Importance.
Back in 1998 the council turned down a plan to build a leisure complex on the land because it was in the Green Belt.
More than 1,500 tons of tarmac and rubble were removed from old tennis courts, buildings and car parks on the land. Some of the rubble was used to create 15 reptile and amphibian hybernation sites.
Chalk and areas of bare ground will also provide significant habitat for invertebrates and wild flowers, which in turn support many bird and butterfly species.
Three ponds have been created of varying size to provide wetland habitat. The largest will be planted with a variety of aquatic plants whilst the others will be allowed to colonise naturally.
In time many species will benefit, from frogs to dragonflies and potentially the endangered great-crested newt.
The ponds have been deliberately placed in sheltered areas of scrub that will provide sanctuary for wildlife on the southern boundary of the site.
Many of the existing access paths and tracks have been retained and improved. Large mobility kissing gates have been installed that allow buggy and wheelchair access, but prevent motorbikes from entering.
A few years ago the land was being used illegally by motorcyclists and quad bikers and police mounted a special operation to try and stop them.
The trust's Galloway cattle will graze the reserve during the autumn and winter months to control dominant coarse grasses, clear out dead grass and encourage more delicate wild flowers to thrive.
Steve Bolton, SWT project officer said: "The completed restoration work is just the start of this exciting project that will introduce positive management to a site that was abandoned for years.
"Grassland management will encourage wild flowers and butterflies to thrive in addition to ground-nesting skylarks. Wide tracks provide good all year round public access and great views across London."
The site is already open to the public but there will be an official launch event on Sunday, June 8.
Find out more at www.surreywildlifetrust.org
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