Over the last few decades, 11% of Surrey's native species have become extinct. Despite being the most wooded county in England, our biodiversity loss rate is higher than the national average.
To combat this decline in local wildlife and plant species, the Local Nature Recovery Strategy will be launched in 2024. In the meantime, we are exploring ways in which we can halt, and ideally reverse, this alarming decline.
One important aspect of this is to reconnect the habitats across Surrey which have been broken up by urban areas. By creating nature corridors across these urban areas, using strategically mapped Urban Biodiversity Opportunity Areas (URBOAs), we aim to build a collaborative project with residents and businesses that ensures Surrey's wildlife and nature remains richly diverse for future generations.
Working with Surrey Wildlife Trust (SWT) who mapped the URBOAs, and delivery partners such as Global Centre for Clean Air Research and Zero Carbon Guildford we will support green-blue infrastructure interventions across town centres, as well as wildlife-friendly activities in residential gardens.
The Living Pillar Installation
As part of the Urban Biodiversity Opportunity Areas (URBOA) project, Guildford High Street has just welcomed an exciting addition—a Living Pillar.
What is a Living Pillar?
A Living Pillar is a vertical garden, integrated into existing infrastructure such as lampposts. Designed by Scotscape, these installations bring much needed greenery into urban environments. By incorporating a variety of plant species, Living Pillars support pollinators, improve air quality, and contribute to a more visually appealing streetscape.
The journey to installation
Bringing the Living Pillar to Guildford High Street has been a collaborative effort. Scotscape provided their expertise in designing and installing the pillar, while Surrey County Council (SCC), Zero Carbon Guildford, Experience Guildford, Milestone and Ringway played key roles in getting this project off the ground. After a long-awaited process, the installation is now complete.
Why it matters
The introduction of a Living Pillar in Guildford is more than just an aesthetic improvement; it offers tangible benefits to the local environment and community:
- Boosting biodiversity – Providing a habitat for pollinators and urban wildlife and creating wildlife corridors.
- Improving air quality – Absorbing pollutants and filtering fine dust from the air.
- Enhancing urban spaces – Adding greenery to the high street, making it a more pleasant place to visit and shop.
- Promoting sustainability – Utilising existing infrastructure to integrate nature into the built environment.
Looking ahead
The installation of the Living Pillar in Guildford High Street is a step towards creating more sustainable and biodiverse urban spaces. We hope this project inspires further investment in urban greening initiatives, bringing more Living Pillars—and similar innovations—to towns in Surrey.
Benefits of urban greening
As well as addressing the concerning loss of pollinators and other wildlife which support local food production and ecosystems, urban greening has a range of co-benefits, including:
- Increasing biodiversity opportunities
- Increasing access to green space in urban areas
- Improving air quality, which Guildford ranks in the worst 3% for nationally.
- Improving mental health and well being via access to nature
- Increasing natural shading, which evidence shows lowers reliance on local public health services and reduction in skin cancer rates.
- Improving rainwater absorption as a flood resilience measure
One of our core aims is to establish a cohesive network of interconnected green corridors across the entire county, by encouraging residents to take a proactive stance in preserving wildlife within their own green spaces.
There are 18 URBOAs mapped across Surrey's towns and urban areas. We are running a trial phase in Guildford, to help us understand what obstacles residents and businesses have to participating, but in 2024, we will look to expand the project across Surrey.
How can you get involved in this project?
There are lots of ways to get involved, wherever you are in Surrey. Although the project will only spread from Guildford next year, you can start preparing now.
- Create a wildlife-friendly garden at home
- Get your local community group or Residents Association involved
- Talk to local businesses about how they can contribute to urban greening
- Have any ideas? Let us know how else you can help by contacting one of our team members: greenerfutures@surreycc.gov.uk
Creating a wildlife-friendly garden
So, what can you do in your space? Have a look at the list of fun and nature friendly projects below, and check out Surrey Wildlife Trust's Top Actions for nature pages for instructions on how to get started!
Wildlife homes
- Wildlife garden
- Bug hotel
- Log pile
- Bird feeders
- Bat box
- Bird box and bushes
- Wildlife pond
- Bird bath
- Compost heap
- Water butt
- Hedgehog corridors