Riverhill Short-Listed for National Open Space Award

We are very pleased to announce that the Cobham Riverhill Project has been short-listed for the Open Spaces Society's Open Space Award.

Here is an extract from their press release.

Three community-based projects, in Bucks, Newcastle upon Tyne and Surrey, have been short-listed for the Open Spaces Society's prestigious Open Space Award.

The Cobham Conservation and Heritage Trust, in partnership with Elmbridge Borough Council and with assistance from Surrey County Council, is transforming the Riverhill site from a scrubby, unattractive and overgrown area into an accessible wild meadow and grassed riverbanks with a riverside viewing-platform.

They have involved local schools, businesses, clubs, community groups and the councils in their work.

Says Tim Crowther, chairman of the Open Spaces Society and a member of the judging panel: 'This is an excellent example of local people working together to achieve something of real and lasting benefit to the community. We congratulate the Cobham Conservation and Heritage Trust on their efforts.

'The winner will be announced at the society's AGM in July. There were 13 entries in total from England and Wales, all of them commendable and it was difficult to choose the short list.'

"Sir Gerald Acher, Chairman of the Cobham Conservation and Heritage Trust said the Trust was thrilled to get into the Short List for the prestigious award and said the Riverhill regeneration project has been fundamental to the community of Cobham for four reasons:

• It has regenerated a scrubby and degenerating area of overgrown scrubland and riverbank into a focal point and recreational area for Cobham and metaphorically bringing the river into the heart of the village through the new viewing platform
• It will be an ongoing educational project for young people to understand the importance of the river to the development of the community in different ways since pre industrial revolution times
• It has provided, for the first time riverside pedestrian access suitable for buggies and wheelchairs connecting the communities of Cobham and the Tilt/Stoke D'Abernon.
• It has shown the community what can be done when it works together and has helped bring the whole community (residents, business owners and employees local authorities) together in common purpose giving people a feeling of ownership and responsibility for the place where they live or work"