Your Surrey county NFU update

Rural crime and branch meetings for Surrey

Animal health and welfare - There was a South East TB meeting held in September which concluded that a series of TB meetings should be held for members in the new year with partners AHDB and APHA. This was supported at the joint dairy and livestock meeting which was held the next week in London. 

Rural Crime – your County Adviser and Assistant County Adviser, Paul Williams, met with the Surrey Rural Crime team this month. They discussed ongoing rural crime trends and an ambition to meet with the Chief Constable. Members met the PCC’s office in Wotton Village Hall and feedback on their experiences on policing in the county. 

We are aware of members cases including fly tipping, hare coursing and livestock worrying. If you are affected and would like advice or support, please contact the Group Secretaries in the first instance. It is, as ever, important to report the crimes for data gathering but also so that the Rural Crime Team can piece together an accurate picture of the crimes being carried out in the county and understand any links on intel. 

Surrey County Council Grant - Members have applied for the Surrey County Council “accelerator” grant which was over subscribed at approx. 70-100 applications and we await a debrief on the process. We would welcome feedback on your experiences if you were successful or not. 

Branch meetings - Branch meeting season has begun with members of the Oxted and Redhill branches gathering for their monthly meetings. They have had an open discussion on current topics including SFI and drought impacts. The Redhill branch were joined by County Officeholders and spontaneously by their new County Councillor who offered to engage in the future. 

Edenbridge, Oxted, Redhill & Sevenoaks NFU Field Contest (est. 1947) - the dinner will take place at The Meridian Hall East Grinstead, on Tuesday 10th November. Application for tickets will strictly close on 5th November. Please contact Andrew Siggs. 

You should have all received branch AGM invitations, a reminder that they are:

Surrey West Branch AGM - Tuesday 3rd November, Shipley Manor.

Redhill Branch AGM - Monday 9th November, Norwood Place Farm.

Dorking Branch AGM - Thursday 12th November, Denbies Wine Estate. 

Oxted Branch AGM - Wednesday 18th November, Master Park & The Park Hub.

County AGM – The Surrey AGM is on Monday 23rd November at Dorking Rugby Club in the evening please register online.  

Event

Woodland and agroforestry advice drop-in event at Albury

Forestry Commission England have arranged an informal drop-in session at the village hall in Albury (GU5 9AD) on Tuesday 27th October for farmers, land managers, landowners, agents and others with an interest in woodland and agroforestry. 

The session is an opportunity to drop in for a coffee and discuss any queries relating to woodland creation, agroforestry, woodland management, and CS Higher Tier woodland options, or simply to find out more.

Start date

27 October 2026 at 9:00am

End date

27 October 2026 at 1:00pm

Find out more and register here

Local news

High Weald Access Fund Open for Applications

Members in the High Weald National Landscape may be interested in the Removing Barriers to Access Fund, which supports projects that make the countryside more accessible and welcoming for people of all ages and abilities.

Funding is available until March 2029 for capital projects such as replacing stiles with accessible gates, improving paths, installing accessible facilities, creating inclusive outdoor spaces, and providing adapted equipment. Landowners, farmers, businesses, community groups can all apply.

Projects should be sustained or kept open for at least five years and up to 100% of eligible project costs may be supported. The contribution may be limited to 40% of eligible project costs if the project has a commercial benefit.

Members interested in improving access on their holdings are encouraged to submit an expression of interest and discuss their project with the High Weald team. Applications are typically considered within three weeks.

Find out more: https://highweald.org/grants/removing-barriers-to-access/