WORK carried out by the National Trust at Highcombe Edge, near the Devils Punch Bowl, gives a taste of the future for the area, a member of the Hindhead Together Committee has claimed. Crispin Scott, National Trust property manager for the area and member of the Hindhead Together Joint Advisory Committee, believes the work will give an impression of what is to come for Hindhead's commons once the A3 Hindhead Tunnel and associated environmental restoration is complete. The Hindhead Together group aims to use the construction of the £371 million project to plan a vision for the future of Hindhead. The committee comprising representatives from groups including Surrey County Council, Waverley Borough Council, the National Trust, Natural England, Haslemere Town Council and the South East England Development Agency. Mr Scott said: "With an improved 'easy access' path to the 'edge' from the main car park, this project is a good example of what we can do and will do when the tunnel is complete and the landscaping of the old A3 gets under way. "Now that the county is freed again from the concerns posed by the recent foot-and-mouth outbreaks, this is an ideal time for people to come and see what the area offers and to enjoy refreshments at the National Trust's Devil's Punch Bowl café. "We already have patches of heather returning in areas where the habitats had become overgrown and we have also done work to improve viewpoints which had been lost due to invasive Scots Pines and other vegetation. "We have undertaken bracken control and we have made the path more accessible to all users, thanks to a Sustainable Development Fund grant from the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. "This is just the kind of work that will be done across the Commons when the A3 scheme is further on. "And once the old A3 is closed, the new views from Highcombe Edge will be even better." He added: "We can see good results for the wildlife too. This has been a good year for woodlarks, one of the species for which this Special Protection Area is designated. "We know from Natural England that work to provide suitable habitats for woodlark, improving the size and condition of lowland heaths, is critical to the success of these special birds, and to the nightjars and Dartford warblers which also depend on lowland heaths for their survival. "The organisation says that heathland restoration and good forestry management in England is beneficial for these birds and this is what we have been doing here." Paul Christensen, chairman of the Hindhead Together Joint Advisory Committee and deputy chair of Natural England, added: "The work the National Trust is doing here, improving habitats, views and access, is a critical component of our vision for the future of this special area, exploiting to the maximum the economic, social and environmental gains that derive from the Hindhead A3 Tunnel scheme. "The A3 Hindhead tunnel scheme is of enormous public benefit and a fantastic opportunity to restore this internationally recognised area of lowland heath."