Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from George Abrahams, Deputy Stella Currie, Dr Peter Hardwick and Verderer Michael Chapman.

Deputy Catherine McGuinness declared a personal interest in Item 12, as she was a Trustee for the Epping Forest Centenary Trust.

Deputy Stanley Ginsburg declared a personal interest in Item 13, as he was involved in objections to the Epping Forest District Council Local Plan.

To agree the public minutes and summary of the meeting held on 10 September 212 (copy attached).

The public minutes and summary of the meeting held on 10 September 2012 were approved as a correct record.

MATTERS ARISING

Review of the Governance Arrangements Implemented in 2011 (item 3) – The Chairman advised the Committee that a report would be going to the Policy & Resources Committee on 8 November 2012 and that he had asked for a copy of the report to be circulated immediately after that meeting to all Members of the Epping Forest & Commons Committee for consideration at the next meeting.

Epping Forest Trustee’s Annual Report and Financial Statements (Item 5) – The Chamberlain advised that the Charity Commission had been approached and were still in the process of speaking to the Auditors with regards to the reserves policy. 

Joint report of the Chamberlain and the Director of Open Spaces (copy attached).

The Committee considered a joint report of the Chamberlain and the Director of Open Spaces updating the Committee on its latest approved revenue budget for 2012/13 and sought approval for a provisional revenue budget for 2013/14, for subsequent submission to the Finance Committee. The budgets were prepared within the resources allocated to the Director.

RESOLVED: That Members

i)     review the provisional 2013/14 revenue budget to ensure that it reflects the Committee’s objectives and, if so, approve the budget for submission to the Finance Committee;

ii)    review and approve the draft Capital Budget;

iii)   authorise the Chamberlain, in consultation with the Director of Open Spaces, to revise these budgets to allow for any further implications arising from Corporate Projects, departmental reorganisations and other reviews, changes to the Additional Works Programme, and implications arising from Carbon Trading Allowances.

Report of the Director of Open Spaces (copy attached).

Members considered a report of the Director of Open Spaces informing the Committee of the City Corporation’s overall success in the Green Flag Awards this year, providing feedback on the judging process and comparing performance with the national results.

The Town Clerk advised that Recommendation 1 from the report was not relevant to the Committee.

RESOLVED: That the staff and volunteers at all the Open Spaces be congratulated on their hard work throughout the year to ensure their sites won Green Flag and Green Heritage Awards.

The Superintendent of the City Commons to be heard.

The Superintendent of City Commons provided a verbal update on the following:

·       Winter Works – The Veteran Tree management programme recommenced at Ashtead Common on 5 November 2012. This was divided into two elements, climbing work and groundwork. Grassland restoration work on Farthing Downs, New Hill and Kenley Common had been completed successfully using a tree shear and whole tree chipper. Woodland management works on Coulsdon Common and Kenley Common had been completed. Deterioration in the weather meant that not all the material from Kenley Common was removed and chipped. A follow up programme to deal with the arising was currently being prepared. Scrub management works were on-going across Ashtead Common, Farthing Downs, Coulsdon Common, Kenley Common and Riddlesdown.

·       Livestock – Arrangements to move the pregnant cows into the barn for calving and over wintering were being made. The breeding programme for the Jacob sheep was missing a year as the team had sufficient numbers for grazing in 2013.

·       Volunteers – The hours completed by volunteers were now on target following a dip during the Olympics. A very successful Big Challenge volunteering event was undertaken on Ashtead Common involving 43 young people and their supervisors. The task involved cutting birch encroaching onto the firebreaks and sorting the cut material for subsequent dead hedging. A second volunteer leadership course had been completed and emergency first aid training was being provided for the volunteer leaders on 15 November 2012.

·       Learning and Development Awards – The City Commons Division were delighted that the Project Assistant received the “Putting Learning into Practice” award recently.

The Superintendent of Epping Forest to be heard.

The Superintendent of Epping Forest provided a verbal update on the following:

·       Leavers – The Acting Business Manager contract  had been completed; a Litter Picker had retired and three Arborist Apprentices had completed their placements.

·       Starters –The following posts had recently been appointed: Head of Operations, Forest Keeper (Central), Storesperson and two Information and Learning Assistants. A new Community Liaison Officer had started in October together with three new Arborist Apprentices.

·       Staff Milestone – A Forest Keeper had completed 25 years’ service.

·       Ash Die-Back Disease – The Forest had featured in publicity associated with the disease and received a great deal of community concern on potential outbreaks.

·       Aviation Strategy – Epping Forest and Burnham Beeches had contributed to Economic Development Chief Officers’ Group response to Department for Transport consultation on Aviation Strategy.

·       Epping Forest Management Plan – Tenders for web-based consultation were expected in December 2012, with testing in January 2013. A 12-week public consultation was expected to follow Committee consideration in February 2013.

·       Knighton Woods – English Heritage had advised that Knighton Woods would not be added to the Register of Parks and Gardens and the Pulhamite Rockery would not be individually listed. A Conservation Management Plan was scheduled for 2013/14.

·       Trees beyond the Wood Conference – The Conservation Manager had presented a paper and poster at the three-day conference as part of a 20-year celebration of the inaugural conference on ancient trees.

·       Gypsy Moth – First discovered in northeast London in 1995, the Gypsy Moth was now established across much of London. Pheromone trapping had been undertaken in partnership with the Forestry Commission and shown a rise in numbers, though still at low densities.

·       Farm Business Tenancies – The Deadline for tenders at Netherhouse and Woodredon was 31 October 2012, with new arrangements starting from 1 January

To receive the minutes of the Epping Forest Management Steering Group meeting held on 27 September 2012 (copy attached).

The Committee received the minutes from the meeting held on 27 September 2012.

RECEIVED.

Report of the Superintendent of Epping Forest (copy attached).

The Committee considered a report of the Superintendent of Epping Forest presenting completed formal responses to London Borough of Waltham Forest’s (LBWF’s) Development Management Policies and a Local Plan Issues and Options consultation by Epping Forest District Council (EFDC), which was at an earlier stage in its forward planning process.

RESOLVED: That Members,

i)      endorse both responses sent to the two local authorities;

ii)     approve further engagement by officers with both local authorities on the basis of these responses so that the Local Plan policies can be modified and developed;

iii)    the Superintendent will report to the Committee on any changes to Local Plan policies as a result of the discussions with the two authorities.

Report of the City Surveyor (copy attached).

Members considered a report of the City Surveyor advising that water loss at the Jubilee Pond had been reported and several investigations were undertaken to identify the reason and extent of the leakage in the clay liner. It was identified that the installation of an impermeable liner was the best option to address the leakage. The City Surveyor had a budget of £200,000 in place under the 2010/11 additional works programme, which would be combined with an additional £170,000 of funding from the Metropolitan Police.

A Member enquired as to why the Pond had been leaking, and the City Surveyor stated that an investigation had been undertaken and it appeared that the Pond had been leaking since its original installation.

RESOLVED: That Members,

i)      Approve in principle the relining of Jubilee Pond and undertake enhancements to improve the area, namely capturing surface water to supplement the borehole water supply.

ii)     Allow the project to continue under the streamlined project procedure: Gateway 5 report, with the authority to start work delegated to the Town Clerk in accordance with Standing Order 41(b).

Report of the Superintendent of Epping Forest (copy attached).

Members considered a report of the Superintendent of Epping Forest, which provided the findings of the first assessment undertaken by the Independent Grazing Assessor, Dr Peter Dennis of Aberystwyth University, of the approach of the Epping Forest Grazing Strategy in terms of nature conservation benefits and on the effectiveness of the biodiversity monitoring currently being undertaken.

The Chairman advised the Committee that the Verderers were due to forward their views on future reporting issues to the Superintendent.

RESOLVED: That,

i)      the Independent Assessor be invited to visit the monitoring sites across the Forest in 2013 and consider extensions to monitoring areas across habitats;

ii)     the Assessor’s second report be provided to the Management Plan Steering Group for consideration prior to being submitted to Committee in November 2013.

Report of the Superintendent of Epping Forest (copy attached).

Members considered a report of the Superintendent of Epping Forest providing an updated budget and progress report on the City’s £6.83 million Branching Out Project, which began in August 2009 with a grant of £4.76 million from Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).

RESOLVED: That the budget variances, which do not affect the overall budget total (as detailed in Table 2 and the appendices to the report) be approved, with movements from contingency subject to approval from Heritage Lottery Fund.

Report of the Superintendent of Epping Forest (copy attached).

Members considered a report of the Superintendent of Epping Forest informing them of a public consultation by the London Borough of Enfield which included plans to resurrect proposals for a Northern Gateway Access Road as the Northern Gateway Access Package (NGAP) as part of a regeneration scheme through an Area Action Plan for North East Enfield.

RESOLVED: That,

i)      the Committee pursues option (iii), as detailed within the report, and maintains its objections to the proposals for a NGAP in order to protect Epping Forest from potential damage from increased traffic movements identified in the previous 2001 Public Inquiry.

ii)     cooperation be undertaken with other parties objecting to NGAP to reduce the costs of traffic modelling and pollution monitoring, with Epping Forest Local Risk contribution not exceeding £20,000 in direct costs.

Report of the Superintendent of Epping Forest (copy attached).

Members received a report of the Superintendent of Epping Forest informing the Committee of the byelaw enforcement activity undertaken by Epping Forest Keepers using constabulary powers within Epping Forest between 1 March 2012 and 31 August 2012.

The Superintendent advised the Committee that there had been a continuing decrease in the levels of Byelaw enforcement during the period of 2005 – 2012, as a part of a conscious programme of informal education rather than formal prosecution or warning.   

RECEIVED.

Report of the Superintendent of Epping Forest (copy attached).

Members received a report of the Superintendent of Epping Forest summarising the work completed as part of the habitat and tree safety management Annual Work programme for Epping Forest between April 2011 to March 2012 inclusive. Keystone Trees work reached an important milestone, with 53% of the selected Beech and Oak pollards completed exactly half-way through the important Branching Out project.

RECEIVED

The Superintendent of Burnham Beeches & Stoke Common to be heard.

The Superintendent of Burnham Beeches & Stoke Common provided a verbal update on the following:

·       Projects – Major restoration works had been carried out on Stoke Common, including the removal of three Hectares of woodland and the mulching of ground surface. Natural England’s Grants officer visited the site for the first time since restoration works commenced five years ago and was extremely impressed with the progress that had been made. Young pollard creation, including experimental works, had continued since the previous meeting.

·       Staff Changes – The Senior ranger would be leaving in January 2013 to work for the Scottish National Trust. The Conservation Officer had now moved to a three-day week for a two-year period whilst working for the Ancient Tree Forum to deliver a European Grant-funded project. A new part-time Administration Assistant started work at the Beeches Office in October 2012. A four-month seasonal ranger had joined the team to assist with the winter work programme.

·       Volunteers – 1300 volunteer hours had been accumulated in the previous two months. This included a corporate working day with Amazon.

·       Events – Various events had been held recently on the Beeches, including a fungal foray, a witches broom making event, a half term Halloween trail event, a Halloween party at the Beeches Café and a Skewbald theatre presentation of the Grimm’s Fairy tales, held on 29 and 30 October 2012. Caldicott School also held their charity walk on the Beeches and used the car parking facilities for visitors to their Firework Display.

·       Coming Up – An agreement payments audit had been undertaken by the Rural Payments Agency. The Superintendent had collaborated with South Bucks District Council, English Nature and the Environment Agency, on South Bucks Development Management Plan.

RECEIVED

Report of the Superintendent of Burnham Beeches & Stoke Common (copy attached).

Members received a report of the Superintendent of Burnham Beeches & Stoke Common that provided the results of the September - October 2012 trial of ‘Invisible Fencing’ and ‘Virtual Cattle Grids’ at Burnham Beeches during the Higher Level Stewardship, approval of which had been granted by the Committee in May 2012. It also confirmed that further trials would be pursued in 2013 at a cost of approximately £15,000.

RECEIVED

There were no questions.

There were no urgent items.

MOTION: That under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part I of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act.

RESOLVED: That under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part I of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act, as follows:

Item No.                                                                                Paragraph

  21-22                                                                                           3

    23                                                                                         1,2 & 3

To agree the non-public minutes of the meeting held on 10 September 2012 (copy attached).

The non-public minutes from the meeting held on 10 September 2012 were approved

Report of the Town Clerk (copy attached).

Members received a report of the Town Clerk.

Report of the Superintendent of Epping Forest (copy attached).

Members considered a report of the Superintendent of Epping Forest.

There were no questions.

There was no urgent business.