Agenda and minutes

Apologies had been received from Deputy Alex Deane, Alderman Haines, Deputy Robert Howard and John Beyer.

There were no declarations of interest.

To agree the minutes of the previous meeting.

Resolved – that the minutes of the previous meeting be agreed as an accurate record.

Matters Arising:

Members agreed that the front sheet of the Open Spaces and City Gardens agendas should list a specified time followed by the wording “Or, if later, at the rising of the West Ham Park Committee.”

Report of the City Surveyor.

The Committee received a report informing Members of a number of

works that could be progressed within a reasonable timescale subject to

funding being made available from the additional works programme.

Members noted that projects relating to the additional works programme would be

reviewed to reflect strategic asset management decisions and the wider

corporate objectives to ensure that the City met its overall criteria

relative to the management of its property assets.

Resolved – that the report be received.

Report of the Director of Open Spaces.

The Committee received a report informing Members that the Ball court in the Churchyard had reportedly reached a stage where a full resurfacing was required. Section 106 funding was available to resurface the court and improved the surrounds subject to the provision of times on the court allocated for young people to use the facility. Working in partnership with the Church and the Department of Community & Children’s Services, it was proposed to develop a scheme to carry out the improvement works and improve the promotion of the site.

Resolved – that the followed be agreed:

· Approval for the proposed works, in principle, to resurface the ball court and

improve the court surrounds at the Churchyard of St Botolph without

Bishopsgate

· Delegated authority to the Director of Open Spaces in conjunction with

the Comptroller & City Solicitor to negotiate a new Churchyard

maintenance agreement that includes provision for future maintenance

of the ball court and provide for the old agreement to be of no further

effect.

Joint report of the Chamberlain and Director of Open Spaces.

The Committee received a report comparing the revenue outturn for the services overseen by the Committee in 2014/15 with the final agreed budget for the year. In total, there was a £121,000 better than budget position for the services overseen by the Committee compared with the final agreed budget for the year.

The Director of Open Spaces better than budget position of £45,000 had been

aggregated with budget variations on services overseen by other committees,

which produced an overall better than budget position of £846,000 (Local Risk)

across all Open Spaces. It was proposed to carry forward £437,000 of this

underspend. These requests would be considered by the Chamberlain in

consultation with the Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the Resource Allocation

Sub Committee.

Members noted that the City Surveyors better than budget position of £108,000 was mainly due to one project being deferred at the Superintendent’s request where funding was outstanding from an external source to fund an extended scheme.

Resolved – that the report be received.

Joint report of the Chamberlain and the Director of Open Spaces.

The Committee received a report comparing the revenue outturn for the services overseen by the Director of Open Spaces in 2014/15 with the final agreed budget for the year. In total, there was a better than budget position of £1.419M for the services overseen by the Committee compared with the final agreed budget for the year.

Members noted that it was proposed to carry forward £437,000 from the Director’s better than budget position of £846,000 (Local Risk) across all Open Spaces. These requests will be considered by the Chamberlain in consultation with the Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the Resource Allocation Sub Committee.

The shortfall of £44,000 at the Nursery was partly offset by underspendings elsewhere with £20,000 being transferred to reserve which will be re-couped in future years. The £778,000 underspend with the City Surveyor was mainly due to the re-phasing of the additional works programme over the life of the scheme to meet corporate priorities, the needs of the service, and a longer project lead-in over a longer period. There was also a £225,000 project at Capel Road where work was expected to be undertaken during the prescribed three year window of the additional works programme, but uncertainty remained as the future use of this facility.

Resolved – that the report be received.

Report of the Director of Open Spaces.

The Committee received a report informing of the first quarter of the 2015/16-17/18

business plan. Currently the Sports, Learning, and Lodges & Operational Property

programmes were reporting as amber. All other programmes were green.

Members noted that there was still further work to be done in developing meaningful baskets of indicators for Finance and Developing Our Staff.

Resolved – that the update be noted.

Report of the Superintendent of Parks & City Gardens.

The Committee received an update from the City Gardens Manager and noted

that the City’s Open Spaces had collectively been awarded 14 Green Flags.

The Committee were informed that unfortunately Oak Processionary Moth (OPM) had recently been discovered in Stratford and New Spitalfields areas. The Director of Open Spaces chaired the OPM advisory group for the Forestry Commission, and was supporting the London wide challenge in managing this pest. The Forestry Commission secured funding from DEFRA, which had been affecting parts of west and south east London. Officers confirmed that currently they believed that OPM only affected oak trees. Members agreed that the priority now was to determine the effect it had on human health.

At this stage the costs had been limited to nest removal but the costs of spraying were not yet quantifiable. Members noted that these costs to date had been met from the Director of Open Spaces’ local risk budget. If, regrettably, the incidence spreads and becomes of a much larger scale, the Chamberlain had agreed in writing that a request against contingencies could be considered.

There were no questions.

There was no urgent business.

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.

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.

Joint report of the Chamberlain and the Director of Open Spaces

The Committee received a report regarding the debt arrears for the period ending 31 March 2015.

There were no questions.

There was no urgent business.