Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from Deputy Michael Welbank, Peter Corley, Councillor Bob Hare, Lucy Roots and Alison Watson.

There were no declarations.

To agree the public minutes of the meeting held on 24 April 2013 (copy attached).

The public minutes of the meeting held on 24 April 2013 were approved as a correct record subject to the following amendments:

Page 2, paragraph 2 – amend ‘…offset b he fact…’ to ‘…by the fact…’

Page 3, paragraph 4 – amend ‘comment’ to ‘common’.

Page 3, paragraph 7 – amend ‘Chairman’ to ‘Manager’.

Page 4, paragraph 2 – amend ‘…face facility…’ to ‘…facility…’

Matters Arising

Highgate Wood Restructure

The Superintendent stated that budgets had been set for 2014/15 and that it was likely that further reductions were possible following the 2015 national elections. 

Dogs

The Manager noted that he was in discussion with the café operator to turn part of the terrace area into a dedicated are for dogs and dog owners. The Superintendent added that any proposal would first be submitted to the Highgate Wood Joint Consultative Committee for its views.

In response to an observation from a member regarding the aesthetic value of such an area, the Manager noted that any proposal had to be considered in the context of the overall profitability of the café, given the limitations imposed on its operations by the dated building design and small kitchen. He added that any outdoor terrace area would likely be designed to encourage patrons to use the area outside the café in order to maximise space for service indoors. Furthermore, in terms of its aesthetics the outdoor area would be improved during 2014.

Report of the Superintendent of Hampstead Heath (copy attached).

The Highgate Wood Manager introduced the Superintendent’s Update report and made the following points:

Background

The Wood had seen another busy year and its best summer since 2006, and the recent St Jude’s Day storm on 28 October had a major impact on the Wood.

A draft summary document of the Highgate Wood Conservation Management Plan was appended to the report and comments and critique would be welcome up until the document was finalised in the New Year. The Superintendent took the opportunity to note that he would welcome the section outlining the vision to be moved nearer to the start of the document, and the Chairman requested that the maps within the document be made clearer, as at present the borders and other details were poorly defined.

Sustainability

The newly-installed photovoltaic cells in the Wood had generated 300kW since September. They would be less productive during the winter months but it was expected they would go on to produce 6,500kW annually which if achieved would meet half of the current demand for electricity in the Wood. The Manager noted that the City Surveyor’s Department had been very supportive throughout the project, and the Superintendent added that the Manager had been instrumental in leading the project from the beginning.

The Manager stated that the Enterprise waste contract had commenced back in January 2013 and was proving unsatisfactory. He noted that overall the contract was working but was proving more expensive than had been anticipated. An issue had arisen over the need to separate dog waste from the overall waste that the Wood produced. The Manager concluded by stating that the waste contract for all three North London Open Spaces sites would be reviewed. In response to a question from the Chairman the Manager confirmed that the public sometimes put dog

Roman Kiln - Heritage Lottery Fund Application

In response to a question from a member the Manager confirmed that an application to the Heritage Lottery Fund would have implications on staff-time. He noted that the application was very much in its preliminary, exploratory stages and that consideration would be given to bringing consultant in to deal with the application process.

The Superintendent added that the bid would be match funded with monies from the Local Risk budget, and that this may be phased over two years. Furthermore, he added that it would be worth exploring opening a trading account for the Wood given that it was a charity, as this would allow monies to be carried over from year to year.

The Chairman stated that this was an issue the Hampstead Heath, Highgate Wood and Queen’s Park Committee could look at, and furthermore that the scope to apply for City Bridge Trust monies  should be explored as a back-up option to the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The Deputy Chairman added that it would be ideal of a dedicated post could be created within the wider Open Spaces Department to apply for funding.

St Jude’s Storm

The Chairman registered his thanks on behalf of the committee for the hard work of the Manager and his team in the aftermath of St Jude’s storm on 28 October. The Manager thanked him for his kind words and emphasised that he felt it was necessary to close the Wood for two days following the storm whilst safety checks were carried out. The Superintendent agreed, noting the fatality that had occurred recently in Kew Gardens that had been caused by branch failure. He concluded by noting the storm damage had challenged staff already stretched by the ongoing tree inspection programme.

Budgets

In response to a question from a member, the Chairman replied that budget reductions and efficiencies were still necessary despite signs the wider economy was improving due to the fact that local government was one of the main sectors that was required to find savings. Moreover, whilst the Open Spaces were financed using private City Cash, the corporate decision to apply budget reductions across the entire organisation had been made.

LiDar Survey

In response to a suggestion from a member, the Manager agreed to look into conducting a LiDar survey of the Wood.

The next meeting will be on 30 April 2014 at 12.00pm in the Highgate Wood Offices, Highgate Wood, Muswell Hill Road, N10 3JN.

The next meeting will be held on 30 April 2014 at 12:00pm in the Highgate Wood Offices, Highgate Wood, Muswell Hill Road, N10 3JN.