Agenda item

An update from the Superintendent on issues affecting West Ham Park.

The Committee received a verbal update from the Superintendent of West Ham Park. The following points were made:-

Finance – Approaching the end of the first quarter, the budget for the park and office are in line with projected spend. As should be expected at this time of year, the Nursery budget is showing a much higher percentage spend, as a result of bulk purchases of pots, plug plants and compost, but without the corresponding income to balance. This will look healthier when we send out our first batch of invoices in a few weeks’ time

Staff – in May, 2 students from the horticultural charity Roots and Shoots joined the team. This is as part of the CBT Grant funded ‘Growing Localities’ apprenticeship scheme. To begin with, the students will attend 2 days a week, progressing to 4-5 days from mid-July until the end of August. Similar placements are set up in City Gardens and with our partners, The Royal Parks, and at the end of the summer 3 candidates will be chosen to be taken on as full-time apprentices, training towards RHS level 2 over the next 2 years.

Works – The London Marathon Trust funded refurbishment of three of the tennis courts was completed to top course stage about 3 weeks ago; the courts have another 1-2 weeks of curing before the finishing painted surface is added. Elsewhere in the park staff have been hedge-cutting, strimming and grass mowing in preparation for the summer round of judging visits. The park is being judged for Green Flag on 13^th June and London in Bloom on 11^th July. The Nursery has been dispatching summer bedding since 28^th May and has so far delivered to Richmond and Greenwich Parks, Inner & Middle Temples and Lincoln’s Inn, and our own North London Open Spaces. All deliveries will be completed by Wednesday 19^th June, when preparations will begin for the arrival of the plugs and seed for spring bedding 2014.

Events – On April 27^th heroes and heroines day took place organised by the Friends of WHP. Feedback on this is contained within the report on the Friends Group. In May the Biodiversity and sustainability officer held a Public Food Growing Day in the Jubilee Food Garden – 30 people attended of all ages. Building on this the fortnightly gardening club has started in earnest and vegetables, propagated in the Nursery, are now thriving in the raised planting beds.

Tessa Sanderson Foundation & Academy has approached us regarding the possibility of using the park to host a 2 week programme of sporting activities for young people in August. This can be seen as an opportunity to help ensure the Olympic legacy continues and the Superintendent is to meet with Ms Sanderson to develop her proposal

In response to questions the Superintendent made the following points:-

·         The pool was not open during the Bank Holiday weekend as chemicals for the pool had not been delivered on time. The Director of Open Spaces would address this shortfall to ensure it was not repeated, at her next meeting with the City Surveyor’s representative.

·         The supply of bedding to The Royal Parks been going well and is helping to make up the shortfall resulting from the bedding reductions implemented by our other clients.

·         The Nursery surplus account carried forward to 2012/13 was negligible, but this may change for 2013/14 as this year would be the first full annual cycle of bedding supply to the Royal Parks.

·         There is currently no direct contact between West Ham Park Nursery and the new Stratford Olympic site, but officers would explore existing contacts to see if there was scope to develop a link between the two.