Agenda item

Report of the Superintendent.

The Committee received the report of the Superintendent of Epping Forest informing Members of Visitor Services’ objectives and operational priorities for the coming financial year.

Members were informed that there were seven areas the Visitor Services Department focus on and they were as follows:

i) Delivering an information service to Epping Forest visitors primarily through the flagship Visitor Centre at The View and Queen Elizabeth Hunting Lodge and also at The Temple and High Beach Visitor Centre.

ii) Providing memorable visits and income through complimentary retail

activity.

iii) Delivering Life Long Learning sessions concentrating on Tudor History and

provide support to three external Learning Partners that provide ecological learning sessions.

iv) Entertaining visitors to Epping Forest through the management and hosting of Forest Events.

v) Interpreting the significance of Epping Forest through exhibitions and publications such as Forest Focus and the Events Diary.

vi) Developing a communications presence for Epping Forest through publications, the City of London Website, Press statements and social networking platforms such as Twitter.

vii) Developing wider public participation in formal sport, especially football at Wanstead Flats and golf at Chingford.

Visitor Services Priorities were set out as follows:

i) Health and Safety of all

ii) Visitor Experience

iii) Heritage, Education and Learning

iv) High Quality Events

v) Positive P.R. (both internal and external)

vi) Income Generation

vii) Sustainability

A point was raised by a Verderer regarding the income generated by High Beech Visitor Centre and the high level of visits Centre, making it clear that High Beach was an essential site and must be retained.

Officers said the Centre remained an attraction, but there was a sure and steady increase on visits and sales at The View. Officers were still searching for volunteers and partners suitable for High Beach and wished to retain all three.

Verderers said it would be useful to have High Beech Visitor Centre run by volunteers and queried whether this was the case at the Temple and whether we increase corporate and private hire there.

Officers said they were trying to improve volunteer involvement at all sites. The Temple was manned by two staff during opening hours and these were supported by volunteers. Illyria income was included in these budgets. Corporate hospitality was also increasing at the Hunting Lodge and The View

Officers agreed to present Members with a broken down summary of income and expenditure in Visitor Services to the next meeting.

The reference to works to be carried out to the Capel Road changing rooms during 2014 was removed.