Agenda item

The Superintendent of Epping Forest to be heard.

 

The Committee received a verbal update from the Superintendent of Epping Forest and noted the following:

                          

Staff Changes

A gardener and interim Project Officer had been newly recruited.  Vacancies remain for 2 litter picker posts and a maintenance worker.  A new herdsman had been recruited by our contract partner Wildlife and Countryside Services.  Recruitment for the role of Head of Visitor Services had been unsuccessful and a national campaign would commence this September.

 

Weather

July was the sixth sunniest since 1929 with many warm days and only 86% of average rainfall.  Fortunately thunderstorms kept the Forest damp across this month.  August was the coolest since 1993 ending a sequence of eight warmer than average months.   Daily rainfall totals at Epping Forest were 156% higher than the 20 year average.  In particular, ex-hurricane ‘Bertha’ passed over the Forest on 10^th to 11^th bringing an Essex high of 25mm of rain in 24 hours at High Beach.

 

Fire Severity Index

The damper weather had reduced the Fire Severity Index as measured by the Meteorological Office from 4 Very High, on a scale of 1 to 5 to 2 Low.

 

New Study in Journal Nature

Climate change had been identified as a key driver of ‘forest disturbances’ such as fires; storms; bark beetles and droughts.

 

Green Flag & Green Heritage Awards

Epping Forest had successfully retained both awards.

 

Football Season

The summer at Wanstead Flats had seen a record number of 18 school sports days, 3 football tournaments and 45 pre-season football friendly matches. A new Rounders League and Archery taster sessions had been introduced. The new season which commenced on 6^th September would host 5 separate leagues incorporated 150 teams, together with 35 clubs comprising 45 teams.

 

Community Payback Scheme

Wanstead Flats hosted a new Serco-run Community Payback scheme from 18^th August with participants litter picking and cleaning the pavilion.

 

Golf

The removal of the Red Rule and the new Max 680/500/125 loyalty schemes continued to prove to be very popular with golfers.  Chingford Gold Club had reached the national finals of the National Association of Public Golf Course completion and will be travelling to Bristol having won their regional heat.  The City’s Golf PGA Fellow Professional Andy Traynor had been awarded Trackman Master Professional status, becoming only the 41^st person in the world to achieve the honour.

 

Illyria Theatre Company

Illyria staged 3 profitable events for the City and the theatre company, comprising Shakespeare’s Scottish play on 24^th July with 169 tickets sold; Gilbert and Sullican’s ‘Pirates of Penzance’ on 3^rd August with 195 tickets sold and Roald Dahl’s ‘George’s Marvellous Medicine’ on 13^th August which recorded a sell-out 477 tickets.

 

City of London Festival at ‘The View’ 6^th July

This successful event was run for a second year in partnership with the City of London Festival and attracted over 2,000 people for dog-related events, folk bands, beer tent, a hog roast and a summer art exhibition opening.

 

Music in the Park

This had been a successful event despite attendances being down on the previous year due to the poor weather forecast.   The earlier closedown of 9pm together with additional security patrols led to a trouble-free event.  The organisers, Aldersbrook families Association, supported by a grant from the London Borough of Redbridge recorded a loss.

 

Public Park Research Report

The important report urged all involved to research the history and reassert the significance of urban parks and designed landscapes.

 

‘Love Essex’ Essex Anti-Littering Campaign

A partnership led by Braintree District Council and including the north of the Forest had been successfully launched.

 

Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) Assessment – 15^th July

Staff met with Natural England Officers to examine Forest SSSI compartments that remain in the 15% by area unfavourable condition category. 

 

Oak Processionary Moth

Pheromone lures for Oak Processionary Moth were sighted at 3 locations in the south of the Forest and at the adjacent City Cemetery and Crematorium and had recorded a total of 7 suspect male moths.  Officers were awaiting positive identification of the moths from the Forestry Commission’s research centre.

 

Invisible Fencing

An article of the Epping Forest Invisible Fencing Project appeared in Conservation Land Management magazine.

 

Green Arc – North East Quadrant

10 partner organisations met under the Chairmanship of the Director of Open Spaces met to agree a work plan for 2015.

 

City Bridge Trust Visit

Epping Forest hosted a visit for the Chief Grants Officer for City Bridge Trust.

 

Fatality at Wanstead Park Cycleway  July

A cyclist died following leg injuries on the London Borough of Redbridge cycleway at Wanstead Park. Members of the public and an off-duty member of staff made a valiant attempt to save the injured women’s life before being joined by paramedics and the air ambulance.

 

Travellers

Further Traveller trespass incidents were recorded at Mill Plain on 30^th July and adjacent to the Forest at Debden House campsite on 7^th August and Epping Forest District Council Playing Fields at Loughton. 

 

Stolen Digger – 30^th July

An excavator was stolen from the central reservation of the M25 before being driven through Buffer land towards the Wakes Arms roundabout.  The digger broke through chain link deer fencing and 3 gates before being trapped in a culvert cat the rear of the Miller and Carter restaurant.

 

Public indecency incident

A man had been charged with indecent exposure on Wanstead Flats following arrest by local Police.

 

Sexual Assault at Hollow Ponds

Police sought a 30 year old man following a sexual assault on a jogger at Leyton Flats.

 

Flytipping

Provisional figures appeared to be continuing the 21% increase from 550 to 666 incidents recorded this year.

 

Rough Sleepers

Forest Keepers were continuing to clear Rough Sleeper encampments with 36 incidents since January.

 

Prosecutions

Quad Bike and Flytipping.

 

Possible Lyme Disease report at High Beach

A possible incident of Lyme Disease was being monitored following a report after a school visit to High Beach.

 

Advertising Encroachment  at Woodford Green

The City had successfully removed the advertising hoarding erected without permission on Forest Land at Woodford Green.  A byelaw prosecution was being pursued to recover the £1,500 removal costs.

 

Coast Guard Practice Event – 14^th August

Following a real life emergency landing on Leyton Flats earlier this year, Forest Keepers supported a practice rescue involving Whipps Cross hospital’s reserve Hyperbaric Treatment facility.

 

Countryfile

Further footage from the deer sanctuary was recently featured on BBC TV’s ‘Countryfile’.

 

Highams Park Lake desliting and dam strengthening works

Dam strengthening work by main contractor Balfour Beatty commenced on 8^th September until 5^th February 2015 and would include the removal of 5,000 M3 of silt.

 

Mallinson Park Wood

The London Borough of Waltham Forest had approved a public consultation on a project to improve public access to Mallinson Park Wood which would ideally like to improvements at Highams Park Lake.

 

Scout 825

Four teams of 15 venture scouts undertook wood pasture restoration at Long Running and Cuckoo Pits; easy access trail improvements at High Beach and habitat improvements at Knighton Pond.

 

Practical Conservation Projects

For the past 3 years the Community Liaison Officer had been working with London Borough of Newhan sixth form groups offering practical conservation tasks at Epping Forest including this year planting at Jubilee Pond.

 

Epping Forest ‘Gateway’

A design by Bristol-based CodSteaks had been approved for development to complete the 8 primary and 9 secondary Gateway commitment within the branching Out Project.

 

Service Based Review

The Policy and Resources Committee considered proposals across the organisation for realising £23 Million of cost efficiencies across 2015/16 to 2017/18.  The Open Spaces Department was projected to save £2.189 Million for this period with approximately £800,000 of savings being made at Epping Forest.  A full report would be made to the November Committee meeting with proposals to:

·                 Improve the performance of Estate Assets especially buildings by £360,000

·                 Increase charges on current ‘at cost’ legal agreements £80,000

·                 Review and increase existing charging tariffs £10,000

·                 Introduce vehicle parking charges at specific sites £100,000

·                 Secure sponsorship for subsidised sport facilities £120,000

·                 Restore the operating surplus at Chingford Golf Course £80,000.

 

Members queried whether Officers knew if the rough sleepers were repeat offenders. Officers said they try to find a refuge or fare home for each case found and this was working so far as there were no repeat offenders.

 

Members queried whether the high rainfall in August affected Highams Park Dam. Officers said there was a reasonably high rainfall, but reservoir levels were low prior to the rain so there was no overtopping.