Agenda item

The Superintendent of Hampstead Heath to be heard.

The Superintendent updated the committee on matters currently affecting Hampstead Heath.

Planning - Garden House

He noted that the recent appeal against the planning application for Garden House had been rejected. In response to questions from a member, he reported that the appeal had been hindered by the fact that the appellants barrister could not address the Inspector on the initial day of the hearing as planned and was unable to attend on the reconvened date. He noted that the City of London had engaged a planning consultant and had dealt with the application in a similar way to those that had been previously made on the site, but on this occasion the appeal was not granted. He noted that the Vale of Health Society had placed on record their appreciation for the support provided by the City of London at the recent Hampstead Heath Consultative Committee meeting on 12 November. He concluded by noting that the site lay on Metropolitan Open Land which was broadly equivalent to ‘green belt’ land, hence the contentious nature of applications affecting the site, which in the particular case involved an increase in the building’s footprint and the construction of a basement.

Planning - The Water House

He reported that the planning application affecting The Water House – which would see intensive and arguably inappropriate use of Millfield Lane by construction traffic – had not yet been formally reported upon by the London Borough of Camden.

Planning - Athlone House

He reported that a further planning application had been logged by Camden last week for Athlone House – a site that had been the subject of a successful planning appeal in the past. He noted that he had not yet seen the application but that initial feedback from local societies indicated that the development included similar proposals were similar to previous applications.

Planning - Swains Lane

He reported that a planning application for a 3-storey building on Swains Lane had been submitted to Camden, and would be reviewed in light of the effect it would have on views from the Heath.

Sports and Recreation

He reported that the London Youth Games and Cross-Country Championships had recently taken place on the Heath and had been a busy and popular event, with 3,000 young people participating. The Chairman agreed, adding that there had been eight youth races in the morning and two adult races in the afternoon. The Superintendent concluded by reporting that the National Cross-Country Championships were scheduled to take place on the Heath in 2015 and would provide an excellent opportunity to showcase the Heath.

St Jude’s Storm

He reported that the St Jude’s Storm on 28 October had proved brief but significant in its impact on the Heath, with most of the damage concentrated in Golders Hill Park and on the Heath Extension. In all around 50 trees had been felled with a further 50 suffering significant damage to their crowns and limbs. A notable loss on the Heath itself was the King’s Beech, which had been planted by King George V when he opened Kenwood House in 1925. Overall the Superintendent reported that the damage had meant staff time and resources had been directed away from the Additional Works Programme, and that the priority in remedial works was to remove hanging limbs and branches. He concluded by noting that limbs would be used to create deadwood piles, which would help promote wildlife diversity and habitats. The Chairman thanked the Superintendent and noted that he had already written to the Highgate Wood and Conservation Manager to thank him and his team for their excellent and dedicated response to the storm. The committee similarly placed on record their appreciation to the Highgate Wood Manager and his team for their hard work and professionalism.

Publicity

He noted that the 2014 Hampstead Heath calendar was now on sale and that members would be provided with complimentary copies.