Agenda item

The Superintendent of Epping Forest to be heard.

 

The Committee received the following update from the Superintendent:

 

Staff changes and training

·         The new Head of Visitor Services will commence work in mid-March

·         A permanent Grounds person At Wanstead Flats has been successfully recruited.

·         A Senior Conservation Officer secured an Achievement in Learning and Development Award from the City. The award was for ‘Putting Learning into Practice to Improve Individual Performance’ and recognised the Officer’s work for his final year project which was developing a Highways vegetation management system for Epping Forest

 

Volunteers

3,359 volunteer hours were accrued between October and November

 

Weather

2014 rainfall was 794mm at Epping Forest, continuing the trend of recent years of higher than pre-2002 levels.  Rainfall remained lower than the regional total of 1048mm.  In particular, November’s 92mm rainfall was 50% higher than 1979-2002 average of 60mm.  A fortnight’s rain fell in just one day on 29^th November putting a real strain on Forest paths and drainage systems.  The winter storms, including the forecast ‘weather bomb’ which ‘bookended’ Christmas were much milder than originally anticipated and had not caused any major damage.

 

Christmas Events

The hugely popular Christmas Greenery evening was revived and received 55 bookings.  The event has already been relisted for 2015 due to popular demand.   450 bookings for Father Christmas at the Hunting Lodge across 13^th and 14^th December were sold out within a month of being offered for sale, turning over £6,000 at the increased price of £12.95/child.

 

Molton Brown ‘A Splendid Christmas Affair’ Campaign

A Tom van Schleven video promotion filmed in July saw part of High Beach at Epping Forest featured as the fairy-tale backdrop for a national campaign by London-based beauty products company Molton Brown. 

 

Saffron Walden Camera Club

Thanks were extended to Forest Keepers by the Camera Club for access to the Deer Sanctuary during the deer rut.

 

Epping Forest in the news

Senior Forest Keeper Nick Baker was interviewed by Angela Ripon for BBC1 TV’s ‘Rip Off Britain’ on the problems of commercial fungi picking.  Further interviews were recorded by Dr Jeremy Dagley for national press and Nick Baker for the Wall Street Journal.

The Newham Recorder covered the Newham Secondary Schools Cross Country Championships – 6 races, 17 schools and 400 school pupils which were held at Wanstead Flats.

 

Hill Wood Tea Hut

The Hill Wood tea hut has also continued to be covered in the media including articles on the hut’s speedway links, family history and local philanthropic activity.

 

Highams Park Lake

The last section of the cast concrete dam floodwall was completed on 12^th December and has now been largely clad in bricks.  The drawdown structure is also nearing completion alongside repairs to the landing stage fronting the dam.  Some 5,000 cubic metres of silt have now been removed from the Lake and sent to specialist landfill.

 

Great Gregories Out wintering Facility

Construction of the new barn is now complete barring snagging, alongside the new drainage system which is working well.  Works are now underway on pads and the new internal road system.  The Local Planning Authority’s late condition of a balancing pond are being reported to the Project Sub-Committee.

 

Calving at Great Gregories

The Redpoll and Longhorn herds, together with Sussex cattle from City Commons are now all on site.

 

Reservoir Inspection – 13 and 18 November

Dr Andy Hughes completed his second inspection of the year.  Dr Hughes was again complimentary over the further improvements in dam vegetation maintenance.  A statement of concern has been provided by Dr Hughes concerning Baldwins and Birch Hall Park Ponds which are the subject of a report to be considered by your Committee.

 

Football at Wanstead Flats

Wanstead Flats hosted 1,352 football matches across the first half of the season – a 60% utilisation, 613 (85%) at Harrow Road, 481 (55%) at Capel Road, and 258 (36%) at Aldersbrook Road.  The Flats hosted 5 leagues, 86 clubs, and 212 teams on a regular basis.

Plans are already underway in partnership with London Playing Fields for the 2015/16 season which will celebrate 125 years of football at Wanstead Flats.

 

Senrab Football Club

One of Wanstead Flats longest serving clubs - SENRAB FC - won the Daily Mirror Pride of Sports Awards 2014 in the Local Team of the Year Category and enjoying a Gala award ceremony at the Grosvenor House Hotel on London’s Park Lane on 3 December.

 

Parkrun

Wanstead Flats Cross Country ‘Parkrun’ is now into its 4^th year with a weekly 5km timed run 9am every Saturday morning.   Events now total 192, with 1,879 runners, 12,553 runs and a record attendance of 139 runners at one event.

 

Community Payback

Following a successful 10 week pilot Community Payback now a regular weekly activity in partnership with London Probation (Serco), clocking up an impressive 1,184 voluntary hours carrying out cleaning, minor maintenance and repainting duties at Harrow Road including litter picking an incredible 776 black bags of rubbish, plus assorted larger items from Harrow Road, Bushwood and Jubilee Ponds.

 

Fly tipping

Fly tipping incidents had decreased across 2014, however, a series of seasonal sale-related fly tips have appeared across the Forest.  A further incidence of cannabis-related fly tipping has been reported to the Police.  A fly tip at Crown Hill and 2 fly tips at Fishers Green Lane together resulted in over 70 tonnes of landfill material after our contractor had removed recyclable materials.  The cost of disposal of the 11 lorry loads was £7,655.

 

Rough Sleepers

A total of 53 incidents involving the removal of rough sleeper camps were recorded in 2014, down 12% on 60 incidents in 2014, including a further 5 camps since the last presentation to Committee.

 

Byelaw Enforcement

Forest Keepers conducted a successful prosecution of Directional Media at Barkingside Magistrates Court 12.12.14 for erecting an advertising hoarding without permission.  Directional Media were fined £200 + Victim surcharge £20 with costs of £2,341.50.

 

New Countryside Stewardship scheme

The launch of the £900M CAP Reform inspired New Environmental Land Management Scheme (NELMs) now rebranded as ‘Countryside Stewardship’ was launched in November but was somewhat overshadowed by DEFRA’s 10 year national pollinator strategy to provide more bee-friendly habitats.

 

Heritage linked to public wellbeing and community pride

November saw the launch of English Heritage’s annual ‘Heritage Counts’ research which demonstrated for the first time that heritage visits make people happier and account for more spend/head than sport related visits.

 

Natural England Report on Climate change adaptation and potential Report

November also the launch of a major report that aims to identify localised wildlife refugia where wildlife may be able to best adapt to climate change.  The indicators appear to be based around persistence rather than adaptation/colonisation.   Initial mapping suggests Epping Forest & SW Essex has a low refugia value.

 

Fred Wigg and John Walsh Towers, Wanstead Flats

The Superintendent met with London Borough of Waltham Forest Officers regarding the potential redevelopment of Fred Wigg and John Walsh Tower Blocks which overlook Wanstead Flats.  Tenders for design work are expected in Spring 2015 with the intention of infilling the gap between the towers and developing improved public realm benefits in association with Wanstead Flats.

 

GLA ‘Mini-Holland’ Proposals

Further to reports to your Committee in May 2014 regarding the Mayor of London and London Borough of Waltham Forest’s £33M ‘Mini-Holland’ cycling improvement programme, LBWF have now approached the Conservators ahead of their public consultation to discuss changes to the Whipps Cross roundabout.

 

In response to a query from Members Officers explained that Refugia are places where isolated or contracting wildlife populations can best survive or retreat to (i.e. refuge). Officers were aware of the roadworks on the A121 Woodridden Hill and the associated ‘rat-running’ through Forest roads.  Officers were already in discussion with the Highway Authority over width and weight limits which would help manage this continuing problem. The Superintendent would email Members the date when roadworks were expected to be completed.

 

In response to a query regarding cycling at Pole Hill, the Superintendent agreed to investigate the current policy approach and report back to Members.

 

Members noted that there had been cases of cyclists digging in to Forest land to create jumps. Officers were aware of this in more areas than Pole Hill and had promptly removed the jumps and repaired surface damage. Officers confirmed that such activity was a byelaw offence of ‘disfiguring the Forest’. Officers said that the Corporation has no obligation to provide a facility for cycling, however, in order to manage the problem it may be necessary to provide some ‘challenging’ areas, away from main routes.  Members agreed that being able to cycle in the forest was a great privilege which should not be undermined by the actions of a small minority. A member referenced the recent Local Meeting minutes noting that sport applications were excluded the City Bridge Trust eligibility criteria. Members underlined the importance of the Committee’s work in sport and recognised the need to explore other funding avenues to maintain this work.

 

Members queried whether the correct levels for the landing stage works at Highams Park had been agreed, and the Superintendent was confident that Balfour Beatty were working to the correct levels. In response to a query regarding road verge clearance works, Officers noted that while welcoming the clearance works by the Highway Authority, the Corporation remained responsible for clearing away any hazardous arisings from the roadside.

 

Members congratulated Officers on their excellent work with the Learning and Development award and thanked the Superintendents for encouraging their staff to undertake such activities.

 

In response to a query regarding reduced incidents of fly tipping, the Superintendent observed that while the trend on incidents was declining volume was increasing and some incidents were proving to be very expensive.

 

The Chairman noted that some Members of the Committee had been approached by Forest users to discuss matters of concern.  The Chairman encouraged members to contact the Superintendent and his staff for background to these issues to ensure a consistent message was being provided.