Agenda item

The Superintendent of Epping Forest to be heard.

The Superintendent of Epping Forest provided the Committee with a verbal update and Members noted that the Head of Visitor Services Jacqueline Eggleston commenced work today. The Chairman welcomed Jacqueline to the meeting and wished her well in her new role. Officers said 2,121 volunteer hours had been accrued over the last two months, which was a 34% rise compared to the same time last year.

Members noted that floodwall construction, drawdown installation and landing stage repairs were now complete at Highams Park Lake.  The new footbridge was in position and the spillway had been re-profiled with imported clay. Members noted that work on the Great Gregories overwintering facility was also nearing completion with the completion of buildings, concrete pads, the construction of a screening bund and the attenuation pond.  

The Superintendent informed the Committee that alternative Natural Play designs were the subject of public consultation which began on 27January. 72 responses from the public had been received and evaluated.  A consultation on conceptual options for Wanstead Park was live between 23 February and 8 March. 

Members noted that it had been a busy time for Officers around planning applications over the past two months including contributions to the East Hertfordshire Local Plan which revealed the significant development proposed to ring Harlow.  Officers presented the views of the City of London Corporation at Planning Area Sub-Committees on Albion Hill. Members were informed that the Friends of Epping Forest had gained coverage for their unsuccessful opposition to residential development at Pine Lodge, Lippitts Hill. 

Local campaigners were currently seeking the City of London Corporation’s support in opposing a new TfL car park at Theydon Green.  The City also secured a Certificate of Lawful Development for the Hill Wood tea hut. The Committee were advised that the London Borough of Newham had given planning permission, complete with 131 conditions, for a £200million expansion of City Airport with flights increasing from 70,000 to 111,000 a year on flight paths that would cross Epping Forest. Officers confirmed that they responses to consultations to various planning applications such as the City Airport expansion and the proposed third runway at Heathrow Airport consistently highlighted the Corporation’s views.  

Following the Committee’s approval, excavations at the expense of the Friends of Wanstead Parklands involving the British Museum and noted Egyptologists had confirmed that a partially buried granite boulder was not the lost Pyramidian of Tia.

Members noted that a section of the Town Green had collapsed to form a significant hole which was growing in size.  The Green hosted a number of working and abandoned sewers which were the likely cause of the problem.

The Superintendent informed Members that 84 fly tips were recorded on the Forest during the previous two months. Forest Keepers were working with the London Borough of Waltham Forest to prosecute a potential commercial fly-tipper who broke into the gated section of Warren Pond Road. Five rough sleeper camps were cleared by Forest Keepers and Operations staff during January and February. This represented a rise from last year’s single camp but was broadly in line with the 2013 figure of 10 camps.

Members noted that Epping Forest participated for the first time in the annual February Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transsexual (LGBT) History month focusing on the life of John, 2^nd Earl Tylney and one time owner of Wanstead Park.

The Committee noted that the new 2015 diary of events had now been distributed along with the Spring Forest Focus and copies were available to Members after the meeting.

The Committee noted that there was a 60% football pitch utilisation across the winter with continued low arrears. Members queried whether there was a provision to supply rugby pitches for the public. Officers said they would investigate this possibility and the likely costs associated with it. 

Based on Committee’s previous support for the Roding Valley Way, the City of London Corporation was supporting the London Borough of Redbridge’s bid ‘Riding the Roding’ designed to improve access to the River Roding. 

In response to a query regarding the Public Powers Bill, the Director of Open Spaces confirmed that an informal consultation would run until the end of April 2015, following which the Epping Forest and Commons Committee would consider a report on the findings. A formal consultation would then begin in July, subject to the views of the Committee.

Members queried whether Officers had sought legal advice regarding the expansion of Theydon Bois station. Officers confirmed that advice had been delivered and they had recently met with local campaigners to discuss the matter and decided that they would collectively investigate the matter with the Council.

RECEIVED.