Agenda item

Report of the Superintendent of Hampstead Heath.

The Committee considered a report of the Superintendent of Hampstead Heath that provided Members with the update on the Hampstead Heath Ponds Project.

The Superintendent advised that the Community Working Group had met three times already and discussions had been useful. The Section 106 Agreement with the London Borough of Camden also required three apprentices to be employed, final selection for which would take place shortly. However, one of the apprenticeships was being re-advertised due to an initial lack of interest.

The Superintendent also advised that an area by the Viaduct Pond had been closed since 14 May and that there had been a slower rate of stone and sheet pile deliveries than planned because the small lorries appropriate for the Heath were difficult to procure. Sheet piles needed to be installed soon but only half of the necessary equipment had been delivered due to the slower rate. This had, however, allowed regular Heath users to become slowly accustomed to the Project works.

In response to a Member’s question regarding the Serpentine Swimming Club, the Superintendent added that a shared dialogue at the next Swimming Forum would be welcomed.

In response to Members’ questions regarding the Education Project, the Superintendent advised that a good debating exercise had been carried out amongst local secondary school students but it had been difficult to get schools involved in science and engineering based learning opportunities. He added that an Education Project report would be submitted to the next Committee meeting in July 2015.

RESOLVED – That:-

a)    authority be delegated to the Director of Open Spaces in consultation with the Chamberlain to agree the release of the remaining specific risk provisions identified within the Risk Register and the provisional sum identified;

b)    authority be delegated to the Director of Open Spaces in consultation with the Chamberlain to authorise the transfer of the budget for some reinstatement activities to Hampstead Heath to enable some of the smaller scale reinstatement works such as planting, to be undertaken in-house if felt to be appropriate and cost effective as the Project progresses; and

c)    these changes in delegated authority be effective from 1 August 2015.