Agenda item

Report of the Superintendent of Hampstead Heath.

Members considered Item 10, a report of the Superintendent of Hampstead Heath regarding a Community Vision for Hampstead Heath, and the following points were made.

·         A Member commented that the consultation process followed during the formulation of the vision document had in his opinion worked well.

·         In response to a suggestion from a Member that the fact the City of London Corporation both owned as well as managed the Heath be made clearer, the Chairman and Deputy Chairman both noted that it was in their view positive that the local community around the Heath felt a sense of ownership, and therefore the inclusive language of the vision document should be retained.

Sam Cooper arrived at this point of the meeting.

·         In response to a comment from a Member that initiatives on the Heath often aroused divisive opinions, the Chairman noted that a lot of effort was put into managing and mediating opposing views and groups. For example, a Cycle and Pedestrian Working Group had been convened to ensure that both pedestrian and cycle users on the Heath could use paths and cycleways on the Heath to their satisfaction.

·         A Member noted that the vision document was in his view a phenomenal piece of work and an excellent distillation of the City’s aspirations for the Heath over the coming years. He suggested however that a caveat should be placed on the vision to make clear that it was subject to the requisite resources being available from the City of London Corporation.

·         A Member agreed, noting that it would be helpful to ensure that financial sustainability was embedded within the vision.

·         A Member noted that similar points had been discussed by stakeholders during the drafting process and the view had been taken that the vision document was intended as ‘poetry’ compared to the ‘prose’ of items such as the Heath’s 10-year Management Plan, with contained the level of financial detail Members were referring to.

·         In response to a question from the Chairman, Members confirmed they were happy to approve the recommendation set out within the report subject to the comments made by Members.

RESOLVED, that Members approve the proposed Community Vision statement for Hampstead Heath. 

The Committee adjourned for five minutes at this point of the meeting.