Agenda item

Epping Forest Land Retention Policy

Report of the Director of Open Spaces.

Minutes:

The Committee considered a report of the Director of Open Spaces on the Epping Forest Land Retention Policy and the results of initial Negotiations with the Highway Authorities. The report provided Members background information on the policy and outlined the reasons for the lack of progress on the implementation. In addition, the report recommended to Members that the original 1:1 compensatory approach be adopted. The Superintendent updated the Committee that after the publication of the report Waltham Forest have now accepted 1:10 ratio most likely as a result of a funding deadline from TFL. In addition, the Superintendent explained that the advice of the City solicitor was that strictly adhering to a 1:10 ratio in land retention could lead to the use of Compulsory Purchase Powers to realise projects. The Superintendent recommended to the Committee that a balanced case-by-case basis was the most prudent course of action. Replying to a Members query, the Superintendent confirmed that any additional compensatory land offered would have to be immediately adjacent to current Epping Forest land.

 

The Chairman commented that the quality of land offered as compensatory land was a key issue to any agreement. It was highlighted by a Member that while they believed that a case-by-case basis was the correct way forward, the land retention policy should maintain a strong defence of Forest Land. Replying to a Member’s query the Superintendent confirmed that Highway Improvement Schemes in the Special Area of Conservation would require a comparable exchange of land. Members noted their agreement with the case-by-case method recommended by the Director of Open Spaces in the report but decided not to require a strict ratio on land retention provided requests.

 

 

RESOLVED- that:

  1. The revision of the Land Retention Policy approach to seek a compensatory ratio on land sought for Highway and Traffic Scheme dedications in line with the compensatory requirements of the Land Acquisition Act based upon ‘no less in area and equally advantageous as the land taken’ is agreed; and
  2. That Members agree that the Conservators retain the discretion to consider requests on a case-by-case basis having regard to the best interests of the charity and the previous dedication history with the Highway Authority and that any agreement must ensure that the City is not bound to agree future highway dedication requests, even if a land retention parcel has been transferred “in lieu” of future dedications; and
  3. That where Highway and Traffic Authorities are unable to offer compensatory land already in their ownership contiguous with Forest boundaries, the Epping Forest and Commons Committee may consider the purchase and dedication of Buffer Land as Forest Land as a suitable exchange.

 

Supporting documents: