Agenda item

Joint report of the Director of Open Spaces and Chamberlain.

The Committee considered a report of the Director of Open Spaces on the Budget Estimates and high-level summary Business Plan 2020/21 for the Open Spaces Department.

A Member highlighted the considerable financial contribution to the management of West Ham Park from the City of London Corporation noting the Fundamental Review and requested that outside grants be explored, including sponsorship possibilities, to bridge funding gaps. The Director of Open Spaces noted that a similar sponsorship engagement had been utilised for specific capital projects and that the City of London Corporation’s Charity Review would consider using sponsorship for management budgets.

A member of the Committee commented that the responsibility for ongoing management of West Ham Park was held by the City of London Corporation as denoted in the 1874 Conveyance. The Chairman replied to this comment by explaining that the agreement did not stipulate a specific level of contribution and highlighted that the City of London Corporation contribution would not be maintained at the level of previous years.

In response to a query from a member of the Committee the Director of Open Spaces clarified that the budget had been approved to advance the Nursey Site project to the next stage. A Member requested that a staff member from the Comptroller and City Solicitor’s Department attend the April meeting to clarify the differing obligations relating to pink and blue land with regards to the Nursey Site.

RESOLVED- That: -

1. The West Ham Park Committee’s proposed revenue budget for 2020/21 for submission to Finance Committee be approved; and
2. That the West Ham Park Committee’s proposed capital and supplementary revenue projects budgets for 2020/21 be approved for submission to the Finance Committee; and
3. That the Chamberlain be authorised, in consultation with the Director of Open Spaces to revise these budgets to allow for any further implications arising from the Fundamental Review, Corporate Projects, other reviews and changes to the Cyclical Works Programme; and
4. That minor amendments for 2019/20 and 2020/21 budgets arising during budget setting be delegated to the Chamberlain; and
5. That the final draft high-level summary Department Business Plan for 2020/21 be noted.