Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from Councillor Mary Arnold and Annalisa Saba.

There were no declarations.

To agree the public minutes and summary of the meeting held on 21 November 2012 (copy attached).

The minutes of the meeting held on 21 November 2012 were approved as an accurate record subject to ‘November’ being deleted on page one, item three.

Matters Arising

Queen’s Park Café – the Superintendent of Hampstead Heath briefed Members that all four café leases in the North London Open Spaces Division had been approved by the Hampstead Heath, Highgate Wood and Queen’s Park Management Committee in May. The café operators had been written to and the Corporation’s expectations made clear regarding the use of staff uniforms, customer comment cards and mystery shopping. In response to a question the Superintendent confirmed that the lease for Queen’s Park Café had not yet been formally signed and that the operator had been a tenant-at-will for the past six months.

At a Member’s request, the Queen’s Park Residents’ Association’s dissatisfaction with the lack of a tender exercise for the Queen’s Park Café lease was noted in the minutes.

Tennis Courts – The Queen’s Park Manager advised he had spoken to the Tennis Coach and that the Coach had been given access to four courts. An advance in-person booking system had been implemented in February 2013 and this new system would be reviewed over the summer. In response to a question the Superintendent of Hampstead Heath said that the introduction of online booking was an aspiration that was subject to existing resources and would be considered further as part of the review of the current system over the summer.

In response to a question, the Queen’s Park Manager agreed to keep the current allocation of four courts for coaching/children and two courts for adults open to review given that this potentially restricted access for adults during the summer months.

Personal Trainers – In response to a question the Superintendent of Hampstead Heath confirmed that the

A report of the Superintendent of Hampstead Heath (copy attached).

The Queen’s Park Manager provided a verbal update to the Committee and covered the following points:-

Background

·         The Park continues to be well used with over one million visits in 2012/13.

Ecology and the Environment

·         The amount of seasonal bedding sourced from West Ham Park for use in the Quiet Garden has been reduced for budgetary reasons.

·         A John Deere Gator electric vehicle has been obtained from elsewhere within the North London Open Spaces Division, the use of which will hopefully lead to a reduction in diesel usage this year.

·         The Hampstead Heath Arboricultural Team were regularly surveying the Park for tree disease. In response to a question, the Queen’s Park Manager confirmed that the ash trees in the Park were being monitored for Ash Dieback but that at present this was not present in the Park.

Sports and Recreation

·         A contractor recently treated Tennis Courts 5 and 6 for moss growth.

·         A report on the new advance booking system for the tennis courts would come to the Committee in November.

·         Queen’s Park Rangers have been asked to provide a soccer training school in the Park over the summer.

·         The Park Manager has had discussions with the Brent Council Sports Officer over a programme of sport for 7-14 year olds.

·         The City of London and Queen’s Park are accepting Spice Time Credits for tennis and pitch and putt games on selected days of the week, and volunteers have been sought for the Park. In response to a question, the Queen’s Park Manager stated that to date no-one had cashed in their credits.

Conservation and Heritage

·         A draft leaflet has been produced, for which the Park Manager requested Members to provide feedback.

Landscape Management

·         The Hampstead Heath Arboricultural Team and external contractor ACS Consulting have carried out safety works on 34

A report of the Superintendent of Hampstead Heath (copy attached).

The Park Manager introduced the draft Conservation Management Plan (CMP), noting the appointment of Chris Blandford Associates as consultants, the structure of the CMP and the establishment of focus group meetings in November and December 2012. Some recommendations of the CMP are relatively simple and are already being progressed using the Risk Budget.

·         The Committee proceeded to discuss the CMP, and the following points were made:-

·         The CMP should be subject to a further two to three rounds of consultation.

·         Community consultation could follow the model established by Burnham Beeches and Hampstead Heath: the use of story boards, postcard feedback, stalls at established events such as Queen’s Park Day. Analysis arising from this should then be subject to further communication activity.

·         The revised CMP should come back to the November Committee, following consultation at the last major event in the Park in September.

·         Consultation of the statutory consultees should not be overlooked.

·         The CMP should have page numbers as well as/instead of paragraph numbers for ease of reference.

·         The CMP should be highlighted on the Corporation of London website.

·         The CMP should feature at the next Brent Connect event – Councillor James Denselow to contact the Park Manager to arrange.

Two questions were posed:-

·         In response to a query, the Park Manager agreed to contact Annalisa Saba (who was not able to be present at the meeting), about the possibility of creating a dedicated area for parents with special needs children near the Queen’s Park Café.

·         In response to a request, the Chairman and the Superintendent of Hampstead Heath agreed to facilitate a tour of Hampstead Heath on the date of the next Committee meeting.

There was no urgent business.

Wednesday 20 November at 11.30am in Committee Rooms, Second Floor West Wing, Guildhall.

Subject to confirmation of venue the next Queen’s Park Joint Consultative Group will be held on Wednesday 20 November at 11:30am on Hampstead Heath, and will involve a tour of the Heath.