Agenda item

Joint report of the Director of Open Spaces and Chamberlain.

The Committee considered a joint report of the Chamberlain and Director of Open Spaces on the Departmental and Service Committee Budget Estimates 2021/22. The Chamberlain introduced the report and highlighted the twelve percent reduction required across the City of London Corporation’s budget.

The Chairman commented that, while the twelve percent budget reduction was difficult, many other open spaces were facing significantly higher percentage cuts in their management budgets. A Member of the Committee highlighted that funding for West Ham Park still remained at over a million pounds a year which was a significant figure.

Responding to a question from a Committee member it was confirmed that the disposal cost of the West Ham Park Nursery would not be met from the local risk budget. In addition, it was explained that all of the City of London Managed Open Spaces were considered for use in the Carbon Sequestration Project but that the majority of majority of the initial spend will be at the Epping Forest buffer land.

RESOLVED-That: -

1. The West Ham Park Committee’s proposed revenue budget for 2021/22 for submission to Finance Committee be approved; and
2. That the West Ham Park Committee’s capital and supplementary revenue projects budgets for 2021/22 be approved for submission to Finance Committee; and
3. The Chamberlain be authorised in consultation with the Director of Open Spaces to revise these budgets to allow for any further implications arising from Corporate Projects, the City’s new Target Operating Model, and changes to the Cyclical Works Programme (CWP); and
4. That minor amendments for 2020/21 and 2021/22 budgets arising during budget setting be delegated to the Chamberlain.