Agenda item

To elect a Chair in accordance with Standing Order 29.

The Committee proceeded to elect a Chairman in accordance with Standing Order No. 29.  The Town Clerk informed that Benjamin Murphy, being the only Member expressing their willingness to serve, was duly elected Chairman of the Epping Forest and Commons Committee for the ensuing year and took the Chair for the remainder of the meeting.

RESOLVED- That Benjamin Murphy be elected Chairman of the Epping Forest and Commons Committee for the ensuing year.

A vote of thanks was proposed by Gregory Lawrence;

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY:

That the Members of the Epping Forest and Commons Committee wish to place on record their sincere appreciation to 

GRAEME DOSHI-SMITH

Their very great and sincere thanks and appreciation for the distinguished manner, in which he has served as Chairman since 20th May 2019.

He has tackled with admirable energy and skill the considerable challenges to the management of both Epping Forest and the Commons which have presented themselves during his Chairmanship, and much has been achieved in what has been a challenging financial period.

Graeme’s chairmanship was dominated by the COVID-19 national health emergency.  Alongside the many vicissitudes suffered by the Nation, there has been a renewed awareness of the value of Open Spaces to the public’s physical, emotional and mental health.  Under Graeme’s steady leadership, working closely with many partner organisations, the Charities has managed the challenges of increased visiting, with visits at Epping Forest temporarily rising from 4.3 million to 11.2 million; the hosting of a Temporary Mortuary Facility at Wanstead Flats and the need for traffic and car park restrictions at both The Commons and Epping Forest during the three national lockdown periods

The successful management of The Commons division’s restructure proposals for the Target Operating Model and the twelve percent savings has ensured a bright future for these sites with the ranger and ecological teams being enhanced. Similarly, car park charges were successfully introduced at Riddlesdown and Farthing Downs in a manner that reduced the administration impact on local teams whilst meeting income targets. At Epping Forest, increased income performance from the launch of commercial wayleaves, expanded licensing activity; improved lodge rentals and the introduction of car parking charges have ensured that the Charity has been able to maintain overall levels of service.

As ChairmanGraeme has overseen the development, and approval, of ten-year plans for each of the nine commons which will guide the future of conservation, landscape, visitor and estate management for these valuable open spaces for the next decade. In addition, the future of both the Commons and Epping Forest has been further safeguarded through negotiation with Natural England and the Department of Environmental Farming and Rural Affairs for 10-year Countryside Stewardship grants to support the important work to conserve and enhance biodiversity for each of these sites.

During his tenure Graeme has played an important role in improving the management of Epping Forest with the completion of a series of key strategic documents including Parkland Management Plans for both of Epping Forest’s Grade II*(Star) Registered Parks and Gardens at Wanstead and Copped Hall Parks.  Individual Site Plan were completed for Chingford Plain; High Beach; Highams Park and Wanstead Flats, together with a Conservation Statement for Birch Hall Park and a Conservation Management Plan for The Grotto.

The importance of Epping Forest in the Local Plan process has also played in important role under Graeme’s chairmanship with substantial recognition of the Forest within the Epping Forest District, Enfield and Waltham Forest Local Plans.  Nine Local Planning Authorities are also in the process of agreeing a Strategic Access Management and Monitoring Strategy, which has been negotiated across Graeme’s Chairmanship, which should realise £22 Million in Community Infrastructure Levy funds over the next 15 years for investment in the Forest to manage the increased recreational and air quality impact from additional residential development.

Similarly. there have been crucial agreements reached with public bodies during Graeme’s tenure as Chairman, which will ensure the protection of the Commons for many years to come. At Burnham Beeches, the many years of negotiation between the City, Buckinghamshire County Council and Natural England have seen the approval of the Burnham Beeches Strategic Access Management and Monitoring Strategy, an 80-year agreement providing a 500m ‘no development’ buffer around the Beeches a 5.6 km ‘mitigation zone’ for any development. As Chairman Graeme oversaw another significant milestone with Coulsdon Commons, Kenley Common, Riddlesdown and Farthing Downs joining forces with Croydon Borough Council and Natural England to form the first National Nature Reserve in over two decades. This agreement formally acknowledged the natural and recreational importance of these wonderful sites and importantly will promote additional funding.

Graeme’s period as Chairman also saw the successful completion of the £1.2m Heritage Lottery funded Kenley Revival Project. This Project focussed particularly on local, national and international community engagement and forging close links with schools, concerning the Airfield’s role in the Battle of Britain. A lasting legacy of the Project is the City’s significant contribution to the extended the scientific understanding of Thaumacite and its wider implications for the conservation of ephemeral architecture.

Finally, the Committee wishes to place on record its recognition of Graeme’s distinguished contribution to the work of the Committee and in thanking him for his generous hospitality, his colleagues convey to him their good wishes for the future, with happy memories of a substantial body of achievement of the past three years.

The outgoing Chairman received their thanks and extended his thanks to Officers noting that it had been an honour to chair the Committee. The Chairman added his thanks noting that there had been a number of key achievements in what had been a difficult context to lead the Committee in his three years as chairman.

The Chairman extended his thanks for the election and highlighted to the Committee that there was likely to be some proposed governance and structural changes at the next meeting. It was added that these changes were intended to assess the relationship between the relevant charities and the City of London Corporation to ensure that there are appropriate agreements in place for the work and the services that are being provided.

The Chairman agreed that visits should be arranged for the Committee to visit the Commons sites particularly for the benefit of Members new to the work of the Committee.

It was agreed that a budget allocation report be added as a standing item to the Committee’s agendas going forward.

Following a Member’s question on the impact of geo-political events on the management of the Forest the Chairman observed that there had been a number great educational visits to Epping Forest arranged for asylum seekers. The Chair of the Open Spaces and City Gardens Committee noted that subjects such as this which impacted across the open spaces would be appropriately dealt with by the Open Spaces and City Gardens Committee.