Agenda item

Report of the Natural Environment Director.

The Committee received a report that updated on actions being taken and planned to remove Wanstead Park Grotto from the Heritage at Risk Register (HARR) and ensure that is has a funded Conservation Management Plan in place which would protect it for the future. The report also summarised the work to date, the current position, the options and confirmed that the repair of the Grotto would enter the gateway process as a project from Autumn 2024.

RESOLVED – That, Members:

• Approved the continuation and completion of a Restoration and Maintenance Plan (RMP) for the Grotto, which would identify the specific repairs and maintenance regime that would support its removal from the Heritage at Risk Register, as per Option A in this report.
• Authorised officers to secure listed building consent for the delivery of the repairs identified in the RMP. The activities were fully funded through the Cyclical Works Programme.
• Advised officers on the further pursuit of Option B, namely the reinstatement of original fabric and restoration of features within the structure and enhancement of the immediate setting of the Grotto.
• Noted the repair of the Grotto will enter the gateway process as a project from Autumn 2024 and would be subject to the Committee’s scrutiny, as per corporate project procedure.