Agenda item

Report of the City Surveyor.

Members considered a report of the Executive Director, Environment concerning the development of a Complementary Land Policy and Use Appraisal.

In her introduction, the Executive Director, Environment noted that ‘complementary land’ referred to assets supporting charity operations, with ‘buffer land’ relevant to Epping Forest only. The report set out a proposed approach to developing an overarching Complementary Land Policy and Complementary Land Use Appraisal to ensure a consistent approach to management and divestment, with discreet sub-polices/frameworks for specific lands included under this. The Executive Director acknowledged the wide range of stakeholders with an interest in this work and set out how they would be included in the consultation process. This included not only the formal engagement of relevant committees, but also informal engagement throughout the process with the Chairs and Deputy Chairs of the Policy and Resources Committee and the Chairs and Deputy Chairs of the various Natural Environment charity committees. She also provided assurance that the Assistant Town Clerk was included on the Task and Finish Group to advise on governance issues. Due to the complexity of the engagement and work required, she advised that the timetable would need to be revised and that the final proposals would likely be ready for submission to committees no earlier than December 2025.

The Executive Director also noted that an email from Chair of the Epping Forest Heritage Trust had been sent to all Members of the Committee. She informed Members that the Trust’s concerns had already been addressed at the Epping Forest and Commons Committee, and that the Chair of that Committee and officers had engaged with the Trust.

The Chairman and Members supported the report and the need to review the timetable for the presentation of the final report.

RESOLVED, that – Members approve the proposed Terms of Reference for:

(a) the work to develop a Natural Environment Complementary Land Policy; and

(b) a Natural Environment Complementary Land Use Appraisal.