Agenda item

The Superintendent to be heard.

The Committee received a verbal update from the Superintendent of West Ham Park & City Gardens relative to West Ham Park matters. The following points were made:

·       Between one hundred and one hundred and fifty Tamil protestors had arrived in West Ham Park on the evening of 22 July 2012, and subsequently moved on to Romford Road. Following a Metropolitan police request for assistance in advance of the event, West Ham Park staff had helped to keep the event under control. The protest was peaceful and well managed.

·       Spending was currently within budget.

·       The inclement weather meant 2012 had been unusual so far for staff. The Park remained very quiet during long rainy spells but visitors used the Park more than usual during the brief spells of sunshine. It was hoped that the anticipated warmer weather would enable the daily management of the Park to settle into a routine cycle.

·       Newham’s Festival of Sport was providing free coaching in eight sporting disciplines, which gave 8 – 16 year olds an opportunity to sample athletics, basketball and volleyball. The festival had started on 16 July and would finish on 31 August. It would form the focus of the Park’s Green to Gold day on 3 August 2012.

·       The number of Metropolitan Police Service “uncalled visits” had dropped over the previous year; however, the Service remained on call for emergencies. Members noted that the West Ham Park Manager sat on the Wards Policing Panel. This formed part of a co-ordinated approach by police to tackle the local gangs. The Park manager sat on the ward Police panel where it was noted that several other parks in the area had much higher crime rates than the Park, therefore resources were redistributed to target those areas. Several individuals aged between approximately fourteen-sixteen years had recently committed anti-social acts and vandalism within the Park. They had been arrested outside the Park.

·       The nursery continued to hold sizeable stocks of Olympic bedding in case they were needed for replacement following damage to City planting, which was expected following the torch relay and the marathons. However, some had already been used following the death of an entire bed in a key location due to waterlogging.

Members recorded their thanks to those staff members involved with ensuring the protest on 22 July 2012 was able to take place without incident.

RECEIVED