Agenda item

Report of the Superintendent of Hampstead Heath.

The Committee considered a report of the Superintendent of Hampstead Heath regarding the guiding principles relevant to the provision of café facilities at Hampstead Heath and Highgate Wood and the creation of a Café Working Party to co-ordinate the public consultation of all three café leases.

The Chairman advised that a number of draft guiding principles for the new refreshment facilities had been developed and were being reported to the Consultative Committee for further consideration. She added that ensuring high Food Hygiene Rating scores and that staff were paid at or above the London Living Wage were agreed as final principles.

Members noted and considered the following matters:-

·         The guiding principles would feed into the deliberations of the proposed Café Working Party.

·         A member (Highgate Society) suggested that too many guiding principles could cause them to become too prescriptive or restrictive.

·         A member (Vale of Health Society) suggested that the current principles could become favourable towards the current incumbents in the event of an eventual tender process.

·         Following a short presentation from the Café consultant, members noted that community engagement would be an important part of the process.

·         Members believed that the proposed membership of the Café Working Park was too heavily weighted towards City Corporation Officers without enough local community involvement, which would be provided by the addition of the other lead petitioners – members therefore suggested that three petitioners (one for each café) be included on the Café Working Party.

·         The Consultative Committee appointed Nick Bradfield (Dartmouth Park Conservation Area Advisory Committee) and John Etheridge (South End Green Association) the Café Working Party as representatives of the Golders Hill Park and Parliament Hill Cafés and noted that Michael Hammerson (Highgate Society) may be the Highgate Wood representative depending on any other expressions of interest from the Highgate Wood Joint Consultative Committee.

·         A date for the first Café Working Party meeting would be circulated as soon as possible.

RESOLVED – That:-

a)    the minutes of the Hampstead Heath, Highgate Wood and Queen’s Park Committee meeting held on 16 May in relation to the update on café leases, be noted;

b)    Nick Bradfield (Dartmouth Park Conservation Area Advisory Committee) and John Etheridge (South End Green Association) be appointed to the Café Working Party as representatives of the Golders Hill Park and Parliament Hill Cafés.