Agenda item

Welcome Presentation and Superintendent's Update

Report of the Superintendent of Epping Forest.

 

Minutes:

Members received a welcome presentation from the Superintendent of Epping Forest and noted his report summarising progress with the work programme at Epping Forest across October and November 2017.

 

Of particular note was further progress on the passage of the City of London Corporation (Open Spaces) Bill; continuing high levels of fly tipping averaging 55% up on the previous year; the completion of the surfacing of the Woodford Green wayleave; continuing Operational works majoring on tree safety and wood pasture restoration, together with a successful series of visitor events and very positive publicity for the 800 year celebration for the Forest Charter through both national media and the Lord Mayor’s Show.

 

A Member required clarification on what was meant by ‘cannabis’ in the graph regarding the types of fly-tip waste. The Superintendent clarified that this meant horticultural waste from illegal cannabis farms, e.g. spent soil, etc, rather than cannabis itself.

 

Regarding the reorganisation of the Forest Keeper team, a Member highlighted the role of Forest Keepers and valued work they do educating children that visit the Forest. It was queried how this factored into the planned reorganisation as some Members were keen for this educational role to stay. The Superintendent advised that it was important for the focus on staffing to be centred on key operational areas such as dedicated officers specialising on fly tipping prosecutions to address the increasing issue of fly tipping, which currently costs the City of London £300,000 annually. The Superintendent hoped that arrangements could be developed to see third party providers supporting bushcraft schemes rather than the Forest Keepers. It was agreed that wider discussion would be necessary to take into consideration the challenges of managing regulations versus the value of social engagement.  

 

A Member queried whether the City Corporation was engaging with local councils regarding waste management and the new restrictions on non-household waste at many reception centres and charges on the collection of bulky goods that have recently been introduced. The Superintendent confirmed that the City Corporation did engage with Local Authorities and agreed that the charges were a key driver for increased fly tipping, but also noted the financial constraints that all Local Authorities were operating under.  

 

Members discussed the considerable income generated by local sports teams against the costs associated with the large amount of litter generated after match days. An Officer noted that sports organisers received clear terms and conditions about cleaning up after matches but admitted that it had traditionally been difficult to enforce this as the identity of the perpetrators was not always clear. The Head of Visitor Services advised Members that a new booking structure was being introduced, with effect from 1 March 2018, of teams being signed in and out and pitches checked after each game.

 

The Superintendent advised that football does not generate income but is subsidised by £120,000 each year, reflecting the level of subsidy provided by most Local Authorities. It was noted that littering associated with informal use from non-league members during the summer months was an ongoing issue and spectators were particularly guilty of causing a high amount of littering which will need to be attributed to the relevant teams. Members agreed to be vigilant of these issues and report wrongdoing recognising that there are a large number of volunteers that also help clear litter across the Forest. The Chairman praised the work of volunteers and thanked them for the vital role they play.

 

Members discussed the benefits of formally registering the Forest with the Land Registry. The Superintendent advised that registration was a formal legal protection that publicly identified land held in trust by the City Corporation.  This large project had been completed over the last three years leaving only a small number of complex boundary cases remaining.  Members were advised that an outturn report on the project would be brought before the Committee in due course.

 

A member queried when the consultation period would start on deer management. The Superintendent advised that a tender for the review of Deer Policy would be undertaken in the Spring with a public consultation expected in Autumn 2018.

 

Members raised concerns over the reduced budget of £2.9m, which they felt was not particularly high, and queried how much it had fallen in recent years. The Superintendent advised that City of London funding had fallen by 22.5% since 2010/11.  However, Epping Forest had during that time raised additional income from forest activities.

 

Members were disappointed with the announcement that the lakes in Wanstead Park had recently been classed as High Risk by the Environment Agency. The Superintendent advised that a helpful meeting with the Environment Agency’s National Flood Manager had taken place and that a specialist engineer is likely to request an engineering feasibility study on the next inspection scheduled in the Spring. It was noted that the cascades on Hampstead Heath had previously received engineering assessments which had required extensive improvement work to address new risks and that the City Corporation was proud of the sympathetic works they had successfully completed there.

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