Agenda item

Members noted the draft Queen's Park Woodland Walk Management Plan and the following points were made:

·         Members were advised that the plan was in very early draft form based on existing information with the aim of formalising a clear plan on how to maintain and enhance this walk area.

·         Members were advised that the team were working with the Hampstead Heath Senior Ecologist to develop the plan and had liaised with local community groups for assistance. A further draft would be presented at the October meeting for comment prior to sign off next year.

·         The Superintendent advised Members that any additional written comments or ideas could be sent to him. 

·         The Director of Open Spaces clarified that the Woodland Walk Management Plan was a subset of the Queen’s Park plan which provided a detailed plan/appendix to the main Conservation Plan and wanted Members to recognise the importance of the hierarchy between the different plans as they would reference each other.

·         A Member noted the importance for people, particularly the elderly or disabled visitors, to have places to rest along the walk, e.g. logs.

·         A Member felt that the Woodland Walk plan was too long and that brevity was important.

·         It was questioned whether the site history explanation could be removed or cut down to contextualise at the beginning of the plan.

·         It was recommended that acronyms not be used at all and that the language be changed to make the plan more cohesive.

·         With regards to the sentence “apply the principles of the City of London’s sustainability framework to all we do on our sites”, a Member recommended adding a weblink to the framework.

·         A Member felt that park’s assets which make it different to other places, e.g. special trees (redwood, elm trees) and habitat, were not highlighted enough in the plan.

·         Members were shown a mock-up of the new signs showing the transformation of the Queen’s Park Farm which would set out the plan to visitors. It was noted that the farm would close shortly in September when the majority of works would take place and social media would be used to notify the public.