The Epping Forest & Commons Committee were scheduled to discuss a range of topics, including the appointment of consultative committees and groups, a risk management update, and the terms of reference for the Natural Environment Complementary Land Policy and Complementary Land Use Appraisal. The committee was also scheduled to consider membership of the Epping Forest Consultative Group.

Epping Forest Consultative Group Membership

The Epping Forest Consultative Group's (EFCG) membership is reconsidered every three years, and the Epping Forest & Commons Committee were scheduled to discuss the applications received and consider appointments to the group. The EFCG was established in January 2018 and is designed to allow the City of London Corporation to consult with interested parties on the management of Epping Forest.

The report pack noted that a previous advertisement for membership only yielded 11 applications for 16 places. Following consultation with existing members, the terms of reference were revised, and a further advertisement resulted in 24 applications.

The terms of reference state that 16 places should ideally be made up of the following themes of interest:

• Nature Conservation (3 places)
• Friends/Voluntary (3 places)
• Heritage (2 places)
• Informal users (2 places)
• Recreation (3 places)
• Sports (3 places)

The report pack noted that some organisations could arguably sit within two or more of these themes. It was proposed that all 20 eligible applicants be appointed to the EFCG, as the revised terms of reference mean that the group will meet in workshops or on-site visits, reducing the need to limit numbers as in a traditional meeting.

The report pack included a list of the 20 organisations recommended for appointment, including:

• London Wildlife Trust
• Butterfly Conservation
• Wren Wildlife & Conservation Group
• River Roding Trust
• Epping Forest Heritage Trust
• Friends of Wanstead Parklands
• Epping Forest Conservation Volunteers
• Higham’s Park Planning Group
• West Essex Archaeological Group
• Chingford Historical Society
• Theydon Bois and District Rural Preservation Society
• Woodford Green Amenity Group
• Chingford Residents Association
• Bushwood Area Residents Association
• West Essex Ramblers
• Epping Forest Riders Association
• Epping Forest Transport Action Group
• Lee Valley Youth Cycling Club
• Royal Epping Forest Golf Club
• Orion Harriers

Natural Environment Complementary Land Policy and Complementary Land Use Appraisal

The committee was scheduled to discuss the terms of reference for two pieces of work relating to the City of London Corporation's management of land and assets outside of the Square Mile. These assets are held in a variety of capacities, including as trustee of the Natural Environment charities and in the corporation's own corporate capacity.

The first piece of work is the development of an updated Complementary Land Policy. According to the report pack, the aims of this policy are to:

1) Updates and/or replaces extant policy and governance documentation relevant to the land parcels and assets, in particular the Epping Forest Buffer Land Policy; 2) Creates a framework for the City Corporation governance, resourcing and management of Complementary Land; 3) Considers the intention for which Complementary Land was originally purchased or transferred including specific circumstances arising; 4) Defines what Complementary Land needs to provide to support the charities now and considers if the original purchase intentions remain relevant; 5) Provides recommendations for any long-term charity governance and legislative powers required for the charities to manage Complementary Land; 6) Fully considers and clarifies the process for acquisition/disposal of Complementary Land; 7) Provides a clear framework for financial arrangements relating to the management, acquisition and disposal of Complementary Land.

The second piece of work is a Complementary Land Use Appraisal, which will involve the appointment of a consultant to carry out an independent, detailed options appraisal for each Complementary Land asset. The key objectives of this appraisal are to:

1) To define what Complementary Land needs to provide to support the charities now and reasonably foreseeable future, having regard to the intention of why the complementary land was originally purchased; 2) To quantify and value options for future use, with regard to corporate, charity, local, environmental, financial priorities and strategies; 3) To assess the potential viability of each site alternative use, e.g. housing, commercial development or other development, and/or for natural conservation (i.e. biodiversity net gain) of whole or part of those land parcels, in view of the corporation and Charities’ priorities; subject to planning permission and taking into consideration such matters as changing National Green Belt policy, Local Plan and new housing targets for local authorities; 4) To understand and compile an assessment of constraints and obligations against those land parcels and assets; 5) To fully articulate upfront costs and risks alongside opportunities and value (current or potential) for each option; 6) To calculate and apply scoring and weighting to each element to assess highest priority opportunities; 7) To establish said scoring and weighting as a standard for future plans, disposals and acquisitions.

Risk Management Update

The Epping Forest & Commons Committee was scheduled to receive an update on risk management procedures in place within the Environment Department. The report pack stated that the update was intended to provide assurance that these procedures are satisfactory and meet the requirements of the Corporate Risk Management Framework and the Charities Act 2011¹.

The committee is responsible for five registered charities: Epping Forest, Ashtead Common, Burnham Beeches, Coulsdon and Other Commons, and West Wickham and Spring Park. Each charity has its own risk register, which is regularly reviewed by management teams.

The report pack included summaries of the risk registers for each of the five charities, including explanations of changes to risk scores, target dates, and progress of mitigating actions.

Other Matters

The agenda also included:

• The election of a chair and deputy chair.
• The appointment of consultative committees and groups and representatives on other bodies.
• Approval of the minutes of the previous meeting.
• An introduction from the incoming chair on Burnham Beeches and Epping Forest.