Agenda item

(Assistant Director of Neighbourhoods) A representative from the Conservators will attend to discuss their proposals for an Action Plan to mitigate the impacts on the Epping Forest Special Area of Conservation (SAC) from increased recreational pressure.

The Cabinet Committee received a presentation from Mr P Thomson, Superintendent of Epping Forest, and Mr J Dagley, Head of Conservation, on their proposals for an Action Plan to mitigate the impacts on the Epping Forest Special Area of Conservation (SAC) from increased recreational pressure. The slides from the presentation have been attached at Appendix 1 to these minutes.

The Planning Policy Manager welcomed the presentation from the Conservators of Epping Forest, and highlighted that the Council was working hard to put a Mitigation Strategy in place as soon as possible. The progress outlined this evening was welcomed and it was essential to identify some initial projects to begin progressing.

The Conservators outlined the difference between themselves and Natural England. The Conservators were the landowners of the Forest and had a duty to manage the Forest, whereas Natural England were the body which advised on the management of sites such as the SAC and oversaw the implementation of the Habitat Regulations.

In respect of effective mitigation, the Conservators informed the Cabinet Committee that they did not have enough information yet on Air Quality and Traffic movements, but had more information on the potential recreation pressures faced by the Forest, especially at ‘hot spots’ and sensitive areas. Possible mitigation measures included the provision of alternative sites to relieve the pressure at the ‘hot spots’ or the development of ‘buffer land’ on the edge of the Forest to accommodate more visitors than at present. Robust monitoring would also need to be put in place to ensure that the agreed measures, when implemented, was having the desired effect.

The Conservators highlighted that, although further modelling needed to be performed, an extended Forest Transport Strategy could potentially be a useful mitigation measure. Some helpful work had been performed with the Six Counties Group, but further work needed to be performed with the neighbouring London Boroughs to manage the Forest’s approach to visitors. Visitor surveys had also indicated that cycling within the Forest was on the increase. The Conservators were looking to improve the pathways for cyclists and pedestrians to share, and dedicated routes for cyclists could be provided in the future. The Conservators would seek to cater for all users of the Forest, whether they were walkers, cyclists or horse riders.

The Conservators stated that they were aware of the work of Fields in Trust and their evaluation of different spaces. The Conservators were planning on publishing something similar themselves, highlighting the value of biodiversity within the Forest as well as the value of visitors to the Forest. The Conservators were very aware of the degradation of some verges within the Forest caused by parking.

In respect of the demand for technology and mobile coverage / capacity within the Forest, the Conservators acknowledged that technology could help in the use of the Forest, such as the use of Google or Apple Maps by visitors, as well as measure and manage the impact of visitors on the Forest. It was acknowledged that there were some mobile blackspots within the Forest, but there were three masts within the Forest and mast sharing agreements had been signed to avoid a plethora of masts throughout the Forest.

When asked about the impact on the Lower Forest from the possible development of new housing, the Conservators informed the Cabinet Committee that the Lower Forest was a Special Site of Scientific Interest (SSSI) and therefore a site of national importance. It did not quite meet the criteria to be designated a Special Area of Conservation, but as increased traffic volumes in the Lower Forest would impact upon the SSSI then it would probably be included in the Forest Transport Strategy in the future.

The Acting Chief Executive was concerned that the Council was receiving planning applications for the Special Area of Conservation but there was not the opportunity to extract contributions from developers as the Mitigation Strategy was not in place. Was there anything in the Conservators’ current Management Plan that could be brought forward and implemented quickly? The Superintendent of Epping Forest informed the Cabinet Committee that the Masterplan for High Beach was now complete, and a number of other projects and plans were due to be completed in July 2018.

The Planning Policy Manager agreed that time was critical and the work involved in the Mitigation Strategy was complex. The Council had issued a position statement the previous week setting out the impact for Development Management, whereby there were limitations on granting planning permission until the Mitigation Strategy was in place. Under the Habitat Regulations, the Council had a statutory duty to protect the Special Area of Conservation from development, and until a jointly agreed Mitigation Strategy was in place for the Special Area of Conservation then the Council could not secure financial contributions from developers to mitigate impacts and planning permission could not be granted unless the requirements of the Habitat Regulations had been fulfilled. There were two possible short-term measures for mitigating the potential impacts from planning applications:

            (i)         Applications had to include an individual Habitat Regulations             assessment; and / or

            (ii)        Applicants had to sign a Legal Agreement to agree to make financial             contributions in the future to mitigate the impact of their planning application             when the Strategy had been agreed and implemented.

There was an urgency to have the mitigation measures in place and it was important to highlight this to the Cabinet Committee.

The Chairman thanked the Conservators for attending the meeting and providing the Cabinet Committee with their presentation.

Resolved:

(1)        That the presentation on the Mitigation Strategy for the Epping Forest Special Area of Conservation by the Conservators of Epping Forest be noted.

Reasons for Decision:

To provide the Cabinet Committee with an update on the progress with the implementation of the Mitigation Strategy.

Other Options Considered and Rejected:

None, as the purpose of the presentation was simply to provide the Cabinet Committee with an update on the progress with the implementation of the Mitigation Strategy.