Tomorrow, we have the combined Epping Forest and Commons Committee which meets formally 6 times each year and includes the Councillors elected by City businesses and residents and the Verderers elected by the Forest’s ‘commoners’. In addition to this meeting there are 6 Epping Forest only meetings, local council liaison meetings with each local authority which the forest sits within, consultative committees for both Epping Forest and the Commons and leadership meetings with Council Officers.
The meeting pack for today is typical at 336 pages, however this does include some detailed policy changes for lettings and some management plans for specific areas of the Forest. Each meeting includes an update from the Superintendents of Epping Forest and the Commons to highlight progress achieved versus the strategic plan and risks identified requiring remediation.
One of the biggest items the committee is having to consider at the moment is the Local Plans of each Council which has planning responsibility for helping to protect Epping Forest. As you will be aware, the government are pushing local Councils to build more houses, particularly in London where there is such a shortage. However, building around the forest will cause environmental damage to the delicate ecology of the forest and a framework of mitigation has to be agreed through the Local Plan. A Government appointed Inspector oversees each plan, alongside Natural England and others. In Epping Forest District, the Planning Inspector requested alterations to the plan and it is now in the “main modifications” stage, which the Committee has to respond to again. The latest report can be found here. There is also a Statement of Common Ground proposed between Epping Forest and the London Borough of Waltham Forest.
Finally, to help the general public, visitors and supporters understand the work of the Epping Forest Charity, an Annual Review of Epping Forest is to be presented.
