Agenda item

The Committee is asked to approve the terms of the deal with UK Power Networks and authorise officers to carry out the necessary advertising and, unless there are objections, enter into the necessary legal agreements for the Trust.

HS2 Bill – Proposed Wetland Mitigation Legal Agreement

Dave Page reported that officers met with HS2 in May to progress the project. It was agreed that a development manager would be appointed to oversee the project. It was hoped that an officer would be in post by September/October 2017. Stephen Waley-Cohen asked if there would be an opportunity to meet with the development manager once appointment had taken place. Dave Page said that if a manager was identified prior to the next Committee meeting it would be useful for he/she to attend.

HS2 Bill – Re-Routing Stamford Brook Sewer Legal Agreement

Dave Page noted that officers had secured a legal agreement from HS2 regarding the re-routing of the Stamford Brook sewer through the northern edge of the scrubs.

Councillors expressed some concerns regarding the borehole covers and whether they could be tampered with, removed or if someone could fall in. Dave Page in reference to Appendix 1, noted that the boreholes were approximately 150mm-200mm in diameter and therefore it would not be possible for a person or child to fall in. HS2 had also confirmed that they would be locked and would only be opened using, a hex head specialist hammer used by contractors. Councillor Joe Carlebach asked who held legal liability and how many boreholes there were in total. Dave Page responded that he would provide an update on this and noted that there were 10 along the route.                                                    Action: Farrah Rossi

UK Power Networks

Dave Page noted that further discussions were held with UKPN and proposal 3 was made, on 29 March to push for a better deal. The UKPN’s final offer was option 4 and officers recommended that this offer at a value of £193,542 was accepted by the trust.

Councillor Joe Carlebach asked how the value of £193,542 was accounted for i.e. one payment or smaller payments spread across 7 years. Dave Page noted that officers would consider the most beneficial option and feedback would be provided at the next Committee meeting.

Action: Mark Jones

Filming and Events Update

Dave Page reported that the Secret Cinema event had been postponed to July/August 2018 due to the General Elections. A wider consultation had taken place including the Pony Club, Hammersmith Hospital, and Scrubs Prison. Positive feedback had been received from all parties. He added that the Winter Wonderland project had also been put on hold due to the General Elections. Friends of Wormwood Scrubs would be consulted in June 2017.

Councillor Wesley Harcourt highlighted that the Council would fully support the opportunity to run a fundraiser event for the Grenfell Tower victims at the Scrubs, if it had been approached. Councillor Joe Carlebach agreed and suggested that other venues such as QPR, Fulham and Chelsea football clubs would also be worth exploring.

Community Safety Update

Dave Page noted that dog related incidents had been more apparent this year. He added that six crossbow arrows were found secreted in the bushes near the railway line and were safely removed to police custody.

Grounds Maintenance and Site Management Update

Dave Page reported that the maintenance team on site had concentrated on litter during recent months. Officers working with Idverde had zoned the site to ensure all areas were visited on a cycle. Works had been carried out to the trees on Old Oak Lane; the works were primarily health and safety as the trees had a lot of deadwood on them. Officers also met with Hitachi Rail regarding trees overhanging from the scrubs. Officers advised Hitachi Rail if this was an issue for them, they should exercise their common law right to cut the offending vegetation back to the boundary.

Stephen Waley-Cohen expressed some concerns about the increase in litter at the football pitches after games. Dave Page noted that the Council managed the bookings and it was part of the booking contract for players to clear up after themselves. Councillor Wesley Harcourt said if this continued, for pictures to be taken of offenders and warnings to be issued.

Action: Dave Page

Financial Forecast 2016/17

Dave Page reported that the latest financial forecast was for a deficit of £40,139, which was £14,964 better than budget. Parking income was slightly lower than previous year, with a reduction of 5% observed in 2016/17. The other income line included a forecast of £85,858 from filming and events representing an increase of 18% compared with 2015/16 incomes for those activities.

Financial Budget 2017/18

Dave Page reported that the actual uplift was 3.007% for 2017/18. This had increased the expenditure budget by £20,645, £8,456 higher than assumed during budget setting. The latest financial forecast was for a deficit of £66,768, which was £9,579 worse than budget. Income from UKPN was not included in the projection.

Councillor Wesley Harcourt said that every year there seemed to be an opportunity for potential events, however for whatever reasons were not secured and thus had an impact on the forecast. Dave Page noted that securing a large event was not assumed, but officers were working on possibilities. There were some signs that filming income would be strong again this year.

Legal Comments

Dave Page noted the legal comments in relation to the proposed agreement with UKPN.

Dave Page noted that this would be his last Committee meeting as he was leaving in July for retirement. The Chair thanked him for all his hardwork and wished him luck in his future endeavours

RESOLVED

That the Committee approved the terms of the deal with UK Power Networks and authorised officers to carry out necessary advertising and, unless there were objections, enter into necessary legal agreements for the Trust.