Agenda and minutes

To appoint a Chair for Nonsuch Park Joint Management Committee from Councillors representing Sutton Council for the Municipal Year 2022/2023

Councillor Christopher Woolmer (London Borough of Sutton) was appointed Chair of the Nonsuch Park Joint Management Committee for the 2022/2023 Municipal year.

Councillor Colin Keane, on behalf of Councillor David Reeve, gave thanks to Councillors Jenny Batt and Jill Whitehead for their time on the Committee, and gave thanks to the Nonsuch Voles, the Friends of Nonsuch, The Mayor of Sutton, and all the Sutton Officers for their hard work and help during his time as Chair. The incoming Chair, Councillor Christopher Woolmer, thanked Councillor David Reeve for his kind words.

To take any questions from members of the Public.

No questions were asked or had been submitted from members of the public.

Members are asked to declare the existence and nature of any Disclosable Pecuniary Interests in respect of any item of business to be considered at the meeting.

No declarations of interest were made by Councillors in items on this agenda.

The Committee is asked to confirm as a true record the Minutes and Restricted Minutes of the Meeting of the Nonsuch Park Joint Management Committee held on 24 January 2022 (attached) and to authorise the Chair to sign them.

The Minutes and Restricted Minutes of the previous meeting of the Nonsuch Park Joint Management Committee held on 24 January 2022 were agreed as a true record and signed by the Chair.

This item presents the Joint Management Committee’s final accounts for the financial year 2021/22.

The Committee received a report presenting the Joint Management Committee’s final accounts for the financial year 2021/22.

The Committee received a verbal introduction from the Head of Finance.

The following matters were considered by the Committee:

a)            Memorial benches: Following a question from a Member, it was noted that rules are in place surrounding the placement of paraphernalia on the benches.

b)            Occupation of Flat 3: Following a question from a Member, the Head of Property and Regeneration informed the Committee that Flat 3 was occupied and leased to the council.

Following consideration, the Committee unanimously resolved to:

(1)          Receive the final accounts for 2021/22

This report accompanies an update to the Work Programme for the Nonsuch Park Joint Management Committee that was approved in January 2022.

The Committee received a report providing an update to the Work Programme that was approved in January 2022.

The following matters were considered by the Committee:

a)            Correction to paragraph 6.3 of the report: The Head of Corporate Assurance informed the Committee of a correction to paragraph 6.3 of the report following the rearrangement of items on the programme into priority order. The correction was as follows:

The work programme items “6, 7, 8, 9, 10 & 13” listed in paragraph 6.3 of the report were corrected to read “1, 2, 3, 4 & 5”.

a)            Flooding: A Member enquired as to whether there was a flood risk report for the park. Officers informed the Committee that there is currently no flood risk document for the park but highlighted that Surrey County Council had issued a Section 19 report following flooding in Epsom and Ewell in 2021 and was looking at measures to be taken in relation to the wider area. It was noted by the Committee that the park is largely unaffected by flooding and that it is an area of low concern.

b)            Car parking: The Committee considered the issues created by large number of cars drawn to the park during Park Run events. Officers informed the Committee that there was a good relationship with the Park Run organisers and that this enabled the issue to be managed.  The Committee noted that car parking arrangements for the Park was a medium priority within the work programme and that there was not funding within the current year’s budget to introduce a charge for their use. Officers informed the Committee that whilst charges for car parking would provide revenue to the Park, it would also require works to provide defined spaces, enforcement and create a potential insurance liability.

c)            Enforcement: Following a question from a Member, the Committee noted authorised hirers of the park were required to display a flag during their events to identify that they had approval to do so. Members considered the possibility of additional signage to inform park users of the rules and noted that Officers felt that as the system became more established it was likely to become self-policing.

d)            Charitable Foundation: Following a question from a Member, the Committee noted that it does not have a charitable status. Members considered that the possibility of seeking charity status should be investigated to enable donations and bequests to be given to the park and requested that officers present a report on the matter at a future meeting.

Following consideration, the Committee unanimously resolved to:

(1)          Review the updated Nonsuch Park Joint Management Committee Work Programme and progress made to date attached to the report

(2)          Delegate approval to the Head of Operational Service and Streetcare Manager in consultation with the Chair of the Committee to agree one-off larger events in Nonsuch Park 

The Committee is asked to consider whether it wishes to pass a resolution to exclude the Press and Public from the meeting in accordance with Section 100A (4) of the Local Government Act 1972 on the grounds that the business involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Act (as amended) and that pursuant to paragraph 10 of Part 2 of the said Schedule 12A the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

Under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the Committee passed a resolution to exclude the public from the meeting for Part Two of the Agenda on the grounds that the business involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Act (as amended) and that pursuant to paragraph 10 of Part 2 of the said Schedule 12A the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighed the public interest in disclosing the information.

This report has not been published because the meeting is likely to be closed to the press and public in view of the nature of the business to be transacted/nature of the proceedings.  The report deals with information relating to the financial or business affairs of the Committee and third parties and the public interest in maintaining the exemption currently outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

The decision for this item is recorded in a separate (not for publication) restricted Minute.