The Interim Assistant Head of Service (Streetcare) shall provide the Committee with a verbal update on the following matters:
- Donation Units
- Playground Project
- Dog Walking Licensing Scheme
Minutes:
The Committee received a verbal update from the Interim Assistant Head of Service (Streetcare) on matters arising in the Park.
The Interim Assistant Head of Service (Streetcare) verbally updated the Committee on the following matters:
a) Unauthorised Encampments Update: She explained that Nonsuch Park had had two unauthorised encampments over the Summer, as well as seven elsewhere in Epsom & Ewell. She stated that Officers were currently investigating the possibility of installing height restriction barriers at the three Park entrances and had put in an application to the Sutton CIL bid – she said it would become apparent in January if the bid had been successful. She stated that dealing with UEs comes with significant cost in respect of Officer time, and that the barriers in the long term would be a cost saver owing to the resulting prevention of UEs. She stated that, should the CIL bid be unsuccessful, a report would likely come to the January meeting seeking the budget required for the project.
b) Donation Posts and Dog Walking Licensing Scheme Update: She explained that the installation of the donation posts and the implementation of the dog walking licensing scheme had been delayed on account of the unauthorised encampments over the Summer. She stated that both projects were back on track, and an update report on each was intended to be brought to the January meeting.
c) Donated Defibrillator: She explained that the charitable organisation, the Paul Alan Project, had received a gift of money from a person who had passed away from a heart attack, and with that money had made an offer for the donation of a defibrillator to Nonsuch Park, which they would maintain until its expiry.
The Committee were unanimously in support of accepting the offer of the defibrillator and agreed that a plaque should be mounted to commemorate the person who gifted the money which funded the defibrillator.
The Committee expressed their thanks and requested an invitation to attend the January Committee meeting be sent to the lady running the Paul Alan Project charity.
d) Playground Update: She stated that it was anticipated that the procurement and installation process for the playground would begin shortly, and would hopefully be completed prior to the January meeting of the Committee.
e) Summer Festival Event Cancellation: She explained that the organiser of the Town & Country Show for the past two years had applied to also hold a Summer Festival event in the Park, and that for 2024 the organiser had run the Summer Festival via a Temporary Events Notice (‘TEN’). She stated that the event organiser had been advised by Officers that, as the event grew in size, a premises licence for the London Road Picnic Area would be more appropriate – she explained that Officers had applied for a premises licence for the location prior to the 2025 Summer Festival, but the application had been unsuccessful. She stated that the Summer Festival event organiser was duly notified that the premises licence application had been unsuccessful and was advised by Officers to apply for a TEN in order to hold the event – a TEN, however, was not applied for and the organiser opted to cancel the event.
The Chair pressed that the matter of the unsuccessful premises licence application ought to be investigated in order to find a solution for the future.