FRIENDS OF CLAPHAM COMMON
Chairman’s Annual Report, November2014
2014 has seen the Friends involved in challenging developments for the
Common. We have put on some excellent events, but we held off on
others. We have played a full part in the development of the Cooperative parks initiative, maintaining a constant, intelligence-led
communication with both Lambeth, who manages the Common, the
Clapham Common Management Advisory Committee (CCMAC) and the
Lambeth Parks Forum.
Planting projects
We are best known for our planting projects – strangers as far-flung as
Ruislip have heard of us in this context!
Our three-pronged aim of helping to improve biodiversity, increasing the
amenity value and ensuring continued tree cover for the Common,
means planting things!
With Trees for Cities (TfC) we focused on the area surrounding Eagle
Pond on Southside. TfC received commercial funding from Origens, the
skincare company, for planting wet-loving trees into the surrounding
area. In April we planted ‘feathers’ of willow and alder - these are
multiple-stemmed small trees that will contribute a very natural feel to
the area. We also added shrubs and a buried log-pile designed for
hibernating wildlife.
At the same time, we were able to develop a plan from last year, to
create (or rather re-create) a shallow wetland beside Eagle Pond. Thanks
to a grant from the Western Riverside Environmental Fund, we
contracted an expert, Ash Girdler, who had done much of the
improvement in previous years on Mount Pond. Ash created a waterproof depression to be fed by overflow from Eagle Pond.
The engineering work was completed in April and was fenced off, as it
now requires a period of settling down.
Families came to help in June as we threw water-plants into the
wetland, aided by Dr. Iain Boulton in his waders! Some little ones lost
their wellies in the mud!
Soon there will be an interpretation board acknowledging our financial
support and telling all about the enormous value that this kind of habitat
provides for wildlife. Not only amphibians – toads, frogs and newts, but
also dragonflies and other invertebrates, as well as bats, will thrive
there.
We also cared for our Community Heritage Orchard, which is planted
next to the tennis courts. Whilst it was sad to be pruning off beautiful
flowering stems, we were aiming to encourage our small trees to put on
growth, rather than spend energy trying to produce fruit. This careful
management will be repeated next year so that within three years, we
hope to reap a harvest!
For the benefit of amenity, we planted over 2,000 daffodils and
crocuses on Southside, opposite Tesco’s, which appeared to flourish in
the early warm spring, putting on a fantastic display.
Only last weekend, Marcus and Bob helped volunteers plant more
daffodils along Northside, including the much-neglected, recently
unfenced ‘mound’ close to Clapham Common tube station.
Our events
In a bid to take the most successful part of our Summer Fete of 2013, we
had decided to put on a Dog Show this year. An excellent team was
brought together, including sponsors, Marsh & Parsons, and the
successful dog-sitting company, MyDogBuddy.
Unfortunately, at a late stage, it became clear the event could not go
ahead as envisaged, as in fact others who were using the Common that
day, required stringent health and safety measures, which impacted on
our proposals.
However, I am pleased to report to you that all the hard work was not
wasted – we still have our sponsors and partners on board, and will
stage the Fun Dog Show in Spring next year, on 10 May.
We launched our Nature Trail in May, on probably the worst weekend of
the year! This we repeated in September welcoming many families as
they explored the Common. I would like to thank the National Lottery
Supporting Change initiative for funding this project.
Also in September we ran our Bat Walk for a second time and again
attracted a large crowd. Iain Boulton led the group to Mount Pond
where we were all delighted (especially the children present) to see and
hear around 20 Common pipistrelle bats in full display against the clear
sky. Our thanks go to Iain for bringing along his specialised bat detectors
and for entertaining our members expertly.
Relationships
The continuing incremental cuts in central Government funding have
meant that Lambeth is understandably desperate for revenue from all
sources, including Clapham Common. FCC has in the past had a good
relationship with Lambeth Officers, but this year we felt the Council’s
attitude risked converting our heritage landscape into an entertainment
platform. This has increased tension between us.
Since Victor Chin-Kits’ departure there has been a considerable problem
with communication and understanding, evidenced by the appalling
felling of an iconic Black poplar in June, without consultation, as well as
a gung-ho attitude to managing our two small woodlands. Time and
again we have felt our voice was not sufficiently heard and that the
CCMAC was side-lined.
It follows we are not sure to what extent our complaints about the
current Events programme have been taken on board. The indications
are that a new Events Strategy will limit major events to three next
Summer, and that more care will be taken to protect the site. We look
forward to this overdue proposal.
Most recently Lambeth has been drafting a Sports Strategy for the
Borough, along with a Parks Capital Investment Plan. We have pointed
out that the Common is already over-used for sport, but Lambeth still
wants to build a £1m sports facility here, which we and the CCMAC have
repeatedly objected to.
Alongside all this is the Co-operative Parks initiative. The CCMAC is
promised organisational help to 'upgrade' themselves to a formal Stage
2 partnership with Lambeth. We want to see the CCMAC emerge
stronger, able to take on the mantle of a Management Team and we
have worked to achieve that.
We shall of course continue to feed our expertise and your views into
Lambeth's overall operation. We have been fortunate to have Joyce
Guiste as Interim Parks Manager and Skendar as Interim Clapham
Common Manager over the past months. Dr Iain Boulton continues his
excellent support.
Finally, as many of you know, I am standing down as Chairman today. I
have had four years of fascinating, troubling, exciting and wearisome
experiences and yes, I do rather feel I have had enough! It is now time
for me to spend more time with my elderly parents in Hampshire, but
that said, I hope you know that I will always be willing to help with
projects in the future.
Marcus will become Interim Chairman and as your new Committee
forms, I am sure that between them, they will find the right person for
the task.
Thank you for all your support, for me, and for the Friends.
Melanie Oxley, Chairman
Wednesday 4 November 2014