LEISURE COMMITTEE
28 JANUARY 2008
ITEM 06
Annexe 2
Capital Programme Review 2008/09
Project Appraisal Form – Leisure Bid 14
PROJECT TITLE
TRACK RESTORATION WITHIN EPSOM COMMON AND
HORTON COUNTRY PARK LOCAL NATURE RESERVES.
Leisure bid14
Significant lengths of track on Epsom Common and Horton Country Park
are worn out and are potentially dangerous to members of the public.
The sites are heavily used and therefore need well maintained tracks.
Visitors will generally stay on the tracks if maintained in a good condition,
thus protecting the fragile habitats present on these sites.
DETAILS OF
PROJECT
Epsom Common is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and as
such we have a statutory responsibility under the Countryside Rights of
Way Act (CRoW) to manage it to enhance biodiversity. It is also a Local
Nature Reserve (LNR), along with Horton Country Park, both being
extremely important for wildlife. These sites offer an incredible
opportunity for our residents and other visitors to access and enjoy the
countryside and provide a valuable recreational resource.
The project will involve restoring the hard surfaced main paths around
both sites, and carrying out woodland edge management along side the
tracks on Epsom Common, in a staged process. The tracks will be
restored in sections; otherwise there will be too much disturbance to
wildlife and users of the site. The tracks will be restored in accordance to
priority and need.
BASELINE
CRITERIA
State which criteria(s)
are meet and why.
Leave blank any
which are not met.
Investment that will achieve key
corporate objectives or key service
priorities.
Investment required to meet Health and
Safety or other new legislative
requirements.
Page 1 of 8
The project will help towards improving
the visual appearance of the borough,
and towards the new priority of
sustainability.
Well maintained tracks ensure that
visitors can access the site safely with
no risk of trip hazards etc.
Improvements to the tracks are
essential on health and safety
grounds.
Well maintained tracks will protect the
fragile habitats on the sites and
therefore protect the biodiversity
present. Managing the woodland edge
beside the tracks in accordance with
the management plans, will also
enhance biodiversity.
As landowner of a SSSI (Epsom
Common), the local authority has a
statutory responsibility to maintain and
enhance biodiversity, under the CRoW
act.
Under section 40 of the Natural
Environment and Rural Communities
Bill (NERC) local authorities have a
duty to consider the impact on
LEISURE COMMITTEE
28 JANUARY 2008
ITEM 06
Annexe 2
Capital Programme Review 2008/09
Project Appraisal Form – Leisure Bid 14
biodiversity in all aspects of the
authority’s actions.
Increasing biodiversity by 2022 and
protection of Green Belt land is also a
vision of the Core Strategy. Our
Countryside sites are seen as a ‘Green
Lung’ to those living in an urban fringe
location.
As a Local Authority, we have
obligations to reduce traffic levels, antisocial behaviour, maintain and
enhance biodiversity under the CRoW
Act on Epsom Common, consider the
impact on biodiversity of all the
Council’s actions under the NERC bill
and an aim of the EEBC’s Core
Strategy is to increase biodiversity.
Investment required for the business
continuity of the Council.
Improving public access to countryside
is seen as a national priority as it can
have spin-off benefits of helping to
reduce car journeys by improving
walking and cycling routes, reduce
anti-social behaviour, contribute to
healthier lifestyles and enhance
biodiversity by protecting fragile
habitats.
The maintenance of good public
access in a well used urban fringe site
is a key to the long-term management
and enhancement of biodiversity on
Epsom Common and Horton Country
Park.
The longer we wait to restore these
tracks, the more expensive it will
become in terms of further
deterioration of the track.
Investment that will improve service
efficiency including cost savings or
income generation.
Restoration now will decrease the
possibility of insurance claims being
made against us due to unsafe access
provided on the sites.
The service to the public will be much
improved, ensuring the ability to
access the countryside within Epsom
and Ewell, in to the future.
Investment identified in the Council’s
Asset Management Plan.
Page 2 of 8
Under section 1.5.2 of the Asset
Management Plan, it supports the
Corporate Plan in regard to improving
the visual appearance of the local
environment by prioritising
LEISURE COMMITTEE
28 JANUARY 2008
ITEM 06
Annexe 2
Capital Programme Review 2008/09
Project Appraisal Form – Leisure Bid 14
maintenance, particularly of footpaths,
signs and hard surfaces.
Investment in public access on Epsom
Common and Horton Country Park is
also identified in the respective
approved site Management Plans, the
Parks Audit and the Core Strategy.
PRIORITISATION
State which one of the
four prioritisation
categories are met
and why.
1
Investment essential and urgently
required to meet one of the
baseline criteria.
2
Investment important and urgently
required to meet one of the
baseline criteria.
3
4
Investment important but not
urgently required to meet one of
the baseline criteria.
Investment will assist but is not
urgently required to meet one of
the baseline criteria.
Page 3 of 8
As outlined above, the project
contributes to the baseline criteria and
on public safety grounds becomes
priority 2. Financially the costs will
increase if delayed.
LEISURE COMMITTEE
28 JANUARY 2008
ITEM 06
Annexe 2
Capital Programme Review 2008/09
Project Appraisal Form – Leisure Bid 14
A Project outcomes
and benefits
The tracks around Epsom Common and Horton Country Park were put in many
years ago and are in a state of disrepair. Restoration of the tracks will improve
access for all to the Countryside and ensure their safety whilst visiting the sites.
They are used by a variety of visitors, e.g. dog walkers, cyclists and horse riders,
so the tracks need to be wide and well-maintained for the safety of our visitors.
Track restoration will also have the benefit of protecting the sensitive and fragile
habitats contained within the Countryside Sites, by providing visitors with an
obvious route to take.
The project will also fulfill one of the key service priorities by improving the visual
appearance of the Countryside sites.
By having well maintained tracks, there may be spin-off benefits of reducing car
journeys by improving off-road cycle routes. People may also be more inclined
to walk, leading to healthier lifestyles.
Improved tracks will also improve our ability to patrol the site. With more
responsible users being encouraged, coupled with an improved ability to patrol,
anti-social behaviour will be reduced.
By widening the vegetation and managing it in line with the Management Plan,
not only does it make people feel more at ease, but it also has spin-off benefits
for nature conservation by enhancing biodiversity, which as a Local Authority
and landowner of a SSSI, we are statutorily obliged to do.
By managing the tracks and the vegetation we will also create important firebreaks. We have worked closely with the Fire Brigade in recent years regarding
the emergency services’ access on to our sites. They feel creating fire-breaks is
an important part of managing the potential fire risks present. With housing
surrounding areas of Epsom Common and Horton Country Park, it is an
essential part of the authority’s role, to control the risk of fire to our residents.
B Consequences of
not undertaking
the project
If the tracks continue to degrade, people will have to start walking around muddy
patches and cause erosion around the tracks. This may lead to other paths
being created by visitors having to avoid impassable sections; potentially in
areas we do not want them. Sensitive flora and fauna could easily be damaged.
Our duty towards considering, maintaining and enhancing biodiversity will not be
fulfilled on these sites.
There is also a health and safety implication. If the tracks continue to fall in to
disrepair, trip hazards could easily occur. For example, last year a large crack
appeared, large enough for a bicycle wheel to fall in to. This was temporarily
repaired by filling with road planings but is not a long-term solution. The risk of
insurance claims will increase.
The risk of a devastating fire is also increased. If all the habitats are connected,
there is nothing to stop the fire spreading, making the Fire Service’s job
extremely difficult.
It will prove more and more difficult to patrol the sites and the use of the sites
may decrease, leading to an increase in anti-social behaviour.
The visual appearance of the sites will degrade.
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LEISURE COMMITTEE
28 JANUARY 2008
ITEM 06
Annexe 2
Capital Programme Review 2008/09
Project Appraisal Form – Leisure Bid 14
C Project scope,
what is included /
excluded
Restore the tracks around Epsom Common and Horton Country Park to a width
of 3m. Inert material, such as Fittleworth Stone, is to be used to protect the
habitats.
The aim is also to manage the woodland edge vegetation along side the tracks
on Epsom Common, in accordance with the management plan. This will enable
the tracks on Epsom Common to be more easily restored as in many places the
vegetation comes right up to the track edge.
Woodland edge management will involve cutting back the vegetation by 10m on
either side of the track, and designing in pinch points to discourage speeding on
bicycles and galloping on horses.
This is planned to take place in a staged process. The work on Horton Country
Park has been divided in to 10 sections. The work on Epsom Common has
been divided in to 6 sections. The whole scheme should take 10 yrs.
To carry out the improvements all at once would not be feasible. It would be too
disruptive to the visitors and to the wildlife.
D How does project
fit within corporate
priorities and
service objectives
This project will help towards the key service priority of improving the visual
appearance of the Borough. The tracks are degrading rapidly and are in need of
restoration.
The Asset Management Plan states support for the commitment in the Corporate
Plan to improve the visual appearance of the borough, by improving
maintenance, particularly of footpaths, signs and hard surfaces.
Managing Epsom Common is a statutory function for EEBC and maintaining the
tracks is essential to protect the sensitive habitats and biodiversity of the site.
Under the CRoW Act we have a duty to maintain and enhance biodiversity on
Epsom Common. Under section 40 of the NERC Act, we have a duty to
consider the impact on biodiversity over the whole borough, in all aspects of the
Local Authority’s actions.
Within the aims, objectives and policies in the Core strategy are references to
conserving and improving the natural landscape and local biodiversity, protecting
the Green Belt, protecting and enhancing open spaces and improving public
access to them and minimizing the need to travel. This project will help towards
these aims.
A program of track restoration is identified in the management plans, along with
the management of the woodland edge on Epsom Common.
Horton Country Park locally and Epsom Common nationally, are very important
for wildlife and are an important recreational resource available to our residents.
In many surveys, the parks and open spaces are mentioned as the main reason
people come to live in Epsom and Ewell.
E Consultation
All necessary consultation has been carried out.
required - who and
when
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LEISURE COMMITTEE
28 JANUARY 2008
ITEM 06
Annexe 2
Capital Programme Review 2008/09
Project Appraisal Form – Leisure Bid 14
F
Availability of
project
management
resources
G Time scale /
constraints
The project will be managed by the Planning Department’s Countryside Team.
This project is far too disruptive to the users and wildlife to carry out in one go. It
is envisaged that the whole scheme will take10 yrs to complete.
The tracks in need of restoration on Horton Country Park can be divided up in to
10 sections.
The tracks on Epsom Common in need of restoration can be divided in to 6
sections, and the woodland edge needing management in to 5 sections. The
woodland edge is in 5 sections rather than 6 as one section has already been
carried out. Where the woodland edge has already been managed is where the
first section of track will be restored. Whilst this part of the track is restored, the
next section of woodland edge can be managed and so on.
Work will need to be confined to the period outside of the bird-nesting season to
minimise disturbance.
Ideally the woodland edge management should take place between the end of
August and early March, avoiding the breeding bird season. Smaller machinery
is used which should limit any potential ground damage.
H Risks of delivering
to timetable and
cost
I
Contingencies
J
Accountable
Officers, for the
project planning
and execution
K Ward(s) affected
Weather constraints causing wet conditions. Damage or the threat of damage to
the ground caused by large vehicles may become excessive and require work to
stop. This may result in the timetable being extended.
There may be an adverse public reaction to the disturbance. However, with our
close contacts with the community groups and use of site notices informing
visitors as to the reasons for the project, in the past similar scale projects have
not led to adverse public reaction.
It is difficult to provide a contingency for the risk of wet weather other than timing
the proposed works to take place in usually dry periods.
10% in budget to cope with a possible rise in cost of materials or fuel potentially
occurring between the quote and the work being carried out.
Countryside Team – lead Sarah Hallums
All wards are affected as Epsom Common and Horton Country Park are an
important Borough-wide resource.
Page 6 of 8
LEISURE COMMITTEE
28 JANUARY 2008
ITEM 06
Annexe 2
Capital Programme Review 2008/09
Project Appraisal Form – Leisure Bid 14
CAPITAL EXPENDITURE (£000’s)
L1
L2
L4
L5
Estimated cost of works and/or 11.5 km of track restoration = £230,000
equipment 4 km of woodland edge management = £60,000
Consultancy or other fees None
Total Scheme Costs £290,000
(L1 + L2)
External Sources of Finance None identified at time of writing but will continuously
(amount and detail) research for opportunities of grant funding.
L6
Net Costs to Council £290,000
(L4 – L5)
L7
Spend profile, £000s
2008/09
£33000
2009/10
£33000
2010/11
£33000
2011/12
£33000
Funding identified over
10 yrs. For the first 6 yrs
£33,000 will be needed.
For the final 4 yrs,
£23,000 will be needed.
L8
Alternative Solutions The use of volunteers has been considered, but the scale
(Other solutions considered – cost of works is beyond their capabilities. However, once
and implications) works are completed, volunteers would be very useful in
carrying out light maintenance to both the tracks and the
woodland edge, reducing revenue costs.
L10
Have External Sources of Finance Research has been carried out to find suitable grant
Been Considered (details) funding for this project. However, none were appropriate
at the time of writing. Contact has also been made with
Natural England and Surrey Country Council but neither
has funding available at the time of writing. Research will
continue for external funding.
L10
Revenue Implications Light maintenance will be needed but the costs should be
(full year cost/ savings and detail) very low and within the capacity of current revenue
budgets. It will not be an annual cost as it will be
unknown as to when maintenance will be required.
L10
Can Revenue Implications Be Yes
Funded From Committee Base
Budget (details)
Page 7 of 8
LEISURE COMMITTEE
28 JANUARY 2008
ITEM 06
Annexe 2
Capital Programme Review 2008/09
Project Appraisal Form – Leisure Bid 14
Whole life revenue costs of capital project
Annual incremental impact
Ignore inflation for all figures
Incremental revenue cost as a
result of capital project:
Staffing costs:
Premises:
- Utilities
- Cleaning
- Routine annual
maintenance i.e decoration,
minor repairs
Supplies and services:
- Security etc
- Insurance etc
Transport
Other expenditure
Total additional expenditure:
(A)
Additional income as a result
of capital project:
Fees and Charges
Government Grant
Contributions from others
Total extra income (B)
2008/09 2009/10
£
£
N/A
2010/11
£
2011/12
£
N/A
N/A
N/A
Increase/(decrease) cost of
Revenue (A – B)
WHOLE LIFE COSTS
What items will need to be replaced during the
lifetime of this asset?
How often and when will each item need
replacing?
The track surface itself will eventually need restoring.
The track surface should have at least a 10 year life
before significant maintenance is required, and likely
to need restoration approximately every 20-25 yrs.
What is the expected cost of replacing each item?
Due to the long time until restoration will be needed, it
is not possible to estimate costs, but are likely to be
on a similar scale as today.
Details of any other costs not identified above?
Staff costs and office costs. However, these should
be negligible and not much higher than if the project
didn’t take place.
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