Agenda item
Matters arising (if any)
Minutes:
Use of Insecticides
With regard to Minute number 4, Clive Cohen (London Wildlife Trust) noted that Jenny Warren (Greenspaces Manager – Barnet Council) had indicated that it was not a priority of the borough of Barnet to communicate the effect to land owners of the use of insecticides. Clive Cohen advised the committee that the Crop Protection Association (CPA) produced a leaflet regarding this matter and that he had liaised with property services to ensure that copies of this leaflet were distributed to libraries and relevant properties. Clive Cohen added that he had suggested to the Crop Protection Association that they contact all other councils to propose a similar plan of action.
Bank at former youth sailing base site
The Chair noted that it was suggested at the previous meeting under ‘Any Other Business’ that Barratt Homes be invited to attend the next meeting of the committee with regard to the issue of the poor condition of the bank at the former youth sailing base site. The Chair queried whether this had been raised with Barratt Homes. Councillor Julie Johnson provided a brief update on this matter, noting in particular that the marketing suite at the site had now been completed. She suggested that Barratt Homes may have wished to wait until the building of the suite was finished before improving the bank; however, they were not at present making the best of the bank. Councillor Julie Johnson added that she had understood that the bank would be planted up with appropriate plants after the build was complete. Roy Beddard (Welsh Harp Conservation Group) advised that further information was required from the planning department regarding the relevant conditions agreed and emphasised that it was important that the bank be replanted once the marketing suite was removed. Jenny Warren advised that she would follow up this issue and would explore the possibility of whether an interim measure could be applied whilst the marketing suite was in place. She added that she would contact Natural England for assistance. Following further discussion, it was agreed that Barratt Homes be invited to attend the next meeting of the committee. Councillor Hugh Rayner suggested that a Barratt Homes should be advised of the specific issues on which the committee would like further information. The Chair requested that any specific questions that the committee would like to put to Barratt Homes be emailed to him at cllr.javaid.ashraf@brent.gov.uk.
Environmental Impact Survey / contamination of waterways
Referring to the paragraph on the Dollis Valley Green Walk Project, also located under ‘any other business’, a member of the committee noted that at the previous meeting it had been suggested that an environmental impact survey be conducted. This suggestion had followed the announcement that treatment to invasive species and maintenance work would be carried out to the brook. It was subsequently queried if there was any update available on this issue. Councillor Hart advised that he believed this issue related to the concern that effluence flowing into the brook higher upstream from built up areas was nourishing weeds which were causing considerable problems in the brook. Councillor Julie Johnson added that there had been a similar issue in the recent past due to incorrectly connected washing machines. Clive Cohen noted that this issue had been investigated a number of years ago with waterways between Totteridge in Barnet and the Welsh Harp being tested. It had been found that 32 different ponds, lakes and waterways had been contaminated with effluence on route to the Welsh Harp. Clive Cohen emphasised that this contamination had to be stopped at source. Following further discussion it was agreed that is should be ascertained whether testing of waterways still took place and if so, whether the results were publically available. It was noted that this could be checked with Neal Hider of the Environment Agency.
Treatment of Japanese Knotweed and Himalayan Balsam
Turning to the subject of stem injections, briefly referred to at Minute number 4, Clive Cohen suggested that with regard to treatment of Japanese Knotweed and Himalayan Balsam, flailing should take place prior to flowering in order to ensure that there was no risk of pesticides/insecticides getting in to the food chain. Jenny Warren advised that the local authority was legally required to treat Japanese Knotweed and that stem injection had been deemed the most efficient way to do this. Flailing would not be affective as it only took a single rhizome for the plant to spread. With regard to Himalayan Balsam, this needed to be pulled up before it produced seeds.
Mayor’s Priority Parks Project – Update
The Chair noted that The London Borough of Barnet had won the London Mayor’s priority parks project and had been awarded £400,000. He further asserted that whilst it was not directly within the committees remit it might prove useful as background information to have an update at the next meeting on how this money would be applied.
RESOLVED: -
- that Barratt Homes be invited to attend the next meeting of the committee with regard to the bank at the former Youth Sailing Base site.
- that it be ascertained via Neal Hider, whether testing of waterways still took place and if so, whether the results were publically available.
- that further information regarding how the funds awarded to Barnet Council via the London Mayor’s priority parks project were applied be provided to the committee