The West Ham Park Committee were scheduled to meet to discuss the assistant director's report, a risk management update, and a review of the Natural Environment Charity. They were also scheduled to discuss the revenue outturn for 2024/25.

Risk Management

The committee was scheduled to discuss a report from Katie Stewart, Executive Director Environment, to provide assurance that risk management procedures in place within the Environment Department and its Natural Environment Division, which includes West Ham Park, were satisfactory and met the requirements of the Corporate Risk Management Framework and the Charities Act 2011¹. The report stated that the responsible Management Committee retains oversight of risk for each natural environment charity, with officers under their relevant delegated authority in the operational management of the charity having day-to-day responsibility for managing and controlling risk.

The report also noted that one new risk had been added to the register:

ENV-NE-WH 015: Work related stress. This risk relates to the high workloads being experienced by some members of staff and the associated increased levels of workplace stress and anxiety. The potential impacts include greater staff absence and turnover; reduced health and wellbeing; and reduced ability to deliver services.

The report stated that senior managers were taking action to address the situation, including ensuring appropriate support for individuals, better prioritisation of workstreams, reviewing staff rotas, and identification of additional funding to increase staff resources.

The other highest risk for West Ham Park was said to be 'ENV-NE-WH 011: Decline in condition of assets'. The cause of this risk is the backlog of repair and maintenance works required to be undertaken on the charity's built assets. Officers are working closely with colleagues in the City Surveyor's Department to formally assess, allocate and prioritise the funding allocated to the Environment Department to areas of most need.

Natural Environment Charity Review

The committee was scheduled to discuss a report from Katie Stewart, Executive Director Environment, and Caroline Al-Beyerty, Chamberlain, on the Natural Environment Charity Review (NECR). A key deliverable of the NECR is the enabling of enhanced income generation and fundraising across the eight Natural Environment Charities, in order to grow and support the delivery of their objectives.

The report stated that in April 2025 fundraising consultants 'The Transform Partnership' were engaged. The Transform Partnership will be meeting with key officers and members in order to complete their research and provide a report covering:

• Advice on fundraising team development and strategy
• Fundraising potential analysis across all sites, identifying viable income streams and estimating financial targets
• Identifying how to allocate fundraising efforts strategically, given some charities have greater income generation potential than others
• Defining the structure, roles, salaries, and responsibilities for a permanent fundraising team within the Natural Environment Division
• Creating a headline income generation plan across key income streams for each Charity to support sustainable, long-term fundraising operations beyond the consultancy period
• Developing a fundraising policy framework to underpin fundraising efforts
• Ensuring that fundraising aligns with City of London Corporation's financial and operational goals
• Further analysis of the NE Charities and their current and future fundraising and commercial income generation work
• Development of written content to support fundraising bids for each charity, including history, USP, ambitions and donor opportunities
• Testing of case statement narratives with key senior stakeholders and funding prospects
• Recommendations including resource and policy needs, roadmaps and timelines and tried and tested cases for support, establishing useful content for fundraising pitches and proposals.

The report also stated that Mott MacDonald had been engaged to provide analysis for Biodiversity Net Gain² (BNG) potential across all NE Charity and complementary land parcels, and that survey was completed in May 2025. The committee was also scheduled to discuss a report from Katie Stewart, Executive Director Environment, and Caroline Al-Beyerty, Chamberlain, summarising the processes used to audit the City of London Corporation as trustee of the West Ham Park Charity. The report included a list of the charity land assets for West Ham Park, along with a plan showing their location.

Assistant Director's Report

The committee was scheduled to receive a report of the Executive Director, Environment, which provided an update on matters relating to West Ham Park since the last committee meeting on 1 May 2025.

The report noted that plans were underway to redesign and renew the shrub borders near the iris garden, and that various climbing shrubs would be planted in the coming months to make a feature of the increased number of tree stumps, which are in the gardens.

The report also noted that the Gardening Team has a Level 2 Horticulture Apprentice who will complete her apprenticeship next April, and that recruitment is underway to appoint a Level 3 Horticulture Apprentice who will learn and work alongside the Gardening Team.

The report stated that officers are using new equipment to de-compact soil as part of their approach to tree management, and that the NLOS Tree Team is undertaking a study to determine the impact and duration of soil aeration, as well as the impact to trees.

The Team continues to have regular meetings with the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) to discuss, develop and maximise the tennis provision and participation at West Ham Park. Padel and pickleball are on the agenda and will be discussed.

The report stated that the Gardening Team has developed a volunteer group of up to seven volunteers, who meet every Tuesday and Thursday, to carry out tasks in the gardens. The Friends of West Ham Park organised the first community planting day on 18 May, and that pollinator-friendly shrubs including buddleia, daphne, wild privet, berberis and common elder were planted.

Eid Prayer took place again on Friday 6 June in West Ham Park. It was organised by the UK registered charity Humanitarian & Saving Lives Trust.

Following the success of the 150th anniversary celebrations last July, the Friends of West Ham Park, with support from the Park Team, are organising another community event called 'Park Fest '25'. It will be held on Sunday 13 July 2025 from 1.00pm to 6.00pm.

The report also included a City Surveyor's Update, which stated that the City Surveyor has ambitious plans to deliver £976k of works in Year 2 of the current Cyclical Works Programme at West Ham Park. This will include a refurbishment of the changing room and public toilet facilities, as well as additional needed work to lodges.

Revenue Outturn 2024/25

The committee was scheduled to discuss a report comparing the revenue outturn for the services overseen by the committee in 2024/25 with the budget for the year. Actual net expenditure for the committee's services during 2024/25 totalled (£1.485m), with an unfavourable budget variance of (£197,000) compared with the budget of (£1.288m).

The overspend on budgets managed by the City Surveyor is mainly related to Cyclical Works Programme (CWP) expenditure being (£95,000) higher than expected due to the rephasing of projects, such as works at Atcost Barn to carry out rroof repairs and the replacement of windows and bollards.

The central risk adverse variance of (£84,000) is driven primarily by depreciation expenses of (£68,000) for the West Ham Park Playground capital project following completion of the works in February 2024. The remaining (£16,000) adverse variance relates to the West Ham Park external audit fees incurred for overruns on the 2023/24 audit of accounts.