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Heath boss Bob Hall: 'open debate' |
‘Keep off’ signs ready for Heath
Public may be banned from ‘fragile areas’
PARTS of Hampstead Heath could be out of bounds to visitors in years to come to prevent further damage to its delicate ecology, it was revealed last week.
At a meeting of conservation group Heath Hands in Kenwood House last Wednesday, Heath chiefs talked frankly for the first time about the challenges facing managers currently drawing up a 10-year plan for its 800 acres.
They revealed that radical solutions might be necessary to deal with “tricky” issues facing the Heath, such as pollution, dog mess, gay cruising, the number of cycle routes and the cost of maintaining the ponds.
Jennifer Adams, open spaces director at the City of London, the Heath’s guardian, said: “The issues are pretty far-reaching. For example, a very large proportion of the Heath is covered by compacted land and the effect is like concrete. Water does not get a chance to be absorbed. It runs off this compacted area.
“So how do we allow people to use the Heath but still deal with the problems? We may need to do more maintenance or redirect people to less fragile areas. We do not know what the answer is.”
On the possibility of more cycling routes, Ms Adams said: “We may need to have a radical re-think. We might have to say we are not going to have any designated cycle routes but we will only stop people who are causing problems. This is a debate we have to have.”
Heath management committee chairman Bob Hall, who called for an “open, honest and fair debate”, told the packed meeting that managers were aiming to get the first draft of the 10-year plan out for public consultation by February.
The Heath’s management and consultative committees will meet next January to discuss the draft plan and will meet again in May after the three-month public consultation period has ended. The City of London hopes to publish the final document in July.
Mr Hall said: “It is ambitious but it can be done. We know some issues will come up – cycling, swimming, gay sex, but we have to have an open mind. We need to come to a reasonable decision and then get on with the job.”
He warned: “What we are striving for is consensus. But that is not our guiding principle. If we get consensus, that is welcome. If, however, the preponderant view, for example, is that there should be no more cycling on the Heath, then that will be the view we will take.
“Please do not think that just because someone is shouting louder they will be heard.”
Heath superintendent Simon Lee said: “This is a document that will be looking at the strategies for the Heath for the next 10 years and the vision of the Heath for the next 50 years.” |
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