BIG STEP FORWARD FOR EPPING FOREST

January 17th 2018

The first Epping Forest Consultative Committee will meet on 24th January to discuss and debate management and policy issues relating to the ancient woodland. The City of London Corporation, which manages Epping Forest, will bring together representatives from 16 local groups who use the Forest into the formal governance process of the site.

It will provide a consultative role with its views feeding into the City Corporation’s Epping Forest and Commons Committee, which makes decisions about Forest policy.

Representatives on the new consultative committee have been drawn from groups from across the community with a specific interest in the heritage, recreation and conservation of the Forest.

Philip Woodhouse, Chairman of the City of London Corporation’s Epping Forest and Commons Committee, said:

“This is a big step forward in bringing the people who use and enjoy the Forest closer to the decision-making process.

“We want to make sure that Epping Forest continues to be managed in an open and inclusive way. This new forum will be a great opportunity for all of us to share ideas which can improve our enjoyment of the Forest”.

Epping Forest is London and Essex’s largest green space, attracting over 4.5 million visits every year. It has over 1 million trees, some of which are up to 1,000 years old – including 50,000 ancient pollards of Beech, Hornbeam and Oak. The ancient woodland is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Special Area of Conservation.

The City of London Corporation manages over 11,000 acres of green space across London and south east England, including Epping Forest, Hampstead Heath and Burnham Beeches, with many of its sites designated National Nature Reserves and Sites of Special Scientific Interest for their unique ecology and rare plant species.