To report progress and agree future working arrangements involving this Council as part of the Wandle Valley Partnership

Further to Minute 355/08, progress on developing the concept of the Wandle Valley Regional Park was reported.  The report also covered possible future working arrangements, and the funding required for managing the Wandle Valley Partnership for a transitional period prior to the establishment of the Park.

The Joint Members’ Working Group, known as ‘Local Authorities along the Wandle’ (LAW), had considered a draft Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which set out proposed working arrangements between the four boroughs and the involvement of the GLA until the Regional Park had been established.  The MoU was not intended to be legally binding, but was a statement of agreement to work together in a co-operative manner.  Decisions and recommendations would need to be ratified by each of the four boroughs’ cabinet committees and all the costs of the work arising from the Group would be shared.

The Joint Members’ Working Group had agreed that a rationalised, more formal organisational structure was now required.  This would involve Groundwork London in a project management role, co-ordinating the work of the Joint Members’ Working Group, The Wandle Valley Steering Group and the Wandle Forum, with the Steering Group making recommendations to the Joint Working Group for approval.  This would enable the four Wandle boroughs to collectively provide the necessary political leadership, acting in an advisory capacity on behalf of the four authorities.  All stakeholders represented on the Wandle Steering Group and the Wandle Forum would be consulted on decisions on the future development of the Park.

The Joint Working Group had also considered costed options for the co-ordination of the next, transitional phase of the Wandle Valley Regional Park and details of their agreed way forward were reported.  It was proposed that each authority should commit £7k in 2009/10 and 2010/11 as their share of the cost of Groundwork London managing the Wandle Valley Partnership over the transitional period.  Sutton’s share of this funding could be met from existing resources.

The future funding of the Regional Park had been included as an outcome in the draft MoU, with the aim of either repatriating the contributions currently made to the Lee Valley Regional Park by the 4 Wandle boroughs following the 2012 Olympics, or establishing the Wandle Valley Regional Park as the regional facility for south London, with south London authorities paying a precept towards its upkeep.

The Planning Advisory Group had also considered the report at a meeting on 10 February, and its recommendations were reported.

Resolved: To note and endorse the recommendations of the Planning Advisory Group to: (i) agree the draft Memorandum of Understanding, as described in the report;

(ii) agree the proposed Wandle Valley Partnership arrangements, involving the Joint Members’ Working Group, Wandle Valley Steering Group, the Wandle Forum and Groundwork London over the transitional period;

(iii) endorse ‘The Wandle Valley Regional Park - A Vision for the Future’ as a basis for facilitating the development of the Regional Park over the transitional period;

(iv) agree the proposed boundaries of the Regional Park in Sutton for purposes of consultation with the Wandle Valley Steering Group, the Wandle Forum and other stakeholders.