The first People’s Forest Panel was held on 8th July at Chingford Community Hub
On 8th July we held our first People’s Forest Panel, a forum to get local community members together to discuss key Forest issues and inform our policy positions. With the City of London’s Epping Forest Visitor Management Strategy currently being drafted, we thought the Panel would be a perfect opportunity to ensure we are ready to contribute our views.
Participants of the first People’s Forest Panel gather after a collaborative workshop, standing beside a large map used to discuss ideas and priorities for the future of Epping Forest.
The conversation invited crucial insights from local people reflecting deeply on Epping Forest and their connections to it.
Discussions around dog waste, littering and pond quality turned into conversations about the best ways a visitor management strategy could encourage a common respect amongst Epping Forest visitors through education.
Conversations around the importance of high-quality paths transitioned into discussing how to make people feel welcome in open spaces and the kind of effective policy work required to tackle inequitable access to the Forest.
Differences between the north and south of the Forest, in terms of landscape and in terms of the demographics, transport and access needs of local communities. Again, there was a call for the strategy to take a fine-grained approach to the people of Epping Forest themselves, and whether, to best support visitors’ connection to Epping Forest, improved path infrastructure and public transport routes should be considered to connect up the north and south of the Forest, ensuring that people have access to a variety of landscape for their health and wellbeing.
Specific proposals for path infrastructure were also debated. On whether cycling should only be permitted on the main, surfaced paths, views differed on this, with some arguing it should be allowed so long as it didn’t damage the Forest. There was broad consensus for an idea of an all-weather path which runs south to north through the Forest, to ensure consistent and safe access.
Overall, it was a varied and enjoyable discussion. We were glad to have the opportunity to gain significant insights from the participants, as well as hear more about their personal journeys coming to love Epping Forest.
Notes:
People’s Forest Panel is part of the ‘Epping Forest Together’ project, made possible thanks to the funding support from The National Lottery Community Fund. This three-year project aims to deliver community-led events and activities that inspire and educate people about the Forest, increase awareness of climate change and how this may affect the Forest and its local communities, and provide opportunities for people to take action to help protect the irreplaceable Forest.